Mood:  lazy

For some reason, the shorter rides seem harder, at times, than the longer ones.  The ride today, a short 26 miles to Harrodsburg, should avail enough time to catch up on odds and ends.  But if I leave early then I'll be there in the morning, so I planned to leave mid to late morning, get there a little after noon, have lunch, settle in, and see the town.

It was around 10:30-10:45 AM when I started rolling.  One problem with starting then is that it is starting to heat up with the humidity.  I guess if I were riding  longer mileage it would still be the same, but I think the body adjusts through the morning better than when it is thrust out into the heat.  It still seemed to take forever.

This was a typical ride:  beautiful country, lots of up and down hills, some of them steep.  The main difference is that, for the first time, I was chased by some serious dogs.  Prior to today, all of the dogs have been confined--either fenced in, in kennels, or tied/chained up.  As I was rounding a corner, I spotted a dog on a porch.  It lifted its head in attention, flatend its ears, and took off like a shot out of a cannon towards me.  Because I was going downhill, I easily shot past it before it got to the road, and left it in the dust.  A similar thing happened later.  Maybe this will be a sign of things to come.  I expect that to be the case.

Harrodsburg is a very attractive town, with lots of beautifully maintained historical homes and buildings.  It is just stunning to see a string of victorian homes in impeccable condition.  Since I like museums, I headed for theirs, after checking into a motel.  It was long on books and research, but short on substance for the casual viewer like myself.

With my overall mileage passing the 3,400 mark, I am starting to tire of the lack of people to chat with.  For some reason, it seemed easier in the western part of the United States.  Maybe if I camped more, that would change, but I had sent back my tent in order to lighten my load.  At any rate I have always missed Karen a lot, but we talk a couple of times a day.  However, now I am starting to miss the companionship of friends also.  Oh well, the trip won't be too much longer, and I will be seeing more family and friends on the way.

Tomorrow will be a special treat!  My niece, Emily Kregor, with her husband Jon, and my nephew, Matthew McMahan, with his wife Jennifer and two children, Caroline and Ana, will be traveling from Cincinati and Louisville, respectively, to visit with me.  I haven't seen Matthew or Jennifer since their  wedding, and it has been a couple of years since I saw Emily and Jon.

We will be meeting in the town of Berea, KY, home of Berea College.  It should be a nice place to get together. I am looking forward to it.  Of course this is predicated on the roads not being so difficult that I can get there in a reasonable hour.  I'll leave early just to make sure.

Will McMahan