Date: 2006-05-21
From: Niday Shelter

To: VA 620 AT mile marker 680.9
Miles today: 8.9

Bama and Little Wing had a great night at Niday Shelter. It was only them and Oly, Marley, Comfortably Numb and a SOBO, an older gentleman. What a relief to have nice, decent shelter mates. It was quiet and everyboby caught up on their sleep by hitting the mattress pads at Hiker Midnight (depends on the time of year, but usually dusk, right after sundown). Bama and Little Wing are both early risers (5:00ish) - which is probably why they've been together so successfully - and got an early start.This morning has been beautiful, the sun is out, the weather warm and breezy, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and all is right with the world again. Bama said you could definately put a "Smiley Face" on this day! The girls hiked about nine miles, including about 2,000 feet straight up Brush Mountain and then straight down to the valley floor at VA 620. They had already had a tough day on the trail by late morning and decided to exit the trail if it made sense. They talked with a man and his two daughters who were trout fishing nearby. He said if they walked about a mile or so on 620, they would come to VA 621 and then could hitch a ride to VA 311 for lunch at the Home Place Restaurant. That's all they needed to hear. Bama wanted Chicken!After only a little bit, the man and his daughters drove up behind them and gave them a lift in the back of the pick-up to 621. Here they hitched a ride with two boys in their pick-up and the boys dropped them off at the restaurant front door. Again, here are those good people showing up again! Bama called me on Little Wing's phone and said they were waiting on a table. They had expected a little roadside, rural diner. This was a plantation! Bama said hundreds of people were everywhere inside and outside - think Cracker Barrel times two. They were surrounded by people in their Sunday best right out of church and here they were with their stinky selves and "hair blown to hell." Oh well, no one seemed to mind. Guess these locals are used to hikers by now.Update: Bama and Little Wing waited about an hour for lunch, but it was worth it. The restaurant serves family style (platters and bowls are passed around) and they had fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, cole slaw, pintos, stewed pears, home made biscuits and cherry cobbler and ice cream for dessert - and it was all good. They walked to the little grocery store up the road to hitch the four miles to Melody's house. After waiting for awhile, they saw no one going their way, so they started walking. After only a quarter of a mile, Danny Marshall stopped his pick-up and offered them a ride. He was headed to a land auction in their direction and dropped them off at Melody's driveway.Melody has 15 beautiful acres in these woods north of Roanoke and Bama and Little Wing were enjoying bare feet on the plush grass and playing with her border collies, Katahdin and Houdini. It was very nice of Melody to share her home. The girls had baths and were starting a load of clothes when Bama called. Plans are incomplete for tomorrow. We'll see. The weather will be perfect for the next three or four days, so maybe they can get in some good miles.Bill