Day 94 and 95: Adventures in the Backwoods

The weekend of Days 94 and 95 saw my adventures continuing on a nearby mountain in Alabama. My college organized a weekend retreat for the sophomore class. So when Saturday morning rolled around I found myself packed into a van like sardines with fifteen other students off on a road trip.

When our van finally pulled into the camp we were staying at, I was thoroughly tired and my voice was sore from the amount of singing that had occurred over the course of our journey. The camp was a beautiful and rustic affair in the backwoods of Alabama. The cabins were comfortable and based off of a cross between modern amenities, 19^th century construction, and rustic aesthetics.

Almost as soon as I was unpacked and had met the other girls I would be sharing a cabin with, I was off into the woods. There were trees to climb, boulders to scale, trails to follow, wildlife to chase, and pictures to take. Several of the girls in my cabin accompanied me and we thoroughly explored as much as we could before dark set in.

The next day passed in similar fashion. The woods sprawled before us and we picked a trail going west into the heart of the mountains and set out. Through our journey we explored old cabins, climbed several rock faces, catalogued fungi, sang hobbit walking songs, and walked into a good number of spider webs. The change of scenery was wonderful, and exploring a new mountain with friends made the journey even more enjoyable. I was quite sad when the afternoon rolled around and it was time to leave for college again.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 93: Living on the Outskirts

College brings with it a menagerie of experiences. One of the most unique and distinct instances in this menagerie is social life. Since college in America usually consists of a number of students and young adults living and learning together in close quarters, it tends to breed friendships and a high demand for sociality.

My life has not gone untouched by this demand as I make my way through the often perilous journey. With the high pressure academics as well as tests and papers around every corner, social life plays an important role in managing the stress which accompanies college. Though I often hide from it, my social life has given me many blessings and important life lessons.

However, my life is one that I have always lived on the outskirts. This distinction is important in understanding who I am. When I am the gawker looking in on the fishbowl of life, my personality and identity are necessarily formed around that. Living on the outskirts, only passively interacting in life and attempting to quell feelings of incompetency, has led me to treasure many aspects of life as a whole. I have learned to treasure my friends, my family, my position in the world, and above all, my mere existence. God has been gracious enough to let me live and I have learned much from the outskirts of that life. There is still much more to learn, so much more. I doubt if I could live forever on this earth that I shall ever learn enough, or obtain even a small amount of wisdom.

This conclusion came to me one evening as I found myself halfway up a tree observing student life in full swing. I often do my best thinking in trees, it’s become somewhat of an awkward habit. In life I have found that people rarely look up, so trees are an excellent place to perch if you wish to be alone when surrounded by people. So tonight I found myself sitting securely in a tree, watching unseen as the lives of the student body carried on below me.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 86: Fog on the Mountain

The last two days have seen mist and fog descend on the mountain. Once again visibility is down to 30 feet. However, our spirits are not yet dampened, even if our clothes are. Early morning sees me donning rain boots, clipping an umbrella onto my bag, and snuggling into my cloak as I prepare for the day. Squelching through the grass and splashing through puddles is quite common as the student body hurries off to class.

The weather has refrained from all out rain, preferring to keep misting gently and covering everything with dewy droplets of moisture. My professors have donned their rain slickers and hats, looking even more intimidating as they appear suddenly from the gloom only to disappear again without a word.

My walk on Day 86 was ethereal, surrounded by clouds as I trudged along muddied mountain trails. There is something about fog that is both magical and confining, giving you your own little world but holding you captive from the rest of the world. I know that somewhere below my campus lies civilization, a city sprawling across a valley, but I cannot see it, I am not daily reminded of its presence. So for a little while I can entertain the thought of being in the Shire on foggy days, of padding home to a good fire, a strong cup of tea, and a hearty meal. For a little while, I can pretend I’m a real hobbit in my cloak as I twirl around in the mist alone.

Many people here do not like the fog; it obscures the sun and gives an air of gloom. I have become quite fond of it for it gives my imagination many things to play with and it fills me with wonder. In the early morning sometimes I get up early enough to watch the fog roll up the mountains to the west before finally descending on the college. I can watch the fog swallow up familiar mountain ranges before it gently blankets me in my world.  Living in the clouds has become something I look forward to.

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~Daisy Buttons

Day 85: A Comedy of Errors

Day 85 started later than usual. Oversleeping my alarm by half an hour started a day fraught with lateness. I was late to every class and missed several meals as a result. All around me the campus seemed to be late as well, or maybe I was just starting to notice the late arrivals. Running to class and work is a pastime shared by several dozen students on the mountain. Briefly acknowledging each other, we sprint in opposite directions, our bags bouncing off our backs, and our breaths coming out harsh as we dash to make it to class before the professor starts into his lecture.

The routine started to get a bit ridiculous when the evening rolled around and I had not made it on time to anything. As I walked briskly to work, having no desire to run again, I was stopped by a friend. In exasperation at the delay I did the first thing that came to mind, I quoted Alice in Wonderland. “I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!” was hollered over my shoulder as I kept going.

Work finally ended and I had a few minutes to grab something to eat before I had to be at my study group. Of course the line through the dining hall was absurdly long and left me with enough time to grab an apple before dashing off again. Determined to be on time to one thing that day, I decided to take a short cut through one of the buildings. Everything was going well until I tripped on the staircase and spilled the contents of my bag, books, paper, and writing utensils clattering to the ground and falling down another flight of stairs. By the time I managed to round up everything that had spilled, I was over ten minutes late to group. Tolkien was wise when he wrote “shortcuts make for long delays.”

By the time the day was through I had completely missed my scheduled walking time and the sun had long set. Having no desire to push my luck by walking at night without my headlamp, I decided to call the day a comedy of errors and promptly went to bed.

Even with their considerable trials, I have yet to find a place where there was a comedy of errors for the hobbits. There is certainly much hardship to face and many things go wrong, but there doesn’t seem to be concrete point when things just keep going wrong one after another. Bleak and seemingly hopeless points can be found throughout the story, but there are also moments of hope between these instances of trial. I guess that is one of the reasons I have always loved the Lord of the Rings, it is a book that inspires hope when none can be found. Thankfully my day went comically wrong, and not tragically wrong. There is still much hope that tomorrow will be better.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~Daisy Buttons

Day 83: Happy Hobbit Day!

Sunday morning dawned early as usual and found me safely tucked away in bed. For once, I would not move until sometime around noon, enjoying the day to sleep in after a long night of good cheer with deer friends.

When I finally did rouse, it was to the smell of pancakes and the realization that it was hobbit day, otherwise known as Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday. Though I had plans to acknowledge the day with some friends, I instead found myself alone. So I did the only thing I could do on hobbit day, bake lots of food and spread merriment in my own special way.

After my food was cooked and a good drink put together, I retreated to my room to read the collection of Tolkien which I keep at college. Though I didn’t get a chance to go for my walk today, I was quite happy with my good food and wonderful books. This hobbit day I took the opportunity to go back through Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories.” This essay is one of my favourite works by him and I have the blessing of owning a first edition of it (contained in Tree and Leaf). Escapism, one of the themes of the essay, is a theme I often return to throughout my day-to-day life. For me, the escape of the imagination has pervaded my entire life and through it I have not only built a haven to retreat to, but I have also built the skills needed to keep trudging through life. Though I won’t attribute my imagination to Tolkien, he is credited with helping to expand it and giving me a world with which to live in.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~Daisy Buttons 

Day 82: On My Way

As I draw closer to Rivendell I am beginning to get antsy with the remaining miles, wishing that I could fast forward to finally reaching the Last Homely House. At 405.99 miles (653.4 km) I have a little over 50 miles (80.5 km) to go.

