A.T. Hiker Friends

My A.T. hiker friends, Greenstone and Thimbleberry, who live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, were passing thru Texas, while traveling from Arizona to Alabama, and stopped by our house for a short visit.  I'm glad they carry their "home on wheels" with them, since we are limited on sleeping space in our little humble abode. 

We always enjoy their visit with us! 

In the afternoon following their arrival, I took them on a lovely drive in East Texas and through Mrs. Lee's Daffodil Gardens.  Back in the 1950's, Mrs. Lee ordered a boxcar full of daffodil bulbs from Holland, and along with a host of volunteers planted them all across the beautiful rolling hills of her farm's acreage.  It is a beautiful sight when they bloom during late February and early March.

My sister, Norma, had been wanting to meet Greenstone and Thimbleberry, so she and her daughter, Carla, and grandkids, Devin & Holly Beth, came over for dinner that night. We all enjoyed frito pies and chili dogs made with Tom's delicious homemade chili.  After dinner, we watched a DVD, "2,000 Miles to Maine", which told the interesting stories of several hikers in their quest to walk over the miles of mountains between Springer Mtn. in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

The following day, we went to the Salt Palace Museum in Grand Saline.  Morton Salt has mined salt just south of Grand Saline for many years, and the gigantic salt dome that is there, lying 750 feet below the earth's surface is large enough to supply the world's salt needs for 20,000 more years!  It was fascinating to see how salt is mined, and to see the myriad of uses of salt in our everyday lives.

We drove thru the countryside northward, over several peninsulas of Lake Fork, on our way to the Dairy Museum in Sulphur Springs.  G. & T. had experienced a bit of dairy farm life while growing up in Michigan. Following a tour of the museum, and seeing a video about the history of how milk has been produced and sold in America over the years, Greenstone treated us to lunch (and ice cream), right there in the Museum's lunch counter!  Thanks Greenstone and Thimbleberry!

The next day was Tom's day off, so we each got our dayhiking gear together and headed out early to drive over to Lake Mineral Wells State Park.  There we met up with Jerryatric (from Ft. Worth), another of my hiker friends.  Lake Mineral Wells State Park has many hiking trails and some challenging terrain, rocky and steep in places, with some great views of the lake.

It was a very cool morning, however gorgeous blue skies and plentiful sunshine made for a great day to be outdoors with great friends!  We stopped midways thru our walk, at a nice sunny spot, where we enjoyed a snack.

BooBoo had a wonderful time, and said the only thing missing was her friend TooToo!  (Thimbleberry is almost totally hidden behind that tree!)

                 Pyro, Greenstone, Jerryatric, & Thimbleberry.
Their visit was all too short, having to leave early the next morning, to arrive at their next NOMADS committment near Andalusia, Alabama. Tom and I are hoping to take a trip up to Michigan next year to see them in their beautiful Upper Peninsula!