Day 7- Cooper Brook Falls lean-to to East Branch lean-to 8.1 miles

Something about having Frank Sinatra stuck in your head all day adds some zest to hiking. I couldn't stop singing Sinatra all day! Especially:
Song of the day:  "I Love You Baby" by Frank Sinatra
I said something this morning to Faith that pretty much sums up how I felt about today:  "I feel like the world is kissing me".  My perspective of the whole hike has changed because I've been enjoying myself.  Hiking slowly with relaxing breaks and not too much strain is key right now for success of the entire hike.  I was truly unsure about my capability to do a thru-hike, but now I'm beginning to understand and embrace all that a thru-hike means.  One of the beauties of being out here is that each day is a mystery.  You never know who's path you'll cross on the trail, what stories you'll hear, what hardships you'll face, and what beauty you'll encounter.  I am now fully aware that this trail will break me down and I will come back stronger many times over.  I know that the indescribable happinesses that I will experience on this journey will be far greater than any of the difficulties and pain running parallel.  It is the yin and the yang- without one, you cannot have the other.  At least I have already experienced the darkness and know that I can get through it.  I doubt that I will have such a hard time again on the trail. 
The lean-to that I arrived at today was perfect again.  There is a river flowing just around the corner and I went to sit by it for a while and soak my feet.  Faith found a nice rock that formed a pretty perfect chair and he let me sit there, reading his Kindle for hours.  How nice it was to read in such a serene setting!  I spent the rest of the day reading with my feet elevated, still trying to heal my lower limbs.  This particular lean-to had sky lights and was extremely spacious, making it quite a nice place to lounge around in for the evening.  I am taking a "nero" (near zero) day tomorrow in order to allow for more healing, and then I'll be kicking it back up a notch to get out of the wilderness.