Tolkien doesn’t talk much about the days spent travelling to Rivendell, glancing over large sections of travelling to highlight key points in the trip. I have always wondered what the day in and day out of the travelling looked like. Another part of me curses ever wanting to find out since I am now living it. Walking every day is starting to get tiresome, with very few milestones to pass and only several pages of reading devoted to a stretch of 200 some odd miles, I am left with very little to contemplate and a long way to walk.

Enter the title of my post. I’m sure you’ve seen the movies where actions over an extended period of time are condensed down into a montage of snapshots lasting a few minutes. The movie adaptations of Lord of the Rings made good use of travel montages with helicopter panorama shots of the fellowship trekking across beautiful and difficult terrain. I could really use one of those right now, condensing the 200 miles I had to walk into a manageable two minutes of the ridiculous moments (including my flight from a cloud of midges). Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root is a song used in several movies (I’m thinking of Matilda and Ice Age here) for these montages. I periodically play this song as I go, putting together my own montage in my head of my journey so far. Imagining panorama shots of me scaling my mountain trails, trudging through city streets, boulder hopping over a river, shivering in the rain, slipping in mud, running from clouds of bugs, singing ridiculous songs, stopping to take in stunning views, and generally being ridiculous, helps to keep me going on my way to Rivendell. One day, hopefully soon, I will get there and look back on this post with an indulgent smile. But that day is not today. Today I continue on my way.

The Road Goes Ever ON and ON
~Daisy Buttons

Day 80: Inadequate

It has been awhile since I last updated and now I am quite behind (three months to be exact). The journey has continued despite my lack of posting and I am hoping to catch up with this blog over the Christmas break around the corner. Now, on with my adventure!

Day 80 brought with it a feeling I’m not entirely unfamiliar with: inadequacy. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that self-esteem is overrated in modern culture and don’t strive to look for affirmation within my everyday life, but for some reason I awoke with the woeful feeling of being small and insignificant. I felt like I was standing alone back home underneath the full heavens with its many and mighty stars and yelling “I’m important!” only to be answered with silence. The transience of my life is something that I have contemplated quite a lot throughout my life. The knowledge that my life will pass in history like a warm breath on a winter wind can be depressing. I know that I will leave little to attest to the fact that I once indeed did live. My thoughts, troubles, and triumphs – while seemingly significant to me – will be but a drop in the ocean of life. Confronted with thoughts such as these, I am rarely surprised that I feel inadequate.

I’ve wondered if the hobbits ever felt inadequate. Certainly they must have, faced with such evil and the destruction of their world. Yet the hobbits, the most insignificant creatures were the ones who in the end saved their world. It was through their actions that an evil was destroyed.

As I go through life I am often reminded of Galadriel’s words, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” So when I’m back in that field with the stars mockingly overhead I know that I may be small and insignificant in comparison, but there is a reason I am alive, there is a reason God put me here in this time and place. I have yet to figure out that reason and doubt I ever will, but knowing there is a reason is enough to continue life with a purpose. There will often be feelings of inadequacy as I continue my journey, but there are often small moments of insight when I am still long enough to realize the life I have been blessed with.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 77: The Crack of Dawn

Every weekday now finds me up at no later than 6:15 in the morning. With a long day to prepare for and the History Department to open, I have taken to the morning with reluctance. Up on the mountain it is still dark at the time of my awakening. By the time I am ready for the day and have eaten breakfast, the sun is just beginning to show above the horizon and every morning I watch the sunrise from my chair in the History commons. About the time I have second breakfast (usually sometime around 9) the campus is just starting to come to life as students begin about their day. It’s oddly comforting to watch the campus wake up and start on the day.

An added joy to my early rising is solitude. I am one of few up early and as such can sit by myself for great lengths of time without interruption. Having the mornings to contemplate anything from nature; to God; to time; to the great writers, philosophers, and theologians; and occasionally even schoolwork, is proving very relaxing. I have come to enjoy a very nice rock off to the eastern side of campus. From that rock I have a beautiful view of the sky and can look out over the valley to see the city of Chattanooga sprawling out below the mountain. I can watch the lights in the town slowly blink out one by one as the sun climbs higher on the horizon; I can watch the city wake up.

Of course once the sun comes up the magic is partially lost and I go back to my own world of school and work. But for a little while in the morning I can enjoy my solitude as I watch a world much more vast than I can ever comprehend, much bigger than my campus, much bigger than myself. I wonder if the hobbits ever felt this way about the world outside of the Shire that they were discovering. I contemplated this while I was out on my 6.47 mile (10.41 km) walk.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 75 and 76: Canyons and Picnics

The weekend of Day 75 and 76 was one of my most profitable while at school. On Day 75 I walked 9.02 miles (14.5 km) on the beautiful Bluff Trail. This particular part of the trail winds its way around the top of the mountain, staying fairly level the entire time and affording magnificent views. Consequently the trail is heavily populated with both hikers and rock climbers who take to the huge boulders and massive rock formations dotting the mountainside. Along the way I was nearly landed on by one of the rock climbers and made friends with his dog.

The day was cool and beautiful, a wonderful change from the oppressive heat recently plaguing my mountain. The wildlife was out and about and I contented myself with watching the many species go about their daily life. Anything from songbirds, to birds of prey and even woodpeckers flew about along the trail. Chipmunks and squirrels quickly darted away as I approached, and if I looked closely enough I could see mice scrambling about the forest floor for food.

Day 76 brought with it a church picnic at one of the State Parks in our area. Cloudland Canyon State Park is a beautiful canyon trail. We picnicked at the top of the canyon and later hiked out the half mile to the overlook. Once pictures were taken and the view of the canyon marveled at, we played an array of games and gorged ourselves on popsicles.

  (The view from one of the overlooks)

Before we left, we hiked a mile down into the canyon to view the massive waterfall. It’s a hard hike down and back, but our entire group made it and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We spent a good half an hour enjoying the view of the waterfall and exploring the rocky stream and nearby caves. When all was said and I walked 5.38 miles (8.7 km) on Day 76 for a weekend total of 14.39 miles (23.2 km).

(The waterfall)

 

At this point in their journey Strider has found an elf stone at The Last Bridge and, taking it as a token of safety, he and the hobbits have crossed over the Hoarwell/Mitheithel river into the Trollshaws. Once in the new land, hills shut them in quickly and their path becomes difficult. In places Frodo would be obliged to dismount Bill the Pony and struggle uphill on foot. The reader also learns that Frodo’s wound, though appearing healed, is graver than first assumed. Frodo would continue to struggle as the journey progressed. To make matters worse, wet weather sets in as rain pours down on the hobbits and Strider.

I probably shouldn’t take as much pleasure in the fact that it was raining on the hobbits as I am, but it certainly is nice to see that the weather I battle against quite often also makes the going difficult for the hobbits. Looking back over older posts, I find that rain seems to be a constant theme for me. The inclusion of weather conditions is one of the many little details that Tolkien includes to give Middle Earth such a three-dimensional feel to it. The weather, along with other things, lends itself to the illusion that the world is real and resonates emotionally with many readers.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 74: Revenge of the Midges

The days on the mountain are still oppressively hot. Getting to class consists of wandering from one shadow to the next until I’ve made it to my destination. As a result, I was not looking forward to my daily walk in the least.

To try and save myself from the heat I chose a well shaded cross country trail. Armed with a bottle of sun screen and ice water, I set off for a 5.62 mile (9 km) walk. Of course it was just my luck that this trail should lead through an area infested with midges. With no bug spray, bare legs, and a short sleeve shirt, I now knew the pain of the hobbits when they had traveled through the Midgewater Marshes. Midges are particularly nasty little creatures with an affinity for biting. By the time I had emerged from the woods at the end of my walk, I was covered in little red welts from the dratted bugs.

