Date: 2013-04-09
From: Damascus, Va.

To: Damascus, con't.
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

It simply wasn't possible to hike nearly 40 miles in one day. After tenting for the night, I continued on in to Damascus. Along the way I saw two very large deer. An hour or so later, I saw the largest wild turkey I have ever seen. He just walked out into the middle of the trail, looked up and saw me, made a u-turn and went back into the woods. He was a huge Tom. Additionally, I saw lots of Robins flying through the rhododendron and walked by several jonquils or, were they buttercups? Suddenly, I realized what a very beautiful and warm day it was. In fact, we have had 5 consecutive nice days with magnificent sun rises and without encountering any ice or snow. So, I am making a declaration. Today, 4/9/13, I am officially announcing that spring has FINALLY arrived on the Appalachian Trail! HOORAY!When I arrived in Damascus, I called my friend and mentor, Warren Doyle. He did not answer so I left a message that I was in Damascus and would like a room for the night. I wandered around town eating ice cream and other good stuff. Then, Warren pulled up along the sidewalk, seemingly out of nowhere, opened the passenger door and told me to get in. What a nice surprise. Warren had gotten my message on the way back from Abbingdon and decided to cruise through town to see if he could find me and he did. He said I certainly could use one of his bedrooms. I asked him if I could borrow one of his cars so I could visit my grand kids who lived about six miles from him Mountain City, Tn. Again, he said, sure.When we arrived at his home, he went in with me, said he had to call a Contra dance in Boone, told me to make myself at home, pointed out the car I could use and said he would see me tomorrow. Wow, what sterling hospitality! Thank you, Warren.Took a nice long shower, put on my only clean clothes and set out for Mountain City. Shi, my daughter-in-law, answered the door, looked somewhat startled, gave me a hug and invited me in. Sara, my eldest grand daughter, came down the stairs and looked at me, a little unsure of who I was, broke into a big smile and said "Pappy". Then, she ran over and gave me a big hug. Cassie and EJ, Edward N. Marshall, III, figured who I was by then and joined in the greetings. It finally dawned on me that, with my beard, big hair and being about 15 lbs lighter, they weren't sure who I was. Oh yes, they also didn't know I was coming. We had a grand visit, as always, and topped it off with a trip into town for ice cream.Today was a somber occasion for all of us. Shi's husband, our grand kid's dad, Angie's only brother and Ann's and my only son, Edward N. Marshall, II, was born this day in 1974. He died on January 8, 2009. He would have been 39 today.Ed was a good son. He was surely a "normal" little boy, always in to some type of mischief. But, even as a child, he seemed to think deeply about things. i remember seeing him sitting on the kitchen counter watching the birds outside, mesmerized. And what a sense of humor! he was always laughing, joking and cutting up. When he was 9, he became interested in sports. He played little league baseball, soccer and football. He played well. Ann, Angie, our daughter, and I attended nearly all of his games. We hunted and fished together too. I usually ended up being humiliated. When fishing, he invariably caught the biggest fish and the most fish. The first time we went hunting, he did the same. That was ok though. He was my son and I was proud of him like any dad would be. When we moved to the beach, he started surfing and skate boarding. He drifted away from surfing and concentrated on skate boarding. He also started taking guitar lessons and was a serious student for quite a few years.After what seemed like a Norman Rockwell childhood, things went terribly wrong...that's another story for another day.Your entire family loves you, Ed. May you rest in peace, son.Sandman69