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LYN'S JOURNALS

May, 2003

May 12, 2003 - Monday

Wow! This is the day we have worked for, waited for, and looked forward to for sooooo long! At a bit before 8:15 we met in our room for a quick word of prayer - I could hardly pray because I got so choked up. Then we went out to our cars. Clayton, our motorcyclist from next door, was waiting for us. He followed us to the Peace Arch. There we used restrooms, then headed down to the Peace Arch to take pictures. Carol Mervyn was waiting for us, and not long after we saw Delbert coming. That was soooo fun. We took lots of pictures with many cameras. Clayton even took a Polaroid for us. Tomorrow he leaves on his 21 day motorcycle ride - I sure hope all goes well for him. He's been very nice, and has been so excited for us.

Finally our team walked through the Peace Arch and over to the parking lot singing God Bless America. Delbert, Carol, and Clayton walked with us. Clayton said good bye at the parking lot, and Delbert walked about ½ a mile with us while Carol walked about 1 mile. Judi also walked about ½ mile with us, then went back for the car. We walked right through downtown Blaine, then eventually that street turned into Peace Portal Dr. which went for a long way.

After about 4 ½ miles it was time to break for our Quiet Time. Judi met us and we drove back to the Peace Arch Park. There we spread out to pray, read our Bibles, and journal. Then we went to lunch at a little café in Blaine - I can't remember the name. The 3 guys who ran it were interesting - actually a bit strange, but friendly and nice. They are really trying to do their best. We really enjoyed them.

We then drove back to where we had stopped, and began our walking again. Continuing on along Peace Portal Dr. Eventually we came to the town of Custer. There we stopped at Tony's Tavern to use restrooms. They were very kind to us. One gal, Jan, really liked our hats. We told them what we were doing, left a magnet and a tract, said goodbye, and headed out.

JoAn left us at Custer and rode with Judi the rest of the day. That left Anne, Joni and me. We worked our way down along Peace Portal Dr. We kept seeing beautiful views of Mt. Baker. At Brown St. we tried to decide what to do. We talked to John Wiley, a CTC Signal Maintainer in Ferndale. He was working on the train signal. He told us a way to go along the tracks for a ways, then cross over to go further. We ended up on Malloy Rd. and that took us all the way to Main St. and on over to our motel. We walked in at about 7:30 PM, stopping first to get hot fudge sundaes, milk shakes, and whatever for dinner. We walked a total of 15.8 miles today.

I got things ready for tomorrow, ate my hot fudge sundae, and looked over maps for tomorrow. Judi came by to go over the maps with me. Then we said good night. Joni and I had our prayer time, then she went to sleep while I finished up on the computer. Finally I headed for bed too.

May 13, 2003 - Tuesday

Today we had our breakfast, got ready, then met in our room at 8:45 AM. We had our prayer time, then headed out. We walked from our motel room on Barrett Ave. It jogged a bit then continued on the other side of Axton. We found a better route as we went so called Judi to let her know. It works out great when we can call her with updates, but it won't always be possible. We stopped at a library in North Bellingham to use restrooms and ended up talking with several of the staff about what we are doing. That was fun.

We continued on a bit longer, then Judi met us to take us to Bible time and lunch. We ate at a Caesar's Pizza place. JoAn quit after lunch and Joni, Anne and I continued walking.

As we walked along Bakerview Rd. we met a man we had seen earlier. He stopped and talked to us, commenting how far we had come. We told him what we were doing and why. He asked if we prayed for service people, and we said absolutely - that that was a part of our purpose. He gave us his son's name in Afghanistan - David Clemo in army communications - age 23. The dad's name was Mike and very nice.

We made one or two minor changes that we let Judi know about. At Sunset Lake we stopped and let Cassie go into the lake and get a drink and soak her feet. Then we continued to Barkley and Woburn. We met Judi and JoAn there. Our mileage at day's end was 10.7 miles.

Then we drove back to the motel, and Anne and Joni got out while Judi, JoAn and I went to Haggens to get dinner for all but Anne. We took it out to the tables in the lobby to eat and to share from our Quiet Times. Then we set a time for departure in the morning and went to our rooms to do our own thing. Each of us had some business matters to take care of. Joni got most of her stuff out to the car. I did some, but then just organized what I had in the room, and went to work on maps for tomorrow's route. I also highlited the last two days routes, did my journaling and headed for bed.

May 14, 2003 - Wednesday

Today we got up and moving at a reasonable time, tho' it was later than we had wanted. We had our breakfast, then we headed out with all our cars to Bellingham to the parking lot where we had finished yesterday. We stayed together quite well. After parking and using restrooms we got started walking. It was beautiful as we walked past parks and a cemetery. We came to a funeral home called Jones - Moles Funeral Home. I had both Joans stand by the sign and took a picture.

Then we drove out to Concrete and got our RV spot, then went in the other cars out to the Double O Ranch to get the gals settled in. We went back to the RV (Dave, Russ and I) and got it all hooked up. The gals came soon and we headed to dinner. After dinner we went to the grocery store, then to the RV. I did my Quiet Time, and Dave worked on the computer. Then The computer froze up, and Dave had to call Dell for assistance. After two 15 minutes on hold he finally got some info. Basically hold the start/stop button for several seconds. That finally did it.

Then I did my journaling and we went to bed.

Our small mileage today was only 4.3 miles - we at least got through Bellingham.

