I'm going to do this entry mostly bullet-point style so as to get it written faster, so I can get back to writing more interesting posts where I'm actually moving forward.
- Went to Walmart for resupply, but forgot to get stove fuel. Tried several other places to avoid having to get fuel from Walmart (the canisters are over-sized, under-filled, fit the stove poorly, and I think might even leak), but they were closed, or didn't have the fuel I needed.
- several of us went to Stokes State Forest. Jesse, Seth, and Stella caught frogs. Holly went for a run. I went for a hike from where we were towards the AT; I didn't make it all the way since it was further than I expected and needed to get back. When I got back, I joined Jesse and Holly with tossing a (rather beat-up) frisbee until it was time to leave.
- Picked up fuel at Walmart on the way to pick up dinner.
- Rain started right at sundown, raining out fireworks.
The presence of Sammy, Jesse's mom's geriatric Shih Tsu, and Michelle's geriatric Pomeranian, made this Jersey House visit somewhat surreal. Sammy, having lost a significant amount of his hearing and vision, often randomly wandered the house (with the movements of a cat, I thought), stopping and looking astonished whenever he walked into an obstacle he didn't see. (Often, the same object multiple times.) He'd then back up and wander off in a different direction, kind of like a Roomba that didn't actually clean the floor and instead randomly peed on it. He'd also stand up braced against the couch and paw at the air, as if looking for someone not actually sitting there to pick him up.
Michelle's dog mostly sat still, staring off into space when it wasn't being carried around, a fluffy paperweight with its tongue perpetually sticking out. It also apparently had bladder control issues; those were resolved with diapers. (Yes. Baby diapers on a dog. It looked as ridiculous as you think it did, but it was effective.)
The two dogs seemed to be in a I'm-more-pitiful contest. I'm really not sure there was a winner, but Sammy, at least, was more entertaining to watch.
The last three days have been super-relaxing, but I'm also quite ready to get back on the trail.