July 22 Happy Birthday To Me

1555.5-1577.5 22 miles
The day began with a birthday card from Gone Fishing. He collected items from the trail and glued them to the back side of the current map.






Thanks Gone Fishing for making such a thoughtful and unique card!

Just after our start we hiked atop a beautiful ridge and heard a symphony of cow bells. The music, which sounded like wind chimes, filled the air and we could see the cows in the meadow below.
They say the PCT changes your life - how can it not? One advantage of walking 2600 plus miles is it gives you a lot of time to reflect on your life.
One of the disadvantages of walking 2600 plus miles is it gives you a lot of time to reflect on your life.
All kidding aside, out on the trail most days you don't meet a soul, your phone doesn't ring, and you don't have any interruption to your thoughts - unheard of in the "real world". So today I took the liberty of slowing my pace, not trying to keep up with Gone Fishing or hike 10 miles by 11am. I just lost myself in my thoughts. I'd already hashed out the first 59 years of my life during the initial 1000 miles, now I wanted to think about how the next 59 years should go.
I began by pondering happiness and that prompted a list of all he things that make me happy. Then I thought about how I could fit more of these happy items into each day. The real challenge will come after the PCT. I'll keep you posted.

As the afternoon passed I came around a bend and was face-to-face with a herd of goats.


I pulled out my camera to snap a picture and saw a young girl standing in the shadows. As it turns out the goats belong to her and she was hiking with her brothers and the goats. There were over 20 in the herd. She invited me into their camp and offered me a pint of the most delicious goat's milk I have ever had. Then I took a picture of the group and they gave me another pint of milk to take with me for my birthday.



Thank-You Trail Angels Amara, Miguel, Ray, Eliot, Solomon and dog Daisy

Gone Fishing found a great campsite just past the stream crossing




and I ended my birthday with a pint of goat's milk, a wish and a Hostess Cupcake...


I hope this entry has brought a smile to your face because that is one of the things on my list that makes me happy!

Heart