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| Day 80 - December 19, 2005 |
Hey
I'm on the road again. I've been emailing newspapers, radio stations etc... along the way and I'm just not generating any interest. The competition for this kind of press is keen. There's a lot of cool people doing smaller similar things in almost every region I go through. The local interest story is better for their patrons etc... easy to understand that.
I've changed my route. Since I took care of my obligations in DC and the Virginia coast there's no need for me to walk there anymore. I'm on my way to Mount Airy, NC via US 64 and 601. From there I'll wiggle up US52 and 19 to Charleston, WV then in to Swestern Ohio and angle up to the old route in Chicago via Indiana. Don't know the exact route from Charleston yet. Mt. Airy is where the Andy Griffith show originated. I'll be walking by Mount Pilot too. There's a statue of Andy in Mt. Airy. Can't wait to see it. I'm on some county roads east of Lexington,NC now then over to US 64. Put in
22 miles over the last three days. Foot still hurts a bit so I'll keep the pace around 12 miles or so until the tendons get a little stronger.
I'm still basing out of Pinehurst. Friends of Donn And Sara McGinnis (Bob and Rachel Yates)are driving support for me until Thursday AM then it's back to the motel and hitch hiking thing again. Spent Saturday night with Todd and Nancy Hemphill in Cary, NC. Got to have an early Christmas dinner with their family. Fine people, fine food...a good time. Christmas may be in Mocksville, NC. I checked out the new route in a car last Friday. When I got to Mocksville I was curious about the name. A woman in a shop told me that back in 1781 during the Revolutionary War what would later become Mocksville was just a junction of a wagon road and a foot path. Apparently there was a Tavern at the intersection and one day a detachment of British soldiers went by and the tavern patrons went outside and "mocked" them. May have had something to do with a bit of grog. Of course they didn't officially start calling the area Mocksville until the British lost the war. I have no idea if this woman knew what she was talking about or if she was just pulling me leg. Regardless, it was a fun conversation and it is a cute story. Makes you wonder how those patrons mocked them, doesn't it?
Walked through a town called Candor today. Thought I might engage some folks with conversation dripping with candor. But alas, that kind of candor seemed to confuse the few I came in contact with.....So, its good to be back on the road again.
Merry Christmas to any who read this.
Things are ok down here. It's starting to get chilly. Below freezing in the morning and mid to upper forties in the PM. I'm wearing long sleeve shirts now and will probably get some light long underwear bottoms in the next week or so. The back pack is almost full. At least I don't have to carry 15 pounds of water anymore. God Bless the cooler weather.
Until next time,
take care and keep on howling.
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