Rain, rain, go away! (I want to hike this next wednesday!)

Hello, All!

Rain, rain, go away, come again some... nah, I don't think the rhymin' approach is going to help.

Sure is wet out there! I hope all you hikers are having a safe walk even with the added treachery of rain... and mud... and slippery, slimy rocks! And that is just the tip of things, isn't it? That constant trail-swimming, and staying more than a tad waterlogged will wear down your ability to fight off illnesses. So, take extra care out there, and please know that I pray that you all keep your heads above water!

Since my last entry, (Little Bigelow Birthday Hike), I ran into Clint Buzzell, of Anson. Clint is a local hero of mine. You see, he is a Volunteer Trail Maintainer on the Appalachian Trail, here in Maine. He just happens to maintain the section that I last hiked, up to Little Bigelow. I consider his level of care on his section to be exceptional, and I hereby declare him a Trail Maintainer "Extraordinaire"!... –(adjective French. extraordinary; uncommon; remarkable.)

I've known Clint and his wife, Helen, for a number of years, and, on my 2007 SOBO Thru-hike attempt, was pretty tickled to find him on the trail, waiting for me. He had brought me some much needed gear, and an awesome batch of no-bake cookies that Helen had made for Faithful and I! In typical "Trail Maintainer Extraordinaire" fashion, Clint had passed the time waiting for us by doing... you guessed it! Trail maintenence!... on a section that he isn't even responsible for! Wow!

Anyway... Clint filled me in on trail stuff. He has already assisted NOBO's by offering up a lift in his truck. He took a tumble on the trail, breaking a finger, and doing some damage to the joint. It looked very painful, quite swollen, but he still intends to be out there. He said that he needs to repaint the white blazes soon. My heart quickened just a bit! The beloved blazes! (How cool would it be to actually paint your own white blaze!?!). I know that to some it would seem a bit "funny" to get excited about painting these little white rectangles, that are 2 by 6 inches (5 by 15 cm), but to a hiker on the A.T., (especially thru-hikers), each blaze is taken kinda... you know... personal, like! I left Clint with the offer to carry the paint for him, should he like some help that day. (THANKS, Clint!)

I caught up with another friend, John Bernard, at Church the other day, and upon talking with him, found myself succumbing to one of the "seven deadly sins"...ENVY! He told me that he had taken his daughter, Katie, and her friend Rebecca up to Katahdin the day before! Yay! I was so happy for them! (and a "little" envious). It was the first time up the mountain for them, and they had GREAT weather. They went up via the Hunt Trail, and returned on the same. I was so happy for them!...

...boy, do I have the urge to go hiking! ...and that is the plan, if all things work out. My target, of course, is my next day off, Wednesday! It probably won't be a big hike, but if the weather clears, it will be wonderful! Rain, rain, GO AWAY!!!

...and I, too, must now go away... God Bless!

Stickman