February 4
End: White Springs
Miles: 0.0
Total: 797.5
I got up as it got light outside and went over to the post office to receive the tarp that I had ordered almost a month ago. The postmaster had a back door arrangement with me, so I knocked and waited. When she came out she said she had sorted everything, but there was no mail for me.
I was devastated. I went over to Fat Belly’s to sulk, and a big omelet lifted my spirits somewhat. I left and called the delinquent Christmas postmaster, who explained that the package had come back to him the first time he mailed it, so he had remailed it a day later. I explained this to the local postmaster, and she promised to check the mail Sunday to see if it came in then.
Faced with a full zero day in White Springs, I wandered around town visiting everything there was to visit. I got some videos published via the library’s WiFi, though it was closed all weekend.
I hung out some at the Stephen Foster Tourism Center and looked over their material on nature in Florida. Then I went and picked out something else off of the menu at Fat Belly’s, and picked up some ice cream at the Dollar General.
After eating some and bringing some over to the Tourism Center to eat, I met Bushwhacker’s wife, who was waiting for him to arrive from the west. I sat and chatted with her, and within fifteen minutes he arrived. She had been reading my journal, which was very encouraging.
I loved hanging out with Bushwhacker and his wife, and talking about the trail. I ate most of my ice cream, then we went to Fat Belly’s (it was the only open restaurant in town) because he was starving.
We toured White Springs for a bit, but then they took off for home and nice warm beds, since they live within driving distance. I was sorry to see them go.
I hung out in town, reorganized my pack, and had dinner. While reorganizing I realized that I had left my data book and iPhone chargers in Bushwhacker’s car. I called him and we decided to hold off on mailing that stuff. I was getting lonely hanging out in White Springs, but tried to stay positive in the hopes that my package would arrive the next day. I slept in the same spot as the night before, and it worked out well.
