Moving forward on this blog, I’ll do my best to not bore and inundate you with age-related rants and complaints. I know that story gets old and uninteresting real fast.

But that’s where we’ll begin today.

Turning 50 freaked me out. You know this from a prior post, so no need to dwell on it. Although I just did.

Here’s the deal: I’m not going to crumble, I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. I vow to push myself physically. I vow to weed like a spry 28 year old. I vow to move plants around with reckless abandon like I did in my 30’s.

And I vow to traverse the entirety of the Appalachian Trail by my lonesome.

J/k.

I’ll start smaller, just like I did a few months back when I completed a 15-mile hike along the Delaware River, via the Delaware Canal. It’s a spot my wife and I visit often for its tranquility and killer views. But our walks never extended beyond 2-3 miles. This walk 5 x’d that.

So after a shit week at work, I feigned illness and took off a Friday in November. The day was too ideal to ignore. Low 60’s and nothing but sun. Shorts and a t-shirt were all I needed. My wife dropped me off at the start of the planned 15.2 mile walk at Tinicum Park in Pennsylvania and she would then pick me up in New Hope, PA where my stroll would be ending.

With camera in hand and a shit-eating grin on my face, I headed off.

And within three minutes, I spotted a blue heron (I think?) and spent minutes trying to find the right angle for a pic. Yeah nature! And yeah birds!

I love abandoned locations and abandoned things. I’m obsessed with it. I watch You Tube videos of abandoned theme parks, abandoned zoos and abandoned hospitals. I don’t understand the appeal and should probably dive deeper to grasp why.

Some of my abandoned finds during the hike:

I need to know the decision making behind the individual who last stepped out of this vehicle and said “I’ll just leave this here.” And when did it topple on to its side? Does anyone have plans to move this at some point? Are they procrastinating?

You tell me “Keep out” and I read “Come on in”. I didn’t enter but may do so during the next walk. I regret chickening out.

I’m not paranoid and I’m not taking poetic license by saying this: I saw glowing eyes in the window all the way to the left. I felt it to my core. And it kicked ass.

I stepped off the path and wandered through this building hoping to be attacked or accosted by a spirit or a raccoon.

Spoiler: nothing happened.

I’ve watched all the Big Foot and Sasquatch documentaries so this holds a special place in my heart.

I was close to twenty feet below the road’s surface when I snapped this photo. That is some flood.

How good must this party have been?

I never tire of the views found on the trail. Here’s looking toward New Jersey.

This was taken in by the town/hamlet of Point Pleasant, PA. So f’n cute, right?

And then Heaven arrived. The trail winded behind a nursery. I contemplated buying a few small trees but wasn’t sure how I’d carry them for ten more miles.

I watched this guy work in the nursery for a few minutes while I shoved two power bars down my throat. That’s my retirement job some day. And some day is a long way’s away, right? Right.

Owners of this adorable home, invite me in for coffee or tea or something even stronger. Please.

Exactly half way though the hike, the path ended in Upper Black Eddy, PA with no means to continue on. My plan to end in New Hope, PA was to include a few beers at a local brewery and now I was stymied. My only option was to turn around and head back to where I came from. Probably should have done a bit of research before I headed out.

By the time I finished, my thighs and calves burned and the bottoms of my feet were afire with soon to be popping blisters. But my friends, it was oh so worth it.

15 miles down.

30 miles next. With better shoes.

Until next time Delaware Canal.