Heartbeat AT

2008 Daily Schedule

for Circuit Rider and Sherlock

Monday, July 21st:  NY 17 - West Mountain (12.8 Miles)     We knew we had seen that face before, and once we heard the accent, we knew who it was!  Here, at the "Lemon Squeezer" of all places, we met "Alpine Strider" (AT '07) heading southbound.  And this time her direction was intentional!  You see, last year we came upon her in the "Roller Coaster" section of northern Virginia.  She wanted to know that morning if we were doing a southbound thruhike, about to be impressed that we had made it that far south already.  Sort of confused as to why she was asking such a question, we informed her that no, in fact, we were heading north.  "Whoa, you're going in the wrong direction then because I'm heading north."  It took a few moments to convince her, but she finally realized that she had just hiked several miles in the wrong direction that most hikers are thankful they only need do once.  That was last year and, by the way, she did make it to Katahdin.  This year she is hiking south on purpose attempting to become the first woman from Germany to hike the AT both ways.  I quipped that she had already done that!  She laughed, we took some pictures of her negotiating the "Squeezer," then she was merrily on her way and yes, in the right direction.

Tuesday, July 22nd:  West Mountain - Graymoor Friary (12.2 Miles)     We were beginning to wonder where the hikers were.  Since last Saturday we had met only two:  Micro and Free Wil.  We were assured they were out here and this evening we found them!  Let's see:  There's Porky, Russell, Steve, Bill, James, Kevin, Ethan, Becky and Franklin.  Leaping Turtle considered staying, but decided it was too early to stop, so off he went.  The first six I mentioned were all related and have come together from various parts of the country for a sort of "family reunion" on the Trail.  What a neat idea!  I'm not sure however, that I could get any of my three brothers in these woods.  Added to the heat today was quite a bit of humidity but a shower late this afternoon has made for a beautiful summer evening.

Wednesday, July 23rd:  Graymoor Friary - Dennytown Road (8.1 Miles)     The water is boiling in preparation for our evening ritual of coffee and fellowship.  I've retreated to the tent to wait out the third in a series of thunderstorms that have rolled through today.  We have been joined at our campsite this evening by Leaping Turtle, Porky, James and Steve.  Leaping Turtle, who began his thruhike February 29th, intended to be past this point by this evening but the rain soaked and slowed him.  It's tough to make a lot of miles and dry out at the same time, especially when the rains keep coming.  Porky's group of seven is now down to three but the trio is having a blast anyway.  We enjoyed sharing stories and teasing each other over a dinner of pasta.  They had enough food for seven.  Suffice it to say, no one is heading to bed hungry tonight!

Thursday, July 24th:  Dennytown Road - RPH Shelter (10.7 Miles)     His name is Daniel and I was struck by his kind demeanor.  You just don't meet teenagers that often who have mastered so early in life what it means to be a gentleman.   He initiated conversation with Sherlock and myself shortly after we arrived.  Before long, he and his hiking partner "Beaker," both from Elizabethtown, KY, were trading stories and Trail experiences with us and it was quite evident Daniel was having a blast on his first ever long distance hike.  Much like I was on my first visit to the AT at age 17, I could tell by the twinkle in his eyes, he has been smitten by this footpath.  For sure, he'll be back.  Something else was evident with those two as we got to know each other this afternoon:  their love for the God who created all this.  Thank you both for the kind of refreshing afternoon found alone in the One who defines what true pleasure is. 

"The tiger is known by his stripes, the crane by his plumage; the warrior is known by his courtesy."  Ieasu Tokugawa

Friday, July 25th:  RPH Shelter - West Dover Road (17.3 Miles)     Just as we were leaving camp this morning we heard someone say, "Sherlock, is that you?"  To our amazement, it was "Serial" (AT '07/'08).  He had been the topic of our discussion just a few days before and here he was in the flesh!  Amazing how that happens over and over again on a footpath that stretches 2,173 miles.  We met Serial in March '07 while hiking through Georgia with Lone Wolf.  We thought at that initial encounter that we might need to break up a fight between he and another gentleman who mistakenly accused him of something outlandish.  Serial, shortened from Serial Killer, became the obvious choice of a Trail name for this young man from Detroit!  We're so pleased to be once more hiking the same section with him.   

Saturday, July 26th:  West Dover Road - Hoyt Road (9.2 Miles)     She doesn't need a Trail name.  She goes by so many already.  "Nan", "Newmie", and even "Marmaduke" to name a few.  To me, she's just Mom, but what an incredible Mom she is and has been for so, so many years!!  Here she was, for the second weekend in a row, climbing into the Subaru at 8:30 a.m. and heading north to rescue Sherlock and me.  This time she drove 116 miles from her home in East Brunswick, NJ to Wingdale, NY and was waiting for us when we came out of the woods shortly after 11:00.  She then trudged along with us the rest of the day as we battled New York City traffic on our way to Campmor to replace some more worn out equipment.  When we finally arrived back at her house around 4:00 this afternoon, what did she immediately do?  She headed to the store for groceries so we would eat to a hiker's content all weekend.  By the way, my Mom turns 80 in November.  If I was to give her a Trail name, it would be "Angel", for she has been life's "Trail Angel" to me for 48 years!

Sunday, July 27th:  Lord's Day - East Brunswick, NJ

Monday, July 28th:  Hoyt Road - Kent, CT (11.5 Miles)     If someone from Pennsylvania is called a Pennsylvanian, someone from Michigan a Michigander, or one from New York a New Yorker, what is someone from Connecticut called?  That was the question posed to us today along the Trail by Rama and Sita.  I responded, "I don't know.  Maybe a Connecticut Yankee?"  Knowing this likely was the incorrect answer, I decided to investigate it further.  So this evening, before any further discussion could be had, the query was put forth to The Walking Stomach and Surefoot, both natives of this state, in whose home we were staying.  "A nutmeg!" exclaimed Walking Stomach.  I guess there was a time in this glorious state's history when some unscrupulous merchants took advantage of unwitting customers by selling them nutmegs made of wood instead of well, nutmeg.  In fact, some high schools in the area still participate in what has become known as "The Nutmeg Games."  We can hardly wait to catch up to Rama and Sita and let them know what we found out.  Now we can all rest at night.

Tuesday, July 29th:  Kent, CT - Conn. 4/Cornwall Bridge, CT (11.1 Miles)  Overnight again at the home of The Walking Stomach and Surefoot!

Wednesday, July 30th:  Conn. 4 - Falls Village, CT (14.1 Miles)  How does one exhibit hospitality?  Does it come across in the way one welcomes you into their home?  Does it begin even the moment you call in hopes of stopping by for a visit?  Is it found in the way you are made to feel the minute you walk through the door?  Is hospitality best expressed in the gracious and unselfish way one gives up their agenda and even sleep for the sake of spending time with their guests?  Does true hospitality leave you longing for more opportunities to "cross paths" again, and the sooner the better?  If the answer to all of the above is yes, then what we experienced in the home of Surefoot and The Walking Stomach the past two nights was the very epitome of it.  We have heard it said that there are two kinds of people in this world; ones that have a face like a "Welcome Mat" and others who possess a look that says, "Beware of the Dog."  When it comes to our friends in Kent, their faces beckon not only "Welcome" but "Welcome Home."  There is no better definition of hospitality than that.

Thursday, July 31st:  Falls Village, CT - Sages Ravine Campsite (15.0 Miles)

Friday, August 1st:  Sages Ravine Campsite - US 7/Sheffield, MA (14.6 Miles)

Saturday, August 2nd:  US 7/Sheffield, MA - Jerusalem Road (19.2 Miles)

Sunday, August 3rd:  Sabbath Rest/Lord's Day - Tyringham, MA

Monday, August 4th:  Jerusalem Road - October Mountain Lean-to (16.9 Miles)

Tuesday, August 5th:  October Mountain Lean-to - Dalton, MA (11.8 Miles)     I really need to write an entire in-depth article on New England hospitality.  Each year, as we walk through this unique and breathtakingly beautiful region of our country, we continue to find ourselves amazed by the warmth and generosity of a people mistakenly thought to be just the opposite.  Less than an hour ago, we enjoyed a wonderful meal along with eight other hikers at the home of Tom Levardi who, for the sixth time, invited us into his home for a shower, shuffled us around town and provided us a place for the night.  I wish there was space here to detail the many ways in which we were catered to this weekend by the Tyringham Volunteer Fire Department.  They fed us three meals between Saturday and Sunday, let us camp at their park for the evening and use their facility.  Was God ever gracious in His provision of such a place to spend the Lord's Day!  From Kent, CT to Dalton, MA, we have received so much more than we could ever repay.  And yes Mom, we're eating well.  Very well.