May 15, 2003 - Thursday

Today - what a day! We had agreed to take the day off from walking in order to learn the computer and motor home things I needed to know. Joni stayed with me while the others went to Anacortes and Deception Island for the day. It all worked out very nicely.

Before Joni came over from the ranch Dave and I were working on transferring pictures from the camera to the computer. We looked at slide shows and did other things with pictures. We also transferred Joni's pictures to the computer. When she came we showed her what to do on the pictures.

Finally we set out to get some breakfast. We ended up at a restaurant down town - a cute little place with good food. That was actually brunch since it was after 11 AM already. Next we went to the Chamber of Commerce to thank them for their help in preparing for us to be in the area. We asked about a phone hook up for the computer. They suggested the Senior Center. We went there and they suggested the County Center. Before we left the Senior a man (Bill) came up to us and asked more about the walk. We explained what we were doing and he said we should go out to the airport to see Harold Hansen about a phone hook up. He said that would be a good place to drive the RV also - in the school parking lot.

Back to the RV to take it with us. We had it started once after we disconnected, but then it stopped and we couldn't get it going again. So, leaving Russ with the RV, We went out to the airport next, found Harold Hansen with the well manicured lawn, and found out where the phone line was for us to use for our computer. We were there about an hour or more working on our e-mail, etc. Finally we closed that all up and headed back to see how Russ was doing.

Soon we were on our way with the RV - Dave driving - to the high school. The high school goes right across the road to the airport - like a bridge over the road. Then I began the task of learning to drive the RV. I drove around the parking lot making turns, backing up, etc. Finally we drove around town, then I drove all the way to Sedro Woolley to get money from the bank. We got out some GAJ money, then headed back (with me still driving) to Concrete. We stopped to get propane, but they weren't sure where or how it worked. We left our phone number for them to call us when the guy came in - we went to get a bite to eat in the meanwhile. First we went to get Joni's car and our van, then to Annie's Pizza. When we went to get the cars Anne, Judi, and JoAn had just gotten there. We told them where we were going. Soon they joined us at Annie's. Russ and Dave got their pizza just in time to take it with them to get the propane.

While they were gone we ate, then left to go to our various spots for the night. Dave and Russ were still getting propane when I got back to camp. I kept busy getting stuff out to take with me tomorrow for hiking. The guys called to say they were having a problem with the propane tank and trying to get it filled and taking out The nozzle. Soon Anne stopped by to see how I was doing and to let me know that JoAn was checked into the motel there for the night.

Soon after that Dave and Russ came. We got everything hooked up and they told me about an RV repairman who "happened" along at just the right time to show the guy at the propane place how to get the pump nozzle out ok. It ended up with them working out a deal with him to come work on the RV while we're walking some next week.

Finally we got everything together, got our beds ready and got ourselves ready for bed, then Dave spent some time showing me how to transfer things to a CD from the computer. Then at last to bed!

May 16, 2003 - Friday - 13.8 miles

Today we got ourselves up and ready for the day. Joni came and we transferred her stuff to the RV, and Dave and Russ' stuff to her car. The others came and also brought some stuff into the RV. Then it was time to say good bye to the guys - that was really hard. Oh how I miss them both - they were such a big help to me and to all of us. LORD be with us gals as we try to do things. Give me much wisdom as the leader. I'll miss Dave terribly.

Finally we were ready to set out. We stopped at Burger King in Sedro Woolley so that I could get something to eat, and some of the others also got snacks. Then we continued on driving our route to the start point of today's walk. About 2 ½ miles into the walk we stopped at a Texaco station for restrooms and snacks. Then continued on. Much of the first part was around Samish Lake. It was really beautiful. Cassie killed a rabbit (may he rest in peace). :-) A bit later we saw a guy looking for his dog. Soon he drove by again, then he drove into a driveway. Then I saw a dog run into the driveway. We went over to check, and sure enough it was their dog.

At about 7 miles Judi stopped at the second Texaco station for us and we all piled in and went to a Tavern for lunch. Our waitress was very nice. I told her about the walk and what we were doing. She was thrilled.

Judi took us back to the Texaco station where we used restrooms and bought flag sweatshirts for 6, and flag tee shirts for 3. Then we walked on. Our route today took us past creeks and lakes and many beautiful homes. We saw Keith fishing (a wrought iron man with a fishing pole and Keith was the name on the mail box). We saw lots of buttercups. It didn't rain on us except for sprinkles a couple of times.

We continued on talking and laughing. Cassie rode in the car after our lunch. We walked some beautiful side roads today. What wonderful scenery. JoAn also rode in the car after lunch. Judi went shopping for RV items before lunch, then after lunch she went to Costco and other places to finish up her shopping.

We walked all the way to Cook Rd. which is the one that takes us into Sedro Woolley. We walked 13.8 miles. Judi called just before we got there to say they were just leaving Bellingham. We told her we'd wait in the Shell station. It took them half an hour more or less to get there. But we enjoyed drinks and snacks before they got there. It was quite comfortable waiting there, and the clerk was so nice. I don't think he even charged me for the donut I had. Finally they came and we drove back to our RV castle.

At our castle we got stuff put away - or at least out of the way - enough so we could go to bed. I read Romans 8 to them and we had a time of prayer. Then we all got into bed.

