Pearisburg - mile 623 and counting

Hello! Brahma and Sweet P. here in Pearisburg, VA. We are at the Courthouse Cafe. I'm having a ridiculous egg, cheese and tomato bagel with a piping hot mug of coffee. Coffee is the one thing that I can't get enough of when we come to town. Well, not the one thing. One among many. Many of the others being: hot water, clean floors, surfaces on which to lay things (like tables, counters, beds) and cotton sheets.

We swung by the post office first thing - got another sweet care package from JJ and Don. You guys rock! What did you do? Hit up the hispanic section? I love Sponcho! or whatever those cookies are, and all the other goodies. Thank you!! Here is something else you can send us (since you asked :). Nido. It's whole powdered milk and we can't find it anywhere in these little rural towns b/c there's not enough of an ethnic population - but you will find it in your neck of the woods easy. It comes in a container that looks like baby formula.
Balkcom
Post Office
Waynesboro, VA 22980
Hold for AT Thru-hiker

We also got a card and some love from Dustan's parents - thanks Ron and Dawn! And Mamaw Owen, thanks for the letter! We are so sad that Papaw is struggling with his health and we are thinking and praying for you both constantly. It was great to hear from you and hopefully I can write soon.

The day before yesterday we came thru Bland and stopped at Trent's Grocery where we got some more greasy spoon food which included - much to Amy's chagrin - lots of pork. Then we paid actual money for the grossest shower I've ever seen. I felt it needed to be blasted by the fire department. But I showered. We also paid (real dollars) to camp in the field behind Trent's with other hikers, 2 horses and lots of tarp-covered campers that belong to hunters when the season is open. There was a tanning bed in the barn where the horses slept and a bottle of chocolate milk sitting by the showerhouse that predates Jesus. It was altogether ich. Like pouring $15 down the drain. On the way back to the trail I fed my bag of baby carrots to the horses and one of them bit the fire out of my thumb. We left Trent's and hiked 23 miles until we came to Pearisburg!

The 23-miler was our longest day so far. Only a few miles more and it woulda been a marathon! This morning our feet were so swollen but they have gone down now. Last night I thought of you Marth. A mouse ran up the outside of our tent (on the mesh part) with its little tail and wiggly body and it was really freaky - and I even like mice. You would have had cardiac arrest.

We are getting ready to check in to a motel and LET A MACHINE DO OUR LAUNDRY. It's about time. Then we'll be hitting up Food Lion, Rite Aid, and pretty much every food establishment in between. Hopefully I'll be back to add pictures to this post and the last one.

Love, Brahma Bull and Sweet Potato