Is it Maine, or ME?

Greetings from Rangeley, Maine. Apparently, Maine is a great place to find homemade pie, much to my delight. Just a few more towns/pie opportunities to go. One of the local restaurants has a dish just for dogs, and Miss Gracie will be getting her very own town treat tonight, a great followup to the Moose-shaped dog cookie I got her at the outfitter yesterday. Thanks, Michael, for helping support our town food habit! I decided to take a day off here to work through the rest of the cold symptoms (which are much improved already) and realign my hiking schedule with the post office hours in Caratunk, ME. Have been enjoying the trail A LOT these past few days. Had a wonderful night camping with Willow, who I hadn't seen since Virginia, then a great solo night at a pond-side campsite where I saw my first moose, the stars and firewood were abundant, and Gracie joined me for a quiet sunrise canoe ride around the pond. As we get closer to Katahdin, the need to enjoy each moment for what it is grows stronger, and the need to summit Katahdin diminishes. I know today that it will be great to reach the peak, because it will bring closure to the journey, but not absolutely necessary. My life won't change for having climbed that one mountain, it is just another part of the path, and while it is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, it is not the end. There will be other challenges ahead, some of my choosing, some not. I've gained so much from this experience already, and one of the best things I'm experiencing at times these days is a real comfort and peace as I walk. As the old hymn goes, "...it is well, it is well, with my soul"
May all be well with you, my friends.
Peace
Kel