Coast-To-Coast Walk

Tuesday, November 22

2011-11-23T17:07:00.000-06:00

We did it !!! We walked the length of the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. I have reflected somewhat about what we did and I'm sure other thoughts will come in the days ahead.

What was planned as a nine month walking adventure, actually took three years and nine months. Obviously things didn't go as planned. We had medical problems, a freak accident and a broken arm. And, although it didn't slow us down, we had damage to our motorhome which left our poor dog a bit shell shocked.

At some point we decided to divide the walk in four phases. Phase One began at Capistrano Beach, California and ended 800 miles later at San Antonio, New Mexico. Phase Two started where we left off and ended 600 miles later at the Texas/Oklahoma state line near Vernon, Texas. Phase Three started at the state line and went to Winona, Mississippi, another 700 miles. And finally, Phase Four started at Winona and ended at North Dunes Beach, Jekyyl Island, Georgia. Total miles walked were 2612.

We had for the most part very agreeable weather, however, we did walk in the rain, snow, sleet, cold and wind. We walked in the mountains, desert, the great plains, the Mississippi delta and the piney woods. And I think the worst part of all of it was the wind. Out west it never lets up and it blows hard and unrelenting. The only time we tried to cook outside, we burned one of our chairs trying to use it as a windbreak.

Along the way we met some most interesting and wonderful people. Everyone we met wanted to help or encourage us in some way. We didn't meet one mean person. We did however meet some mean dogs. But thanks to strong fences, leashes and chains, we received no dog bites, just had the **** scared out of us. Now ... what will I do with this small canister of pepper spray.

Thank you John and Ruth Goodman, what great friends and walking partners. Maybe we'll have another adventure, but right now, I want to rest.

Thank you Carol !! You are the best wife, friend and walking across America support team person. I could not have done this without you.

Thanks to everyone that supported our walk and financially supported Habitat for Humanity. Your donations helped build three Habitat houses in Hot Springs. Now, three families that were living in sub-standard, poverty level housing, are living in decent, affordable and safe homes.

Total money found during Phase Four, $10.69 and a half cent, (I can prove it) and a Mexican Peso.

It's been a great ride ! (make that walk)

Signing off

Saturday, November 19

2011-11-20T19:11:00.000-06:00

The Coast to Coast Walk is history. At approimately 10:15 am, EST we walked on the beach at Jeklly Island and looked out at theAtlantic Ocean.

Would anyone like to hire two unemployed walkers ?

________________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday and Friday, Carol and I and John and Ruth just laid back and took life easy. I went to the ReStore on Thursday and talked to manager, Ginny for some time.

Then Friday we toured Fort Frederica on St Simon Island.

Today we drove to the Comfort Inn where John and Ruth's daughter, Jona, was staying with her family. They had driven down from the DC area the evening before. Also present was John and Ruth's son, Rick, who had flown directly from Australia to be with his parents today. They weren't expecting them and it was a real surprise.

We all started walking the two and a half miles to the beach. It didn't take long as our step was easy and we had much camaraderie.

At last we had arrived. The mysterious Jeklly Island and it's beach. We unfurled our banner and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. We had done it. Walked across the United States, 2612 miles.

We posed for pictures and then walked to the picnic area where we met Trip McKinnon, wife Angie, son, Brandon and daughter Rebecca. Trip grilled hot dogs with all the fixin's. Trip and his family are special folks and we appreciated their friendship and kindness.

I'll have one more blog to post in a few days with closing remarks. Today we found .28 cents. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, November 16

2011-11-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

We started at 7:30 am this morning, but instead of walking we ate at Denny's. Should have thought of this sooner.

After breakfast, Carol and Ruth drove us to the entrance of Jekyll Island. John and I walked the 4 miles to the visitors center and Carol and Ruth were there waiting.

Back to the RVs for a quick shower and then back to Jekyll Island. The island is a state park and there is a $5. entry fee. We wanted to take the tram ride through the historical district.

The Jekyll Island Club was formed in 1887 and lasted until 1942. The island and club became a winter retreat for the super rich. Club members included the Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers, Goulds and many more robber barons. Many built "cottages" which today we would call mansions. The historical district contains dozens of these cottages and most have been restored to their original beauty.

The state of Georgia purchased the island in 947. Tomorrow the forecast is rain, so we have no plans.

Stay tuned ....

Tuesday, November 15

2011-11-15T21:38:00.000-06:00

Once again Ruth took us out to the starting point, just west of Brunswick. Before long we passed by a place that sold collard greens. John, knowing that I just love collard greens, suggested I pose for a photo with my favorite vegetable. Yum-O.

We passed the intersection of highways 82/502 and 303. Here we said goodbye to Highway 82, our friend since Lake Village, Arkansas. We are now on Highway 502 and it will take us to Jekyll Island.

Passed two large truck stops and just a bit more and we were walking along the marsh flats. Off to our left was the Port Authority of Brunswick, Georgia. Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz use this port to export their cars, while about a dozen other car manufactures use the port for import. We saw hundreds of cars either being sent out or shipped in.

We spotted the Sidney Lanier Bridge up ahead. It crosses St. Simons Sounds and takes you into Brunswick.

We turned right just before the bridge and were on the road to Jekyll Island. That mysterious island we have been talking about for so long. Ruth and Carol met us just down the road.

Today we found 2 Georgia license plates and .94 cents. Stay tuned for the exciting finish ...

2011-11-14T20:56:00.000-06:00

Ruth took us out to our starting point this morning. It has turned much warmer and the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky. It actually got hot before we finished.

We walked through the berg of Waynesville. Not much going on here. Passed the Golden Isles Speedway. Folks down here take their stock car racing serious. There were speedways in Albany, Waycross and now Waynesville.

This will be our last day or "rural" walking. Tomorrow we will enter the outskirts of Brunswick and say goodbye to Highway 82. Highway 520 will take us to Jekyll Island

We started on Highway 82 at Lake Village, Arkansas and have been on it ever since. It has taken us halfway across the US. Goodbye old friend.

Tomorrow will be our last day of walking 12 miles. Wednesday we will walk about 8 miles and then finish the last two miles on Saturday. Thursday and Friday we will play tourist.

Today we found a golf ball, an unopened pack of Mac's BBQ Flavored Chicharrones, pork skins to us gringos and .02 cents. Stay tuned ...

Sunday, November, 13

2011-11-13T18:53:00.001-06:00

This morning we returned to First Presbyterian Church in Waycross. We had become acquainted with Pastor Trip McKinnon and had met his wife, Angie, when she dropped Trip off on Tuesday to walk with us a few miles.

Trip had a very good sermon about giving to the church. Giving not only part of your earnings, but also your time and talent. A touchy subject and Trip handled it well.

After church, we were invited to their house for lunch. We met Trip and Angie's children, Brandon and Rebecca and had good fellowship and a delicious lunch.

After lunch, we hurried back to the state park and made a hasty exit. Our destination was Golden Isles RV Park in Brunswick, Georgia. Brunswick, Georgia, how many times have we said that name, and now we are here. Less than 40 miles to go.

Trip and hopefully his family will join us at 10 am on Saturday, November 19th for what John calls the "storming of the beach" at Jekyll Island. Also, John and Ruth's daughter, Jona, and her family will be there. We will celebrate the completion of our Coast to Coast Walk for Habitat for Humanity, 2600 miles. Then we can cross it off our "Bucket List".

Stay tuned ..... it's going to be a great finish.

Saturday, November 12

2011-11-13T18:52:00.004-06:00

Ruth and Carol took us out this morning and the word for this morning was "cold". It turned cold last night and was about 31 degrees at the beginning of our walk. As the walked progressed, it warmed up quickly. In fact, at the end of our walk today, the temperature was well in the upper 60's, John and I were in our shirtsleeves.

There is yard sale fever in this neck of the woods today. Carol and Ruth were in 7th heaven. Yards sales all up and down Highway 82.

We passed through the town of Nahunta, stopped at a convenience store and bought 2 ice cream sandwiches. With the temperature still in the 40's, I wonder what the lady thought that sold them to us.

We crossed over the Satilla River and walked through Atkinson. Just beyond was a flea market. We stopped and asked if they had any books. "Yes, we've got lots of books inside", said the man. Inside was a large shed full of everything you can imagine. It was almost total chaos as boxes upon boxes were just set down anywhere. The books were in 3 different places, if you could get to them. We didn't have time to look, so we told the man we would be back and if he could store our jackets until then. By that time, it was getting quite warm.

We were off again until Carol and Ruth showed up. They surprised us as the trunk of the car wasn't full of flea market purchases. We drove back to the flea market, gathered our coats and did manage to buy 2 books.

Originally, I had picked out one paperback book for .50 cents. Carol gave the man a dollar and he said, "Pick you out another one, you already paid for it". So I guess if I didn't find another book, then one book cost a dollar or you could get two book for a dollar. I'm glad she didn't give him a five.

We got our 12 miles in today and found .05 cents. Just two more days of 12 mile walking. Stay tuned ...

Friday, November 11

2011-11-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

Ruth took us to the starting point this morning. It took her all of 5 minutes. Our walk yesterday ended 2 miles from the entrance of the park we are staying.

Within a half mile, Trip McKinnon joined us. He is quite a guy. He wants to have a big celebration when we finish our walk on Nov. 19th., a week from tomorrow. He mentioned something about a fire truck and some guys that play music. We'll see what happens.

As we walked through Hoboken, our only small town for today, we passed by the chip mill. Small pine trees are chipped upped and eventual made into paper. Then we stopped at the Shell station and started talking to "the boys". You know the boys, they are always hanging around a cafe or convenience store, shooting the breeze, drinking coffee and telling lies.

They wanted to know if we were hunters. "No, we're not hunters." "Are ye part of that crew laying the pipeline?" "No, we're not doing that, we're walking across the United States and we're almost finished". Blank stares, but that is not uncommon.

They were a good bunch of guys and we enjoyed talking to them. Inside, the young lady behind the counter asked if we were veterans, this being Veterans Day. Yes, we are. She said that drinks are on the house today for veterans. John got coffee and I had a rare Coke. Oh yes, we also had a donut.

Carol and Ruth, fresh from shopping, picked us up at the 12 mile mark. We didn't find any coins today, but found an important treasure, a Georgia license plate. The collection is complete. I now have at least one license plate from all 9 states that we have walked through. Stay tuned ...

Thurday, November 10

2011-11-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

Ruth, having returned from grandmother duty once again, took us just east of Waycross. It didn't take long to enter the town. Our first obstacle was a bridge with a sign, "No pedestrians on bridge". The bridge had very little room for us to walk, so we simply went under it. After going through a small maze of streets, we emerged on the other side.

John call Trip McKinnon, the pastor of First Pres. Church. He asked Trip if he wanted to join us for a few miles as we walked through Waycross. Trip got all excited and said he would meet us somewhere on Highway 82. Also, on Sunday, he had invited us to the weekly meeting of the Exchange Club, a civic service club, similar to Lions, Kiwanis, etc.

Trip was a no-show for the walk, but he was waiting for us at the Exchange Club. We sat down to a very good lunch and Trip introduced us to the members of the club.

In order to attend the lunch, we had to stop early and clean up, so, after lunch we walked an additional 3 miles to give us our 12 miles for the day.

We found a banner that had, "NO CREDIT CHECK" imprinted on it, a tennis ball, a Mexican one peso coin and .19 cents, US currency. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, November 9

2011-11-09T22:17:00.000-06:00

Carol took us out this morning, about 15 miles west of Waycross. The weather was perfect and the sun was shining when we started.

At about the 6 mile mark, I crossed the highway to use the facilities at a convenience store, gas station, grocery store, wildlife check station and restaurant. There was a man in there that looked like a local farmer. He said, "Where you walking to?". I replied, "Jekyll Island". He said, "Where did you start?". "California", I replied. "Are you walking for a reason or a cause?." "Habitat for Humanity", I said. "I knew it, I knew you had to be for something". he said, satisfied that he had guessed right.

Up ahead, we came across two young men picking up trash. One asked me if I knew how far the county line was. I asked him if that was how far he needed to go today and he said yes. I told him he had a long way to go, 10 or 12 miles. He didn't look pleased. Then I asked him if he had found any license plates. He said no and kept on picking up trash .... he had a long way to go.

We came upon a field that we did not recognize what had been planted. After much pondering, a person has a lot of time to ponder walking across the US, I decided it was tobacco. I'll post the pic, does anyone know if this looks like tobacco?

