But we'd have to return the umbrella and we'd get wet anyway...

H: 

We were sitting outside a Chinese restaurant in Kent, Connecticut when it started to rain. We had just finished eating so we threw away our trash and sat down inside in the oppressively hot restaurant to wait.  A little girl, 7 or 8 years old, sat across from her father in a booth as they were waiting for take out. "Oh no! We're going to get soaked!" she moaned to her dad.

"We'll be fine" he replied and then looked up to see that the drizzle was now a downpour. "Oh."

I had watched them walk to the restaurant while we had been eating outside. "You'll be fine," I interjected, "you see, I have an umbrella you can use."

After just a moments hesitation the very wise child noted: "But it won't work because after we walk home with the food we will walk back here to give you your umbrella back and we will get wet anyway."

Normally this would be a correct assumption but today was a magical day. "Actually you can keep the umbrella."

The dad attempted to refuse the gift and once again the girl spoke beyond her years: "But won't you get wet too?"

"Oh no, you see, I am leaving here in a car."

Dave handed over his umbrella too and the deal was sealed with a handshake from the dad and smiles from the little one.

Why did we part with the umbrellas we had searched so long for before our trip? Sadly, because our hike was now over.

A few hours earlier we crossed a road, climbed a wooden stile in a field, and about 100 feet later, I fell. Maybe it was just good timing, luck, or because I can no longer walk on a level surface, but it was the perfect spot to roll my ankle.

Several times the day before I had slipped on wet rocks, leaves, mud, and a few times when atop a large craggy hill thought, "Whew, I am glad I didn't hurt myself, just think if someone had to haul we out of here!"

It just so happened that a few minutes after my stumble and after trying to stand and realizing that no more hiking today was going to happen, a couple with a dog who had run past us before were on their way back to their car. They happened upon us sitting in the mowed path in the field: "You know, there's a great creek just ahead that you could rest at."

"I got one better," began Dave, "can you drive us to town? My wife just hurt her ankle."

In no time we were bundled into their car with our packs and headed to a local Inn. Turned out the Inn was closed but we said we would sort it out from there. They left us on the porch with what was obviously another crazy hiker but returned a moment later with a bag of ice and a couple of cold drinks. We thanked the couple again and sat down on the steps.

What to do? I was pretty sure my ankle was sprained and not broken so we iced my ankle, drank the drinks, and Dave went to the local pharmacy to get a wrap.or brace while I talked with the crazy hiker who turned out to really be drunk off his ass. It was past the time we were to eat lunch and granola no longer held any appeal.

Dave came back from his walk to a pharmacy and we Ace wrapped my ankle before stuffing it in my shoe. The workers doing maintenance on the Inn pointed out a good restaurant 900 feet away (we knew the distance because we checked with GPS because "near by" means something different when you have a car). Dave carried his pack and I hobbled to the Chinese restaurant while the crazy/drunk (and by this time stoned) hiker carried my pack and joined us for lunch.

While eating we made an executive decision, because we are the executives of our hike, we needed to go "home." My ankle might not be broken but it was certainly going to take time to heal and the best place was to start at my parents' in Newport News.

We made contact with Kathleen from a few days ago and worked it out that she could pick us up, give us a place for the night, then drop us off at a bus stop the next day.

After we ate lunch, the crazy/drunk/stoned hiker was sad to part ways but he went off to his own world and we are now back to where this story started.

Today is Wednesday the 17th of June and after much debate and deliberation we have decided to end our hike this year. We still aren't sure of the extent of my ankle injury. I was able to hobble around today but the side to side stretch of the ankle is gone and this is critical in hiking as we found out over the last few months. Instead of pushing to get back to hiking we are going to recoup, regroup, and get started on what's next. What is next? We're not exactly sure but we're ready to find out.

Currently we are on a bus back to Newport News and about 100 soup packs we didn't get to on the hike. At least we have food to eat!