Little Papers Big Country

Back on the trail this morning. Flew into Baltimore last night, and was met by my wife's nephew and his wife, who are putting up with me for a few days while I walk through the Washington area. My hosts are terrific young people who have generously offered to let me use their townhouse in Arlington as HQ. In addition to their excellent company and food, they are giving my 50-pound backpack a good home for a few days, because I don't need to carry it as long as I can depend on them for food and shelter.

So I started this morning where I stopped a week ago, carrying only a rainjacket and a jug of water. Talk about light on my feet!

And my much-abused feet have made a heroic comeback. Sheathed in their roomy new shoes, my tootsies ended today's 20-miler as pink and happy as they started it.

The route today took me through the town of Bowie, nice suburban neighborhoods, and some beautiful farms operated by the US Department of Agriculture. The day's only blemish was the horrendous traffic on roads my trail guide described as "lightly travelled." With cars whizzing past my ears for hours at a stretch, I was motivated to dream up more apt descriptions of the vehicular activity. How 'bout "dangerous," "uncomfortable" and "terrifying"?

The last stretch of the route was through a pretty park, beside a quiet lake, ending at the Greenbelt Park ranger's station. And the ranger station had a Coke machine! Will the blessings ever stop flowing?

Tomorrow it's Greenbelt to Georgetown.