Left home at 9:15, got home at 4:15 …another perfect day with friends on a famously perfect trail. At the start, Tom and Conrad pondered the locks that were designed to keep something out of entering the trail, but to engineer Conrad seemed particularly ineffective. The new shoots on the hemlocks and spruces were tasty, and we understand they are full of vitamins, so browsed freely eating them. The Maidenhair ferns were in full glory with their unique architectural structure. Mid trail we ran into Ron Wollanin, Mass Audubon trail master, and a friend we all know well. Today he wasn’t wearing his mother’s yellow hospital bed socks, but we recognized him anyway:) He gave us so much trail low down that we got to see the Showy Orchis (“Our largest and most beautiful northern orchid”: Petersen Field Guide to the WIldflowers page 212). It is now rare and we were almost reverent in its presence (but we did take ohotos). Then there are the pink Lady Slippers. They are so lush all over this year, and even better at High Ledges. The Yellow Lady Slippers lost their buds in an early fierce rainstorm according to Ron W. And who doesn’t rejoice at the sight of the native Columbine? A brief sit after the long climb to the view into Shelburne Falls and beyond. Then on to Wheel View Farm where Caroline Wheeler had once again graciously invited to have our bag lunches at her picnic table. The Wheelers have turned one of their barns into a Farm Museum which is chock full of really neat stuff. We also bought bottles of Wheel View hard cider, Maple Cream, and Wheel View Farm grass fed beef frozen hamburgers. Yum Yum. Come to COnway and I’ll grill you one along with a cold glass of Wheel View hard cider. XOXOXO Penny P.S. (You don’t have to read all this stuff …. I just enjoy writing it.) 
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