I woke early the next morning, much earlier than normal. Usually I would be ready to hike at about 8:30am, but this day I was on the trail at 7:15am. It was only six miles to the road crossing. From there I was counting on getting a ride into town and getting my supply box by noon. It was Saturday, and I had been walking hard all week to make it to that post office by noon on Saturday.
The trail was relatively easy, I was making good time. But I was uptight. I was worried. I was distracted. What if I didn't make it by noon? What if I got to the road and couldn't get a ride? What if I got there at 12:05 and just missed getting my supplies by five minutes? As the miles went by I got more and more anxious. For some reason I had forgotten what happened in Buchannan, Virginia. That story is earlier in my blog and tells about how God answered my prayer and gave me a ride to town and provided for me in a powerful way. But this day in Vermont, I wasn't thinking about Buchannan, Virginia. I was consumed with worry.
Finally I reached a point where my mind cleared. I realized that I couldn't call myself a Christian if I didn't actually trust in God. If God is supposed to be in charge of everything, then I should trust Him, right? So I did the same thing that Jonah eventually did, I prayed. I asked God to help me make it to the post office on time to pick up my supply box. And, I finally had a peace about it.
At 10:30am I broke out of the woods and came out to the road crossing. To my left a few miles away was the town with the post office. I smiled very big. I knew that there was no way I would miss the noon deadline at this post office. Even if I had to walk the whole way, I could probably get there just before noon. I had done it. I had made it. I had pushed hard all week and was now back on schedule.
I began to walk down the road. I heard a car approaching and I stuck out my thumb. A small VW "bug" stopped immediately and gave me a ride. I squeezed myself and my backpack into the back seat of the "bug" and we were on our way. This was great! The first car I saw stopped! I wasn't just going to beat the noon deadline, I was going to kill it! The driver was very nice. He didn't know where the post office was but we drove around until we found it. Truth is, he drove through town twice until we spotted it (the town was that small).
When the VW "bug" pulled into a parking spot I was working to extract myself and my backpack from the back seat of the tiny car. Then I heard the driver say, "I hope you made it in time...." At first I thought he was joking. Every post office I had ever seen in my life closed at noon on Saturday. Then the driver said, "because it closes at 10:45."
Immediately I looked at my watch. It said 10:44am. I raced to the front door, yelling my thanks to the kind driver, and entered the post office just before an employee was able to lock the door. Yes, they had my box. Yes, I was able to get the box with all my supplies.
At 10:50am I was sitting outside of the post office with my supply box and my backpack. I was stunned. For all that time I was focused on noon. I thought I had done it all. I thought I had made things happen. But I realized that the only reason I made it in time was with God's help. There were too many "coincidences" that helped me make it just in time. It was a wake up call for me! I really wasn't in charge. God was (and is) in charge. I will never forget it.
I never saw the VW "bug" drive away (I was too focused on getting my supply box). I like to imagine that it drove up the road and around the corner and then disappeared as the two angels from the car flew into the air and sat on top of a tall tree, laughing about their assignment. They had taken care of me yet again!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 170.4 pounds. Last night there was a teachers' meeting (I will be teaching one morning per week this year). I didn't realize that they would have lots of FOOD and DESSERTS and SNACKS. My willpower crumbled and I gave in! More running this morning and hopes to keep trimming the weight off!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
All I Could Think About Was "Noon on Saturday"
When I crossed the state line into Vermont I knew that I was making progress. I was now in the "Green Mountains". The mountains are beautiful, and they are green. I found out why they are green. It rains a lot! All the vegetation loves the frequent showers in the Green Mountains. It was summer time and I didn't mind the frequent showers (they cooled things off)!
At this time I was focused on getting back on schedule. Way back in Virginia I had bruised my foot. By the time I got to Pennsylvania it developed into a stress fracture and I had to go to a hospital. After several days of rest, I was back on the trail with a thick pad inside my boot but I was behind schedule. Now, several hundred miles later I was close to getting back on schedule. I reached my last supply pickup point in the afternoon on a Saturday. The post office was closed and I had to wait until Monday morning before it reopened. I was determined to make it to my next supply pickup point before noon on Saturday.
Every day I tried to hike just a little bit farther. Every day I looked at my data book and planned how many miles I had to make in order to make it to the North Clarendon, Vermont post office by noon on Saturday. The trail helped me along. There was a lot of ridge walking which is much easier than straight up and down mountains.
After a week of pushing hard I found myself at a shelter on Friday night just six miles from the road crossing leading into North Clarendon. I knew that I could make it to the road in the morning and catch a ride into the town to pickup my box from the post office by noon on Saturday. All I could think about was noon on Saturday.