Carol picked us up a few miles west of Waycross. Tomorrow we walk through Waycross, Georgia. Today we found .25 cents. Stay tuned ....

Tuesday, November 8

2011-11-08T19:59:00.003-06:00

Carol took us out to yesterday's ending point and today's starting point. We walked through two very small towns, Axson and Millwood, not much going on in either one.

Today we saw the best cotton field ever. John and I have become experts on cotton fields. This particular field had cotton that was the same height, very few, if any weeds and bolls full of white cotton, ready for harvest.

The most exciting thing that happened today was a truck pulling a helicopter passed by. On a day like this, when nothing is going on, that is big news.

We got our 12 miles in today and are 12 closer to the Atlantic Ocean. We found a screwdriver, a coin purse, (no coins) and .02 cents. Stay tuned ...

Monday, November 7

2011-11-07T18:41:00.000-06:00

Carol took us out this morning and it took nearly an hour to get to the starting point, mile marker 8.

This is the next to last week for the Coast to Coast Walk for Habitat for Humanity. Less than 2 weeks to go.

Before too long, we came to a house and there were turkeys there. Not the white commercially grown turkey, but a brown/black in the wild turkey. Before I could get my camera out, they had run behind a shed. They probably thought I was from the Turkey Shoot committee.

At the 6 mile mark we entered the town of Pearson, Georgia. Not a whole lot going on in Pearson. We stopped at the Four C's Fuel and Lube to use the facilities. In a dimly lit back room, there were some of those "games of skill" machines. Of course, you play for store credit only. At least, that's what the sign said. We did however, indulge in an Eskimo Pie and a nice lady even took our picture.

On we walked through more pine trees and cotton fields. Carol was waiting at marker 20 to pick us up. Today we found .11 cents. Stay tuned ...

Sunday, November, 6

2011-11-06T20:03:00.000-06:00

This morning we attended services at First Presbyterian Church of Waycross, Georgia.

The pastor, Rev. Trip McKinnon, greeted us just prior to the service and we explained why we were passing through. We talked about the walk and about Habitat. He asked us if it was OK to be recognized from the pulpit. We said sure.

Later in the service, when the youth were assembling for the children's sermon, he came down the aisle and asked John and I to join him up front. He told the kids about Habitat and a little about our walk. Then he said that Presbyterians have a old tradition of "laying on of hands". He asked John and I to stand and instructed the youth to lay their hands on us. He said a prayer for our work and safety.

John and I were pleasantly surprised by all of this and it made us feel welcome and honored. After the service, Trip invited us to a meeting of the Exchange Club at 12 noon on Thursday. As it happens, we walk by the very spot where the meeting is to be held.

We had lunch at Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant, drove back to the state park, rested and then made a Wal-Mart run. Tomorrow we walk. Stay tuned ...

2011-11-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Very early this morning, John took Ruth back to the Atlanta airport. She is flying back to report for grandmother duty. She will be back Wednesday. No walking today.

When John got back to the Pines Campground in Tifton, we hooked up our RVs and headed to Laura S. Walker State Park near Waycross, Georgia. With the beautiful weather we are having, the park is almost full. There were 5 empty sites when we arrived. Now there are three, maybe less.

Upon arriving, the park rangers always give you a map of the park so you can get around and be informed of what the rules are. The first thing I noticed was "No Swimming - Alligators".

Yesterday, on the west side of Willahoochee, we passed by some old buildings. I thought at first it was an old CCC camp, I was wrong. It turned out to be the McCranie Brothers Naval Stores. It was a turpentine still and all that goes with it. The terminology dates back to the wooden sailing ship days. Ship builders used pine tar and pitch to caulk the seams of the ship. Also, turpentine was distilled and in the old days was used as a cure all.

The industry started in North Carolina, nicknamed "The Tarheel State" and gradually found its way to Georgia.

Workers would "chip" longleaf pines to start the gum flowing. It was gathers in wooden barrels and then taken to the still to be distilled.

The McCranie facility started in 1936 and ceased operations in 1942 due to WWII and a manpower shortage. It is the only original still in its original location in Georgia.

Friday, November 4

2011-11-05T08:01:00.001-05:00

Ruth took us out this morning, we had a long way to go. The morning was cloudy and chilly with gusty winds.

We are still walking in cotton fields, peanut fields and hay fields. I long for something different, like an ocean or something.

We came to the sign "Welcome to Willacoochee, Where Good People Count" I guess bad people are "no accounts" . Willacoochee is an Indian name meaning, "home of the wildcat". Just west of town is the McCranie Brothers Naval Stores. I will have more to say about that later.

John said he had investigated the names of famous peope from Willacoochee. He said that Willa and Whochay Coochee, twin sister and brother were from here. Willa went on to fame in another state and Whochay became a famous dance instructor. He even had a dance named after him.

As we passed through town, we noticed something odd. We passed by a Masonic Lodge and in the front yard was a Korean era fighter jet. I can see something like this at a VFW or American Legion Hall, but a jet fighter in front of a Masonic lodge strikes me as a bit strange.

On we walked passed the Willacoochee Social Lounge, a nite club, pool hall and you get your car washed there also. Passed the Famous No Name Bar and in a little bit we were out of town.

Carol and Ruth picked us up at marker 8. Today we didn't find anything, but Ruth saved the day. She found a dime in the washing machine and will donate it to the "money found" fund. Stay tuned ...

Thurday, November 3

2011-11-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

Ruth took us out at 7:30 am this morning. After walking through more cotton fields and passing 2 cotton gins, we came to the town of Enigma, Georgia, population 869. Enigma wasn't always Enigma. It was once called "Gunn and Weston". Then, before it became Enigma, it was called "Lax". Founder and first postmaster, John A. Ball summed it up pretty good when he said, "It was a puzzle what to name it anyway".

Before I go on with our walk, I need to share a photo I took a few days ago. It is on the door of the house where Cookie lives. Cookie is the owner of the Pines RV Campground, our home for the past few days. The photo is self explanatory.

If you have been following this blog, you know that we have been walking amongst pine trees. Very few deciduous trees, but the ones that are here have reached their colorful peak. See photo.

On we walked until we reached Alapaha, Georgia. Hernando De Soto is believed to have visited the area. The word alapaha, an Indian word, has been given three meanings, take your pick. Some believe it to be a Creek word for "other side" while others believed it to mean "bear" or "bear lodge".

The Alapaha River flows nearby and is a tributary of the Suwanee River. Other notable facts about Alapaha are ... a breed of bulldog, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog was developed from the famed Paulk plantation dogs of the area ... a type of blueberry, the Alapaha "rabbiteye" is noted for its high yields and quality fruit ... and finally, "Hogzilla", a 800 lb. wild hog was killed here in Alapaha in 2004.

Ruth and Carol were waiting at marker 12. We found a bungee cord, a drill bit, a yellow flag attached to an aluminum pole, a "new in the bag" 12" bolt with nuts and .08 cents. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, November 2

2011-11-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

Ruth took us out this morning, we didn't have far to go. We were soon walking through Tifton, Georgia. We walked along franchise row, McDonald's, Burger King, Shoney's, etc, etc. We crossed under I-75 , it goes north to Atlanta and south to Ft. Lauderdale.

We used the facilities at the local Ford dealership. John knew some of the employees since he had his truck serviced there yesterday. They didn't have any donuts. On the east side of Tifton, there was a large peanut processing plant. Parked outside were the specialty wagons that peanuts are hauled in.

Just before we got to Brookfield, we saw a man on a tractor cutting the cotton plants that had already been picked. John said it makes it easier to plant next years cotton if this years cotton is cut down.

Up ahead, we saw some peanuts that had been turned over. The peanuts were drying in the sun awaiting harvest.

At Brookfield, we stopped at a convenience store. There were about 6 video poker machines inside with a player at each one. I didn't think these machines were legal and then I saw a sign that said, "Winners will receive store credit only, no cash paid out".

Carol and Ruth were waiting at marker 18. We are about halfway through Georgia and on schedule. We have 17 more days left.

Today we found a Florida Gators license plate and .19 cents. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday November 1

2011-11-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

We had a fairly late start this morning, 8:15 am. Same weather as yesterday, only more sunshine today.

Before long we came to a field with a crew harvesting something. John said it might be cucumbers. Being a city boy, I didn't have a clue, so I will leave it at cucumbers.

A few miles further, we came to several pecan trees. John started gathering as many as he could carry. I picked up about half a dozen, cracked them open and found them to be bad, so stopped my harvest. John gathered about 2 lbs. and the jury is still out as to whether or not they are any good.

On head we walked. A strange thing happened. As I was approaching The Soda-Pop-2 convenience store, a lady came outside, did something to the door and then went back inside. I walked up to the door and it was locked.

Locked out. John said she took one look at me and locked the door.

We walked on, crossed Ty Ty Creek, entered the town of Ty Ty, passed the Ty Ty post office and finally came to the Ty Ty Peanut Company.

We met Ruth just outside of Tifton, Ga. We walk through Tifton tomorrow. Besides John's pecans, we found a magnetic sign that said, "We're on our way, To watch the Gators play". In Georgia, that can get you in trouble. We also found .02 cents.

The mystery of the locked door at the Soda-Pop-2 is solved. I got online to find some information about Ty Ty, Georgia. I didn't find much, but I did find this headline from the Albany Tribune. "Thursday afternoon the Soda-Pop-2 convenience store on Highway 82 east, near Ty Ty, was robbed by an armed man". I wonder if he was wearing orange?

Stay tuned ...

2011-11-01T06:41:00.000-05:00

Ruth took us out this morning, it was cloudy and cool, but it quickly warmed up. Before long we were walking through Sylvester, Georgia, "The Peanut Capital of the World". The good people have given themselves that name because they can raise more peanuts per acre than anyplace in the world. And if that weren't enough, it is also, "Home of Peter Pan Peanut Butter".

We are walking amongst pine trees, cotton fields and peanuts. Throw in a few cow pastures.

There was a big cotton gin in Sylvester turning out seed less cotton. And it had plenty of cotton to gin as there were dozens of huge bales stored outside.

We only walked 11 miles today. We had to get back to Albany, eat lunch and move our RV's from Albany RV Resort to Pines Campground in Tifton, Georgia, our home for the next few days.

Today we found a bright orange baseball cap imprinted with "Live Oak Plantation", an allen wrench, a pocket knife and .18 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-10-30T17:52:00.000-05:00

John and I walked 12 miles to the east of Albany, Georgia yesterday. We passed by numerous cotton fields. This is harvest time for cotton. Most fields have been picked, but there are still some unpicked.

Besides looking at cotton fields for four hours, nothing much happened on Saturday.

This morning, Carol and I attended services at First Presbyterian Church of Albany, GA. John drove up to the Atlanta airport to fetch Ruth. She was in the DC area doing grandmother duty.

The service at First Pres. was different to say the least. Rev. Garrett J. Andrew is a young dynamic and passionate preacher. He came to this church about 3 years ago when it had less than 50 members and now, although it may still be struggling, it can boast over 200 members. It is an inner city church that struggled when the membership fled to the suburbs. Unfortunately a common story among all churches.

Carol and I went to the movies this afternoon and now are waiting for John and Ruth to return so that we can chow down at Golden Corral.

On Saturday, we didn't find anything. Stay tuned ...

Friday, October 28

2011-10-29T07:28:00.000-05:00

Carol took us out to the starting point this morning, about 4 miles west from the Albany city limits. After about 3 miles, we stopped at a convenience store to energize ourselves with a Krispy Kreme donut.

Then about another mile, we stopped again to use the facilities. While waiting I noticed something you probably won't find in Hot Springs. On the shelf was a can of green, boiled peanuts, regular or Cajun style. Anyone what some? I'm taking orders.

On we walked, We came to the Flint River that runs through Albany. Seems like if a town has a river, it is required to have a riverfront park, and Albany has a nice one.

After the walk and lunch, Carol and I were off to find the post office and the local Habitat ReStore. We get our mail via general delivery. Our mail is forwarded to our son, Scott's address and then we provide him with a post office address of a town we will be going through.

At the ReStore, we talked to Charles, the asst. manger, Jimmy Cross, construction manager and Ginny Shemery, business director. They have a very nice ReStore, but desperately need the means to test donated appliances. Hope I don't step on any toes by saying that.

