POST 1075; MARCH 09, 2013; JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

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Slept in until 7am this morning, having slept the night thru...first time in many weeks that I slept so good.  Packed up and walked to a Breakfast restaurant. 

Please say HELLO to ANN and the Girl Scout, KIYA, who were selling Girl Scout Cookies.  Ann said she saw me walking yesterday...so, we chatted for 29 or so minutes, was gifted a box of cookies, and as usual, was reluctant to leave such nice ladies.

Surf City is on Top Sail Island which stretches a bit off shore for about 40 miles.  To reach the island, one must cross the above Lift Bridge - or walk to the North end of the island, where there another bridge...and further on, a ferry boat back to the mainland.  I took the lift bridge.

Eight miles from Surf City, Highway 210 reconnects with US 17 at the village of Holly Ridge.

Please say HELLO to Jamal Siag, wh doubled back on Highway 210, parked and waited for me to catch up.  We had a very interesting conversation for at least 20 minutes.  I assured Jamal that I would not divulge our conversation...nothing wrong with it...in fact, somewhat fascinating and pleasant.

About 10 miles further North on US 17, came across the above sign...Camp Lejeune Marine Training Base.  US 17 paralleled the Marine Base for another 8 miles or so...bombs and big guns going off as SAM & ME walked along.

Again today, I was challenged to keep moving.  After each 45 minutes or so, was so beat that I stopped SAM, stood behind her, lowered my head onto her Solar Panel and fell asleep standing.

Reaching the village (one service station), I was so pooped and a bit dizzy, stopped in for a bottle of Coca Cola, sat at a table, took a few sips, lay my head on the table and fell fast asleep.

Awaking, an angelic voice was saying:  Bruce....Bruce....Bruce. 

I looked up into the eyes of ...you guessed it...the angle !  A complete stranger, but she said we had dinner last evening in the same restaurant.  Only after I finished and was gone, she asked the waitress - with whom I had been talking about my walk - ...what that guy with the reflective jacket was all about.

Please say HELLO to:  left to right... husband BRENT, sister JENNIFER, angel CHRISTI, daughter WHITNEY, , AND MOM KAYE.

After returning home last evening, they tracked me down on SAM and ME, read some blog entries and wished they had spoken to me last evening.

They decided they would go out this morning to make some errants and try to find me as SAM and ME walked toward Jacksonville.

They did find me...SAM parked out side...fast asleep inside the shop.

Invited them to pull up chairs...we chatted for 1/2 our or so, whereupon Angel Christie suggested we put SAM in the back of their pickup truck so they could drive me to a motel in Jacksonville...quickly said YES before they changed their mind.  Took all of 10 minutes to drive to the motel.  While hubby Brent and I off loaded SAM, A.C. disappeared...only to return in a couple minutes, handing me a magnetic door card...Your room is 133...no no, it is all taken care of.

Needless to say, I am thoroughly speechless.

having been drinking bottle after bottle of water and coke...much to much to avoid decimation of my red blood cells...see blog of LAMAR HOSPITAL, Colorado two years ago, where I nearly died by self-consumption of my Hemoglobin (red blood cells) due to drinking too much - and not eating enuf to replace while walking the Great Plains.

So, this evening, Paul, manager of my hotel, directed me to an Italian restaurant a couple blocks away, where I indulged in one of the finest plates of Lasagna ever.

Tomorrow, plan an early start (Daylight Saving Time starts tonight, I am told)
with our objective a small town some 19 miles from Jacksonville...still on US 17 heading for New Bern.  Will be interesting to see how it compares on Old Bern, Switzerland, where I have visited a number of times beginning back in 1958.

Enuf already...my soaking hot water bath is complete...tummy is full...1/2 gallon of orange juice ... and a bucket of ice...sits next to my bed...

Off to catch some zzzzz's