Independence Day! We woke up at 7:00 after only a few hours sleep. When we fell into bed last night we had no way of knowing the excitement wasn't quite over. About 2:30, some pranksters set off the fire alarm. Its shrill alarm and pulsating strobe light was enough to wake the dead. The entire building was evacuated for almost a half hour until the fire department concluded it was safe to go back in. Didn't really get back to sleep until 3:30, because the alarm went off several more times in the course of trying to reset it. We were glad we weren't planning on hitting the trail first thing this morning.

Ronald and I took a walk through the sleepy streets, which were teeming with tourists just a few hours earlier. What a contrast to last night! We made our way down to a bakery called the Donut Friar for fresh cinnamon bread and a latté. After breakfast, we found out that the only Laundromat in town closes at noon, so I washed our filthy clothes as best as I could in the sink. Only got out the surface layers of crud, but that will have to do until Mountain Mama's.

As arranged, Cindy arrived right at 10:30 to pick us up. Their log home sits up high on a hill overlooking one of the rivers leading into Douglas Lake. Their pontoon boat stays moored at the boat dock down at water's edge. It's exactly the type of home we would like to build when Brandon graduates from high school. It's a beautiful home, and in such a peaceful setting.

We met Cindy's husband, Larry, who is a pilot for Federal Express. We were also joined by several of their friends. We spent a wonderful day motoring around the river and lake, relaxing in the sunshine and playing in the water. Most of the boats out here are also big pontoon "party barges" like Cindy and Larry's. The locals decorate their boats for the 4^th, and gather for an informal parade down the river. After the parade disbanded, we motored over to a deserted cove for more frolicking in the water. Brandon and Justin, the son of another couple on the boat, took turns tubing behind the boat. Brandon had never done anything like that before, so it was the highlight of the day for him.

Back at the house, we had a big barbecue dinner on their deck, until a huge evening thunderstorm drove us indoors. It had been a lovely day in all regards, but we had to get ready to face the rest of the Smokies in the morning. We set out with Cindy to drive back to our hotel in Gatlinburg, but due to the ongoing storm and the hordes of tourists (ourselves included), traffic was awful. The usual 30 minute drive took nearly two hours. We felt terrible about taking so much of Cindy's evening, just to drive us around, but she seemed to take it all in stride.

I can't adequately describe Cindy's caring nature. She has a very strong faith, and puts her faith into action in ways that touch everyone she meets. She is one of those rare people who wants the very best for a person, and works to bring out that best. Even her attitude about school is consistent with her beliefs. Their son, Greg is at MIT in mechanical engineering, and she is going back to school to be re-certified to teach. She is currently taking a series of computer classes, and had some questions on creating slide shows with PowerPoint. I tried to give her a quick verbal tutorial as we worked our way back to the motel through the lightening and driving rain. That was the last place I expected to be giving lessons. Hope it helped her in some small way.

We'll never forget the blessings heaped on us in the last two days. I'm sure that before long Cindy will be back out again practicing her random acts of kindness. We'll certainly remember her as the Trail Angel of Gatlinburg.

The topic Trail Angels is sometimes a controversial one on some of the Internet mailing lists. Some question if they unfavorably influence the trail experience. It's always been my experience that they have a positive influence. They tend to reaffirm my belief in the positive nature of mankind. For us, one of the real rewards of travel along the AT is the interaction with those that live on or near it. Mile for mile one can get better views and a deeper wilderness experience on either the PCT or CDT. In contrast the AT offers the human touch.

I don't know what motivates Trail Angels. Perhaps they instinctively understand the nature of the quest of the thru-hiker. By helping, they to can be a part of the adventure. But whatever the motive, I'm truly indebted to those I've been fortunate enough to meet. Cindy and Larry Bollrud are such angels. Today they invited us into their home to celebrate the 4^th with them.

Cindy picked us up and gave us a history of the area on the ride to there log home on Douglas Lake. At the lake we spent the better part of the day aboard their pontoon boat. We swam, rode in a boat parade and had a great barbecue dinner. It was a great day, and a 4^th we'll remember and talk about for years to come.

Another day without hiking! Last night was great I stayed up late and watched the First Independence Day parade in the nation. It starts at 12:01 AM. We got up late this morning, not having to hike, and I stayed in bed almost all morning. My parents went for a walk down to get us breakfast and I stayed in the room and watched Regis and Kathy Lee. When my parents got back, they brought cinnamon pull-bread from a store in Gatlinburg. After breakfast, we sat around and waited for Cindy to pick us up.

She eventually came around 10:30 and took us to Sevierville to her log home on Douglas Lake. When we got there, we met Cindy's husband Larry, who is a pilot for Federal Express.   A friend Teresa was there with another friend Cindy had never met, named Shelly. We all went inside and got things ready for the party. Mom and I filled up water balloons and I carried them down to the boat. Some other friends of Cindy's had come over for the day. They were John, Carolyn, and Justin. When we were all on the boat, we pushed off and went to the middle of the lake and put on the red, white and blue crepe paper around the edges of the boat. When we were all decorated for the parade, we all sat down and had some snacks.

When that got boring, we decided to go swimming. We put on our Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) and jumped in. We played around for a few minutes, then the people on the boat decided to throw the water balloons at us. So we had a water balloon war for a few minutes, but the balloons didn't pop on the water so we had the advantage.

We climbed back on board and dried off, because the parade was about to begin. Justin filled up our water guns and started shooting other boats, but we soon got bored with that since they were too far away to hit anybody. The parade started, and we motored along the lake and waved to the people on the boats and on the shore. When the parade was over, we went to find a nice private cove.

On the way to the cove, we passed the mayor, all dressed up in a black Tuxedo. He looked really hot. We decided we wanted to go tubing, so we tied the inner tube to the back of the boat and pulled Justin behind it. When it was my turn, I swam out and got on the tube. I was a little nervous, this being my first time. But it was great fun and they pulled me all the way to the cove. We had the cove to ourselves, and all jumped in and went swimming. After a while, everyone climbed back aboard except Justin and me. We climbed on the tube and were pulled 5 miles back to the house.

At the house Justin and I ate some of Cindy's blackberries then played with Justin's dogs Scruffy and Smokey. Scruffy started barking and John took him home and Smokey ran after the car. We all sat down for a barbecue dinner. Soon it started to rain and the thunder and lighting came. One of the mats flew off the boat.  I ran down to get it but it floated away. I put the other on the floor. When I came back it was about time to go. So we got all our things, said good bye to everyone, and Cindy drove us back to the motel.

It took two hours to get back to the hotel because of all the traffic, and the storm didn't make it any easier. When we finally got back to the hotel we walked up to the room and said goodbye to Cindy. When she left, we packed our packs for the next day of hiking, and got ready for bed.