That night I met some "weekend warriors". That's what we called people who came out to hike for a night or two on the trail during the weekend. They were friendly people and quite impressed that I had hiked to Vermont all the way from Georgia. I had learned a long time ago that most weekend warriors carried much more than they ever needed. I always needed Coleman Fuel for my cook stove. So I had the habit of asking weekend warriors if they had any spare Coleman Fuel that I could buy from them. Usually they had a full bottle and gladly gave me whatever I needed to fill my bottle. A full bottle would last me about two weeks, so I almost never ran out. I always offered to pay them, but no one ever took my money.
As night fell that Friday evening, I snuggled into my sleeping bag with a smile on my face. I had a full fuel bottle. I was only six miles from the road crossing. My alarm was set for early in the morning. There was no way that I was going to miss the Post Office by noon on Saturday. I had done it. I had gotten back on schedule. I was proud of myself. But there was something that I didn't know. Something that would be a complete surprise to me. But it would have to wait until the morning.
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 169.2 pounds! Diet and exercise DO work if you stick with it! I am so excited to finally be under 170 pounds. My goal is to reach 165 pounds by September 4th (the day I climbed the last mountain on the Appalachian Trail back in 1980). For a few days I was wondering if I could make it, but I redoubled me efforts and now I am back on track. I see a big salad in my future.... :)
At this time I was focused on getting back on schedule. Way back in Virginia I had bruised my foot. By the time I got to Pennsylvania it developed into a stress fracture and I had to go to a hospital. After several days of rest, I was back on the trail with a thick pad inside my boot but I was behind schedule. Now, several hundred miles later I was close to getting back on schedule. I reached my last supply pickup point in the afternoon on a Saturday. The post office was closed and I had to wait until Monday morning before it reopened. I was determined to make it to my next supply pickup point before noon on Saturday.
Every day I tried to hike just a little bit farther. Every day I looked at my data book and planned how many miles I had to make in order to make it to the North Clarendon, Vermont post office by noon on Saturday. The trail helped me along. There was a lot of ridge walking which is much easier than straight up and down mountains.
After a week of pushing hard I found myself at a shelter on Friday night just six miles from the road crossing leading into North Clarendon. I knew that I could make it to the road in the morning and catch a ride into the town to pickup my box from the post office by noon on Saturday. All I could think about was noon on Saturday.
That night I met some "weekend warriors". That's what we called people who came out to hike for a night or two on the trail during the weekend. They were friendly people and quite impressed that I had hiked to Vermont all the way from Georgia. I had learned a long time ago that most weekend warriors carried much more than they ever needed. I always needed Coleman Fuel for my cook stove. So I had the habit of asking weekend warriors if they had any spare Coleman Fuel that I could buy from them. Usually they had a full bottle and gladly gave me whatever I needed to fill my bottle. A full bottle would last me about two weeks, so I almost never ran out. I always offered to pay them, but no one ever took my money.
As night fell that Friday evening, I snuggled into my sleeping bag with a smile on my face. I had a full fuel bottle. I was only six miles from the road crossing. My alarm was set for early in the morning. There was no way that I was going to miss the Post Office by noon on Saturday. I had done it. I had gotten back on schedule. I was proud of myself. But there was something that I didn't know. Something that would be a complete surprise to me. But it would have to wait until the morning.
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 169.2 pounds! Diet and exercise DO work if you stick with it! I am so excited to finally be under 170 pounds. My goal is to reach 165 pounds by September 4th (the day I climbed the last mountain on the Appalachian Trail back in 1980). For a few days I was wondering if I could make it, but I redoubled me efforts and now I am back on track. I see a big salad in my future.... :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Things Aren't Always What They Appear To Be
In 1980 I saw a notice at a trail register about a guy who owned a cabin next to the trail in Massachusetts. He offered to let hikers stay the night for free. I signed up on his list and many days later I arrived at the cabin. It was actually just off of the trail, a little cabin nestled in the woods. A couple of other hikers were there and the four of us had good conversation. The guy who owned the cabin was nice.....but there was something weird about him too. Nothing specific happened, but I later realized what was going on. This guy was trying to find other guys to "date". That's why he opened his place to hikers.
I'm glad I didn't figure this out until later, because it would have been awkward for me to pack up and leave after dark. I spent the night "camping" on a couch in the sun room. I remember accidentally bumping a table that had a temperature recording device. The owner was upset for a moment. He was trying to record the temperatures and I had messed it up. But, he decided that it was a "short term spike" and would not really affect his data.
