Small world, long trail!

We rolled into the town of Hot Springs, NC, intent on soaking our bones in some hot water. We headed straight to the springs. It wasn't what we expected. Turns out you rent a hot tub at an hourly rate. Prices vary according to how many people per tub. When we asked about showering we were told that there are no showers. The thought of getting into a tub of mineral water without rinsing off a weeks worth of wandering in the woods simply wasn't appealing. We went and got a coffee and picked up a couple packages that Butch's Mom had sent to the local outfitter to hold for us. One package was full of food, some stuff we had pre-packaged, and lots of other stuff her Mom figured we would like such as Snicker's, chocolate-fudge things and Oatmeal Cream Pies! The other package contained some new Vibram Five-fingers shoes for Butch! She has been toughening up her feet, strengthening her ankles, hiking practically barefoot! Her feet have swelled and grown and the old pair needed to be cut open to let the toes out. The new ones are a size bigger! We were debating whether or not to stay in town for the night when we got a phone call from Butch's good friend Misty Dawn, who happened to be visiting her hometown in Tennessee. She had driven about 4 hours to come hang out with us, and was ten minutes away! That settled it, we were staying. Another trail friend of ours named "2/3" was up for sharing a room so the four of us rented out a nice place above the Spring Creek Tavern. Misty took us for a drive, because cruising in a car is a luxury we no longer take for granted. We drove way up in the hills and walked up to Max Patch, which is probably the coolest place the Appalachian Trail has taken us thus far. It is a stunning 'bald', meaning no trees to block the view. Historically these balds had been favorite spots of the Native Americans, and later those with grazing animals. We had enjoyed lunch up there the day before, lounging on the green grass, and now we were soaking up a surreal sunset with 360 degree views of hills, with hills in the back, and the hills behind those. We made it back to town, but too late to purchase dinner, anywhere nearby. The bartender downstairs persuaded us to have some beers or she was going to close down for the night. She offered us some guacamole and chips and salsa which we promptly demolished. The bartender was really friendly and talkative and I got the feeling I had met her before. Butch and I had been in Asheville, NC (32 miles away) about a year and a half ago, for one night. We had gone into a bar downtown for one beer. It was crowded and we were seated on the corner of the bar in the back of the place. Butch struck up a conversation with an older couple next to her, and I got to talking with this local girl who had just gotten off work and came in for a beer. She told me about how her family had been here for many generations, even her last name was that of a nearby town. She was really friendly and talkative and when Butch and I left we bid farewell to her and the older couple, glad we had all met. I thought that our bartender now was this girl and I told Butch and Misty. They thought I was nuts. So casually I asked the bartender if she was from around here, and if her family was from here. Indeed she said she was 8th generation. I then told her the story of having talked to a girl at a bar in Asheville with the last name of a nearby town...  It was her! Tiny, tiny, totally small world, and the more places you go, the smaller it gets. Gives me the feeling we're in the right spot!