Live from a real computer!

It just never stops: the good, the bad, the sun, the rain, everything. Crazy, man.

Yesterday there was hours and hours of clear, sunny skies. Not good when you're walking west or south (which happens to be the two directions I've been walking exclusively). Then, out of nowhere, it rained. Still walking along US Route 17 South, the hospitable southerners just kept driving by.

About a mile into the rain I passed a house. I looked over for a second and saw two figures sitting in the garage. A split second later I heard one of them yell for me, clearly inviting me to take shelter with them in the garage. I welcomed the invitation.

I hung out with the two black gentlemen--Al Edwards and Robert E. Lee--for about four hours before they took me about ten miles down the road to a truck stop. Lots more to say about this, but not much time right now. Awesome guys. Really great people.

Earlier in the day I encountered a bicyclist who had seen me walking the previous day. His name is Peter Masiello (from near New York City), and he is riding the entire Atlantic coast (or most of it) from Florida northward. Having just purchased two videotapes at a drug store for way too much money before our encounter, Peter asked if he could take care of the cost of the tapes. I obliged. He ended up giving me $22. (The tapes cost about $13). We talked for probably close to an hour. It was nice conversation. Thanks Peter. You're too kind.

Not ten minutes after Peter took off in the opposite way from myself, another bicyclist passed me going the same direction. He stopped and we talked for 20 or 30 minutes. His name is James Dolan, and he is also from the NYC area (northern New Jersey). Oddly he is biking the Atlantic coast from NJ to Kennedy Space Center (where his son lives). Another great guy. He gave me his phone number and told me he would be staying in Beaufort (BYOO-fert, locally). He said if I make it that far and see a bike outside a motel room, knock and he'd let me get a shower and stuff. But after getting a ride to Beaufort, I ended up calling him. He told me where he was staying, and "Wayne & Kim" (need to double check those names) drove me right up to room 111.

Unfortunately, somehow I lost my Aussie type hat during the ride in the back of Wayne and Kim's pickup. That sucks because I really like that hat. I got it in Panguitch, Utah close to ten years ago. It helped me keep hair, sweat, and sun out of my eyes and face. Now I need to buy a new hat. Not an expense I planned for. Well, the way things are going, expenses don't matter much because Wayne & Kim also gave me a 20. (I'm trying to get desperate, but people are too damn good to me.) Thank you Wayne and Kim. (Jeez I hope I'm getting all these names right. I have them on tape instead of my notebook, so it's hard to reference.)

Correction?: I said I camped near Ten Farms Creek or something like that. I think it may actually be Tea Farm Creek. Still not sure, but that's what the fellas told me.

Oh yeah, and I think Al and Bobby are Gullah people. They speak with very Jamaican sounding accents, as do many (or most) of the black people in this area, even though they were born and raised here. I can't believe I have never learned anything about these people or their history. I need to come back to get some more time with Bobby.

From here in Beaufort, James took off about an hour ago. Hopefully I'll catch up with him again for some more video opportunity. This is a good story. I'll probably keep going south all the way to Cape Canaveral (instead of Jacksonville) just to keep the correspondence with James. Oh yeah, and here is a URL about his journey: tourdejimodyssey.blogspot.com.

If you checked out Robert Paschell's web site, you haven't seen anything yet. His best designs are not on the site. (My favorite is "Pink Freud.") I'll try to post some pictures of his shirts whenever I make it back home, but I won't be there long, so I may not have time.

This is so much work. 18 hour days almost every day, and that is just the walking. Weird thing is that I can go several days without taking a shower and I don't get smelly. I guess it's all the water I consume. Instead of sweating toxic crap like usual, I'm sweating damn near 100% water. I had a shower this morning, though, so I feel very refreshed.

Time to find the Gump House, I guess. Beaufort seems to be a very cool town. I hope I didn't forget to mention anything important. (Oh yeah, there is a Best Buy around here somewhere!!! Now I can get some reasonably priced tapes.)

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