Fri., June 4 - I spoke with Jim about 8:30 (my time) this morning as he was about to leave his campsite. It had rained hard most of the night but fortunately stopped by 6am in time for him to pack up his gear (always a miserable task in the rain). Of course his tent was soaked so he had to pack it up that way - good thing that tonight is a motel stay! He enjoyed his visit and wine last evening with his campsite neighbor (Carl), who is our age and an avid cyclist and hiker. Jim will wear hiking boots today and is a bit concerned about his left foot - two problem spots that need watching. As we talked, he was watching a beautiful white bird wading in the water near him. So far, the wildlife has been very impressive on this trip. He will be on the Great River Trail today for several miles before heading into the town of Winona, MN for a library (internet) visit.
We spoke again about 6pm and Jim was relaxing at his motel. He reported that the bugs were unpleasant today, so he finally dug out his spray and after that it was better - also, no attack dogs today, but it was another real warm one - the last 5 miles were the toughest. He was on the trail until mid-morning and then on a very busy road. About 11:30am he crossed the bridge that said "Welcome to Minnesota". He has now completed 8 states in his cross country quest and has 5 more to go to get to the west coast. After crossing the bridge, he came to a beautiful old building that he thought was built by the famous architect, Henry Richardson (one of Jim's favorites). It was the Winona Courthouse so he had to go inside and check it out. The building was actually built by a different architect (Marbury) who was heavily influenced by H. Richardson (guess Jim has a good eye). He later saw two churches in a similar style. He did have a good rest at the Winona library and checked his e-mail and saw the Hike Blog for the first time - also had a great lunch at a local pub/grill. Mid-day he changed to sandals and his feet felt OK while walking today. He did mention a local news item he heard at the motel about the "unsafe bridge conditions" - the bridge he went over mid-day - serious corrosion - so glad that's done with!! When we talked he was looking forward to a relaxing evening reading the newspaper. He does have an issue tonight with his right foot - the bones on the top are sore - hoping it is not a stress fracture - please say your prayers on this one.
Miles today - 16 Total Miles to Date - 77
Sat., June 5 - We talked about 7:30am (Jim's time) and he had already gone for a nice breakfast at the restaurant next door to his motel. He was just relaxing and waiting to leave so he would get to the Minnesota City P.O. when it open at 9am - a little over 2 miles to walk there. He said that the top of his foot was still sore but not as bad as last night - probably just overuse in the heat. We spoke again briefly on Sat. evening, but Jim was "too busy partying" to really talk and I was in CT for a quick overnight visit. The rest of today's info comes from a conversation that I had with Jim on Sunday afternoon. He arrived at the P.O. when it opened and got his re-supply package as well as a fascinating article from NH friends Carol & Dave thanks, guys). It was about a man who is walking cross country (http://www.imjustwalkin.com/). He is about 8 days ahead of Jim so I just sent him an e-mail - not sure how many miles a day he does, so Jim would love to meet up with him. I can't believe that there is someone else as CRAZY as my husband! He had a great day of walking until his google maps failed him - sent him to a road that didn't exist! He tried a gravel road that seemed to be headed in the right direction according to his compass. He then stopped a guy in a pickup truck who wasn't sure about the road but invited him to stop at his house about a mile up the road - they were having a pig roast! Sure enough, a mile later he stopped at the house - they offered him a blooody mary but he just asked for a beer. They helped him with his directions and asked him to come back in 6 hours when the pig was done - he was sorry that he had to pass on that one - too much of a delay! He connected up to the right road and around the corner comes his friend Ken (from the sausage & peppers on Thursday), who had been looking for him. Ken parked his truck and walked with Jim for over 2 miles. Ken then went back to his truck and took Jim's pack with him to make it easier. Without the pack on his back, Jim was really able to crank up his pace. The weather started to look more ominous and sure enough Ken drove up and handed Jim his rain jacket. Good thing because then it started to pour continously and the temp dropped 20 degrees. Ken came by around 4pm and since Jim had walked 1.5 hours in the rain, he called it a day - he was soaked to the skin - UGH. He was very grateful for the heated truck and a blanket that Ken gave him for the 45 minute drive to his house. Ken is a retired school teacher who now owns a couple of restaurants. After Jim showered and did laundry, Jim & Ken headed to one of Ken's restaurants (Rochester, MN) and feasted on wonderful appetizers. Then they went to a friend's party that was being catered by the restaurant - lots of fun and great people. I guess that was why he couldn't talk to me!!
Miles today - 21.5 Total Miles to Date - 98.5
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