Mount Rogers and the New River Friday, 22 Oct 2004 I left Independence this morning about 7:30...very foggy, chilly...rained during the night. Lunch was at another Marathon station, but no potato soup here...just overcooked chicken and fries, but the slaw was OK. I met a man there by the name of Petty...kin to the race car drivers. He said he had met them, but the relationship was very distant. “They have money; I don’t.” A mile or so outside of Galax, a deputy sheriff pulled in front of me. I was a step or two past his vehicle before he made it known that he wanted to talk to me. Suddenly, I am trying to remember did I pay for lunch? Had I trespassed somewhere I should not have? Crazy thoughts. He asked for ID and questioned me about where I was from and going. By this time a state trooper had arrived and we had a blue light special going on right there beside US58. After we talked about walking to Virginia Beach, the trooper laughed, "You all don't need me here" and he went back to his car and on down the road. Deputy went back inside his SUV and talked to someone and then came back, asked for my social security number (he had given my driver's license back earlier), wrote it on his hand and went back into the car to talk some more. Checking my prior arrests and outstanding tickets, I guess! Finally, he came back and said that someone had reported an abandoned car and the word had gone out to look for walkers along the road. Good cover story, I think. This is the first time in either of my walks that a law enforcement officer has ever done anything more than wave. How do I find these dilapidated motels? Cheap I guess. This one has to rank very near the bottom of my all time motel experiences. At least it is relatively clean (I think) even though the floor between the bed and bath is about to fall through!