I often read about people who have blundered into difficulties in the wild and wonder why they were so dense. Now I have had a lesson that teaches me humility and suggests that I might be less scornful when others go astray! This is our story. Eliza drove up from Boston on Saturday afternoon. We suggested a hike up on MDI. I was thinking Pemetic and Bubble Pond-- something that would work well with the dog. Having heard about Precipice for years and because it is frequently closed by reason of Peregrine Falcons, Eliza thought she would like to do Precipice if it were open. We knew that it had been closed this year, not because of the birds, but because of an earthquake. I thought, however, that if it were open I could do the early part together with John and Eliza, then take the dog on the East Face Trail to do an end around the worst part of the cliffs and ladders. I would then meet them at the summit of Champlain. We stopped at the information booth just outside the park and learned that Precipice was open. Lovely day and all of us in good form-- we started up and away. That trail is tough right from the beginning-- we did it just last year-- how could I forget so fast. Almost immediately we had to carry the dog, pass him up ladders and begin to wonder why in heck we were out there. I was comforted to think that I would soon find the trail junction and easier going. On and on we went, however, getting through one nerve wracking pitch only to find another around the bend. Finally the trail junction and a "closed" sign! Almost possible to return the way we had come so with great trepidation about what was ahead, we decided that we had no choice but to forge on. The map indicated that the distance remaining was less than what we had traveled and how much worse could it be??? Much worse, as it turns out-- my heart was threatening to leap from my chest and I kept picturing varieties of disaster-- not worried for myself in the slightest but terrified that Darby would go over the edge or Eliza would slip while she was carrying him. At one point I voiced my fears aloud-- if anything happened people would be absolutely right to think we were the dumbest bunnies in the State of Maine. On the other hand no individual decision had been all the foolish-- and in the end we triumphed over our stupidity and reached the top. Eventually, in desperation, Eliza emptied her backpack and we put Darby into it. We threaded one of the pack straps through his collar and zipped both sides up as far as posssible, still leaving his head sticking out. He has doubled in size but still weighs only ten pounds so was not a burden-- miraculously he seemed to accept the ride as just another perfectly acceptable variation on being carried-- he rode quietly making no struggle to get out. Ladder after ladder we continued up-- John following closely behind Eliza so that he could help if she got into trouble and me trying to stay far enough behind that I didn't have to watch closely. Egads, what a hike! Too stressed out to take any pictures until we reached safety but you see the one that I did take.
Otherwise life is satisfyingly humdrum. This morning, 16 months after I began putting items at the top of the basement stairs to take down (and never actually taking any of them) and putting items at the bottom of the basement stairs to take up (and never actually taking any of them either) I couldn't stand it any more and cleared the whole thing up. Never did a clean and bare set of steps look so lovely! The project to rehab the gravel walk is underway and we plan to work on it again tomorrow, I have two knitting projects going nicely, the weather looks wonderful for the Common Ground Fair this weekend and all is well.
