Day 18: Feeling Good

The soreness is beginning to become normal, my blisters are developing into callouses, and the weight of my pack has almost become a welcome comfort. My legs no longer chafe and my lungs no longer complain about the long treks they must get me through. I am eating off the land, mainly local and wild fruits and vegetables and good meat. If I am hankering for something sweet, honey in herbal tea or even a pastry made from flour I grind myself and raw honey satisfies me quickly.

I knew I wanted to get into shape when I started this goal (and so far I have lost 8 inches), but I never thought I would end up enjoying it. Now I know one of the reasons why the hobbits were such a happy culture, good company and good food certainly makes for a cheerful life. Walking was one of the main transports the hobbits had access to, and as such walking was something they were designed for. Turning to a hobbit’s lifestyle has made me feel so much more satisfied than I ever thought I would be. To borrow a phrase from Tolkien, I truly am becoming a hobbit in all but size.

On Day 18 I walked 6.57 miles (10.57 km). So far I have walked a total of 117.3 miles (188.8 km)!

At this mile marker in their journey, the hobbits have found themselves in a good bit of trouble. Having wandered astray in the foggy Barrow-Downs, they have been captured by Barrow-Wights. This instance in their journey is told through Frodo’s point of view and really gives a good glimpse of his character, and also of the affects the rings is already having on him.

After getting quite disoriented in the fog, Frodo finds himself lost and alone. With his friends failing to respond from him, Frodo becomes frantic and walks into the waiting arms of peril. When he awakes he finds himself in the barrow of a wight, surrounded by death, decay, and cold riches.

Tolkien was very fond of Norse mythology (along with others) and even translated a copy of Beowulf for the fun of it. It is in the Barrow-downs that some of this Norse influence can readily be seen. Barrows, also known as tumuli, are burial mounds. Throughout most of European mythology, barrows were raised over the burial sites of individuals of great glory and renown. These barrows were sometimes filled with great treasure befitting the status and deeds of the individual for whom the barrow was built (as was done with Beowulf).  It is this treasure that attracted the wights whom Frodo and company find themselves captives of.

Frodo finds his friends pale as death, great treasures adorning their bodies with swords by their sides and shields at their feet. Merry, Pippin, and Sam are being presented like the Kings of old. And creeping along towards his helpless friends, the severed arm of a wight intent on bringing death.

It is here in the barrow that the effects of the ring can clearly start to be seen in Frodo. For a while, Frodo entertains the idea of slipping the ring on and escaping, the invisibility allowing him to slip past the wights. He imagines himself grieving for his friends and Gandalf telling him there was nothing he can do. For one terrifying moment Frodo’s hand gropes desperately in his pocket for the key he believes would set him free, but then courage grows; courage enough to spur Frodo into action. He defeats the arm of the wight and calls for Tom Bombadil to come save them.

“There is a seed of courage hidden (and often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow. Frodo was neither very fat nor very timid; indeed, though he did not know it, Bilbo (and Gandalf) had thought him the best hobbit in the Shire. [Frodo] though he had come to the end of his adventure, and a terrible end, but the thought hardened him.” (The Fellowship of the Ring, Fog on the Barrow Downs)

It is here that the greatest peril faced thus far shows Frodo’s character and why he is the one who must bear the ring. This peril also shows the battle already raging within the hobbit, a battle that has only just begun and will prove crucial in the story to come. But one of the most important thing that this peril reveals is the fact that Frodo cannot undertake this journey and bear this ring alone. To survive and overcome, he will need the help of friends.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 17: A Jaunt through the Faire

On Day 17 of my journey, I laid aside my walking stick and put on my boots. The county fair had come to town and I wasn’t missing it.

With country music blaring from most speakers, a slew of vendors, the smell of good food wafting through the air, and a large display of my county’s talent and culture the fair had a little bit of something for everyone. Of course, that is if you like a more rural culture.

The county I live in is very agriculture minded. The rolling hills of this part of Virginia are filled with pastures, crop fields, and horse estates. The farms sprawl out across the majority of my county only being broken up the occasional town and state parks. In this respect, I’ve always considered my county akin to some of the Shire. We certainly can have a culture much like the Shire at times. All in all, I only walked 3.16 miles (5 km) today, but that’s ok since I was taken today off to go see the fair.

Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry at this point have also stopped for good food. Laden with scrumptious parting gifts from Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, the hobbits have quite the spread for lunch. After enjoying a leisurely break, the hobbits drift off for an afternoon nap. However, this proves disastrous as they wake to find a trapping fog descending on them. And to add insult to injury, the setting sun disappears from view into the white sea of fog to leave the hobbits in a cold and clammy darkness. Nevertheless, the hobbits press on not fully knowing what direction they were going in nor what dangers lay ahead.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 16: Country Paths and 100 Miles

Yes, I skipped two days again. Unfortunately I was laid low by a rather bad cold and spent most of that time working from home. So let’s fast forward to Day 16. On Day 16 I decided to drive out to a country path I’ve wanted to hike for a while.

The country path I chose wound its way past farms and into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. Though the day was again insufferably hot (apparently America is going through a heat-wave), it was still a beautiful hike. The sky was a deep blue dotted with fluffy white clouds. The trees leaned over the path to provide shade, and a small brook flowed gently next to the path. Today I took my time to enjoy watching the local wildlife. I watched the bright red cardinals call to each other, the mocking birds rebuild nests, and red-wing blackbirds perch as silent sentinels on the top of fence posts. Rabbits hopped along the trail ahead of me, desperately trying to get to their holes after being disturbed from their everyday activity by my footsteps. Chipmunks and squirrels played in the trees above my head and would occasionally rain leaves down on my head. The sudden appearance of a red fox with its supper clutched securely in its teeth startled me, but I was pleased to see that nature was comfortable enough to continue its day around me.

When I left the comfort of the trees to wind through farm pastures, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had chosen a hay harvesting day to go walking. All around me local farmers were out helping each other bale hay into large roles or manageable rectangles. At one point I walked past a barn where a father and young son were helping to toss hay bales into their neighbor’s loft. Though I have always compared my part of Virginia to the Shire, I have never felt it more than today. Watching nature and local farmers at work reminded me of the culture the hobbits come from. Plus, it was wonderful to see community coming together like it has for hundreds of years. When all was said and done I walked 8.89 miles (14.3 km) on Day 16. This puts me over 100 miles (160 km) thus far! It feels great to know that I have walked over a hundred miles.

Nothing much has happened for the hobbits at this point. They have said farewell to Tom and Goldberry and have left the Bombadil’s house in relatively high spirits. Their journey brings them up and down hills and valleys as they ride across the Downs. Unfortunately for them, the hobbits turn farther east than originally intended and find themselves in the eerie Barrow-downs infested with Barrow-wights from the dreaded lands of Angmar. Around the hobbits the hills loom over them, and grey stones piled on the crests of the hills almost seem like “jagged teeth.” But, I’ll talk more about that later in the journey.

The Road Goes Ever On and On,

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 12 and 13: Wineberries and Long Treks

The weekend has come and gone and I am quite happy with my progress. Since the hobbits were tramping through the Old Forest during this time, I have decided to follow in their footsteps and chose a forest path to continue my journey on this weekend.

Saturday, Day 12, was my first day on the path. The weather was hot and humid again, and I relished in the shade the trees gave. I was alone on my path and thoroughly enjoyed the silence. Halfway through my walk I came across a large patch of wineberries lining the path. Wineberries are an oriental variety of raspberries. After they were introduced to North America, they escaped cultivation to take to the wild. Wineberries are an invasive species, but that’s good for me, more berries! Of course, I stopped immediately to pick and stuff my face full of as many berries as were ripe. After helping myself to a generous meal of wineberries, I spent another 30 minutes harvesting berries and stuffing them in my pack for later. Living off the land is something the hobbits would have been well accustomed to and I am always happy to find naturally ripe fruit.

On Sunday, Day 13, I returned to the same forest path. This time, however, I came with wineberries in my pack in an attempt avoid getting too distracted by the berry bushes. All together I walked 5.96 miles (9.6 km) on Saturday and 20.28 miles (32.6 km) on Sunday. Walking over 20 miles in one day was a challenge, but since the hobbits often walked over 20 miles, it was a feat I wanted to accomplish. Honestly, I don’t know how the hobbits managed to walk that much day after day. By the 15^th mile I was feeling awful. My shoulders ached from the backpack, my legs were chafing something awful, and my feet were blistered. By the 20^th mile I was ready to crawl back into bed and not move for a week.

