19-Sept

I begin with a couple topics that may be touched upon at a later date.
1) Only when we give up, do we find what we are looking for.

2) I had a crazy dream last night. Please, for everything holy, withhold Freudian analysis:
I arrived at my mom's house to find a crew of native plant restoration people just wrapping up tha day's project. We discussed the ongoing raccoon problem in the neighborhood. The coons approached the house shortly after that, but as I used a push broom to swing at them, I found them to be rather agile, dodging and tumbling under my attacks. The fact that a longer broom may have been useful was raised by someone. I leaned the broom against the house, but was tripped by a charging raccoon, fell on the broomstick, and knocked a hole in the house.
That's it. Snicker away.

3)Update:
It's Monday morning and I should be, by my plans, waking up on the banks of Il Lago di Bracciano. However, I'm on the floor of a private room in a Florence hostel, 13 days ahead of schedule. The windows, split down the middle, have been drawn open all night and the sounds of the morning life echo off the stones outside: footsteps, carts, Italian chatter, and diesel engines. The light rain from last night has cleared to provide a wisping of clouds, pinkish-gold against the blue sky as I look out from the third floor.
I'd like to say that I greatly underestimated my daily mileage ability and managed to make it 190 miles yesterday, but alas, you might not accept me for my standard honesty. Sunday was the last day in Rome for both Danielle (and her friends Abby and Lorin) and me. The Ladies Three --as they have just unknowingly been monikered -- were headed via train to Florence for a few days and invited me along. I debated the temporary abadonment of my planned epic walk versus an unexpected opportunity presenting itself and realized that while I wanted to look back and be able to say that I had walked from Rome to Marseille, there are many different things I would like to do and bragging rights should not be the drive to turn away an alternate plan. Besides, while I lost the 190 miles of walking north, I haven't lost many walking days, and have already rerouted a trail that takes me nearly as far and to areas I hadn't planned to travel.
Change: Be open to it. When life gives you lemons and an oarless canoe, look that horse in the mouth!