Avoiding the Inevitable

My summer of procrastination is coming to an end.

Despite an ever-lengthening list of home maintenance duties I manage to sneak in the occasional ride. Last week I went to Clearfield, home of Bob’s Army Navy and Grice’s Gun Shop. Both are must-sees on the edge of the of the Pennsylvania wilds. You could outfit the legendary hunting camps of Pennsylvania’s golden age with combined inventory of these two stores. They supply everything but the pancake breakfast.

The end of September begins my favorite time of year in Pennsylvania. The colors begin to change, the air cools, and I keep a closer eye on the edges of the road. Deer and turkey lurk in the mottled sunlight waiting to spring on unsuspecting motorists. Small game hunters in safety orange will soon begin to appear at the intersections of the gravel and the hard road, their dogs at the ready.

My return trip from Clearfield took me through a series of long and winding strips of blacktop with names like Old Erie Pike and Crooked Sewer. Back roads that trailed past ice cream stands and bar-b-cue shacks with the last of the summer customers hoping to hold on to one more sunny day. Traffic was light, and there wasn’t a car for miles.