Day 103, July 15, 2012

I woke up at about 7:30 from the heat of the sun on my skin. I usually sleep with my sleeping bag unzipped and just folded over me. So by the morning I'm all swooshed around in it and half way on the ground. So my skin is being hit by the sun.
        I slept decent and was feeling ok. I got up and packed. I brushed my teeth and was about ready to go. I went to sonic again and filled up my water jugs from a spicket in the side of the building.
        I hit the road by about 8:15. I started walking and the next town of Childress was 30 miles. There were 2 very small towns I would pass through on the way and they were spread about evenly between each other. I planned to walk 20 miles and then stay at the 2nd town which was still about 10 miles away from Childress. So I got on a roll and wanted to get it done before 4 which is about the start of the hottest part of the day out here.
         I walked non stop for 14 miles and felt pretty good. I was snacking on some bars I was given to from the family in Wichita falls. I stopped at the 14 mile point and took a break. There was not much around for shade, but there was one bush that I tucked under and sat there. My water at this point was very hot and not enjoyable at all. Strictly for keeping me hydrated and that's about it.
          As I sat there for about 20 minutes it was burning hot. Nothing was around there and I was just sweating profusely. I was pretty hidden and the cars couldn't see me as I passed. I was trying to hide, just tucked away to get into the shade. A car passed by and pulled over behind where I came from a little ways. It was an old white car. It sat there a minute, then a bunch of trash flew out the window. It looked like he stayed there until there were no cars and then threw it out when it was clear. Then he took off down the highway.
        I was annoyed by that and felt bad so I went to pick up the trash. When I got close and saw it, it was 4 unopened water bottles? I was confused. There was no way he saw me, and if he did he would have given them to me or said something. It was bizarre. So I picked them up and took them with me. Didn't want to drink them just incase.
        So I finally got to the little town where I had planned to stay. But it was basically nothing! A few old shop like buildings that looked abandoned, and nowhere that looked cool where I could relax for the heat of the day. I sat there thinking what about I should do? Then I just thought, I didn't feel to sore or anything, and it was only about 4:30. So I continued walking.
          It was hot and when I drank my water it burned my throat. But I figured if I could make the last 10 miles and get to Childress, that would be a 30 mile day. Which would make the total in 4 days of walking 88 miles. And I could afford to take a full day off to relax. So I kept pushing. It was tough and mostly the hot water situation was hard. But I pushed through that and the heat.
         I made it to Childress right at sunset! It was great timing. I walked all the way through town and to the west end and stopped at a sonic. Since i was taking the next day off I could stay up a little later and try and sleep in a bit the next morning.
        So I sat in sonic and ordered a slushy with my card I had been given. I charged my things at an outlet and relaxed. 10 o'clock came around and I was exhausted. So I left there and walked behind an Aaron's furniture store. Behind it were dumpsters and then a grass field with a couple bushes. I tucked up close to a big bush at the right angle so I was hidden from the street on one side. I laid down and fell right asleep about 10:30. There were some bugs biting me waking me up that night but not sure what they were. I slept ok that night.