Date: 2008-05-09
From: Marion, VA

To: Murfreesboro, Arkansas!
Miles today: 0.0

OK, so we had some VERY ROUGH weather in this area last night. I'm certain others who were up on the Trail will fill you in with hair-raising stories of large hail; thunderstorms; violent winds; etc.I, of course, with my knees iced and watching Survivor; Grey's Anatomy; and Lost, felt bad for my fellow Appalachian Trail Trekkers...If you've read some of my earlier preparation-phase entries, you know that my Sister Bette will be picking me up later today, enroute to our pre-planned Diamond Hunting Expedition at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. This will offer me a break from the Trail and a chance to exercise other muscle groups as I dig deep holes into the volcanic earth in search of diamonds; garnets; and other such stones.Just in case you're interested, a day in the Diamond Field looks like this:- Rise early in the campground.- Make breakfast and bag lunches, and then clean-up.- Gather the Diamond Hunting Kit and either drive or walk to the entrance.- Pay for or show a multi-day pass ($6.50 per person per day) and enter the field.- Select or return to selected spot; set-up Dining Fly/Sun Shield over my current hole; set-up Bette's Beach Umbrella over her sifting location; and begin the day's activities.- Dig and Sift. Dig and Sift. Dig and Sift...- Answer dumb questions from many tourists and would-be one-day diamond hunters (especially little kids) -- and we thought we had it bad at Newfound Gap in the Smokies... We're sitting ducks for every passerby and curious onlooker out there in the field [some might say that we're, "Out-standing in our Field..."].- Eat lunch before the local ants do...- Re-position both the Dining Fly and the Beach Umbrella as required by sun, wind, and rain.- Dig and Sift until the 30-minute whistle blows (just before dark).- Gather the Diamond Hunting Kit, spray everything off at the wash rack on the way out, and return to camp.- Place water on to boil as we take turns showering and then dump all clothing into a washer (the stuff needs it every day or it'll stand by itself by the third day).- Prepare and eat dinner.- Prepare for bed and then go to sleep -- many times as a thunderstorm is raging around us (with water rising perhaps two inches around the bathtub floors of our tents -- which are NOT the untra-light type carried on the A.T.).- Awaken early the next morning and begin the whold process again...This is our one-week vacation in Arkansas!Bette takes me out there with her because so far, I'm the only one she's been able to find to dig the holes...We plan to stop overnight at our brother Dan's house in Athens, Tennessee and to set up camp tomorrow just before dark. This, of course, means that our first day of digging and sifting will be with hundreds (and perhaps more than that) of tourists because it will still be a weekend. The weather looks marginal to rough for the first day or two, but should settle out after that with highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's -- much better than the oppressive heat of late summer (our typical timeframe), where humidity can be close to 100% and the highs can be in the triple digits...All going well, I'll be dropped off at Trail Days in Damascus either Friday or Saturday Morning and then ride the Baptist Church's Shuttle up to the A.T. crossing above Marion (I-81 and Route 11) to continue my northward trek on Sunday, 18 May...Perhaps I'll finally be able to post a few of these pony pictures from Dan's House later tonight (if his home computer can get a connection)... More to follow as it develops. I'll catch up with you further up the Trail, folks!NOTE: If Stumpknocker can take time off to bike much of the USA, then I can also dig a few holes in the ground in Arkansas for a week... *laughing*