Day 27 - Monday, September 29, 2014

First morning at Molly Stark State Park, our tents are in lean-to Birch.

Asleep soundly and dreaming: trying to write about myself but the word processor keeps changing my sentences and adding words, which is frustrating.  Then, Pauline asks, “Tu dors-tu, Fleur-Ange?” I was sorry to be awoken to the realization I had finally been sleeping!

The bandage and tape that had been on my foot when I went to bed was gone.  I retrieved it from the bottom of my sleeping bag. Before putting on my socks and boots, I got a bone-shaped bandage from my Hogewoning Toyota First Aid kit.  Then, since the paper around it was hard to remove and by cutting it, made it less effective, I added two of the transparent tape slightly offset one from the other.  I also took 2 ibuprofens before setting out, so as to be able to walk at my usual pace.

Today our walk was taking us through the town of Brattleboro, Vermont.  Yesterday, we had driven there after our walk so we could reach Molly Stark State Park.  Pauline needed a battery, we needed more freeze dried food and we wanted to see the Brattleboro Food Coop that Rod Nunn said had been a model for the Mustard Seed Coop recently set up in Hamilton, ON.  Most everything we needed was within a block, I soon realized, including the restaurant Kim had recommended.  Milagros, she’d said, was the best Mexican-food restaurant in 3 states.  Not too spicy though, as she’d added, that we were still in New England.  Unfortunately, it was not open when we were there.  So I was hoping we would make downtown Brattleboro around noon.

We started on Route 5 again.  Pauline thought I was being quiet.  I’ve been trying to be more flexible and answer questions with minimal words, so as to accommodate everyone.  It seems to work best this way.  I still listened, to Pauline’s problem with waking too, to the insects who continue to sing and to the presence of traffic on Interstate 91 running parallel to the left of Route 5 South. And the tap of my walking stick ticking out the seconds of our walk.

While Dean was moving the RAVioli about 4 kms, Pauline and I passed a huge Catalpa tree.  Since I am becoming more and more grateful for large, old trees, I wanted to take its photo. I took Pauline's photo with it.  

Further along, during today’s walk, another large tree presented itself on our side of route 5.  It seemed to be a Silver Maple.  Do they grow that big or am I mistaking its identity?  Pauline agreed to take my photo by it.

At the 3 km mark, I got Dean to use his camera to take a photo of my native doll as my iPhone was out of power (no Wi-Fi at Molly Stark State Park.)

Dean reached us before we got into downtown Brattleboro.  He had stopped at the library on his way to us and found out about the use of computers and wi-fi. He stopped again to check the hours as he thought we could stop after we had our 20 kms done.  We walked along and I noticed weathervanes in the window of a hardware store.  We’d been admiring them on barns all along on our north-to-south walk through Vermont.  This was the first we’d found. So I’d inquired.  We waited for Dean but we must have missed him.  So headed for the car, that Dean had parked near the Co-op. 

I had thought we were coming behind Main Street but not so.   Across the street was an art gallery I had noticed, out of the corner of my eye again.  We saw beautiful objects in the window and Pauline was agreeable to go in.

At Gallery In the Woods, Deborah, artist, tending the store on this day shared with Pauline and I the photos of the black bears she’s had in her yard this year.  She says there are 6000 black bears in Vermont.  A mother bear brought her 3 cubs to Deborah’s last spring.  The male cub is now an impressive size.  She says she has had no difficulties with these bears. Otherwise we've only seen black bears of the wooden variety along our journey.

As we walked down Main St, it was not long that we saw Dean.  He was relieved to find us again. 

Off Dean went with the RAVioli, leaving Pauline and I to go up Canal St. in the now sunny and warm afternoon.  I commented that we hadn’t seen the “real pharmacy” Kim had told us was in Battleboro.  And then there it was. The Pharmacy was smaller than expected.  Nevertheless I did find Second Skin and Tape for my blister.  I will be well heeled tomorrow morning.

We still had about 4 kms to do to complete our day’s walk.

We all agreed to a late lunch. I conceded my hope of going to Milagros and instead we picked up some tasty food at Brattleboro Coop and sat inside listening to a musician playing softly and intriguingly on a banjo.

Took Dean back to hardware store and the art gallery.  We got a weathervane with a hopping bunny.  Dean enjoyed the art gallery as much as we did.

I am sitting on my own by the fireside and lamp, writing this blog on our laptop.  We have no wi-fi here.  The plan is to go to Brattleboro’s public library tomorrow and post them after our walk is done.

There are only embers left in the fireplace.  The falling leaves sound like rain. Soon the Coleman lantern will run out of fuel.  I will have met my goal of getting to bed after 9 but before 10 am.