As promised, here is Day Two of our 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation last year. Click here to catch the adventures of Day One.
Camp started to wake up around 5am. The early birds started dragging themselves out of their tents and making their way to the shower trailers to wash puffy faces and brush fuzzy teeth. There was a lot of groaning and limping going on, I can assure you, as all of those bodies began warming up.
Try to imagine dressing (in the dark) on top of the rock & roll air mattresses. Camping with Butterfly is not exactly my idea of a good time. Thankfully she’s an excellent sport and there was nary a complaint – from her, anyway. I was complaining quite loudly the entire time. Just ask Fifinella and Maverick. I think they used their earplugs to drown me out.
Morning light bathes camp.
 |
Maverick heads back into their tent
|
Here you see our two tents. Fifinella and Maverick brought little red foam airplanes to mark our tents to help us find them. We had a little trouble making them “fly” but nevertheless, they helped us find our tents.
Fifinella said something had to change on Day Two. She was tired of answering the question about Butterfly, “How old is she?” So she and Maverick made a sign to pin on her back (with one of my diaper pins, as in the pin that held my diaper closed – Butterfly saves everything!):
 |
the sign that saved a lot of explaining
|
Little did we know how much attention this little sign was going to attract. Off we went for breakfast. Mom found the SJ bicycle cops, fueling up for a hard day’s work.
After breakfast it was time to gather up our stuff, button up the tents and hit the trail. We rendezvoused with Sara to start the day. She had discovered that one of the women in the tent near us was a physical therapist who offered to properly tape her ankle and took advantage of it. She was off to a good start!
 |
saying so-long to our tents
|
Fifinella, Sara and Butterfly.
 |
walkers waiting to be checked out of camp
|
After a cloudy Friday, the sun is going to shine on us all day on Saturday.
Sara turned to Fifinella after this shot and said, “Fifinella, your mom is not allowed to just take random pictures!” Apparently Sara does not know me. And I thought she looked so pretty in the morning sunlight.
As you can see, Butterfly had already been by Little Grin and acquired some stickers, the first of many.
The tiniest cheerleader we’d ever seen, and probably the cutest of any size!
This chivalrous cop was helping ladies across the world’s tiniest mud puddle.
The Wing Walkers are so happy – smiling and waving.
I love this shirt that thanks the crew and medical staff – how thoughtful!
Energetic supporters … we couldn’t go a block without more folks to cheer us on and say thank you.
Some guys will do anything for a little affection.
College guys were constantly driving by, honking, cheering, yelling encouraging things like, “Save the Ta Ta’s!” or “Save Second Base!” You’ve gotta love ‘em! Always thinking of others.
This three-legged dog ran back and forth as the walkers streamed by – he was having a ball!
 |
yes, I was really participating
|
Hey! I’m finally in a picture with most of my teammates.
Little Girl Scouts give us all high-fives as we walk by.
Pirate guy had appropriate pirate music booming out of his jeep.
 |
making the most of those Halloween costumes
|
They danced and cheered for us.
Butterfly’s sign is getting covered with stickers.
 |
how I take notes - photograph the signs
|
 |
Sarah's being passed by a fairy
|
Lunch time on Day Two, and one tired walker.
Dear Matt – you’re not so bad yourself!
We found this kitty “hunting” in a mound of grass on the edge of the sidewalk. I plucked him out of it, snuggled, then set him right back in it where he resumed his hunt, not missing a beat. I had to take my animal love whenever and however I could get it.
 |
thank you messages all over
|
Signs of support were everywhere.
These guys were just a little bit frightening, but I think their hearts were in the right place.
All righty, then!
 |
she's platered with stickers
|
 |
walkers as far as the eye can see
|
 |
at the top of a "San Francisco" hill
|
 |
all walkers were happy to reach this spot
|
As you can see, maybe, from these photos, pit stop 4 was at the top (almost) of a very long hill. It was sunny, so a bit warm but nowhere near hot by any means. Still, for some folks, it got a little uncomfortable climbing the hill(s). I was ever so grateful that Butterfly and I had done so much training in the hills. It paid off for us in spades.
 |
the worst part - putting shoes back on
|
Here we see blister repairs and sore ankles being forced back into shoes.
I loved Tigger and in this shot it looks like he’s being arrested!
Sgt. Breast Fairy in rare form!
And our heroes! They kept us laughing and made us forget our aches and pains.
 |
Fifinella walks and shoots
|
As we crossed this bridge I ordered Fifinella, “Quick, get a shot of our shadows down below!” She gets so tired of me saying, “Take a picture of this, or that, or over there!” But I was trying to preserve my memory card, so she was at my mercy. Plus, I'll always be her mom - she can't escape that fact. Poor child. And hey, wait a minute, she's the one who talked us into this crazy adventure. KEEP TAKING PICTURES!
I just thought this would make an interesting photo … or not … I love walking! There are so many great photo opportunities. But I really need to get a camera like Fifinella’s, with image stabilization. Then I could quit with the stork pose every time I take a photo – boy, do I ever look like a dork! She just keeps walking and snapping away.
Here are the fans we could always count on. We’d see them at the start of each day, then again during the day, and always at the end of each day, welcoming us into camp, telling us we’d done a great job.
The end of 40 miles and our second day. We were all looking forward to our sleeping bags.
