It’s a long trip down to the Pine Creek Gorge trail but I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time and I will spend the balance of the day there.

Yesterday was a fun but busy day. 🛶 Made it back camp by nine fifteen or so, it wasn’t quite pitch black then. 🌆 Didn’t catch the sunset last night by the time I rode north from Montour Falls, got my ice cream 🍦 and walked out on the Seneca Lake Pier. Still it was a great day and even got some pool time in at the Watkins Glen Pool. 🏊

Smoked a bit last night and maybe had a puff with breakfast 🚬 which I realized was a bad idea when I got to Walmart and found myself staring at the bright colorful products, trying to remember everything on my shopping list. 📃 It was weird, things were so bright 🔆 and colorful in the store. 🛒 It’s fine, I didn’t get a DUI or crash and it was fully gone by the time I was done kayaking 🛶 in the afternoon. Certainly not going to do that again even if I think it would provide relief 😌 from a hang over. That was four hours after the puff and I had gone for a bike 🚲 ride earlier on in the National Forest and I felt fine to drive but that Walmart experience was a major wake up call. I am stone cold sober for the trip down to PA today.

It’s a long trip down to the Pine Creek Gorge 🚲 but I think it’s worth it for a full day bicycling. I plan to leave by 8 am to start riding at ten, ride and explore all day 🐦 and leave Pennsylvania in the evening at 7 pm. Get back to camp by nine or so to avoid too much driving 🚘 after dark. 🦌 It worth it though it seems like I’m really front loading my camping trip 🏕 but as I like to say, gotta make hay when the sunshines.

Pennsylvania is different then New York. 🏞 But the Pennsylvania parks are spotless and so well maintained. I’ve never been in the whole way through the Pine Creek Gorge – that is the wilderness section without roads between Ansonia and Blackwell.🛢️I wonder if the burning barrel bar is open on Sunday, might get a burger 🍔 and a beer 🍻 there before hitting the road. No cannabis this morning 🚭and I’m not bringing it to Pennsylvania lest I get stopped. 👮 Not worth the risk of a ticket or arrest, if it gets stolen it’s not that big of a loss, I’ll buy more in Ithaca later in the week. ☺ Maybe even see some trash fires 🔥 and burning barrels down there, smell the hillbilly insense, lol. 😂 I don’t know, I think I’m starting to like cannabis better than fires and the freedom to burn shit but laws ⚖ are changing slowly but surely in America. 🇺🇸 I could see the federal prohibition ending under Harris administration.

Maybe Ithaca tomorrow, 🌸 riding around the city, checking out the botanical gardens. Maybe Buttermilk State Park, 🏊 the parking 🅿 there sucks so I would probably just ride my bike there and park somewhere in the city. There is also some gorges and waterfalls I’ve never visited in the city too I probably should explore. 📸 Tuesday probably would be a Watkins Glen day and Wednesday or Thursday be hang out at camp under the tarp avoid the rain ☔ doing a lot of reading 📖 and relaxing or maybe some time at the Watkins Glen library 📚 on the internet and writing that code for Data Services at work. While the cannabis has helped me sleep soundly, truth is I’ve been staying up late and getting up early and not really getting enough sleep lately. 🛏 Happens every vacation.

Truth is I’m not becoming a stoner 🪴 and honestly, I think much of the plants impact on people’s minds is seriously exaggerated. The biggest impact is it makes me hungry until I eat – makes brightly colored fruits and vegetables so delicious – those farm fresh tomatoes 🍅 disappeared quickly though the same is true sober. It also tends to make feel lazy but that’s nice at camp, and sometimes sleepy and sometimes energetic depending on my mood. But lazy is fine at camp. So far no real mind altering experiences, though I giggle more. It does somewhat enhance color preception and makes the woods seem clearer and things a bit more real. I actually got an e-book out 📙 about Cannabis, though most of it is about the health benefits of smoking rather than different strains, how to buy it and how to grow it. Seems like a great homestead plant, 🐮 especially now that it’s legal. That said, I downloaded a Grateful Dead album and have been enjoying it – I used to listen to them when commuting with a colleague to work – and I wanted some chill music 🎶 to listen to at camp 🏕 when I’m relaxed and paying attention.