if i had a hammer

Today we did something a little different. All in all we only walked about two miles. But we climbed a lot of rocks.

Bonnie and Lydia met me and then we went to NCC to pick up my international student. We headed out 78 for Rt. 611. Got off the Easton and decided to go straight, and take the back road. But the back road was on the OTHER side of the fireworks store. We ended up getting back on the highway!

So our trip down 611 took a side trip to Jersey. (Gas is only $3.05 there!)

After getting back on-course we headed down 611, then 32 to Ringing Rocks Park. I probably haven't been there in 30 years. Lydia has been asking to go for at least two years. I thought it would be fun for W. It was. I'm sure when she Skypes her parents tonight, she'll tell them about the crazy Americans hitting rocks.

Bonnie stayed on the edge taking pictures.

After finding many musical rocks, we continued on the trail to the waterfall. After climbing over some more rocks, we headed into the woods, across a field and ended up on a road. Bonnie decided the road would take us back to the park, no need to climb again, so out the road we went. Thankfully, she was correct.

When we got back to the car a boy scout troop was using the picnic table. I thought we just move to the Delaware Canal Park a few miles down the road. Lot's of place to park, a clean port-o-potty, but no picnic table. We ended up tailgating out of Bonnie's car. W tried ring bologna (I checked that it was all beef.) and apple cider for the first time. She liked both. Maybe next time we'll feed her Lebanon bologna. I have to make sure it's all beef first.

When we returned to Bethlehem, we went for frozen yogurt near the school.

When we returned home, we took a very anxious Adonis for a walk. Initially he was so bad I told him if I scolded him one more time we were going home. Clearly my tone was right, he behaved the rest of the time. He even did well with all the fire engines heading to Bergen street.

I need to toss out a HUGE THANK YOU to Lydia. She swapped out the broken tv for the newer tv. Lifting both those huge models alone. These are 27 inch analog with tubes. Clearly she took her Wonder Woman vitamins this morning. Then, with my help, we carried the air conditioner upstairs for the winter. All that crap is out of my living room for Thanksgiving. Of course the kitchen still looks like a war zone, but there's nothing i can do about that.

lehigh gap nature center hike

Today we walked with the Center Valley Outing Group at Lehigh Gap. That's the park that used to be the old zinc mines. They are trying to bring it back to life. It looks better than what I remember, but it's going to take a long time to return to being a forest.

The email said "This is an easy hike along the river. Lehigh Gap Nature Center is an awesome place to go and explore the outdoors. The AT intersects there, but we will be on a relatively flat plain along the Lehigh River. This hike is a little over 4 miles." It was actually a little over 5. I think that had to be a typo.

The beginning was tough. Hills and rocks. Typical Pennsylvania trail. But then it leveled out. and became gravel and stone. Along this trail there were stones painted with odd sayings...Werewolf of London or onion rings. I think we counted about 12.

We also went past members of the EPA who were set to do a controlled burn this afternoon. Apparently the grass and trees were planted. They want to see if the soil is toxic yet. And whether enough time has past that the area will reseed itself.

We moved on to the three pond trail and heard the spring peepers, peeping. From the joyous noise, mating season was going extremely well. Finally we picked up the D&L for the final 2 miles. While on the D&L Lyd go a walking lesson using poles. She worked up quite a sweat.

Nowhere did I see the markers for the Wegman's Passport to Health walk. The woman at the counter was clueless too. Looks like we'll be going back.

When I arrived home we walked Adonis. Another half mile. Lydia isn't coming back till 5:30 or so, so I'll have another half mile latter this afternoon. Maybe I can go over 20K steps today.

todays paper

You can tell it's spring. Everywhere you look — television, radio, papers, magazines, companies — are all trying you to get fit and outside.

Last week I discovered the Passport to Health. Today I opened the paper and saw this:

(Yes, I will be the last person on earth reading a paper.) It even has a QR code. But then I have a stupid phone, so it's useless.

I went to the website and this is the featured trail of the week. So far, it's really the only one on the site. There is an index of walks, but none of the pages have been made public yet. My guess is this will roll out very slowly all spring.

Many we've walked. Some we haven't. The D&L is there. But we haven't done all the sections. The Appalachian is there too. But Pa.'s part is ROCKY. So beware. Rodale park is there also. And the state parks. And the Water Gap. Gorgeous in fall. Crowed too. Oh and the Historic Bethlehem Trail.

Where haven't we been? The Daniel Boone Homestead (Birdsboro), Hawk Mtn (Kempton), Jim Thorpe, the Game Preserve,  Peace Valley (Doylestown), Schuykill Trail (Hamburg) and my favorite name— the Gravity Trail in Reading. As you can see these, and some others on the list require a drive. Maybe up towards an hour drive. But that's okay.

I went to the Reading Trails site—who knew— and found the listing for the gravity trail. It is described as "the newest trail in the City of Reading. The trail goes from Mount Penn to the county-owned Antietam Lake. This moderate to strenuous trail explores the Mt. Penn Gravity Railroad historic sites and Antietam Lake. You can start the hike from Neversink Mountain or any of the city-owned parks such as Pendora, Mineral Spring, or Egelman Park." I'm downloading the map now. My favorite word is strenuous. It looks like it is four miles, so that's an 8 mile round trip. But it looks like it is out and back, so we could turn at any point. Oh, and the best part? It's near the Pagoda!

Tomorrow I walk with Betsy, and have my last shift at the homeless shelter.  Winter's over and they are back on their own. It seems time. They appear to be getting on each others nerves. By this time they know what buttons to push. 

Tomorrow the "Walk to Jerusalem" group is also having their symbolic finish the last mile together walk. But because of my commitment at the shelter, I won't be going. It's a 3 in Lehighton. No way to make it back in time.

Saturday I think Bonnie and Lydia and I will walk. I received a email from the Liberty Bell Wanderers that they are doing Doylestown walk tomorrow. Maybe we can do that. It isn't too far.

Sunday we're taking a break. Though I will have Z all day. We might just take a walk and look at the neighborhood. Experience America on foot. She returns to Yemen in May.