And it is already time to leave. I meet the parents, Ken and Dian in southern Vermont at where else? A BMX track. Ken gets dropped off with his 1987 Peugeot mountain bike and a homemade pannier. Good times to come. A historical glimpse into Vermont. We ride on old rail road beds turned to bike ways. Stopping off at slate mine, manmade lakes and state parks, we meander on back country roads. A minimums of one dirt road a day. Sleeping in while the beaver does his morning work. "Don't know what’s worse; the wind, the cars or the road..." [View Full Entry]

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Oh my goodness ya’ll, it was 54 degrees when we woke up this morning ! Have you ever experienced a July 1st in this kind of weather ? It is freezing cold and Tim is lovin’ every minute of it ! He walked outside in his shorts and flip flops and never even skipped a beat. I, on the other hand, was trying to figure out a way to wear my long johns under my clothes today. Jon has pretty much gotten accustomed to it living over in Pennsylvania and all but I prefer the sunshine over this mess any day. [View Full Entry]

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We awoke this morning in beautiful Cape Ann, Massachusetts. We were told that it was a popular tourist town with scenic coastlines, beautiful beaches and elegant restaurants that serve some of the world’s finest seafood. We even heard that the old movie "The Perfect Storm" and the new movie "The Proposal" were filmed here. Of course, we would have to take everyone’s word for it because all we could see were the deep dark clouds hovering over us and the smoky fog from the bay. It seems as though the rain is following us along our journey through The New England [View Full Entry]

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Just in case anyone is still checking this, I thought I'd do one more travel update regarding the move to Vermont... and into the new apartment. I do realize it is well PAST June 1st (that being the day I moved in...) but let's just say I was a bit forgetful my first couple weeks or so and then lost my internet. Since returning to the US and getting used to everyday english again, I've slowly also had to get used to a different pace of life- things move a lot slower up here in VT than they do in Paris. [View Full Entry]

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This morning I received an email from a young monk I met in Siem Reap. His English is quite good, and the style of communication captures the sense of warmth that one so often feels from Cambodians. Among other things, he wrote: Every day, can you remember me or not? For me i remember you until end my life... Good luck and good healthy don't forget take care , i worry. From me Sokol I'm sitting here at home in Jericho, looking out the window at the seventeen shades of green in our yard, admiring our freshly-painted Adirondack chairs, listening to [View Full Entry]

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Another night of restful sleep under a roof. Up by 6:30 making breakfast and packing the packs again. Rob loaded us into the van at 8:30 and off we went back to Mt Graylock. Walking the 17 miles yesterday was a great idea. A day off and still made good miles. The drive up the mountain went well. One of the new guys was slack packing back to town the 17 miles rode with us. 10AM we were shouldering our evil Siamese twins back onto our backs. They were upset we had left them home the day before and had [View Full Entry]

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A quiet night had by all. A light breeze fluttered the fly off and on all night. Birds gave us a wakeup call about 5:30. Packing and eating went smooth and we rolled out onto the trail at 7:30. Par for the course there was an 800' climb first thing. We are still walking in the thick black mud called the AT here. Seems the trail has become just another stream running down the mountains and mud bogs on the flats. We are seeing moose scat along the trail now and search the ponds and wet areas as we move [View Full Entry]

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We made the right choice of staying here last night. I found that flat spot for CC to be in the tent safe from all the creatures that roam the night. I had a nice spot in the shelter which was mice free all night long. Best is the thing was water tight. Rain started up about 3AM along with wind. I thought CC might retreat into the shelter, but she toughed it out all night in the tent. She was a bit damp when she got up and had to contort a bit to get comfortable, but she survived. [View Full Entry]

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The rain stopped just before dawn. We were concerned about our ability to cross the stream between us and the trail. All the rain in the past few days has caused all the water levels to rise. Looks like we will have the morning to get out before the rain starts again. The plan is to walk out to the next road and get picked up about 3:30 and get taken to Manchester Center where we will get picked up by CC's brother Steve. No one is in a hurry to get out of the shelter. No need to hurry [View Full Entry]

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It's been a few years since my last travel blog (U.K. in 2007). I'm leaving for Ireland in two weeks, so I'm reviewing the blog posting process. If you are still subscribed to my blog from 2007, feel free to unsubscribe now, or stay on and you'll get notices of my postings over the next six weeks. I hope to post a few times per week. Feel free to share my blog address and/or posts with other friends and family. I have a lot to do to get ready to leave. I have to pack my clothes and gear to be [View Full Entry]

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