At this point in their journey, the hobbits have left the Shire and tramped through the Old Forest. In The Lord of the Rings the Old Forest holds some significance, and certainly an important significance in the history of Middle Earth. The occurrence of the Old Forest is the first real sign of trees being wild, and will set the stage for later jaunts through Fangorn and the battle of Helms Deep.

As the hobbits wind their way through the forest, the reader learns of a unique history. Sometime in the history of Buckland, the trees of the Old Forest moved themselves up to the hedge separating the forest from Buckland. These trees, for all intents and purposes, were trying to invade Buckland. The hobbits of Buckland burnt and cut back the tree line, eventually burning many trees in what would come to be known as the Bonfire Glade. To the day that Frodo and company rode through the forest, the Bonfire Glade was still devoid of any trees.

All around the hobbits, the trees give a foreboding air. Merry, who has been in the forest several times prior, comments about how the forest can be unsettling: “But the Forest is queer. Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire.” (Chapter 6, The Fellowship of the Ring) Much later in the tale, Merry and Pippin would hear from an Ent in Fangorn Forest about the disappearance of Entwives. I have often wondered if these trees in the Old Forest were the spirits that the Ents nurtured, or if they were connected to the Entwives long since vanished from knowledge in Middle Earth.

Towards the end of their day in the Old Forest, the hobbits would find that the trees were much more alive than they bargained for. Old Man Willow, a slightly gnarly tree on the banks of the Withywindle River, would attempt to drown Frodo and would hold Pippin hostage. It was quite miraculous for the hobbits that Tom Bombadil, a queer fellow with bright yellow boots and a bright blue jacket, should be in the area to rescue them.

Tom Bombadil has long been considered the most messianic figure in Tolkien’s masterpiece. Seemingly as old as time itself, and with a great deal of wisdom to boot, Bombadil is even above the influence of the ring Frodo carries. Tom is not fooled by the rings tricks and can clearly see Frodo even with the ring on (for those who don’t know, the ring renders it’s wearer invisible to all living souls).

There is much to be said concerning Tom Bombadil, but that is better left to longer papers and deeper thoughts. For now it is enough to know that the hobbits are safe in the comfort of the world of Tom Bombadil. No black riders, perilous rings, or rogue trees seem to be able to bother the hobbits while in the company of merry Tom Bombadil and his wife, the River-daughter Goldberry. Though worry over the journey to come is certainly prevalent for Frodo, Tom Bombadil’s house represents one of the few places in Middle Earth that is truly safe.

The Shire is behind and the world is ahead!

~Daisy Buttons

Day 11: Battling Weather

Yesterday I started out for another long walk. The day started out gorgeous, clear blue skies, chirping birds, the smell of summer flowers, and a wonderful temperature (none of this scorching hot 80% humidity stuff I had previously been dealing with). But nature again decided to rain on my parade. I barely got 1.06 miles (1.7 km) in before I was chased inside by torrential downpours and lightning.
 

Tolkien doesn’t write terribly much about weather conditions during the Shire portion of the hobbits’ journey. Weather conditions will play a larger role once Tom Bombadil’s house is reached, but again that is far ahead in my journey. I have concluded that the hobbits had good weather for their journey to Crickhollow. Honestly, I am quite jealous of their good fortune with the weather and do hope that God is not conspiring against me in my endeavor to journey to Mordor…

For Frodo, the first and last day in Crickhollow dawns early. Sam, Merry, and Pippin have elected to join Frodo on his journey with Fredegar Bolger (“Fatty”) staying behind to give the appearance that Frodo remains in his Crickhollow house. True to his word, Frodo doesn’t even take a day in Crickhollow. He only remains long enough to enjoy a bath, supper, his conspiracy being unmasked, and a good breakfast. The hobbits going on the journey arise early and prepare their ponies. Merry has decided to take the path through the Old Forest to avoid being seen out on the road. Fatty despairs that the Old Forest is as dangerous as the black riders the company of hobbits has come to fear. As a Brandybuck, Merry assures Frodo and Fatty that his kin have been in the forest several times and that he can lead the way through. All is settled and the hobbits agree to leave the next morning.

