Journal: Century Resident Continues Spain Hike
July 1, 2010
We are continuing to follow the journals of Century resident Terri Sanders as she hikes 500 miles across Spain this summer.
As Terri hikes from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, she is filing dispatches from her journal and send pictures when possible for NorthEscambia.com as she hikes the Camino de Santiago — the Way of St. James — to the Atlantic Ocean.
To read the complete series from day one, click here.
Make sure you join NorthEscambia.com the new few days as we catch up on Terri’s journey and complete the series.
(Scroll down to read entries from three different days.)
June 12 2010
Start: Castrojeriz
Destination: Fromista
Some idiot pilgrim thought it would be cool to get up 4:30 am and leave.
I had had a rough night anyway. First, Lou’s cell phone went off after he went to sleep. Of course he didn’t hear it and every few minutes it would buzz to remind him he had a message. The head of my mattress was right there at his back pack. After an hour or so I nudged him and told him his phone kept buzzing. He partially sat up, raised his hand toward his pack and fell back down on his pillow, dead to the world.
If there had of been more light in the room, I would have dug his phone out and either turned it off or threw it at him! But there were no lights; in fact there were no working lights at all in the room. It is a sure fire way to get people to go to sleep early. Of course it does not get dark here until 10:30 or so. I moved to the other end of the mattress and tried to go to sleep.
Just about the time I dozed off the lady on the mattress next to me, stretched her legs and kicked me in the head. Remember, all the mattresses on the floor are pushed up next to each other. That scared the kajebbies out of me. It was close to 3:00 am before I finally dozed off. I might have gotten 90 minutes of sleep.
I had bought a silk liner and a pack towel last night so I am looking forward to a hot shower tonight! If the hostel tonight does not have any blankets I will at least have my liner. Again, no place to eat breakfast. I am beginning to wonder what people do in these small towns for breakfast! We grabbed a power bar and headed out.
It was cold and overcast but thankfully no wind was blowing, nor was it raining. Right off the bat, we had a strenuous climb of a hundred meters over a 2 meter walk. The book says it is a glorious 21.9 kilometers on an earthen track. Someone forgot to mention the fact that it had been raining it was a slog and fight your way 21.9 kilometers while trying to stay upright! It was also a mud magnet so that within minutes you were carrying an extra couple pounds of dirt on the bottom of your shoes. It was slow going and not very glorious!
The nice thing was when we got to the top of the climb, there was a van there with two tables set up, fresh fruit and hot coffee. I am not a coffee drinker but two cups of coffee was nice on a cold day. They were owners of a hostel in Fromista where we are staying tonight. They handed out color brochures describing all the wonderful luxuries that awaited us at the end of our hike today.
About a mile later, it dawned on me that I could have asked them to transport our packs to the hotel tonight since we had already decided we were going to stay there. Sometimes I am not real bright! The thought of clean clothes, a hot shower and food was our motivation to keep up a steady pace. A few hours later we step to the side of the road to let a vehicle pass us.
Just as he passes I noticed that he was the company that transports packs for pilgrims. I tried my best to flag him down as he passed but didn’t have any luck. Lou said that was twice today I missed a golden opportunity. We rounded the corner just on the outskirts of town and there sat the van, unloading packs at a hostel .I started yelling Amigo just as he closed the back door of the van. When I reached him I asked him if he could take our packs to Fromista. Si,for 5 Euros.
We quickly tagged our packs and loaded them into the van. I grabbed a kiwi, an orange and a white chocolate candy bar and stuffed in my pockets. Off he went with both of our packs. It didn’t take long for it to dawn on us that we had very little with us. But we were rewarded with no packs and a long stretch of flat road. I almost took off running. You notice I said almost.
A few hours later we found some fairly dry grass alongside a canal and we threw down our coats and ate our snacks. Today’s trail was laid two thousand years ago. It is mind boggling to think that pilgrims walked this trail that long ago. We talked of what kind of provisions they might have had. I assured Lou that they probably did not hike in the rain!
