Tuesday, August 10, 2010

A Good Deed

Before I tell of this deed, I'm pleased to announce that the IRS is off my tail!  Yep, got the word last week that I'm off the hook for the $2 grand they said I owed, which I was pretty sure I didn't.  Kudos to my accountant for accomplishing this feat!

I'm now at Lake Powhatan and love the place and my site.  This is probably one of the best places I've stayed.  Tomorrow I hope to start visiting relatives and friends.

The good deed really began when I met a guy at the camp ground store who was riding a beautiful Suzuki Bergman 400.  When I went over to admire it, he said he had another on just like it for sale.  So I made arrangements to go to Greeneville, TN to see it on Monday.  Here it is.  What a beauty!  And it will fly!

On my way back, I passed a hitchhiker with a dog who gave me a long, sad look as I went by.  I debated whether to stop or not, then remembered the many miles I hitched during college and all the good folks who gave me rides.  Besides, I had room and time and they looked a little desperate.

When I turned around and went back, we had to move all the stuff from my back seat to make room for the dog.  The hiker put her stuff in the bed of the truck and off we went.  They had just come off the Appalachian Trail because she'd had a seizure and folks had told her of a place coming up that was impassable for the dog.

She and her dog, aka Cat & Dog, had been hiking since January and had started in Florida after she had been laid off.  She had been a security guard and was severely beaten during a robbery, which left her with the seizures and a very small pension for a year.  I was awed by her courage and by the love of her helper dog. 

They were going to Erwin, TN, about 60 miles out of my way.  She also told me of her dog, aka Choice, having been ill and the big vet bill.  So I drove them to Erwin, gave her some money and asked her to say a prayer for LaVerne, as the money was really from her.  She was speechless.  Finally she asked if she could repay the money and I said no, that it was a gift in memory of LaVerne.  Her they are about to resume their hike to NY.  We're both traveler, but doing so in very different ways.  I'm glad I stopped.


I doubt that I'll buy another scooter right now, though the price was right and I loved the ride.  I need to be in one place for a while to sell the Vespa first.  It's eating up rear tires faster than I can replace them, which takes valuable time and money.  While I love the little scoot, I need something that's lower maintenance. 

Got to find a better wifi connection, as I'm back to using my VirginMobile plug-in modem which charges by the minute and megabyte.  Hope to post a lot while I'm here, as there will be a lot happening.  Thanks for stopping by!

1 comment:

  1. Oh Fred!! What a great looking bike! How will you ever be able to resist? Sounds like your helping the hiker meant a lot to both of you. In my mind's eye, I can visualize a *huge* smile on LaVerne's face.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.