I was hot, miserable, stinging from bites, up to my knees in dirt, and thoroughly disconcerted by the noise of bullfrogs from somewhere off in the forest. Finally I emerged from the trail and made my way back on campus to go soak in Epson salt. I will never complain about gnats again after Day 74, they are rather tame in comparison to midges. The hobbits must have been thoroughly miserable walking through the Midgewater Marshes with little more to protect them than a cloak. At the beginning of their journey, and before any serious attacks, the midges must have been quite the unpleasant experience for the hobbits. I wonder if they ever thought back on them later on when faced with much graver situations.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 72: Remembering Tragedy

Day 72 marked the 12^th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Though I did not lose anyone to the attacks, it still affected me and my community heavily. The town in which I grew up resides 50 miles from Washington DC, and many of our citizens worked in and around the Pentagon. There were many people in my town that lost someone they knew or knew of to those attacks. A family friend had been transferred out of the Pentagon two months before the attack and the occupant of his old office died in the attacks. It could just have easily been him. My mother was abroad in Cairo during the attacks and for over a week my father was concerned that we might never see my mother again. So as I went through Day 72, this attack weighed heavily on my mind as I’m sure it did many other citizens of my country.

I often wonder if the hobbits of the Shire long remembered the War of the Ring, or if it faded into the background like so much tended to do within that culture. I am sure the peoples of Gondor and Rohan certainly remembered the wars, but their lands bore the scars of conflict more acutely than the Shire did. However, the purging of the Shire and the aftermath of the war remain in books to come and I shouldn’t be jumping to far ahead.

From the mountain with sorrow,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 71: The Welcome Back to College Gift

It’s that time of the new term. The time when everyone has mingled together in the cesspool of germs known as the dormitory and contracted the start of term cold. This cold will continue to make its rounds on campus until no room has been left unaffected by its misery. Of course, I should be one of the lucky few to get it fairly early on. Last term I managed to hold out until I was the last one on my hall to have yet suffered its ills. However, this term I must be one of the first to experience it.

So for the past day I have trudged around campus hacking, sniffling, and attempting to continue life as normal. On top of feeling sick, the new term decided to throw an oppressing heat wave on my mountain. The sweltering humidity clings heavily to everything and leaves you sticky after walking from one class to another.

Most of my day was spent hiding away indoors and my walk was moved back to an hour before sunset in hopes that it would cool off. I was very disappointed when I stepped out to find that the temperature had barely dropped and the humidity had increased. By the time my brief 3.18 mile (5.1 km) was done, I was disgustingly sticky with sweat, thoroughly tired, and my cough was getting worse. One cold shower later I was feeling absolutely miserable and took some medicine before crawling into my bed in hopes of forgetting all about my day. It amazes me how quick I am to give up on the journey when the heat moves in. I can slog for hours through rain, and have done so numerous times, but when the heat and humidity comes I am more than ready to quit. The hobbits keep going through all sorts of weather conditions and situations, the least I can do is put up with some heat.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 69: Mountain Hiking

The weekend was in full swing and with about 400 pages of reading due by the end of next week; I was in sore need of a break. So after my morning work shift and several hours of study, I put away my books and pulled out my boots. I decided to take one of my favourite trails down the west side of the mountain. This trail is very difficult in places and stretches for about seven miles. There are no spectacular views along the way and the trail peters out at the bottom of the mountain near a slightly pathetic creek. However, I have always enjoyed this trail because it is by far the most secluded trail I have found yet. After about the first mile (once you get passed all of the switchbacks), there are few to no people to encounter and you are left all by your lonesome to enjoy the gift of nature. Sometimes instead of hiking I like to stand still on the trail and contemplate my surroundings. At the bottom of the trail there is a nice clearing with an old log that makes an excellent seat for an impromptu meal. Overall my hike stretched for 7.31 miles (11.8 km) bringing my cumulative mileage for the trip thus far up to 348.48 miles (560.82 km).

The hobbits journey over the Lone-lands continues. Large portions of land stretch out before them and Rivendell is still 100 miles (160.9 km) away. They are just beginning to climb out of the valley they have been travelling in. When they finally make camp for the night, their camp is high enough for Merry to get a glimpse of the Loudwater (Bruinen) River far off in the distance. A few miles in front of them Merry can also see the bridge of the Hoarwell River leading into the Trollshaws. Part of me wonders if the hobbits and Strider ever despaired about the amount of ground there was left to cover. They have managed the majority of the journey but now a good distance still stretches before them and a great evil is at their heels.

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 67: The Importance of Sustenance

On Day 67 I learned exactly how important food is. After getting up at the crack of dawn to get my 4.34 miles in (6.98 km) out on the cross country trails, I curled up in my desk chair to read the 200+ pages due over the next two days.

By the time I had finished my homework I realized I had studied through both breakfast and lunch, and had 15 minutes to shower and get to class. Long story short, by the time classes had ended and I was dressed and ready for the first day of softball practice I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch the day before.

At practice I began to realize what a mistake skipping meals was as my heavy limbs and light head almost refused to function. I had very little strength and as such my performance suffered greatly, on the first day of practice no less. By the time the night was out, my laps run, and the equipment hauled back to the shed, I was just glad I had managed to stay conscious through the entire practice. When I finally got back to my dorm I immediately raided the vending machine and gorged myself on chips, fruit snacks, and candy. The sugar high and cramps that followed were not appreciated, but at least I finally had something in my belly again.

The hobbits, as they began their journey, were also faced with a much smaller diet than they were used to; though their diet change was one of necessity and not of carelessness. Before they reached Weathertop, the hobbits had started to come into their own managing the day-to-day walking on a significantly less food: “Already they were getting used to much walking on short commons – shorter at any rate than what in the Shire they would have thought barely enough to keep them on their legs.” (A Knife in the Dark, The Fellowship of the Rings)

Being a self-identified hobbit, food is important to me, as it is to the hobbits of the Shire. And now I have learned my lesson, it is never good to go entire days without eating. The hobbits and I both learned a good deal about surviving on little food, but the parallel ends there since my discovery was one of absentmindedness instead of necessity.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
 ~ Daisy Buttons

Day 65: Late Nights and Long Books

School life continues, classes have to be attended, homework finished, reading completed or ignored, and a social life to hide from. Three days into classes and I’m already behind on the reading. Over the course of the next week I have over 1000 pages of reading to complete and sleep to ignore.

Day 65 also brought with it my first tutoring shift at work. Every Wednesday evening I sit in the commons of the History Department for four hours, ready to offer assistance to anyone who comes in. My first shift was long, with no one showing up and a mound of reading to slog through. I ended up staying until long after my hours ended and the security guard kicked me out so he could lock up. I have a rather sinking feeling that this is going to become a routine. Maybe I will bake the security guard some brownies in an attempt to get on his good side since I will likely be kicked out by him at least twice a week.

The long shift allowed me to get through a good chunk of my most immediate reading. Armed with a large pot of tea, my favourite pencil, several bookmarks, and an empty notebook for recording observations, I cloistered myself away and read. By the time I was kicked out, my head was full of new information and more than willing to sleep. There was still a 500 page book to get through, but that would have to come at a later time.

The hobbits, at this point of their journey, are still slogging through the valleys of the Lone-lands. In front of them the land begins to rise allowing them to see a group of hills ahead. Their journey would be an upward one for a good ways. It must have felt daunting seeing the land spread out before them. They had already come a long distance, and now the distance and hills which stretched before them might have seemed discouraging. Still, they trudged on.

