One of my favorite books is Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Frederich Nietzsche. “ O man, take care! What does the deep midnight declare? “I was asleep— From a deep dream I woke and swear:— The world is deep, Deeper than day had been aware. Deep is its woe— Joy—deeper yet than agony: Woe implores: Go! But all joy wants eternity— Wants deep, wants deep eternity.” The chief character of my book goes by the trail name Lost Mungo. He has sought refuge on top of a mountain to escape human society and find deeper knowledge. He often gazes down into towns from his high perch. While he lives on the fringes of society, he often enters back into the civilized world to spread his wisdom. He wears an eccentric Pith Helmet to blend into the Appalachian Trail thru hiker community of, well, eccentrics, so that he will not be seen in plain sight. Lost Mungo has to go into Harpers Ferry, WV to recruit a college intern (who happens to be predestined for the mission). I was hiking around the heights of the surrounding mountains of this historic river town and decided to capture the moment of my character peering down from his lofty abode. It was a lot of fun. Got snowed on in early Spring. Just added to the enchantment of the day. Lost Mungo is a very old man in my book and has carried a heavy burden for decades. He is ready to pass on but must first find his replacement. Somewhere down there is another character named DB Cooper who will unknowingly be lured into this role.