In a fitting tribute to Bilbo and his adventures (and also Tolkien’s love of verse), the hobbits sing they a song modeled after the dwarf-song that started Bilbo on his adventure long ago:

Farwell we call to hearth and hall!

Though wind may blow and rain may fall,

We must away ere break of fay

Far over wood and mountain tall.

 

To Rivendell where Elves yet dwell

In glades beneath the misty fell,

Through moor and waster we ride in haste,

And whither then we cannot tell.

 

With foes ahead, behind us dread,

Beneath the sky shall be our bed,

Until at last our toil be passed,

Our journey done, our errand sped.

We must away! We must away!

We ride before the break of day!

Though the hobbits have already left their homes and have set out on a dangerous journey, this song marks a momentous moment. This song of parting signifies the hobbits last night in familiar territory and culture, it signals the last night spent in the comfort of home, and signifies the last night together. From this point, The Lord of the Rings takes a turn towards the perilous and will grow extremely dangerous the farther is goes until the reader, along with many of the characters, has lost nearly all hope of a happy ending.
 
The Road Goes Ever On and On,
~Daisy Buttons

Day 10: Bad days, Heat, and Loyalty

Yes, I know I skipped a day… While I had planned a long workout for Day 9, I ended up with a crisis at work that had to be dealt with and left me exhausted. After I got home from work I went straight to bed and didn’t get up until it was time for work the next day. So yesterday (day 10) was the only time in the past two days that I managed to get out and walk.

Yesterday’s walk was miserable. Day 10 brought with it high temperatures and 80% humidity to deal with. My 8.13 mile (13.1 km) walk quickly had me sweating and wishing for the shade of a weeping willow over a local stream. Despite the uncomfortable weather, I managed to make it the 73 miles to Crickhollow!

By this mile marker Frodo, Sam, and Pippin have said farewell to Farmer Maggot and been picked up by Merry. Their three day journey through the Shire has turned more perilous than Frodo had anticipated and he readies to leave early the next morning. His friends, however, have known about his plans for quite a while and do not plan to let Frodo go on his own. Though his friends know Frodo is flying from one deadly peril to the next as long as he possesses the ring, they still agree to go with him. Of course, the hobbits couldn’t truly have known the full extent of peril and sorrow they would undergo on their journey. They would leave hobbits of the Shire and would return vastly changed, eventually dispersing to different lands and dying far away from the Shire they set out to save, but that’s not for another 900 pages or so. I’m getting ahead of myself…

In one of the most touching scenes in the narrative thus far, Frodo’s friends pledge their loyalty: “'You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin - to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours - closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway: there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid - but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.'” Throughout The Lord of the Rings, the hobbits would stay true to their words. They went through great lengths to uncover Frodo’s plot and to ensure that they would be there for him when needed. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin would travel across Middle Earth and back because of their loyalty. Fredegar Bolger would remain behind and lead a resistance in the Shire because of his loyalty, eventually being imprisoned for his actions.

As a race hobbits are incredibly loyal and resilient, capable of standing true against even the direst of evils. They make good friends and are almost always true to their word. Though hobbits may not always seem like much, the reader quickly learns that even the smallest of creatures can make a great difference in the outcome of war.

The loyalty of Sam, Pippin, Merry, and even Fatty (aka Fredegar Bolger) are one of the reasons I feel in love with hobbits. As you can probably guess from the title of my blog along with my previous posts, I am a hobbit at heart. I have long identified with the views and culture of hobbits. The company of hobbits in the Lord of the Rings represents very different aspects and beliefs of the Shire. Each would have their own unique part to play in the war and their own trials to overcome. But that’s the thing about hobbits, they overcome. Hobbits truly are the most extraordinary creatures.

The road goes ever on and on,

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 8: Farmer Maggot's and Mushrooms

I’ve made it to my first milestone! After walking over 65 miles (104.6 km) I have come to the farm of Mr. Maggot. Getting there was certainly an interesting experience and I have enjoyed reflecting on the hobbits’ journey through the Shire. To celebrate making it to this milestone I made the dish that Farmer Maggot served Frodo, Sam, and Pippin: a mighty dish of mushrooms and bacon! Everything you see in the picture is organic and the chives are from my own garden. The burgundy that I sautéed the mushrooms and bacon in is from a local winery.