It was 2:00 when we hiked into our hometown for the night. The hostel was on the farthest outskirts of town. After a couple of tense moments when we tried to communicate that we wanted to wash our clothes, we finally understood that you give your dirty clothes to the hostess and she washes and dries them for you. We splurged and got a private room with two twin bedsit will be a nice treat to be able to turn the lights off when we want to and not be disturbed by early risers.
I put all of my clothes together and fixed a big plastic garbage bag to wear after my shower and Lou took off to drop our clothes off. The room was cold but clean and just enough hot water for a nice long shower. Three hours later, still no clothes and we were starving. Lou did not want me to go to dinner in my plastic bag so he went looking for our clothes. He came back and said when he finally found someone who knew about our clothes they were not yet dry.
Granted the sky was overcast and not a good day to hang clothes out to dry, but three hours were more than sufficient to get them at least partially dry. Lou gave me an extra T shirt he had that was a bit longer than my sack. I wrapped a towel around my waist and told him if I was not back in an hour look for me at the jail. Again hand language came in handy. I finally found our clothes strewn over a washer and dryer. I grabbed my pair of shorts, and a shirt and headed back to the room. Lou was surprised I had found our clothes.
I told him “Hell hath no fury like a naked hungry woman.”
Miles 15.8
June 13 2010
Start: Fromista
Destination: Carrion De Los Condes
They offered breakfast here this morning. Toast, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea cakes. We ate and rejoiced as we stepped into overcast but dry skies.
The last few days have been short as far as mileage goes. We cannot go farther because the albueques are too far apart so we either do 25 miles a day or 12. Today was probably the most boring day of the trail. The trail follows the main roadway from our starting point to our destination. There was a place we could have taken an alternative trail, but the trail fizzled out at the start and wasn’t marked. We were afraid of falling into the canal or at least having to cross it, so we choose the main trail.
With it being Sunday we saw maybe 30 cars on the road . For the first time cars honk at us as we walk. It is a bit of encouragement to us. We stopped at a small town for lunch. It was early in the day so the usual smoke filled cafe was empty. Soup and a ice cream revives our spirits and we head on. The first two hostels we stopped at were full. It seems the advertising brochures that are being handed out along the trail are nothing more than a bait and switch tactic. We ended up paying 15 Euros for a room we shared with two other people.
The town side was that one of the pilgrims in here with us, turned the TV on (which is all in Spanish).He said the World Cup was on and he wanted to watch it. The trouble was he never shut up or sat down to watch it and was constantly switching channels. Gitter (a woman from Holland) came in later and I thought we were going to have a fight over the television being on constantly. It was aggravating to Lou and me but we kept our mouths shut although I did turn it down when the hiker took a shower. We have had no television in the rooms and have grown quite accustomed to the peace and quiet.
Miles 12.2
June 14 2010
Start: Carrion de los Condes
Destination: Terradillos de Templarios
I am sick…I have lost my iPod.
I use it at night to listen to music as I go to sleep .I know exactly where I left it. Every morning I wake up and it is right by my pillow. I didn’t notice that I had not packed it yesterday morning. It makes me sick. Now I will have to wait until Christmas to get one from my kids since Mother’s Day has already come and gone.
Lou and I have finally figured out something about this trail and it’s hostels. The hostel owners go up and down the road advertising rooms with 15 or 20 bunk beds for 7 Euros. But when we get there those rooms all always filled and we are stuck taking a more expensive 4 person room or a private room. The complimentary breakfasts are a joke as is most of the breakfasts offered by any cafe which happens to be open early in the mornings.
We have decided that every afternoon we will find a market, stock up on fresh fruits and stop along the trail to eat breakfast .It will be cheaper, healthier and offer more carbohydrates for the days walk than the little overpriced tea cakes we get. Enough complaining!
As we left town we stopped at a little petro station looking for something to carry for lunch. There wasn’t anything suitable for lunch but there were M&M’s which is a first to find over here. So far all I have found were Kit Kats. I spent 8 Euros on M&M’s for our snack for today.
