Date: 2002-08-27
From: Maine

To: GA
Miles today: 11.0

August 27th 2002TuesdayI am out of breath right now, I have been climbing. First thing this morning. Took off at 6:15. Didn¢t sleep too good last night. But it wasn¢t raining. Quarter moon last night and man was it bright last night on top of that mountain. Just like a spotlight shining on me. Wasn¢t too much noise from the campground next door, they must not have drank too much. Ha Ha. I am going pretty slowly today. Just can¢t figure out why my blisters won¢t heal.   I have to relay some of my thoughts that are going through my mind here while I am climbing.   I have my head down watching every root, watching every step so that I don¢t fall and I think, ¢NOW WAIT A MINUTE¢ here I am, supposed to be enjoying these mountains, and scenery but there is nothing but trees and all you see is one foot in front of the other. It¢s the same way going down. You have to watch very carefully. So, What is the purpose? Why am I here? What am I doing this for? All I am doing is looking at the ground and watching my feet go one step at a time and on top of that, excruciating pain with these blisters.   Why? I have to ask myself why all the time. And yet I just keep plugging away.       Stopped at the Hall Mountain Shelter. Registered in the book and the privy here actually had toilet paper in it. Can you believe that?   It¢s fairly flat where I am hiking at now. So now I can enjoy the scenery and take my time. This brings back memories of Dolliver Park over in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Where I went to camp, Seventh day Adventist Camp. Pa Nehring paid my way. I remember it was 13.00. At the time that was quite a bit of money. That was for a week.   And I remember going and getting so excited to go and we all went had a picnic and then they left. Right away I was homesick. You know I don¢t know if it was so much homesick or worrying about Mom. You know I was the oldest and I was always thought I had to protect her, of course Dad was abusive and I was always worried about the kids, taking care of the kids.   I think that was my main problem was worrying about the family. That if I wasn¢t there how would they be protected. But there were good times at the hike and I remember taking hikes in the hills there. But I was such an ornery stinker. I was such a juvenile delinquent.   I was always going off the wrong way and the counselors would try and straighten me out.   I remember we had softball games and I was always the ornery one in the bunch. But I remember breakfast the most mainly. They had Honey Bear Peanut butter on toast. OHHHH that was good stuff and I still like honey and peanut butter. I remember at night in our cabin there was 8 of us. We would all gather together and it was as dark as could be. WE would all get in a circle and hold hands and everybody had to say a prayer. Well it would come to me and I was too embarrassed and I wouldn¢t say it and the counselor kept saying, ¢Dick? ¢ (silence) ¢Dick?¢ (silence) and you know I didn¢t say a prayer, never did. Isn¢t that something to remember? Anyway I got through it.   I remember Pa and Uncle Emory, and mom and dad came to get me and it was a beautiful Sunday and we had a picnic day. I remember this one kid, he was a qood kid, he was from Janesville.   I was such an ornery stinker and we got into an argument and I hit him in the mouth and his mouth was bleeding and my grandpa Pa Nehring. He was so disappointed in me. I will never forget that. I really felt bad afterward for disappointing him and hitting that kid. I went again the next year but used my own money that time. But I don¢t remember much about that, but Shirley went too, Shirley Nehring.