Day 16, Saturday 
April 16, 2005

BEEP – BEEP – BEEP – BEEP – BEEP – BEEP – BEEP – BEEP. BE-BE-BE-BEEP - BE-BE-BE-BEEP - BE-BE-BE-BEEP - BE-BE-BE-BEEP, etc. etc. etc. And, the third cycle gets worse. It’s a pretty obnoxious alarm. Actually, it’s pretty innocent and effective, but at 4:00 AM it seems very obnoxious. My host is fixing breakfast for me and other people are supposed to meet me at 6:00 AM to walk. It’s 4:15 and I’m up…sort of. Feet on the floor. Living out of two backpacks is very interesting.

First, I’ll bandage my feet. Toes are looking better. One new blister on the top of my right foot from lacing my boots too tight yesterday. Blister on bottom/side of right heel still a problem. I keep draining it and bandaging it but it continues to be aggravated each day. Wrapped little toe and middle toe on each foot, bandaged both heels and both blisters, and created a tape “cup” on both heels. I’ve been doing this now for eight days. It has prevented any new blisters or ‘hot spots’ from appearing on my heels. No new blisters on toes or anywhere else. Maybe my feet are finally getting accustomed to this daily regimen. Packing, packing, packing. Fill the water bottles. Pack the pillow around the computer. Gather all the charging cords. Dirty clothes. Extra clothes. Clean socks, spare socks. And, oh yeah, dog food.

A few minutes after 6:00 AM, we arrive at the Texaco in Bertram. Of the three guys who were supposed to meet there, only Jay was there. Donald is only minutes away. We loiter around a bit and decide to go on without Craig, he can catch us down the road. It’s already after 6:30 AM and I am anxious to get going. I really want to be finished early today. We’re only going to do about 13 miles. I need some rest and relaxation and I must work on my journals. I am so far behind.

Walker is full of energy, must be the Ensure. I decide to let him off the leash because he is pulling me, anxious to move. It’s amazing because he has hardly moved since we finished yesterday’s walk. As soon as I let him loose, he begins to run. He loves to run these BIG circles. I encourage him to stop. No use. At least slow down. No use. Soon, he begins to respond to my command, “Easy!” I don’t want him burning out early today. However, it is good to see him with so much spirit and energy. By the end of each day, there is little left in either of us.

We’re moving at a good pace and up ahead, an SUV stops, a guy gets out and appears to be waiting for us. It must be Craig. I’ve never met him and don’t know what he looks like but it’s got to be him – shorts, fanny pack, water bottles, athletic shoes – definitely dressed for walking. As we approach, we exchange introductions all around and off we go. There are lots of bluebonnets now and I try to avoid walking through them. We walk in pairs – Donald and Jay walk together, and Craig and I are together. Having someone to talk to is awesome. We discuss books, music, churches, careers, family, doctrine, dogma, traditions, Dry Bones, and walking to Denver. It’s cool and pretty foggy. We pause for an extended break about 9 or 9:30. Walker needs a rest, I need dry socks and a change of shoes. My phone rings and its Tim. He and Kevin are on their way. It looks like we’re about 4 miles from the center of Burnet. Talk turns to lunch and Storm’s (really good hamburger place) is the unanimous choice. About an hour and a half away. We’re up and moving again and soon we’re joined by Tim and his brother, Kevin. What a change from just Walker and I to a small platoon of six with a mascot. Before long, we top the last hill. Now we’re looking down over the railroad tracks and the outskirts of Burnet. Soon, we’ll be in town. I call my mom to see if she wants to join us at Storm’s. She does. We’re off again and soon we reach 281 and turn right – Storm’s is just a few blocks away. Tim and Kevin go to drop off a vehicle at the end of the route while the rest of us place orders. Mom arrives. We decide to sit outside. I fix Walker up with some water and he is soon sound asleep.

What a blessing and honor that all of these friends would sacrifice so much to be with me. Walking with me today was neither convenient nor close for any of them. Some went to considerable expense to be here. We tarried on the patio for a long time. Several other patrons were interested in our journey – and Walker. He always steals the show. Craig’s ride soon appeared, I didn’t realize he was about to leave. I didn’t get a picture with all of us together. I’m sure I’ll see him again sometime soon. We made tentative plans to meet up for another walk together in west Texas.

Now, I can’t imagine why Tim would have made this offer, but temporary insanity caused him to ask if I wanted him to carry my pack the rest of the way (1-1/2 miles). I really don’t think he had any idea what it weighs. Actually, I haven’t weighed it either but a good guess would be 35 to 40 pounds, maybe more. Actually, Tim did really well carrying the pack and did not complain at all. Today’s journey (the walking, at least) is over. Donald’s wife arrives to pick him up and we load up in Tim’s truck for the ride back to Storm’s where Kevin’s truck is parked. Fifty feet down the road we meet Gary and Lois and they turn and follow us back. When we get to Storm’s and park, Gary and Lois get out of their van. There’s more walking to Denver T-shirts in that parking lot than I’ve seen since we left Galveston. If not for Gary, I’d be sleeping (or not sleeping) in my tent every night.