 

While it is nice to celebrate the small victories, me journey is just beginning! I have yet to make it out of the Shire, and I still have most of Middle Earth to cross. For Frodo at this point in his journey, he also was feeling the magnitude and urgency of what was yet to come. He knew that the black riders were a very real and threatening danger. After leaving Farmer Maggot’s, Frodo would absolve to not even tarry a day in Crickhollow but to get the ring on to safety. The race to Rivendell was on.

Day 7: Courage

Yesterday I had no desire to go walking. My feet were covered in blisters, my body was sore, and I was tired. No amount of motivation seemed able to get me out of my door. So after an hour of stalling (also known as watching NCIS), I finally donned my cloak, grabbed my walking stick, and set out again. Even with the hour’s delay, I still managed to get in 9.38 miles (15.1 km). One week done, 51 more to go...

For Frodo and the hobbits, the new day is upon them and they part company with the elves to continue on to Crickhollow. At breakfast (which Pippin tried to eat most of) Frodo and Sam discuss the elves and Sam's first impression of them. And just as the reader was introduced to the elves alongside Sam, not the reader gets to see the elves through Sam’s eyes: “'They seem a bit above my likes and dislikes, so to speak,' answered Sam slowly. 'It don't seem to matter what I think about them. They are quite different from what I expected. So old and young, and so gay and sad, as it were.'” Sam is a figure that the reader will come to appreciate in the long run. He is so full of simple wisdom, traditional ways, and a heart full of good to light the way through a sometimes disheartening read. Pay close attention to Samwise as I progress further in the journey, he might just turn out to be one of the true heroes of the entire story.

As I was reading through this section in Chapter 3 of The Fellowship of the Ring, I came across a line I have long loved. In a late night discussion between Frodo and Gildor, courage is brought up:

   'But where shall I find courage?' asked Frodo. 'That is what I chiefly need.'

   'Courage is found in unlikely places,' said Gildor.

Courage is something I am in desperate need of. This journey is going to be long, 1779 miles long for goodness sake! It requires endurance, fortitude, and determination. Unless I find the courage and determination I need to finish this journey, I will give in to days like yesterday. I will let my soreness, my fatigue, and my desire to be lazy rule over these new habits I am making for myself. Now all I need to find is an unlikely place…

The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons

Day 5 and 6: State Parks and Thunderstorms

I have decided to combine my weekends into one blog post. Over the course of this weekend I have walked 13.92 miles (22.4 km). On Saturday I left with my sister to hike Sky Meadows State Park. The trail was excruciating, but I felt so rewarded when we finally broke out of the trees to view the vistas of the beautiful Virginia countryside. It was wonderful to have someone along for the journey who could encourage me to make it up that 70% grade.

On Sunday I struck out alone for a long trek. This time I stayed in town and enjoyed watching the locals. I have learned that the early morning belongs to the dog walkers, the mid-morning to shop keepers, noontide to the restaurants, afternoon to the shoppers and errand runners, and the evening to the fine diners. While I chose this route to simulate the gentle topography and wooded areas the hobbits walked, it was also nice to feel connected to my community. As I walked through town, ominous looking clouds began to roll in from the south-east. A few minutes later thunder could be heard and lightening streaked across the horizon. Knowing better than to play with lightning, I immediately turned around for home. Several minutes after the first thunderclap rain started pouring. This rain was cold and pelted down, obscuring my vision and soaking me thoroughly. By the time I made it home I resembled a drowned rat and left a puddle wherever I went. The lighting did not let up for the rest of the night and I was forced to retreat into the safety of my house. Saruman has struck again!

This point in the journey marks the end of the second day for the hobbits and brings with it a continuation of the first signs of peril, but also one of the reoccurring themes of hope. Nearing dark, another black rider in encountered. The hobbits quickly try to hide in the darkness of the trees, but curiosity begs Frodo to creep closer. As the black rider draws steadily nearer to Frodo, he is seized with the irresistible desire to put on the ring. Before his groping hands can close in on the ring, however, the laughter of elves floats through the forest and spurs the black rider into a retreat.

