Well hello everyone!! It’s great to have the opportunity to communicate with you. Thanks for all of your best wishes. Alltel, the network with which i stay in touch with the outside world doesn’t exactly blanket the northern panhandle (alpine Florida, also known as LA - Lower Alabama)
I made it to the northern trailhead about 1600 on Monday. it was quite the drive from my old Tom Griggs -, Sgt. Maj. USMC, Ret. - incredible log home near Live Oak to the trailhead. While at his home over the weekend I met a friend of his, Cal mercer, a survivor of the landing on Iwo Jima. he was medivaced after being machine gunned in both legs. At 82 he is more robust then men half his age. Combined with Tom - one of only 13 Marines to make a combat parachute jump (Vietnam) I was in the presence of true Marine Corps greatness - just the motivational tonic I needed before setting out on my trip.

it was cold the first night, but i stayed worm. it was delightful to awaken alone in the woods, miles from everywhere. the oatmeal was delicious and the coffee superb. Stuff tastes better out here.

the pack didn’t lighten miraculously as I’d dreamed the night before. It and I began our walk as soon as the condensation on the tent dried in the rising sun. It tested me, I admit it. But each day gets easier. that’s what you remember before you go. I arrived at my first stop, hurricane lake campground in the Blackwater River State Forest with every hope of finally being able to connect. NO DICE. So I figured I’d write my blog and send when I got further down the trail… EGAD! My brand spanking new laptop - purchased especially for this trek, failed to function as advertised. The screen didn’t not turn on.. I was crestfallen. it seemed my project would end before it began.

And then along came Mr. Jimmy Freeman, campground host and lifelong resident of Okaloosa County. he offered me the use of his phone - Cingular manages a signal there- which enabled me to get word to my wife - I heard she penned a few words in my absence.

I slept fitfully, not knowing what I could do about my technological meltdown. I awakened this morning to reconsider my situation in a new light while three deer grazed 15 feet from my tent door. Then along came Jimmy holding the keys to his Ford Explorer. He actually gave me his keys so that I could drive 50 miles to Destin Florida’s Best Buy. A perfect stranger. You always hear that they quit making men like that. If that’s true, we are sunk. If ever the Jimmy Freemans are gone, the rest of us are toast.

And so it will be if the Gary Harras’s are gone too. Gary took one look at the good looking corpse of my computer and sent me to the laptop area to pick out a new one. This guy redefined customer service and technohelp. Those Geek Squad dudes… they rock. And that’s why I’m able to write to you right this minute. Gary hooked me up to their network so that i could answer my mail dash out this blog to you.

The help of these two trail great Angel’s plus Claudia’s, Tom’s and all my co-workers at tbo.com have made this all possible. Guess I better quit blabbing and start walking, eh?

PS The first night I listened to a gubernatorial political debate on the radio as I lay in my bag. I fell asleep somewhere in between yada, yada, yada and Blah, blah, blah. Did i miss anything? Cheers!