[at-l] Ate ears...

[Felix J]

EIGHT years ago yesterday morning, Alice and Marty Kauzlarich took me 
back to Hot Springs after letting me spend the night with them. It was 
raining/sleeting. Marty was drivin'. We met Wingfoot at the restaurant 
(Smoky Mountain Diner?). Alice and Marty ate a ran. Wingfoot and I had a 
nice, long chat. It confirmed what I've always said: I like Wingfoot. It 
also confirmed something I wasn't sure about:  I wasn't going to join 
ATML (wingfoot's former list) when I got home. I am not the type of guy 
Wingfoot wanted on his list. I am probably not the guy a lot of you want 
on this list. I digress. Anyway, I knew that the message I would bring 
back from my hike wasn't the message that Dan was gonna want on the 
list. I realized that over coffee.

I left town in a cool drizzle, a little past noon. Walking out of the
last trailtown was a bittersweet thing. It was dark and cold when I sat
down on a Bluff Mt rock for a Snickers Bar. It was much darker and
colder when I got to Roaring Fork Shelter. I think it was a little after
8. There was another guy in the shelter, asleep. I quickly woke him. We
had a nice long chat. He was a mind doctor of some sort. I played with
his while he studied mine. (Minds, that is). It got VERY cold that
night. 8 years ago right now...