Today we found three bullets, caliber unknown and .25 cents. Stay tuned ...

Thursday, October 27

2011-10-28T17:21:00.002-05:00

Carol dropped us off at McGee's Package Liquor Store in Dawson this morning and John and I started walking east.

We came to Chickasawhatchee Creek, another small creek, big name.

Before too long, we walked through the town of Sasser. Looks like an old town, reminds me of Maynard, Arkansas.

We came to Mark's Melon Patch. Mark didn't have many melons, but he did have pumpkins. Just before we arrived, several school buses dropped off loads of kids. Besides pumpkins, looks like Mark had other activities for kids. John and I even found our own pumpkin patch or maybe that was Marks.

Carol was waiting for us at the 12 mile mark. Today we found two bungee cords, part of a spoon and .09 cents.

Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, October 26

2011-10-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

We started walking before dawn today. We are now in the eastern time zone and somehow became confused as to when the sun comes up. It did come up, was there any doubt, just as we walked through Shellman.

We crossed the Ichawaynochaway Creek. Big name, little creek. We passed through the hamlet of Grave and it's many cotton fields.

Just before Carol picked us up at the package liquor store in Dawson, we started talking to a man standing in the parking lot of the county courthouse. He had on an orange t-shirt and white pants. We told him about the walk and he was very interested. He said a man and a dog had walked through here not long ago.

When I asked him where he bought his orange knit hat. He said he was a prisoner of the Terrell County Jail and you didn't have to buy them, they are free. He was a trustee out on a job assignment. Another first, we have talked to our first incarcerated person. I think I'll buy my orange hat.

Today we found .50 cents. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, October 25

2011-10-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

This morning instead of walking first we moved the RV's and will walk this afternoon. We moved from Lake Point State Park near Eufaula to Chewah Campground in Albany.

Just outside of Lake Point SP is a Texaco service station. Since I needed gas, Carol and I pulled in and started to gas up. I got into a conversation with a fellow there and asked him if there really were alligators in Lake Eufaula. He said, "There are "lots" of alligators in Lake Eufaula". "In fact, there is probably one right over there". He pointed to the back of the service station parking lot where an inlet of the lake borders the property. Carol and I walked over there and sure enough, there were two alligators basking in the sun. The man also said that many people don't swim in Lake Eufaula anymore because of the ever increasing gator population.

Gassed up, we headed for Chewah Campgrounds in Albany. After a quick lunch, it was back to mile marker 7, a 45 minute drive that we had just driven a few hours ago.

Before long, John and I were entering Cuthbert, GA., the home of Andrew College. The campus is dominated by a old, 5 story building. Founded in 1854, as a Methodist-Episcopalian college, it served as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War from 1863 until 1865

One of the noted personalities from Cuthbert is Lena Baker. She was the first women from Georgia to be executed by electric chair. She was later pardoned by the state.

We are back in farm country. We haven't seen this much farmland since the Mississippi Delta. We have walked passed fields of cotton, soybeans, hay, peanuts, millet and corn. Also, there are many pecan trees.

John was right about the mile markers. The marker start over at 0 (zero) upon entering a new county. So, when figuring mileage, sometimes we will use the markers and sometime the car odometer.

Carol was waiting at marker 19. A cotton picker was at work as we load up for home. Today we found .01 cent. Stay tuned...

Monday, October 24

2011-10-24T18:27:00.000-05:00

No walking yesterday but we did attend the First Presbyterian Church of Eufaula, Alabama. The church is very old and impressive looking. The church was established in 1836 and the present building was built in 1869 "in the style of a English parish church", according to the historical marker in front.

Today, Carol took us out to mile marker 10 and John and I started walking. After about 5 miles, we came to mile marker 0. This is very strange, what's going on? It should be mile marker 15. John surmised that we had walked into another county and the markers revert back to 0. When we come to another county line, we will see if his hypothesis is correct.

We are walking in rolling hills, with tree farms and an occasional pasture. Highway 82 here is 2 lane, but the traffic is light and we are walking on new asphalt. Pretty good walking.

We walked through the small towns of Morris and Springvale. Carol met us at mile marker 7. Tomorrow we walk through Cuthbert.

After the walk, we had chili dogs for lunch. Carol and I cleaned up and drove into Eufaula. We wanted to tour the Shorter Mansion. Eufaula has dozens of spectacular old home and this particular home was purchased from the Shorter family in 1965 by the Eufaula Heritage Assn. It reminded me of the White House in Washington D.C. We met our tour guide, Glenda, at the door. She asked us if we were from Eufaula and we told her that we were from Hot Springs, Arkansas and we also told her about the walk. She was very impressed and introduced us to the other staff members. Glenda was very friendly and nice and is a great asset to the Shorter Mansion.

Today we found a bungee cord and .01 cent. Stay tuned ...

Saturday, October 22

2011-10-23T07:24:00.001-05:00

"Just an old sweet song

keeps Georgia on my mind"

We crossed the Chattahoochee River this morning and we are now in Georgia. Georgia has been on our mind since March 19, 2008, when we took our first step east from Capistrano Beach, California. This is our 9th and final state to walk in. I can almost smell the salt sea air at Brunswick, GA.

It was very cold when we started walking this morning, 38 degrees. John and I both had heavy coats on. Within less than a mile, we were walking among beautiful anti-bellum houses in Eufaula. Some of these houses are stunning.

On we walked on the Jefferson Davis/Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Highway. I see some irony here, what a difference a 100 years makes.

Across the Chattahoochee and we are in Georgia. Just across the bridge, we stopped at a Sunoco station. An older man and a young east Indian were there. After we told them what we were doing, the east Indian man said that on 3 different occasions, he had walked from his village, in India, to another village, 140 miles away.

On we walked. We came to a crew applying hot tar, gravel and finally hot asphalt to the highway. We met, Frank, one of the guys that holds the "Slow/Stop" sign. He was amazed at what we were doing and agreed to pose for a photo.

Carol was waiting at mile marker 10. We found a spoon, a bandanna and .15 cents. Stay tuned ...

Friday, October 21

2011-10-22T08:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday around 5 pm, we were visited by Anastasia Scarborough, a reporter for the Eufaula Tribune, a bi-weekly newspaper. Anastasia ate supper with us as we told her about our walk. Afterwards we posed for photos. The article should come out on this coming Tuesday.

No walking today. John took Ruth to the Atlanta airport. She is flying to the DC area to babysit 4 of her grandchildren. John and Ruth's daughter, Jona and son-in-law are flying to England for a temporary assignment.

So Carol and I have the day off to explore Eufaula, Alabama. Stay tuned ...

Thursday, October 20

2011-10-20T23:07:00.000-05:00

After our walk on Tuesday, we moved from Greenway Sportsmen's Park in Union Springs to Lake Point State Park near Eufaula, Alabama.

The lake was formed in 1962 when the Corps of Engineers built the Walter F George Dam and gave the lake the same name. People began calling it Lake Eufaula and the name stuck. Walter F George just doesn't roll off the tongue like Lake Eufaula. The folks back in Union Springs said to watch out for alligators in Lake Eufaula and sure enough they are here. In fact, they have a lottery alligator hunt every year. Lucky winner gets to hunt an alligator. The lake also is famous for it's bass and crappie fishing.

It was very cool this morning, in the 40's when we started walking. But the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky, so it warmed up quite a bit.

Today's walk was very much like yesterdays walk, a stroll in the country. At the half way mark, we found a log to sit on for a much needed rest.

Carol and Ruth were waiting for us at the intersection of Highways 82 and 431. On Saturday, we will walk through Eufaula, cross the Chattahoohee River and be in GEORGIA !

The only item we found today was some twine wrapped around an empty caulk container. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, October 19

2011-10-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

We had a chilly start this morning. It turned cold and a bit windy with a possibility of rain. It didn't rain, but was cloudy and chilly.

The first 6 miles were void of buildings. No houses, barns or sheds. We are walking in the country. The first building that we did see was a gas station, Closed!

We came to a historical marker. The marker noted the a certain Mr. Elias M. Keils was a scalawag and a judge of the city court of Eufaula. Not sure about the definition of "scalawag", I consulted Dr.Google. Seems a scalawag was a white southerner who supported Union reconstruction laws. And added, "usually for selfish reasons"

Up ahead, we walked right under a pecan tree. I gathered up 4, while John got a pocket full. The pecans were a good snack.

Ruth and Carol were waiting at the Heritage Sod Farm. 12 miles and we found .01 cent. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, October 18 (extra edition)

2011-10-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is a special edition of the blog. Union Springs, Alabama has 47 homes and businesses on the National Register of Historic Places. I have never seen such a small town with so many historic buildings. Downtown is practically all historic building. This town would make a great movie set.

So, I am adding several photos to share with you.

Tuesday, October 18

2011-10-18T18:58:00.000-05:00

Our starting point this morning was just outside of Union Springs so we got to sleep in. Didn't leave Greenway Sportsmen's Club until 7 am.

Not long after we started, we came to the Bullock County Correctional Institute. The dreaded county jail. Inmates wear white here.

Highway 82 east out of Union Springs is 4 lane, divided highway, but it didn't last long, about 4 miles. For the most part, we are walking a 2 lane road with very little or no shoulder. When a car or truck comes by, we simply step over on the wet grass.

After a bit we arrived at Three Notch, Alabama. Three Notch looks like it's down to one notch. We counted about 8 buildings, 3 of which looked occupied, the remaining building need help.

Walking on we came to the town of Midway, Alabama. Midway has seen better times, but it was booming compared to Three Notch. Just outside of Midway, Carol and Ruth were waiting.

Today we found an Alabama license plate. Stay tuned ...

Monday, October 17

2011-10-17T20:52:00.003-05:00

Started walking about 7 am this morning. We were about 10 miles west of Union Springs and walking east. Nothing unusual to report, the walk was similar to the walks for the past several days. The weather is perfect, cool in the morning and gradually warming in the afternoon and sunny.

We walked into Union Springs and needed to get to the courthouse by 10:15 am. A group of local citizens were going to greet us. When we arrived about a dozen people had assembled. Those present were mayor, John McGowan, Matt O'Reilly, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Jan Green, co-owner of Greenway Sportsmens Park, Kim Graham and Johnny Adams from the Union Springs Herald and several other folks.

The mayor presented John and I, Ruth and Carol with a pin depicting a bird dog. Union Springs is the Bird Dog Field Trial Capital of the World. From the Union Springs website, I gleaned this information. "The field trials are from October until March.

The trials are a competition to display a dog's ability to successfully point out the hiding places of quail. While on horseback, dog handlers, judges, officials and a gallery of spectators follow the dogs that run along designated courses". After the ceremonies, John and I still had 2 more miles to walk.

Today we found a CD of the Oak Ridge Boys in excellent condition, a tube of Elmer's Washable School Glue and a Missouri license plate. Stay tuned ....

Sunday, October 16

2011-10-16T19:02:00.000-05:00

Last night we decide to eat at the 82 Highway Cafe, owned by Mike and Jan Green, owners Greenway Sportsmans Club where we are staying. After a very nice meal, we got up to pay and to our surprise, the tab was on them. Thank you Mike and Jan, that was very nice of you.

Yesterday, after the walk and lunch, we were interviewed by Kim Graham and her brother, Johnny Adams. Kim is publisher and Johnny is editor of the Union Springs Herald. I also think they are the only reporters. This is a weekly newspaper and they said that they would mail us a copy of the article.

Also, yesterday we decided to walk 6 miles today before church this morning. As we were driving out, 2 deer crossed the highway just in front of us. We are walking today so that we can walk through Union Springs at 10:15 am tomorrow. That is when we have a meeting with the mayor and some other VIPs. Who knows what honors, fame and fortune await us.

We did our 6 in exactly 2 hours. We just happened to stop at an intersection out in the country and there was a house nearby. A young woman came over to check on us. Her name was Kristy and she was a special ed teacher in Pensacola, Florida. She was there visiting her mother. She wanted to make sure we weren't stranded. We told her about the walk and I think she was impressed. She asked us if we had lost any weight and I told her if we could stay away from ice cream bars we might have a chance.

Ruth picked us up and on the way back, 2 deer crossed right in front of our car. I don't think they were the same deer as this morning.

Later this morning, we went to the First Baptist Church of Union Springs, Alabama. Ed Brandenburg is the pastor and members were very friendly.

