ROCKS!!!

   When I hiked through Pennsylvania in 1980 I encountered the famous rocks! Many, many years ago (during the Ice Age), giant glaciers covered large areas of North America (at least that's what some scientists say). The glaciers moved slowly, pushing rocks and debris forward. When the glaciers finally stopped moving and began to melt, the rocks on the leading edge of the glaciers also stopped. They weren't smooth rocks, they were jagged, sharp rocks. And they were all dumped in the mountains of Pennsylvania.
  Down in the South, I was used to trail that was mostly dirt, some rocks, and lots of tree roots & vegatation. In PA, I was shocked to find how many rocks there were, and how hard it was to hike on them. Remember, I was still nursing my sore foot so I had to be careful not to re-injure it. I remember seeing one particularly difficult stretch of rocky trail. At the shelter following that stretch, another hiker complained about the people who put the trail on the rocks instead of on the nice dirt by the side of the trail. I knew better. I knew that the rocks were everywhere. The trail was well worn and the light topsoil was either compacted or had washed away from the trail. If the trail were relocated, in a very short time it would look just like the rock strewn path we had just labored across.
   I had heard about the rocks in PA for a long time. I assumed that they were just in PA, but actually there were lots of rocks for the rest of the trip, all the way to Maine. PA had the sharpest rocks and the most quantity, but the nice dirt paths were seldom seen from this point forward. I made the best time I could and tried to come up with some way to get through this stretch. I was also behind schedule by a few days & needed to catch up if I could. I started to get an idea....but that story will have to wait until tomorrow.

   Here in 2011 I weighed in at 173.8 pounds again this morning. I went for a long walk this morning before the sun was very high in the sky. I followed the exact route that I usually take when jogging, but I simply walked. My leg did pretty good. I think I will buy some new running shoes. That may help give me better cushion when I do return to jogging. A big salad for lunch and bean burritos for supper. I'm stuffed!