Beyond the Blog Day 20 (May 17) - That Is NOT a Dog, It is a Bear. Also, The Fishing Hole from Heaven

 

Matt catches a fish!

 

Recalling this day, it was a warm day with flat running through the heart of the coastal plains, full of wonderful chance encounters.   My blog post for this day describes the bear encounter, which I genuinely believed to be a dog until we both got closer to each other.   It may seem strange to mistake a bear for a wolfhound, but in my defense, he was a skinny bear on the move.  Plus I had sweat in my eyes.   What I didn’t explain is that I had a very similar bear encounter many years ago running with a friend during the Grandfather Mountain Marathon.   A bear burst out of the woods in front of Mark and myself just as we were beginning the final climb to the finish line.   This was a big bear, probably well fed from tourists, which is different than being well-fed on tourists.  In any case, this bear also just kept lumbering on, so maybe runners look like more work than they are worth.  And most of us don’t carry candy bars.

The trusty CAN-Mobile taking a break at the J.’s fishing hole near Cedar Creek, NC

 

Despite that exciting moment, and as I made my way through the fields and farmlands heading towards Ammon, via Old Fayetteville Road, I felt at peace.   This is a remote country, beautiful in its own way, and the people who live here are kind.   Otherwise Matt and Monty would never have been able to fish in the little Fishing Hole From Heaven, which they found somewhere between Cedar Creek and Ammon.    It was tucked off the side of the road, nestled beneath the pine trees, with a flat sandy area perfect for parking.    Monty will never not stop for a potential fishing spot, and this idyllic location just beckoned him.  So he and Matt pulled over, and Monty quickly caught a nice fish (I have no idea what kind) and he challenged Matt to do the same….which he promptly did!  It was really just a nice, quiet moment, and moments after, we met Mr. and Mrs. J.   My blog post describes our encounter as follows:

 

Mr. And Mrs. J, who have lived in this part of the state for over 50 years and built their home here, with their children and grandchildren living nearby. They own a lovely spot with a little pond….they pulled up in their golf cart just to see what was going on, but in a friendly way. We started to talk and it turned out that she was a teacher for many years and had taught autistic children among others. They really are the loveliest couple we've met, and they told us all about the land and its history and about their family plot where all the other J's were buried. I was kind of interested in this, because you see lots of little cemeteries along the road and wonder what the story is behind them. They brought me over and they were most proud of their own headstone which had their pictures on it….And then they proceeded to show me the gravesite of their spaniel, whose name was Weasel. He had his own tombstone with his likeness carved into it...they said that they could never have another dog after him because he was the best.

 

Mr. J looks like he’s frowning in this picture but that is just his game face.  He’s a really nice guy.

 

Matt took some really good notes for this day, and I am reminded about some of the great conversations we shared as we continued this adventure together.   We knew that it would somehow translate into a documentary, and his notes reflect some of our ideas on how this would all tie together:

 

MATTS NOTES 5/17/21 

-Richard dreaded this journey but finds it better than he felt

-Everyone has a different outside view of someone’s inner struggle 

-How we react to this struggle can change our own viewpoint as well as the one struggling 

-“Best Foot Forward” theme 

 

 

Monty accompanying me on a long country road

 

Gearing up!

 

We returned to our hotel in Fayetteville, and I felt good enough to eat out at a restaurant across the street (I think it was the Red Robin).   We all had the salad bar and I vaguely remember some incident with introducing Matt to some different salad dressings….but it was a relaxed night and we all felt pretty happy with how the day had gone.   I didn’t get eaten by a bear, I did run down the road with a flock of guinea hens, Matt and Monty did find a fishing hole, and we all met the J’s.  I even got a little extra distance on the Ruck for the day.   I don’t think I drank enough fluids, however, and my legs cramped up pretty badly during the night.   There is always a price to pay, its just a question of how you pay it.