I need to tell the story of "power bill". Ruth and Carol were talking to a lady when we were staying at Maxwell Air Force Base. She saw our dog, Jolie Blonde and said she had a "power bill chihuahua". Ruth and Carol said they had never heard of that breed of dog. The lady went on to explain that she had loaned a friend money to pay her power(electric) bill. When it was time for the lady to pay her back, she held out her hand with a Chihuahua on it. "I don't have any money to pay you back, but you can have this dog" the lady said. So, "Power Bill" dog was born.

This morning on our walk, we found .05 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-10-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

Ruth and Carol took us to the Tzip service station and John and I started our walk. Within 5 minutes, John found a penny on the ground. The first and last coin of the day.

We are walking in the piney woods with no shoulder. When a car or truck pass by, we step over in the grass and wait until it passes. Luckily, traffic is light.

After a few hours of walking, a man in a pick-up slowed down and asked if we were alright, wanted to know if we were broke down. We said we were OK and he drove off.

Up ahead was a logging operation. It was not in full swing as it was Saturday, but one logger was sorting logs, at least that's what I think he was doing.

A few more miles further, we saw a pile of logs in a heap along the side of the road. We decided it was a log truck that, for some reason, had lost its load. Glad we weren't walking here when that happened.

We passed through the town of Shopton, not much there. Carol and Ruth were waiting at the white Methodist church.

We found .01 cent. Stay tuned ...

Friday, October 14

2011-10-14T19:25:00.000-05:00

We started the day at Hardee's, where we stopped walking yesterday. I didn't get one, but Hardee's features a bologna and egg biscuit, Yum-O. BBQ bologna is big in the south.

Off we went, facing morning rush hour traffic driving into Montgomery. We walked passed the suburbs and into the countryside. Soon we came upon Pappy Joe's BBQ. Pappy wasn't open so on we walked.

We came to some trees with Spanish moss hanging from them. First Spanish moss we have seen for the entire walk.

Next came American Sportfish Hatchery. Here they raise largemouth bass, bluegill and that super fighting fish that everyone wants to catch, the grass carp.

Carol and Ruth drove up just as we were finishing the 12th mile. We found .44 cents. Stay tuned ....

Thursday, October 13

2011-10-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

What a day. Got and early start and we were off. We walked through Montgomery, Alabama today or to be more correct, we walked around Montgomery. Rain clouds threatened us early in the morning and then the sun came out. And then the clouds came back, with rain in them. Just as we reached the 12 mile mark and luckily a Hardee's restaurant, the sky open up and it rained hard. Ruth and Carol were driving in it to pick us up and they said they could barely see.

On the way back, we stopped off at the Habitat ReStore and met the manager, Bruce Taylor, and Director of Operation, ReStore, Jeff Thornell. Jeff works for all the ReStores in Alabama and his primary duties are to acquire merchandise from retail and wholesale suppliers. His family was in the retail furniture businesses and that connection must have paid off as the store was full of new furniture and appliances.

After lunch, we drove downtown to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King served as pastor from 1954 to 1960. It was a meeting at this church that launched a boycott of the Montgomery public bus line. The boycott lasted one year and ended when city officials agreed to lift laws the discriminated against blacks. Some consider the Montgomery bus boycott as the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.

We then went to the Civil Rights Memorial Center that honors 40 individuals who died between 1954 and 1968 fighting for equal rights.

Then we were off to find Dreamland restaurant and some southern BBQ. Here's what happened. We found the street Dreamland was on. Carol rolled down the window and asked a man where Dreamland was. He pointed right across the street. Just then, a car pulled out of a parking spot not 2 car lengths away. We pulled in and we were feeding the parking meter, a lady yelled, "You don't have to put money in that after 4 pm". She started across the street and said she was going to work. It turns out that she worked at Dreamland. As we all walked in, LaCheryl, grabbed 4 menus and seated us immediately.

What service and the BBQ was great. If you get a hankerin for BBQ in Montgomery, AL, Dreamland is highly recommended.

Today we found .13 and a half cents. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, October 12

2011-10-12T22:14:00.000-05:00

We didn't need to drive very far this morning to reach the starting point, so we got to sleep late, we left at 7 am.

Morning rush traffic kept us off the highway and on the wet grass. Grass walking is much more difficult than walking on pavement. Grass walking is not for sissies.

We came to the "Welcome to Prattville" sign, took some photos and headed up a very steep hill. Down the other side and after about 5 miles, came to the intersection of Highways 82 and 31. Highway 82 joins Interstate 65 and since we can't walk on an interstate, we will walk around Montgomery via highway 31 and join up with 82 down the road.

Up ahead was the Alabama River with flashing lights on the side of the bridge we wanted to cross on. A crew was making repairs and had one lane closed. We didn't know if they would let us cross or not. John said we would tell them we were with the ABSD, Alabama Bridge Safety Department and we needed to get to the other side. Realizing they wouldn't buy that, John simply said, "Do you think we can get to the other side". One of the crew jumped up and said, "Sure, follow me". We had an escort for a short distance and then a whole lane to ourselves across the bridge. With our orange shirts on, we looked very official.

Carol and Ruth were waiting for us at the Relax Inn. It looks like a place where they rent rooms by the hour.

Back at Kountry Air, Gigi was fixing us a delicious meal of Chile Relleno or is it Chiles Rellenos ? Help Aaran! Gigi and Don are special people and we hope to keep in touch with them. Thank you for your hospitality.

We are moving to Maxwell Air Force Base, but more about that later.

Carol found a dime in our car and we told her to make it official, money found on the walk, that she had to drop it on the ground. She did and we found .10 cents today. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, October 11

2011-10-11T18:19:00.000-05:00

Ruth took us out to mile marker 122 this morning and we were off. Before too long, we came to Swift Creek. There being no shoulder on the bridge, John and I waited until there was no traffic was coming in either direction, then we ran for our lives. OK, it probably wasn't that dramatic, but we didn't spend much time looking at the scenery, we needed to get across quickly.

On we walked until we arrived at the Chef 2 Go Cafe, featuring sausage and biscuits for .99 cents. Two very nice ladies greeted us as we walked in, ordered our biscuits and watched as one lady was trying to learn how to run the cash register and the other was trying to teach her how. The sausage and biscuits were good - very good.

We walked on until we came to our home away from home, Kountry Air RV Park. Assembled out front, were Carol and Ruth, Gigi and Don, the owners, Gigi's mother and Crystal a resident of the park. Also, Jolie Blonde and an unidentified dog. They held up our Coast to Coast banner for all to see and we stopped for a break and a photo opportunity. John and I haven't seen a celebration like this since 4 people did "the wave" for us back in Springerville, AZ.

We had to break up this celebration as we still had 5 more miles to go. A short distance from the park, we spooked 3 deer as they were grazing along the road. We passed the A & J Bent and Dent Grocery Store, but more about that later.

Carol and Ruth were waiting at mile marker 135. We did 13 miles today and all we had to show for it was a spoon. Stay tuned ...

Monday, October 10

2011-10-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

This morning we drove back to Hillcrest Baptist Church and started walking east toward Prattville. John had his umbrella and I wore my rain gear as the weather forecast was rain. We shouldn't have bothered, the sun came out and it was a great day to take a hike.

Nothing unusual about todays walk. We passed by several more produce stands that were closed. A man in a pick-up truck hauling his Kaboda tractor behind stopped and talked. He informed us that this was the small community of Billingsley. There were no buildings in sight, so I asked him how can you tell. He just laughed and said the community was off the highway and that there was a high school, 3 churches and about 200 families that lived there.

He also added that his sister-in-law worked at the Fat Girls BBQ Cafe just up the road. We had seen it driving out to the starting point, but didn't have the nerve to ask him if she was one of the fat girls.

On we walked until we arrived at the Country Mart, just across the highway from Fat Girls BBQ Cafe. On the door was the usual sign, "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service", but the owners had added, "Pull up your pants".

We "sprinted" across Little Mulberry Creek as there was very little shoulder to walk on.

Up ahead were Carol and Ruth. 13 miles today and we found .01 cent. Stay tuned ...

Sunday, October 9

2011-10-09T18:33:00.002-05:00

Last night our hosts, Gigi and Don, treated us to "chestnuts roasting on an open fire". We had a campfire with roasted chestnuts last night. Gigi's mother, step-father and step-sister were there as well as Gigi's husband, Don.

The chestnuts were very good. They are rather large and since we had pear cake and sweet potato pie beforehand, one chestnut was all I could handle.

This morning we all attended the First Presbyterian Church of Prattville. The pastor, W. Bryant Hansen was from Memphis and his father-in-law graduated from the University of Arkansas. But, he kiddingly said "I wouldn't tell people you are from Arkansas", referring to the 38-14 win overAuburn.

On to lunch at Applebee's and then home to give our dog, Jolie Blonde, a bath. She's much cleaner now.

Tomorrow we walk. Stay tuned ...

Saturday, October 8

2011-10-09T09:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after our walk, we moved from Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park to Kountry Air RV Park near Prattville, AL. The park is owned and operated by Gigi and Don. They just bought the park three months ago and are working hard to make some improvements. Don is originally from Colorado and Gigi from southern California. Very nice folks.

Ruth took us out to mile marker 96 this morning and we were off. Our walk took us through very similar scenery, the same as yesterday.

This is peach country with several roadside produce stands along the highway. Trouble is, this is not peach season and all but one stand was closed.

We came to the small town of Maplesville where there was a rest stop. John had a quick nap and we were off. Just a short walk ahead was a Chevron station and an Oreo Ice Cream Bar for John and me.

Carol and Ruth were waiting for us in the parking lot of Hillcrest Baptist Church. The sign out front had a interesting message for John and me. And for everyone else.

Today we found a bungee cord and .16 cents. Stay tuned ...

Friday, October 7

2011-10-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

We started walking today at the intersection of Highways 82 and 25. Within a short time we were walking through Centreville, Alabama. The Cahaba River flows right through the center of Centreville, (maybe that is how it got it's name) with a business district on our right and one on our left. Therefore, we didn't see much of Centreville as we were walking down the center (of Centreville).

On we walked amongst Kudzu and pine trees. We are once again walking along the edge of the Talladega National Forest. Highway 82 has turned into a 2 lane road with a shoulder that is all of a foot wide. But traffic is light and when an oncoming car doesn't pull over for us, sometimes they can't, we just step into the grass.

Towards the end of our walk, we met a man probably in his mid 40's, walking on the same side of the road as us. He said he was going to Tuscaloosa and did I know of a store ahead. I told him the closest store was in Centreville. He seemed to think that was alright. He asked us where did we start walking and we replied, California. He asked when did we start and I told him it was a long story. I asked him if he needed water and he said he was OK. He seemed like a pleasant fellow and we saw him about 2 hours later when we passed him in our RV. He had almost gotten to Centreville. More about moving tomorrow.

Today we found .42 cents. Stay tuned ...

Thursday, October 6 (part 2)

2011-10-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, we moved from Lake Lurleen State Park to Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park. It is a little out of the way, but with RV parks few and far between, you go where you can.

This is a small but very unique park. There are 25 campsites and many rustic and historic cabins for rent. Lisa, the manager, was very helpful and informative when we arrived here. She is a great asset for the park.

The park is the site of a blast furnace and rolling mill established in 1861. In 1863 the Confederate government purchased the facility for $600,000. paying in Confederate currency. The Confederate government spend large sums of money expanding and improving the works.

In March of 1865, the Tenth Missouri Calvary torched the ironworks, thereby shutting off a source of iron for the Confederacy.

Revived after the war, the works were shut down permanently in 1894, modern technology having taken over.

Thursday, October 6

2011-10-06T18:38:00.000-05:00

When Ruth took us out this morning, we could see and smell smoke along the highway. A fire somewhere. Someone probably clearing some brush. We started walking and soon came to the smoke, but it wasn't bad, so on we went. The weather was perfect today. Sunny and crisp.

We walked through the town of Eoline. It looks like it had been hit by a tornado. Lots of trees down and a fire engine sitting outside, no firehouse. John said that it doesn't run anyway. It's just there so people will think they have fire protection.

On we walked until we came to the Cahaba River. Best looking river we have seen in a long time. A sign advertised that you can tube down it. Clear and flowing, it looked like a good float stream. If I just had my fishing rod and an Alabama fishing license.

