September 24

I left Itero at 8 and was back on the plains of the Meseta walking, walking, walking. Soon I started being besieged by biting black flies. (Unintentional alliteration) I kept using my left hand walking stick to relieve pressure on my right foot and used the right one to wave away the flies. This created a weird syncopated walk that got me thinking weird thoughts. I imagined that I was being plagued by the flies like Pharaoh was plagued for keeping the Hebrews in bondage. And I thought what if God is trying to tell me that I am holding someone or something in bondage and I had to set it free?

So I first thought of Scout the wonder dog and his companion River. Granted our dogs are the closest things I have to slaves, but as far as I am concerned,they are going to stay slaves. You can just keep those flies coming, Lord, if that's who you have in mind.

Then I thought of my children and that maybe I had sort of enslaved them with my expectations for their lives. If so, then children you are hereby manumitted from the chains of my expectations. Of course I retain the right to lecture and give advice, but you are free to not listen and to ignore my admonitions (which would be much to your subsequent chagrin, I might add).

Maybe I've tried to enslave Avis with my unreasonable demands...wait a minute. What unreasonable demands?   She's the one with the unreasonable demands. (Just kidding, honey! Ha-ha!)

Then I got a really strange thought. What if I am trying to enslave God? Haven't I tried to bend him to my will rather than to discern His?

Anyway these are the thoughts I got on the Meseta until I turned on my IPod to take my mind off my blisters.

Here are some shots of the walk yesterday where I met a smelly German who was very nice and friendly, where I walked up a steeep hill, and finally made it to a wonderful hostal where the dueña cooked fabulous paella.

That is Castrojerez in the distance.

Closer

The ridge beyond - gulp!

Looking back to Castrojerez from the top of the ridge

Larry Kurtz and Don And Debbie Schmidt from Kansas.

Larry observed that one of the benefits of the Camino was that he knew what it would be like to get old because at the end of every day he felt like he was eighty five.

You are almost caught up with me, dear readers!