The only cure is more cowbell

I have a sickness.  Thousands of others are suffering with me.  We all have it, and we all get it this time every year.

Springer Fever.

Thank goodness I had a camera in 2010 when I attempted to thruhike the Appalachian Trail.  I took lots of pictures, and now I can look through them and relive the trip.  I'm remembering my ups and downs, both literal and figurative.  (Much harder to do with my previous month long section hikes.  No pictures = very little reminiscing.)

It doesn't help the fever go away, but it's a lot of fun.

It's not like I could thruhike this year anyway.  Even if I miraculously were given the opportunity to take that much time off from work, I'm not in physical therapy right now because my spine is awesome and problem free.  I need to take care of it first.

Knowing that I am not in a position to thruhike does not do much to lessen the pull.

In a couple of weeks I'll go to the PA Ruck (we really ought to change its name, now that it's not in PA anymore) and hang out with past and future thruhikers.  That will help.  Or make it worse.  One or the other.

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I bundled up against the cold (Maryland version, i.e. in Minnesota they would have been wearing shorts) and went out to see Pluto.  To my relief, he's filled out a little.  Yay!  We finally reversed the tide!   Between different hay, more food, electrolyte pellets, and his blanket, I finally got more food and fluids into him than he burned off!

That hip bone is sticking out a wee bit less.  Non horse people, I realize this exactly the same to you as all the other pictures.  You'll have to take my word for it.

I'm including this because I wasn't paying attention to the shadows when I took my first picture.  I had to move him over a few feet to get a picture where he didn't have giraffe markings.  The effect amused me.

And now I have to go take a shower.  Because we are going to a French restaurant for tea tomorrow morning.  We have a date!  At a French restaurant!  Aren't we fancy?