June 22, 2000, early evening. I don't think I will begin to fully appreciate the affect this trip has had on my life until I return home. This is the first time I have had a moment to relax since leaving Detroit on foot almost four weeks ago. I am in Galeton, PA at the Ox Yoke Motel. I decided to stay an extra day to give my feet much needed rest and to perhaps write of my travels thus far. The motel where I am staying rests behind me at the top of a hill. I am sitting beneath a large oak tree. A river runs rapidly at the foot of the hill. It's quiet. The water splashing over rocks and the sound of birds and crickets muffles the sound of traffic on route 6 which lies further beyond the motel at the top of another hill. There are many hills in this part of Pennsylvania. I climbed Denton Hill yesterday. The summit is 2424 feet above sea level. On the decent from Denton Hill I encountered some light rain and a large number of biting flies. I increased my walk to a jog in an attempt to shake the flies. This would work while I was jogging, however, once I would slow to a walk the flies would swarm around my legs and start biting again. It was almost impossible to brush the flies away with my hands as I was strapped from nine different locations in the box. So, I jogged the 10 miles down Denton Hill. This was frustrating and exhausting. Both the box and myself received a strenuous work out, which entitles us to a few days rest. Of all the troubles I have encountered on this trip the flies so far have been the worst. I have had rocks, glass and plastic bottles, cans and water balloons thrown at me. More recently as I was leaving Smethport, PA I was shot at with a paint ball gun which made a loud thud and left a small dent in the box. Thankfully the splat of orange paint cleaned up easily. I have been called all sorts of names including stupid idiot, faggot, freak, dumb ass and other choice terms which I care not to repeat. Still the flies remain my most challenging encounter. Although there have been many negative reactions to this walk, they pale in comparison to the positive ones. I have received numerous donations of money, some food and water and an occasional invitation into private homes for dinner, lunch or a nights stay on a clean couch. The Vantassel family in Corry, PA took me in out of a thunderstorm, fed me dinner, washed my clothes, gave me a couch to sleep on for the night and had breakfast and a reporter from the local newspaper waiting for me in the morning. The friendliness and hospitality extends even to the local and state law enforcement officials. County sheriffs, local township and city police and state troopers have stopped me to make sure I have clothes on under the box. Some have stopped me to make sure there were no warrants out for my arrest and to make a small monetary contribution to the cause as one sheriff did with a five dollar bill after he checked my ID and learned of my intentions. As a Warren county sheriff in Pennsylvania said, "Well, there's no law against you walking in a box." So far all encounters with the law have been pleasant and uneventful. I believe most have stopped me simply to satisfy their curiosities. Most have found it hard to hold back a smile or two. One police officer in Ashtabula, OH stopped me so he could take my picture with his polaroid camera. I believe he went home for the camera after we passed one another at an intersection a mile previous. Since I left Detroit I have spent the night outside with the box only three times. Once in the back yard of an abandoned house in a rural farm community of Ohio. The night previous I spent in a hay field. My first night in Pennsylvania was my third night outside. I lost a lot of weight my first week out. I have gained some back. I have also dislodged the nails from my two large toes as a result of stubbing them once to often on stones, branches, broken sidewalks and other loose objects and debris. I have never had this happen before and fear they may not grow back. The right toe nail has been purple and loose for almost the entire trip. The left large toe has most recently been dislodged and is causing a great deal of pain when I walk. I acquired poison ivy after the first night outside. It caused irritation almost my entire time through Ohio. It started on my arms, knees and legs and later spread to the heels of my feet. This caused extreme pain especially while walking. I am glad to recently be rid of it. I try not to think about the three hundred miles or so I've yet to walk. It is tempting to sit here and write for another week and not walk anywhere. I would like to get to New York by the middle of July, though. So I walk. I walk in a box. For now, though, I will watch the river below take its own journey.