Even with the long day and massive amount of studying to accomplish, I still managed a good 5.29 mile (8.5 km) walk. Just as the hobbits must trudge on through difficult terrain and dire situations, so must I continue my journey despite a busy schedule. Continuing this journey and learning more about what the hobbits faced is the least I can do, after all the perils they went through to get as far as they did. I just hope that my journey will never be half as dire as what the hobbits have already had to face.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 63: The Newest Minion

With the start of the new week, my work study also begins. Last term I had the peculiar misfortune to be placed on the carpet team. For that job I spent 15 hours a week cleaning carpets, upholstery, and other spills across campus. The actual team was great and we quickly became somewhat of an oddball family. But the work was less than stellar and I never want to be called in again to clean blood off of the carpets in the boy’s dorms. This term, as mentioned in a previous post, I have the wonderful opportunity of being placed in the History Department for my work. Now I get to spend 15 hours a week working for my professors and tutoring students in my chosen field.

Day 63 brought with it the first day of work and much to learn. One of the first things I learned was that my job title was not “Work Study Student” but rather “History Minion.” Apparently the history professors have been calling their workers “minions” for quite some time. As of now, I am the newest history minion. It is a title I will bear with amusement and pride.

Hiking was a rather sordid affair. I didn’t have enough time to fully enjoy myself out on the trails and ended my walk shortly after only 3.98 miles (6.4 km), bringing my total for the weekend up to 16.87 miles (27.14 km). It was an unpleasant walk, too hot and humid for my liking. By the time I made it back to my dorm, I was hot, sweaty, tired, and not looking forward to the small mountain of reading I had already accumulated.

The hobbits at this point are still continuing their journey through the hills and valleys of the Lone-lands. The journey for them is much more difficult as immediate danger threatens their every step and Rivendell seems so far away. The burden of the ring and his wound weighs heavily and Frodo and his friends look on, unable to aid him.

Today there are few parallels to draw between my life and the journey of the hobbits. I am locked away in a cushy institution with challenging classes, three meals a day, good friends, a bed to sleep in, and more knowledge at my fingertips than I know what to do with. Even when my walks are unpleasant, they do not bring with it the peril the hobbits were facing nor that race against time and an unseen enemy. My life right now has very little in common with the lives of the hobbits as they struggle on to Rivendell. However, it is in this discrepancy that I have come to appreciate my life more. I realize that there is much I take for granted, not unlike the hobbits before they left their Shire. I hope to learn to treasure the many things I have been granted in life and realize the beauty of my own Shire as I continue this journey.

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 60: 300 Miles

It is Day 60 and I am quite happy to find that the 300 mile (482.8 km) mark has been passed! Though I technically reached that goal on Day 59, it was not until after my morning walk on Day 60 that I realized how far I have come.

Classes are now in full swing and my work will start up soon. I have been very blessed to take part in the work study program at my college and this year finds me working in the History Department (which is also my major). Though I am sure the next year will bring all sorts of craziness, stress, laughter, tears, camaraderie, silliness, and overall hard work, I will be sure to make the best of this extraordinary opportunity.

With the advent of classes, work, and college sports my schedule is quickly growing. So many books have to be read, papers written, projects taken care of, documentaries to watch, and events to attend; and that’s not even factoring in the social demands of college! Suffice it to say, I have lost time for walking as I have to carefully budget it towards other things (such as sleeping). Today I went out to the cross country trails winding their way around my mountain, but with the time constraints I was only able to walk 4.84 miles (7.8 km). Still, the walk brought my cumulative mileage up to 307.74 (495.3 km).

I wonder how the hobbits were feeling at this mile mark. All I have been able to glean from the text is that they were on their fourth day out from Weathertop and still continue in the valley past the Weather Hills. Frodo would have been plagued by his wound, and the others would have been struggling under the extra weight they had taken on to allow Bill to bear Frodo. Maybe the journey stretched out before them and all thoughts were on Rivendell. Maybe the hobbits minds were occupied with more immediate concerns, like the Black Riders trying to stop the ring from passing into Rivendell. Maybe their minds were occupied by the thoughts of making it to the next meal, the next camp. There are many possibilities to extrapolate upon from the little text that exists on this part of the journey.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 59: First Day of Classes

Day 59 marks the first day of classes. After an extra day to get settled in, the challenge of an academic life begins. For the most part I am looking forward to my class load and hope to maintain my GPA from last year, though that will require substantial work.

After my classes were done and all mandatory meetings were attended, I had time to go for a walk. Of course all of those mandatory meetings had pushed my schedule back and I didn’t hit the trails until around sunset. But I had come prepared for the dark with a reflector jacket, headlamp, and walking stick. I only walked 6.07 miles (9.76 km) since I didn’t want to stray onto unfamiliar or dangerous trails in the night. By the time I returned to my dorm the temperature had dropped significantly and I could see my breath on the air. For close to half an hour I stood barefoot in the cold grass outside feeling the wind toy with my hair and watching the twinkling light of civilization far below in the valley.

Even though the hobbits did not often have the time to stop and contemplate their surroundings, or pause to take in the view; I sometimes wonder if they found the new lands they were in remarkable. Everything from the Old Forest, to Chetwood, to the Weather Hills was vastly different from the pastoral rolling hills of the Shire. So much was new to the hobbits on their journey, and though it was fraught with peril the road they walked took them to new and marvelous lands. Tolkien takes the opportunity in several places before Weathertop to note sunrises and the topography of the land the hobbits and Aragorn were traveling through. While this description can be seen as tedious by some, it is worth noting for me. Tolkien took the time to envision and describe the world he had created, showing a deep appreciation for nature and its role in the lives and journey of the Fellowship throughout the entire novel. So I also want to come to the conclusion that the hobbits, a race Tolkien considered himself to be in all by size, also held a deep appreciation for the nature they were surrounded with (sans the Midgewater Marshes).

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 57: College Bound

After a day with my family in the city outside my college, it was time to return to college. My family drove me up the mountain where my college resides and helped me unpack the car. Tearful goodbyes were said and wisdom was given, before my family departed for home once more and I was left to my own devices.

Immediately I unpacked and went for a walk out on the mountain trails to break in the new hiking boots I had purchased specifically for these mountain trails. It was nice to be back on my Mountain trails and to see old friends in brooks and trees. My leisurely walk took me about 6.81 miles (10.9 km). After my daily trek was done I finished moving into my room and decorating, before I sat down to read some more Tolkien.

While it is sad to see my family go, it is nice to be back in college. It’s nice to see friends again and get back to studying. However, I’m still not quite sure if I am ready for the adventure of college. I am certainly more prepared now than I was last year when I embarked on this four years journey. Still, there is so much to learn and so many things to do and put up.

One thing is certain, I had quite forgotten how loud college can be. Within minutes of moving in to my room, the music of my friends across the hall began blaring. Word cannot describe how much I loathe heavy metal. And then there is the constant demand to socialize and get out of your dorm room to participate in society at large. Sometimes I succeed at this, usually I fail miserably. However, failure is just another step in the journey.

I wonder if this is similar to how the hobbits felt when leaving their home for adventures unknown. I know much of my experience differs from the hobbits since I do not go forward into mortal peril, uncertain whether or not I will lay eyes on my home again. After all, my family is but a phone call away and I am allowed to make the trek back home periodically. But still, there is a similarity in leaving my home for the unknown, just as the hobbits did early on in their adventure.

So for now, I am happy to be back but am also scared at the prospect of continuing the journey. Home is behind and the world is ahead, all that is now left to me is how I walk this road and conquer this adventure.

Home is behind and the world ahead,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 55: Cousins, Church, and Cornhole

The journey back to college continues and the day with my cousins was underway. Morning dawned at a respectable time for once. Breakfast was a sordid affair of donuts and coffee as my family grabbed whatever we could on our way out the door for church.