Up ahead, Carol and Ruth were waiting for us. We found .88 cents and a fork in the road. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, October 4

2011-10-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

We started our walk in ht e suburb of Northport this morning. Before long we had reached the Black Warrior River and started across the Woolsey Finnell Bridge during morning rush hour traffic. I don't want to do that again. There was a 2 foot area to walk on our right and a guard rail on our left, the type that keeps you from falling into the river, it didn't even come to our waist. Total concentration and tunnel vision got us across. (I know, we're walking on a bridge). I don' know what the river looked like, I didn't look down. We were both very relieved when we arrived on the other side. We also came to two other bridges that offered some difficulty.

On we walked passed the campus of the University of Alabama (boo). After that we walked through an area that was devastated when a tornado ripped through here on April 27th. The debris has been removed leaving a very large area devoid on any type of building. Rebuilding will be a long process.

On we walked passed the Best Buy store that John and Ruth had to take their computer, it crashed. They bought a new one and got to talking to the sales associated, Will. It turns out that Will had worked at the Best Buy store in Centreville, VA, where John and Ruth's daughter, Jona, lives with her family.

Will's dad is a helicopter pilot and had just returned home from Afghanistan. A shout out to Will and we are glad your dad is safely home.

We walked on until we got to a Shell station. After using the facilities, we had a snack. A Little Debbie Zebra cake for me and a bag of pork rinds for John.

Five more miles and Carol and Ruth were waiting for us. We found .66 cents today. That includes the .13 cents that Ruth found in a McDonald's parking lot. Stay tuned ...

Wednesday, October 5

2011-10-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

Ruth took us out to mile marker 60 this morning. We walked in the wet grass as cars sped by us going to Tuscaloosa. The morning rush.

We passed throught the town of Duncanville. There was a service station, all purpose store there, John's.

The sun came out and the traffic became lighter and John and I walked. That's what we do best. We were walking on the border of the Talladega National Forest. And yes, there are lots of trees. Not much else and not much to report.

We stopped at the County Line Grocery and Gas Station. Closed, boarded up. Oh, well, we were almost finished anyway.

We waited for Ruth and Carol to pick us up. We found a knife, a small screwdriver and .16 cents. Stay tuned ...

Monday, October 3

2011-10-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Carol and I didn't feel very good, so while John and Ruth attended the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, we stayed home and rested.

That evening, we roasted "6" hot dogs over an open fire. Very good even with Jolie Blonde in your face begging for a bite.

Ruth took us out today around 7 am and off we went. It was chilly this morning, in the 40s, but the sun was out and it turned very pleasant. The highway had a good shoulder and we were soon walking through Northport, AL, a suburb of Tuscaloosa.

A man in a pick-up pulled over and said, "I have seen you guys for the past 3 days and I just had to find out what we were doing" We explained what we were doing and he said, "Well, that makes sense now". He wished us good luck and we were off. A little bit later, we stopped to chat with 2 young men picking up trash. They were very much impressed by what we were doing and had indeed heard about Habitat. We were off again.

John stopped for an soft serve cone, but I passed it up as I wasn't sure how my stomach would take it. I'll buy two later, to make up for the one missed.

At mile marker 48, Carol and Ruth picked us up. We had a good coin day, $1.80 in coins. Stay tuned ....

Saturday, October 1

2011-10-03T17:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we moved the RVs from Country Living RV Park near Columbus, MS to Lake Lurleen State Park, just west of Tuscaloosa, AL.

The park is named after former Governor George Wallace's first wife. Our campsite and the park is very beautiful, scenic and wooded. Trouble is, no phone service and that means no working laptop.

Ruth dropped us off at the Rock Bottom Baptist church and we were off. Not bad walking today, a far cry from yesterday. We walked through the town of Gordo and kept walking. No donuts or ice cream today. We came to the Sipsey River, which looked more like a swamp than a river, climbed a big hill and there was Ruth and Carol waiting for us.

Today we found a fork in the road, a very large wrench, (I even tried to do some bridge repair work with it) and .34 cents. Stay tuned ...

Friday, September 30

2011-10-03T17:17:00.002-05:00

Last night we were invited to dinner by the owners of the RV park where we are staying. Art and Bessie Shaw are a couple that we probably won't forget. Art was 20 and Bessie was all of 15 when they were married. On Oct. 3rd, they will celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary.

We had a delicious meal of fried catfish, cole slaw, eggplant puffs, sweet ice tea and we finished off with sweet potato pie. Southern cooking at it's best.

Art and Bessie owned a 20 lane bowling alley in Greenville, MS for many years and thought they wanted to retire. But instead they bought a 40 space RV park 16 years ago and are still running it.

They can tell one funny story after another in their MIssissippi southern drawl. I could listen to them all night. Carol almost did. After dinner Bessie gave Carol her 2nd crochet lesson.

This morning Ruth and Carol dropped us off and they went back to Columbus to shop for the last time.

The first 5 miles were routine, but then we hit the high grass. The highway went from 4 lane divided, to 2 lane undivided. Went from wide shoulder to no shoulder. And when all the traffic is funneled into one lane, there is twice as much traffic. Did I mention the tall grass? Two and three feet grass with foot high fire ant mounds that you couldn't even see. Now add vines that try to trip you at every step. I would rather get tangled up in some life threatening Kudzu.

The trick is to keep walking, that will get you out of most tight spots. The road is always better up ahead. Our reward for all this tough walking was a Nestles Crunch ice cream bar at the Shell station in Reform, MS.

By the way, all churches here are Reform.

Ruth and Carol were waiting for us at the Rock Bottom Baptist Church. Another 12 miles in the book. We found an Alabama motorcycle license plate, an Alabama license plate, a fork in the road and .11 cents. Stay tuned ...

Thursday, September 29

2011-09-29T20:38:00.002-05:00

What a difference a day makes. This morning the weather was perfect and the traffic was light. John and I started at the MS/ALstate line about 7 am. No gas stations, no towns and just a few houses.

But we did discover something that has been missing since Texas, mile markers. You wouldn't think something as simple as a mile marker would be so important, but they are. Odometer reading are subject to human error. If you forget to set the trip odometer, then you are just guessing as to the mileage. But mile marker are infallible. At least we are going to pretend they are infallible.

After several miles, a car pulled over to our side of the road. We thought, "Not another interview". It was not a reporter, but Kathy Arinder, executive director of the Columbus Habitat affiliate. She drove out to find us and to thank us for all the publicity that we created for the Columbus affiliate. Our interview was interspersed with clips of the blitz build that they are dong right now.

We thanked her for going to the trouble of finding us and she was on her way. Then we kicked ourselves for not getting a photo of the encounter.

We walked until the 12 mile marker where Ruth and Carol were waiting. We found a fork in the road and .58 cents. Stay tuned...

Wednesday, September 28

2011-09-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

I can describe this morning in two words, fog and traffic. Ruth deposited us on Highway 82 this morning and the traffic was very heavy and the fog thick. After a bit we came to the bridge over the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. No photos as all we could see was fog. On we walked to the Highway 182 overpass that would take us through downtown Columbus and might save a step or two in reaching the MS/AL state line.

Downtown Columbus was very nice. Lots of renovated old buildings and some old churches. Still no pics, fog.

But we were looking for a special building, a donut shop. On we tramped and what should appear, a Shipley's Donut Shop. When we entered, one of two old ladies sitting there said, "Are you the Walkers?" "No", John said, "My name is Goodman". Ignoring John's humor, she went on to tell us that we had been on the local TV news.

That was news to us as no one had contacted us. Our guess is that Peggy Branch in Starkville called Channel 4 in Columbus and told them about our walk.

Fortified by our glazed donut served by Kay, the donut lady, we proceeded on. It didn't take long before we realized that we were indeed being filmed by the Channel 4 News. We could see them up ahead. We were greeted by reporter R H Brown and his cameraman, Ralph of WCBI TV, a CBS station.

Mr. Brown requested an interview and we said of course. He interviewed us separately as Ralph did the camera work. It took about 15 minutes and Mr. Brown said it would appear this evening on local Columbus TV. We said our thanks and good byes and walked away as they continued to film us. They drove ahead of us and filmed us some more and again and again. I guess it was a slow news day.

John, his sweet tooth awakened by the donut, decided it wanted some ice cream. The first attempt at McDonald's failed as the ice cream machine was not on. But, Bullets Burgers, serving Eskimo Pie Ice Cream saved the day. John was happy as we continued walking.

But I was worried as this was our last day walking in Mississippi and we had not found a Mississippi license plate. Note: we have found at least one license plate in every state that we have crossed. But thanks to eagle eye John, not only did we find one, but two. What joy!

On we walked until we turned back to Highway 82, took the shortcut by scampering up the overpass ramp and we were back to our old familiar highway. At another mile we saw Ruth and Carol at the Mississippi/Alabama state line. "Sweet Home Alabama"

In the 13 miles that we walked, we found a pair of tin snips, two bungee cords, a spoon, two Mississippi license plates and .13 cents. Total money found in Mississippi - $ 1.81. Stay tuned ...

Tuesday, September 27

2011-09-27T20:01:00.006-05:00

Ruth took us out this morning and we didn't need to go far. We went to the Frye Road/Highway 182/Highway 82 junction and pulled off to the side of the road. John and I scampered up the concrete ramp and we were off on Highway 82 traveling east.

John had his umbrella and I had my rain jacket on. It was cloudy with a threat of rain. On we walked towards Columbus, MS. We passed Catalpa Creek and several catfish ponds. One pond had numerous egrets just waiting for a tender morsel to swim by.

It started raining in earnest by now, so we ducked under a handy overpass and called Ruth to pick us up. We had walked 8 miles and planned to do more if the weather cleared.

Also, this was moving day. We moved from Indian Mound RV Park to Country Living RV Park just west of Columbia. After lunch, Carol us out again and we did an additional 6 miles. This time it was sunny and hot. Rain gear in the morning and sun screen in the afternoon.

We will walk through Columbus tomorrow and there is a chance that we may make Alabama also. Today we found a bungee cord and a hard hat. Stay tuned ...

Monday, September 26

2011-09-26T22:59:00.000-05:00

If I said that the walk today was routine or even boring, I wouldn't be too far off. We walked on Highway 82, from the outskirts on the west to the outskirts on the east. There was a 30 percent chance of rain, but we managed to walk in the 70 percent no rain area.

When we came to the Frye Road overpass, we just slid down the concrete embankment and there was Carol waiting for us. Another .6 of a mile and we were home.

We did see an unusual site today. A young man was walking in the tall grass just to the left of us as we passed by. John said he had a "swing blade", but I didn't see it.

He said,"how y'all". We waved and walked on. Later, John told Ruth and Carol that a wild-eyed crazy man tried to attacked us with a swing blade. Yes, and they believed every word he said. Right girls?

I think we was harvesting his cash crop. The kind you smoke.

We did have another first today. Our first arrow, which is fitting as we are camped at the Indian Mound RV Park. We also found a wrench, a roll of tape and a large spoon. Stay tuned .....

2011-09-25T21:06:00.000-05:00

We attended the early traditional service at First Presbyterian Church of Starkville, Mississippi this morning. Peggy Branch met us at the door and introduced us to her husband, Larry. Larry was a retired professor at Mississippi State in the engineering department and Ruth asked Larry if he knew her brother, Wayne Parker, who also was a professor of engineering at MSU. Larry indeed knew Wayne and knew him well. Carol and I met Wayne on Phase II of the walk when we traveled to Chula Vista, AZ. 'Tis a small world.

John was invited by the pastor, Dr.Olin McBride to briefly address the congregation about our walk and about Habitat in general. He commented about how a wonderful job the local affiliate did in recruiting the local college students to help with building Habitat houses.

After the service, we drove back to the RV park, changed clothes and headed out to walk another 6 miles. We now have 4 miles "in the bank" or you can say we are 4 miles ahead of schedule.

We had walked only a short distance, when we had a first. Something that had never happened on the walk before. We found a $1.00 bill. Our first paper money. We also found pair of needle nose pliers. Stay tuned ...

Saturday, September 24

2011-09-24T19:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, after the walk, we visited the office of the local Habitat affiliate. We met Freddy Rasberry, the executive director and Peggy Branch, assistant executive director.

This affiliate has built 47 houses and have been helped tremendously by the students of Mississippi State University. We posed for a photo holding our Coast to Coast banner, said our good-byes and were off to Wal-Mart to buy a new camera. Our old one just doesn't take good pictures anymore.