May 17, 2003 - Saturday

Today I got up quite early as usual. I went out to the van to have my Quiet Time, then came in to find the gals getting up one by one. We had our breakfast, then began the arduous task of organizing, putting away, cleaning - not necessarily in that order. We tried to empty sewage today and ran into a problem. Good timing since our repairman is coming tomorrow afternoon.

Mid-morning we had a call from Gary and Melody Runstadler - Dave's cousin and sister to Tim and Andy Stocking. They drove up from near Seattle just to see us and see how we were doing. They were in Sedro Woolley when they called and I told them how to find us. I told the girls we had company coming and all of us said we had to get our hair combed, teeth brushed, etc. Quickly we got ready and soon they were here.

We had a great visit with Gary, Melody, Angelica and Crystal. They want to share with their church about what we are doing, so they wanted to take pictures. We quickly put on our "uniforms" and got our cameras and took lots of pictures. I got some of them as well. What fun to have visitors in our little castle of God's Love.

After they left we went to lunch at Annie's Pizza. Annie came out and talked to us and found out we were walking across America, and suddenly she realized who we were. We had been communicating via e-mail - she is the Chamber of Commerce President.

Back to the RV to finish cleaning up, read e-mail. Soon we were able to actually take a break for resting, reading, phone calls, etc.

I talked to Dave twice today - we found some of his stuff and will mail it to them. They just passed Medford the last time. Gail called this evening. She said Sis and Stan had snow at their place, and they figured we did too. I told her we had snow at camp one night, but that was all.

We had our sharing time - and what a beautiful time we had. We talked about unity and not letting bitterness get a hold, and about celebrating God's love and experiencing His covering of love, and seeking His guidance as we join Him in this walk. We then had a time of prayer.

Finally we all made trips to the bathroom that the manager is letting us use while we get our system cared for. Then it was time for bed. Thank you LORD for a beautiful day.

May 18, 2003 - Sunday

Today was an absolutely incredible day. I was up at 5:30 to dress and have my Quiet Time. Then the others began getting up. We got dressed, ate, and headed out to church at Hosanna House. We wore our "uniforms" to church and people knew immediately we were not just ordinary visitors. The pastor asked who the spokesperson was, then asked if I would be willing to share. Soon He called on me to come up. I shared about the walk, introduced the team, etc.

After I sat down a girl sang a solo that just happened to be titled "Keep On Walking". It was like it had been written just for us. Wow. Then the Pastor's sermon was on Mark 5:21 & following. What a beautiful sermon. I think Judi and I cried all the way through the service. We talked to a lot of people afterwards and one lady gave us the names of two military personnel to pray for. One young man took pictures of us in front of the church.

Finally we left and went to dinner at Lotsa MaMa's. It was really good, and boy did we get the great treatment there as well. Ember, the owner, gave us $10.00 and asked us to keep in touch by U.S. mail or e-mail.

From there we went back to our castle and then Louie Goldner, the RV repairman, came. He began work immediately after going over the list with us. He gave us several pointers, and did quite a bit. He'll come by tomorrow afternoon to continue.

I worked on getting the files organized. I'm missing some of the cards that we've received from some of the people we've met along the way. But I did get a lot done . The gals did our laundry while I worked on all that stuff. Then we went back to Lotsa MaMa's to have their English Apple Pie. It was really good. They gave us a 10 percent discount, and had us sign their guest book. They are just so nice. All the people in Concrete are really nice. We're just overwhelmed with the friendliness of this town.

Back at our castle we had our sharing time. It was a really good time. Then it was time to get to bed and go to sleep. Thank you God for a truly wonderful day. I love You LORD.

May 19, 2003 - Monday - 16.2 Miles

Today we got up, had breakfast, and got ready to head out. Then Judi noticed that our shower was full of water, and we had stuff stored in there. We quickly moved everything out, wrote a note to Louie, and then headed out.

We stopped first at the Bank of America in Sedro Woolley, then went on to our start point. We used restrooms, and got snacks, then began walking. The first four miles were on a very busy road with lots of trucks. Then we finally got to Sedro Woolley. We ate lunch at the Burger King.

Then we headed across at Cook and Hwy 20 toward Ferry St. We stopped to take pictures of the sign at the town entrance. All of us finished except JoAn. She decided to go out to the middle of Hwy 20 to take her picture. As she did a policeman drove up, stopped and put on his red lights while she took the picture and walked across in front of him. He then turned off the red lights and drove on. We had a good laugh over that, then continued our walk.

We walked along Ferry St. to the end, turned left and up to the bicycle trail which we walked on the rest of the day. Judi was at the first street crossing after we got onto the bike trail. She was waiting for us there and looking for JoAn. JoAn was ahead with Anne since Joni and I had stopped for the restroom. Then Judi went around to one of the other streets to find them. A few minutes later we came up to where they were waiting. JoAn went with Judi, and the other three of us continued.

The bike path goes for about 23 miles. It is an incredibly beautiful trail, with flowers, trees, streams, bridges, etc. Obviously a former railroad, it is really a great path. In Lyman we stopped at the Lyman Tavern - our "usual hangouts" - at least we often end up in a tavern for restrooms - this time it was for soft drinks.

At one point on the path we were wondering if the berries on the path were salmon berries. A voice on the other side of the bushes said they were indeed salmon berries. We had quite a conversation with this unknown/unseen person. He kept calling his dog, Lady, who kept coming to our side of the bushes. We thought that was pretty funny.