In Tolkien’s epic, elves are a race representing both hope and sorrow. Long lived, they possess great wisdom and knowledge. Their memory is longer than most in Middle Earth (except the Valar and possibly some of the Istari) and harbours both times of peace and war. I find Frodo’s encounter with the elves in the woods to be one of the most brilliant introductions in The Lord of the Rings. The reason behind this is how the reader parallels the characters. Both Bilbo and Frodo had seen and befriended elves prior to the beginning of the journey, but the elves had yet to appear in the story. Elves are also a race that Sam expressed a great desire to meet and one of the reasons he gave for accompanying Frodo.  When Frodo and company encounter the elves in the woods, it is a first encounter for both Sam and the reader.

“'Elves!' exclaimed Sam in a hoarse whisper. 'Elves, sir!' He would have burst out of the trees and dashed off towards the voices, if they had not pulled him back.” (Chapter 3, The Fellowship of the Ring). The reader gets to experience along with Sam the excitement, fear, and awe of meeting elves for the first time. In fact, this meeting stood out in Sam’s memories as one of the chief moments in his life. So also this meeting stands out in the minds of the readers and has become a favourite of mine.

Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo (a star shines upon the hour of our meeting),

~ Daisy Buttons

Day 4: Pain

Well, day 4 is complete and with it has come an almighty ache. Everything hurts. My lower back is screaming, my right knee is shot, my calves are sore, three blisters on my feet have already popped, more blisters are forming, my thighs are chafing, my shoulders ache from the weight of my pack, and my feet constantly throb (although the heels I wear for work probably don’t help). While I knew that long walks everyday would bring this type of soreness, I wasn’t necessarily ready for the reality of it. Every step of the 10.6 miles (17 km) I walked yesterday was torturous. I really hope my body gets used to this type of workout; otherwise the entire journey to Mordor will end up being one big ache.

I feel like Frodo did after waking up on the second day of his journey, “Frodo woke up first, and found that a tree-root had made a hole in his back, and that his neck was stiff.” (Chapter 3, The Fellowship of the Ring). Considering that I am at mile marker 33.75 (54.3 km), my journey corresponds to the hobbits second day. At this point Frodo and company had already walked most of the morning and afternoon. The way is fairly easy considering that they stuck to the road. But mile marker 32 (51.5 km) brings trouble. A rider can be heard on the road behind the hobbits and Frodo is taken by a sudden uneasiness. Acting on his feelings, Frodo and the hobbits hide off the road. Peering over one of the roots Frodo is hiding under, he is able to see one of the Big Folk (hobbits refer to men as such). Except this man is shrouded all in black and stops before Frodo’s hiding place, searching and smelling for the concealed hobbits and Frodo is overtaken with the desire to use the ring. The rider suddenly continues on, leaving Frodo disturbed.

The appearance of the rider is one of the first signs of danger. Sam and Pippin are not as unnerved as Frodo, but they give in to Frodo’s desire to stay off the road, though Pippin does question the overall secretive nature of Frodo. Staying a stone’s throw from the road the hobbits now have trees, thick grass, thickets of trees, and uneven ground to contend with.

Though my journey today did not deal with the danger the hobbits, I have had to contend with the conditions they described. The footpath I had chosen yesterday spluttered out and died about three miles along and I was left with no trail to follow. So I walked along a game trail (the paths that deer and other such animals create) figuring it would lead me somewhere. The trail left me to deal with sticker bushes, tall grass, uneven and rocky ground, thick groves of trees, and lots of holes.

The only danger I encountered was a hound dog out alone in the woods. I was sitting and eating lunch when the dog started barking and ran at me. Quite scared I threw him my roast beef sandwich and high-tailed it out of there. Later I realized that I had been trespassing and the dog was trying to chase me off the property. I will have to look harder for “no trespassing” signs in the future.

The road goes ever on and on,
~Daisy Buttons

Day 3: War

Yesterday instead of finding myself on local trails, I found myself several hundred miles north in the once sleepy town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In reality (the one far away from Middle Earth) my country is experiencing the 150^th anniversary of our bloodiest war: the American Civil War. As I am a living historian in the little free time I have, I travel up every year to participate in the reenactment of Gettysburg. This year, though, the sheer number of people projected to attend led me to come only as a spectator.

