Date: 2012-05-12
From: Craig's Creek Valley - Hwy 621

To: Catawba, VA Hwy 311
Miles today: 21.4

Another great day for Trail Mama! We got up early, packed our things and said goodbye to Alan, Jenny and the dogs, Henry and Jessie. On to the start spot where I left SOS and headed for Salem, VA. It was such a beautiful drive into new territory with the mountains, trees, streams, etc. I drove very slowly so I could take it all in¢¦so when I am back in the flat land of Indiana I can remember the beauty of this land close to the Appalachian Trail. I checked out all the road names and found some great ones. Today¢s winner is: BERTIE'S BOTTOM ROAD. Now tell me¢¦if you were Bertie, would you be happy with this road name?? I took a short side trip in the opposite direction to a small store by the road. This did not make Edith Chloe happy¢¦she kept saying, ¢make a U turn..make a U turn!¢. The small store had a breakfast special: fried bologna and eggs! Too bad that SOS and I had already had breakfast.On to Salem, where I headed downtown. There was a farmer¢s market with lots of plants, flowers, vegetables and baked goods. I bought a 4 pack of marigolds. Then I went to the antique mall looking for a container for my flowers. A basket with 4 small round sections and a handle seemed like the perfect choice. Back at the car, I cut down a plastic bottle, a take out cup from McDonald¢s, and a plastic bag and put them in the 4 sections of the basket and then planted my flowers. This will be our travelling flower garden because I have been missing my flowers at home. Next I went in a consignment shop and bought a new book. It was time to find a home for the night so I used one of my handy dandy travelers coupons and got a room at the Econo Lodge. I spent the rest of the day trying to get the pattern right on the hat I am making...still no success so I am about to give up and change the pattern to something I can actually do without losing my mind! I drove (a short day's drive...only 11 miles...although Edith Chloe sent me down a closed road at one point) to pick up SOS. While there waiting for him, I hiked down the trail a short ways and scooped up a little dirt from the trail for my travelling flower garden so it will be an official Appalachian Trail travelling flower garden. It was 7:09 when SOS got to the car so we went straight to THE HOME PLACE which is what every hiker talks about as THE place to eat in the area. There were several hikers there that we knew and the wait was 2 hours! Everyone and their MOM was there celebrating a day early. We had 2 choices of meat and then they bring all the other things to go with it...so we had chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, pinto beans, cole slaw, biscuits, apple butter, tea, lemonade, and peach cobbler...with enough left over for my lunch for at least two days. I see why hungry hikers like this place. Back to the room to rest up for tomorrow. Note to son Jeffrey: check out the photos and you will see a picture that I took just for YOU today...you will know which one when you see it.SOS here:Today the trail took me past a monument in honor of Audie Murphy. Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier in WW II. He lost his life in a plane crash near the spot where the monument sets. The monument was simply a granite stone with a plaque with various mementos, like flags and army patches. A younger hiker with a knee injury, who was shadowing me all day long, chose not to take the blue side trail to the monument to pay his respects. If you do not know who Audie Murphy is, why leave the trail to look at his monument? Conversely, if you do not know who Jesus Christ is, how can you be saved? If you do not know who Jesus Christ is, why give your life to him?I looked forward to seeing the monument to Audie Murphy because of my memories of him as a child. I shared the above experience with a friend, who is just a few years younger than me, and his honest response was ¢Who is Audie Murphy?¢ My whole point is if we do not ¢make room for the next generation¢ to know Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ will become forgotten. That is why Trail Mama and I are Hiking for HIM. We are asking for pledges for each mile hiked. The funds raised will be used to make improvements at the UMC camps in Indiana.