Wednesday, August 6th:  Dalton, MA - Mark Noepel Lean-to (13.7 Miles)

Thursday, August 7th:  Mark Noepel Lean-to Seth Warner Campsite (16.5 Miles)

Friday, August 8th:  Seth Warner Campsite - Glastenbury Mountain (21.9 Miles)

Saturday, August 9th:  Glastenbury Mountain - Stratton/Arlington Road (12.2 Miles)

Sunday, August 10th:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - North Clarendon, VT

Monday, August 11th:  Stratton/Arlington Road - VT 11/30 (17.5 Miles)     

Tuesday, August 12th:  VT 11/30 - Little Rock Pond Campsite (20.2 Miles)     It's always fun to "cross paths" with somebody from a previous year and today was no exception.  While we were breaking for lunch at the Peru Peak Shelter, in walked Dinosaur (AT '06) who is working this summer as a caretaker for the Green Mountain Club (GMC).  She got her trail name early on in her '06 hike because of the outdated pack she was carrying.  It was her dad's and here she was, some 20 years later, using it for her thruhike.  Other hikers would tell her, "Why don't you get rid of that dinosaur and get a decent pack?"  Fact is, she loved it and kept it all the way to Pearisburg, VA.  "By then, it had pretty much disintegrated."  Today was our second 20 miler on this current trek, so I guess we're finally hitting some sort of a stride.  At least we got to do 20 miles in the same direction.  Pack Mule forgot his socks and had to hike all the way back to Manchester Center from Mad Tom Notch, an 11-mile round trip. 

Wednesday, August 13th:  Little Rock Pond Campsite - VT 103 (12.2 Miles)     We hear that we missed the big hiker feed at Gifford Woods State Park.  Thanks Amoeba, Hopeful and Queen Diva for trying to contact us.  Nothing like that cell phone reception in the woods!

Thursday, August 14th:  VT 103 - US 4/Killington (17.4 Miles)     Sherlock and Circuit Rider are spending their fourth and final night at the home of Pastor Allan Davis in North Clarendon, VT. 

Friday, August 15th:  US 4 - Winturri Shelter (19.9 Miles)     It was a day one year ago much like many we've had recently.  Cold, wet and a bit frustrated at the weather, we took a respite from the rain at the Whistlestop Restaurant just a half mile off the Trail in the tiny village of North Clarendon.  We decided we weren't leaving until we had drunk enough coffee to warm our chilled bones and see a break in what was becoming an all-day rain.  Not long after we'd settled in a corner booth thawing out, through the door came a most cheerful 81-year-old gentleman.  He greeted everyone in the place and it was obvious to all he knew them well.  Then he eyed us and asked if he could join us for lunch.  We were pleased to invite him to our table, anxious to learn more about this man with the inviting personality.  In the conversation that ensued, we discovered this gentleman with the sunny disposition knew the Lord, and God's love exuded from him.  By the end of our meal together, he had invited us to his home for the night.  Thus began a friendship that has grown into something extraordinary and special.  This year we enjoyed four nights in his home as we sloshed our way through central Vermont.  Thank you, Pastor Allan Davis for the priceless gift of your counsel and friendship!!

Saturday, August 16th:  Winturri Shelter - Hanover, NH (26.2 Miles)

Sunday, August 17th:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - Hanover, NH

Monday, August 18th:  Hanover, NH     Finally, an "office day" to catch up on some phone calls and e-mails.  Thanks to all of you who are so patient and understanding when you don't hear from us right away.  We made it into town Saturday evening just as the street lights were taking effect, weary from a grueling 26.2 mile hike through the "Vermontster," a seemingly endless series of steep ups and downs.  About midday, we hear what has become the customary sound of this summer:  thunder in the distance.  Sherlock commented as the sky grew dark, "It's only one dark cloud.  I don't think we have much to worry about."  For those who believe the AT is one long "green tunnel," let me set the record straight.  Everytime we've encountered a hail storm, we've been in an open field for a lengthy period.  How's that for the law of averages?  Unprepared and unarmed against the aerial assault, we had little choice but to take our punishment and we have the welts to prove it!  Marble-sized hail falling at breakneck speed, landing on the top of your uncovered head really hurts.  As we took pictures in the aftermath of the more than one inch of leftover assault on the ground, I asked my aspiring weatherman companion if he had any other grand predictions.  Just one cloud.  Really. 

Tuesday, August 19th:  Hanover, NH - Lyme-Dorchester Road (19.6 Miles)     Several times while we were in Hanover this past weekend I saw an advertisement for some Water Park in nearby Lincoln.  Each time I did I couldn't help but think, "How does a place like this in a place like this even stay in business?"  After all, can such an establishment generate enough income during the 7-10 days this region actually has Summer weather to pay all its expenses?  New England doesn't have Summer, at least not the way most of the rest of the country would define it.  Daytime highs in the 60s and 70s (when the sun is shining!) is what the rest of us look forward to in late September and early October.  Not here.  And especially not this year!  I remember when I first moved to Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula in 1984 and experienced my first "Welcome to Spring" April plunge off the Coast Guard Dock in St. Ignace into the icy waters of Lake Huron.  I was told before that first (and last!) initiation, "Why wait for June?  It's not going to get any warmer!"  I guess the same can be said now.  So northward we press.  I'll thaw out later.

Wednesday, August 20th:  Lyme-Dorchester Road - NH 25/Glencliff, NH (23.8 Miles)     Just plain stupid.  That's what it was.  One would think by now, after nearly 22,000 combined miles between us, that Sherlock and I would know enough to carry with us an adequate amount of food when we leave town.  Apparently, once again, that would assuming too much.  Committed to making the 43.4 mile hike from Hanover to Glencliff in two days, we opted to go "light" on the supplies.  Our friend Junker has long maintained that if you arrive in town with food still in your pack, you've carried too much.  While he likely has a point, arriving in town on the brink of starvation is not to be recommended either, especially on the heels (forgive the pun) of a nearly 24 mile day.  What we would have done without Phatt Chap graciously loaning us his van for a late night trip to Walmart is a story we thankfully have no need to speculate about.  I'm not sure we have stopped eating since we've been in town.  When we head to the woods once more on Monday, we'll probably carry enough groceries to get us all the way to Katahdin.  At least, I'm confident, it will look that way.

"Bread on a journey is not a burden."  -Russian Proverb

Thursday, August 21st:  Glencliff, NH/Chocorua, NH     One of the richest treasures of our years among the A.T. community is the friends God has lavished on us along the way.  And not all of them are hikers!  Less than a mile from the Trail, about a quarter mile from the the Hikers Welcome Hostel in the tiny hamlet of Glencliff, is a small community Chapel pastored by a gentleman for more than twenty years.  Jim Burows and his wife Beth have faithfully served the Lord and the people of this congregation in a region where most ministers last less than two years.  In 2004 our "paths" crossed for the first time and they have been an encouragement to our hearts ever since.  One of our annual highlights at this juncture of the hike is enjoying a meal with them in the nearby town of North Woodstock.  This year was no exception.  The joy of fellowship was no surprise.  It is a thrill that we can confidently add the Glencliff Community Chapel to our ever expanding list of Churches near you.  Thank you both for a warm place to lay our heads and your gracious hospitality.  See you next year!

Friday, August 22nd:  Chocorua, NH     I didn't want to say anything to Sherlock ahead of time because "Hope deferred makes the heart sick..." (Proverbs 13:12) and he already wasn't feeling too well when we stumbled out of the woods 7:30 Wednesday evening.  Yet there it was, parked right in front of the Hikers Welcome Hostel, with those unmistakable Pennsylvania license plates.  Bag  O' Tricks was here!!  Ah  "...desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (the rest of that verse in Proverbs).  Tricks, THE Pa. Trail Angel and our cherished friend, once again has decided to spend his vacation with smelly, dirty hikers doing whatever he can to keep them on the Trail and encourage them on their journey.  I'll never forget meeting Tricks in '99 just north of the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in the Keystone State.  In the middle of the day, in the midst of record breaking heat, here he was handing out cold sodas and collecting hikers' garbage to lighten our loads.  He has been doing that sort of thing and a whole lot more ever since.  Dear friend, you not only lighten loads; you make our hearts light every time it is our privilege to be with you.

Saturday, August 23rd:  Chocorua, NH     Hardly a day passes as we hike northward along the "Granddaddy of all Trails" that we don't come across a "special spot" that holds some treasured memory from years gone by.  We remember coffee moments at certain overlooks, campfires under starlit Georgia skies, or crossing "paths" with certain individuals we immediately know will become lifelong friends.  Phatt Chap is one of those riches God has blessed us with along the way.  With each passing season on the A.T. we have grown to love more and more this serene, kind and generous gentleman who continually places the needs of others above his own.  Just seeing his smiling face the other evening as we arrived in Glencliff, receiving his warm and welcoming embrace, appreciating deeply a wisdom made possible only by the crucible of the years and realizing above all, that he is our friend, affects our hearts more deeply than any feeble attempts here to articulate.  What a gift he is to our world.  We love you, Phatt Chap!!