We split up our stuff and figure out who’s going where, say our good-byes to Tim and Kevin and head over to Don and Billie’s house (my hosts for Saturday and Sunday nights). At Bertram, we dropped Jay off at his truck.

We found Don and Billie’s house. Gary and Lois wanted to meet them as well because Gary has been making arrangements for places for me to stay over the phone and finally he would have the opportunity to meet one of these kind, gracious, and hospitable people who had agreed to take me in for a night or two. They stayed and visited for a while. I sat on the couch fighting to stay awake. I can’t remember the last time I slept more than five or six hours.

Gary and Lois head for Austin and dinner with friends. They’ll be back on Tuesday to walk some between Lampasas and Lometa. Their return will mean that once again, my extra pack and supplies will be transported ahead. This is a great concern for me because if no means is available to move this stuff by car, I will have to carry 60+ lbs. for 20 miles. God keeps forcing me to trust His provision. Why is this so hard?

My accommodations at Don and Billie’s home are luxurious compared to where Cheeto and Bob and Don and Roberta (street kids) have slept. Some people do not understand my devotion to my dear companion, Walker. He is in many ways like a child to me – a friend. I cannot think of many situations where I would not include him as my companion. I care for him. It is painful for me to force him to keep moving when I know he needs rest and cool down. There is the pressure to start earlier but such a strategy is not without consequences and complications. It means my host will often have to get up earlier to deliver me to a starting point. It means that I may get less sleep. It means more time walking in the dark. Walking in the dark can be a challenge. I wear a headlamp – both to be able to see what’s ahead and below, and to be seen. We both also wear flashing read strobe lights in the dark in order to draw attention to ourselves and be more visible to oncoming traffic. It means more risk since visibility is greatly reduced in terms of being able to see the ground we walk on. We’re also now entering part of the country where snakes, -specifically, rattlesnakes – may be found almost anywhere.

Anyway, upon arrival, I asked Billie if she knew I had a dog, and she said she did. “Inside or outside?” I asked. “Outside,” she said. My heart fell. Soon, Don appeared as I was placing the rest of my stuff in my designated bedroom. Don said, “I’ll show you where your dog can stay.” He led us out to a sort of garage, through the garage, and out a back door. Don said something about chickens. As I stepped through the door, I stepped into an old chicken coop – dirt floor, a little grass and fencing all around. It wasn’t cruel for a dog – it was dry and safe – but it certainly wasn’t what Walker was used to. He has never slept outside except in a tent with me and I would not be sleeping in this chicken coop. This couple was opening their home to me and providing what they considered suitable accommodations for my companion. And most likely, it is adequate for his needs. Lacking any real, objective evidence that these conditions might be physically harmful to Walker’s well being, I was left to consider what the psychological implications might be for him. He does not do well when left alone. He needs human or animal companionship pretty much all the time – he is so social. I check on him in a little while and try to get him to eat. He has overturned his water bowl and is very excited to see me. We go out in the yard and I get him more water and try to get him to eat. No luck. I hang out with him for a while but I need to get to work on my journals, my laundry, my shower – my stuff. So, I returned him to the ‘pen’ and began the task of writing today’s journal. I did my laundry and enjoyed the aromas coming from Billie’s kitchen as she went about preparing dinner. Soon it was time to eat. We sat in the living room for a while and talked before dinner. I answered their questions about me and walking to Denver.

After dinner, I went back out to get Walker out of the pen and try to get him to eat. He had overturned his water again, even though I had done my best to secure the bowl with bricks. He was again very excited to see me. We sat on the edge of the driveway. I gave him more water and laid out some food. He drank a little water but was not the least bit interested in the food. “Eat,” I commanded like he might obey. “Eat,” I repeated – over and over again, “Eat!” He was very distracted. Finally, I picked up a handful of food and held it under his nose. He sniffed and turned away. I moved my hand again under his nose. He sniffed again and this time he took a few morsels…and turned away. A third time I moved my hand under his nose. This time, he began to feed a little. We sat a while together, he across my lap surveying the environment as I stroked him and enjoyed the weight and shape of his body. He is so much more than a dog to me. He has been with me for more than a year now specifically for the moments like this. He is the only one who shares virtually every step of the journey with me. And tonight, he will have to sleep outside – separated and alone. This will be the first night in a while where I can go to bed early and sleep a little later but the thought of what this night might be like for him makes these benefits bittersweet. Will he rest well? Will I?