Saturday

Before I catch up, I need to update on two events that I neglected to talk about (or just learned of while I was on the road).

When I was in Meade, KS, I stopped at the Dalton Gang's Hideout. If you're a cowboy - or more like an outlaw - fan, you know the Daltons were a bunch or rogues like Jesse James and Billy the Kid. The hideout is a small house in a small town.



As I rode off, I thought about how difficult it must have been to catch bad guys back then. Shoot, as far out in the middle of nowhere as Meade, KS is, it could STILL be a hideout. Pretty cool. I don't know how anyone within a thousand miles would have ever been drawn to the place.

I stopped Friday night in Salem, IL after covering about 455 miles. I got a late start after seeing Dean, but that was OK. If I was in a hurry, I wouldn't be doing this. And like the punchline goes, "What's time to a pig?" Man, I wish I could remember the joke as it was laugh-out-loud funny. One of the officer candidates stood up in OCS in a classroom (this was in 1982) and told that joke, and the roof almost fell in everyone was laughing so hard. The TACs didn't think he was so funny, though, and in the convoluted way the Army sometimes thinks, they ran the guy off so he was a washout. Probably would've been a very good officer. He certainly told a good joke.

Anyway, I was up loading the bike when Dean called at 8 AM. When Dean and I were talking, I asked how the homicide rate was in Topeka. Dean was formerly in charge of Homicide and told me the killings were down to about one a month. That was the day before. On the phone, he told me that there was a killing near the hotel I stayed at the night after I left.

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-09-04/police_investigate_citys_9th_slaying

The irony, huh?

I hit the road about 8:30 or so and covered about 200 miles until I got to my Uncle and Aunt's in Sellersburg, IN. I was on US 50 until Paoli, IN. As I went through town, I passed an Amish girl in a buggy. "Here's a picture opportunity." I wheeled around and pulled in next to her wagon. The horse was tied up to a tree and she was sitting on the bench. I asked if it was OK for me to take a picture and she was agreeable.



She was selling baskets and after I looked them over, I realized I had room in a saddle bag for one. It was inscribed on the bottom with a name and date of the girl who made it. I thought it was like a community project. I told her to tell "Sarah" that this particular basket was going back to Colorado and then she told me it was hers. She was 13. I thought she was older. The Amish put their kids to work at an early age. Boys farm; girls do crafts and cook, I guess. Cool basket, though.

The ride to that point had been very nice. The sun was out; it was fairly warm; and the wind wasn't blowing me around too much. Real pretty country. Lots of farm land; miles of corn fields (most dry and some being harvested); just a nice ride through the heartland.

In Paoli, I got on US 150. The map didn't show it as a scenic ride - the Harley map I have shows every road in every state that is considered "scenic" so you can take those and it makes for a much more enjoyable road. US 150 was out-of-this world nice. Lots of twists and turns, easy climbs and drops, trees growing on both sides of the road so you rode in shadow. That was fantastic on a bike. And, as you might expect, there were plenty of locals out riding.

I should mention here that most people on a bike will stick out their left arm in a kind of wave or salute. Maybe the pointer finger or a peace sign. Nearly every does it, acknowledging the comraderie of motorcyclists. Except for one guy I passed. It was pretty quick but I noticed all he had on was a vest and when I looked in the mirror, he was flying colors on the vest. Couldn't tell which club, but I assume he was a a Big 5 guy. They don't usually ride alone so that was strange seeing him out there.

I came off 150 feeling great and was suddenly on I-64. Unsure of which way to go, and it was a 50-50 shot, so I took the wrong turn. Just decided to do some inadvertent sightseeing. I ended up in New Albany, IN and while that isn't far from Sellersburg, I couldn't figure out how to get where I needed to go. I could have called my uncle but it was making me feel about 12 years old and lost. Reilly bought me a gps for Christmas and I pulled it out. Saved the day once again as I got out of town and negotiated through the labrynth of Louisville interstates. Simple after that.

My uncle is a preacher so I went to church with them this morning. Yesterday, he had an idea that I should speak to the congregation. "About what?" "Whatever you want?" "How long?" "Oh, you know. However long you want." "Well, Uncle, that makes me a little nervous."

Once I figured out he was relying on me not to enhance the spirituality of the congregation, and to just talk to them off the cuff, free-style, about the military, I went with with it. I stopped myself but could have talked more. You should take advantage of an audience since you don't know how often you'll have one that's captive like that....

Fried chicken tonight. This is southern home-cooking. My aunt's fried chicken is out of this world. I'd drive halfway across the United States to eat it. Oh, yeah. I did. Cookout tomorrow at another Uncle and Aunt's farm. I had hamburgers at their house years ago and I didn't know meat could taste like that. Man. It was like the cow fell over and offered itself as a sacrifice. As Ski said when we were out hunting years ago, "Maybe the animal will just fall over and be wrapped in white butcher paper by the time we get to it". Good stuff. Cousins will be there and that should be a nice time. I haven't seen my relatives for seven years so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm heading back on the road on Tues. Still riding east. Scott (an Army buddy in KS) gave me a line on some rain gear and I'm going to have it sent to Ski's house. Hope to stay dry until I get to Virginia.

Thanks for reading and posting.