Church was loud and filled with passion, “hallelujahs,” and an abundance of “amens!” Between the shouts of “preach it, brother!” from the congregation a sermon on friendship and the importance of those we surround ourselves with was yelled to the rafters. After church we enjoyed a home cooked meal complete with potato salad and homemade venison jerky.

One thing that always proves interesting about my cousins is the fact that they are a very traditional southern family. Everyone goes to church (preferably Southern Baptist), watches football and Nascar all day, lives in the back country, hunts and taxidermies, cans their own food, built their own house, and speaks with a drawl. I really love them!

Cornhole is another tradition of Southern America. The game consists of two slanted boards with a hole in them, eight bean bags, and two teams of two. The object of the game is to get the most bags on the board and in the hole. We played for three hours straight while swapping stories and discussing the general goings on of extended family and home life. The games almost always ended badly for the loser and hilariously for the winner. By the time we were reached our last game, all competitiveness and any vestiges of seriousness had fled leaving us all in a shaking fit of laughter as bag after bag completely missed the board to hit our teammates on the other side.

I often wonder if this life is not that far removed from the life of the hobbits back in the Shire. Family and friends get together, drink, eat, swap stories, gossip, argue about genealogy, and participate in local traditions. Of course I always imagined the life of a hobbit to be a little bit more refined than the lives of my southern relatives (and mine when I have the privilege and joy of living with them). One of the reasons I have longed to count myself among these marvelous creatures for most of my life is the feeling of familiarity and family that seems to surround their culture. Of course with any family comes gossip and prejudice (Sackville-Baggins anyone?). This is certainly seen in my family, and I am certainly guilty of it. Slight exaggerations here, a little bit of a skewed perspective there, and a dash of playing the victim always make for a good story. And of course there is always that one relative that everyone complains about and hides from (Lobelia Sackville-Baggins being a good example). But I’m sure the hobbits would have some experience there. It’s too bad I will never get the opportunity to see how close some of my family life reflects the culture and lifestyle of Tolkien’s hobbits.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 54: A Fond Farewell

Day 54 has brought with it both joy and sorrow. This day was the day I departed from home again to make the trek back to the world of academia. It had come time to return to college. So a fond farewell was given to my beloved Commonwealth of Virginia.

The day, as it all too often does, dawned earlier than I would have liked. But so many things needed to be done and I had left too much to the last minute. My car had to be packed, all of my bags double checked to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything, my chores had to be finished, my goodbyes said, and my route planned. Inevitably my family and I got out the door later than we would have liked and managed to forget several things in the process.

The road back to college was long, the drive totaling about 10 hours. However, it was filled with beauty. The road I often take leads me back into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. Driving through them is always such a pleasure. They are beautiful to behold and live up to their name with the hint of blue surrounding them. Sunsets in the mountains are magical and, due to our late start, my family got to witness one. The mellowing colours of amber daylight mix with the vibrant hues of orange, red, and magenta as the sunset contrasts against the blue haze of the mountains.

At an ungodly hour of the night my family arrived at our cousins’ house. We had planned to stay the night and the following day with them, heading on the next evening. My cousins were waiting up and we talked late into the night about anything and everything. The youngest son of my father’s cousin (so my first cousin twice removed) had recently had a daughter and everyone was quite eager to see her in person. My second cousin once removed was quite the adorable baby. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a calmer baby, she didn’t fuss much and her cries were much quieter than the piercing screams of infants I had the unfortunate duty to watch over during an obligatory volunteer stint at a nursery. Throughout the years I have come to realize that family and friends mean everything to me, another reason why I call myself a hobbit.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 52: Of Rain and Songs

The day started out promising. All of my textbooks had finally arrived, the crisp air promised the arrival of autumn, and I enjoyed a long discussion about Middle Earth races with friends. I was in high spirits when I donned my cloak and picked up my walking stick to continue the next part of this journey. Of course, about two miles into the walk that all changed. I was halfway down one of the hiking trails on a nearby mountain when it started raining terribly hard. With an uphill climb ahead of me and the trail quickly becoming slick and treacherous, I decided I would take shelter and wait out the rain. Half an hour later the rain had yet to let up, my cloak was soaked through, and the trail was getting even more dangerous. Finally I decided to try and make it back up the mountain before the trail got too treacherous to climb.

As I was working my way up I managed to slip on a mud and moss covered rock. I went down hard, but managed to stay on the trail, avoiding the 20 foot fall off of a nearby ledge. Nothing was hurt but now I was both wet and muddy. My backpack was soaked through and my dinner was crushed and marinating in soil. Completely miserable, I did the only thing left that I could do: I started singing.

Many of the characters in Tolkien’s masterpiece often sing, Bilbo and Gandalf being two examples of such. Sam has several instances of spontaneous song recorded in The Lord of the Rings, one in particular occurring when he encounters the some stone trolls atop a hill that Bilbo had once escaped from. Many of these songs may not be the stuff of legends and may not live on past many generations, but they do have a way to boost the spirits when in a tight spot. Song and prose hold a very important place in Tolkien’s world, with many of the stories of old being told through verse and rhyme.

For me the use of singing wasn’t so much to record an event or tell a story. For me singing was a device to lift my spirit and help me through a hike that was quickly proving disastrous. I sang many things across the many genres I like (anywhere from soundtracks, the King’s Singers, traditional folk, 1950s rock ‘n roll, Queen, Tolkien inspired pieces, etc). Towards the end of my uphill hike I was running out of memorized songs and resorted to making up a story about a bird, a squirrel, and the acorn that got away. It was utterly ridiculous, completely silly, and sung badly. But by the time I had reached my car, I was laughing in spite of my muddy and miserable state. Songs full of good cheer can carry one far, and that is a lesson I won’t soon forget.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 50: Country Roads

On my second day back from recovery I decided it was time to head back to the mountains. With my backpack loaded with the appropriate gear, my worn trail map sitting in the passenger seat, and an eclectic playlist ranging from opera to bag pipes, I hit one of my favourite routes back up to the mountains.

The drive lasts about 45 minutes and takes me through many scenic back roads that I have come to know by heart after many years of traversing them. However, these roads are the typical rural roads that one would expect in Virginia. They wind their way back through mountains, orchards, farms, rolling hills, scenic villages, and old plantations and homesteads. The road is barely wide enough for two cars and you can say goodbye to the center line as soon as you turn off of the highway.

There is one road in particular that holds some the best views and oldest homes. It's always a treat when I have an excuse to drive down the winding road. However, this is one of those roads where God help you if you get stuck in front of a local. With its twisting path, preference for blind curves, and commercial traffic heading to and from a firewood business, navigating it is quite the challenge. Add that to locals who know what they’re doing and aren’t satisfied unless they’re going at least 5 miles over the speed limit and you have a recipe for disaster. I always pity the new people who stumbled upon the road looking for a scenic drive or a back way into town and end up terrified of the speed demon local behind them. It was with pleasant surprised that I found myself alone on the road and took the advantage to enjoy the rest of my drive up to the trails.

For the hobbits, they have it a rough time of it. At this point they are fleeing Weathertop and the Black Riders with an injured Frodo. They still have roughly a fortnight before they are in Rivendell and Aragorn is pushing them harder now that they must contend with an injury from a Morgul blade and deadly riders on their tail. There is much distance to cover and little time with which to do so. Since the hobbits will be fleeing the Black Riders for another 200 miles (321.7 km) and not much is mentioned about them during that time, I probably won’t have as much to contribute on their journey for a while.

My hike went well; it was a beautiful summer day with a cool breeze in the air and a clear sky above. The mountain trail led me on a 11.12 miles (17.9 km) trek. When I was done I drove back down the mountain and walked the Main Street of a quaint town to bring my mileage up to 11.94 miles (19.2 km). The day ended in a local tavern with a good helping of Shepherd’s pie, a traditional Celtic band playing in a corner, and a discussion with the bartender about Tolkien (you’d be surprised where you run into fans).

