Pine Nob

We revisit the Pine Nob trail two years on, and I am happy to report exactly the same. The trailhead about 30 minutes from Mary and Amado's house and across the Housatonic River, which is famous for its fly fishing. The river itself 150 miles from Western MA to CT and flows southeast draining about 2,000 square miles of southwestern New England into the Long Island Sound. The most popular area for fishing between the Falls Village Dam and the town of Cornwall Bridge in Litchfield County, where we are today. Up river are five dams producing hydroelectricity and further still, a GE plant pumped PCBs from 1932-'77 - disturbingly, there are warnings about poisons and pregnant women encouraged not to eat the fish. During our hike, and to pass the time, Eitan begs me to ask him football questions and so I quiz him: he has no problem listing all the players for England, the names of the 20 Premier league stadiums; the top-five goalies and so on and so forth. Madeleine, for her part, finds a millipede which she wants to bring to New York to show Auntie Katie. She won't take 'no' for an answer and finally I grow tired of her incessant pleas. Enough! Sonnet stays out of the discussion and I don't blame her - millipedes are gross looking. And big, too, filling up most of Madeleine's hand (she having no fear).

Madeleine argues her case for keeping a millipede: "It's for Auntie Katie. Auntie Katie loves bugs and things plus she can feed it on her deck."

Me to Eitan or Madeleine: "Do you remember what the Romans used the hot spring water for at Bath?"
Madeleine: "Baths?"
Me: "Bravo!"
Eitan (snickering): "She did not even know she got it right."