Baltimore Jack cooks again!

[TOW]

The last two days has been a bustle of hikers coming through my kitchen eating delicacies that Baltimore Jack with his culinary skills have been conjuring up with food left over from Trail Days that Tyvek, Matthewski, and Blister Sister left in my refrigerator.

Tyvek bought a big ole fat steak and meant to cook it up before he left. That didn't happen, so it got tossed into the freezer. Then Matty and Blister bought a big baking ham and that didn't get cooked at Trail Days either, so I tossed it into the freezer as well.

Baltimore Jack, Fox, Bfitz, and Jones are all hiking the trail together this year. Last week they were dropped off at Partnership Shelter so they could hike back to Damascus. Jack and Fox along with some stray called Hippy, or Pippy, made it back to Damascus before Bfitz and Jones because they are "Super Duper Hikers" just like me.

While Bfitz and Jones are still out there slow poking back to town, Jack has been cooking and shoving food down our unwilling throats. In fact we have had to kidnap about five hikers last night and hold my C02 Pistol on them to make sure they ate darn near all of it. Sometimes you just got to get your point across you know.

I'm telling you that doggone Jack knows how to cook! When I get my twenty five star hostel going here in Damascus, Virginia I think we will let Jack be the chef.

That steak that Tyvek left fed five people Sunday night! Then the ham that Matty and Sister bought fed seven!

I hope that every hiker that ate at my house including Brother T will have it firmly implanted in their minds that "People Are The Trail" when their hike is over. Hutch of '01 coined that term while he and Takoma Ted hiked on the trail together and Ted wrote a song about that phrase and sang it at Trail Days.

Last Friday night Hutch and a few of us "locals" were entertained by some good music as well. In fact Uncle Silly has played his banjo in my front yard last week when he dropped his maiden Wonder off at my house.

Memories..............

Some of my most memorable times when I lived on the trail was good eating and good people sharing that spot with me.

I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep my place and my phone open to the hiking community. I have not been able to work enough to bring in the money that is needed to pay the bills. I have been sick too much this past year to hold down a steady job. Today I am on my way to the hospital to sign papers for financial help so that I can get some more testing done so that the doctors can narrow down the problem that is causing my blood clots.

I have truly enjoyed what I have experienced so far with some of the people that I have crossed paths with on my front porch as we have talked and shared a meal together. Some of them just needed to make a phone call home to tell their loved ones about their adventure.

You know what is so cool, Jack and I have disagreed on several things on www.whiteblaze.net and we are able to look past the differences with each other and enjoy a time like what has been happening at my house. We'll probably have a few more disagreements in the future.

As soon as Bfitz and Jones get their slow fanny's in here Jack and I will have to shove food down their winy pipes too!

Larry Riddle
a.k.a. "The Only Wanderer" 06-05-07

[Lone Wolf]

steak and ham are very difficult to cook

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Wolf is hard to cook . Glad to hear BJ is cooking. Wish I could sample some of the fare. Give BJ a hug from the dino.

[cannonball]

Looks like I left to soon.

[TOW]

steak and ham are very difficult to cook

but much easier to eat...................

[Jaybird]

Quick!...

Somebody take away the spatula!

[Pacific Tortuga]

Bfitz and Jones are eatung just fine at the VERY hiker friendly,

'Jerry's Kitchen & Goods' in Troutdale, VA. Jerrys wife just made some fried

rice and spring rolls. TOW, your a great host and hope your able to tend to

your medical needs .......... Thank you.

P.S. say hi to Wally at Dave's Place for me

[pipesmoke]

Wolf is hard to cook . Glad to hear BJ is cooking. Wish I could sample some of the fare. Give BJ a hug from the dino.
ALSO HARD TO CHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TOW]

P.S. say hi to Wally at Dave's Place for me

you know wally loves ya......................

[TOW]

ALSO HARD TO CHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!

i see you learn fast...................

[mweinstone]

prayers for you my brother in christ. non for bfitz, he likes saten! kidding. you could offer the dude my shirt if he needs it. as for you my supersized friend, there may be a suprise waiting for you at the post office soon. details later. just showed my art to a gallery and sent them all into a fluster of praise. my art is strong enough to support us all one day. me , you and all the needy in this world are in my prayers. baltimore jack is a kind heart to cook for dirty smelly hikers. hes pritty near a saint. im really happy he dosnt tourture us by cooking and eating without shareing. hes a one of a kind that BLOjack. and the dudes learning alot about happyness by now im sure. him and jack are a weird pairing and a good one. i like weird good. jones is perfect for brendan. they really make a sugary sweet couple. im hoping they marry and birth. and as for our resident TOW missile saten defence system,....im sure russia wont mind if we deploy the only wanderers sheild over parts of europe. his prayer power was rated by an independent prayer testing labratory and givin the highest seal of approval by good housekeeping. the folded hands prayer award will be presented in a special ceromonie at 8 pm sharp on the evening of the rapture. it will be in heavens main hall . god will read the dedication to wanderer in a private ceromonie to be held in the only wanderers room in the mansion. later that eve, matthewski will play the lute as angels adorn tow in his toga.size xl. oh and lord? no starch on larrys toga please. hes allergic. and id like to order a glass of hevenly necter and some dates and figs for his bedtime snack lord. if its not too much trouble. otherwise we will dine in the banquet room with the saints. thanks again lord. as usuall , all my love, your faithfilled son, mat.