Sunday, August 24th:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - Conway, NH

Monday, August 25th:  US 2/Gorham, NH - Gentian Pond Campsite (11.8 Miles)     We were feeling sort of melancholy as we approached our destination for the night.  Usually following a four day break, we find ourselves excited to be back in the woods.  The miles that first day seem to come easy regardless of which section we're in.  Lots of rest and plenty of calories seem to make all the difference without exception.  Today however, we found it tough to say goodbye to our friend Drifter (GA-ME '94/'99), with whom we enjoyed a most amazing four days.  The time went by so quickly; hours filled with laughter, great discussion, A.T. DVDs (we had never seen the Lynne Weldon classic), fun previews from Drifter's soon coming epic, great meals courtesy of our talented host, and fellowship that went well into the night.  Arriving at Gentian Pond, one of Drifter's favorite spots on the entire A.T., we thought how neat it would be if he could be here to share one more night with us.  That's when Sherlock emptied his pack and discovered a 2.5 pound can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew cunningly stashed in his sleeping bag compartment!  He had commented not a half hour earlier that his pack felt especially heavy today "for some reason."  Funniest of all, he hates Dinty Moore!  Ah, but I don't.  I'm going to eat well tomorrow evening once we navigate through "the Notch."  Thanks Drifter!  No, really.  Thanks for your endearing and enduring lifelong friendship!!

Tuesday, August 26th:  Gentian Pond Campsite - Mahoosic Notch East End (12.2 Miles)     I don't normally spend a lot of time discussing food on the Trail simply because our uninspiring menu rarely changes.  Peanut Butter Crackers, Peanuts, Cereal Bars, Lipton Noodles, Bacon Bits, Olive Oil, Cheezits, Cheese, Salami, Bread, and an occasional "treat" when leaving town is about the sum of it.  Certainly nothing to get excited about; that is, until today.  We ate like kings this evening!  Dinty Moore from a large can (a very LARGE can!), all 2.5 pounds of it, never tasted so good!  Sherlock carried the load yesterday (unknowingly) and I did my part on today's hike.  Stopping for lunch at the Full Goose Shelter, we met Insomniac and Stumble Foot.  Seeing the Dinty Moore as we unpacked our things for a midday coffee break, Stumble Foot commented, "I thought Insomniac's weather radio was the stupidest thing I'd ever seen, until this."  Drifter, we'll never be able to hike through this section again without being reminded of "the year when..."  Thanks buddy.  By the way, hurry up and finish that book.  It's going to be awesome! 

Wednesday, August 27th:  Mahoosic Notch East End - Grafton Notch/ME 26 (7.1 Miles)      Had we not experienced it for ourselves, I doubt I would've believed such a report.  We enjoyed two days of brilliant sunshine as we made our way through the Mahoosic Range.  Welcome to Maine indeed!  Really, this is quite a story.  For the first time in six tries, we didn't have to slip on wet rocks, cling to exposed tree roots for dear life as we tried to pull ourselves up to the next ledge, or hurry over each summit to get down below treeline out of driving rain and wind.  What views we had today!  We could see all the way south to the Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire and clear to the Bigelows up north.  To put that in perspective, that's three weeks of hiking in a single view!  Nothing like the grandeur of God's awesome creation to remind us how small we truly are in the grand scheme of things.  "What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him?... (Psalm 8)"  Yet He does, which simply leaves me on a day such as this with a deep longing to say thanks to the One who alone is worthy of our worship. 

Thursday, August 28th:  Grafton Notch - East B Hill Road (10.3 Miles)     Each year is filled with special moments and memories both on and off the Trail.  The ones off the Trail are usually planned, anticipated and, as a result, more predictable.  Cherished moments along the Trail often take us by surprise and we have yet to get over that thrill.  We met Stumble Foot and Insomniac a couple of days ago just before the Mahoosic Notch.  This day we had the privilege and pleasure of hiking with them.  Nearing the finish of what has become a decade long journey for them, these two gentlemen from the hills of West Virginia kept us laughing and pondering the "deep waters" wit and wisdom behind the humor.  I realize some thru hikers might take exception at this, but it's much tougher in my opinion to section hike the A.T. over a period of several years.  Just when you start getting your "legs" it's time to get off, go home, and go through it all again next year.  Plus, by the time many thru hikers get to Maine, the thing most on their mind is their "summit date" as they count the days until they get there.  They become so anxious to finish, so intent on doing as many miles each days as they can that, as Stumble Foot put it, "They don't know the difference between a wildflower and a guardrail."  See why we laughed so much?  These guys made the tough miles today fly by.  Best of all, we have a pretty good notion an enduring friendship has been born.

"I'll allow that if it's not all true, ain't none of it true." -Stumble Foot commenting on a discussion we had about the Bible.

Friday, August 29th:  East B Hill Road - South Arm Road (10.1 Miles)     We missed them when we came through Gorham this year.  They were away on a weekend canoe trip.  We were bound and determined however, that we would somehow get together with Stephen Kinney and his family before we got too far north.  Thanks to a ride from Queen Diva and "Spah Vah-nish" (Steve's Mom), the details of the "somehow" came together.  We met Stephen, Lucy, and their children Sarah and Luke in 2005.  Pipesmoke (Steve's Dad) thru hiked in '04 and his entire clan has welcomed us into their "fold" ever since.  Stephen is one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet, especially because humor for him comes without effort.  Lucy is a wonderful wife and mother and they both have every reason to feel proud of two teenagers any couple would love to call their own.  In short, this is a family that carries on a tradition of service and hospitality that has been handed down to them by a Dad and Mom who spend just about every waking hour thinking of others.  You guys offer the best sort of "Trail Magic."  You offer yourselves!  Thanks for opening your home and your hearts to us!! 

Saturday, August 30th:  Maine 17 - Maine 4 (13.1 Miles)     Ilene Trainor and David Rousselin are two friends we look forward to seeing everytime we near Andover.  In fact, we like to spend more than one night with them whenever possible.  That didn't happen this time around, but last evening we enjoyed a fantastic visit over dinner at a restaurant in nearby Bethel.  I met Ilene and her husband Paul in 1999 when Ulysses and I thru hiked together.  We owe Lone Wolf a ton of thanks for crossing our paths with this incredible couple.  He made Ulysses and me promise that we would stay at Pine Ellis when we got to this little town that boasts, "Everything that happens here stays here, but nothing really happens here."  We know better though, because friendship happens here, the sort that runs deep and keep us coming back.  Paul passed away in 2007, leaving a huge hole that, to those who knew and loved him, will never be filled.  For our part, we will be forever grateful that we had the privilege of knowing him.  He truly was one of the "giants" of the A.T. community.  We continue to thank the Lord for the blessing that continues, knowing and holding dear in our hearts Ilene and David. 

Sunday, August 31st:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - Stratton, ME - HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN DIVA!!

Monday, September 1st:  Maine 4 - Spaulding Mountain Lean-to (18.7 Miles)     Another spectacular day on the Saddleback ridge!  For the second year in a row we experienced gale force winds above treeline, but the vistas were breathtaking! 

Tuesday, September 2nd:  Spaulding Mountain Lean-to - Maine 27 (13.5 Miles)     Very tired and even a bit sore, we arrived at the road today at 12:50 p.m., officially completing the "toughest section of the A.T.", the stretch that runs from Gorham, NH to Stratton, ME.  I'm not sure why the guidebook omits the Bigelows, which loom before us tomorrow, but oh well.  We made it to town and what an evening we had.  Ameoba and Ma Mere drove down from Monson to treat Mala, Sue, Sherlock and myself to dinner at Sugarloaf.  Tomorrow is Mala's 60th birthday and we came together to celebrate.  We were at the restaurant for more than two hours, yet the time flew by.  I guess that's a pretty good indication that you're with friends of the best kind.  What an incredible trip this has been! 

Wednesday, September 3rd:  ME 27  - Little Bigelow Lean-to (15.3 Miles)     HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PINE ELLIS' ILENE TRAINOR WHO TURNS 70 AND TO MALA WHO IS NOW 60!!  One of the most amazing aspects of the hike along this 2,173 mile foot path is the number of times you find yourself at the same exact spot on the Trail with someone you met from a previous year.  It actually happened twice today!  As we were descending from the South Horn Peak, we met three hikers coming south.  I met Pi on Killington Peak, VT in 1999 and Preacher we met a few years ago at another juncture along the Trail.  Pi is finishing the last leg of her end-to-end journey and will see her long-awaited dream become a reality when they get to New Hampshire.  Congratulations friend . . . you did it!  Arriving at the shelter this evening we heard, "Circuit Rider?  Sherlock?  I can't believe it!"  Blue Meanie and Hiker Chic, with whom we hiked last year in Virginia, are finishing up what they began in '07.  That will happen for them when they get to Duncannon, PA.  So it was a day of reunions and plenty of pictures. The weather was spectacular as well. 