We carried on and found some guys sitting by a tent and playing with a beautiful pit bull. The dog was extremely friendly and kept running after us. He finally got him to stay.

We continued until Judi met us at the trail crossing on Cabin Creek Rd at Muddy Creek. This was at 16.2 miles. We went back to our castle and then Judi fixed a nice lite dinner. We ate and shared and took care of bills, then finally went to bed.

May 20, 2003 - Tuesday - 13.5 Miles

Today we had our breakfast then went to our start place to walk the trail. Judi walked about 1 mile with us. JoAn and I walked together for quite awhile, and Joni and Anne walked together with Cassie. Cassie really had fun since she got to run free almost all day today.

The scenery along the trail was absolutely beautiful! At about 1 PM we reached one intersection where JoAn said she was feeling like she needed to quit because of the way her foot was feeling. I quickly called Judi and she was still in service on her way to find us. I told her where we were, and a few minutes later there she was. She took us back to our castle where we had lunch. While I fixed sandwiches of chicken mixed with Mrs. Dash, pickle relish and mayo Judi went to Hosanna House to pick up the tapes of Sunday's church service. They made one for each of us -- we were only expecting one for all of us. That was soooo nice of them.

Our sandwiches turned out really good. After resting awhile we had Judi take us back to where we quit at noon. Now it was just Anne, Joni and me. We had some of our prettiest sections here in the afternoon. There were lots of rocks and moss covered trees, and flowers. We stopped at one of the little markets and a hamburger stand where we each got some sort of ice cream treat.

Then we continued walking right on into Concrete. We took pictures of the Welcome to Concrete sign. The town policeman passed by us several times. It was very interesting. Our path ended by the Senior Center. Then we had just a bit to walk on the roadway and across to our campsite. I stopped in at the office to extend our stay yet again. This time I extended it to include Friday night. On Saturday we'll head over the pass to Winthrop. The man in the office asked how far the walkers had gotten and I told him we had just walked into camp on our route.

At the camp I took care of some paper work while Joni went over to take a shower. Then I took a shower. I came back to our castle and worked some more on paper work, then on my journal, then we had our sharing time. I think the sharing time is getting better and better. It is certainly drawing us closer and closer as a unit.

Finally we headed for bed and a good night's sleep. Tonight I'll be sleeping on the cot while Joni uses the couch in hopes she can get a better nights sleep.

May 21, 2003 - Wednesday - 13.8 miles

Today was so beautiful. We walked 13.8 miles up WA State Route 20. We were able to start walking right from our RV today. Almost immediately we were into a whole different terrain. There were lots of flowers, small waterfalls, and great trees.

But before our walking began I must go back to the start of the day. When I got up (I slept on a cot last night so Joni could get a good night's sleep) I went over to the restroom to clean up and get dressed. When I came back Cassie was up sleeping on my cot on top of my sleeping bag. I had my Quiet Time, then I started to put my bedding away. I zipped up the sleeping bag with cassie still in it. She looked so cute I took a picture of it. We'll label it, "My Lyn, what big ears you have." :-)

As we walked Joni and I kept checking as trucks and RV's went by. Tho' very wide all were well within the lines on either side. I feel better and better about driving over the pass. It's a very easy highway so far. The ups are fairly easy and usually followed by a good flat section.

We walked past an interesting pottery place. Anne went in to check it out and to use a restroom. The rest of us kept walking. Joni's feet were really hurting, so I took Cassie most of the day. She's getting pretty good with me, tho' she doesn't want to get too far ahead of "Mummy". At least she trusts me more. I enjoyed walking with her - we have a pretty equal pace.

After several miles we saw Judi go past us and realized it was about noon. A bit later she came by again and we rode back with her to Rockport State Park where we had a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful spot. Judi had gone in before picking us up to check it out. She talked to the camp host, Glenn Valance, and his dog, Cindy Sue. Glenn is 90 years old, has a sister in Lake Ocheechobee, Fl After our delightful lunch we continued walking. Cassie walked a bit more with us, then at a rest stop we met Judi again and Cassie rode from there.

A bit later we were walking by a cute house with lots of rock decoration on it. Two ladies were outside, so I said "Hi" and commented about their cute house. They in turn said they had seen us earlier and wanted to know if we were on some sort of a walk. We told them what we were doing and they began to ask questions. They were so sweet. Their names were Beth and Joyce. Beth got some water for Cassie which Cass appreciated. They gave us their card and we promised to e-mail them. I've added them to our list already. Finally we headed out again.

Before Judi picked up JoAn she went to Rockport where she found out that the Skagit and Sauk Rivers joined there. At the rest stop where Judi picked up JoAn, there was a cute little church across the street. It was St. Matthews Episcopal of Rockport, WA.

A bit later we came to an organic blueberry Farm. It was called the No. Cascadian Farm. We met the owner - Gene Kahn - and talked with him. I talked with another gal that came out of the little shop. Her name was Vi from Iowa. She and her husband arrived in Seattle this morning and are driving to Winthrop for something for a relative there. Everyone is quite interested in what we are doing - at least almost everyone.

We came to a place where we could see between the mountains off into the distance - a good view of the Cascades themselves. I'm pretty sure that is the pass that we will be going through. It was really beautiful! I got quite a few pictures today.

