Slept pretty good in my tent. But Norman started snoring and I was ready to kick him out. I think he’s congested. There’s a lot of things blooming and his allergies must be causing him issues. I take Benedryl to help me sleep, and maybe that’s why I have no sneezing or hay fever. But this poor guy, rides around exposed to all the elements daily and never gets a chance to hang from a tree.

The campsite was a flurry of activity this morning. There are some early risers in this bunch. Most of us were packed up and hitting the trail by 6am, including me. All I can think about is getting to Goose Pond and relaxing the afternoon away. No big miles, just an easy peasy kind of day.

I was on high alert looking for Mama Bear. I saw a big pile of fresh bear scat but no signs of Mama or her cubs. She’s probably heard that Norman is riding shotgun and is hiding out. I guess that monkey is good for something. I shouldn’t put him down so much because in reality, he’s the only partner I’ve had who is still with me. He doesn’t complain, doesn’t eat much and only snores a bit. Or maybe that was me snoring and I blamed it on Norman. He’s a good companion, snorer or not.

After my little break, I was ready to get this show on the road. There were quite a few boardwalks today. Some were better than others. The one thing I can say about Massachusetts is it’s about the flattest hiking I have done. There are a few climbs but then there’s a lot more roly poly hills. It makes for easygoing days along the trail.

I hiked with Poncho and Strawberry Shortcake for a bit today. We stopped at the infamous Trail Stand. It’s more like a small shed. I opened it up, and inside is a retro-looking refrigerator packed full of soda and ice cream. Hmm, breakfast? Sounds good to me so I had a Ginger Ale with Strawberry-Lemonade and an Ice Cream Sandwich. It hit the spot. Much better than any kind of oatmeal. On top of that, they had Wi-Fi so I was able to publish my blog. I tell you, this AT is where it’s at. If you are lacking something, it’s your own fault because everyone wants to help you out. The girls and I sat, had our breakfast and got back to hiking.

The rest of the morning was mostly in the green tunnel. Lots of forests, trees and ferns. I scared a couple of White-Tailed Deers. Those deer are much bigger than our Black-Tailed Mule Deers. At least twice the meat on them. Good eating indeed.

I made it to the junction of Goose Pond. The girls continued on towards another pond about four miles north. There was a dog that was following Poncho because she fed it. He was a bit scared and a lot hungry. He had a collar and obviously was someone’s dog but the someone was nowhere around. The dog continued north with Poncho and I headed to Goose Pond.

Within five minutes or so, I met Maggie, the Caretaker of Goose Pond Cabin. She was looking for the dog. I told her where I saw him and she was grateful. She had a pocket full of cheese and a leach so the dog would be reunited with his owner. Good news for all concerned.

I made it to Goose Pond Cabin, found a place to pitch my tent and headed to the beach. As far as I can tell, it’s a lake! The body of water is huge. It even has an island in the center and a canal that connects Upper Goose Pond to Lower Goose Pond. There are Pontoon Boats, Kayaks and Canoes and a SUP being skippered by a gal. It’s a very serene lake or pond, whatever you want to call it.

Today is a chill axing kind of day. I arrived around lunch and have no intentions of leaving till tomorrow morning. The best part is they serve free Pancakes and Coffee in the morning. What a deal. I hung out on the dock and talked with the locals, played with their dog and ate their potato chips. Well they offered them to me and it would’ve been rude to turn them down.

The rain has arrived and I’m back in my tent. It’s a perfect day to relax in my tent and be sheltered from the rain. I think I’ll take a nap. So glad I’m not waking in this. Perfect day to take a Nero, and an afternoon off.