Date: 2008-05-08
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Bland, Virginia
Miles today: 120.0

Mt.Sailor and I are in Bland, Va. this afternoon. We have hiked 120 miles since leaving Damascus. On Sunday we climbed over Mt. Rogers and walked through the Grayson Highlands. They have wild horses roaming freely up in the highlands. They are so wild one ate trail mix from my hand. On Monday we hiked 26.4 miles to Partnership Shelter where the headquarters for Mt. Rogers is located. They had a phone there which we used to order pizza. That was the incentive we had to walk that far. There are places in Virginia where the trail runs through open fields. That is a nice break from being in the woods all day. There are a number of hikers here at Big Walker Motel tonight since the trail is closed for the next 30 miles. In 1981 there was a double murder on the Trail. It happened in Pearisburg, Virginia, which is the next town we get to in 2 days. The man was convicted of those murders and later was paroled. Yesterday he came into a camp by the AT. and shot 2 fishermen. He took there truck and promptly wrecked it. That is why the trail is closed for 30 miles and why there are so many hikers stuck in Bland. The trail will reopen tomorrow sometime. In Damascus 26.2 left us and returned to Nebraska. We miss him since he really got us into hiker shape. I also miss his intellect. He loves books as I do it was good to keep my brain sharp bouncing ideas back and forth. One day two paths converged in the woods and I asked 26.2 if this could be the two paths in Robert Frosts poem. In this case he took the path more traveled. Get a Robert Frost book on poetry to if your not sure what I'm talking about. Last week one day we were following 2 young hikers. The trail crossed a country road. It was raining at the time and the one hiker spotted a small church across from the trail. He saw it had an overhang and decided to get in from the rain. He yelled at the other hiker to stop also but he did not hear him. Later when we caught up with the second hiker we realized why he did not hear him. Hiker Nunber two had his IPOD on and therefore left his buddy standing at the alter. I asked 26.2 if it seems like the younger generation is always listening to noise. We are out in nature yank out the ear buds and listen to the sounds of nature. Plus if we need to get past you on the trail we can't since you don't know what's happening behind you. Doesn't it seem like every where you go everyones always on cell phones. You try to buy something in a store and the clerk is talking with a friend. There all talking but are they really communicating? It seems like they are afraid of silence. When the IPOD is in it is like a do not disturb sign is on. Hey buddy, how about talking to me. How about the guy next to you on the plane with the IPOD on so loud you have to listen with him. Then he taps the tray and contorts himself o the beat of the music. I have often wished they made little spray bottles of skunk spray that I could spray in there direction. You violate my sense of hearing, I violate your sense of smell. A fair trade off. Guess who would get thrown off the plane. Another thing I think is silly is that stupid thing sticking out of peoples ear. I guess it's a wireless devise. I remember the first time I saw a man with one in an airport. It looked just like a big grasshopper sitting on his ear. I wanted to sidle up to him and whisper, hey, hold still there is a big insect on your ear, then take a wrapped up newspaper and whack him across the head. In Christian love, of course. Every where you walk up and down streets people are busy talking on phones. What ever happened to being organized and making your calls during your scheduled work time. I realize it's silly of me to rant about this but all this loud noise pumped into these ears is going to come at a price. By the time these folks are 40 they will be deaf and brain dead. We will have to take care of them at tax payer expence in convalesance homes across America. I plan to volunteer at such a facility and take an IPOD and crank it up high and let them listen to some real music. Crosby, Stills and Nash, Beach Boys, some CCR. Oh wait, why reward them, they should be punished for listening to all that loud noise all those years. Lets put those ear buds in and crank up some Lawrance Welk, and a One and a two. Obviously way too much time to think out here.