Finally we came into a little place where there was The Eatery and Clark's Skagit River Cabins on one side with a Little "Chapel of the Wildwood" on the other side of the street. Judi and JoAn were waiting there for us. There were rabbits running around all over the place that come almost right up to us. We took lots of pictures. Then we went across to the chapel - so tiny and cute - and went inside. It had pews that would seat about 2 people in each, and I think there were 3 pews on each side. There was a podium up front with a Bible on it. We took several pictures, sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" and had a time of prayer together.

Then we all piled into the car and headed back to camp. At camp Judi fixed spaghetti with some help from the rest of us. I called Carol Crouch. She was out walking Shane, but Don said he'd have her call when she got back. She did just as supper was ready. The others ate while I talked. She will still plan on meeting us with Boyd and Arlene, but possibly Don may come so they will then come together. We're planning for her to call us again next week.

After we talked I ate my dinner, then journaled, and we had sharing.

May 22, 2003 - Thursday - 15.4 Miles

Today Joni woke up and told us she was just not feeling good and she couldn't even put her foot down. We ended up that she would take the next few days off to heal. That was hard for me knowing how much she really wanted to do every step. We finally agreed to it anyway at Joni's insistence.

I called KOA in Winthrop after realizing it was Memorial Day weekend this coming weekend when we wanted to go there. They had no vacancies for the weekend, but we ended up reserving space for Tuesday through Friday of next week. So our plan is to walk through Saturday, then have our Sunday off, walk Monday, and move to Winthrop on Tuesday.

Dave called and we talked about where we are, what's up with Joni, what's up with the website, etc. He gave me banking info for JoAn.

Finally we headed out for our start point. It was about 10:45 when we started. We walked on towards Marblemount. Part way there we saw a Visitor Center. We all went in and told them what we're doing. They were very interested. I gave them our card. They wanted us to sign the guest book. I signed all our names. They said they would put the info about us on their website. That was really nice.

In Marblemount JoAn and I stopped at a little market to get snacks. Anne went to Howie's Diner for a sandwich. We continued walking. It rained most of the day. I came up with the perfect rain gear for the type of rain we were having - light, not hard. I wore my light poncho with the hood up and put my blue kayak hat over that. It kept my head dry and also shielded my eyes from the rain.

Down the road a bit Judi drove up and stopped for us at Bacon Creek Road. We decided to go back to Marblemount to eat. We ended up going to Howie's Diner. The place was really nice and clean. We ordered our lunches and told Howie what we were doing. He went back and told his wife, JoHanna, and she came out and talked with us and told us the lunch was on them. That was really unexpected and sweet. We gave her our card and magnet. She had us sign all our names on the card and they were going to put it on their bulletin board. What a fun time we had there. I bought a wood bear that they had for sale there. It will be our gift to Kent and his bride. I still want to find something for Luke and his bride.

Finally we got back to Bacon Creek Road and started walking again. JoAn walked quite awhile before Judi picked her up. I was ahead at one point with JoAn in the middle and Anne behind. A school bus stopped and the driver asked JoAn if we were the women walking to Florida. She told her yes and asked how she had heard about us. The driver said she had heard from another bus driver from Concrete. Wow!

We continued almost to Newhalem where Judi picked us up and we headed back to our castle. We stopped in Rockport and drove around to see if there was a church there. None. Back to our castle. Joni shared her day with us. She is feeling lots better, but still has a very sore foot. We shared our day with her as well.

JoAn and I shared a can of soup. We talked a bit, shared and finally went to bed.

May 23, 2003 - Friday - 12.9 miles

Today we were up and about, ate breakfast, had sharing and prayer time, said good bye to Joni, and went our way. We stopped at Marblemount at the Cascade Visitor Center again to get some maps and talk to the people again. What a delight they are. Anne noticed a church across the street that we had all missed. It was an Assembly of God Church and we found out it starts at 10:30 or 11:00. We got two different times on that so we'll plan on being there at 10:30 just to be sure.

We continued on to Newhalem to begin our walk. We walked through Newhalem on a path that eventually led out to Hwy 20. Then we continued our walk along there. What beautiful sights we saw as we walked - lots of waterfalls, mountains with snow, flowers, streams, and on and on.

Judi picked us up for lunch and we went back to Newhalem to enjoy a good picnic lunch. Then Judi took us back to our start. JoAn stayed with Judi the rest of the day because she couldn't do the climbing we were doing.

We did indeed do some climbing much of the day. Then we'd have some downhill or level for awhile. It really felt pretty good though. I can feel my legs getting stronger and stronger. I had some good prayer times by myself today. Anne and I had some good times of sharing now and then, but mostly we walked separately.

It always surprised us when we'd see these mountains with snow on them at a distance, then all of a sudden we'd discover we were right up there close to them. Wow ! It was a warm day, but when we went past streams or waterfalls we'd often get a cool breeze. It was really nice.

As we neared Diablo Lake Overlook we saw Judi waiting for us with the hood up. The car had overheated and she was letting it cool down. We ended up talking with a man named Ken and his wife, Gayle. They helped us with water for the car. They were Assembly of God people, and we enjoyed a real good time of fellowship. Gayle, Anne, Judi and I had a little prayer time together. They were some of God's little angels that He keeps sending us.,

Finally we headed out again in the car going back to our castle. On the way we stopped at Marblemount at the Texaco station to see if we could get some ideas on what was causing our problem. Tim (another angel) came out and looked at it and after checking a lot of things he concluded that it was probably the thermostat acting up, but that it was an "on again, off again" problem. He suggested we keep water and coolant in the car just as a precaution. Steve (another angel) came along and suggested when it gets hot to sit and let it idle for 5 minutes or so.