Thursday, September 4th:  Little Bigelow Lean-to - Pierce Pond Campsite (17.7 Miles)     An early arrival at our campsite for the night was welcomed by us both.  Tomorrow morning bright and early, we will ford the Kennebec River and, with wet shoes and socks (hopefully nothing more), we will trudge 11.9 miles more where we will meet up with Sydney "Pie Lady" Pratt.  Are we ever looking forward to seeing her!  She has become such a dear friend to us these past few years and we're anxious to spend as much time with her as possible while we're in the Monson area.  Hiker Chic asked me last evening as we enjoyed a campsite supper together, "How many times do you both plan to hike this thing?"  The answer is simple as it is clear:  as long as God is pleased to use the likes of us to reveal Himself to people desperate and directionless without Him.  For our part, we know the job is not yet done.

Friday, September 5th:  Pierce Pond Campsite - Moxie Pond South End (15.5 Miles)     Very early this morning we forded the mighty Kennebec River.  Boasting a strong current and unannounced variations in water levels due to a dam operated by an electrical plant several miles upstream, this 50-yard crossing is never to be treated with non-chalance.  One would think that this, being our sixth crossing, would mean we know just which route is best.  Crazy thing is, we have never done the same thing twice, so it remains an unexpected adventure.  Today the new "wrinkle" was letting Sherlock go first.  With all the rain we've had this summer and the mud we've had to "post hole" through, he has managed somehow to keep his sneakers white.  I figured he must be doing something right, so why not let him find the path of least resistance across this most daunting ford along the entire A.T.  Well, Sherlock decided on the "mathematical" approach.  You know, the one that says, "The shortest distance between two points . . ."  A rule of thumb one must follow when getting across this river is to never let the water get deeper than your waist.  The current is simply too strong to withstand at that point.  That is, unless you're Sherlock!  Plunging straight ahead, he made a beeline for the opposite shoreline, arriving several minutes ahead of the one who took a hugh "horseshoe" approach and still ended up getting as wet.  Oh well, the water was warm and everything in our packs stayed dry.  What more could one ask for than that?  We can do laundry tomorrow!

Saturday, September 6th:  Monson, ME     The weather is about to turn miserable outside, but the operative word on this day is "outside."  As I write these words this morning, we are warm, dry and even clean.  With a Diet Coke to my left, seated at the kitchen inside the AIIA Center, I can think, ponder and scribble in comfort taken for granted all too often.  I'll explain more about AIIA (which stands for Aereopagus to America) along with the blessing this ministry has been to us the past two years, in the coming days.  For now, I just want to express our greatfulness to God who takes care of every detail concerning us, even shelter from a storm when ministry most often has to occur from a tent.  Maybe that's why one of the simplest and purest pleasures I know in this world is watching a storm develop while seated next to a fireplace with a hot cup of coffee in my hand and knowing, "I don't have to go outside today."

Sunday, September 7th:  Sabbath Rest/Lord's Day - Monson, ME

Monday, September 8th:  Moxie Pond South End - Moxie Bald Lean-to (6.9 Miles)     Our friend Homer "Oscar" Witcher (GA-ME '02), who starts each day at the Bojangles fast food restaurant in Daleville, VA enjoying coffee and company with several ladies from his community, would be proud of us.  We have our own assemblage of ladies to to enjoy breakfast with when we're in Monson.  This morning, Norma, Dottie and, of course, "The Pie Lady" joined us at Trafton's General Store in nearby Abbott Village for an hour of good conversation and fun stories before shuttling us back to "Joe's Hole" (what the locals call Moxie Pond's south end, though no one really knows who Joe was).  Sydney is planning to pick us up again tomorrow when we get to Maine 15.  Is she ever a glutton for punishment, but do we ever feel loved!  I mentioned to Dottie this morning that we have been in Monson three nights thus far and have yet to get a pie from the Pie Lady.  At that, Sydney responded that if I didn't keep my mouth shut, none would be forthcoming!  I mentioned to Sherlock as we started to hike that this was a "piece of cake" walk to one of our favorite locations on the entire A.T.  After all, how much effort does 6.9 miles require?  Not a hundred yards into our stroll I stepped on a rolling log and the next thing I knew I was attempting to extricate myself from a mud bog.  So much for a shower and clean clothes!  But hey, the skies have cleared and it's an absolute perfect day to sit beside our favorite lake, sip several cups of coffee and reflect on the blessings the Lord has lavished on us.

Tuesday, September 9th:  Moxie Bald Lean-to - Maine 15 (17.9 Miles)     A soaking rain began to fall late this morning, leaving us thankful for a return to town one final time before entering the "100 mile wilderness".  Sydney met us at the Trailhead parking lot and within an hour we were dry, clean and warm once more.  By the way, the forecast for today was "Partly sunny with just a chance of an afternoon shower".  The only part of the day that ended up being "partly sunny" was the late afternoon!  As we prepare to head north, we want to express our deepest thanks to Daryl Witmer and his wife Mary.  They treated us royally while we were here, providing us with a place to stay as well as some of Mary's wonderful cooking.  Daryl is the Director of AIIA (Aereopagus to America), a ministry which derives its name from the Apostle Paul's famous sermon at Mars Hill in Athens centuries ago.  As Paul stood then in the midst of the "cultural crossroads" of his day, AIIA stands today presenting Biblical truths to a world searching for answers.  They are doing a fantastic work and we thank God for causing our "paths" to cross one unforgettable Labor Day weekend in 2006.

Wednesday, September 10th:  Maine 15 - Cloud Pond (19.1 Miles)     It was tough to say goodbye to "The Pie Lady" this morning.  Sydney shuttled us to the Trail one final time and, with a prayer and a hug, we were on our way.  She is one special lady who has become a cherished friend.  Not long into our hike this morning we met "Hollywood" who told us of his Kennebec River adventure.  Not realizing there was a ferry provided for those not wishing to attempt a ford of the swift flowing river (provided you're present when the ferry is operating), he dug out the parachute cord he'd hauled all the way from Georgia ("Hey, you never know..."), tied three logs together, and kicked like crazy until he finally got to the other side a half mile downstream.  He was greeted with not a few "high fives" and laughs when, though soaked, he caught up with his friends for dinner following a thirty plus mile day!

Thursday, September 11th:  Cloud Pond - Sidney Tappan Campsite (18.6 Miles)     Seven years ago today, on a morning eerily clear as this one, a senseless act of terrorism occurred on our native soil.  I was hiking the Long Trail in Vermont that Tuesday morning, with friends Poopajack (GA-ME '99), his wife Poopa, and a young man named Jeff Long.  As the news of what had happened sunk in, we hiked to the nearest road, hitched a ride to the nearest Motel and, like the rest of America, sat up most of the night watching in disbelief the recap of what, even now, seems like a bad dream.  None of us felt much like hiking the next morning, but that wasn't due to our lack of sleep.  Several years have now passed since that nightmarish day in New York City and our Nation's Capital, but I always find myself pausing to reflect and remember what we would do well never to forget.

Friday, September 12th:  Sidney Tappan Campsite - Jo-Mary Road (20.8 Miles)     For only the second time since we walked out of Hanover, NH we had to put our pack covers on.  The weather forecast called for rain to begin Saturday afternoon but, for the second time this week, we are being reminded that forecasts are not always accurate.  Come to think of it, they seem to be wrong more often than not, especially in these mountains.  Following two very challenging days, we entered "easier" terrain late this morning.  That meant a 90 minute "celebration break" at the East Branch Lean-to over two cups of coffee.  I don't know what it is about the Chairback Range, but it beats me up like few other sections of the Trail.  Just before dark last evening, two southbounders stumbled into camp.  "A-Wolf" and "Bionic" are on the second of a sixteen week odyssey, hoping to at least hike through all of New England.  They were cold, low on food, and wondering how much further it was to Monson.  When I inquired how long it had taken them to accomplish their initial 76 miles they responded, "We left August 30th."  I'm not really sure they have enough supplies to make it to the next road at that pace!  Ah, but I can well remember what my first hike was like.  It's a wonder any of us survive those rookie attempts!  Sometime I'll tell the story of my first cross country bike trip too.  Those six days gave new meaning to the word "fiasco".   

