Day 120 - Walking To Meet The Family

Monday, December 27, 2010

The wake up call this morning was better.....roads are clear in Apex, and the family will be coming down today. They will be coming I-20 to Hwy 22 in GA, and Hwy 22 into Milledgeville. I am walking 22 as far as Sparta on the way to Augusta, so decided to not waste the day in the room, but walk toward Sparta and meet them. I had breakfast in the motel, and was on the road by 830 or so. Since I would be coming back here later today, was able to leave the cart and most of the gear in the room....still drying out.

I walked through part of the downtown area, missed a street sign and had to backtrack about 1/2 mile, but finally was heading out of town.....crossing over a beautiful river which I don't remember the name of. Hwy 22 is 2 lane, rolling, and winding, with a small shoulder. Without the cart, the shoulder was plenty wide. Traffic coming into town was relatively heavy, as it normally is this time of the day. The weather was clear and cold. My feet are a little sore from the long walk yesterday, so the going is a little slower than many days. Much of the area I walked through is either farm land, or horse or cattle ranches.

The only community along the way is named Devereux. It has a small store, called the Devereux Mall, and not much else I could see. There were lots of nice churches and houses along the road. Around 3pm, the family pulled up. I marked where the walk stopped with the SPOT, and enjoyed the ride back to Milledgeville in the car. Before long, we were in the room, talking, laughing, and opening presents. Mrs. Gunther, from Greenfield Elementary School in Daleville, sent a pack of Christmas cards her students had made.....plus a Dallas Cowboy stocking cap to keep the ears warm. I also got a Forrest Gump DVD (never saw that movie), and a DVD about Ivan Thompson, the Cowboy Cupid......whom I met along the road in NM. Christmas cookies, a new sweatshirt, and other things......a great Christmas.

After resting for a while, we went to Applebee's for dinner, and back to the room for the evening. It's cold outside, and I wondered why I haven't noticed this so much before now.....maybe because I'm out in it all day? Tomorrow is a day of rest, and I think we'll drive to Gray for bar-b-que at Old Clinton, then wash clothes, and get ready to get back on the road on Wednesday. It's been a nice day, worth the wait.

About the pictures:
Family members: daughter Julie, wife Rita, grandchildren Jack, Abby, Emma;
Christmas cards and Cowboy's hat from Greenfield Elementary 3rd graders;
The Devereux Mall.