We said good bye to our new friends - Tim, by the way, when I said we were all women walking across America, said, "Oh, you're those women." Our "fame" proceeds us. :-) He was really helpful.

We continued on home. Joni had really cleaned up our place so it looked really nice. I got dinner started while Judi and JoAn went on down to the store. We boiled potatoes and green beans, made gravy, and sliced some canned corned beef. It really made a good meal. After we ate and shared we finally headed for bed.

Thank you, LORD, for a great day.

May 24, 2003 - Saturday - 14.7 Miles Two Week total - 134.1

Today we started out from the Diablo Dam Overlook where we finished yesterday. All four of us started out this morning - Joni, JoAn, Anne, and me. Joni had to quit at about 5 miles with her foot hurting and just feeling very tired. I was pretty tired today.

We stopped and ate lunch beside Ruby Creek, then back to walking. Today's route was mostly up with lots of waterfalls, and along the creek - which seems more like a river to me. It was really beautiful, but a lot of the same thing - not as much change in scenery as in the two or three previous days.

Anne and I were the only ones walking in the afternoon. Judi and the others were waiting at one place and I stopped, but when Anne came she was ready to keep going for awhile. We did another two miles or so, then called it quits for the day. I could just barely manage that much.

It started raining as we drove back. We stopped in Marblemount to eat dinner at the Buffalo Run Café to celebrate the end of two weeks of walking. We met Marshall the owner. He talked with us for quite a bit and was quite impressed with what we were doing.

Finally we headed on back to our castle, called Dave, shared, and went to bed.

May 25, 2003 - Sunday

Today was our day of rest. I woke up early - as usual - and have just been so tired all day. I could hardly stay awake in church - even tho' it was a Pentecostal Church (Assembly of God). They had a guest speaker from India who was very good. The service was really very good, just lively. Some girls greeted us when we arrived saying how surprised they were to see us again. They had been at the Concrete Church last Sunday with the soloist who sang "I'm Walking".

After church we visited with a few people, then we went to the Eatery for lunch where all the bunnies run free all over the place. It was really good food! As we were eating, the pastor and his wife and the couple from India came in. We chatted with them a bit. Then we had dessert and went over to the gift shop. Two ladies there kinda hemmed Judi and me in so we couldn't get out, and kept talking about the various things in their little shop. Finally we got away and joined the others in the car.

We drove back to our castle. There we got laundry ready and Judi, JoAn and Anne did laundry and shopping while Joni and I worked on computer stuff. We finally got our e-mail, but only after calling Dave for help and crying on the phone. He wasn't really able to help, but I just broke down. He felt so bad and wished he could be here to hug me. He told me to have Joni give me a hug for him. She did, and I cried on her shoulder for awhile. It was good. I really appreciate Joni.

After we finally got our e-mail, we went on to download pictures. When the gals came back we had a slide show for them. That was a lot of fun. Then I called Marilyn and sat in the gazebo and talked with her for a long time. I just poured my heart out to her, and shared a lot of the neat things that are happening as well.

Finally we headed for bed.

May 26, 2003 - Monday - 14.2 Miles+134.1=148.3

Today we headed out for our start point with one stop on the way at Diablo Dam Overlook. Then we went on up to our start point. All four of us started out together. I walked with JoAn for a bit, then I walked with Joni and Cassie. It's hard for Joni to walk with Cassie right now while her feet are still sore, so I walked Cassie most of the time. It was really fun actually. When we went uphill Cassie pulled me. Joni kept saying she'd take Cassie, and I said "No, I want to walk her because she's helping me".

We had lunch at "Easy Trail Head". Tuna sandwiches today with apples. Then we headed out again - all but Cassie. Joni and JoAn quit after about 2 miles. Anne and I kept going. We made pit stops along the way, but other than that we just kept moving. We arrived at Rainy Pass about the time that Judi and the others arrived. We stopped and took lots of pictures. It was 4,855 feet. We had a time of celebration for this milestone. We have climbed from 509 feet at Newhalem to 4855 feet at Rainy Pass. That was really fun. There was a lot of snow around. It was just gorgeous.

Finally Anne and I continued on. We pretty much stayed together the rest of the way. From Rainy Pass it was a steep downhill stretch to Bridge Creek Trailhead. Then it was up after that. At a nice big turnout Judi and the others picked us up. We headed back to the campsite. As we went past the buffalo place we stopped and could see a couple of buffaloes in the back pen.

At camp Judi and Joni fixed stew. I called Dorothy and Edgar since they had left a couple of messages. They just wanted to know how we are doing. They have been praying for us and were afraid we were having some very bad weather. It is good to report to people that our weather has not been as bad as they think.

Finally we had our sharing time and then went to bed.

May 27, 2003 - Tuesday - Driving Day

Today we got up and had breakfast, then began cleaning up and preparing to leave. I went over to the office to get back our $20.00 that we overpaid. No problem at all. They were so nice. We finished breaking camp, then got in the cars and headed out. Anne left us a bit earlier cause she was going to do some exploring at Baker Lake before coming over the pass.