The day was filled with history, remembrance, and the garish and fascinating reenactment of a tragedy long since passed. For many in my generation the reality of war is a foreign thing. Even though my country is currently at war in the Middle East, I and many others have not been affected by it. I often wonder what the reality of war is like, though a very large part of me never wants to find out.

At the reenactment I watched a staged battle take place. And as always I am shocked by it. The idea that men die so brutally at the hands of one another is jarring. The use of guns and canons leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The images both live and captured as photographs 150 years prior, inspire awe and sorrow. But I continue to come to view this reenactment year after year because events like this can’t be forgotten.

Tolkien himself knew the realities of war all too well. He as many of you know, was involved in the First World War. In fact, he began writing of Middle Earth from his hospital bed after he was laid low with trench fever. Tolkien was a witness to what would later be known as the first modern war. He would see a war where guns and gas attacks claimed countless lives in awful and grotesque fashions, a world in which days upon days in foul trenches spread horrible disease, where men’s bodies decomposed in no man’s land. When all was said and done, Tolkien would be one of the few out of his friends to return home. During the time Tolkien was writing The Lord of the Rings, his son was fighting in the Second World War. Two generations exposed to a world of war and its aftermath, exposed to countless deaths that many would never understand.

In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien would write much about war. It is important to note that the wars Tolkien wrote of remained in the fashion of old, fought with swords and arrows. Here people met each other face-to-face on the battlefield instead of in trenches. Here the armies of Middle Earth contended with mostly straightforward weapons and tactics (if we exclude the army of the undead) rather than disease and neurotoxins released from leagues away. In the midst of a book centered on war, Tolkien grips his readers with deep contemplation of what war means and with the question of humanity. Even Sam and Frodo, after witnessing the death of a Haradrim warrior, would be forced to consider why men fight, what they were like before they left for war, if they had family or loved ones behind. They were forced to ask: was this man not unlike myself once upon a time?  Tolkien summed it up best when he said, “War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” (Faramir, The Two Towers)

On a side note I walked 6.46 miles (10.4 km) today. Between walking the expansive reenactment site and hiking in the Gettysburg Battlefield park, I walked longer than I thought I would. At this point in their journey the hobbits had ended their first day and found shelter behind a hill and some tree roots to curl up for the night in. The hobbits would began day two at a leisurely pace and continue to hike the rolling hills of the Shire.
 

The road goes ever on and on,

~Daisy Buttons

Day 2: Rain, Rain, Rain

Day 2 of my journey is complete. For the second day in a row I had to contend with rain. My feet were soaked within five minutes of setting out and the rest of me followed suit shortly. It rained continuously for over an hour before subsiding into a peaceful drizzle. I had barely managed to dry my shoes and cloak out in front of my fire the night before and after my second foray into the rain they were soaked again. Instead of contending with the hassle of starting another wood fire, I laid my shoes and cloak out over the hearth to dry in hopes that they will be ready come the morrow. I am now convinced that the weather is conspiring against me. It wants me to give up this venture and stay indoors. Maybe if I listen closely I can hear the fell voice of Saruman on the wind as he conjures up a storm to dampen my spirit (pun very much intended).

My journey again took me to the footpath outside of my town and I conquered the hill that gave me so much trouble on day 1. Today, however, I only made it 6.83 miles (11 km). My goal was to make it at least 8 miles (12.87 km) so I could wrap up the 18 miles the hobbits walked on their first night. Unfortunately I had taken my sister along with me and she was not as willing to walk in wet shoes as I was. So I had to turn back a lot sooner than I would have liked.

At this point in the journey for the hobbits, Pippin has started to lag and show signs of fatigue. Though the hobbits teased him good-naturedly they soon stopped for the night to accommodate their youngest, and because they believed they had enough time to make their projected arrival at Crickhollow. I wonder if Frodo felt any frustration in stopping early, he certainly didn’t seem to in Chapter 3. Oh well, I guess it is my own wish that Frodo should have been as frustrated as I for having a walking day cut short. All things considered I learned, just as Frodo must have discovered, that travelling with companions has both blessings and drawbacks. Hopefully I will encounter more blessings than drawbacks as I continue on.

