Today, I mailed off an invitation to Kirk for the backpack trip that has become an annual event for me. Last year, the forecast of rain and snow kept us off the mountain. This year, I am hoping to do the section above Cheaha. I've hiked all the intervening trail. I am hoping to knock off another section and keep that up until I've hiked all the way to the AT in Georgia. Perhaps then I can continue my trek and make my way up to Tennessee. But I am not worried about that. If Mitch and Kirk come down and do this hike with me, that will be big. Right now a couple of my local hiking companions are "in". So I can look forward to getting out amongst the trees and stones. We'll see if the weather cooperates.
Effigies are used in grieving by providing a tangible representation of what has been lost, allowing a mourner to connect with who or what they've lost , which can help with the process of acceptance and emotional expression, particularly when the loss is sudden or traumatic; they can be used to focus grief and memories around a physical likeness, offering a sense of continued presence even in their absence