[Jack Tarlin]

Just wanted to take a minute and thank TOW for his kindness the past few days.

He's helped out hundreds of hikers this year, especially with the free phone service he provides. And it's been a blast having a real kitchen to play in, I thought Kincora was gonna be the last one for awhile.

We've had a great stay in Damascus. Dude and I will be getting back on the Trail where we left off (near Marion) in a few days; hope to some of you out there. Really looking forward to Virginia this year, especially some planned blue-blazes, side trails, waterfalls I've never seen, etc. Not being committed to a purist thru-hike, or ANY sorta thru hike for that matter, opens up all sorts of options, all of them good ones. And hiking in Northern Vermont this summer seems like a much better idea than eastern Pennsylvania. Also hoping to be in Hanover in mid-August so I can see some of the folks I hiked with in Georgia and NC. Any of you who'll be in NH then should drop on by.

Other quick Damascus notes: The fine folks at Dots are still wonderful; the newish Coffee Shop, Mojo's, serves good stuff; hikers are STILL screwing the
folks at the Place by overstaying and/or not paying for their stay ; the folks at the Public Library are very hiker-friendly; the Yuengling at the Baja Cafe is very cold; and Dave and his staff at Mt. Rogers Outfitters are still running one of the very finest shops on the whole Trail.

Oh, and Lone Wolf is a helluva lot more personable in person than he is on-line, but most folks aready knew that. I think.

[StarLyte]

steak and ham are very difficult to cook

HA HA HA HA

Hey Jack, Mala wants to know if you washed your hands first

Save your best for the Billville Hiker Feed.

Wouldn't want you to get worn out either.

[tekiechick]

I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep my place and my phone open to the hiking community. I have not been able to work enough to bring in the money that is needed to pay the bills. I have been sick too much this past year to hold down a steady job. Today I am on my way to the hospital to sign papers for financial help so that I can get some more testing done so that the doctors can narrow down the problem that is causing my blood clots.

Perhaps a bit off topic...

I've been on either coumadin or Lovenox since '94. My hemotologist ran a simple series of bloodtests to pinpoint the problem. In my experience, the first set of tests looked for the most common things: Protein C, Protein S imbalances. The second set of tests went a bit deeper (DNA level, I believe) and finally showed a Factor V Leiden gene mutation that makes my blood clot about 5x more than normal. I was told that sometimes variables can combine to worsen the condition. I got "lucky" and only have one of these variables, so the medicine controls it.

Hopefully, you'll only have one variable to manage as well. A quick note: if you are currently taking coumadin, talk to your dr. about whether or not you should be limiting your Vitamin K intake (mostly leafy greens). I'm NOT a dr., but from what I'm told by mine, Coumadin is a sort of Vitamin K blocker, which is why it works. Eating large amounts of K could offset its effects.

Best wishes...

[cannonball]

True words Jack spoke about L. Wolf. After meeting him and spending a bit of time with him, I told Wolf that he was'nt half the pr*ck that he would have people believe.

[Gaiter]

In fact we have had to kidnap about five hikers last night and hold my C02 Pistol on them to make sure they ate darn near all of it. Sometimes you just got to get your point across you know.

As soon as Bfitz and Jones get their slow fanny's in here Jack and I will have to shove food down their winy pipes too!

i didn't know you had to force food down hikers throats, i thought it went down automatically

[mweinstone]

sir baltimore jack tarlin is a thruhiking godess.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Wolf is hard to cook . ....ALSO HARD TO CHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure about the rest, but the toes are chunchy.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Prayers are rising for your situation, Larry.

[Nightwalker]

Prayers are rising for your situation, Larry.

Throw some for me, too. Blood coming from places that it doth not belong...

The speed of the Doc's appointment was worrying enough. Told 'em at 4:40 this PM, appointment is at 9:40 AM tomorrow!

My Grand-dad died of colon cancer and my gut hurts pretty bad, but I'm just a pussy anyway, so who knows.

Here's the real-suck part. Before the surprise in the turlet this morning, my wife was to take me back to the trail to continue my hike today! ARGGGHHH!!!