RunAcrossTheUSA.com

[Brandon]

I'm just taking a little time right now to post because I'm getting wireless internet from outside a library.

We had to deal with a few publicity things this morning, so we didn't really get started until about 9:30.

We had a tremendous time with Michelle Fields (our hostess) throwing rotten eggs at hogs. Although this may sound cruel (it probably was), the pigs didn't complain, and they seemed to enjoy the eggs quite a bit. That was definitely the highlight of the day. We got some great video footage of our primitive, almost barbaric pelting of the hogs, so look forward to that in the future.

Today was a pretty pleasant day, even though we felt a little sluggish. (Maybe it was the prime rib from the day before. We were warned that it laid a little heavy in the stomach, but it was so worth it. Probably some of the best steak I've ever had.) The roads out here are great for walking on: almost no traffic, very smooth, and extremely flat. We probably didn't change elevation more than 10 feet or so the entire day.

We passed a few interesting small towns as well. The one we're in right now, Lake City, has the slogan "We've got everything except a lake." It's a great small town and we're thinking about maybe crashing a wedding tonight. (Not crashing as in bang/boom, crashing as in attending and having fun.)

We were hoping to get to a campground tonight, but it's already 8 o'clock and the campground is a long ways away, so we'll probably just find a place to camp outside of town.

On a side note, we received an email saying that CNN was doing a story on the water problem in Africa. I don't know when it airs or anything about it, but anyone looking for more information should try to check that out. I think it's great that such a widely circulated news show would draw attention to this problem and hope a lot of people are made aware of what's happening over there through it.

Anyway, I know how our fans love personal posts, so I thought I would please you guys and give you one. Have a great 4th of July everyone: Thank God for your freedoms and enjoy the fireworks. (As a professed pyromaniac, I love fireworks.)

Brandon Newlin