Today, Ruth took us out and deposited us somewhere along the highway. We're off for another 12 mile adventure. Before long we came to the small town of Mathison.

We stopped at the Shell station there and after using the facilities, we asked the guy behind the counter if he had any ice cream and to our dismay he said he did not. We were both very disappointed. I just walked out, but it didn't stop John from buying a bag of pork skins. People handle bad news different ways.

Up ahead we spotted a very large and beautiful black and yellow spider. That's kinda like calling a snake beautiful. Can anyone tell us the name of this spider?

Every since we started walking from Winona, about 6 to 8 tractor trailer rigs pass us each day with half a house, the other half not far behind. Our theory is that there is a manufactured house factory near by.

On we walked until we came to a sign that said, "Sansing, meat service, salvage groc. and sod farm. How handy." I'll take a pound of hamburger and Oh yes, a pallet of Zoysia sod."

Today we found a 3/8 socket and .31 cents. Stay tuned ...

Friday, September 23

2011-09-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

It was a bit chilly this morning when we headed out to the starting point. Also, there was a 30 percent chance of showers. It sprinkled a bit on us as we drove out, but by the time we arrived at the starting point, John and I decided to take a chance, no umbrellas and no rain gear. It was a good choice as we didn't get a drop of rain.

After our walk yesterday, we decided to find the Starkville Habitat ReStore. We found it with no problem, even though it is somewhat out of the mainstream business area. There we met Jim Wilson and Ross Collins. Both were retired and both were volunteers.

The ReStore was a metal warehouse building. It was full of the usual ReStore merchandise. Jim and Ross seemed to be enjoying themselves, so after a quick look around, we said our good-byes.

We soon passed by an old cabin or maybe it was a shed. Made of hued logs with mud chinked between the logs to keep the weather and critters out. Neat old building.

On we walked passed Old Greensboro, haunted by ne'er-do-wells and generally bad men.

At about the 10 mile mark, we came to the town of Eupora and as we walked over the overpass, I could see a McDonald's in the distance. Oh, wouldn't a ice cold sweet tea taste good right now. So close but yet so far away.

The last thing of interest we saw was an abandoned railroad track with grass and trees growing right in the middle of the track.

Today we found bungee cord, a penny, and a fork in the road. And, yes, we took it. Stay tuned .....

Thursday, September 22

2011-09-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

Carol and Ruth dropped us off today and headed for the McDonald's in Winona, while John and I slogged 12 more miles.

We are in semi-farm country. There are no huge agri-business farms like we saw in the delta. These are smaller farms growing mostly cotton and soybeans. And the cotton is ready for harvesting or soon will be.

I had to put a bandage on the second toe of my left foot today. A bit of a tender spot that might turn into a blister. Nurse Carol helped, she told me where the bandages were. Also, John has a blister under his toe on his left foot. Or, it might be his right food, probably one or the other.

We passed by the post office at Steward, MS and kept on going for another 3 or 4 miles. There was Ruth and Carol waiting for us. Yea!

Shortly we will be heading for the Cold Stone Creamery, a well earned treat.

Today we found a mourning dove decoy, a large screwdriver and .26 cents. Stay tuned .....

Wednesday, September 21

2011-09-22T06:40:00.003-05:00

"Goin' Back to Mississippi" by Otis Spann. That song explains it best. Yes, we are back in Mississippi, in Starkville, where Mississippi State plays Louisiana Tech on this coming Saturday.

Carol and I drove from Hot Springs to Starkville yesterday and met up with John and Ruth at the Indian Mounds RV Campground. We caught up on the latest gossip and had chicken and dumplin' for supper prepared by John and Ruth's neighbor, Betty. Thanks, Betty !

This morning we drove back to Winona and pulled into the McDonald's there. This was the stopping point for Phase III and is also the starting point for Phase IV. We went inside and sure enough, the two men that we talked to at the end of our walk in June, were there. We had a short visit and they remembered us and told us to have a safe walk this time.

So, off we walked in the fog. It was foggy for about 2 hours and then it started burning off. Only one photo today as it was too foggy to take pictures.

We are walking in rolling hills with some farming and some pastures. Not really anything interesting to take a picture of. Carol and Ruth meet us at the 10 mile mark. We found a 5/8 Snap-on wrench, a 6'' adjustable wrench and a dime. Stay tuned ......

2011-06-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

June 4

Shortly after Ruth and Carol picked us up on Tuesday, we received a phone call from my step-mother informing us that my 94 year old dad had fallen and subsequently taken to the hospital. Carol and I decided that the best thing to do was to leave the next day, Wednesday, for Hot Springs and then drive to St Louis on Thursday.

We also decided we had enough time to walk 6 miles on Wednesday morning and still have plenty of time to drive to Hot Springs. Also, it would end our walk at the McDonald's in Winona, Mississippi. A good place to stop and a good place to start Phase IIII and final phase of our walk. We managed to walk 429 mile, through Oklahoma, Arkansas and half of Mississippi.

It is frustrating to end our walk prematurely, but Phase I and Phase II ended that way also, so we shouldn't be surprised that this phase ended that way.

But family comes first. My dad has been moved to nursing home and is actually doing better. He is beginning to complain which is a good sign. Please keep our family in your prayers and we will be back in September to finish our Coast to Coast Walk.

Stay tuned .....

2011-05-30T17:37:00.001-05:00

May 30

Happy Memorial Day!

John and I carried American flags with us today in honor of Memorial Day. This is the 3rd time we have done this on our Coast to Coast Walk. Once in New Mexico, once in Texas and now in Mississippi.

We left the Mississippi Delta country today and said hello to hills and Kudzu. Kudzu was introduced to the US in 1876. Kudzu was used for erosion control and in the depression era and during that time the Civilian Conservation Corps. planted hundred acres of this fast growing plant. Now it covers seven million acres of land in the deep south. Herbicides have little effect on it. The only know way to get rid of it is to buy a herd of goats and let them eat it.

On we waked until we spooked a small herd of deer. They were in a wooded area beside the highway and when we scared them, they took off across a field and disappeared.

Ruth and Carol were there with cold water and cold orange slices. Thanks girls.

Today we found a socket, a socket extension, two fishing bobbers, a Mexican Raslin Mask and .27 cents. Stay tuned ......

2011-05-28T15:58:00.003-05:00

May 28

We started walking this morning where Ruth and Carol picked us up yesterday. It was in front of Heartland Catfish, a catfish processing plant. No wonder we saw so many catfish ponds.

At about the 4 mile mark, we started to enter Greenwood, MS. Greenwood is almost surrounded by rivers. The Tallatchie River flows east and is north of Greenwood. It is joined by the Yalabusha River. At that confluence, the Yazoo River is born and flows west, south of Greenwood. And I'm not making the names of these rivers up. Both the Confederate and Union forces had gunboats on the Yazoo River during the Civil War.

There was a McDonald's ahead and we decided it was time for a break. A sweet tea for me and John had a coupon for a free Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. Yum-O.

Fortified we headed out again. In a short time we came to the Keesler Bridge over the Yazoo River. The Yazoo was up and muddy, no fishing today.

We walked 13 miles today and we are east of Greenwood, Mississippi. We found 2 sockets and $1.22 in coins. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

May 27

It was chilly this morning when Ruth took us out to the starting point. We started in flat farmland. Rice, corn, soybeans and now we are seeing more commercial catfish ponds.

We walked on and on today. Nothing exciting happened today, except a very large tractor passed by.

We passed through the town of Itta Bena, birthplace of blues great B.B. King and home to Mississippi Valley State University. It is also the place of a civil rights march from Itta Bena to Greenwood, Mississippi in which activist Stokely Carmichael coined the phrase, "Black Power".

Itta Bena is a Choctaw phrase that means "camp together" or "home in the woods"

After 13 miles we met Ruth and Carol and celebrated a big milestone in our walk today.

We crossed the 2,000 mile mark. We broke out our very best plastic glasses and toasted one another. Our drink of choice was BingBlack Cherry Cider, very non-alcoholic, but very tasty. John texted his children and told them about our milestone. Doug, John and Ruth's oldest son, texted back, "Amazing Feat! and Amazing Feet".

John and I could have never have done this without Ruth and Carol. They do all the "other stuff" that you don't hear about. Take us out, pick us up, prepare our meals, wash our clothes, shop for groceries, etc. Thank you Carol and Ruth!!!

Today we found a deep socket and .11 cents. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

May 25

Ruth took us out today and we started walking toward Leland, MS. We were there in a short time and saw the sign, "Highway 61 Blues Museum. More about that later.

Mississippi being a poor state can't afford shoulder on highways. We have about 18 inches of asphalt shoulder and 5 feet of gravel shoulder. The gravel is almost impossible to walk on. It's like walking in sand, no traction. So while John walked on what little bit of shoulder we had, I chose to walk where the gravel meets the grass. A little bit better than walking in the gravel. But that wasn't the big problem. The big problem today was wind.

You would have thought we were in west Texas or Oklahoma. Strong wind from the south. Knocks you off your stride and it makes you feel awkward.

A few miles out of Indianola, a first happened. We were delayed by a train. We heard it before we could see it and since we needed a break anyway, we just waited for it to pass. It was a long train and it took a while for it to pass. Which was OK since we now were fresh and decided to walk another mile, 13 miles for the day.

After Ruth and Carol picked us up and we came back to the RVs, we ate lunch, showered and Carol and I went back to Leland to visit the Highway 61 Blues Museum.

We walked in and a local musician was playing Delta Blues on the guitar. The museum is heavy on local blues musicians, but it did have some memorabilia on B B King, Muddy Waters, Howl'in Wolf, etc. We left a tip in the tip jar for the guy playing guitar and left for Indianola and the B B KIng Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. We were met by Ann Jennings Shackelford who is the Communications Director for the Museum. If you haven't figured it out by now, Carol and I are big blues fans, Zydeco music also, but that is a different story. The museum is fantastic. It tells the story of B B's life and how music shaped his life. This museum comes highly recommended.

We told Ann about the walk and she got real excited and wants all to come back after tomorrows walk for some sort of interview,

Today we found a towel, a 7/16 wrench and .43 cents. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-24T19:50:00.001-05:00

May 24

Ruth took us to the starting point early this morning. As soon as we started walking, John and I were ambushed by swarming gnats. We were walking by some backwater, next to a field with tall grass at the edge. The gnats didn't bite, but there must have been hundreds of them and they sure are a nuisance. After a bit, we left all that behind and entered Greenville, Mississippi.

We are on Highway 82 which travels through Greenville, if fact, it goes all the way to Brunswick, Georgia, our destination. Greenville is on the MIssissippi River and is a poor Mississippi delta town, surrounded by farmland.

We stopped at a McDonald's to get some refreshments, ice cream cone for John and a Coke for me, which I soon switched to sweet tea. A group of older people were there eating breakfast and we soon got into a conversation with them. They were very impressed by what we had done and John kept dropping hints about a contribution, which fell on deaf ears. One fellow did ask a rhetorical question, "Is your intellect as bright as your orange t-shirts?". That is a difficult question to answer. Let's just say that some days are bright orange and some days are not so bright.

On we walked as some National Guard solders passed by in a short convoy. Casper said they have been down here for weeks, patrolling the levee and looking for leaks. Thanks Arkansas and Mississippi National Guard for keeping us safe.

We are almost to Leland, Mississippi. We found a 7mm socket, $2.17 in coins (this makes up for some lean days) and 2 forks in the road, we didn't know which one to take, so we took the one less used. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-24T06:47:00.002-05:00

May 23

Yesterday Carol and I attended worship services at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Village, while John and Ruth drove to Monticello and attended Pauline Missionary Baptist Church. They have some lifetime friends there and it was a good time to visit with them again.

Also, yesterday about 6:30 pm, John and I walked 2.8 miles to the RV park where we are staying. By doing that, no one had to take us to the starting point this morning. At 6 am, we simply stepped out of our RVs and started walking along the banks of Lake Chicot. Lake Chicot is the largest oxbow lake in North American and is the largest natural lake in Arkansas.

After a few miles, we were joined by Casper Pearson, who is John nephew. Casper is the supervisor of a construction crew that is widening Highway 65 from Lake Village to the approach of the Mississippi River bridge. Casper knew we were coming and he wanted to walk over the bridge with us. In a short time, we came to the bridge and started walking over.

