Held up by a boat

I could have easily done 9.7 more miles to the next lean to, I could have been there by early evening. Instead I was forced to stop at 1:10PM at this lean to due to the hours of operation for the ferry service across the Kennebec River. The terrain was so favorable today, and I've been told the next ten are just as easy. Quite a frustrating situation. The trail today was quite muddy. I took one fall that involved my entire left hand being overtaken by a thick pile of mud. I'll be honest, I spent most of today not really paying attention to the trail. I spent today thinking about life after the trail, and how different my life will be. I've been told this trail has the ability to dramatically change a person. With only 155.2 miles to go, I'm starting to wonder how I've changed. I do believe that I will notice some difference when I return to the real world. Ahhh...the real world. The horror, the drama, the news: The race for the Presidency. Oh how so much has happened since I began my walk over four months ago, oh how so much has changed. But time moves on, things change: I've changed. The trail is a new kind of change agent. Life after the trail will not be easy, I'll be going from the most simplistic lifestyle to a city within 48 hours. I just returned from gazing at Pierce Pond for a while. Ahh... the simplistic quietness of watching a pond. It's not something enough people in this country appreciate or enjoy. It seems that we have become so absorbed in our day to day lives that we forget to enjoy the simplistic things nature has to offer. Tomorrow I shall cross the Kennebec River VIA the canoe ferry. 23 miles is on the docket for tomorrow. Here it is: My first declaration of a two day summit window. July 23rd-24th is my current projection. Only 10-11 days left on trail. This has been the most amazing experience of my life, one that I will never forget. The beginning of the end is upon us. KirbyGa>ME 2008.