August 3 - 17.3 / 2,023.9

As I noted in an earlier post, I found out today that my Nanny (my grandmother) passed away last night. She was a woman of dignity and grace. I will cherish the time we spent together, and how I could always joke around with her unlike anyone else. She had a special way of how she said Brian with a little southern flair. The small things I will always hold dear. She will always have that place in my heart and will continue to watch over me like all grandmothers do.

To be honest, I didn't make notes for this day. As I try and go back to type this blog entry, I can't remember too much about the hiking part of the day. I do remember hiking to the edge of a beautiful lake. The water was very pristine and the houses along the lake were remarkable. It was along this lake that Samurai, Riverdog, and I decided to take a break. I knew my Nanny was have some complications. However, I got this feeling that I needed to turn on my phone. Strange since I probably wouldn't get a signal in this part of the world. I turned on my phone and had a signal. I saw a few texts and voicemail notifications. I knew something was up. I called my sister, and she told me the news. It was really tough to hear. I took some time just sitting on a rock soaking it all in.

After some time, I called my sister and mom. We discussed everything. Together, we decided that it would be best for me to continue to finish my hike. I think Nanny would want me to finish with the group of friends that I have made along the way.

I had a few more miles from the lake. I hiked by myself for the most part. I think I needed the time to reflect. The end of the day brought me to Pierce Pond. The setting was great, but it was tough to find a good tent spot. I just didn't want it to rain. Soon after I got in to my tent I heard thunder. I decided to just lay there and count the seconds between lightning and thunder. I did this for the whole storm as it came in and then moved on. By this time it was late for me so bed time was pretty quick.