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 49: On the Road Again

Day 49 finally sees me on the road again. My dentist has cleared me for exercise and I immediately took to the trails after my post-op appointment. The past 10 days have been torture on me. Lounging around the house was only pleasant the first two days, after that I desperately wanted to continue my journey.

To celebrate my return to the journey, I decided to take a long walk of about 9.27 miles (14.9 km). Though I was sore after the walk and my mouth still wasn’t fully recovered from being cut open, it felt very good to be back on the road again. After my walk I spent the rest of the evening curled up in my favourite armchair with a teapot full of my homegrown Lavender Tea, a plate of oatmeal scones, listening to George Winston in the background, and reading my battered copy of Lord of the Rings. It was a very good night.

I know there is much ground to make up from my time off, ten days is a lot, and I still have quite the ways to go. But for right now I don’t particularly want to dwell on and worry about the future. For now I think I am content to sit in my chair and enjoy an evening of reading after a long walk and an even longer recovery.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 40: Farewell to Wisdom

On Day 40 I said farewell to my wisdom… teeth that is. Unfortunately per doctor’s – er Dentist’s – orders I will be out for several days. I’m hoping to be able to continue again in a few days. After all, it isn’t exactly in the spirit of my journey that Frodo could continue with a Morgul blade in his shoulder and I am laid low by a few teeth being pulled. But, I do have another life outside of my journey that would be very displeased with me should I ignore my dentist’s instructions and make my recovery even harder. Oh well, at least there is a Lord of the Rings marathon in my near future.

Until our next meeting,
~Daisy Buttons

Day 38: Keeping Up

As my journey continues, I find myself seeking companionship more often. This desire has led me to bring my sister along with me for some of my walks. It is very nice to have someone else to share the journey with, but it is also can be a trial in more ways than one. One of these trials comes in the rather unfortunate height difference between my sister and I. Continuing with my self-identification as a hobbit; I stand at barely five feet tall. My sister towers nearly a foot over me. For every step she takes, I take two. As such I often find myself jogging to catch up. It can make certain trails and walks quite the challenge for me if my sister doesn’t slow down.

One thing that I have often wondered is how the hobbits dealt with the height difference. Maybe Aragorn slowed his pace for them? Maybe they had to hurry to keep up? So far Tolkien hasn’t really touched on this trial the hobbits and Aragorn must have encountered. The movie adaptions directed by Peter Jackson most often show the fellowship walking at the same pace, sometimes one or more members would have to catch up with the others or some would have to slow down. But even the movies do not make it quite clear how the height difference was managed.

Keep in mind that the height range of a hobbit is between 2-4 feet (0.61–1.22 m) with an average height falling around 3 feet and 6 inches (1.07 m). Aragorn would have been at least several feet taller than the hobbits and could easily outdistance them on what the reader has already learned were long legs (Strider is an apt nickname, even if it was meant to be pejorative by the townspeople of Bree). I wonder if it was struggle for the hobbits to learn to keep up with a man, if Aragorn constantly had to slow for his companions, or if it took a while for Aragorn and the hobbits to find a happy medium in their pace.

Still, most of these musing arise from my own desire to think the hobbits had to struggle with keeping up as I often find myself struggling with my sister. As I continue on my own journey I will continue contemplating this and see if I can find any answers within the text.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 35: Welcoming Weathertop

I’ve finally made it to the top of Weathertop! At a cumulative mileage of 244.74 (393.9 km) I find myself safely to the next minor goal of my journey. The road here has certainly been much less eventful than what the hobbits encountered, but I am glad of that. It’s hard to believe I’ve come so far already! Time certainly has flown over the past month. I just hope that the rest of my journey progresses as smoothly, but I’ve probably just jinxed myself by wishing for that.

The fortress of Amon Sul was certainly a formidable place for the hobbits. It stood tall and imposing, even as a ruins, above the rest of the Weather Hills. From the distance the hobbits wondered if a barrow resided at its summit. Still, I doubt the events of their stay at the crumbling fortress of Amon Sul ever occurred to them prior to arriving.

The attack of the Black Riders on Amon Sul is a very big plot device to pay attention to. The threat of peril has been steadily growing ever since the hobbits left the Shire. However, they have managed to escape it at the last moment several times. On Weathertop their luck runs out. A nighttime attack ends in Frodo taking a Morgul blade to the shoulder.

The nighttime attack by the Black Riders reveals the forces that stand against the hobbits. For in a moment of weakness and temptation, Frodo dons the ring and is thrust into the world of the ring-wraiths. Here Frodo is confronted with the cold images of the kings of old whom the power of the rings consumed and corrupted.  And leading these wraiths is non-other than the Witch King of Angmar. This king is one of the nine kings of men given rings of power long ago. But the power corrupted and the kings became mighty wraiths under Sauron. To them the one ring always calls, always beckons them to come after it. And when Frodo is confronted with such strength and corruption, he falls to it and succumbs to the desires of the ring. It is not in an attempt to escape, but rather an overwhelming suggestion that cannot be ignored.  

However, the story doesn’t end there. Frodo manages in an act of bravery and defiance to call on the name of Elbereth and attack the Witch King of Angmar. Though his sword does little damage, the name sends the wraiths into hysterics and presents a glimmer of hope to Frodo. But Frodo is injured in the process. In one final act, Frodo manages to overcome the compulsion and removes the One Ring.

Here is presented several things that need to be paid close attention. One of the first is the growing power of the ring. Though Frodo has managed to overcome its temptations previously, he finally gives in to the ring’s power on Weathertop. And in submitting to the ring Frodo discovers that he was not obeying his own will, but rather the will of the ring. The continuing development of Frodo’s character is showcased very adeptly on Weathertop. Even though Frodo gives in to the ring, he quickly realizes that he isn’t following his own desires and that the ring will betray him. He puts up a fight, instinctively calling on one of the few names that cause fear for the ring-wraiths, and in doing so manages to stop the Morgul blade from piercing his heart. The resilience of his character will continue to be revealed and explored in the coming days and throughout the story.

Also revealed in this encounter are the mysterious Black Riders. The reader now realizes that these are kings and that they are not of the natural world. These kings seem to do the bidding of the ring and though their purposes are not made clear as of yet, it is made clear that they operate under a higher power. The morgul blade with which they stabbed Frodo will be both an immediate concern for the hobbits, but will also prove to show some of the workings of Sauron and to further the theme of Sauron perverting the natural order of Middle Earth (as always, more on that later).

One other important literary device to take note of on Weathertop is the introduction of Athelas (or Kingsfoil as it is otherwise known). This plant will not only prove to be extremely useful throughout the story but can also be viewed as a personification of Aragorn. Athelas has immense healing properties, but is generally considered a weed by many cultures in Middle Earth. Just like Aragorn, the appearance and pre-conceived notions concerning it, are misleading. This ties back into the poem the reader encountered in Bree very well. Not all that is gold glitters, not all those who wander are lost. In addition to the introduction of Athelas, Aragorn also begins to prove himself a very trustworthy companion. Despite some of the misgivings of party members, it is becoming quite apparent that the hobbits will not survive without their ranger.

From Weathertop with love!
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 33 and 34: Weekend Trekking

My weekends have been very bipolar. Sometimes I can get very little walking done on account of weather or other nasty surprises nature keeps throwing at me. Other times I manage to hit a particularly nice trail and keep slogging through for hours on end.

This weekend was one in which I was able to slog through. Looking for a change of pace, I loaded up my car and headed out to a remote trail that I only hike about once a year. The trail is hard and the drive out is dangerous, but the views at the top are truly magical and there’s a beautiful clearing I love to take lunch in. All in all, I managed to go 23.11 miles (37.2 km) this weekend.

