Date: 2011-06-24
From: Limestone shelter

To: Skippy's place
Miles today: 4.0

Skippy's apartment 4 miles jun 25Skippy told me he wanted to join me in going to salisbury. He found it hard to get up but at last he did. I sold my two full bags of nuts to three bananas, that was great, cuz to totally didn't want them he needed something since he couldn't get any fire going. Skippy told me he got sick from drinking bad water which I told him I'd be fine, we both drank from. He blamed me. We started off and it wasn't too long until I looked behind me and he was not in sight.  I got him a diarrhea pill, that I'd been carrying since springer. So we walked together to Salisbury. I picked up some tomatoes, carrots, beans, and cereal. Skippy picked up a bunch of medication, and after popping the second felt intensely sick. We walked back to the trail then stopped. Skippy felt too bad to keep going. I strung up my  hammock for him and he called home.    His mother said he shouldn't hike anymore in his condition. He decided to go home, and invited me.  He also called up scavenger. First scavenger didn't answer, but later called back. He was in Salisbury and had already paid for the night, but wanted to come, he try asking for a refund. We didn't get news if he was coming until skippy's mother showed up hours later. Skippy and I just hung out, I read some. He called home a bunch and called up his pals, to let them know he be back in the area. Skippy's mother was funny, she was a bit concerned about using the privy, which was conveniently place for skippy. Skippy and his mom speak  to each other in Portuguese, which made me feel a bit left out. We drove back to Salisbury and picked up scavenger. I was so excited to see him. He had a hair cut and had trimmed his beard. We chatted in the backseat. I told him how I tried to catch up to him. He told me of unsatisfactory towns he stayed in. Apparently in Unionville the new Major isn't so friendly to thru hikers. Scavenger found it hard to find a place to stay, the hostel was closed as being under construction, and one camping spot in the book he got shoed away from. Lucky some nice guy invited him to camp on his lawn. He also told me how he was thinking about buying a house in the near future and renting out some of the rooms. He had a picture of a house with a cross section and was calculating how much he would have to pay per month, minus the rent he made. So we went to the apartment where skippy his mom and her boyfriend live. They are so friendly. Plus they wanted us to eat, which was fantastic. They grilled up loads of meat, sausage, streak, and chicken. They grilled up some veggies for me, which was very sweet. Plus skippy's mom made beans and rice. I got second serving of that. We watched a slideshow of skippy's pictures, that was inspiring. Skippy got to see his newly born niece for the first time, that was very sweet. There was lots of chatter, mostly in Portuguese, and I was getting sleepy, there were movies playing so I watch them on he comfy sofa. Later when skippy's mother realized I was tired she busied herself getting the couch ready for me to sleep on. Then blew up the sleeping mattress for scavenger. The last movie playing was karate kid, which was cool since I saw the beginning in Georgia at my cousins house, before I hit the trail. I fell asleep before it ended, so I'll have to finish it after I finish the trail. Skippy is such a night owl; last night I was dead tired and he was wide awake, that was like midnight. Course I got up at 6:30 the following morning.