Day 137 - The Queen Called Me today......

Thursday, January 13, 2011

No, no, no, not that queen......THE Queen Tate, of Selma, AL. Queen Tate was just checking how I was doing, plus wanted to talk about what was going on with her. Queen always has lots to talk about. She told me that the mention of her on this blog a while back caught some attention in and around Selma, so she appreciated that. Plus, she's doing some organizing around the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. Finally, she wanted me to remind you to check out her films on Youtube......Selma's Best Videos.

Last night in the Shallotte Econolodge was warm and relaxing. I had the bar-b-que that Patsy Bradshaw sent, and a microwave in the room, so soon had 2 sandwiches made and working on the computer. I watched a little of a movie (can't remember the name now), but I had seen it already. I was awake a little before 6, went to the lobby for breakfast, bathed, and ready to start walking by around 8. My destination today is to reach my cousin Nancy Dudley's home in St James Plantation, just outside of Southport. I wasn't sure of the distance, as Nancy described it........just a "hop, skip, and jump" from Shallotte. I'll walk Business 17 through Shallotte, Hwy 17 to a small place called Supply, then Hwy 211 to St James.

The walk through Shallotte was nice due to little traffic and a good road on which to walk. Once I turned onto Hwy 17, all that changed. I couldn't believe the amount of traffic on this road, plus there was very little shoulder for walking. It was like being on an interstate highway. I never take my eyes off approaching traffic in a situation like this, because too often cars will drift over the white line. The walk today is a little "laid back", no real hurry because I should be there by 3-4pm. After 7-8 miles I came to the intersection of Hwys 17 /211, and stopped at a convenience store for lunch. Still had some of that bar-b-que, so asked if I could use their microwave. No problem, so I soon had 2 more sandwiches, and sitting outside enjoying the warm sun. For desert I had one of those giant Butterfinger bars.....the ones with 2 bars inside. I started enjoying one of the bars, looked to my right, and there was a man sitting there watching. I asked if he liked candy, he said yes, so we both had Butterfinger for desert. (Maybe I've learned something from this trip about sharing?)

While I was sitting there resting, Nancy called and told me a reporter from the State Port Pilot newspaper, Morgan Harper, was coming out to do an interview. So I started back walking down hwy 211. I almost immediately saw a sign indicating 13 miles to St. James.....am I in the hop, or skip, or jump part of the walk now? This was a good walk, not much traffic and a pretty good shoulder. One thing I've noticed this entire walk.....it seems the wind the whole way has come from the southwest. In VA, it always seems to come from the northwest. Is that the way it works......southern states get wind and weather from a different direction than more northern states? I saw a bluebird today, I think the first of the walk. I also passed a large field of blueberry bushes. Blueberries like sandy and acid soil.......plenty of sand and pines down this way. I received a call from Bobby Taylor, Minden, LA. Bobby calls occasionally and we talk about lots of things. Today it was Elvis and football.....Bobby is an Alabama fan, and likes Green Bay in the NFL.

"Who are you?" were the first words out of the mouth of a woman who pulled alongside me. She and her daughter introduced themselves as Diane and Dawn Macquarrie. They had driven past me, and Dawn told her mother to turn around because this man might need help. Dawn asked if I needed anything, and I said no, but she already had some money out and wanted me to have it. She said she would feed my body, her Mother would feed my soul! We talked about the walk. and these two women had lots of questions and comments. They were a pleasure to talk to, and more than a match for a walkingman.

I walked several more miles and saw the reporter ahead of me taking pictures. She did the interview, and while we were talking, Nancy's husband, Larry, drove up. I still had 2 miles to go, and he was going to ride me there if I wanted. We talked a while with the reporter, and I told Larry I would walk the 2 miles and meet him there. When I arrived, Nancy had come to meet me. We loaded the cart on the truck and drove to their house. I unloaded the gear, took a bath, and soon was sitting down to eat a steak hot off Larry's grill. Nancy has been a follower of the walk since the beginning, so we had lots to talk and laugh about. After dinner a piece of chocolate pie (a southern thing to have something sweet after the meal). Kevin Ellis of the Gastonia Gazette called for an interview. The Gazette has a "sister" paper in Jacksonville, NC, and they are going to cover my arrival in Emerald isle next Saturday. I also had a call from Mayor Art Schools, Emerald Isle, offering any help I might need next week.

Larry gets up for work around 3am, so he was off t0 bed, and me to work on the computer for a while. It's been a great evening. Tomorrow I'll head to Carolina Beach, where I'll stay a day or so with my brother Robert, then start the final leg of the trip. It's been a good day to be a walkingman. BTW: Greg Hansen of Calabash Creamery sent an email and they have put a picture of the walkingman on their website, and a link to this blog.....check it out.

About the pictures:
"Cousin" Nancy and Larry Dudley, great hosts from St James, NC;
Shallotte historical marker;
Some of Shallotte downtown.