The new bridge, completed in 2009, is the largest cable-stayed bridge across the Mississippi River. It is impressive and long, about 2.5 miles counting approaches. The old bridge, built in 1940, has, since 1972, sustained more barge collisions than any other bridge over the Mississippi. And because of that fact, the old bridge will be demolished.

A barge just happened to be going downstream as we crossed over. Casper had a crew member pick him up on the other side. Good job Casper.

WE ARE IN MISSISSIPPI!

This is a huge milestone for us. We have walked through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. No wonder my feet are sore.

Today we found and open end wrench, an Oklahoma license plate and .02 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-22T07:38:00.003-05:00

May 21

It was raining this morning when we got up, so our walk was delayed for a few hours. We are still in farm country and probably will be for a long time. That means all we see is wheat, rice, corn and soybean fields. And dead snakes.

A very large, and dead, water moccasin was laying on the shoulder of the road. It was probably 5 feet long. We don't want to meet a live one.

On we walked until Carol and Ruth picked us up just as we were entering Lake Village. We found an antique Arkansas license plate and .02 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-21T08:35:00.001-05:00

May 20

Ruth took us out this morning about 6:30 am. We were expecting a rather dull day, but it didn't turn out that way. After about 2 miles, we entered the town of McGehee. The locals pronunciation of McGehee is a bit puzzling. They call it McGee, what happened to the hee in McGehee?

We came to a Wal-Mart store and needed to use the facilities. Wal-Mart's outside patio furniture made the perfect rest stop. We asked an employee, Jane, if she would take our photo. When we told her what we were doing, she exclaimed, "O, my good Jesus !". Thanks for taking our picture, Jane, you have a great southern Arkansas accent.

And just next door to the Wal-Mart was a Sonic. It was about 8:30 am about then, so we ordered what we thought was appropriate for the occasion, a strawberry and hot fudge sundae. Yum-O!.

The next few miles we dodged farm tractors and ducked crop dusters. Yes, we are certain that a crop duster tried to due us in. It was spraying a field of rice and it came in very low just missing the power lines. Seriously, crop duster pilots are very skilled and take many risks. They are probably retired US Air Force Thunderbird pilots.

Don't think this adventure is all walk and no play. The last 2 days, John and I have been fishing on Lake Chicot from a pier. We both caught several fish, but of course since this is my blog, I caught more than John. For another opinion, check out John's blog.

We approached the Amish and Country Store just outside Dermott. This was not our stopping point, but Ruth and Carol were there. Can't pass up a good shopping opportunity.

We found a fishing bobber, a 1/2 inch socket, a metal spike and .26 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

May 19

Ruth and Carol took us out to the starting point today. The weather was cloudy and windy, with temps in the low 70s.

It wasn't a very exciting day. The highlight of the day was when a crop duster flew overhead. We did manage to walk through the community of Tillar. No gas station and no convenience store, just a few houses and farm equipment.

Yesterday, I told you about the Catfish Kitchen and all the good food they served. Well, after finishing 2 helping of banana pudding, the waitress came over and asked everyone if they wanted ice cream. John said he would like some, but I was stuffed and couldn't eat another thing. Then the waitress said, "Come on, you can walk it off".

We didn't find anything today, nada, zilch ! Stay tuned ....

2011-05-18T19:09:00.004-05:00

May 18

Yesterday we moved the RVs down to Lake Chicot State Park near Lake Village. When we checked in, the lady behind the desk said that the Mississippi River had crested and that the water was now going down. She also informed us that there is an abundance of wildlife in the park, more than usual. The animals are taking refuge from the flooded land.

Carol and Ruth took us out this morning and sure enough, we saw several deer. They dropped us off where we left off yesterday. It was the beginning of a construction zone. Usually that is bad news for John and I, but this time it turned out to be a blessing. We had a wide dirt road that was packed down by heavy equipment and it made good walking. We also had about half of a paved lane with orange barrels to protect us. It lasted for about 8 miles and we sure appreciated it.

We passed through the town of Gould, AR. A long time ago, a friend told me he had the best hamburger he ever tasted in Gould. I wonder if the Country Kitchen was that place?

On we walked through Dumas. Passed the McDonald's, Sonic and a Mexican Restaurant. Carol and Ruth were waiting for us about a mile on the other side. We decided to eat in Dumas and chose the Catfish Kitchen. We all had eaten here before and thought it was a good place. We don't eat out much on the road, but we do sometimes. The Catfish Kitchen comes very recommended. It was an all you can eat buffet and everything was good. Catfish, chicken, meatloaf, fried okra, pinto beans, etc. and all the dessert you wanted. Good banana pudding.

We found .02 cent. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-18T19:02:00.007-05:00

May 17

Ruth took us out to the starting point on a foggy, chilly morning. John and I started walking and in about an hour, the sun was burning away the fog and we had a pleasant morning.

This is farm country. There are fields of rice, corn, wheat and we think soybeans. Farm equipment and tractors are going up and down the highway. We saw a type of tractor that I had never seen before. Instead of wheels, it had two tracks. Probably good for wet fields.

We walked through the small community of Grady. Grady is John's middle name and also the name of one of his grandsons. John had me take a photo of him next to the Grady city limits sign so he could send it to his grandson.

We came upon the Cummins and Varner Correctional Institutes. There was a sign just before we got there warning motorist not to pick up hitchhikers. Also, don't pick up strange old men wearing orange.

Just as we entered a construction site, Ruth and Carol were there to pick us up. More about the construction site tomorrow. We found a bungee cord and .03 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-16T21:40:00.001-05:00

May 16

Yesterday we attended church services at the First Presbyterian Church in Pine Bluff. The young people of the church conducted the entire service and they did a good job.

John and I walked 6 miles that afternoon. The weather was perfect, sunny but not hot.

Today was another story. It was cloudy and cold the whole day. But the biggest factor was the wind. It was a cold wind out of the north and was not expected on May 16. We are on Highway 65 going south to Lake Village, Arkansas.

We passed by Noble Lake, an oxbow lake formed by the Arkansas River. Then on to the small communities of Linwood and Moscow. Ruth picked us up just passed the water tower at Tamo. Stay tuned.

2011-05-15T07:51:00.002-05:00

May 14

Yesterday we moved the RVs to Pine Bluff Regional Park and we are camped on the banks of Lake Langhofer. I is right in downtown Pine Bluff.

Our starting point today was about 5.5 miles west of Interstate 65. It was a bit chilly today and stayed that way for about 2 hours. Then it started warming up. After about 6 miles, we entered the municipality of Whitehall.

John had spied a Shipley Donut Shop on the way out, so on our walk back in, we stopped at Shipleys. Excellent donuts, better than Krispy Kream.

We walked on to Highway 65B, turned to the left and walked to the entrance of the regional park. Our 12 miles brought us exactly to the entrance. John found a boomerang and we found .48 cents. Stay tuned to see if John's boomerang comes back ...

2011-05-14T07:35:00.002-05:00

May 13

Doug Goodman, John and Ruth's oldest son, joined us today and walked 6 miles. Doug lives in East End and is the Student Ministry pastor at East Union Missionary Baptist Church. We started off in a slight fog, but it quickly burned off and the sun came out after about an hour.

We had a first today, our first bat roadkill. I guess its sonar wasn't working.

After Doug had left us, we walked on until we came to a Sinclair service station/grocery store. I bought John and me a Nestles Chocolate Crunch Bar. They come highly recommended. As we were leaving, a man that was pumping gas said, "Are you picking up the trash?". I might explain that a litter crew has been through here recently and there are plastic bags of trash along the highway waiting to be picked up. We said, "No were are not picking up the trash, but walking Coast to Coast for Habitat for Humanity". We went on to explain the details and the man, who was joined by another man, were impressed at what we had accomplished. They told us to be careful and we were on our way.

Today Doug found a compass. The type that fits on the dashboard of a car. We determined that we were going the right way. Doug also found a bungee cord. John and I found .40 cents. Stay tuned....

2011-05-14T07:29:00.000-05:00

May 12

Yesterday after the walk, we moved the RV to Southland Village RV park in Sheridan. We will stay here for 2 nights and then move on to Pine Bluff.

Ruth took John and I out early this morning and in a very short time we were crossing the Saline River. It was up and a bit murky from recent rains. This is not the Saline River that is in Howard County, near DeQueen. This is the Saline River that flows south in central Arkansas, near Benton.

Don Goodman, John brother, joined us again today and was about 4 miles with us. He told us about BelgiumBlue cattle that are raised by the Keesee family here in Prattsville. Seems that this breed of cattle is lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional cattle. (In attached photo, Belgium Blue cattle are in the background).

We said our good-byes to Don and headed for Sheridan. It is pronounced "Shur-don" by the local folks here. Sheridan got its name from Union General Phillip Sheridan. Somewhat of a rarity, naming a southern town after a Union general. This was done to placate the reconstruction government.

John and I walked into Sheridan and Ruth and Carol were waiting for us at the YellowJacket Drive-In. John remarked that it has been on this corner ever since he can remember.

After a quick shower, we drove back to Prattsville and had lunch with Don and his wife, Deronda and daughter Becky, who is expecting a child in September. Don is pastor of Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church and has been there since 1969, an impressive record. Thanks for a delicious meal, Don and Deronda.

We found an Arkansas license plate and .11 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-05-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

May 11

Carol dropped us off at Aaron's Rental in Malvern early this morning and in no time we were walking past the Acme Brick Company in Perla.

We stopped briefly at the Citco station and were on our way. Single file walking among the pine trees. Birds serenading us as we walk along. Suddenly, I heard John call out, "Dick, Dick". I turned around and there was John watching over a dead snake. I had walked right by it and didn't see it at all. Not being a snake person, It was very colorful, but I don't know what kind it is. Does anyone know what kind of snake this is?

We walked a little longer when John's brother, Don, pulled up in his pickup, parked it along the side of the road and joined us for about 4 miles. He was with us as we entered Poyen, population 272. John said that was just on weekends.

We walked to the other side of Poyen and Ruth was waiting to pick us up. She ever gave Don a ride back to his truck. We found .26 cents. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

May 10

Carol dropped us off at Bud's Liquor Store early this morning and we headed for Malvern. We soon passed by Reynolds Aluminum Continuous Rolling Plant at Magnet Cove. A fixture in Magnet Cove ever since Carol and I moved to Hot Springs.

We stopped for a break at a convenience store in Jones Mills and then kept on going. It was single file walking today. Very narrow shoulder.

We walked up a very steep hill, and just before we crossed Interstate 30, a woman was on the side of the road taking our picture. She didn't say anything until we walked up to her and discovered she was a photographer for the Malvern Daily Record. More fame, I don't know if we can handle it.

We stopped at a Fina station for a short break. John bought us both a Fudgesickle and as we were leaving, a man stopped us. It was an old schoolmate of Johns, Doyle Loy. We chatted for a while as our Fudgesickles were melting, but Doyle came to our rescue with paper towels. John explained that Doyle drove him and his cousin to school each morning.

On we walked until a voice rang out, "Are you Johnny?" It was another schoolmate of John's, J.R. Hardage. J.R. drives a truck over the road to Amarillo, TX every other day and has Fridays and Saturdays off. Ruth also knows J.R.

We crossed over the bridge and saw the Amtrak Station below. John said years ago, that this was the spot that Ruth won 1st place in the hog raising competition.

We walked pasted the old ice house and Ruth was waiting for us. We found 2 American flags, an Arkansas license plate and .32 cents. Stay tuned .....

2011-05-09T19:39:00.001-05:00

May 9

We had a guest walker join us this morning. Ken Goodman, star of the Vienna Theatre and John and Ruth's son, walked the first 3 miles today. We are walking on the Martin Luther King Expressway, from Airport Road to Malvern Avenue.

We walked by many familiar places, the intersection of MLK and Higdon Ferry Road where the main post office is located. Also, the intersection of MLK and Central Avenue. When Carol and I moved to Hot Springs in the mid 70's, both of these intersections did not exist. Higdon Ferry was a 2 lane wooded road, where the Garland Co Fairgrounds were located. Central Avenue was not much different. There were not many businesses past Central City and when Hot Springs Mall opened in the early 80's, things really started to change.

On we walked passed Hot Springs Creek and onto Malvern Ave. We are now on Highway 270 headed east. We passed Buddy Bean Lumber and Stratcor (formally Union Carbide). Ruth was waiting for us at Bud's Liquor Store. Ken found .07 cents while he was with us and I found another .01 cent. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

May 7

John and I started out at the Valero station on Airport Road and headed for the Hot Springs Municipal Airport where the Habitat staff had organized a reception for John and I and Ruth and Carol.