Joni and I left in the RV, and Judi and JoAn followed soon after. I had Joni watching my right side for awhile to make sure I was within the lines, and I watched the left side more. We both felt real good about how it was going. I drove first to Marblemount to get gas, then we headed out. Bit by bit I got less tense and soon loosened up quite a bit. We stopped at the Diablo Overlook for a pit stop and short break. Then on to Rainy Pass where we pulled over for the van. It was heating up real bad. We set there for 15 or 20 minutes, then we decided Joni and I should get moving and we would find a place to pull off after we got out of the high altitude and wait for them.

Joni and I continued. We couldn't believe how close Washington Pass was. Then we started downhill. It went downhill for quite awhile very steadily. When we got down to a good altitude we couldn't find a good turnout. Finally we found a wide shoulder and pulled off. We waited there close to an hour. Then we decided we should go on ahead and see if we could get some help. We didn't think it would be a good idea at all to take the motor home back up that steep road.

We soon came to a Visitor's Center where the lady gave me names of two possibilities of people that could help. Just then Anne came in and she and I went to find Judi and JoAn. Anne had seen them up the road parked along the side, but hadn't thought that was really them so she kept going. We found them before long. We stopped and worked out a plan with them. They were able to move a bit then stop and wait. So we said we would go ahead and get butane and gas, then get checked in at the KOA. We did that and started getting hooked up when Judi and JoAn drove in right behind us.

Joni and I got everything hooked up quite easily, then she started dinner and I helped her, and also got things put back in place.

Dinner was lovely. We have a picnic table at our spot, so sat and ate there and chatted. Then Joni and I did dishes - she washed and I dried. Finally I sat down to journal. Then we soon headed for bed. What a lovely spot we have in Winthrop with very nice neighbors. Tomorrow we have to get the van to a mechanic. We'll have to take the day off from hiking to get some work done on the van.

May 28, 2003 - Wednesday - Auto Repair Day

Today we got up slowly and had breakfast. Then we got ready to go into town. I went down to the office to ask about mechanics. Laurie called a few and ended up with an appointment at 10:30 at Winthrop Auto. Before everyone was ready I went for a walk down around the grounds and to the river. I sat beside the river for quite awhile and prayed. I was so discouraged, what with the car problems, etc.

Finally we headed into town with everyone in the car. Anne decided to be dropped off near the Post Office. Then the rest of us went on to Winthrop Motors to take the car in. Dan was the one who we talked to. We told him what all it was doing and he made notes. Then we walked around town. Anne kind of did her own thing while Joni and I went together and Judi and JoAn went together. Anne joined us from time to time. We bought flag visors for Joni, Sam and me.

Then we went to the River Road Café where Paula was the cook and Caroline our server. Next we went into a sporting goods store. We asked about the Kavu hats, but they didn't have the one we wanted. Then we spotted the hiking sandals. We tried some on and ended up with three of us - Anne, Joni and me - buying look alike sandals. They are really comfortable. We also got some sox.

The gal at the sports store (Rita)asked if she could call a reporter from the paper about our walk. We said "sure". So she did and I was interviewed by Carol. Carol told me that the auto mechanic owners have a son in Iraq. She also told me that she and her husband have the blacksmith shop, and asked if we could drop by on Friday or Saturday to say hi. I assured her we would.

Then we went over to check on the car. It was ready. He put in a new thermostat, and said the radiator is weak. He said that tomorrow's drive up the mountain would be a good test. If we had problems with it let him know and he would order a new radiator - that would only take a day.

I got the name of the owners son in Iraq and left our card and a magnet. Then we got ice cream cones, drove to get gas, and to the Red Apple to get groceries. Then back to our castle to get settled. I worked on my paper work. Then JoAn and I did GAJ finance work. We ate dinner prepared by Judi and Joni. It was delicious. Then we did some sharing and went to bed.

May 29, 2003 - Thursday - 15.7 Miles+148.3=164.0

Today was really fun. We got ourselves ready, then I went down to the office to extend our stay. I was able to just leave our timing open, but we do have to move to another spot - a spot she says is a lot prettier, but that doesn't have the sewage hookup. They said we should dump sewage before we leave this spot then we can leave the gray water open at the new place, but not dump the black water. That should work okay.

Finally we headed out to our start point. The car ran smoothly all the way up to the top of the mountain - no boil over. The new thermostat seems to work. We started between Rainy Pass and Washington Pass. It was soooo beautiful to walk down to Washington Pass. Lots of snow. We saw one place where water was running in a small stream through snow so we took Cassie over to it. She walked on the snow and kept falling in up to her chest. Then she'd get out and look at the hole in the snow as if to say, "What was that?" It was really cute. At the pass overlook a bicyclist we had seen earlier offered to take pictures of us all by the sign. Her name was Sue. She was real sweet.

JoAn and Anne decided to walk down to the overlook, but Joni and I chose to continue. We took loads of pictures as we walked, so it took us a long time to go 7 miles. At the one big curve that makes almost a circle we waited for cars to be on it so we could get pictures with cars. I had driven the motor home around that big curve a couple days ago and it went ever so smoothly. At about 6 miles Judi came walking back toward us from the car. We then walked back to the car together. All 3 of us needed to make a pit stop, but there was just no place to go. Finally we saw a big snow pile where traffic would be blocked from view one way but not the other. I went ahead, then Judi needed a place to sit more. As she "sat" 2 cars came around the curve very slowly. We just broke up in laughter. Part of her legs were showing, but nothing bad. However it was obvious what she was up to. :-) I laughed so hard I could hardly catch my breath.

