Date: 2007-03-05
From: Standing Bear Hostel, TN

To: Standing Bear Hostel, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night here at Standing Bear. Journal will be updated after this entry. I plan to be at Hot springs Wed night and Miss Janet's on Mar 12th. I probably will not update until the 13th. I will check my e-mail tomorrow morning. I will be thinking of you all. When you come out of the Smokies: come see Curtis. He has the hottest and longest showers around. Also, allow me to tell you one story that has been in my head, since the first snow storm when I was going into NC: When I was about 12, I was living in Plano, TX. We lived across the street from a middle school and about 3 football fields from the high school. Well, one night I heard on the news that it might snow tonight and snow alot! I was so excited. It never really snows in this part of Texas. If it does, it usually does not stick. I stayed up listening to weather reports until about 3 in the morning and watching the snow come down. I had my solid white fluffy always dependable Spitz dog beside me, Boo. He was a pure breed and he knew it. He would fight any dog, no matter the size. Spitz dogs look like smaller all white Huskies or Malamutes. Anyway, around 4am they called school off for the next day.......I immediately started putting on layer after layer of clothing, put on gloves, and a stocking cap. I was soon out the door with Boo. I did not tell anyone I left. We had a great time jumping in the snow. We would play fight in the snow. It was great. We went over to the football fields and keep going to the high school. I remember there was a lot of fog being caused by the snow and it smelled funny to me. We dont have alot of fog in Texas this thick. It made halo's around all the big lights at the high school. The high school also has a pond. This pond had a bunch of ducks swimming out in the middle. Their movement was keeping the ice in the middle from freezing. Boo sees these ducks and he heads off towards them. He dives in after them. He soon realizes that he cant get the ducks. And he turns around to come back to me. He cant make it, the ice is to thick. "Oh, BooBoo, come on boy, you can do it," I cried! He was going down! I could not allow this to happen; so, I got out on the ice. I laid out as long as I could and tried to grab him. He was panicking; but, looking at me. His eyes were saying,"get me, help me!" About then, I fell through the ice. Way over my head. I dont remember freaking out from the cold. I just started breaking the ice with my arms, until I could stand. I pulled him out and we both started running home. On the way home: my little 12 year old body was giving out. All I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap. And that is what I did. But as I was about to "nod out"; Boo began biting me. I dont mean play biting, I mean letting me have it: on my arms, legs and even taking my stocking cap off. I got so upset with him, I got up to chase him and he led us to our doorstep. I run in and turn on a hot bath and jump in, with Boo. It is about 6am now and my dad wakes for work and sees us in the bath with a wet trail across the house and wet clothes everywhere. He as a look of terror on his face and asks what happened? I told him and he said that I could not go outside anymore w/o permission. Anyway, that dog instinctually knew that I could not stay there. I have thought of this episode of my life many times on this trip when I just felt like I did not have anything left in the tank. I just keep pushing.