Date: 2012-09-26
From: Top of Katahdin Mountain

To: Bangor, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

No hurry to get up today...no need to put on the boots...just lots of hiker friends wandering around hugging each other and saying goodbye and have a nice life. It is the day after the big finish to this adventure...2184 miles, 200 days, and it is over. We stayed at the Katahdin Inn last night so got to see many hiker friends there and then went to breakfast with HeadnOut, Tagnalong, Surefoot and Helping Hand at Ruthie's. There is a very nice friendly waitress there that we all enjoyed talking too. Then we were off to downtown. SOS and I were looking for an eyeglass repair place since he accidently stepped on my glasses this morning and one lens came out and the piece holding it in was broken. (I dreamed that he did this two days ago....)We found an eye doctor and the lady said she could fix them in 5 to 10 minutes. I waited there while SOS went on to the cafe to meet Surefoot and Helping Hand. Well, she did come back with my glasses and the lens repaired BUT... she broke the side piece that goes over the ear while trying to straighten it...so now my glasses are in two pieces. She felt terrible! I asked for her suggestions as to what I do now and she said take them to the jeweler and see if he can solder them. So I walked down the street to the jewelry store. The man said he would try and come back in 1/2 hour. I came back and he said they are fixed and I hope you have a lot of money! I said, of course, I do...I am a rich retired school teacher! So he said, well, today is rich retired teacher discount day and charged me $8.00...and that ordinarily it would be $100! (just kiddin') I love small town people!! It was good to have my glasses back...Trail Mama can't drive very well without her glasses. Back at the cafe, we talked to the hikers that were there and said our goodbyes again. Father Man thanked me for all my help and for not bugging him about smoking except for once! (His sister who was there to pick him up said...keep bugging him!) We drove to McDonald's so Courtney could use his computer to make his plane reservation. While there several of our kids came in...Gribley, Daystar, Pants on Fire,Hungus and Pace were all there. We hugged several times, they all thanked me countless times and said they were glad to have a Mom on the trail to look after them. Well, that did me in and I was crying by the time I got back out to the car. I will miss them all so much and hope to keep in touch with some of them. SOS and I in our car and Jon and Courtney in their rental car drove to Bangor, Maine. We checked in to the Quality Inn and have adjoining rooms. After relaxing for a while, we decided to go to downtown Bangor and explore. We found an antique store/cafe where we spent some time. We also got opinions about where to eat including a young lady Courtney stopped on the street! She convinced us to go to Angelo's so we did. We shared pizza and talked for 2 hours and then returned to our rooms. A thoroughly enjoyable day spent with our sons and a sad day of goodbyes to our hiker friends. I put a few more pictures on but have lots more to go...later. I plan to keep writing for a few more days at least. (What will I do with my nights if I am not putting on pictures and writing the journals....:-) Stay tuned MANY THANKS TO ALL THE WELL WISHES WHO HAVE SIGNED THE GUEST BOOK. WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU...FRIENDS AND STRANGERS ALIKE!