Saturday, September 13th:  Jo-Mary Road - Whitehouse Landing (10.0 Miles)     Hollywood came bursting through the front door of our cabin thinking it to be the "Men's Dorm".  Seems the bunkhouse was filled with ladies, so he figured his bed must be somewhere else.  In short it is, here with us for the weekend.  Hey, there's always room for one more!  He wasn't even planning to be at Whitehouse Landing.  However, having lost his credit card and possessing no cash, he needed to get off the Trail and decide on a plan if he was to make it the rest of the way to Katahdin.  Funny how God, the One who says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5), can answer the challenge of a young man who had prayed in frustration just a few days earlier asking God to somehow "show up" in his world.  Little did he know a lost credit card and three wonderful ladies who just "happened" to be on the same Trail at the same time would end up with us spending an entire weekend together in an unforseen place.  I just know deep down that there is much more to this unfolding story yet to be told.  "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6).

Sunday, September 14th:  Sabbath Rest/Lord's Day - Whitehouse Landing

Monday, September 15th:  Whitehouse Landing - Rainbow Spring Campsite (19.7 Miles)     Marsher and Hollywood have retreated to their tents for the night following a fun time of "Trail Stories" and reminiscing about our most memorable moments from this year and those past.  Now, as I pause to scribble a few thoughts of my own before calling it a night, I find my emotions to be as they always are on this, our final real night on the Trail.  Sure, we're still two full hiking days from Katahdin's summit, but this will be our last night in the woods.  By tomorrow evening at this time, the transition to the "normal" world will have begun.  We will likely be in Millinocket enjoying burgers instead of Lipton Noodles and a soft bed instead of the root laden forest floor.  So much has happened since we stepped into the wilderness some two months ago in New York.  As excited and anxious as we are to see our dear friend Roy Lefavour tomorrow at Abol Bridge, something deep inside of me yearns for yet more time with those who have captured our hearts this Summer, more moments like the ones we've experienced even these past few days, more opportunities made possible in an undistracted setting uniquely fashioned for long lasting, meaningful relationships.  As I complete yet another journey of the entire Appalachian Trail,  I find that, not only has the experience not gotten old or commonplace, but more than ever, I find myself counting the days until March 22nd when, Lord willing, we will find ourselves standing atop Springer mountain once more.

Tuesday, September 16th:  Rainbow Spring Campsite - Abol Bridge (11.8 Miles)

Wednesday, September 17th:  Abol Bridge - Katahdin Baxter Peak - Katahdin Stream Campground (20.2 Miles)     About a mile from the top of a mountain Appalachian Trail hikers most dream of when they begin setting their hopes on a sojourn that will take them 2,173 miles from a mountain in Georgia to a place that becomes almost legendary in their hearts and minds, there is a small spring.  Henry David Thoreau loved this mountain, as he did the Maine woods, and this barren respite on Katahdin's "table lands" is named in honor of that and of him.  The enormity of the moment never seems to be more poignant than right here as my body tells me, "Only one more mile to go" while, at the same time, my heart longs for something that will continue far beyond the northern terminus just ahead.  There are those rare experiences in life that are simply beyond what words can adequately relate.  In so many ways, Katahdin stands alone in that category.  In some, it's like a hiker's Christmas morning.  The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived!  This epic journey has reached its climax.  Each time however, as I pass the weather worn sign that reads, "Thoreau Spring," I can't help but wonder at the privilege that has been ours to experience here several early Autumn days in September.  The people; the precious, priceless people God has given us the privilege and pleasure of sharing Him and this with through the years along a wilderness footpath that finds its culmination just a few more weary steps north.  My thoughts flood with remembrances of all those friends and companions along the way, those from the past year as well as years past.  How I wish they all could somehow be here with us now.  If that were possible, Baxter State Park would need to change its rules of entry.  Katahdin would be full.  Yet in a very real sense, they are, even if they never touch the sign.  For they have touched our hearts and, as a result, ours are filled to overflowing even as I breathe a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who alone can fill an empty heart and cause every day to be like a dream come true.  Wow, I guess I best be on my way.  In spite of what the sign says, there indeed are still "many miles to go before I sleep."  "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen." (Romans 11:36)

Thursday, September 18th:  Chocorua, NH

Friday, September 19th:  Chocorua, NH

Saturday, September 20th:  Travel to New Jersey

Sunday, September 21st:  Sabbath Rest/Lord's Day - East Brunswick, NJ

Monday, September 22nd - Friday, October 17th:  End of Summer Break

Vacation: "...freedom from any activity; a rest; a respite; an intermission."  "A period of rest and freedom from work, study, etc; a time of recreation, usually a specific interval in the year."  -Webster's Dictionary

Monday, October 20th:  East Brunswick, NJ     Vacation is over.  Even as I write those words, I can't help but smile at that thought that must run through the minds of many.  There are those who think that we are always on vacation!  I mean, we hike six months of the year and travel extensively the rest of the time.  Do gypsies actually ever take a holiday?  They are, after all, gypsies!  When you live life on the road and in the woods, doing ministry in almost any venue and "office work" wherever anyone might allow you to "clear a spot" for a few hours or few days, it's understandable that one might have difficulty grasping just what it is that we do "for a living."  Yet it is that very intangible desire for people, sparked by the God who never stops pursuing the hearts of men, that keeps us "keeping on" with such a, shall we say, unique lifestyle.  There is more "grunt than glamour" to living in a tent half the year and in an automobile the other half, enjoying "home and hearth" a grand total of eighteen nights in 2007 and even less thus far this calendar go round.  Yet, as this respite draws to a close and we get set to "hit the road" once more, we find ourselves filled with excited anticipation as we follow God's clear and orderly agenda for us, even if that schedule appears haphazard to the casually observant eye. 

Tuesday, October 21st:  East Brunswick, NJ     It didn't take long yesterday to once again be reminded that there is much more to do than any one day can handle.  That can seem overwhelming, especially when you have been away for a spell.  Yet, much like a hike that begins all the way down in Georgia with dreams of future glory on Katahdin's summit, you begin, one step at a time, one day at a time, to slowly move toward your ultimate goal.  A 2,173 mile trek cannot be accomplished in one day, or several for that matter, not even by an Olympian athlete.  The beginning can be however.  That can occur each and every morning with the hope that by day's end we will see or experience something glorious simply by crawling out of our proverbial "tent" and getting started.  Yesterday we didn't accomplish everything that begs for attention, but we got started.  Those "miles" included a wonderful phone visit with the Pie Lady, an update on Buffet and Mooch's progress through Virginia, and several reminders that once again, it is God who sets our "blazes" before us. 

Wednesday, October 22nd:  Day of Prayer in Central Park, NYC

"The wheels of all machinery for extending the Gospel are moved by prayer."  -J.C. Ryle

Thursday, October 23rd:  East Brunswick, NJ  What a memorable day Wednesday was!  Taking time away from the rush of the world, in the heart of the City known for its continuous hustle and bustle, we enjoyed "sweet hours of prayer" with the Lord in Central Park.  The time flew by, as it always does, leaving us with a longing for more.  The day was not done however.  We walked up to 110th Street, then east to First Avenue for a long awaited reunion with dear friends Jim and Jackie Edwards.  Once there we drove further uptown to the midweek Dinner and Prayer Service at the Manhattan Bible Church, their home congregation.  The hours again moved quickly as we enjoyed fellowship with Hondo, whom I haven't seen in years, Sandra, Rafael and Carmen, friends we met for the first time, then finally a ride back to the Port Authority from Elehu and his wife Janet, who graciously offered us a late night alternative to the subway.  We were back in East Brunswick by eleven, tired and even a bit stiff from several miles of hiking on unforgiving concrete yet oh, so glad we ventured into the Big Apple on this day, one that will be long remembered and cherished.

Friday, October 24th: Travel to Brunswick, ME  "Get away Day"  is always the most hectic, regardless of the amount of preparation we make ahead of time.  Packing suitcases, cleaning and washing the car, filling the gas tank and organizing the trunk are all last minute details that put the squeeze on the "normal" routine of an otherwise "regular" day.  You'd think we'd be good at this travel thing by now and we probably are more ready to go than the appearance of what reminds me of "pack explosion" in a Trail Shelter at this moment.   Roy and Trudi Lefavour, dear friends of ours from my hometown, are accompanying us to northern New England.  Trudi has graciously taken time off work for a few days to play the piano for me when I sing at the Kennebec Valley Baptist Church in Waterville on Saturday and the Monson Community Church on Sunday.  We're always excited to head for Maine, anxious to see many of our friends while we are there.  Of course, Sherlock and I wish we could spend a month in that one State alone, for there are so many who are dear to our hearts that we won't get to visit with this weekend.  To be able to do that on this trip would, for sure, epitomize "The Way Life Should Be".  

