The Interlaken Road

 
Driving after my programs today (three of them in a row), I passed this road sign. Had to stop and take a picture. This is the name of the town where I grew up. Interlaken. In-ter-LAKE-en. Like as between the LAKES, with a long A, none of this Swiss pronunciation. Anyway.



It just struck me funny, as if maybe I could take that road and travel back in space and time and arrive back in Interlaken to the place and person I was so long ago. Not gonna happen, folks!

In technical terms, there's been a lot of water under too many bridges. And yet, who I am is so deeply rooted in where I came from that I've certainly spent all my life on some segment of that Interlaken road.

That's all the philosophy my brain can come up with tonight. I'm whipped. Going to bed, but not my own bed. Will tell all tomorrow!

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Successful Program

 
Sorry, no pictures. I drove to Albion via US 10 and 127 rather than the Interstates because of severe flooding around Grand Rapids with reported closures of roads. Drove for 3 1/2 hours through rain, sleet, snow, and sun. Yes, this is Michigan, but hey, it's APRIL. I was hoping to take a picture of the trail in Albion, but it would have been a pretty dismal image. So, this will be a rare, pictureless post.

Gave "The North Country Trail and the Kitchen Sink" at Albion College tonight. It was well-received, and there were a lot of questions.

Two little girls were there with their parents (who are working to turn them into campers), and the girls were excited. The older one, about eight, even asked a couple of questions.

I sold 3 books.

One fun encounter happened in a restaurant before I got to the program venue. When I came in the waitress (who turned out to be the owner) said to me in a joking way, "Don't let this lady talk to you in English." She was referring to the woman at the next table who happened to be standing. That lady put up her fists (in a joking way), and I said something like, "Well I like her already. She's ready to go at it." And I put up my fists too. That woman was there with a man who turned out to be her husband.

After we all placed our orders I leaned over, with my map in hand, and asked if they could show me on the map where I was in town (it's hard to drive in a strange town and read the map at the same time). So we got talking.

Turns out she is a Recreation Coach for the college, but wasn't coming to the program because of another commitment. But her husband has hiked a lot, and also is working on canoeing the Mississippi River in segments, and she's interested in my programs. And... her name is Joan.

I'm always wound up after giving a program. Talking to people about the trail just energizes me. It's the one extrovert-ish thing I do. Trying to calm down enough to sleep. Three programs tomorrow.

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Strawberry Blite

 
I'm still working on pictures and the finishing touches on this program: "The North Country Trail in Michigan." Also tweaking "Botanizing Along the North Country Trail" as well. Found pictures of this beautiful plant.

This is a relative of the common amaranth, but it has an odd name, and wonderful flowers. Its name is odd- Strawberry Blite. It is neither a blight nor a strawberry. I just read that the flowers are edible. Wish I'd known that when we saw them. I've never seen them before or since. Its scientific name is Chenopodium capitatum



Just enjoy.

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NCT End-to-Enders

 
I am working on a program for this coming weekend, and came across another picture of me with one of the other end-to-end hikers of the North Country Trail. There are nine of us, and eight are still alive. Sadly I never even met the first one who walked it all. He had died before I even found the trail. I've met six of the other eight, but don't have pictures with two of them. I was barely a wannabe when I met those two.

I now have pictures of me with these:

Andy Skurka, hiked NCT 2004-2005



Bart Smith, hiked NCT 2005-2007



Nimblewill Nomad, hiked NCT 2009 (Oh yes, Senator Carl Levin just happens to be with us!)



Don Beattie, hiked NCT 1980-2005



I'll need to get pix of me with the others that we can still find. A group picture would be awesome, but I doubt that will happen.

	See The Party's Over, But It's OK for my final miles of my hike
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Ramps

 
Finally, something interesting growing in the woods! Ramps! These are wild onions, Allium tricoccum, also called wild leeks. I should have taken time to dig some up to make soup. It's a treat. But I didn't think I had the time (either to dig or cook!) Maybe I'll find some nearer home next week. I didn't even pull one up to show you the base. They have an elongated bulb, not round like a garden onion. They smell strongly like both onion and garlic. Put together with potatoes, you can make a yummy soup.

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