random pictures - or...too lazy to write a blog

You know...I try...but to be honest I just don't have the stuff this morning to be super creative here. I do have some photos though that I like - thought you might like them too - here they are.....



"Awww, don't throw away a perfectly good Mucaw..." That was Patrick noticing where Mucaw was sitting in the back of this pickup, while people kept piling in things around him. I love this guy - he is a beautiful singer and often will sing up in the front of the line for the whole walking day, which is impressive. I know, from trying to chant na mu myo ho ren ge kyo - that it's tough to keep up the walking pace and to try to chant or sing as well. Thanks Mucaw! And don't worry, he didn't get thrown out with the trash.



Man gilberto had a tough time at the end of this walk. I never really did get the full answer from him as to why he was struggling so much. Some stuff I know...I just know that this must have been a brutal experience if this guy is counting the days for it to be over. He is such a mellow guy. This photo was taken on our last big walking day, heading towards D.C.
He is sitting there with a man from Burma (Myanmar) who has been exiled from his country for political activism. He lives in upstate New York now, working at a McDonalds for 8 bucks an hour and continuing to work and pray for peace and justice.



Patrick....practicing his riding stance. Patrick walked every day - he and Ray were definitely the most consistent walkers of the group - creating what they termed "bonus monk miles" which means that on days when they wanted to take a little break and ride for 3 miles or so, they could do so without guilt. No doubt. I am always unpleasantly surprised at the number of people that start out a walking day, walk for 3 miles or 3.5 miles and then jump in support vehicles for the rest of the day. Patrick called them "Long Riders."

Some people have real physical ailments that preclude them from doing an 18 or 21 mile day. But for the most part, these are young people, in their early 20's, who are really just lazy and want to sleep on the bus instead of walk. Anyway, on this day...all of us turned in some monk miles for a leg or two...and we were fine with that.



Ah...Mr. Empire...that was what Roman (shown here, looking empirical) was dubbed and he did a good job of looking his regal best whenever he approached the group. Roman was one of my internet search buddies - he brought a laptop as well and so whenever we got to any camp, pretty much the first thing we did after setting up our tents was to see if the camp had any wireless access. I always got a kick out of asking him if he found wireless when we were in ridiculously remote settings. Roman has also been really generous with his computer, letting me write on it since mine crapped out. He also saved my bacon last week by posting my street roots column for me when I couldn't get to the library to do so.



This is such a common image for me. This was taken in the early morning hours...we were waiting for the caravan, most of whom had gotten lost. We so rarely had a caravan where people didn't get lost. Anyway, this time it wasn't necessarily the driver's fault...they were given the wrong directions - told to get off on exit 30 instead of 32 or something like that. We were in the right direction because Ammon called Kathleen and told her where to go. So, this is her talking to the other drivers, trying to get them back on track. This happened all the time. I would generally tell other drivers to follow her, because she had everybody's phone number and was good at getting to where we needed to go, even when the directions were screwy.

She's probably talking to Nathan here....poor Nathan...I think he caught up with us like three hours later. But this picture...you see Kathleen bent over the steering wheel, and she is (usually) yelling into the phone something like, "no..no...go left...left..it's exit 32..THIRTY-TWO.....I know the map says 30...the map is wrong...I am sitting here at the start point...where are you...where?!!...oh my god...Nathan...I have no idea where you are..you were supposed to be on 295 South...I have never even heard of whatever road you are on....no....I can't help you...no..no....I don't...I don't know what to tell you....," and then she usually just sort of slumps over and starts mumbling something incoherant and the phone rings again and it starts all over.
It's kind of funny to watch.
I don't let her see how funny it is for me to watch.


This was taken at one of our "dog and pony" shows out near Delaplane. I hated those...sometimes we would have the opportunity to walk into a pow wow or a fair or something - and I just hated the whole spectacle of it. This place was the worst though -- it was July 4th for one thing, so it was packed..and this announcer...was just bizarre. I don't know if he was reading off a script, you know, if someone told him to say these things or if he was winging it. Either way.. he was saying stuff like - and I am not exaggerating -

"Let's give a big round of applause to the people of the Longest Walk - they will be available in the pavillion for you to talk to. These Native Americans are from many tribes across the country so go and spend some time with them, See Their Culture - Hear Their Wisdom - Sing their Songs" I wish I had a recording of Jen mocking this - it's hysterical - "Touch Their Hair...Smell their Spirit"

So we were being paraded in this field and the people were behind this little fence, kind of waving, but kind of just...looking at us. Patrick kept whispering things like ("think they would give me their hamburger?") Anyway...it's too wierd for me, these things. But look how much material I got out of it!



Just liked this little train station - or what was a train station...in Virginia. Sweet. Whoops....this just in...I just got a comment from someone who lives in Delaplane who informed me that this photo is actually just of a metal shed. I made the assumption based on the cool clock there. But...I was wrong...thanks person from Delaplane!


Okey doke...more for ya later...