The Pack and packing

I bought a new pretty Osprey Sirrus pack, highly recommended by all who use it. I took several long walks with it fully loaded and it was fine. BUT…. in the end, I have decided to go back to my 21-year-old Mountainsmith Ghost (no longer made), which I have used on every camino except my very first. If you look the picture of my Camino Clock (made for me by my dear camino buddy Dana), you can see that I am wearing that pack (I am the pendulum). So why would I test fate?

This is going to be a “fingers crossed” camino. Fingers crossed that my hamstring injury is healed enough to enjoy the walk, fingers crossed that the home situation is good and that I am not needed. But what gives me calm is knowing that I can get home in a long day of travel, after all, it’s only money.

I had a little pre-Camino scare today. Yesterday I had sent the dermatologist a picture of a funny looking thing that has just appeared on Joe‘s nose. She said she wanted to see him today. I immediately started imagining what that could mean. But with good advice from my Camino friends, I took a deep breath, went to the appointment, and was happy to learn that with the biopsy and scheduling the treatment, we are probably looking at a Mohs treatment in 5 to 6 weeks. How perfect is that timing?

Now it’s just a matter of waiting till September 6 and my early morning flight out of Champaign.Read more