WOW!!!  What a day!?!?!?   A wrong turn, picked up the mail and sent some paperwork off, ALL before 8:30 AM!!!  Today I walked for a friend who recently passed away, Joan Donnell and the sister of I.V. Webb, Pattie, who is battling cancer.  All the best to Joan and Pattie's family and friends.

The day started out clear and sunny with a wee bit of spring crisp in the air.  Shortly after I got started I stopped to chat with a gentleman working on his fence.  "Al", a retired truck driver, former Marine, current farmer and VA volunteer was out moving a fence line before the state of Alabama mandated it.  Thank you, Al, for your service and thank you for your volunteerism.  There are seven billion of us crawling around on the planet and ALL we have to do is a single kindness to another person and what do we have?  Perhaps a stretch goal would be seven kindnesses.  Some time after my conversation wilt Al a pickup with "Disabled Veteran" plates stopped me.  "James" had heard about me at a convenience store where I stopped and wanted to contribute to the "cause".  A veteran and specifically a disabled veteran will ALWAYS elicit an emotional response from this curmudgeon.  You, SIR, have made your contribution and this gesture is well above and beyond.  At some point St Peter WILL be giving you a free pass.  Your contribution will be put to good use by Dr. Dave Okubo and Camp UTADA.  Thank you again for your service and your generosity.  Thank you, Robert Poole, (trucker driver) for your advice as to various roads in Florida.  Turns out that both Robert's mother and aunt passed away from cancer.

At approximately 4:59 PM, Central time we crossed from Florala, Alabama into Paxton, Florida.  It still hurts my brain that I have walked so far. I shall resist the temptation to start a "count-down" and just focus on what I have be given, that being the here and now.  I have no choice as to what comes down the road, all I can deal with is the present.

When the day was over we had walked 20.7 miles (33.3871 km's) using 35,256 steps and picked up $0.03.  Findings for the day: 1 carabiner, 1 threaded "C" link and 3 pennies (1 of which was picked up in Florida).  Sunday will be a day off and Monday wil be a moving day to a spot in Florida that has yet to be determined.

As my driver, Valerie,  was anxiously awaiting her call to move further up (down) into Florida she engaged, in conversation, a young man, Wes, who as it turns out, was the last person with whom The Walk had contact with in the state of Alabama.

Thank you, Wes, for representing the people of Alabama and sending us off into Florida!  Best wishes to you!

Below are the numbers for The Walk:

Week #36 (elapsed week, actual walking week #32)

117 miles (188.7097 km's)

225,310 steps

$0.52 in loose change ($0.01 of which was picked up in Florida)

Walk-to-Date:

3,266.4 miles (5,268.3871 km's)

6,373,655 steps taken

$76.28 in loose change (including some paper money)