Day 26 - Hot Springs to Little Laurel

Also yesterday, I had seen a card at Elmer’s with the name and number of a woman who cuts hair. I called (she sounded pretty old) and made an appointment for 3 p.m. Dave and I walked over to Hazel’s Beauty Shop, since he wanted her to shave his head. 

No one was home, so we sat on the steps and waited for about half an hour. Then an elderly woman with white pantyhose and shoes and a blue umbrella came walking down the street (in the 90 degree heat).

“Here she is,” Dave said, and I knew he was right. I was a bit nervous. Hazel was definitely not hip to the latest styles. She wet my head, and before I had a chance to decide how much to take off, she made the first snip. It was a lot of hair, but exactly how much was difficult to determine since there was no mirror and she immediately put the snipped locks into an empty margarine container.

Hazel apologized for being late -- she was just checking on her brother down the street. She said Hot Springs used to be quite a bustling community, with a commuter rail stopping in town four times a day, but has been dwindling as of late. So she kept cutting and cutting, and I was scared that I’d look like a boy when she finished. It wasn’t until she had completed her work that I was allowed to see it. I couldn’t tell from Dave’s face whether it was good or bad. It’s definitely short -- no more than three inches all around. I think it’s OK -- and maybe it’s the type of cut that will look better in a couple of days.

Then it was Dave’s turn. He wanted his head shaved with a number one blade (had to pick it out for her, since she couldn’t read the numbers). Her hand was shaking quite a bit. From where I sat, I could see a number of spots she’d missed. And she took off his sideburns completely, along with a two-inch patch around his ears. The total -- six dollars. Now that’s a small-town experience.

After a few guys gave him shit, Dave bought a razor to do some repair work. That actually made things worse, so he decided to go completely bald. Beano (formerly Matt) did the duty this time. Wow -- scalp that has never seen the light of day sure is white!! I’m sure it will be darker with stubble shortly.

Found a spot at the campground and got settled. Hung out with Beano, Duracell (formerly Phil), and Liverwurst for a while. Passed out the Oreo's and went to bed. Woke up around 1 and had a tough time falling back to sleep.

Have two more 20-plus mile days to get to Erwin on Friday morning. It is cold right now. Had to get in my sleeping bag 'cause I have no other clothes to put on. Good day today. It rained (of course -- we sent our rain gear home yesterday). Used our 99 cent ponchos and hiked fast to get warm. Starting to feel stronger physically.