Date: 2003-06-28
From: Raccoon Branch Shelter

To: Raccoon Branch Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Thank you, God, for Sabbath! No pressure to get up this morning when I first opened my eyes at 6:30 - I slept in until 7:30! Again I watched the sun peek over the hill facing the shelter. It has hidden itself now behind the clouds, although a dull glow reveals its location, and the leaves are whispering in a light breeze. It's probably about 55 or 60 degrees; I pulled my fleece hat & jacket on when I got up to go to the bathroom. Henry and Ellen said the forecast is for scattered thunderstorms for the next five days... ho-hum. More of the same! Well, it's not raining just now as I lay and look out on the trees and mountain laurels and collect my thoughts.I guess one reason I enjoy the Sabbath rest out here especially is that it gives me time to think, and to just BE. Somehow I haven't mastered the art of hiking and contemplating at the same time - still been concentrating too hard on getting up those hills! And probably falling into the "just getting there" mode...Toby wil go on today, and I will likely feel the Northward pull. But I will see if I can push a little harder this week and catch him, at least by Pearisburg next weekend, where he's planned a zero day.He just left, 10:30am. I think it's harder this time to stay behind than it was the day before Hot Springs when Anne & Hal went on. I need this time tought; I need the discipline, the time to refocus, the quiet time with just me and God. To be honest, I've kind of let my connection with Him slide over the last week or two. This day will be good.Funny how even in solitude I find ways to avoid coming face to face with my Creator. First I journaled, ate breakfast, and wrote some postcards while the others were still asleep. Then I talked to Toby while he packed up and left, and journaled some more, catching up on the entries I'd neglected last week.Finally at 11am I'm settling in to shut out the distractions. My prayer all week has been Psalm 51:10, "...Renew a right spirit within me."Still no rain yet at 1pm, thank You God! It's remained chilly though. I've stayed wrapped in my sleeping bag most of the morning. Heard someone hollering up on the Trail above me awhile ago; I wasn't sure but I thought I heard the word "hallelujah". Wonder if it was Blue Tarp? I guess he calls himself Homes; we've noticed lately that he's begun to sign the Trail registers. On some he lists his home as Israel and says there are two in his party. Interesting.I forgot to mention seeing several deer yesterday. Once I rounded a corner and a large doe bounded across the Trail and stopped 210 feet up to stare at me as I crept by as noiselessly as posssible. She took off when she heard Toby approaching. Just now I made a trip to the (nasty) privy and stopped short when I saw a deer eating under a tree about 25 feet from the privy. Again I made myself as non-threatening as I could, stepping noiselessly on the mossy trail, and managed to get into the privy without startling her away. I left the door open and watched her eat, then came out and stood just 15 feet from her for five or ten minutes until she and a second deer began making their way up the hillside across from the shelter. I was reminded again of the awe I felt being so close to the wildlife on safari in Kenya, and felt so pleased that I managed to not scare these away. They are so beautiful. She'd stoop and eat for awhile, then look up to examine me on the alert, muscles taut, ears twitching back and forth. We locked eyes several times and I even found myself smiling at her - as if she'd understand that meant I was friendly! Duh.It's 3:30 now. Not a soul has been here. Not surprising, since this shelter is .2 miles off the Trail. Still no rain! Patches of sunlight and shadows have appeared on the ground off and on.Around 5pm the rain came again, and with it one lone hiker. Mike from Billings, MT. We had an enjoyable discussion about religion, even studied our Bibles together a little before he went to set up his tent when there was a break in the rain. A nice man.I'll admit that after sitting all day, by this time (7pm) I'm ready to either go to sleep until morning or get up and do something! I do want to sleep early tonight so I can get an early start tomorrow. I'll have to watch it though tomorrow - both times my shins have started to hurt it's been after a zero Saturday and a Sunday of pushing big miles. But I don't have a third leg to hurt, so maybe I'll be okay...An update on that - I don't know why I was so slow to think of it, but I have had minor soreness in that same area at home when I've neglected to stretch my calves. I guess I didn't connect it because this pain I've had on the Trail has been much sharper and more intense. Sure enough, though, I've been faithful to stretch every day out here - everything EXCEPT my calves. So Thursday morning I stretched them well before I took off, and then again in the afternoon. Since then I've had no pain while walking. They're both still tender to the touch, so I will continue the naproxen (generic Aleve) twice a day and the massage and stretching - both my calves and the anterior tibialis! That should do it.Well now the sun is shining again - in spots. There's even a big patch of blue sky. Hope that holds over till tomorrow!I awoke at 10:15pm after sleeping for about two hours. Mike was tenting a short distance away, and I was alone in the shelter for the first time. I don't remember feeling a hint of fear since before the Smokys, over four weeks ago. For some reason I did tonight. Hal told me last week to sleep with my knife; I thought that was silly, but tonight I got up and brought it into my bag with me.What am I afraid of? The dark? Mike? How could I fear a man who studied the Bible with me, shared his testimony with me, and sang hymns and praise songs alone in his tent before he went to sleep?I hate this fear.I recalled the verses that eased my mind the last time at Standing Indian Shelter, Psalms 139, 91, and another:  will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8I did.