A Living Magazine - Day 219 - Homecoming - Cowpens: No Battlefield

Midway through the night, I thought my hip felt extra cold. This usually happens if there is water under me. I unzipped the bag and sure enough the tent floor was wet. Sitting up, I scanned the floor with the flashlight. There was only one wet spot, right in the middle. I dried it with napkins and reached outside and under the tent to see if there was a puddle or something. I found nothing. Just in case, I pulled out the small blue hiking tarp and laid it down right under the sleeping bag so that even if the floor got wet the sleeping bag wouldn't. I was tired of the wet mysteries. But more importantly, I was just tired.

When I woke in the morning, I slipped my hand under the blue tarp and felt a dry floor. Phew! I really didn't want to get up, and gave myself all kinds of excuses and reasons why I should sleep in. But I am a tough task master. I had to get up or I would be seen after sunrise. Ugh. So, I took a deep breath and went through the whole routine of packing up. I started at 7:00 a.m. and by 7:26 it was all done and I was stepping out onto the street.

I'd been concerned about rain that night and the next day. I didn't want to hike to Gaffney and have to find a spot to camp as soon as I got there. In other words, I speculated that I would need to get the tent up before the rain, so the floor would be dry and I wouldn't be assembling in at night under a shower. By the time I was back in downtown Cowpens, I was pretty sure I would spend the night there again...  

Here comes the sun...It's alright.

The mural on the side of the town hall. Revolutionary.

And, on the the other side of the sky, the moon was fixin' to drop out of sight.

There are antique and consignment shops all up and down the main street of Cowpens.

On my way to the edge of town the night before, I walked right past this manikin,

and it kind of freaked me out.

I bought a coffee at the Valero, and then crossed the street to find the library and discover its hours...

It opened at 10:00 a.m.; only two hours to wait. I had been working with my editor and publicist, Fay, to set up a system of press releases as I made my way north in the next five months. So, I went to the Hardee's (only fast food place in town) and worked offline on some ideas, until the library opened. I observed the people around me. As it is with many such restaurants in small towns all over America, this was the morning meeting place for seniors. 

And, how they loved to talk to each other! Everyone knew everyone else. Topics ranged from seeing deer tracks off of Battleground Highway, to a dead coyote on the land abutting someone's yard near Love Springs Road and Thicketty Creek, to the realization that two guys who had seen each other in town but never met were actually brothers in law! I like an environment of this kind. I hope when I'm in my seventies and eighties I can hang out and drink coffee with my friends every morning. 

At about 10:15 I got to the library and found a place to work. It was a nice library. I regret not taking pictures of the inside. The librarians were especially kind. South Carolina people in general are a warm bunch, always ready to make ya feel like an old friend. And, by the time you finish talking to one of them ya'are an old friend. Even though many of them live on the edge of poverty, I have not seen many souls who are rough around the edges or cruel. Their bucket of smiles is filled up every morning and is never depleted by bedtime.

Around noon, I'd fully decided to stay one more night. And I thought that since I was going to be there all day, I might as well see this National Battlefield called, Cowpens. I used Google to locate it, and the map indicated it was about two miles away. So, I set out to find it. Starting down Battleground Road, I shot another great example of a magnolia ornament on the driveway post of a nice old house...    

I walked the two miles and didn't find anything resembling a National Park. Before walking beyond where I-85 crossed over, I saw a guy selling various Confederate flags by the side of the road. So, I stopped over and asked him if I was even close. He laughed at me in a good natured way and explained that even though they call it, "Cowpens Battlefield," it's actually twelve more miles up the road, northwest of Gaffney. I wished him good sales. He said it was a slow day but it was sure to pick up when "rush hour comes 'bout!"

I was really tired by the time I returned to the library, after four miles of walking for no reason. That was something I didn't need, as I had thirteen miles to walk the next day, and my feet could have used the rest. It would have been a different story had I gotten a few dozen cool pictures and found a musket ball. Ha!

I published a post. And headed out into the already darkened town...

Loved this!

Parking lot sperm. They are rather large apparently?

I got to my place from the night before and set up the tent. I knew there could be rain, so it was all staked (I used all five stakes to hold the tarp/fly away from the tent), and the base tarp was folded under. I'd have to run by the same schedule as this day if I wanted to get on my way to Gaffney and be there by about noon the next day. I went straight in and fell asleep.

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