The road goes ever on and on,

~Daisy Buttons

Day 1: It’s A Dangerous Business Going Out Your Door

My journey began at eventide yesterday. Armed with my best walking stick, a green travelling cloak, a backpack full of berries and mushrooms, and my trusty pedometer I set off to begin my adventure. The town where I live is nestled in rolling hills, a perfect simulation of what walking in the Shire would have been like. I started off walking past the farm with clucking chickens and an absurdly loud rooster that marks the end of my town. There are a series of fields past the farm and a footpath that I turned off on to. Just as the hobbits did before me, I was leaving my town behind to explore the countryside around it.

Of course Frodo, Sam, and Pippin had the blessing of good weather on their first day. Given my luck, I wasn’t surprised when it started pouring rain ten minutes into the start of my journey. The torrential downpour continued for 20 minutes and left me soaked to the bone and frantically trying to figure out whether or not my pedometer was waterproof. Luckily my pedometer survived and the rain let up to a drizzle which persisted for the rest of my journey. Overall, I walked a total of 9.86 miles (15.86 km) in 3 and-a-half hours.

At this point in the journey Frodo was just starting out. He had sent Merry and Fredegar Bolger (aka “Fatty”) off to Crickhollow earlier that day with the last of Frodo’s possessions. He, Sam and Pippin would enjoy their last meal in Bag End (leaving the dishes for the Sackville-Baggins to clean) before setting off in the dark of eventide to enjoy a leisurely journey to Crickhollow. Tolkien would write, “For Frodo was going on foot. His plan, for pleasure and a last look at the Shire as much as any other reason, was to walk from Hobbiton to Bucklebury Ferry, taking it fairly easy.” Originally Bilbo didn’t take Frodo with him when he left Bag End for Rivendell because Frodo was still in love with the Shire. The above passage from Chapter 3 of The Fellowship of the Ring shows that Frodo still loved the Shire and other passages in that chapter talk about Frodo’s sadness at the prospect of parting from his home and friends. At the 7.5 mile marker (12 km) in their journey Frodo and company stopped to gaze back at the lights of Hobbiton in the distance. And then they turned away and at the ninth mile marker (14.5 km) the lights of Hobbiton were lost behind the rolling hills of the Shire. The hobbits would not see Hobbiton again until the war was over.

For the Frodo, Sam, and Pippin the first nine miles of the journey passed without incident. For me that wasn’t the case. The rain earlier in my journey had made the path I was on slippery. About 7 miles (11.2 km) into the walk I slipped and rolled down the hill I had been climbing. By the time I had come to rest at the bottom of the hill I was covered in mud and the berries I had been carrying in my backpack were crushed. Bilbo was right: “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

~Daisy Buttons

One Does Simply Walk Into Mordor

Among the Lord of the Rings readers and fans there is an old saying “one does not simply walk into Mordor.” Of course when Boromir said this he was referring to the vast dangers of entering Mordor and what must certainly have seemed a most impossible peril to overcome. Boromir was speaking of the thousands of orcs, the nine undead kings of old known as the Nazgul, and the ever-watchful eye of the powerful Sauron. But most of you are already familiar with that story.

The Fellowship’s journey was a perilous scheme. Yet two hobbits managed to make it all the way to Mount Doom against all odds. Although Frodo and Sam did not “simply” walk into Mordor, they made it to Mount Doom. And I am ready to follow in their footsteps.

The challenge: walk to Mordor in 365 days. Yeah, you heard me right, I’m going to Mordor! The goal is to make it all 1779 miles (2863 km) from Bag End to Mount in Doom in a year. To reach this goal I will have to walk over 4 miles a day, every day. Though I won’t literally be going to Mordor, I am hopeful that my journey will be half as life altering as it was for the hobbits. By this time next year I will hopefully have lost my round belly and be a normal sized hobbit lass once more!

If anyone wants to join me on my journey, here’s the link to a great page that was the inspiration for this project and shows many of the mile marks for major events in Tolkien’s masterpiece: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/23/walking/.

So, wish a hobbit at heart good luck in her journey to Mount Doom!

~Daisy Buttons