Hi Susan, Thanks for joining the blog. I apprciate your encouragement and look forward to sharing with you more about this incredible journey as it continues to unfold. At the moment I am in Ervin, TN, where I can wash clothes, wash myself, and get extra sleep before pressing on tomorrow. I got into the shelters after dark the last two nights. Being on the trail after dark is not really fun, so I hope to limit the number of times that happens in the future. I tend to be a little slow getting started in the mornings and then have walked 15 or 16 miles. I know now that if I'm going to walk that far, I have to get out in the mornings by 8:00. This morning I walked down to Sam's Gap from Hogback Shelter and decided to take a fellow from Georgia up on his offer to give me a lift into Ervin. Tommy (Slow) said he had been hiking with his brother Bob (Steady) who loves to hike, but that he has had enough. He said the scenery never changes and that he misses home too much to keep walking. He said that just as much as his brother loves hiking, he has learned that he hates it. He and I had a good discussion about spiritual matters and wished each other God's speed as we parted. I hope all is going well for you. Love, Jim