Today we passed through a flat and somewhat featureless terrain. There is very little shade and very few public water fountains. There were virtually no cafes so we tried to pack some extra food in our packs. After we had hiked about 12 miles we came upon a little trailer where a man was grilling tiny sausages for sandwiches. He also had fresh fruit, cold drinks and beer. We each had a banana and I drank a Fanta Orange that I had got back at the petro station. One thing I have learned is just because a can has a orange label on it, that does not mean it has orange drink inside.
We took an alternate route today that took us off of the main road and along an old farming road. It was quiet and peaceful and the only sounds we heard were of the birds and our shoes hitting the trail .The sides of the trail were in full bloom of wildflowers. At one point Lou became uneasy that maybe we had missed a turn off of the trail. He said he was 50/50 sure we were on the right path. I told him I was 80/20 sure we were on the right trail. He asked me why I was so positive and I pointed ahead to a faint yellow arrow. He said he was only checking to see how honest I was.
There was just the right combination of fluffy clouds and blue skies to keep the sun off of us and a nice breeze to boot. We went through the first little town which the book says has nothing to offer. What we found was a clean cafe and great meals at a decent price. The food that is available to us has very few carbohydrates that our bodies need for energy the next day.
We got lucky today, we got fries which were not only fresh but also fried in fresh oil. A strange tradition here is that most lunch meals include a fried egg. It doesn’t matter what else the meal has, but there will be a fried egg on the plate. I guess this is how they make up for not eating breakfast!
We finally got to the hostel we were going to stay in only to discover the dorm rooms were full. We had a choice of a private room or a room with two bunk beds and a private bath, which is what we choose. I got a bottom bunk which is great for me since trying to climb a metal ladder with round rungs is a killer to already sore feet. We are hoping no one else joins us.
I walked up front to get my water bottle fill and inadvertently took a wrong turn which sent me down the other side of the hostel. There were several rooms with glass doors and all the rooms had numerous empty bunk beds .In fact there were no hikers in any of the beds. That put a really sour taste in my mouth. I am a business woman and I don’t have a problem with people making a profit. That is what business do. I do have a problem when people deceive the customers in order to make more money.
The closer we get to the end the more we find practices like this taking place. Today we reached the half way mark both in miles and in days. We are pretty much on track to finish by June 30. gone are the leisure days of 12 or so miles. This week we have mostly 15 – 20 mile days and even though the terrain is flat, it makes for a long day.
I borrowed Lou’s cell phone to call my oldest daughter and sing Happy Birthday to her. It was good to hear her voice. She told me when she first saw who it was calling, she wasn’t going to answer it because she figured it was Lou calling her to report that he had lost me! That was the exact thing I had just told him, that I bet she wouldn’t answer the phone.
Miles 16.6
Yuhasz Graduates From Basic Training
July 1, 2010
Air Force Airman John M. Yuhasz Jr. graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Yuhasz, a 2007 gradate of Northview High School, is the son of Tina Garrison of Highway 97, Molino, and John Yuhasz Sr. of Packwood Drive, Cantonment.
Make A Little Magic: Camp Fire USA
June 30, 2010
The children at the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center were recently visited by Beau Broomall with his Magic Moments show.
“The children had an exciting time and even participated in the magic show,” said Camp Fire Century Director Pam Townson.
Broomall, who started learning magic at the age of 10, has been a professional magician for the past 20 years, performing across the country.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Experts Offer Advice On Summer Vegetable Harvesting In North Escambia
June 26, 2010
Early summer vegetables are nearing harvest time, but when is the perfect time to pick? Dan Gill and Allen Owing, Louisiana State AgCenter Horticulturists offer the following tips for picking the perfect time to pick your vegetables in the North Escambia area:.
Harvest sweet corn when the silks turn light brown or darker. Peel back the shuck to see how well the kernels have developed before removing the ear. The juice of the kernel should be milky when you puncture it with your thumbnail.
Cucumbers can be harvested at your desired size; however, harvesting should be done before the cucumber begins to lose its green color. When old cucumbers begin to yellow, they’ll have well-developed seeds and become bitter. If the fruit is allowed to mature and turn yellow on the plant, the plant will stop producing new fruit.
