Ok, so normally I hate doing these kind of posts, but I really want a chance to win a Canon 5D camera.

I actually started reading Maile’s blog long before she became part of the Shutter Sisters. She had great blog entries and amazing photos and I’d comment occasionally.

Then she came out with a camera bag line that was to die for. I have a big backpack camera bag that is waterproof on the bottom and is great for hiking but I really wish I had something better for just taking my camera around town. And then Maile came out with Epiphanie bags. And they are beautiful! They aren’t in my budget at the moment but I’m thinking they would make an excellent Christmas present.

Anyway, this whole blog post is because Epiphanie is having a giveaway, a Canon 5d camera or $2500 on Southwest Airlines.

And a Canon 5D is right up my alley.

When we came back to town I asked my brother and dad where some good places to hike were and one place they mentioned was Tandy Hills. This park is very close to where my parents grew up in E. Ft. Worth and where my grandad still lives and I had no idea this park even existed. It is tucked away in the Meadowbrook subdivision, which is a nicer, historic part of the area (go a few blocks and it might not be so great of an area) and once you get in to the park you don’t realize you are surrounded by the city. Well, except from some trash that you come across.

I went to their website to scout the park out and found out they had trout lilies and the nodding ladies tresses orchid. Very cool! So, yesterday we went off to find the trout lilies since Chris hadn’t gotten to see them fully open. After doing some research the ones we found appear to be Erythronium albidum.

There were hundreds of them in the area we found them in.

This is what the park area looks like…

and then to the west is downtown Fort Worth.

Not sure what these red berries are, but they were very pretty.

We went to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Thursday…those photos are to come.

Despite being sick and tied to the couch watching movies all day long, I am getting excited. We had hoped to go hiking at least once while we were in Dallas this week, but I wanted to lay low until I got better.

Chris ventured out today to the Heard Museum a stomping ground of his youth (I’ve been once, way back when we were dating in high school or college) to take some photos. He ended up spotting some trout lilies, flowers we had planned on trying to find while hiking around the DFW metroplex while we were here. We will try to go back next week so I can see them in bloom.

I am constantly checking Whiteblaze.net and Trailjournals.com for updates on the trail, seeing what new snow fall has occurred and if there are new blow downs and trail issues. A lot of people have started this week and it is getting exciting to read everyone’s stories. Only a week and a half and we will be out there, walking to Maine.

There are many things I am trying not to think about, only picturing the end and being on Katahdin. I’m skipping the rain, snow, cold, tired, pain moments—all of which I know will occur. The common mantra that is said is “No Pain, No Rain, No Maine”.

Oh, here you go, a photo of someone who went through it and made to Maine–in the rain of course. That’s the one conundrum, getting a clear, picturesque photo on top of Katahdin and not a dreary, rainy one. I’ve seen mostly rainy ones.

I’ve decided to re-read a few of my favorite journals I read over the past year to see what they did at the beginning.

I’m off to douse myself with some green juices and more medicine. My nose seems to be slowing down a bit, just wishing I could hear out of my ears soon.

I started coming down with what I thought to be a cold but now think is a sinus infection late last week. It has since knocked me down and I’ve been hibernating in my in-laws movie room watching all sorts of chick flicks and BBC America for Dr. Who.

It isn’t pleasant; I’m sick and officially have no insurance. It ended yesterday. The good part was finding out that the Minute Clinic at CVS is only around $60 for a visit for a cold related type things and if all they are prescribing are antibiotics and cough medicine, then you could escape a doctors visit for under $100.

Health insurance was our one sticking point for the trip. Well, not a sticking point, but a big question mark if you will. The fact is, health insurance isn’t cheap and the health care bill never got passed, so we’re stuck trying to find health insurance we can afford.

I received my COBRA information before I even left Florida and it was laughable. Over $600 a month for one person. Seriously ridiculous. We did this for a few months when Chris was in between jobs a few years ago and we could afford it because we were working, but that would quickly eat through our savings if we did it this time around. So, today Chris got online and dug around for an emergency insurance, something that would cover a catastrophic problem like being laid up in an a hospital for days on end. *crossing fingers that won’t happen and knocking on wood*. Once they review our application, hopefully we will be paying $100 a month for both of us for a catastrophic plan that would help us out in a pinch.

So, if I come down with a cough or cold I’ll be paying out of pocket for a doctors visit somewhere along the AT.

Aside from being sick, we did venture out for awhile to REI and to have lunch with Chris’ dad and step-mom. At REI we picked up a bunch of MSR fuel for our stove to put in our maildrops as well as a ton of tiny bottles of Dr. Bronner’s soap. The soap is a biodegradable soap that can be used to clean dishes and to wash yourself, so it is perfect for the trail. Some people even try to brush their teeth with it, but once some of it leaked in the bag we had our toothbrushes in and well, it doesn’t taste good.

Robin had a few questions:
Sorry if you answered this already, but for the food drops, how does that work?
We pack them into boxes and take them to the post office so they can be shipped to the points we want to pick them up at.

Do you stop off at various points along the trail and give the boxes of food to someone to keep?
Most of the boxes will be shipped to post offices and stored there until we pick them up. We will ship them about two weeks ahead of time with a tracking number. Some get shipped to private companies that can be picked up 7 days a week.

Or do you stash it somewhere?
Only if I want a bear to find it!!!

How long will it take to drop all that off? And I take it it will be done beforehand, right?
No dropping off! Just mail ‘em out two weeks prior to our scheduled arrival in that town so that we can pick them up. The mail drops are meant to supplement at a town that doesn’t have a good grocery store or maybe the town is a little spread out and we want to avoid running around town for hours on end.

We have a few other things to take care of for the trail like sealing the seams on our rain fly and figuring out our phone. We still haven’t made a final decision with that. We got our car insurance taken care of and will be doing comprehensive only for six months while it is in storage, greatly reducing our monthly bill.

I’ve already started thinking of ways to cut my weight at the beginning. I’m thinking of ditching a second sports bra, a pair of shorts and an extra shirt until we get through the Smokies. Hauling 11 days worth of food is going to bite. I have light-pack envy after seeing someone’s total weight of 18lbs on Trailjournals.com. That’s total weight of all gear plus food and water. I’m not interested in carrying more than 30 lbs of weight, which I think could happen in the Smokies. Some people carry 40+ lbs, until they get to Mountain Crossings at Neels Gap and get someone to help them drop their pack weight.

Two weeks from now we’ll be toasty in our sleeping bags somewhere in Georgia.