Thanks for an entertaining read! I loved the part about the horseflies… sorry they bit you but the way you wove the tale was pretty funny. In northern Maine we have TONS of horseflies and a few of their subspecies… One of which we locals call Moose flies. They are horrendously large and look as if they are wearing black and grey striped sunglasses, one of the only bugs I will swat because of the pain inflicted when they bite… we also have Deer Flies which are kind of orange striped in color but much smaller, their smallness does not equate into a less painful bite though, ouch!
also liked the part about your trail angels and the help they provided. Folks from Canada have always been super nice in my experience hiking and camping on Cape Breton. So nice one couple offered me their front yard right in front of their house when i needed a place to camp for the night. Roadside kindness is something that seems to dissipate exponentially the closer you get to cities.
Rest In Peace Gary Snyder…
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