January 26
End: Paisley
Miles: 26.6
Total: 588.0
No one came back to the area where I slept, though there were houses on one side, and it was in a peninsula encircled by the trail. I got up and got going a little later than usual, and happened to check my phone seconds after my friend Drew let me know he could Skype me from Kuala Lumpur.
I walked along behind houses on trail looking for WiFi so that we could video chat. Occasionally I would find some, but couldn’t make contact. Finally, after it seemed like it wasn’t going to work out, I tried just a voice call, which worked. It was good to hear a friend’s voice, even if it was just for a few minutes. My pace was slowed by all this, but it was worth it.
Once I got into the woods, I made some phone calls and realized the tarp I had hoped to pick up was going to be a bigger pain to obtain than I had hoped. I knew it was supposed to rain the next day, but opted to press on and deal with that when it was time.
The rest of the day was spent walking through the Seminole State Forest, which had the first shelter I’ve seen on the trail. The walk was rather sandy, and a good portion of the forest didn’t have many trees, just palmetto bushes and brush.
I was able to refill my water at a cool little spring, definitely the best natural water that I have seen and imbibed so far. I timed my journey so that I would arrive in Paisley at the end of the day.
The restaurant that is referenced in Paisley was closed and for sale. I got a half gallon of ice cream and some PowerAdes at the store and sat outside, eating my ice cream out of the carton, bum style.
I talked briefly to the store owners and a biker, then later a nice lady. Pretty soon a guy pulled up in a pickup, and I said hello. On his way out of the store I offered him a PowerAde that I couldn’t drink, and he offered me some money. I declined that but said I could use a shower, so he offered to let me come to his place. I jumped at the chance.
I met Rusty and his son Scott, as well as more family members at the house, including the biker I had seen at the store earlier. I knew Paisley was a small town, but that one took me by surprise. Everyone was very nice to me, and Rusty and Scot were both very interested in my trek and wanted to help me in any way they could. I took a nice hot shower, got my clothes washed, and had some great spaghetti.
We talked and talked, and they let me sleep on a super comfy couch on their screened-in back porch. In the middle of the night a torrential downpour hit, which made me even more grateful for my warm, dry, comfy spot. The small town of Paisley easily outdid Oviedo and Longwood in hospitality.
