Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

Wednesday, October 14^th, 2015
State College, Pennsylvania

Day Is Dung


I was raised on a farm, have visited India in her rural parts multiple times, and so I’m used to dung.  My morning walking partner, Tre’von, is a city boy and is not used to the horse caca on the road’s shoulder.  I told him, “Just get used to it.  Some of the stuff will get trapped in between the treads under your shoes.  You have to live with it so you might as well love it.”
We started our trek at 5:45 AM, an hour when the sun has not yet woken.  We are somewhat moving through heaps of the stuff due to the Amish horse-driven carts coming through on the sides of the road.   Because it’s dark, it’s hard to see when the heaps are coming forward.  We just have to accept it. 
The area is all about land and animals.  A team of mules was pulling a machine for corn harvest.  They are natural work animals.  Some Holsteins came to greet us until the electric fence opposed further forwardness from both sides.  White horses and beef cattle were also curious about us. 
But the creatures of the wild, the undomesticated ones, had a hard time with the road.  We’re talking about raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, and porcupines.  Even the fast fox has no chance against the more rapid formidable machines which we call trucks and cars. 
At one person’s driveway, two huge black pigs were milling around.  They were held in check by three Doberman pinchers.  The dogs appear to be the fence for the pigs, otherwise, those oinky creatures would be venturing into the traffic.  The dogs became a bit distracted from their work when I was walking by their property but then a stocky woman, I assume the owner, called the dogs off from going after me.  I guess she was their fence, thank God.  Cyclists drove by and there were also two motorists who stopped to offer a ride on different occasions.  In most cases, such persons are more curious than anything because most people have this notion that someone in robes is most likely on a mission, a walking mission, a pilgrimage of sorts.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km