Ended up hiking the Robert Frost Stone House and Lake Paran Trail 🚶

I told myself for a while I would make it a lazy day, as my ankle hurts a bit from hiking yesterday along that ATV trail to Harmon Hill. Plus I wanted to read and get home early to unpack and unstress. Things have gotten better in my mind but I still don’t fully trust my now 14 year old increasingly creaky jacked up truck. It’s fine though, even if my mind keeps finding issues to anxiety on. I was noting the last bus to Albany leaves at 5 pm if my truck were to die. Not that I had evidence of that happening but I’ve been worrying for a decade and my parents are on vacation. Listening to Gram Parsons Return of the Grevious Angel as I hike. And the Blue Jays scream at me.

I did hang out at camp and by Beaver Pond in the National Forest until 2:30. I just wanted to take my time and collect my thoughs. Boy was it hot and humid when I got down to Bennington, Vermont. But the sun came out and the drought stricken fields and trees just glistened on the sun. I know it’s the residual on my brain from my visit with the magic dragon on Harmon Hill yesterday, lol. Pretty place though Lake Paran was busy and certainly not as wild as I had envisioned.

Vermont is just different with it’s old quaint buildings and architecture. I was going to check out some of the old covered bridges in North Bennington but I don’t have the time now and the clouds just pushed in. It’s been a great weekend but I want to get home without any truck issues or bumping another car with the inevitable NY 7 traffic. I kind of hate driving that road as otherwise I’d probably come out to the National Forest more in Vermont.

After five o’clock and it’s a mile and half walk back to my truck and an hour driving home on NY 7 through all those pokey hick towns that I half explored last year in search of my off-grid homestead and then the Troy-let where they want you to know aggravating driving is punished according to the sign and the expressway and then home by dark in the dumpy old apartment. Then riding the bike to work tomorrow.

I’m thinking about buying clams and corn on Thursday and taking Friday off for a long weekend at Rennselaerville State Forest. Maybe renew my license and shoot some tree rats. Right now though that’s just a thought – got to check the syllabus and the seasons.