Eggplants should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds of their full, mature size. The skin should be glossy. If the skin is dull, this indicates over-maturity, and the fruit will be seedy and often bitter. Harvest eggplants using pruning shears because the stem is tough.
Peppers, both sweet and hot, can be harvested at any size or color. Most peppers will turn red at maturity, but some may be green, purple, yellow or orange along the way.
Tomatoes can be harvested any time after green fruit begin to turn pink. Best quality, however, is obtained when fruit fully ripen on the plant. If you harvest early, often to get the fruit out of harm’s way from birds and insects, you can ripen the fruit at room temperature and still expect excellent quality. Tomatoes don’t need light for ripening, so there’s no need to put them in a window.
Okra should be harvested every two to three days. Most types should be harvested when they are young, tender and less than 3 inches long. The pod snaps easily from the plant when it’s harvested at the proper stage.
Summer squash, including zucchini, should be harvested small (one-half to two-thirds the mature size) and immature while the skin is still tender. The more frequent the harvesting, the more fruit the plant will produce. Use a knife to remove the fruit and leave 1 inch of stem attached.
Harvest the pods of Southern peas – purple hull, black-eyed and others – when they’re well-filled and have changed to a light straw, silver or purple color, depending on the variety. They shell easiest at this stage.
Harvesting watermelons is a bit tricky. Look at the tendril or “pigtail” closest to the melon. When this tendril turns brown and dries out, it is a good sign that the melon is ripe. Also look at the bottom of the melon where it lays on the ground. When this area, sometimes referred to as the “color spot”, turns from white to a light yellow, there is a good chance the watermelon is ripe. The thump test is done by thumping the top of the melon. If the watermelon has a dull thud when thumped, it is very possible the melon is ripe. Unripe melons will usually have a tighter, ringing or hollow sound.
It’s Hard To Say Goodbye: Reader’s Pensacola Beach Oil Photos
June 24, 2010
It was the day that the World’s Whitest Beaches were no more. It was the day that the oil began to wash onto the shores of Pensacola Beach. It was the day the sands were stained black with oil; it was the day the tears of the locals stained the remaining sugar white sand.
It was Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Masses of oil began to wash onto Pensacola Beach from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Walnut Hill resident Regina Hare was there and submitted a gallery of photos for NorthEscambia.com readers. She titled the photos “It’s hard to say goodbye”.
Click here for the photos “It’s hard to say goodbye”.
Submitted photos by Regina Hare for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Still Time To Register For Camp Fire VPK
June 23, 2010
Voluntary pre-kindergarten registration is still underway for the 2010-2011 school year the the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center. For more information about VPK, contact Pam Townson at (850) 256-0953. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hot First Day Of Summer (With Cool Bee Photos)
June 21, 2010
Pictured: Bees enjoying our NorthEscambia.com crepe myrtles. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
A Father’s Day Miracle: Family Speaks About 3-Year Old’s Near Drowning
June 20, 2010
In the heart of every little girl, her daddy is her hero. For a 3-year old Walnut Hill girl found floating lifeless face down in a pool, her daddy truly is her hero.
“I can swim,” Maggie Scott, 3, proclaimed Saturday morning, as she showed off her new kittens Max and Ruby.
Like most adventurous children, Maggie thought she could swim, and she decided, when no one was looking, to try. It was a mistake that would alter the lives of her family in a major way.
The afternoon of May 27 was to be a family time. They were headed to a local creek to enjoy the water, but decided to stop at a someone’s home in the Bay Springs community to use the pool instead. Maggie had played in the pool with the rest of her family, wearing arm-floats.
When Maggie and her sisters — McKenzie, 13; Madison, 9; and Mary Paige, 7; were done in the pool, it was time for skateboards and Ripstiks. The girls hit the boards, while the adults sat around talking.
Life would change in the blink of an eye.
“Maggie’s dead!”
Those were the heart-stopping words that older sister McKenzie screamed when she saw Maggie, floating face down in the pool. Mom and dad, Blair and Chad Scott, raced for the pool. Blair dove in and pulled Maggie out. No one knew how long the little girl had been in the pool.
Chad started CPR.