The hobbits have come far since I last left them. With Aragorn’s help they’ve manage to make the foothills of Weathertop. From him the hobbits learn a little of the history of Weathertop, or Amon Sul as it was called. Surprising them all, it is Sam who recites a section of The Fall of Gil-Galad and reveals the sad history that has come to bear on the lands. Amon Sul, once a great watch-tower, now stands crumbled and burnt after trying to withstand the evils of Angmar. It is somewhat of a depressing history that foreshadows more hardships to come, but that will have to wait until I actually get to Weathertop.

Just as the hobbits were left contemplating sadness, I find myself in the same situation. As I mentioned before, the drive to trail I was hiking this weekend is dangerous. The road is full of blind turns, hidden driveways, dangerous hills, and wildlife. Every time I drive down it, there is a new cross tied to a string or standing crooked at the side of the road. This time there was a new collection of crosses alongside the road. Accompanying these crosses were teddy bears, ribbons, and pinwheels in red, white, and blue. This marked the site where some teenagers ran off the road. Several of them died.

It’s always sad contemplating the lives lost to motor vehicle accidents. These people didn’t die for a cause, didn’t get to live their lives out, and for those teenagers, they barely got to live at all. These people died as a result of some distraction, stupid decision, or factor out of their control. Every time I drive this road I am careful to make sure I do not end up as one of these people. One thing is for certain, I will always hate that death-trap of a road.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 32: Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens

I know, the title for today’s update is weird given this is a Hobbit inspired blog, but bear with me. Day 32 was dragging ridiculously and I had absolutely no motivation to keep going. So instead of throwing in the towel and doing nothing for this day, I decided to motivate myself. So I bought some new music to help me out the door. Enter the title for today’s update. I am currently on a 1950s rock ‘n roll kick and bought two CDs of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens to give me the kick out the door. It was exactly what I needed, and now I must learn the correct pronunciation to La Bamba so I won’t hopelessly massacre it when I decide to sing along.

Over the course of Day 31 and 32 I have walked 13.03 miles (20.9 km). It seems an almost constant battle against my knees at this point. At the age of nine I was diagnosed with arthritis and have to go through just about every day of my life battling the pain of it. While walking actually helps a lot of the pain, it still makes my knees sore and after the five mile mark they start making their discomfort known. Day 32 was particularly hard, I was very glad of new music to help take my mind off of my pain.

For the hobbits and Aragorn, Weathertop is rapidly approaching. As they draw closer, crumbled ruins atop one of the taller hills can be seen. The day dawns early and brilliantly clear for the hobbits, an occurrence I wish would happen more often for me.

By now the hobbits are getting used to the amount of walking they are doing on their reduced diet. Pippin and Frodo comment on Frodo’s thinning figure, the latter hobbit joking about becoming a wraith if he kept losing weight. For me, I wish I lost weight as easily as Frodo did. But alas, I have rotten luck. So far I have only managed to lose five pounds and 8 inches in a month.

It is very intriguing for me seeing that this is the point in which the hobbits start becoming used to their journey (and of course my parallel experience is one of discomfort). They have already gone far and encountered much in their brief journey from the Shire. Frodo wished for an adventure, and he is certainly getting one, but is it quite the adventure he envisioned? Peril, as always, lies both ahead and behind. Their journey is far from over, but for now they are beginning to come into their own.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 30: 200 Miles!

Day 29 and 30 have come and gone and I have finally reached the 200 miles (321.7 km) mark with a cumulative mileage of 201.78! It feels so good to be halfway to Rivendell. Before this journey began I never would have imagined that I could walk over 200, let alone do it in one month!

By Day 30 I am finally out of the marshes and on to dryer trails. If I never have to walk through a marsh again, I will be happy. I’m confident the hobbits must have felt the same as they came out of the Midgewater Marshes.

At this point in their journey the hobbits and Strider have managed to ascend out of the marshes. The Weather Hills loom in the distance and the land they trek over became dry and barren. There are very few birds to be seen or heard. I imagine for this part of the journey that the hobbits and Strider passed in silence. There is one brief conversation recorded, but not much is mentioned. In my experience, walking through barren lands tends to lead one into silence. Still, there isn't much mentioned about their journey in this part of the story.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 29: Stuck in the Marshes

After two days I am still stuck in the marshes. At a cumulative mileage of 189.32 (304.7 km) I still haven’t managed to clear out of the festering sludge and clouds of bugs. So I am still trudging through the marshlands near my town. Part of me really wants to forget authenticity and go for a nice path on dry ground, but the hobbits didn’t really have a choice in the matter so I continue through my torture of ankle deep sludge.

In the entire Fellowship of the Ring the Midgewater Marshes take up half of a page. Very little is mentioned past the discomfort and bugs which occupy the infernal lands. For half a page, and about two days’ worth or suffering, the hobbits and Aragorn struggled through the marshes.  Whenever they camped they were damp and unpleasant, unable to sleep in the lonely and unpleasant country. The only thing that seemed to live in the marshes were midges. You can hazard a guess as to where the Midgewater Marshes got its name.

Part of me wishes that the hobbits felt as miserable as I do trudging through the marshes. The other part of me, however, recognizes that the hobbits are going through much worse. After all, I am not the one trying to evade the Black Riders.

Later in the evening on the fourth day since Bree, Frodo sees flashing lights up ahead. Strider compares the lights to “lightning that leaps up from the hill-tops,” but they are too distant to make out. Later in the journey the party would learn that these lights are Gandalf making his stand on Weathertop.

The Road Goes Ever On and On

~Daisy Buttons

Day 28: Marshes, and Midges, and Mosquitos. Oh My!

Since the hobbits are wading through the Midgewater Marshes at this point in their journey, I decided to join them and headed to some marshy trails in a nearby state park. When all was said and done I had walked 9.02 miles (14.5 km), my shoes were soaked through, my feet had even more blisters, and my bug spray proved inadequate against the onslaught of gnats and mosquitos. I’m still wondering why thought walking in a marsh would be a good idea.

The hobbits were also having such a wonderful time slogging through the wetlands outside of Bree. The constant chirping of the NeekerBreekers (as Sam had dubbed them) drove them almost frantic. The path through the marshes was treacherous and almost nonexistent, even to a ranger of Aragorn’s caliber. Midges constantly plagued the party, gorging themselves on the feast of hobbits and making sure sleep was out of the questions.

I feel the hobbit’s pain. The only thing that managed to salvage this walk for me was the fact that I had brought my MP3 player and newly acquired “How to Train Your Dragon” soundtrack. Because nothing helps you trudge through ankle deep sludge and a cloud of gnats quite like Celtic sounding animated movie soundtracks about dragons.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 26: A History of Hobbits

Since the hobbits remained in the Chetwood area for nearly three days, I’ve decided to skip writing a blog for one of those days. So on to Day 26!

Over Day 25 and Day 26 I walked 20.31 miles (32.7 km). The going was rough on both my spirit and my joints. Rain plagued most of Day 25; I swear I am almost used to being wet by now! Day 26 saw sore knees that desperately wanted to avoid the rocky terrain of my favourite trails. But I still continued my journey; after all, Frodo and the hobbits never let soreness and rain stop them!

