Date: 2003-06-21
From: Catawba, Va.

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Date: June 21- summer solsticeStarting Location: Catawba, Va.Mileage: 0   Well, due to the scheduling of my dad and Charlie, my brother, coming up to see us, I could not go out and do the 8 mile hike that Bumpkin and I had intended. So, I had an unplanned zero day and it was great!   We woke up to a wonderful breakfast provided by the owners of the Down Home B & B. This place was so wonderful! Comfortable and welcoming....I highly recommend it to all of you! The owners, Dave and Lucy, were just as kind as they can be, and Dave sent us off by playing a few fiddle tunes that he is preparing for the Galax Fiddle Festival. He sounded wonderful, and I know he will do fabulously!   Bumpkin and I called Delwood, a local trail angel to ask him about shuttles, and he showed up to take us into Daleville to the post office. This is the nicest guy!! He is a nurse during the day, but spends all of his free time helping hikers. I have met few people with as big a heart as Del! After the PO, we dropped Bumpkin off on the trail to do the next 8 miles, and Del drove me around showing me different roads to the AT and showing me the old AT locations. This is the most beautiful country, and I enjoyed driving around and planing my retirement! :)   He took me by the Four Pines Hostel to drop off our packs, and then ran me to the store. As we were driving by the trail crossing, he slowed down and said that there was a hiker coming out and that we would see if he needed a ride. Pirate!!! I hollered at him and he climbed in the back. It was so good to see my old friend!    After dropping off his pack, we all headed to the store. He and I ordered a pizza to share, and while it cooked, I found the pay phone and called my best friend, Dana. There were big doings at her house as the new Harry Potter had come out the night before, and I was glad to get to talk to my fairy god child about the excitement! :)   Before long we had eaten our lunch and headed back out to pick up Bumpkin. We had new friends at the hostel.....hikers named Winnebago, Little Bit, and Go Happy. We all decided that as soon as my dad and bro got there, we would head back to the Home Place, the AYCE restaurant that we ate at last night and have dinner.   When the green van finally pulled up the driveway, I was so happy!!! It was great to see my dad, and Charlie was here to hike with us for a week! I was so excited I could just pop!! Dad was a wonderful sport about all of these strange vagabond-type folks that we call hikers coming to dinner. We all had a wonderful time, and ate wayyyy to much! And when dad paid the tab as a gesture of trail magic, we were all genuinely touched! After a quick trip to the convience store to stock up on Ramen noodles and Little Debbies for the week, we headed back to the hostel for the evening. Dad said goodbye, and we all set about re-packing our food bags. Bumpkin, Charlie and I had the wonderful addition of some homemade granola that my mom had sent us along with that hiker staple, Snickers Bars! Thank you Mom!!!   Well, we are all lying in a huge garage with mattresses laid on the floor and gear strewn about. Who knew that within a few weeks of being on the trail, I would consider a dry spot on the floor underneath the fishing rods and down aways from the generator to be heavenly! :)   I looked across the garage and smiled as I watched Pirate and Del show Charlie how to use his backpacking stove. As the jokes flew around and laughter rang, I felt toally happy and at peace.    When he finished setting the stove on fire...I mean....learning to light the stove, Charlie came back over to our mattresses. I looked at him and told him I was really glad that he was here. This was quintisential AT and he was experiencing it from the get go. :)   Well, everyone is asleep and my headlamp is attracting every bug in the place, so I am signing off. This next week looks to be a great one! Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com