Day 21. March 21. Zero mile rest day in Kearny

Day 21. Tuesday March 21. Zero mile rest day in Kearny AZ. 

Dear Trail Friends,

I slept late and then went for a stroll in the very warm morning air. At the dollar store across the street from General Kearny Inn where I am staying I found ziplock bags (to replace worn ones I was using - one as a water scoop, one to keep the clean water end of my water filter system clean, one as a home for used toilet paper.). I also found thread - three big spools for $1. I was reluctant to hem my new pants for fear they would use up the stash of thread in my emergency kit. I told you about the new pants, right? How, overwhelmed by the heat, I listened to Anne telling me that everyone here wears light colored clothes and it makes a huge difference, and promptly ordered new pants, shirt and hat from Amazon (also a sun umbrella). I always hem the pants a little, they are long on me and drag in trail dust. 

From the dollar store I walked less than a block to Ace hardware where I bought pipe insulation foam (for padding the umbrella when I attach it to my backpack for "hands free" use) and - what else did I buy at the hardware store? Oh, of course! Shoe goo to put around the corners of the Velcro attached to the back of my new shoes (so I can Velcro my gaiters to them - without goo or glue the Velcro tends not to stay attached especially in this heat) - and also to protect the toe of the shoe which seems to wear out first. 

Then from Ace hardware I walked half a block to the post office where I picked up my resupply box and the tube in which my umbrella was shipped - the now empty tube as the umbrella seems to have gone off on a Mary Poppins adventure of its own. 

Then I walked the whole block and a half back to the hotel pausing at Bruce and Cynthia's room to offer part of my pipe insulating foam (I had a piece 6 or 8 ft of and needed at most 6 inches ). When I arrived they laughed and held up my pipe foam's identical twin which they had been planning to share with me. We agreed to have lunch at the Cantina (next door to the post office), having heard that it was "taco Tuesday."  

I went back to my room and started the process of requesting a replacement umbrella sent to my next resupply stop (which will be Roosevelt Lake. )

I also unpacked my resupply box only to discover that I had goofed and left the laundry detergent and soap/shampoo and body lotion out. That meant doing my laundry without soap (which doesn't really bother me - it gets a lot of the dirt out) and also my hair and body. I thought about how trail walks for me are a lot about learning how to adjust to the unexpected. Not getting all full of fear or anger when things do not go as planned -but just getting curious how I will cope with the new situation. 

At lunch I walked into the empty Cantina and the very warm and friendly staff - typical of this little desert town - explained that they did not serve food at all, and that "taco Tuesday" was at Buzzy's (another half block and across the street, next door to NAPA auto parts. 

So Bruce and Cynthia and I had lunch at this little sort of like a non-chain fast food place - they had tacos and I had enchiladas. There was no air conditioning, just overhead fans. Gerry came to pick them up after lunch in his Hawaiian shirt and with his mustang convertible. Gerry makes an exciting production out of everything, taking photos, talking about how this is the one that is going to go viral, being sure to get shots that show we are in front of Buzzy's. He clearly lives the trail and trail people and gets joy from helping, and loves the town of Kearny, and knows that the more it is publicized as a great place for hikers to come, the more the town will thrive from the business hikers bring. Photo 1 shows Gerry and Bruce and Cynthia heading out toward the trail. 

 

Gerry asked me to contact another hiker Aaron (a young man from Seattle staying at the campground) and coordinate our morning trip to the trailhead (Gerry will drive us) with him. 

I invited Aaron (who I had not met, just texted him about trail head transportation arrangements) to dinner at the local pizza place and then collected my laundry, opened my resupply box and put things into my pack (opening all the shrink wrapped stuff and putting it into ziplock bags), etc. I also took a shower and rubbed rescue cream all over my body. This hot dry air is hard in skin. Oh dear Trail Friends I keep falling asleep in mid sentence. Do you think my body is trying to tell me something?

I moved the button on my new pants so I can wear them low (below where they would have chafed under the backpack belt) and also sewed the spare button in a place where I could fasten them tighter at my actual waist and so above where the pants waist belt would chafe under the backpack waistbelt. That's about as clear as mud and i am falling asleep. 

Dinner was fun - Gerry came back to take pictures and showed photos of the trail I just walked and the part coming up. A man named James (trail steward for the next section I will walk and athletic director at a local school) who had met Aaron earlier also joined us. It was fun to be with them. James plans to walk the PCT near Crater Lake this year. 

But I dropped early and came "home" to make final arrangements for packing up and of course to write this blog. (I know you thought it wrote itself but actually I sit here with my two little hands letting my finger or fingers dance across the little iPhone keyboard. I don't mind doing typing my blog, but am not yet good enough to do it in my sleep. 

One other thing - I've been noticing photo collages in other people's blogs and noticed Cynthia making one. I asked her what app she used and she said layout. She had a great collage of desert wild flowers. So photo 2 is a collage made today of photos from yesterday - the desert going very far to celebrate my/our Chrissy's birthday. 

 

I'm not sure of the wildflower names but one of the cleaning women told me that if you touched the orange one and then touched your eye you could get pink eye. 

Did I tell you Aaron turns out to be an ER doctor from Sacramento? Not exactly the poor hiker on a shoestring i was imagining he would be. Very bright and interesting young man. I wish I had taken his picture. Maybe tomorrow morning. Of course the pink eye story made me think of him because I wasn't sure how credible he as a trained physician would find it. 

Enough. I really am half asleep. Pleasantly so. Did I tell you I asked Aaron to meet me in the hotel lobby/bar for a beer before dinner?  They have several brews on tap and I am totally hooked on "kilt lifter." Not only does it appeal to my Scottish ancestry and humor, but I love the taste of the beer. 

See you on the trail tomorrow.