Date: 2003-09-06
From: Concord, NH

To: Pittsfield, Mass.
Miles today: 0.0

Well, all in all, I have to say that today was a lovely day! The morning was spent getting Bumpkins car fixed, and then we headed out for a leisurely drive across New England. If you have never been here before, you do not know what you are missing! Quaint little towns that run one into the other for miles and miles. The homes are old and beautiful, and the three of us spent the majority of the day fantasizing about one old fixer-upper after another. Coming from Atlanta, is seems amazing to me that entire communtites here are over two hundred years old! Between the antique stores, maple syrup stands, and lattice-laced houses, New England is just about as neat as it gets! Of course, there is the other New England...L.L.Bean outlets, ski resorts, and Subaru Outbacks. I don't have a lot of interest in those things, but anyplace that has the Appalachian Mountains snuggled up to the dark and rocky Atlantic beaches is my kind of place!Enough of the travel agent schtick, though! :) The real reason we are driving all of this way is two-fold. Number one, we are going to meet my friends, the Karles. I cannot wait! This family is made up of rampant folk fans (are there any other kind?), and despite the fact that we have only met a couple of times, they have ended up being huge supporters of my hike. Lynn Karle has kept a steady stream of emails both encouraging me, and giving me the proverbial "swift kick" when I need it. I appreciate her, and the rest of the Karles more than they know!Reason number two, is that we are going to a Don White concert!! For those of you unfamiliar with Don, he is a wonderful, funny, moving folk singer, and I am proud to consider him a friend. The Karles are rabid fans and they helped hook me up with the show date and location. They are such devoted, dedicated fans that Don refers to them as his "repeat offenders"!We arrived at the show, and immediatlely, Lynn caught my eye and motioned me over to where Don was. I peeked around the corner and when he caught sight of my face, the look on his was priceless! We had a wonderful few minutes to catch up on all that was going on, and then Jerry, Bumpkin and I settled down next to the Karles for the show.What can I say about the show? If you have never had the priviledge of seeing Don perform, you have to imagine the scene. A church fellowship hall turned into coffee house, (this is where all the best folk happens up here), full of well-dressed men and women, many of them bearing the subtle trappings of aging hippies. You know the type...Duck Head pants, Crew neck sweaters, and hair that is just a little too long. :) When Don begins to sing and tell stories, the room fills with laughter and warmth. In his own indomitable way, Don breaks through any barriers that may be there and soon has everyone feeling comfortable. The best part of the show was watching Jerry and Bumpkin laugh. They seemed to have a great time, and it was neat to see new Don White fans being born. It was a fabulous concert, and I really hated to see it end!After bidding a warm farewell to Don and his son, Lawren, we retired to an Irish Pub for a late dinner with the Karles. The evening went by way too quickly, and soon midnight had come and gone and we were saying goodbye to the Karles. I could barely keep my eyes open as we went back to the hotel, and I quickly fell asleep. Yep......this was a great day!Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.comPS- if you are interested in checking out Don and his music, log on to www.donwhite.netAnd don't forget that you can get Bumpkins point of view on our journey at terrisanders.com