Date: 2012-09-01
From: South Arm Road

To: Maine 17
Miles today: 12.7

SEPTEMBER - THE LAST MONTH OF THIS ADVENTURE- THE SEVENTH MONTH OR PART OF MONTH THAT WE HAVE BEEN GONE!!SOS and Nice Lady got a shuttle again today with me as their driver. I took them to South Arm Road and off they went. I took my time driving back and took a few pictures. The hostel was packed last night and again today. There is a big bubble of hikers in town and both hostels are full again. Lots of hiker friends here with a few section hikers also. One of them is from the Caribbean island of Nevis. He can not do a thru hike because he can only get a 90 day visa...so he did some of the trail in the spring and is doing more now. He grew up in England so between that influence and the island, he has a beautiful accent! I went into town for lunch at the Red Hen Cafe where I have been the last 4 days! The food is good, inexpensive and it is the only restaurant for miles around! While waiting on my food, I was playing with the triangle - golf peg game that you find at Cracker Barrel. I had done this many times before and never get closer than 2 pegs left and rarely that! Today I got down to the one peg!! See picture in photos! It was shocking and then I realized that I didn't have a clue how I did it so it will probably be another 15 years before I do it again...oh well... A mother-son hiking pair was outside the restaurant. I had met them at White Mt. Hostel in Gorham so we talked a bit and then Gribley came across the street to see me. I told him I had ordered his favorite childhood book, My side of the Mountain, and was having it delivered to my house. He assured me that I would love it. White Wolf, Tater Tot, Pants, and Daystar were outside the country store so I walked over to see them. Tater wanted to go to the library so we headed there after a stop at the post office. I read and she worked on her journal and then we went back to the hostel where she is also staying tonight. More knitting and some research into a possible next adventure occupied my afternoon. SOS and Nice Lady arrived about 7:30. I had waited on them to eat dinner so we all ate together and then went to our rooms for the night.SOS here:Today was to be a long hike in Maine of 12.7 miles - a short hike many other places. It would start by climbing Old Blue Mountain a 2,200 foot climb followed by many ups and downs to Bemis Mountain 550 foot climb totalling over a 1/2 mile of climbing. The legs seem to be getting a little weary but the climbing is almost over until the climb to Katahdin. I am looking forward to little ups and downs starting at mile 2,019 - that is less than 70 miles away.It has been good to hike with Nice Lady and she is. It is always good to hike with somebody and I have been blessed since day one to have so many family and friends to hike with me. It makes the day go faster. It also lets me share the trail with those who hike with me - like the view from the top of Bemis Mountain - it was incredible. There was two places today to sit and drink in the beauty of God's world. By two places - I mean - there were actually two benches. One bench was located in a remote spot on the trail - who knows how it got there. It was either build there or some one carried it there. It was at least several miles from any trailhead. The other bench was at the AT road crossing at Maine Highway 16. It allows the hike to rest and contemplate one of the most breathtaking vistas on the trail. It makes me pleased that Trail Mama will see it tomorrow. The beauty of nature is all around us and does not go away when we are no longer here. It is there for future generations to enjoy when we are gone. The beauty of nature can be awesome like the Grand Canyon. I want my children, my grandchildren and my grandchildren's children to know the beauty of nature and that is one of the reasons God has me hiking the AT. Another reason God has me hiking the AT is to remember the souls who have made my journey through life special. In 1987 I met two people at Spring Break, friends of Trail Mama, who both touched my soul. Larry and Norma Michael would become close friends and would welcome us back year after year to their home at Spring Break. Norma and Trail Mama would go to cooking classes and sit and talk by the hours with each other. Trail Mama was looking forward to time she would retire. She looked forward to many more adventures with Norma. It was not to be - Norma passed away before Trail Mama retired. I will never forget the hospitality and the annual rib dinner the four of us would share together. Do not wait to share friendships for later, treasure them now. Bake and sew if that's what you do - laugh and enjoy the moments together and make memories now. I will treasure those spring vacations that we shared with Norma and Larry.I still get to treasure the memories we continue to make with Larry. Larry was not only blessed with Norma in his life. You see - he not only was blessed to have one special lady in his life - God would grant him a second special lady in his life whose name is also Judy. We love Judy and I believe Norma is happy and smiling at how happy she makes Larry. Friends are priceless.