Day 15 - Wednesday, September 17, 2014

I am behind on posting; if I get a chance, I will post something from prior days.

Thanks to all who helped us locate the bike trail so we didn't have to spend all day on U.S. Route 2.  It was quieter, safer and shorter! Instead of a 4hour45minute walk, it was 3 hours and 30 minutes and we got further down the road.  We are especially grateful to a young man, Randall Meyer, who loves maps and who added to the map we got from Don O'Donnell, at the New Discovery State Park.  Good luck Randall for your bid to get into Congress; we would vote for you if we could.

 We found help at Hestia's Expresso Bar in Plainsfield, VT.  This place was appropriately named after the Goddess of the Hearth.  I felt I had accidentally entered someone's living room. 

Three kilometres into our walk, I try to take a photo of the native doll, I am carrying.  In one she is resting on a bed or red pine needles as we have found a better place to walk than on US Route 2.  All day we were on Vermont Cross-Trail, an old rail bed.

My index finger is healing well.  Only two more days of soaking it in salt for two days and putting cream and a bandaid over it.

Another beautiful day for walking towards Deerfield, Massachussetts.  We are more than halfway there!

There were two large ponds along the trail.  This one is called Marshfield Pond. Enjoyed the view. 

Pauline enjoying the beautiful view along the Vermont Cross-Trail, an old rail bed.

I must have seen 10-12 butterflies/moths (papillons de unit) and 2 dozen dragonflies.  By the end of today's tail, large black dragonflies were dancing between Dean and me, delighting also in the day.

I noticed moose tracks by a marshy pond that moose love.

I know that moose were killed on the forced walk from Deerfield to Montreal in 1704.  I am in the Ranger's Station, and I don't have my book with me to give you a quote at this time.

This part of the bike trail, toward the end of today's walk, reminded Dean of Algonquin Park.  

I really liked the feel of the village of Plainsfield!  And I liked meeting Elroy along the trail.  I know she is not from the area and that she is into biology.  Among other plants she had large and beautiful tattoos of a yarrow and a mugwart plant.  Some of the best looking tattoos I've seen.

Elroy with tattoos of favourite wildflowers.