The watch alarm went off at 5:30 am. It was getting light and the traffic was beginning to pick up. The house just beyond was still dark. It was time to go. I packed up and walked back up to McDonald's to get a coffee. I worked for a little while and then headed to Cook's Corner via Main Street and then Route 24.
Even though I would still be in Brunswick it was like walking to another town. The distance was about six miles. Route 24 is an interesting walk...
Bowdoin College Campus.
This had closed since I'd last been here.
What I remember best about this road is waiting in a long line of cars to see the Blue Angels perform from the old Brunswick Naval Air Station. Now the air strip is Brunswick Executive Airport...
The end of the airstrip.
A look back up 24.
Fat Boy is a classic and favorite drive in diner. It has been here since 1955.
When I finally reached the store area I was a'some hot an' shweaty.
And, I was disappointed to see no crosswalks. Felt like I was in South Carolina or something!
Somehow I survived long enough to make it across each of the intersections and reached Walmart. I had what other people who shop for sport might call "the shopper's buzz." My feet were so sore that I didn't really feel them any longer. Both shoes were filled with sand which I dumped out. Then I just sat outside the store for a while drying off...
The Wall.
When I'd regained my strength and dried out enough to venture in, I went straight to the shoes department. It wasn't hard to find the exact same style I had worn (or, worn out). They had been given to me by my buddy Jeff Poulin and lasted me from Brattleboro, Vermont, through all of Southern New Hampshire, then all of Eastern Massachusetts, and back to Maine, where they spent a month and a half, until this very day. They had made the ultimate sacrifice. I also picked up some socks, underwear and batteries. I was resupplied!
A comparison of new and old.
As I stood there rearranging my stuff to fit in the backpack, some dude sat in his car staring at me. So, I took a picture of him. What the hell? Ha!
Goodbye my friends! You served with distinction and honor.
A panorama of Walmart and its parking lot.
On the way back to the area that had a Starbucks I revelled in my new shoes. My feet which had adapted to making up for not being cushioned for weeks, were getting use to not over compensating. And, I could walk on all kinds of surfaces without feeling every bump. The little things, folks! How else could we appreciate them unless we can occasionally go without? How many of us truly know this feeling?
Once a Wendy's.
I'd passed this place on the way over to Walmart and decided to step into the yard to check out the sheds. My idea now is to buy my land when I can and plop one of the 12 x 12's on there, insulate it and sure it up for winter, with maybe one solar panel and two batteries while I prepare the land for constructing the full cabin...
This is a 10 x 10 and would work. Prices aren't bad either. This one is $2,270.
Pontiac Firebird, not sure the year?
It was getting later and I went to Shaw's for a salad bar, ate the salad in the parking lot and then, headed back toward Starbucks where I check in online, did a little bit of work and looked for possible sleep spots on Google Earth, then headed back out...
Had to chuckle at this.
Ford Mustang 1970?
I set out to find one near Thomas Point Road, but before I even reached the road I saw a potential spot right on the side of the Regal Cinema's parking lot. I vetted it and decided it would be perfect. It took a lot of excavating and was a tight fit, but it was so sheltered that I decided to set up the tent early and then just hung out there, resting until nightfall...
Shown in the day.
Shown at night.
See what I mean about "light blindness"?
In the last picture you can see the tent very well.
But in this picture because the flash illuminates the trees in front, the tent is a bit harder to see.
I was still pretty tired having woken up so early and from walking. So, I went to "bed" early.
Brunswick Sleep Spot 3.
Thanks man! It was a trip for sure... Maine is really nice right now. It's good to be back. Hope you're well! 😊
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