In Maryland

It's extremely humid today, and even though we've been going slowly across the rolling hills, my clothes are still fully soaked. That said, I'm thankful for sweat glands when the cool breezes come. With the absence of my little red cart--it was lost two nights ago due to a ruined tire--I've definitely realized what a tremendous blessing it had been. Pennsylvanians have been so generous with gifts and donations (especially dog treats) my pack is close to 50 lbs now. I actually had to turn down an offer for food and water this afternoon simply because I can't handle anymore weight.

Around 16:00 we cross the Susquehanna via one of the most precarious bridges a pedestrian could ever attempt to traverse. I'm so thankful we both make it safely to the other side, and as a wonderful reward a friendly guy named Justin is waiting to give us a gallon of cold water when we arrive.

Toward the evening we meet a woman named Michele. She'd read about our journey on Facebook and instantly recognized Buddy as the three-legged dog everyone had been talking about. We're invited to visit with her and her friend who lives nearby, and I'm totally stoked to get the invitation since it's a chance for more friendships. Unfortunately, I am unable to find the address. Guess I should have written it down instead of committing it to my increasingly unreliable memory. So sorry Michelle. Thanks anyway for the invite.

There's a thunderstorm rolling in pretty quickly, and though I look for a place to shelter in the fields and woods, each potential area has a 'No Tresspassing' sign posted. The best option would appear to be behind a partially burnt, abandoned home on McCauley Road. I ask the neighbors if they'd mind me putting up a tent there, and initially no one expresses any problems with the idea. However, a bit later a well-meaning and protective husband named Gus comes to investigate the transient camper next door, and I guess he must have decided that we're harmless, cause after several questions he gives us the 'go ahead.' So here we stay for the night. Interesting first day in Maryland.

My sixth pair of shoes are toast.