At the car we got in and turned around to go see if JoAn needed a ride. Just then we saw them coming. We picked up JoAn and Anne walked on to where we stopped. We had our lunch there, then started walking again. This time just Joni, Anne and myself. We really had a great afternoon walking, looking at scenery, talking, singing, and just having fun together. We walked until a bit after 6 PM then Judi picked us up. We stopped at the River Café for Joni to get her gingerbread dessert, and for me to go to Sherry's to get an ice cream cone. Then back to the castle to drop us off while JoAn and Judi went to get groceries. I talked to our neighbor, and worked on my journal. I was able to set it up to work on outside. Then the girls came back, prepared dinner, we ate and headed for bed early. It really was a good day for everyone I think.

Today was a very good day. We got up early (well, the 3 late ones got up early- Anne and I already get up early) and headed out after breakfast and prayer to start hiking. It was a beautiful day, though cloudy. JoAn was not well today, so she stayed home. Judi took us and then went back to make calls and do some shopping.

Anne walked ahead while I walked with Joni and Cassie. I took Cassie most of the time. Joni and I stopped to take a lot of pictures. One place there were 3 foals and a colt - they were so cute. We took several pictures. I got one of the colt nursing. We also saw some beautiful purple flowers that we couldn't identify. (Anne tells us these were Larkspur)

Cassie kept close watch on us if one of us stopped for a pit stop, and ran between us if we both stopped. She loved it when we found a stream of water by the espresso place. She waded and drank. We saw a lot of farm land. We saw one beautiful deer that stood and stared at us.

Cassie began to limp, then Joni began to limp. Soon they decided to stop and wait while I went on to catch Anne. I picked up my speed to catch Anne. Finally I saw her way ahead. I got a little closer, but never did catch her. She went around a curve, then Judi came with her in the car. I found out where she stopped and told them how to find Joni, then I went on to the stop point. Soon they came back with Joni and Cassie, got me and we went on back to our castle. After lunch I went over to shower.

Back at the castle we had a sharing time which was probably the best one yet. I really loved it. I hope they did. Soon Anne and I went off with Judi to finish our day of hiking. We walked right on into Winthrop to Sherri's where we got ice cream cones while we waited for Judi. Anne and I really enjoyed walking and talking together. When Judi came she got ice cream also, then we got our pictures on these posts with saddles on them (Judi and I). And we went back to our castle where I got down my lean mean grilling machine and grilled the steaks that Judi bought.

While they were grilling I called Sis and talked a bit about our timing for getting Samantha. We decided on Tuesday, the 3^rd. We also talked about a way to get JoAn and Judi to Spokane on the 7^th or the 8^th. Sis said they would be getting Gail and Jerry from Spokane on the 7^th so that would work out for them to take the gals to Spokane. They don't yet know what time Gail and Jerry are due in, but they'll know by Tuesday.

I hung up then we had our dinner, cleaned up and sat writing or reading until bedtime. It really was a great day. Thank you, LORD.

May 31, 2003 - Saturday - 10.2 Miles+179.2=189.4

Today was really fun. Well the first part wasn't as fun - we had to move to another space this morning because a crowd was coming in and all the spaces with full hook-ups were reserved. So for one day we have to be in a space with everything but a fixed dump. They want us to let the gray water run on the grass, but then we can move to a new space with everything again tomorrow after church. We moved from space 10 to 34 today and tomorrow we move to space 16.

Moving meant disconnecting everything and driving the RV through the narrow lanes - good practice and not all that hard. I had fun somewhat. After we got settled into our new space we headed out to begin the day's walk. Judi took us to downtown Winthrop to get started. Cassie stayed with Judi all day because of her limp. We walked through town with a stop at the Blacksmith's to meet Carol who interviewed me on the phone the other day. The paper comes out Wednesday so we'll pick up a few.

We continued walking and turned onto Castle Rd. just before the bridge. Hwy 20 is on the west side of the Methow River while Castle Rd. is on the east side of the river. Castle is a lightly traveled and prettier route. We saw a lot of unusual things like odd shaped mailboxes, interesting shaped homes, lots of deer carcases - we even picked up one deer skull and put it on a post and Joni and I took pictures of it with each other. There were also lots of beautiful flowers from iris to English poppies, dahlias and others. We saw great barns and other buildings, fields, and the Methow River.

Judi picked us up for lunch and Dave called while we were driving to lunch. We saw a yellow bellied marmot and stopped to watch it a bit, then we went to Twisp to eat at the Antlers Tavern. It was very good food. We had a good rest and then headed off to finish our walk. The afternoon portion was just a few more miles, but fun miles. We took pictures of us by an old abandoned car, and some by a sign that said "Caution, Children Playing". Then we saw a big mama pig with 5 little piglets. We named them Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Bacon and Sausage. :-) We continued on and walked a small portion on the old road, out to Hwy 20 and up it just a bit before quitting for the day.

We drove into Winthrop to get ice cream then back to our castle. I called Dave again to give him the full update to report at church tomorrow. We had a good long talk, but got cut off in the end. We were just saying good bye, so we didn't bother calling back.

Some of the others went over and showered. I think I'll do my shower in the morning when I wake up since that will probably be before the other campers are clamoring for the showers. The gals said it is very busy over there tonight.

We had a little down time together then headed for bed.

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