May 1, 2012 Day 8 — Dresher to Kulpsville, PA (via Horsham & Hatfield) 18.85 miles

Happy May Day?

I wake up to the sound of hard rain and wonder what this day will be like. Trust in the unfolding, I remind myself. It will be what it will be, (but please don’t let it rain all day!) I head to Horsham Clinic wondering if the weather’s sadness reflects Nathaniel’s experience here in December 2010. The exquisite grounds of this former estate, now a clinic, have become a container for the deep pain and suffering of those who reside within its walls. In contrast to yesterday’s red-carpet welcome at Brooke Glen, my arrival here seems to be a surprise. Apparently my detailed letter of explanation sent several weeks ago lies “on hold” in the in-box of an administrator’s office. I mention to Denise, the receptionist, that her position, in my opinion, is the most important here (although her paycheck probably suggests otherwise). A smile, a warm welcome, and caring words can do much to soothe the troubled people and their families, friends, and caretakers who pass through the clinic’s front door. I decide to leave, and suddenly a ray of sunshine flashes through the window and falls directly on my backpack. Nathaniel totally agrees; we need to get out of here. Country back roads are tricky in Bucks County–the elegant estates that abound find no extra change in their owners’ pockets to support sidewalks for pedestrians. SUVs rule! At the corner of Limekiln Pike and Horsham Road, Mary Ellen, the cashier at Wawa, listens to Nathaniel’s story and wishes me well. How inexpensive a smile is, but what high octane it can be for the wanderer’s feet and spirit. Steps and more steps and steps forever. An encounter with Janet in Hatfield refreshes me despite the bad news that hotels are rare in this town. I swallow hard the pill of 3 additional miles I had hoped not to walk, but the Holiday Inn at the road’s end offers an oasis I badly need and deserve and shamelessly take. Happy May Day! (total mileage to date: 94)