When we arrived at Cheswood Plaza, Debbie Scrivner and the Spa Pacers were waiting for us. The Pacers were going to accompany us to the airport and a police motorcycle escort was there also, thanks to Shawn and John.

We posed for photographs, pulled out our Coast to Coast Walk banner and we were off. Carol decided to walk with us too. On the way, several friends passed in their cars and shouted encouragement, Bill and Mary James, Rick James and Bill Pool. Bill slowed down enough to hand me a bottle of Gatorade. Thanks Bill !

About 50 people were waiting to welcome us when we arrived at the airport. I met Kateena Walker and her two daughters for the first time. Kateena will be the homeowner of the Coast to Coast Walk Habitat house and she was very excited.

Thank you everyone for coming to the airport to congratulate us for walking from Capistrano Beach, California to Hot Springs and to encourage us to continue Brunswick, Georgia. Thanks also goes to Darleen Sellers, who presented Carol and I with feet cookies, very creative. And a special thank you to the Habitat staff, SueAnn, Courtney, Joyce, Donna and Robert for putting this all together. You did a fantastic job! Stay tuned ....

2011-05-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

May 6

We started at the Log Cabin Liquor Store this morning. We walked single file all day as the shoulder was quite narrow. At times we even left the shoulder and walked in the weeds. Hopefully the chiggers are not out yet. We passed by the Pearcy post office and kept going.

This is familiar territory. Carol and I have passed by Pearcy on this highway many times, especially going to the Caddo River. Carol was waiting for us at the Valero station just before Wacaster Hill. We found $1.15. Stay tuned .....

2011-05-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

May 5

The starting point today was just east of Glenwood. The weather was cool and sunny. At about the half way point in today walk, the shoulder turned from good to very narrow which meant single file walking for the remainder of the day.

We were surprised when a black Suburban pulled over onto the shoulder. It was Patsy Harris, a good friends of the Goodmans and Mattsons. She was on her way to her house in Nashville (Arkansas) and knew we were on the road somewhere between Hot Springs and Glenwood. It was good to chat with Patsy and we hope to see her Saturday at the reception.

On we walked until we passed a house a we heard a voice coming out of the trees. "Are you out surveying?". "No", we replied, "Just walking across the US". "Are you walking for a cause?" can the voice again. We said, "Yes, for Habitat for Humanity". And again from the trees with no one in sight, "Are you taking donations?". That got our attention. We backtracked to find out who was this mysterious voice. It was Carl Hall and John instructed him to send his contribution to the Habitat office.

On we walked until Carol picked us up at the Log Cabin Liquor Store. We walked 11 miles and found .22 cents. Stay tuned .....

2011-05-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

May 4

Ruth dropped us off in downtown Kirby this morning and we headed for Salem and Glenwood. We walked through Salem which is just a crossroads and not much more.

As we approached Glenwood, we saw a man in a beekeepers outfit checking the honeycombs in the beehives that he had. I guess he was seeing if there was enough honey to harvest.

On we walked pasted a herd of goats. They looked content and probably give good milk. This must be animal day because the next thing we saw was a llama. He/she came charging at us and luckily there was a fence between the llama and John and I.

We crossed over the Caddo River and it was up and murky from the recent rains. Carol and I have taken out here on many a float trip down the Caddo. Caught a few fish too.

On we walked through Glenwood and beyond, but not before we stopped at a Shell station for an ice cream sandwich.

Ruth and Carol picked us up after 11 miles. We found a penny and our first Arkansas license plate. Stay tuned .....

2011-05-03T20:04:00.000-05:00

May 3

Ruth dropped us off on a cool but cloudless morning and we walked in sunshine today. We could see the bridge over the Little Missouri River and we soon crossed over. The river must be twice its normal size or ever bigger than that. It has rained hard here for the past 2 days and rivers and creeks are overflowing.

We walked into the small town of Daisy, population 109. When we stopped at the towns only gas station, the lady behind the counter told us about a group of Boy Scouts that had been rescued by helicopter that morning. We had seen a mobile TV station truck from Shreveport yesterday and today and wondered why they were in such a small town. We are glad all the boys got out safe and sound and maybe a little wet.

Up the highway a few miles a fellow pulled over and said. "You guys look like you are walking with a purpose". He had seen us several times as he drove up and down the highway and wanted to check on us and what we were doing. He also gave us a compliment. "You look like you know what you are doing". Thanks. We have learned a few things along the way.

Up ahead a crew was working on the bridge across Lake Greeson. It was one way traffic and we stopped and talked to one of the flagmen. John told him we felt a special kinship to anyone wearing orange. We crossed the bridge and on the other side we told the flagwomen about our special kinship.

She laughed and told us to be careful.

We walked a few more miles and came to the town of Kirby. 12 miles today. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-02T19:13:00.000-05:00

May 2

It was pouring down rain this morning at the Oak Grove Campground, so we decided to move the RVs to Daisy State Park this morning and walk in the afternoon. We drove to the park and was greeted at the office by Becky Russell. We got to talking to Becky about our walk and the fact that we were raising money to put a single mom with two daughters in an affordable, decent Habitat house. Turns out Becky was a single mom with two kids, but that didn't stop her from handing John a $20. bill to help pay for the house. I don't think state park employees make very much money, so $20. was probably a big sacrifice for her. Reminds one of the bible story where the widow put two small copper coins in the offering and Jesus said whe has put more in the offering than any of the others. They gave out of wealth, while she gave out of all she had to live on.

We set up the RVs and after lunch, Ruth took us out to the starting point. As we were walking along, we started talking about our dog, Jolie Blonde. She is a female, yellow lab with a great disposition. Trouble is, she trembles at the sound of thunder. And we have had thunder and rain and wind ever since Lake Murry at Ardmore, Oklahoma. She was in the motorhome when the tree fell on it and poked 2 holes in the roof. So, if anyone knows a good dog phychiatrist for a shell shocked lab, let us know.

Speaking of dogs, we must have a special effect on dogs. They seem to like us. Another young dog decided to join us and almost right from the start things went wrong. It escaped be a road kill by about a foot. We tried everything to discourage this dog, but he/she seemed intent on go with us. After a bit, it decided it was too far from home and left. Our score in saving animals is ... elk -1, dogs - 2.

We walked through New Hope and I stopped in at the post office to see if I knew the postmaster. For those who don't know, I worked at the post office for 18 years. I didn't know her, but in talking, I found out that she and her husband took a motorcycle trip out west and passed through many of the same towns that John and I walked through.

On we walked when a log truck driver stopped and said, "Are ya'll broke down?". A person could take that different way. John's feet hurt and my right knee doesn't feel too good. But, no, for two guys pushing 70, we are not "broke down". We told him we were walking on purpose and thanked him for checking up on us.

When we started this morning, I asked John if he thought it would rain. "Naw, not until this evening" So, I left my rain gear in the car. At the end of our walk today, Ruth and Carol picked up two very wet walkers. John is better at saving dogs than forecasting the weather. Stay tuned ....

2011-05-02T19:07:00.000-05:00

May 1

We attended church services at Memorial Missionary Baptist Church. John and Ruth know the assistant pastor, Joe Carlton and his wife Edna Mae. John went to seminary with Joe and has know Edna Mae from his college years. Joe's son, Jason, also a Baptist minister, lead the service.

We don't normally walk on Sunday, but with Mondays weather forecast 80% chance of rain, we thought we might get in a few miles. So, after lunch at Papa Poblano's, we drove back to the RVs, changed into walking gear and Carol and Ruth took us out to the starting point, the outskirts of Dierks. Dierks was very quite on a Sunday afternoon as we walked through. There is a large Weyerhaeuser lumber plant here.

Around 1897, Herman Dierks, along with his brothers, Hans, Peter and Henry, bought a sawmill and lumber yard in DeQueen, Arkansas. Their company name was Dierks Lumber and Coal Co. Within 30 years, they had purchased more than 1.2 million acres of timber to become the biggest producer of pine lumber in the South. In 1969, 23 years after Herman Dierks death, the company sold all of its assets to Weyerhaeuser Co.

After a few miles, we passed by a forest tower. John thought it was a giant deer stand. We had walked 7 miles. Stay tuned ...

2011-04-30T18:09:00.000-05:00

April 30

Ruth and Carol took us out to the starting point this morning. It was misting rain and a bit chilly. We are on Highway 70 and 71S and after a bit Highway 70 turns to the north while Highway 71S continues straight.

We know we are in Arkansas. hills and pine trees. This must be the 'pine tree coridor' as we have nothing but pine trees on both sides of the highway.

But after about 6 miles we entered what I will call the Woolsey Creek and Saline River valley. Lush pastureland and flat walking. (Note: this is not the Saline River that flows south of Benton.) Nothing really different or exciting happened today. We did manage to walk 13 miles and we found a nickel. Stay tuned ....

2011-04-29T21:17:00.001-05:00

April 29

Yesterday we moved the RVs to DeQueen Lake and are camping at Oak Grove campground. Lots of trees and the lake is within walking distance.

Ruth dropped us off 6.5 miles west DeQueen and with that started an eventful day. We soon walked by the Sevier County Airport and then to the outskirts of DeQueen. As we walked by the Big D Pizza and Pine Bowl, a cute little puppy crossed the highway and decided that we needed company. We were both concerned that the dog would get run over and despite our efforts to shoo the puppy away, he still wanted to be our friend.

Quick thinking John had an idea. We were passing by a veterinarians office, when John picked the puppy up and took it inside. He convinced the staff there that the puppy belonged to people down the highway and that if it kept following us, it would surely get run over. We rescued an elk in New Mexico, not we saved a puppy in Arkansas.

While this little episode was going on, a truck pulled over and a man go out and started talking to John. It was Allen Mallette, brother of Larry Mallette. Larry is a good friend of John and Ruth's and serves on the Board of Directors of GCHFH.

Allen wished us good luck and walked back to his truck while we walked on passed the Dairy DeQueen and into DeQueen.

We passed by the KDQN radio station and John wanted to go in and tell them about the walk. They were waiting for us. Allen had stopped on his way through town and said there will be two guys in orange walking this way very soon. When we walked in the receptionist said, "We were expecting you". In addition to radio, the station has an online newspaper. There website is

www.kdqn.net.

On we walked until we met up with Patrick Massey, reporter for the local weekly newspaper, DeQueen Bee. He asked us about our walk and we gave the usual information and then John added that it is not about our walk, but about Habitat for Humanity. About the work they do worldwide and in affiliates all over the US.

We crossed over Pepper Creek and in a short while Ruth and Carol picked us up. We found another half inch wrench and .39 cents. Stay tuned ...

2011-04-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

April 28

"Arkansas 'ol Arkansas, I just love 'ol Arkansas

I love my Ma and I love my Pa

But I just love 'ol Arkansas

I just love 'ol Arkansas"

Lyrics by Roger Miller

Sung by Ken Goodman at the Vienna Theatre (across from Bathhouse Row, great show)

Goodbye Oklahoma, Hello Arkansas. We entered our home state today and it sure felt good.

Onward to Hot Springs! (and beyond).

The day started off a bit chilly when Ruth let us off. John and I both had jackets on, but quickly shed them when the sun came up and warmed us. After just a bit, we crossed the Mountain Fork River and a very narrow bridge. In fact, we crossed several narrow bridges today.

The Mountain Fork is the biggest river around here and floaters travel down it in the spring and summer.

The shoulder here is a bit narrow, so we walked single file and waved at all the truckers. Log trucks, trucks hauling chickens to the processing plant in Broken Bow and many more trucks of all descriptions. We found a pile of pennies along the highway today, probably 30 or 40. If I haven't mentioned it before, all monies found on the highway are being donated to the Coast to Coast Walk Fund. We should have about $10. by the time we finish this phase at Greenville, MS.

Please help us fund this Habitat house by making a donations to Garland Co. HFH, PO Box 171, Hot Springs, AR 71901. Help us make a difference in the life of a low income, deserving family by making a donation today. Thank you.

Carol and Ruth were waiting for us when we arrived at the Oklahoma/Arkansas state line. High fives, congratulations, photos and champagne (well Gatorade and water).

Today we found a half inch wrench and .85 cents. Tomorrow we walk through DeQueen, ARKANSAS ! Stay tuned ....