In the morning we had blueberry pancakes and I headed on my way. One of the other hikers was staying on to go water skiing and to "hang out". I appreciated the hospitality, but I didn't appreciate the underhanded way this guy was trying to find homosexual boyfriends. Things aren't always what they appear to be. I am a very open, an honest person and I hope that other people are open and honest with me. I continued to hike down the trail, making progress toward the next state which was Vermont. Some big things were getting ready to happen!
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 170.6 pounds. How could I lose 3.2 pounds in one day? Well, I ate a LOT of salt over the weekend. So, yesterday I drank tons and tons of water. Your body retains water in order to bind with the salt and remove it from your body. By drinking all of that water, all of the salt and extra fluid left my body. Yes, I had many trips to the bathroom, but my weight is almost back on track. I went jogging again this morning (the entire neighborhood). I had a big salad for lunch and ate a grilled Chick-fil-a sandwich for supper. I'm trying to be strict on my diet and exercises so I can trim these last few pounds. I have 5.6 pounds left and 33 days!
I'm glad I didn't figure this out until later, because it would have been awkward for me to pack up and leave after dark. I spent the night "camping" on a couch in the sun room. I remember accidentally bumping a table that had a temperature recording device. The owner was upset for a moment. He was trying to record the temperatures and I had messed it up. But, he decided that it was a "short term spike" and would not really affect his data.
In the morning we had blueberry pancakes and I headed on my way. One of the other hikers was staying on to go water skiing and to "hang out". I appreciated the hospitality, but I didn't appreciate the underhanded way this guy was trying to find homosexual boyfriends. Things aren't always what they appear to be. I am a very open, an honest person and I hope that other people are open and honest with me. I continued to hike down the trail, making progress toward the next state which was Vermont. Some big things were getting ready to happen!
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 170.6 pounds. How could I lose 3.2 pounds in one day? Well, I ate a LOT of salt over the weekend. So, yesterday I drank tons and tons of water. Your body retains water in order to bind with the salt and remove it from your body. By drinking all of that water, all of the salt and extra fluid left my body. Yes, I had many trips to the bathroom, but my weight is almost back on track. I went jogging again this morning (the entire neighborhood). I had a big salad for lunch and ate a grilled Chick-fil-a sandwich for supper. I'm trying to be strict on my diet and exercises so I can trim these last few pounds. I have 5.6 pounds left and 33 days!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Silence. Try it!
One of the unusual events while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1980 was an overnight visit at a monastery. Yes, that's right, a monastery! I read a note in a trail register inviting hikers to come and spend a night. It was a free bunk for the night and a couple of free meals. I enjoyed a hot shower and clean sheets. There was no tv or any other electronics. It was very quiet. I was able to simply sit and think and pray.
Silence is not something that we have enough of now. We tend to fill our lives with all kinds of noises. The tv is blaring, the phone is ringing, people are talking, music is playing in the other room. All of these distractions makes it hard to really focus on anything for any length of time. Staying in the monastery reminded me of the need for silence and reflection. I had already hiked a large portion of the trail. I only had about one month left to reach the end of my journey. I had a lot to think about.
I thought about life. I thought about what I would do in the future. I thought about God and my life as a Christian. I thought about many different things. And, in the silence, God spoke to me too. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke peace into my heart. I had guidance and direction. I had purpose and a plan. I had hope for the future.
Silence. Try it!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 173.8 pounds (*sigh!*). I ate a lot over the weekend and put on weight. I hope that a lot of it is water weight and that it will come off fast. It's another setback, but I press on. This morning I jogged and added more distance. Now I am jogging every road and culdesac in my neighborhood. That ought to burn some calories! Time for another salad!
Silence is not something that we have enough of now. We tend to fill our lives with all kinds of noises. The tv is blaring, the phone is ringing, people are talking, music is playing in the other room. All of these distractions makes it hard to really focus on anything for any length of time. Staying in the monastery reminded me of the need for silence and reflection. I had already hiked a large portion of the trail. I only had about one month left to reach the end of my journey. I had a lot to think about.
I thought about life. I thought about what I would do in the future. I thought about God and my life as a Christian. I thought about many different things. And, in the silence, God spoke to me too. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke peace into my heart. I had guidance and direction. I had purpose and a plan. I had hope for the future.
Silence. Try it!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 173.8 pounds (*sigh!*). I ate a lot over the weekend and put on weight. I hope that a lot of it is water weight and that it will come off fast. It's another setback, but I press on. This morning I jogged and added more distance. Now I am jogging every road and culdesac in my neighborhood. That ought to burn some calories! Time for another salad!
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