After a fantastic lunch of grilled hot dogs with sauerkraut, we said goodbye to Frank and Helen and set out to cross the state line. Although we are walking in Georgia now, not much has changed. We're still trudging along through farm country, dreaming of a day when we will be walking in the Appalachians.
Finding a spot to camp tonight was not an easy task. We found a patch of woods next to a cow pasture, but the woods are so thick and overgrown, we weren't able to get into them very far-- definitely not as far as I would like to be. As the sun began to set, we saw a farmer driving his truck into the field next to our campsite. Our stomachs sank deep. He drove all around the field checking on his cows, while we sat there praying and desperately hoping that he wouldn't see us. About fifteen minutes later he drove out of the field and down the road out of sight. That was a tense fifteen minutes. It's dark now, and as I sit here in our tent writing this and listening to the armadillos rustle in the leaves beside the tent, I am still dreaming of a day when we will be walking in the Appalachians.
Tuesday, April 9, 2002: Columbia, AL
We crossed the state line back into Alabama on Sunday morning. We needed a grocery store and a church to attend, and Columbia, Alabama was the nearest place that offered both. Although we had bathed in the Chattahoochee River on Saturday in an attempt to be somewhat clean and odor-free for church on Sunday, the three-mile walk into town Sunday morning had us kind of ripe again. But, instead of forsaking the fellowship of the brethren, we found First Baptist Church in Columbia and went on in.
After Sunday school and church, a woman named Margaret (the church pianist) asked us if we would like to stay at her house for the night. Margaret has the gift of hospitality. From the moment we arrived at her house, we were told to treat her home like it was our home. She also said that I could drop her off at work on Monday morning, because she knew that we would probably like to have the use a car for a day. She instantly trusted us. Some people just do that. Actually, it's more than trust. You see, Margaret holds on to her worldly possessions with a looser grip than the average American. She realizes that everything she has is God's anyway.
Another batch of thunderstorms have blown in today, and Margaret has invited to stay with her as long as we need to. So, here we are in Columbia, Alabama waiting for the storms to pass. The only problem being that the storms aren't moving east anymore. They have kind of stalled out over the Gulf of Mexico, and rain is predicted for the next ten days here in Columbia, Alabama.
Margaret has been so good to us
Thursday, April 11, 2002: Columbia, Alabama
We're still in Columbia. The pastor of First Baptist Church (Robert) called yesterday and asked me if I would speak at the church for their Wednesday night service. I said, "Sure!" and had a great time last night telling the folks at church about the walk across America, some things that God has done to my life, and answering all kinds of questions. I also played a couple of songs on the piano for them-- something I don't do very often, but probably should do more often.
The speaking engagement couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Word travels fast in a town the size of Columbia, and word had gotten back to us that there were a few people in town who were a little concerned about the backpackers who were staying with Margaret. My ears had been burning for a solid four days.
I can understand their concern. Columbia has a population of about 500, and people like Brandi and I don't pass through every day. But, there is more to it than that. You see, the Farley Nuclear Power Plant is three miles south of Columbia, and since September 11, the folks around here have been even more suspicious of strangers than they probably already were. What makes it even worse is that Brandi and I were told that visitors could tour the nuclear power plant (which they could do before September 11,) and so we had been asking around about the plant, the tour, and making known our heartfelt desire to tour a nuclear power plant. Bad idea, but it never occurred to us that we might be suspected as terrorists. Anyway, I am confident that the folks in Columbia are sleeping easier tonight.
Robert and his wife, Mary Lou, invited Margaret, Brandi, and I over for dinner tonight. We had a great time. It is still raining, and the forecast continues to offer no hope of sunny skies anytime soon. I think that we are going to just continue walking north tomorrow in the rain.
Saturday, April 13, 2002: Fort Gaines, GA
There were partly cloudy skies yesterday when we said goodbye to Margaret and started walking towards Fort Gaines, but the predicted rain couldn't hold off forever. It started raining around 5:00 pm and continued until early this morning. We walked the last couple of miles yesterday in the rain, set up our tent in the rain, and listened to raindrops fall on our tent all night long.
Terrorist attack concerns at Walter F. George
This morning, we earnestly thanked God for a short break in the rain, quickly packed our gear, and set out to reach Fort Gaines, Georgia. As we got closer to Fort Gaines, we started seeing barricades like the ones around the Farley Nuclear Power Plant (We don't say Farley Nuclear Power Plant out loud anymore, but I guess that it's okay to write it.) I had been excited about touring the Walter F. George Lock and Dam in Fort Gaines, which hails to be the highest dam east of the Mississippi, but with all the barricades around, I begain to realize that it wasn't going to happen. They used to have tours of the lock, dam, and powerhouse before September 11, but not anymore. We were never able to get close enough to the dam to even see it.
Crossing the Chattahoochee River into Fort Gaines
We crossed the Chattahoochee River back into Georgia this afternoon and walked into Fort Gaines. In an attempt to avoid another terrorist scare, we thought it would be a good idea to stop by the local police department and tell them about our walk and our plans. They seemed understanding. The people in Fort Gaines seemed very friendly, and a few people even smiled and asked us where we were heading. A man named Jim talked to us for quite a while out in front of his convenience store. He later drove out to find us and invited us to stay at house. We are staying here tonight with Jim, his wife Kathleen, daughter Carolyn, and son Lou.
Lauren, Mitch, Charlie,
Carolyn, Thomas, Kathleen, Lou, and Jim
Sunday, April 14, 2002: Fort Gaines, GA
It has been a most excellent Sunday here in Fort Gaines with Jim and his family. We went to church this morning, out for lunch this afternoon, and this evening we went out to Walter F. George Lake with Kathleen's sister Lauren and her family. Don't be concerned, the boy without a shirt in this picture (Charlie) is not deformed or injured in any way. He's just wet and cold from playing in the lake.
Although we never got to see the Walter F. George lock, dam, and powerhouse, we did get to enjoy a beautiful sunset on the lake tonight. Tomorrow we are heading north to northeast towards Plains, Georgia. We decided that a walk across Georgia wouldn't be complete without a walk through Plains and a chance to meet America's 39th president, Jimmy Carter.
After a fantastic lunch of grilled hot dogs with sauerkraut, we said goodbye to Frank and Helen and set out to cross the state line. Although we are walking in Georgia now, not much has changed. We're still trudging along through farm country, dreaming of a day when we will be walking in the Appalachians. 
