Jane and the Barred Owl Call

   I met a lot of different people while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1980. One that I remember from Virginia was a woman named Jane. I was 18, she was 28. No, there was not any romance going on. For a long stretch of the trail I was going at about the same rate as Jane. I was always a late riser, but at the end of the day I often pulled into one of the shelters to find Jane there. I remember seeing her sitting cross-legged playing tunes on a small song flute. I also remember that she knew a lot about edible plants. She showed me some wild greens that I could pick and add to my supper pot. They were good to eat (and good for me too). I also remember that Jane knew a lot of different bird calls. She taught me the call for the Barred Owl. It sounds like "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all". I like a bird that says "you all" instead of "you guys" (it brings out the southerner in me).
   Hiking on the trail would have been very lonely if it had not been for all the other hikers. It was rare that I hiked so close to others that we could see each other. But it was a comfort to know that others were ahead of me and others behind me. It was also a lot of fun to gather at shelters at night and swap stories. It made the miles go quicker. Virginia has the most miles of any State along the Appalachian Trail. The notch on my hiking staff has very deep grooves where I carved "VA". It took several weeks to hike the length of Virginia. The views were beautiful and hiking along the ridges was the easiest hiking on the entire trail. Every time I hear a Barred Owl calling from the woods I remember Jane and the trail and the wonderful experiences I had while walking in the woods.
   Here in 2011 I weighed in at 178.8 pounds. That means I have lost 8 pounds in exactly 7 weeks! Just like hiking the trail, I have tried to stay persistent in order to reach my goal. Blogging every day helps. I know I have missed a few days along the way, but I try to write something every day. Thanks for reading this blog. If you have a question or a comment please feel free to post it for me and I will respond!