Monumental

Let's see, what shall we learn about today gang? Virginia is rugged, rocky, ridiculously hot and humid, absolutely beautiful and I haven't even reached Shenandoah.

Rocky...

Rugged...

Beautiful...

I've got lots of pics.

Another visitor, see her?

Sometimes I'm the visitor.

The concerned look on my face has to do with the direction I must go, the horns on the cows heads and the color of my shirt! 

Speaking of cows (1st notice bandana on neck in above pic), you must decide; a holy cow or beef jerk(y). One morning several ago I just had it in my head by like 10:30 it was gonna be a not so good day, like a Monday ya know, bla, slow, poor night's sleep and awoke on the wrong side of the tent. No lie, at around 1:30 I'm strollin along and pass what I think is just a small old dirty rag on the trail. Within a step I stop, reach back with trek pole to pick at it enough to see its a bandana. It's not a rag, it's not even dirty. Furthermore as I pick it up it occurs to me I may actually know who lost it. Her name is "Notes" from Norwood Mass. As I check it out, look what I see on this otherwise draggy day:

Incredible! The timing uncanny. I knew Notes was a Christian and when she asked me how I knew, before she told me, I said it was because she shines the light. Sometimes it's not hard to tell right?

But I find this item and look at the message. I wore it for weeks. 

What does this have to do with a cow you ask? One more thing before that; the tree.

The Kefer Oak is the largest, oldest tree on the AT south of the Mason Dixon line.

It's 300 yrs old and 18ft around the base.

Story has it I am actually the first person to strike this pose which is why I don't have the sarcastic holding up the leaning tower of Pisa face.

I so love the tree that I decide to camp under it not realizing (aside from the cow patties) that I was intruding on others turf.

Wakey wakey time for breaky breaky! 

Ooooookaaaayyyy????

Scuse me, do you have any idea how hungry I am? Yo! "STEP AWAY FROM THE TENT!"

Then there were more.

By now they're literally encircling my space and encroaching while I try to heard them off with my trekking poles. Notice my clothesline.

So much for a relaxing cup-o-joe before packin n trackin. Now this is where you must decide, holy cow or beef jerk(y). The big black cow has a tag on its ear with a big # 50 written on it, as in fiddy. Tough guy. Doesn't fiddy waltz right up to the clothes line, with socks, undies, shorts, shirts etc stick out his big fat toungue for my favorite bandana and proceed to inhale it! Sucked it right down, gone, bye bye. Jerk. Dumb cow. I tell ya it's that Sparky nectar.

The critters just can't get enough.

I've come upon several monuments so far.

There are 5 spokes on this one, want to guess them?

A military plane crash, debris left behind since the mid 80's:

Another monument, this one was powerful and obviously visited frequently. It is to the most decorated WWII veteran Audie Murphy. (Next 3 pics)

Not sure you can see this, it's right next to Audie Murphy' and next to it is a wrist band honoring an Iraqi vet.

Speaking of monuments, I finished and would recommend the documentary by Kirk Cameron called Monumental, especially if you have an interest in early American history. Also, I just finished listening to a very interesting book that came out last year called The Return of Washington by Edward Larson. It chronicals his days between the Revolutionary War and the start of his Presidency. A critical time as Washington oversaw the development of the Constitution.

Correction: Marissa did actually answer the bug vs windshield riddle. 

No one, on the other hand, reasonably deduced that the 3 different logs, like this one;

Are above the knee and therefore favorite places to rest, ergo no bark nor moss.

So many more pics and stories to tell. Please stay tuned.

"There are no limits..."