“My mind went where it didn’t need to go while I watched him do CPR,’ Blair said, “knowing what could be happening.”
With every thrust on his daughter’s chest, Chad said he just prayed.
“I keep telling her to come back to us; I kept telling her she was fine,” Blair said. “I wanted the nightmare to end; I wanted God to bring my little girl back to me.”
Chad continued CPR. One. Two. Three..
“Then I realized I had three little girls standing there, not knowing what was going on. Hit your knees. And pray,” she told them. “They cried, they screamed, they prayed.”
Chad continued the CPR. Breathe. Chest compressions. One. Two. Three…
Then, there was a cough.
Volunteers from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived. Atmore Ambulance sped down the long driveway. LifeFlight landed. Maggie was quickly scooped up by a LifeFlight nurse who ran to the helicopter. Within minutes, she was at Sacred Heart. Blair and Scott were left behind in Bay Springs, not knowing what was happening with their little girl. A family friend drove them to the hospital, where Maggie was still in the emergency room. She was transferred to an intensive care room.
It was a serious situation. A ventilator breathed for Maggie for 28 hours, doctors and nurses standing nearby at the ready. It was a lot for a mom and dad to deal with.
Blair and Chad both knew at the time that Maggie could have permanent disabilities caused by the lack of oxygen to her brain.
“We just gave it to God,” Blair said. Their family, their church family…they all prayed. They were joined by perhaps thousands of people they will never know that prayed after reading Maggie’s story.
Miracles don’t just happen, Chad said. “God works miracles.”
There’s no doubt in Blair and Chad’s minds that there lives were changed in a big way by the whole ordeal. For Chad, it meant being saved and accepting his Savior all over again.
“I thought I got saved before, but I realized,” he said, “and I made a promise to do what He needs me to do.”
A few weeks after the accident, Maggie is a vibrant little girl, with no obvious lasting impact from her ordeal.
“We have blueberries,” she said Saturday morning as she walked through the family’s backyard in search of a cool, shady place for the photos on this page. “They are purple,” she observed. “They are not blue.”
She smiles and grabs a dandelion, blowing it into the wind toward Chad, very much to her delight. It was a prelude to her big Father’s Day plans.
“Guess what I am going to do to you for Father’s Day?” she asked Chad. Her grin grew bigger as she put her hands behind her back and twirled around. “I’m going to throw a flower at you!”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
The family specifically asked us to offer their thanks to: the Walnut Hill Fire Department (Chris Brown, Kevin Mininger, Dennis Rigby, Gerry Steege, Tab Jernigan, Bill Eubanks, Brian Rolin, Chad Rigby, Johnathon Koehn, Diann Stewart); Atmore Ambulance (Dianna Chavers, Tom Benner); and the LifeFlight Crew (Tom Bruner, Angie Finkel, Norman Lacsamana).
Northview Grad Timothy Gardner Graduates From Basic Training
June 20, 2010
Air Force Airman Timothy J. Gardner graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
He is the grandson of Micheal and Carolyn Cook of Corley Road in McDavid.
Gardner is a 2008 graduate of Northview High School.
Father’s Day Wishes
June 20, 2010
For Father’s Day, NorthEscambia.com invited our readers to submit stories about their fathers. We’ve selected a few and included them below.
If you would like to tell your father’s story, or just wish dad a (late) Happy Father’s Day, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Jeff Phillips, Barrineau Park
submitted by Kayla Phillips, Age 9
My Daddy Jeff Phillips is very special to me. These are my reasons.
He plays with me, he teaches me, and I think he is cool.
One of my reasons that my daddy is special is because he plays with me. He plays softball with me all the time. He even helped coach my team one time. Sometimes we play baseball outside its really fun. I love my daddy because he plays with me that is what makes him special to me.
My second reason my daddy is special is because he teaches me. He teaches me to do the right things, and its really important that I learn to do the right things. He helps me keep my grades up because I want to be in a good school. Plus I also need a good education and I am sure he will help me while I go into new grades.
My third reason why my daddy is special because I think he is cool. I think he has a cool job. He works on boats and I think that is awesome and he also does alot so we can have our house and pay the bills. I also think he is cool because I love him and he loves me.
