BROKEN DREAMS

Since my last blog post, my brother-in-law, Tim "Maine Man", has joined many others who have "gotten off the Trail".  Meaning, their A.T. Thru-Hike is over, they have gone home.  Tim, along with all the others, has his own personal reasons for aborting his thru-hike after only six days.  Each year as approximately 2,000 hopeful hikers anxiously begin at Springer Mountain in Georgia, with aspirations of walking all of the more than 2,100 miles of mountainous terrain to the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, Mount Katahdin in Maine, only approximately 500 or so hikers succeed in this journey of epic proportions.  Most all who complete the entire A.T. will agree that the most difficult part of the whole journey is mental, not physical.  It is not easy to prepare oneself for the mental toughness to overcome the daily grind of getting up, packing up, and walking day after day across difficult terrain in all kinds of weather.  I wonder how I kept going, even when things were tougher than I ever could have imagined, and pushed thru to the end.  I am certainly not any stronger mentally or physically than anyone else who attempts a thru-hike.  I do think all my planning for almost two years, talking incessantly to all my friends, family, coworkers, or anyone else who would listen, may have encouraged me to keep going.  What would all those folks I had been telling about my plans feel about me if I quit?  How would I feel about myself, after being so obcessed with the idea of Thru-Hiking the A.T for two years, if I quit??  I am very lucky that in 2011 we did not have the heavy snowfalls that the 2013 hikers are facing this year, or I may have been tempted to "throw in the towel" also, because as anyone who knows me, knows I do not like cold weather or snow!

Since I don't have Maine Man out there on the Trail to cheer on and support, I am now sending encouragement and maildrops to a young gal from Maine, Jesse, who hiked with Maine Man a few days, and also Kathy Saunders, from Ohio, who I have been communicating with via email since my own Thru-Hike.  While on my hike, I met Socks, Kathy's daughter, who also thru-hiked in 2011.

Two years ago today, Pigeon and I awoke (in the over-crowded Derrick Knob Shelter in the Smokies) to an overnight snowfall,  which of course made my friend Pigeon very happy!  Since she spends her summers in Alaska, as a guide in Denali National Park, she loves snow!  Since I grew up in Texas, I do NOT like snow! 



A very happy Pigeon! (2 yrs. ago today)

We are experiencing a nice wet Spring here in Texas!  The ground is still too wet for Tom to till up our garden spot and plant anything yet.  We have began some plum tomato seeds inside, in peat pots.  The next few days are suppose to be sunny and warmer, so maybe soon we will be gardening. 

My project last Spring was to paint our house, which I did; this Spring my project is to clear the old fence row in back of our house, creating a nice mowable ground between our house and the large hay meadow out back.

Well, I talked to the folks at Holiday Vacations this morning, and discovered that the Australia/New Zealand Tour that my sister Norma and I are planning for 2014 is not in October, like we had thought, but in March 2014 instead!  Wow, I am glad I have already begun to save my money!  I read thru the 20-day itinerary for this trip, and I'm already excited about all the many fascinating excursions and places we will experience on this Tour.  If you are even remotely interested in joining us, for more information go to http://holidayvacations.net

Norma and I booked thru Holiday Vacations last year when we went to Ireland, and were very pleased with their services.  We didn't have to worry about anything, because Holiday Vacations planned all the airfares, hotels, excursions, most meals, experienced professional guides, baggage handling, tips, etc.  It was great!  The price of the Tour covers all that!  I am really looking forward to a 20-day Tour of Australia/New Zealand in 2014!  I wish Tom woud go, however he doesn't want to, so I am thankful Norma is adventuresome and wants to go again with me.