The walk started off with a long steep grade down to Donegal. I bought some cheese at the grocery and set on the wooden steps in the back. The warmth of the sun felt good. I played the banjo between bites of cheese. Some folks stopped to listen. A woman told me her dad played the banjo and someone else said it sounded nice. Inside the music took me to another time

Then the road followed a branch of the Juniata river until it was close enough for me to touch, climb down to the bank and sit between the river and the road. The sound was cleansing, mixed with the rich smell of the moist fecund earth, and last years rotted leaves.

Between River

The river squeezed into narrow ditches nearly smothered by green grass. Small fingerlings darted back an forth trying to hide in the shadows.

Near the end of the day there was road work on the west bound lane of route 31 slowing traffic. The truckers pulled over to give me room when they could. When they could not pull over I moved as far out of their way as I could. Carol Richardson called me on the cell phone to see how the walk was progressing and to let me know that volunteers from the local Lions Club would assist me for the remainder of the walk.