5-7-06
Start: Levee by Cora, IL
Destination: Menard, IL
Miles: 20.0
Weather: Partly cloudy, warm
We hiked the levee and when we got to the end, a friendly lady came running out in her PJs and said she saw us on TV. She was so excited to meet us - she got her husband and they caught up with us later down the road for a picture.
We just hiked on today. We walked the shoulder of IL 3, and we got to watch a lot of trains go back and forth on the same track right along the river. I always wonder with how close they go by from one another how they don't run into each other. It was fun looking at all the graffiti - I don't know what any of it means, but some of it sure is cool-looking.
Then, Gina, who has a son in remission from Aplastic Anemia came out to hike with us. She had quite the crew with her, too, all sporting the "Our Hike" bandannas - Gina's mom, mom-in-law, and two of her sisters. So they pulled us along for the last 4 miles of the day.
We ended our hike and went to Gina's parents' (Dave and Pat) house for dinner. Adam and Dad came, too, of course. We had a wonderful visit. We were also able to meet Alec and his little sister, and Gina's husband. So we had a really good time visiting, eating, and relaxing.
I am truly thankful when we meet up with such supportive families. Everybody we've met up with has been wonderful, and it's really nice when we have an opportunity like this to spend time with Bone Marrow Disease survivors, patients, and their families.
Yesterday at the fundraiser, we also got to meet Devin Fort and his parents. He's a little boy currently looking for a bone marrow donor, and his parents run donor drives every week. We will be keeping Devin and his family in our prayers as we hike.
So we had a good day. Hopefully tomorrow we get in another good day. We might just hike our blues away. Our hubbies are leaving us, and that's going to be tough. I figure if I end up bawling half the day, I'll just hike like a madwoman! Stubborn mode: ON :)
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