From Lonoke the distance was more than I like to push us. Nice(the dog) and I hold well up to fifteen miles. By sunrise we had walked a few miles out of town. When the sun went down we were on Broadway in North Little Rock. Both of us were sore after the twenty-plus miles when I finally called the one man and his wife who had taken the time to offer help that day. People stopped during our walk from Lonoke but most snapped a picture then drove on with a thankful word for the cause. They have lived along this highway since childhood and I learned much of the changes and events on this road, The Trail of Tears, heritage trail, butterfield trail. I have followed this road from West Memphis never realizing it was the path also of the famous civil rights march. That, in an abstract, explained to me the distance I have felt along this trail of tears. Because the area I stopped in and the threat of heavy rains on Sunday we loaded the deflated world in the bed of their truck then rolled it up and got it in the van back in Lonoke where I was too exhausted to drive back to the city so I curled up next to the hard balled up world.
When I awakened my old Achilles injury caused so much discomfort I was gasping for breath. Nice was content to rest while I washed a load of clothes at the laundry before heading to North Little Rock where I parked at the vacant lot of a leveled drive thru restaurant. The rain finally came late in the afternoon followed by a cool front. During the night a local officer checked on the van. He quickly recognized who I was having seen our story and recommended we begin in the morning from the riverfront a few blocks away. It is brisk with clear skies this morning. A beautiful day for a walk over the bridge into Little Rock. The swelling has gone down and if I don't attempt walking to Hot Springs all in one day the heal may allow me to keep going.
Thanks to the NLRP and my new friends for the help and advice.
Walk daily, take a friend.
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