HAPPY TRAILS AND IT IS OK TO TALK TO STRANGERS

Following on the wake of National Donut Day on June 1st is the less delicious but always fun for me, NATIONAL TRAIL DAY on the 2nd.  Unfortunately in this neck of the woods the weather was not very inviting for taking to the trails for a hike yesterday.  It was pouring down rain leaving paths a swampy mess.  I opted for taking a rain check/date and postponing a day and I am glad that I did.  Today was cooler but clear and a wonderful opportunity to plug in the address of Massasoit State Park into the GPS and take a drive.

Massasoit is a 1500 acre state park in Taunton with a big lake and some smaller ponds.  It is NEW for me and I was a bit disappointed that there were no trail maps at the closed reception area.  I don't like hiking into trails that I don't know well without a map so I stuck to the paved road today.  As I was walking I passed a fellow and his three sons at a picnic table chowing down of bags of Doritos (mom came later).  Their fishing poles we laying on the ground so I called over and asked how the fishing was.  They replied they had caught a pike.  I asked them where it was as I wanted to take a photo but they had caught and released it.  They invited me over to take a seat and chat for awhile.  I told them I was working/playing with a NEW project, the DO NEW CHALLENGE, that I had just gotten back to New England after six years in South America and that I am ALWAYS interested in learning NEW stuff. They told me some great NEW STUFF!  I am so excited!  They told me about LETTERBOXING.  As they explained the concept to me I said it sounded like a cross between a treasure hunt and getting my Camino de Santiago Passport stamped as I waked THE WAY in Spain.   The kids loved LETTERBOXING and were so animated telling me about their adventures. I have to check it out.

I continued to hike later catching up with them again near the parking lot.  They had to leave so the boys were giving another fisherman their unused bait.  I thought to myself, we are not supposed to talk to strangers but I have so much FUN chatting with people.  As I hiked the path the boys and their father had told me about I passed a few more people.  I thought about the old question, "How do you know that you are approaching a New Englander?"  And the answer, "When you get close enough to make eye contact he looks down and keeps walking."   I tested that "theory" out the rest of the afternoon and only one fellow looked down.  Perhaps trail walkers are a different sort of New Englander.

So here is the second and last question of the day, "When was the last time you went to a state park and took a nice long walk?"  Please don't wait until National Trail Day 2013.  Nature and Strangers are here waiting for you to DO NEW.   

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.  Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.  Who cares about the clouds when we're together?  Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.  Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.