Date: 2007-06-20
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Camp, Virginia
Miles today: 4.5

After packing up and eating the remainder of my food, Ukulele showed up. He was in a foul mood after spending a soggy night in the rain, only a mile short of the shelter. worst of all, he discovered that his instrument was coming apart at the seams from all of the rain, dissolving the glue that holds the box together. but this was to be a short day, and would quickly improve for all of us. It was a short, pleasant, downhill hike to the Settlers Museum and historic farmstead. I put all my wet clothes and tent out to dry in the morning sun on the picket fence. Then Dylan, the museum curator and caretaker, showed up with fresh fruit for hikers, and made fresh coffee. He was very cheerful and chatty. It impressed me that he bought fruit every morning for the people he had never met, and could not have known were about to pass through his museum, just out of the goodness of his heart, and for the love of hikers. He was impressed that a group of Japanese film makers showed up that morning, accepted his offer of coffee, and started filming hikers on his front porch. Ukulele Evan was impressed with the historic farm, and enjoyed some of Dylans fresh coffee, and then played his instrument for the last time, on camera, for his friends, for Dylan, for the millions of curious Japanese television viewers, and for Moonpie, the inspiration of his comic ballad. His ukulele would have to be shipped home for repair, and the trail would suffer the loss of his musical contributions for some time to come.I was anxious to hike onward, knowing that my 8-week separation from wife and children would end in Atkins, a mere 2.7 miles ahead. Yoshihiro (Director), Tetsuo (Producer) and Yoshi (Assistant Producer) accompanied me these next 2.7 miles, through field and forest, across stream and railroad tracks, on a brilliant sunny morning, with the alluring sound of interstate 81 getting closer with every step. they would run ahead of me, catch me passing by, speaking with the occasional southbounder, and fall behind me. then call out for me to wait, and catch up with me again. when finally we got to the road crossing in Atkins, we were a little disappointed to find no familiar faces. But within 20 minutes, Laura showed up with Wesoly and Holly, who were excited but shy at seeing me with my bushy beard and moustache, and these Japanese friends they had never seen before. all was recorded on film, including Laura's squeamishness about kissing such a hairy smelly man. but it was delightful, anyway, and a happy reunion. Mismatch and Ukulele came out of the woods eventually, and we all went back to Marion for a big lunch at an Italian restaurant. Yoshihiro generously picked up the tab for all of us, and filmed us devouring food as though we were some hungry hikers.Then we all went to Bill Gilmer's cabin in Camp, Virginia, where we played music, played in the creek, had a big dinner, and a party on the porch. afterwards, the film crew interviewed Laura and myself, asking lots of good questions about our life before the hike, and how we had been dealing with the long separation. it all went well, and after the Japanese crew left, the children went to bed, we stayed up late into the night enjoying the cool night on the porch. Thank you, Bill Gilmer and Uncle Clark, for making this place available to us tonight.