Just Plodding Along

My grill tools arrived from Anthem today. I don't think my grill is good enough to go with them; I'm going to have to get a new grill, maybe bigger, maybe stainless steel, better yet enamelled steel. I think that'll help me get in better shape.
They're in a little silver suitcase. I really want to take them somewhere. I'd feel like James Bond with the attache case, or the guy who carries the nuclear launch codes for the President, or -- hey what about the suitcase in Pulp Fiction?
Yesterday and Sunday all I did was go for a walk. Here's the sign for where I am on my virtual Appalachian Trail hike. Somewhere in Virginia.

I might be getting close to halfway to Maine. I wonder if I can get to the virtual Katahdin by the time we go back to hike Katahdin next September?

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Racial Injustice: The Case of Walter Lett Inspired Harper Lee

Chronology: The case of Walter Lett influenced Harper Lee in writing To Kill a Mockingbird. Here are the events of the case, and its connection to Harper Lee. The case began in November 1933. "On Thursday, November 9, 1933, the Monroeville Journal reported that Noami Lowery told authorities that Walter Lett had raped her the previous Thursday.” ( "Lee, Harper: 1926 - 2016"). Just as in To Kill a Mockingbird , the accusation alone was enough for most citizens to assume guilt. Writing for Time magazine, Daniel Levy asserts, “Such an accusation was a death sentence for an African American man. ‘Rape was the central drama of the white psyche,’ says Diane McWhorter, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution.” Lett was captured on Saturday and jailed in another town out of fear he’d be lynched. The legal system operated quickly. “On March 16, 1934, Lett was arraigned ...

Reflections from the Last Few Days

I’ve concentrated these posts on the travel & walking, shortchanging some other cultural observations, like food, drink, etc. As we are now headed back to Lisbon, those things may get more attention. Events elsewhere have colored our experience here. This next part is personal. Some reader may find it interesting, or in the future we may appreciate the reminder of these things. Jan & Bruce have been particularly concerned about the impact of Hurricane Helene the last few days. A couple weeks before we left & just before his 96th birthday, my dad began hospice care. We went to see him on his birthday. It was not at all clear that he was any closer to death. On our first day here we were shocked to learn that a beloved friend since college died due to consequences of cancer. Our thoughts the first two days were on Terry, her family, and our mutual friends. She was active, adventurous, loving, fun, and until last spring, healthy. She’s on the left in this photo. Thursday, Dad’...

Porto Covo to Villanova de Milfontes

First, to emphasize what a slog this was, I have to tell you that right now it is 9:20 PM and I am too tired to write this post. I’ll load up some pictures, all already on Facebook, then go to sleep. Whatever else I write will come tomorrow. This is the fishing harbor at Porto Covo, which we didn’t see until just as we were leaving town. In retrospect it’s clear the origins of all these villages are as fishing ports. They all have signs referring to pescador & that reminds me of my dad, though I think he used to call me the Italian pescatore. Two miles down the beach we found the cafe-resto at Forte da Ilha. The Apple map indicates it doesn’t open until 10:00, but we got cafe ant the counter around 9. I didn’t buy Pringles or a lobster. The Pringles dispenser reminded me of Sadie. The lobster has no claws, a very different critter from what we have in Maine. The fort dates back to 1588, built to guard against attacks by English pirates. Fortifications on the offshore island date to...

Bends Toward Justice

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