Saturday, October 25th: Brunswick, ME  A fun filled eight hour trip from New Jersey lands us in Maine once more.  Roy and Trudi are loads of fun to travel with.  We told stories and laughed most of the way.  The weather was clear, the Autumn colors, especially in New York and Conneticut, were brilliant, and we even arrived at our destination in time for dinner at "The Great Impasta", an excellent little Italian restaurant here in town.  Don't ask me what I had.  I'm barely adequate with my English.  It was tasty, that's what I care about.  Following a great night's sleep, we're about to head fifty miles further north to Waterville for "An Afternoon of Sacred Song", sponsored by our friends from the AIIA (Aereopogus to America) Center in Monson.  We'll be heading there following the concert.  For now, I must face the challenge of packing the car.  Sherlock and I usually carry enough junk for four people, so you can imagine what it's like to actually have four people crammed into the same Oldsmobile.  It took some doing yesterday, but I finally did get the trunk closed.  I hope I can do that two days in a row.

Sunday, October 26th: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest: Monson, ME     An afternoon of fellowship and song with Sydney "Pie Lady" Pratt and friends!

Monday, October 27th: Monson, ME  There is much I could write about this morning.  The weekend was filled with one highlight after another.  There was the Saturday afternoon concert at Waterville and all that entailed, dinner that evening with the AIIA Board of Directors, Sunday morning at the Monson Community Church, another afternoon of song at Hebron Heights with the Pie Lady and friends, then a memorable "Movie Night" with Sydney, Roy and Trudi.  We watched "Journeys to the Edge of Creation", an amazing two part documentary of space exploration that left us once more in wonder, not only of the God who created it all, but of the incomprehensible love He has for the human race He uniquely fashioned on a planet unlike any other in the universe.  There are so many to which we owe our thanks.  To Daryl and Mary Witmer, thanks for your hospitality and generosity.  To Pastor David Ray, thanks for your excellent Sunday morning sermon.  To Sydney Pratt, the wonderful Pie Lady, thanks for your seemingly endless hours of baking and preparation for our Sunday "Sing-a-long".  To those who joined us Sunday afternoon, thanks for taking the time to relax, fellowship, and worship.  To Roy and Trudi Lefavour, thanks for taking some of your valuable vacation time to travel more than a thousand miles in a cramped car just for us.  Those are just a few of the many we would like to express our appreciation to.  Indeed, what a weekend in Maine it was, "The Way Life Should Be".

Tuesday, October 28th: Skowhegan, ME  We learned the significance of the early morning "coffee clutch" at Trafton's General Store in Abbot yesterday.  "The early morning clutchers solve all the world's problems", the proprietor's wife informed us, "and the later clutch gets all the gossip."  I myself became a "clutcher" in 1991 shortly after I began driving a school bus in Alanson, Michigan.  It became the daily routine to enjoy a bottomless cup of coffee at Anderson's restaurant with the other drivers following the completion of our routes.  There was nothing quite like the experience, especially on those cold Winter mornings.  "Coffee clutching" has been elevated to new levels in recents years.  I believe Sherlock may be more of a "clutch addict" than I am.  For both of us however, it has little to do with "solving the world's problems" or "getting all the gossip".  Friendships are born in those moments, relationships are deepened, and fellowship is treasured.  Yesterday was one such moment at Trafton's.  The world still has its problems, there is still much happening in Abbott, Monson, and beyond that we are unaware of, but for ninety wonderful minutes, we had the privilege of a "coffee clutch" with the Pie Lady.  If you only knew what her friendship truly means to us, then I might be able to adequately explain our penchant for a good "coffee clutch".

Wednesday, October 29th: East Brunswick, NJ  "Am I a device on a window?" was the response I drew from the backseat when I asked for advice on driving directions through Conneticut.  All weekend Roy had been trying his best to lead us down the "road less traveled".  I had earlier suggested to Trudi that his Trail name, if he needed one, should be "Scenic Route".  For the majority of our five phenomenal days together, he was overuled by the little GPS "device on the window" with the melodious digital voice affectionately referred to by us as "Martha" (there's a story behind that name as well, but I'll save it for some other time).  Now here we were, beginning our initial approach to the New York metropolitan area.  Aware that Roy had driven this route countless times over the years, I figured he might have some special insight or knowledge of that ever elusive "secret route" every commuter dreams of.  For the record, I lived long enough in New Jersey to know no such route exists.  The "Golden Road" leads to Baxter State Park; not Newark, Hoboken or Manhattan.  In any case Roy, possessing the patience of Job with the rest of us for more than a thousand miles, simply smiled as he responded with not a little bit of sarcasm, "Am I a device on a window?"  I'm convinced he had been waiting all weekend to use that line and his timing was perfect.  We all laughed heartily and for quite some time.  In the hilarity of the moment, there permeated a much deeper sense of pleasure, that one of a kind feeling of satisfaction that comes from not only being with people you dearly love, but enjoying them to the fullest. 

Thursday, October 30th     Day of Prayer in Raphine, VA

"You are always bound by the limits of man until you enter the realm of the impossible and test the resources of God."  -unknown

Friday, October 31st:  Ohio Turnpike     It's early morning along the Ohio Turnpike and, for the first time since February 19th, we're headed home.  I've been away so long I wonder if it will feel like home.  Just kidding.  As soon as we are on that ferry heading 5 miles across Lake Huron, a feeling will wash over me much like the spray that will douse the car.  It's the wonderful realization of being stationery for awhile.  Tomorrow morning there will be no need to go anywhere except the kitchen for coffee and maybe Hawk's Landing for pizza.  I'll be able to sleep in my own bed.  Just think of it.  That doesn't happen too often for us.  Tonight will be the third time this year.  Maybe that's why I'm excited and thankful to have a place I can call home. 

Saturday, November 1st:  Bois Blanc Island, MI     I'm not sure there is any place like it on earth.  At least there's no other place I'd rather be when given the opportunity.  I would be hard pressed to ever find the words to fully describe the peaceful exhilaration of, not merely being home, but being home here on "Boblo."  With a cup of hot coffee to my left and a view of the unspoiled lake in front of me, I find that even my excited anticipation of coming home is surpassed. I told Sherlock this morning as I peered out the window at the placid water and brilliant blue skies, "This is like having our very own Moxie Bald Lean-to."  For those of you who have been there or, even better, have had the opportunity to camp there, you get the picture.  Ah, welcome home to us.  What a welcome it is!

Sunday, November 2nd: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest: Bois Blanc Island, MI

Monday, November 3rd: Bois Blanc Island, MI  Victor and Berta Babcock, our friends from "the Pines", stopped in for a visit last evening.  Arriving unannounced, with his customary single loud knock before opening the door and yelling up the stairs, "Anybody home?", we enjoyed a good time together of "catching up on all the Island news".  Lets see, we discovered "Boblo" has two Police Officers now.  You can't have too much protection for 58 residents, after all.  Victor said cool nights this past Spring did a number on the Morel mushroom harvest.  He only gathered 354.  One year he came home with more than four thousand.  I've asked him in the past where he gets all those delectable morsels, but he just smiles and says, "Now Bill, if I told you, then two of us would know!"  They won't be here on Election Day, but don't worry, "We've already voted!".  Curt Plaunt had to overhaul the engine on the only Ferry to and from the Island.  Before we said goodnight, we made plans to get together for dinner before we leave.  Ah, news of home and we're even here to get it firsthand!  What a small but exquisite pleasure that is. 

Tuesday, November 4th: Bois Blanc Island, MI  Judy Wyse, her son Josiah, and Pastor Wayne "Dad" Foote arrived today on the 12:30 Ferry.  What a fun reunion it was with our very dear friends!!  We hadn't been together since February. 

Wednesday, November 5th: Bois Blanc Island, MI      The campfire in the front yard has been going for two days now.  Everyone had loads of fun racing Dad's electric boats in the lake.

Thursday, November 6th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     Day of Prayer

"Prayer means... praying according to the Word of God, on the basis of promises."  -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Friday, November 7th:  Bois Blanc Island, MI     Breakfast at Hawks Landing kicked off a memorable weekend of fun and fellowship!

Saturday, November 8th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     Coffee, Scrabble, Coffee, Uno Attack, Coffee, Laughter, Coffee, Movies, Coffee, lots of great food, coffee,... you get the idea!

Sunday, November 9th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest with the Wards and Candy Ware.

Monday, November 10th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     Lorraine Arman, a dear friend for almost twenty years, is visiting from nearby Alanson.  She's coming on the 12:30 boat and leaving on the 5:00 Ferry.  It will be a short but very sweet time of fellowship.  Thanks Lorraine for taking the time to come.  We love you very much!!

Tuesday, November 11th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     The day was spent dealing with State Farm, cleaning the house in anticipation of the hunters who will be arriving tomorrow night for a week, and welcoming phone calls from Candy Ware (AT '99), who made it safely back to Wisconsin following her visit with us, and Hopeful (AT '03), who is a continual encouragement to us both.