Pictured: Kayla and Jeff Phillips.
Matthew Cufr, Century
submitted by Maggie Mae Cufr, Age 6½
Let me tell you about my dad. First, he plays Chinese Checkers with me. I am not good at it. He wins all the time.
It’s funny sometimes that I move my marble the wrong way.
Next, he teaches me how to play guitar. He teaches me a hard note.
I can’t even remember it. I can’t do it, but I can play the easy notes and sing a song.
Last, my dad helps me ride my bike. Sometimes I stay up for about two minutes.
That made me feel good. When he lets go of the bike, I fall down and get hurt on my hand, but not anymore. I’m getting gloves.
That is why my dad is special.
Pictured: (L-R) Maggie Mae Cufr, Jackson Anderson Cufr, Emma Faith Cufr and dad Matthew Cufr.
Randy Smith
He’s is the best dad ever. He goes and makes money for shopping money for food. He loves us so very much. My dad’s name is Randy Smith. I love you daddy.
John White, Century
submitted by Kimberly White Burkett
My daddy is such a special person. He has always been so unselfish giving of himself to be there for our mother and us children. Just to think of my daddy puts a smile in my heart and on my face.
Growing up I have only good memories of my dad. He worked shift work at the paper mill in Brewton and worked hard to provide for our family. Not once can I remember hearing my dad complain even though I know it had to be a hard job. Daddy retired from the mill after working there 39 years.
Now my daddy stays busy doing honey do’s for my mom and works hard at his church. Every Saturday morning you can pass Beulah Chapel in Byrneville and you will see my daddy faithfully working hard to keep the church grounds and cemetery nice and clean. Once again though, I have never once heard him complain.
When I tell him that I worry about him getting too hot out there doing that, he just smiles and says he does it for the Lord. Everyone that knows my dad knows that when you see him he will make you laugh with his sense of humor. What a special man, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful daddy that I can be so proud of.
Pictured: John White and his wife Ann White, grandson Johnathan Burkett.
Wayne Perry, Molino
submitted by Lynsey Perry
We want to wish our Father Wayne Perry Happy Father’s Day. He is the best Father my brother Wayne and I could ask for. He has always been there for us. We can always depend on him no matter what. If he makes us a promise, he always keeps it. He is smart, strong, funny and dependable. We are so lucky to have him in our lives.
We enjoy spending time with our dad. He is fun to just be around. He is always making jokes about things or talking about all the memories he has of us growing up. He is always making memories for us too. It is a treasure to spend time with him. I’m so lucky to be so close to my Father. A lot of kids don’t have that bond with their Father. I don’t see how a kid could not have their Father around. I could not imagine not having mine in my life.
His main goal in life is to make us happy. He always puts us first, instead of himself. He would do and has done anything for us. He tries to make sure we have a safe and happy life. He has made me the strong and independent person that I am. He always makes us feel safe when we are with him.
If you were to ask him how he would like to spend this special day he would be quick to tell you nothing would make him happier than to spend the whole day with his two kids and wife. He always says we are the best thing that ever happened to him. But the truth is he is the best thing that ever happened to us.
If you think that I am a Daddy’s girl, then yes, I am proud to say that I am. We love you Daddy and hope that we make you half as happy as you make all of us.
Pictured: Wayne Perry, Sr., Wayne Perry, Jr., Lynsey Perry.
Mike Helton, Richard Stuckey, Bruce Shue, Adam Respress
submitted by Michelle Shue
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!! I would like to personally wish a happy Father’s Day to my dad Mike Helton he is a super person and a wonderful provider for his family he has three daughters and has always been there to support all of us…Happy Father’s Day daddy! I love you Michelle
Happy Father’s Day to my stepdad Richard Stuckey. He is currently serving in Afghanistan we all love and miss you and can’t wait till you return home!
Happy Father’s Day to my husband Bruce Shue. He is a wonderful dad to all of his children!!!
Happy Father’s Day to my son on his very first Father’s Day! Have a wonderful day Adam!!