Date: 2004-06-13
To: Stocking Up & Taking Stock
Miles today: 0.0

Here on my tier at the motel, I accidentally kicked what appeared to be a plate of partially eaten food; it had been placed beside the railing overlooking the parking lot. At first glance, the items on the plate appeared to be the remains of a piece of steak and some garnish. There was water on the plate; I realized this when the fluid splashed over my shoes. A disheveled woman stepped out of her room¢her door is often left open¢and complained that I had kicked her flowers. Upon closer observation, the plate did apparently contain some kind of greenish vegetation that resembled flowers. And that piece of meat on the plate was actually, I think, a rock placed there to weigh the plate down; or maybe it represented her idea of an ornament. I apologized to her and wondered why she was placing her so called flowers on a walkway. Maybe she wanted to give them maximum exposure to the outside light with all of this overcast weather that has been happening. I have spent two days off the trail, resting, resupplying, and reflecting on things.Following Zip Off's suggestion, I took a bath with Epson salts. The red spots and irritations on my feet are disappearing. There is still numbness in the toes of my left foot, but it has eased. I hope this condition will be improved even more when I resume hiking tomorrow.Yesterday, I accompanied Zip Off and Kato on a drive to an outfitter located in a different town. There, I purchased some hiking sandals for use during wet conditions. In the store, I bought new insoles for my shoes. Zip Off had informed me that my previous insoles were the wrong kind for hiking. Using a telephone, I ordered a larger tarp for my hammock; it will be shipped to a town which I am hiking to.I stocked up on food for the next five days of hiking and mailed boxes of supplies up the trail to separate locations.I also took stock of my progress along this journey of a lifetime. For a while, I have been struggling with wet weather, sore feet, and a sense that this hike has become more hardship than fun. This change in attitude has been subtle. I think it began when I took some time off to attend the Trail Days Festival. When that happened, I fell way behind the hikers who I had started this journey with. When that happened, I replaced my faithful teepee tarp with a hammock, a form of shelter which I am still coming to terms with. When that happened, the weather began its turn for the worse. When that happened, I lost my rhythm, however vague that expression might sound. Here at the motel, I have come to terms with that woman who keeps her flowers on the walkway. We have chatted a few times. She is living here with her husband while workers repair some damage to a cabin in which they reside.I am also coming to terms with the daunting task of thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. It is a harder endeavor than I had expected, but not without moments of fun. And there is a camaraderie with other hikers. I must better appreciate those positive aspects of the hike.I am encouraged by the fact that my feet, even though they are sore, have tromped across 25 percent of this trail which extends from Georgia to Maine.