Wednesday, November 12th: Bois Blanc Island, MI     Day of Prayer

"In persistent, fervent prayer, God prepares the soil of one's heart to make room for the seed of His answer, from which will flow an alignment of His will."  -Ravi Zacharias

Thursday, November 13th: Petoskey, MI     What a transition!  From the serenity of Bois Blanc Island to the small town bustle of Petoskey.  As I sip some coffee here at the "Roast N' Toast" Cafe and peer out the window at Lake Street, one of two main thoroughfares in this jewel of a town's "Gaslight District", I can't help but think of those times we have left the wilderness for "civilization".  To be sure, Petoskey isn't exactly like taking the bus into New York City.  However, compared to "Bob-lo", one could possibly draw some similar analogies.  I already look forward to my return home next week.  The remote, peaceful isolation I enjoy there, when all is said and done, is very much missed. 

Friday, November 14th: Alanson, MI    

Saturday, November 15th     St. Ignace, MI  

Sunday, November 16th:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest  St. Ignace, MI and a visit to our home Church!  Sunday evening Circuit Rider will be attending Parr Memorial Baptist Church in Petoskey, MI.

Monday, November 17th:  Alanson, MI     The Oldsmobile is getting new tires and an oil change in preparation for a trip east this upcoming weekend.  In the meantime, Circuit Rider and Jacque are squeezing one more day of "office work" in before heading in separate directions.  Of course the schedule must include lunch at La Senorita!

Tuesday, November 18th    

St. Ignace, MI and a visit with Pastor Mike Lane and his family.

Cheboygan, MI and a visit with Stacy Vinz and her family.

Onaway, MI and a visit with Gary and Audrey Badgero, affectionately known to us as "Mr. and Mrs. B".

Wednesday, November 19th - Thursday, November 20th: Bois Blanc Island, MI

Friday, November 21st:  Cheboygan, MI     Some days it seems that prayer and time with the Lord is even more important.  The longing to stop and enjoy that peaceful rest that accompanies these hours of expectant silence before the One who never "slumbers nor sleeps" (Psalm 121:4), but is ever watchful over us and available to us, requires a more concerted effort to do just that.  We live busy lives in a busy world and, all too often, that "busy-ness" crowds out even the purpose for which we as ministers busy ourselves.  Taking time this morning to pray is not convenient.  It would be much easier to simply head for St. Ignace and enjoy fellowship with those I love and look forward to being with.  The danger of that compromise however, is that it becomes all too easy to draw strength and encouragement from God's people instead of from God Himself, the One who "Himself is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14).  A compromise indeed!  So on this cold, blustery November morning, when Sherlock's absence would make it so easy to give into the temptation to "put this off until next week", I need more than ever to pray.  Funny, for the past several days I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed.  As I scour the calendar, attempting to figure out a plan for visiting everyone we desire to see before our return to the Trail in March, I find myself admitting with frustration that it can't be done.  And if it all can't be accomplished, then what can?  It is at moments like these, in the quietness of hours like this, as I force my self reliant self to pause and pray, that the "still small voice" (I Kings 19) that speaks so clearly at such times, reminds me anew that this is the very reason I pray.  I can't figure this all out on my own.  The scenario is impossible.  There is no way to get the "job" done, if I rely on my own strength to do it.  But "faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24).  He will do it.  All that He has set us apart to do, He Himself will be the dynamic behind His very demand!  Yet here is the interesting thing.  The One who calls me, calls me first to Himself.  That is the only way for a stubborn, arrogant, and frustrated heart to know Who it is that does the doing.  I get it; the very thing I have once more forgotten.  That reminder required this however; a pursued time of prayer with the "faithful One who calls me" and then does that to which He has called me.  How is it that I so easily forget?

"Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; without it prayer will not hit the mark."  -J.C. Ryle 

Saturday, November 22nd     Alanson, MI

Sunday, November 23rd:  Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - Alanson, MI     Visiting Liberty Baptist Church.

Monday, November 24th - Thursday, November 27th:     Thanksgiving at home on Bois Blanc Island!

Friday, November 28th     Travel to Nashville, Tennessee.

Saturday, November 29th:      Travel to East Brunswick, New Jersey.

Sunday, November 30th: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - East Brunswick, NJ     Mom's 80th Birthday!!

Monday, December 1st: East Brunswick, NJ     The plan came off perfectly.  Arriving in the wee hours of the morning with my brother Bob, I came through the back door of Mom's house and found her fast asleep in her customary spot on the living room sofa.  While I woke her up to let her know I was finally home following the long trip from what she thought was Michigan, Bob slipped into the bedroom and climbed into the bed where I usually sleep.  Mom, who was still in a stupor from her deep sleep, mumbled that she had put clean sheets on the bed for me and would see me in the morning.  I let her be for about 30 seconds, then came back into the living room exclaiming, "I thought you said the bed was ready for me.  Why didn't you let me know you had a house guest?"  At that she jumped up, not knowing what could have possibly happened, and headed for the bedroom.  When she saw the lump of humanity in the bed completely covered up, she figured my brother Chuck must have come home and taken up residence there for the night.  She went to the bed, whacked the "sleeping" body, and said, "Chuck, what are you doing in Billy's bed?  You know you can't sleep there!"  At that, Bob rolled over and said, "Boo!"  We about gave her a heart attack!  What a surprise for her to have her oldest son home for her birthday!  The look on her face was priceless!  That one moment made all the miles worth it!  Happy Birthday Mom!  You are simply the greatest!!

Tuesday, December 2nd - Thursday, December 4th: East Brunswick, NJ

Friday, December 5th: Louisville, KY

Saturday, December 6th: Louisville, KY

Sunday, December 7th: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - Elizabethtown, KY     Grace Reformed Church and a visit with Beaker and Daniel (AT '08). 

Monday, December 8th: Alanson/St. Ignace, MI

Tuesday, December 9th: Abingdon, VA      Little sleep the past several nights has begun to take its toll.  The cold, sore throat, and laryngitis that grudgingly tooks its leave over the weekend, has returned, leaving me weary and longing for reprieve.  I have serious doubts as to whether or not my voice will hold up long enough for me to sing this evening at Nancy Gentry's funeral service in nearby Damascus, which brings me to the reason reason we drove all night through a Winter storm to get here. 

"Miss Nancy", our dear, dear friend, who has been a continual blessing to our lives and ministry since Ulysses (AT '99) and I met she and her husband Chet almost ten years ago, was called Home by the Lord 12:30 Sunday morning.  Taking care of Sherlock and me in the years since each time we came through this section of Trail, like a Mom away from home, we grew to love that woman over the years.  With each new season, we found ourselves counting the days weeks in advance until our arrival in Damascus. 

Of the many memorable highlights we treasure, maybe none is more cherished than that third weekend every May known to the hiking community as Trail Days.  While literally thousands of "Trail walkers", as Miss Nancy would call them, invade this otherwise sleepy mountain village with a population around 900, feverishly attempting to take in as much of the gala event as possible, crossing paths with as many fellow hikers as the weekend would allow, Sherlock and I often found ourselves retreating to the carport of the little house just off Textile Street to enjoy the company of our friend.  We would bring each other up to date on what exciting things had been happening in our worlds and then tell stories.  Oh the stories!  Miss Nancy could tell them like few others and, no matter how often we heard them, we urged her to relate the details once more, laughing as heartily as we did the first time she told them to us. 

How can we ever forget the experience she had just a couple of years ago with a door to door salesman?  He wanted to sell her a vacuum cleaner in the worst way, which she was having a very hard time understanding since the one she'd used for years worked just fine.  He just wasn't going to take "No" for an answer, though Miss Nancy kept trying to convince him that, "I don't need no vacuum cleaner!"  He finally begged her to let him in for a quick demonstration.  Miss Nancy looked at him and said, "Just a minute.", leaving him standing expectantly at the front door.  She returned a few moments later with her shotgun and calmly stated, "I said I didn't need no vacuum cleaner."  That was a couple of years ago and she hadn't seen a visiting salesman since! 

Ever since Chet passed from life on this earth to Life evermore with his Lord and Savior, Nancy's longing to remain on in this old world has greatly diminished.  She missed Chet so much.  She was ready to "go Home."  Standing at that door to eternity, longing to get in, the God of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of life, the One who alone holds the key to Heaven and an eternity with Himself, said to Nancy, "Just a minute."  Only Miss Nancy was not turned away, for she wasn't selling anything.  She had already been purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ.  She's not a visitor to Heaven.  Thanks to Christ and her trust in Him, she's family and she's finally Home. 

We'll miss our friend tremendously.  Trail Days will never again be as special.  There is now a void only God Himself will, over time, be able to heal.  Yet, when all is said and done,  we wouldn't have it any other way.  When our time comes and the Lord of Heaven says to us, "Just a minute." we'll be just as anxious and ready to see and experience then what Miss Nancy is fully enjoying now.  And that's no sales pitch!

