Resolutions Kept

I am happy to report that Cathy and I fulfilled our plans to hike the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail. I know that 41 miles is a drop in the bucket when you consider that the entire trail is over 2,000 miles, but this was a big accomplishment for us. We planned and practiced and hiked local trails but now we realize that our 41 mile hike was the real shakedown for future section hiking. The portion of the trail we did starts out easily enough but then there's a long steep, stoney climb. The Cowell Shelter never looks so good! We pitched our tent on one of the tent pads provided and rested up for a second day of tough climbing and knee challenging descent. We ate lunch at Pogo and forged on to Annapolis Rocks. We had not planned to spend the night there but we were fairly whipped by the time we arrived and it felt so good to unload our packs. We were able to walk around the whole campground and see the beautiful views. We decided to risk a reprimand and pitched our tent on the Caretaker's wooden camp pad. This was the only campsite with a pad and also the only one with a picnic table. Annapolis Rocks is easily accessible to day hikers and dog walkers so we saw quite a few people as we sat at the picnic table. Everyone was so friendly and polite and then one young man asked us if we liked being caretakers!

Snow-magedden

The impending snow makes my work space seem cave-like. It brings on that hunkered down feeling. It seems like this year, the forecasters have rarely erred in their predictions and last week, the light dusting was several inches. So it would seem that the predictions err on the side of more snow this year. Yesterday I shoveled for 2 1/2 hours and then contemplated what it would be like to undergo surgery for torn rotator cuffs on both arms. This made me put my shovel DOWN. We are at a point where there is no where left to put the snow. Have you seen the movie, The Day After Tomorrow?

''After viewing her calendar for the week she went ahead and pre medicated''

A quote from the Mast General Store in Asheville.
If you are ever in Asheville, make sure to stop in. Great store - anything you could ever need. Visit on-line in a pinch. I bought the best socks there!!!

Recovered Memories

Here's a link to a site that highlights old Philadelphia TV shows. Don't know why I remembered this - what triggered it but I am waxing nostalgic over Chief Halftown and Sally Starr.

This site is a wealth of info about old local shows - Bertie the Bunyip and his nemisis Sir Guy De Guy (I loved that name)and wonder if he is the beginning of my facination with names like Tom Thompson and John Johnson.

http://www.tvparty.com/losthalftown.html

REV. ROBERT JONES

I can't say enough about the National Storytelling Festival. It has been a part of my life for the past 27 years and every year includes storytellers and musicians who touch me with their talent, insights, great stories. Rev. Jones is one such person.

Here's a write-up from the Swannanoa Gathering site that gives a good description:

REV. ROBERT JONES
Robert B. Jones has more than twenty years of experience as a performer, musician, storyteller, radio producer/host and music educator. He has opened for and played with some of the finest musicians in the world, including BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Dixon, John Hammond, Keb Mo’, Jorma Kaukonen, Howard Armstrong, Chris Smither, Guy Davis and many more. Born in Detroit, of a father from West Pointe, Mississippi and a mother from Conecuh County, Alabama, Robert grew up in a very Southern household. By age 17, Robert had already amassed a record collection of early blues and begun to teach himself guitar and harmonica, and by his mid-twenties Robert was hosting an award-winning radio show on WDET-FM, Detroit called Blues From The Lowlands. Influenced by legendary bluesman Willie Dixon, Robert developed an educational program called, Blues For Schools, which took him into classrooms all over the country, and for the next 15 years Robert polished his craft as a performer and a music educator. Answering a call to the ministry, Robert began to study under Rev. James Robinson, Sr. at the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, and upon Robinson’s death, Robert was called by the church to become its next pastor. He reshaped his Blues For Schools program into American Roots Music In Education (ARMIE), a program that could encompass a wider variety of music including spirituals, gospel and folk songs, and returned to performing in 2006. Especially influenced by sacred musicians such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie Johnson, Rev. Dan Smith, Joshua White, Blind Connie Williams and Rev. Robert Wilkins, Rev. Jones now performs solo, with his good friend Matt Watroba, or with his wife of twenty years, Sister Bernice Jones, presenting “Holy Blues” to new audiences. Rev. Jones has also returned to radio as the host and producer of Deep River, a program of spirituals and gospel, which airs Sundays on WDET in Detroit.

Long Time

Sorry to be so long away from a post: The summer came and went. Plans were made and quickly changed as circumstances dictated.
- The BCMA went to Beach Haven, NJ for a fantastic week end. We posted our photos on Shutterfly.
- Our trip to Vermont was postponed indefinitely as we went instead to the Little League's Eastern Regional Senior Girls Softball Tournament. Hannah's team became State Champs and did well in Massachusetts. they were 2 and 1 but did not advance because of the need to use the point system. Great time, though.
- Cathy and I have been walking in the Susquehanna State Park and in downtown Havre de Grace. We're in training for the AT. We hiked a bit near the Nolichucky River in Erwin, TN and also in the Shenandoah National Park in VA. these hikes sandwiched our annual trek to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. what a wonderful event. Such great storytellers this year. This is something I look forward to every year and each year I anticipate earlier and earlier. I start thinking about it in mid July. The past few years we have been able to stay later and travel back on a Monday. This has been great but this year we got the bright idea to also take off an extra day before and what a difference that has made. The 8 hour drive doesn't seem so bad now. We kept commenting with surprize that we didn't feel so tired. We will definitely do this from now on. We have one more year to take both the day before and after and then the calendar shifts and we will have to be back the Monday after to attend our staff in-service day but we will definitely continue to take the extra day ahead of time.

A Book List for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford

Halfway to the Sky Bradley Middle School Fiction- runaway teen hikes the AT
Walk in the Woods Bryson Classic yellow blazer tale; lol
On the Beaten Path Rubin Lots of info, grumpy middle aged man
Journey North Hall Young love on the AT
In Beauty May She Walk Mass Inspirational story of a 60 year old woman's hike
White Blaze Fever Schuette For purists
The Appalachian Trail: How to Prepare for and Hike It Curran
Backpack Gourmet: Good Hot Grub..good recipes