Date: 2004-09-18
From: Catawba

To: Catawba
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept great. The storm passed away completely before sundown last evening and today has been sunny and bright, as if the storm had never happened. If I had stayed at Prickle Creek Shelter when the storm started I would have had a smooth, and perhaps even enjoyable, crossing of Dragon¢s Tooth today. But then I would have missed the irreplaceable moments of self-realization that happened to me yesterday on the wet and slippery rocks of that mountain.   My room here has a ceiling fan and the unaccustomed comfort of a soft mattress ensured a great nights sleep. Had a great breakfast of ¢Gashouse Eggs¢ ¢ an egg fried in the hollow middle of a slice of bread in bacon fat ¢ Delicious!   After breakfast Dave took me to the PO to mail my expired map and film home, as well as a letter to KT ¢ only a little wet. All of my gear has been laundered ¢ by Lucy ¢ and now everything is dry again. Even my boots ¢ after multiple stuffing¢s with newspaper and a long exposure to a good sun and a brisk wind ¢ are almost dry. My papers and pages from the Companion and Data Book have also dried and are reasonably readable.   Dave drove me to the store and I have resupplied with enough for the short trip to Troutville. Dave says the area around McAfees Knob and Tinker Cliffs is very scenic and I may wish to spend some extra time there.   Took an afternoon nap and had a long talk with KT. Am now up to date on all of the affairs of home.   This evening I went With the Downs to a ¢pulled pork BBQ¢ given by their local Methodist Church in the Catawba Community Center, just across the road from the parsonage. I realy enjoyed it. We had been by earlier to see some of the men-folk preparing the pork in a smoker made from a converted oil tank. They had started at 3AM and were clearly taking their work with great seriousness. They were also teaching the businesses to some younger teen-age boys, who were very proud to be with ¢the men¢ and involved in such an important ritual. We have so few community rituals left in which the whole community participates, such few regular tribal traditions, especially in the cities.   The results of their efforts were delicious. I had pulled pork BBQ, baked beans, and cole slaw with two helpings of desert. It was fascinating to sit among the local community ¢ a friendly and open group of people much interested in the mutual interdependence that their church BBQ represented. There are all sorts of lessons to be learnt while on the trail if you are just open to the experience.      The community center is the old school house, with a large blackboard still affixed to one wall of the room where we eat. It also had a great tin ceiling with very interesting tin molding.      Two more guests have arrived, old friends of the Downs. They have left for their own dinner. Lucy has promised a 7.30AM breakfast, and I hope for an early start on what I anticipate will be a nice hike to Troutville and Lamberts Meadow Shelter in the AM. The weather forecast is now good for the next several days. Left the ¢Irish Blessing¢ as a reminder and thanks in the Downs guest book. Looking forward to tomorrow. Thought ¢         Simple things are the true pleasures