ट्रेल मैजिक मैजिक ट्रेल मानी नमस अत

Hello my friends ~*~
~Many Names here, hangin' with my mom and dad in a hotel in, uh, catawba? or Salem? Anyway, just ate a nice big meal, took a fantastic shower, am going to sleep in a bed tonight, Hooray! These things in life are just too grand for words ~#*#~!!!
M & D came down for a visit after my cousin's west point graduation (Yeah ,Mike!! you rock!) it's so sweet to see them.
It's been amazin' dayz out on the trail. Where to begin. I feel like evrything is magical but to write about it, hmmmmmm......it's not even about the specifics of what happens but more so the choices and avenues leading up to moments unforgettable. But they all really simple things, like i set off alone just after sunrise the other morning, hiked a couple of miles and stopped in a small meadow because i saw some wild greens to harvest for a salad (i was really craving fresh saled). While picking red clover, chickweed, wood sorrel, violets, ect. i saw a bunch of milkweed shoots. Yay! bay green veggies. i started cutting the little stalks. my new friend Spoonman showed up, wondered what i was doing and wanted to learn all about the wild edibles. Then Huck Finn showed up, and Blessed, Startreck rolled on through....quite a trailside meeting of the minds! Blessed is also really into wild harvesting, he knows things i don't know and vice versa..he really wanted to know how to cook the milkweed. Anyway, the day went by and a whole group of us decided to camp together by a lovely creek, spoonman built a fire so we could boil all the water for the milkweed, i fixed up wild salad and spread it out on a (clean) bandana so peeps could help themselves. Startreck donated some fresh garlic and onions (yum) and we all had a mini sample feast...everyone was suprised at how good it all was. I was so happy, such a sweet crew. Also there was Soundtrack, K-Bar, Schooner, and Ferdie. Music was played late (late for us) into the night, and all was right with the world.
The next day Spoon and i were the last ones out of camp feeling highly Unmotivated. We ended up hitching a ride to a hole in the wall restaraunt for burgers, sweet tea, and ice cream. There were deer heads all over the wall,but where we were sitting was just a deer butt. Just the ol' rump. Hmm... we got a ride..witht the same guy back to the creek, still feeling lazy, swamm in the creek, spoon lost his sunglasses once, i found...twice for good...sunbathed and finally hiked to a sweet clifftop lookout, chilled, watched the sunset....nighthiked five more miles in the dark, cowboy camped by another little creek. Listened to the CRUNCH, crunch of the gyspy moth caterpillars out in full force!!! gross! They fell on me from the trees all throughout the next day. I had one hanging from the tip of my nose, by a thread. Distusting..i am sort of tough...but i don't dig those guys, or the flies, coming on strong! oh! i am covered in bites (natural bug spray sucks, don't let anyone fool you!!)
Trail Days was awsome!! There was so much going on at all times, it was overwhelming. I got to march in the parade wearing my sequence evening gown found on the side of the road (perfect fit!), we all swam in the river after and sang songs, then watched the "Talented Hiker Contest" hiker talent show.....from banjo playing, playing drums on an overturned kayak, Ahab did beatbox (awsome, he won!!!), juggling fire, spoken word, reggea(yeah,Crazy Horse!!one mile an hour) and other stuff. Participated in some contra dancing...that was fun! and back at tent city was just a huge party, lots of music playing and singing, a huge bonfire, drum circle, dancing around the fire, hula hoops, spinning poi(yeah firecracker!i love you mamacita, and, yes, we can be friends forever). Laaaaaate night. so fun, so worth it...and soooooo ready to get back into the woods!!!
Last night, that same group of folks from the wildfood night and i camped out up at this place called the 'Dragon's Tooth'. These spiky unbelievable rock formations sticking up all jagged and ever-so-climbable. We were all hanging out up there for the sunset, Soundtrack (who truly lives up to his names) takes out his flute and plays such an amazing tune, tunes for the moment, just perched up there on the highest peak. I just look around, feelin' so fine. Man, life is good. as it should be. i didn't think i could get any happier this morning as i was hiking down the mountain toward the town where i would meet my parents.....and then i turned a corner and saw a cooler sitting there on the side of the trail with a note that said, "Hey hikers!...i can't remember what it said now, but it was full with cold sodas on ice, i gabbed a coca cola (something i have never drank in my life! I love it now) said thank you to the spirits, and strolled on down the trail.