At a cumulative 172.79 miles (278 km), I am nearing the point where the hobbits and Strider entered the Midgewater Marshes. For nearly three days the hobbits have trekked over the gentle lands of Chetwood. Before the colonization of the Shire, hobbits lived in and around the Bree and Chetwood areas. Of course, they didn’t originate there. Many tales tell of the hobbits coming from the Valley of Anduin between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains. Sometime in the Third Age the hobbits undertook the journey over the Misty Mountains. All in all, the hobbits seem to have a fairly young history in terms of Middle Earth. Many of the records, especially those genealogical records tying the hobbits to the Big Folk, appear to be lost. I’ve often theorized that the hobbits, concerned mainly with keeping to themselves and their own kind, have long since forgotten much of the history that ties them to the outside world. This is corroborated by a general mistrust within the hobbits of the Big Folk, and even of other hobbits from different parts of the Shire. Farmer Maggot was mistrustful of the Hobbiton hobbits, and the Hobbiton Hobbits seemed to think ill of the Brandybuck hobbits. History and time has done to the hobbit culture what it does to many, drive a wedge between the differences of the races.

I point this out because I think the history of hobbits and their current culture is important to understand when considering how Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin act throughout The Lord of the Rings. As the journey continues on, it will become clearer that these four hobbits are Tolkien’s representation of the entire hobbit race. They show the good and bad aspects of their culture; they hold the redeeming and condemning values of the hobbits. And in the end these values will come to bear on the future of an entire world.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 24: Home Once More

Nashville is in my rear view mirror, and home is ahead. Day 23 I left the conference to make the 600 mile journey back home. The day was long and by the time I could see the familiar lights of my town sitting on its hill, I was exhausted. There was no walking on Day 23.

Of course I could not ignore the need to walk and Day 24 saw me back on the trails around my home. My country trails seemed almost monotonous after several days in the hustle and bustle of Nashville. Still, it was wonderful to return to everyday life. All together I walked 8.42 miles (13.6 km) on Day 24.

The hobbits haven’t met any more misfortune thus far. They are enjoying a seemingly rare peaceful journey. Though Strider is taking them slightly out of their way to avoid showing where they are actually heading, their journey is also monotonous.

I have come to wonder about how the hobbits handled going from a fairly ordinary life into one of adventure and near constant peril. How did they manage to go from a life of good food, inns, and company to life on the road? As much as I like to compare myself to the hobbits on this blog, the reality is that I am still continuing my own life without much of a change. I am not facing the peril the hobbits did, nor am I even attempting this journey for some of the selfless causes the hobbits are. I fear this part of the journey will always be a mystery to me, and that’s probably for the best. After all, much of Tolkien’s profoundness and timeless work comes from an understanding of something that the everyday person could not fathom.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 22: Gyms

This hotel keeps getting larger the more I explore it. There is so much to see, so many things to do. Work is keeping me on my feet constantly, but in the moments I do get to myself I have found that I’ve developed a propensity to sit and watch the fish in the atrium river below my window. I’m hundreds of miles away from home, in an unfamiliar city and in a colossal hotel full of fun stuff and what do I do? I watch fish. I guess we all have our ways of coping and having fun and I enjoy sitting silently and watching life.

It was storming ferociously for the majority of Day 22, so I was confined inside the hotel for all of my 5.48 miles (8.8 km). So I decided to make use of the workout room. I should have figured it would be just as grandiose as the rest of the hotel complex. Everywhere I looked there was workout equipment, mirrors, yoga mats, a fountain in the corner, and a glass wall that overlooked one of the atriums. There was only one treadmill free and I nabbed it before anyone else could. Of course this put my between a 90 lb. speed walker and a tall and slender young woman running at 7 mph. And there I was, a short and stout girl with a jiggling backside. God I hate gyms…

The hobbits were also having a not-so-nice start to their day at this point in their journey. Upon waking they find their ponies gone and breakfast a hurried affair. Frodo is dismayed with the loss of their mounts, for now he is faced with having to get to Rivendell on foot while trying to outrun Black Riders. Only one replacement pony can be found and it is an ill looking and straggly thing rescued from the local neighborhood menace: Bill Ferny. Sam gives the sour and jeering man a parting gift of an apple to the nose.

The atmosphere thus far is continuing to get darker. More and more setbacks crop up in Frodo’s way as he struggles to get to Rivendell. It seems misfortune is a companion the hobbits cannot sway. But in leaving Bree one of my favourite characters is added to the party, Bill the pony. Bill won’t be a significant aid to the plotline, nor an unlikely hero. However, Bill is as steadfast and faithful as his master Samwise. One of these days I will look into the relationship between animals and characters in Middle Earth, but for now I join the hobbits in saying farewell to Bree and hello to the fields of Chetwood.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 21: Bree at Last!

It would appear that I am terribly behind on blog posts. Life has gotten quite busy, but I have found that it has a tendency to do that. All the more reason for me to keep walking, because I am finding that every time I step out onto the next part of my journey I get to take a small break from stress and daily tasks. Sure, they are almost always at the back of my mind, but for a few hours a day I can push things aside and enjoy nature and the wonderful (and not so wonderful) surprises it has in store for me.

Day 21 has brought me the 135 miles (217.26 km) to Bree! It seems fitting to me that the mile marker of the hobbits arriving in Bree should occur while I am at a 3,000 room hotel complex. The hotel is larger than any I have ever seen, small streets and conservatories contained within it's glass roof and brick walls. All around I am confronted with the sheer foreignness of everything. There are so many people going about their own worlds, there are new foods and customs, and too many halls to navigate! I wonder if the hobbits were struck by how different Bree was. After all, this was the first time they had ventured to a city comprised mainly of Big Folk.

The hobbits had quite the time in Bree. Frodo tried to explain his travels to Bree by using the cover of an author writing a book. He was subsequently adopted by a family of Underhills (the fake surname he had adopted at the suggestion of Tom Bombadil). Barliman Butterbur, the inn keeper, proved an odd man in danger of Gandalf’s revenge for his forgetfulness. Pippin discovered that beer came in pints. Merry nearly got himself killed by Black Riders after an ill-advised nighttime walk. Frodo had a small “accident” involving a disappearing act courtesy of the ring, much to the shock of those in the inn. Strider makes himself known by hauling Frodo off. Sam makes a brave stand trying to regain Frodo. And the hobbits find an ally in Strider, even if he is still regarded with suspicion by some.

Altogether, Bree is an entirely action packed and important place that poses quite the challenge for trying to squeeze into a blog. Since there is too much to really talk about here, go read about Bree and save me some work!

Bree is very important to the storyline that has unfolded thus far. While in Bree the hobbits discover that Gandalf, previously missing in action, did indeed try to contact them and urged Frodo to get an immediate start on his journey. Thanks to the forgetfulness of Barliman Butterbur (is that an intriguing name or what!), Gandalf’s letter was never passed on. Gandalf aside, the most important aspect of Bree is the introduction of Strider.

Sitting in the corner of the Prancing Pony Inn, Strider surprised both the hobbits and J.R.R. Tolkien himself with his sudden and mysterious appearance. Strider will become a very important character in the books to come, but for right now, the hobbits are suspicious of him and Tolkien wants to find out more about him.

As their stay in Bree continues a nasty series of event unfold in which Frodo puts on the ring and vanishes in front of the crowded inn, Merry nearly dies at the hands of Black Riders, and Strider joins the hobbits’ travelling party. Strider has knowledge of both the burden Frodo carries and of that which pursues the hobbits. It is only thanks to him that the hobbits survive a surprise nighttime attack by the Black Riders.

It is very characteristic of Strider, and quite the foreshadow of his character, that he should come into the story unannounced, shrouded in shadow, and posing quite the dilemma for the hobbits. They are confronted with the choice of whether or not to trust Strider. In Gandalf’s letter to Frodo, the wizard gave two verses of a riddle that should be used to identify Strider. This is the famous “all that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wonder are lost” riddle. However, as the story goes on this riddle will prove to be much more. It will prove to be a prophecy of Aragon’s coming actions and a roadmap to his history. But we’ll learn more about Aragorn as the journey continues.

The Rode Goes Ever On and On,
~Daisy Buttons