July 10th Bivouac

July 10 Sat, 22 days from base

I looked for the reliable water source, but could not find it, or lets say, I walked over 1/4 of a mile and did not find it. I finished packing up camp and went back to the main trail. There in the little creek bed was a 12 long, 1 in. deep running stretch of water. There was a 3 in pool that I filtered out of, 4 liters. I had filter rainwater for the morning and part of the afternoon. Then I hiked through 1 mile of wet grass, no way to keep one's boots or legs dry. Allot of mushrooms came up last night with the rain, saw a number groups of Indian Pipe. Some ripe red raspberries today. I ran out of all my water this afternoon about 3pm. I came to a road and there was a woman on a riding lawn mower. I asked her if I could fill my water bottles at the outside faucet. She said she would take them inside and fill them for me, and then invited me on to her screened in porch. She brought not only the filled bottles but also a glass of water with ice cubes in it. We talked of the "old days", the spring house on her grandfathers farm in PA, the cast iron wood stove and fry pans, the horses, eating whatever game was available or hunted. She said she was 83; 3 generations lived within walking distance of her house. The road at the next junction was named for her family. I hear a scanner chattering away inside and asked her about it. She said it was her late husband's and she kept in on. There were married 58 years. He recently died of cancer. She said, Hospice had helped her so much. I told her about my work with Life Review and Vigil for Hospice in Janesville. She offered the "family camp site" across the road for me to use. Told her I needed to make another 3 miles so that I could get to town on time. A long road walk up a very long hill. Sometimes when I look back at the hill I have just walked up, I wonder where I got the energy to do it. But, the old hip pocket still has some reserve I guess. Question: how do you know you are the only one on the trail? all the spider webs that hit you in the face as you walk down the trail.