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in just a minute..." (I Cor. 15:52 Italics mine)

Wednesday, December 10th: Abingdon, VA     "Prayer is the never failing response of the Christian in any case, in every plight.  When you cannot use your sword, you may take up the weapon of prayer.  Your powder may be damp, your bowstring may be relaxed, but the weapon of prayer need never be out of order.  Satan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer.  Swords and spears need to be sharpened, but prayer never rusts; and when we think it most blunt, it cuts the best.  Prayer is an open door that no one can shut.  Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy's hand.  We can never be taken by siege or invasion as long as heavenly helps can come down to us and relieve us in the time of our necessities.  Prayer is never out of season: in Summer and in Winter its merchandise is precious.  Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the middle of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening.  In every condition, whether poverty or sickness or obscurity or slander or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place.  And prayer is never futile.  True prayer is always true power.  You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real needs supplied.  When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit.  If you ask for cornmeal, will you be angry because He gives you fine flour?  If you seek physical health, should you complain if instead He makes your sickness result in spiritual health?  Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed?  This evening, my soul, do not forget to offer your petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant your desires."  -From Morning and Evening Devotional by C.H. Spurgeon

Their prayer came to His holy habitation in Heaven.  II Chronicles 30:27

Thursday, December 11th: East Memphis, TN     I have long been of the opinion that, if the earth is 25,000 miles in circumference, 24,800 of it must be through Pennsylvania.  It seems like it takes forever to drive through that State.  And do any of you remember what it was like when the National Speed Limit was 55?  Dreadful is the word that first comes to my mind.  Yesterday, following the Graveside Service for Miss Nancy, we drove from northeast  to southwest through the Volunteer State.  More than 400 miles after we began our journey we found ourselves still in Tennessee.  Pennsylvania certainly has a rival!  We don't get west of the Mississippi as often as we would like.  Certainly it's never for as long as we would wish to stay.  We know however, that the Lord will orchestrate the schedule as we trust that department to Him between now and Monday morning.  The Psalmist wrote, "Trust in the Lord and do good..." (Psalm 37:3).  Charles Spurgeon adds, "Trust and do are words which go well together, in the order in which the Holy Spirit has placed them."   How can we not be excited with anticipation as we rely on that promise?

Friday, December 12th: Oklahoma City, OK     We came west with the intention of visiting our dear friend TDS (Totally Different Subject/AT '05).  The way in which we found him could only have been arranged by the One who led us here.  We had no reliable phone number or email contact.  We weren't sure if the street address I had in my Pocket PC was even current.  After all, cards and letters were being sent to another address.  What we did possess however was a car and the assurance that God leads when we ask Him to do so.  Before leaving the Super 8 Motel in East Memphis, TN yesterday morning, we knelt and asked the One who had led us thus far, to take us to where our friend was.  We knew God knew his location, even if we didn't. 

We arrived in Ponca City early last evening at the one address we had.  No one was home.  The house was completely dark.  What options did we have now?  I thought momentarily about heading to the nearest hospital and working backwards from there.  I uttered a quick prayer, "Father, You know where he is.  We'll trust You to lead us."  At that very moment, a car pulled into the driveway.  A friendly lady named Mary, a friend of TDS' parents who was watching their home for them, rolled down the window.  She just happened to stop by at that very moment to check on the dogs, the very moment we just happened to be there.  She didn't know TDS personally but told us he was in Oklahoma City for the night in preparation of yet another doctor's appointment the next morning.  She took our phone number. called his parents after we left and, before we drove to the townline, TDS was on the phone with us and a sweet reunion occurred two hours later!

I could never adequately explain all the ways in which God leads in our lives.  For one thing, there's not enough space on this website, or any other for that matter, to comprehensibly do so.  For another, His amazing and intricate direction is beyond human reasoning and comprehension.  I know this; His step by step direction in my life through the years far surpasses any mathematical attempt to conclude coincidence.  Not only that, we have this promise straight from His very heart, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way." (Psalm 37:23) 

It was no coincidence we found TDS last evening, for we didn't find him.  The One who already knew where he was established our steps to this memorable reunion.  

Saturday, December 13th: Owosso, OK

Sunday, December 14th: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest:     Stillwell Reformed Presbyterian Church - Stillwell, Oklahoma.

Monday, December 15th:     Travel to New Jersey.

Tuesday, December 16th: East Brunswick, NJ

Wednesday, December 17th: New York, NY     Lunch with Eric Kampmann, author of  "Trail Thoughts".

Thursday, December 18th: New York, NY:     A visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on an absolutely gorgeous day!

Friday, December 19th: New York, NY     Christmas Shopping in the Big Apple with Merv Wyse and his daughter Meredith who flew in from Michigan for the weekend.

Saturday, December 20th: New York, NY     A wonderful visit with friends Jim and Jackie Edwards highlighted another memorable day in Gotham City.

Sunday, December 21st: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest - East Brunswick, NJ      The gang worshipped at Old Bridge Baptist Church and enjoyed lunch afterwards with the Lefavours and O'Carrolls.    

Monday, December 22nd:     Sherlock heads home to Miami for Christmas.  Our friends Merv and Meredith Wyse return to northern Michigan following another memorable trip to the Big Apple.  Choir Rehearsal for Circuit Rider at Old Bridge Baptist Church in the evening.

Tuesday, December 23rd: East Brunswick, NJ     It's a rare quiet moment here at Mom's house this morning.  I am all alone with just my thoughts.  Not even the phone is ringing; a rare occurence indeed!  With the soothing music of James Galway in the background and the Christmas tree before me, I'm inclined to think this moment might be one of my most treasured memories of the entire Holiday Season..  Don't get me wrong.  Being with Sherlock, Merv and Meredith, Jim and Jackie, Roy and Trudi, Charlene and the Church family at Old Bridge Baptist, our recent travels to Virginia and Oklahoma, the anticipation of what will transpire in the next couple of days; these are the sort of things and people that make my world so exciting and cause me to often believe I must be the most blessed person on earth. 

Yet it's in these moments, these quiet times of priceless repose, that I gain the perspective I desperately need.  This is where I am once more reminded of what I all too often forget.  These incredible blessings, this incomparable life I enjoy comes straight from the hand of the One I now pause to worship during this most special Season.  It's not in the gifts, but the Gift.  It's not just the friends, but the Friend.  It's not merely the activities, but the motivation behind them; Christ Jesus, who is my life (Colossians 3:4).  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen. (Romans 11:36). 

Merry Christmas indeed!

Wednesday, December 24th: East Brunswick, NJ     Christmas Eve Service at Old Bridge Baptist Church.

Thursday, December 25th:     Merry Christmas!!  Circuit Rider's First Grade Teacher Marsha Chin and her husband Tom will be joining us for Christmas Dinner once again.  This annual tradition has been the highlight of Christmas at the Newman household since 1975.

Friday, December 26th: Fayetteville, PA     A wonderful evening at the home of Junker and Sandy.  Circuit Rider met Junker at the base of Roan Mountain in the Spring of 1999.  He and his wife have been dear friends ever since.  Sandy welcomed us into her home with an incredible Lasagna dinner, complete with all the fixins', and more dessert than should be legal.  We spent the remainder of the evening shooting pool, playing Scrabble and sharing lots of stories.  The Freeman's friends Chet and Shirley, along with their daughter Christine, joined us as well.

Saturday, December 27th: Fayetteville, PA     Circuit Rider, along with his Mom and brother Chuck, enjoyed a memorable visit with Junker and his wife Sandy at their home.  Junker is feeling a bit better this morning following a bout of stomach flu that had him sacked out on the couch much of last evening.   

Sunday, December 28th: Lord's Day/Sabbath Rest:     It was the surprise birthday party that wasn't, thanks to the birthday girl not showing up!  Circuit Rider. along with friends Rich and Linda Desmond, traveled south to Whiting, NJ for an afternoon of awesome food and fellowship with Clem and Charlene Forgione.  Charlene had planned a surprise party for Mom who turned 80 recently, complete with cake and gifts.  Mom however, came down with a stomach flu following church Sunday morning and decided it would be better for her to remain at home, not aware of what awaited at Clem and Charlene's.  She felt bad about that when she found out "the rest of the story", but also very appreciative of their thoughtfulness.  Thanks guys for your gracious generosity and love towards us!

Monday, December 29th: East Brunswick, NJ     A day of recuperation for Circuit Rider from a sudden stomach flu.

Tuesday, December 30th: East Brunswick, NJ     Circuit Rider is taking one more day to rest and recuperate before hitting the road again.

Wednesday, December 31st:  Limerick, ME     Bringing in the New Year with Poopajack and Poopa!