https://occupywallst.org/
check it out, follow this link and do some reading
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
okay slow day today
i think this was a day off from trying to gain a foot hold in this city.
in stead i stayed around the house and chopped wood and practiced.
i'll probably go to the bluegrass jam tonight.
p.s. chopping wood is fun... sometimes, like these times here...
in stead i stayed around the house and chopped wood and practiced.
i'll probably go to the bluegrass jam tonight.
p.s. chopping wood is fun... sometimes, like these times here...
Green Life
while busking outside of Green Life food store yesterday, a few really cool things happened, even though i was feeling pretty down. first off, there's a busking dynamic here that's more courteous than i've seen in other places. in some of these sought after spots, people essentially wait their turn to play. the sessions are from and hour to two hours. so yesterday i was waiting for these folks to finish up at Green Life. after they finished they took their time unloading from the spot, finally i decide to just go take the spot regardless of their gear still being there, frankly i was getting annoyed at this. but as i was walkin' over the guy saw me and got from his table and said, "are you wantin' to play?" and when i said yes he and his buddy came right over and picked up their gear and introduced themselves. so that was a good way to kick off the session.
so i'm playing for a bit and a guy comes and invites me to a jam session later that night, which is taking place only a mile or so from where i am staying and it's also down the road from Jack of the Wood which is where i planned to be later that night for the old time jam.
then a few moments later tow other fellas walk up, one of them is a guy i forgot that i knew here. this fella Nic who left his camera at my house during SXSW last Spring. i was quite an ordeal getting that camera thing sorted out.... he was with this other fella that my friend Mike who used to live here put me in touch with two days prior, but we had not yet met. so now some more Asheville connections are made.
i went to the jam later and we had a real good time, and this guy that invited me, Derek is his name, we are going to get together and hit the streets to do some pickin'. he's a real solid player and quite good at making song ups on the spot, he'll just spit out a bunch of lyrics that sound like they were painstakingly scrawled out beforehand. there were other really good song writers there as well and each one of them had a different sound. more Asheville connections made.
all that from one hour in front of Green Life.
later i did go to the old time jam, but i just sat back and watched. it can be kind of intimidating still, to hear some people sawin' off these tunes so precisely. i don't know a lot of those songs, i usually just figure them out as i go and forget them immediately and sometimes the figuring process is a bit dicey. but sitting and listening and watching was pretty beneficial too, i'll probably join in next time.
let's see what happens at bluegrass jam nite tonite........
so i'm playing for a bit and a guy comes and invites me to a jam session later that night, which is taking place only a mile or so from where i am staying and it's also down the road from Jack of the Wood which is where i planned to be later that night for the old time jam.
then a few moments later tow other fellas walk up, one of them is a guy i forgot that i knew here. this fella Nic who left his camera at my house during SXSW last Spring. i was quite an ordeal getting that camera thing sorted out.... he was with this other fella that my friend Mike who used to live here put me in touch with two days prior, but we had not yet met. so now some more Asheville connections are made.
i went to the jam later and we had a real good time, and this guy that invited me, Derek is his name, we are going to get together and hit the streets to do some pickin'. he's a real solid player and quite good at making song ups on the spot, he'll just spit out a bunch of lyrics that sound like they were painstakingly scrawled out beforehand. there were other really good song writers there as well and each one of them had a different sound. more Asheville connections made.
all that from one hour in front of Green Life.
later i did go to the old time jam, but i just sat back and watched. it can be kind of intimidating still, to hear some people sawin' off these tunes so precisely. i don't know a lot of those songs, i usually just figure them out as i go and forget them immediately and sometimes the figuring process is a bit dicey. but sitting and listening and watching was pretty beneficial too, i'll probably join in next time.
let's see what happens at bluegrass jam nite tonite........
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Asheville NC
Saw one of the best live shows in a long time when i saw Tornado Rider!
Electric bass, drum kit and electrified and distorted cello!
the cellist ran around the stage a venue, jump up and and down and spun around on one leg while playing and no joke, the dude was really friggin' great.
the music was super heavy at times, tripy at other times, always nonsensical and completely hilarious song title and lyrics. the bassist was bad ass too, he and the cellist did some really cool harmonic weaving.
also saw The Sugarfoot Serenaders, they had such a beautiful sound although the piano was too loud and it was hard to hear their awesome vocal harmonies.
the first, band i forgot the name of but maybe that's because the girl wouldn't really tell me a name, she said it changed all the time, their songs were really funny and sentimental and abrasive all at the same time.
the last act Bobby Joe Ebola and Children Mc Nuggets were an awesome punk rock singer/song writer duet. i know, that seems like an oxymoron but it's not considering that punk rock is all about song writing. but i was two vocalist and one guitar and it was well crafted, unfortunately i was really tired at that point so i left after three songs.
so the guy i'm couch surfing with right now, Mike, is a really great fellow, he's on fire about Sustainable Technologies and also plays a mean guitar. and he's given me some good tips on busking in this city. but last night i found out that come another week or so when the leaves change (no one in Texas knows what that means, no one's seen fall there except in pictures) this place will be crawling with tourist which is excellent for busking. cool! so now i'm feverishly working on my three new songs so i can play them on the street soon.
i'm not staying with MIke forever though, we hit it off really well and like hangin' out and he's into learning some of the Klezmer stuff and chopped some wood for him yesterday, but i'll have to find another place to crash soon. my other option at the Serenaders' place is probably out because they fear they may be overcrowded with long term house guests, they are already housing two travelers. i have another place i can hit for a week, so that'll work out. it's kind of funny, i thought of this yesterday, that for this summer i decided to ride my bike for a long time and essentially be homeless, kind of an odd choice for a summer vacation.
i may have a show with The Sugarfoot Serenaders in mid October too.... !
and tonight is the old time jam at Jack of the Wood and the next night is Bluegrass jam night.
yes, so the adventure staggers on ward.....
Electric bass, drum kit and electrified and distorted cello!
the cellist ran around the stage a venue, jump up and and down and spun around on one leg while playing and no joke, the dude was really friggin' great.
the music was super heavy at times, tripy at other times, always nonsensical and completely hilarious song title and lyrics. the bassist was bad ass too, he and the cellist did some really cool harmonic weaving.
also saw The Sugarfoot Serenaders, they had such a beautiful sound although the piano was too loud and it was hard to hear their awesome vocal harmonies.
the first, band i forgot the name of but maybe that's because the girl wouldn't really tell me a name, she said it changed all the time, their songs were really funny and sentimental and abrasive all at the same time.
the last act Bobby Joe Ebola and Children Mc Nuggets were an awesome punk rock singer/song writer duet. i know, that seems like an oxymoron but it's not considering that punk rock is all about song writing. but i was two vocalist and one guitar and it was well crafted, unfortunately i was really tired at that point so i left after three songs.
so the guy i'm couch surfing with right now, Mike, is a really great fellow, he's on fire about Sustainable Technologies and also plays a mean guitar. and he's given me some good tips on busking in this city. but last night i found out that come another week or so when the leaves change (no one in Texas knows what that means, no one's seen fall there except in pictures) this place will be crawling with tourist which is excellent for busking. cool! so now i'm feverishly working on my three new songs so i can play them on the street soon.
i'm not staying with MIke forever though, we hit it off really well and like hangin' out and he's into learning some of the Klezmer stuff and chopped some wood for him yesterday, but i'll have to find another place to crash soon. my other option at the Serenaders' place is probably out because they fear they may be overcrowded with long term house guests, they are already housing two travelers. i have another place i can hit for a week, so that'll work out. it's kind of funny, i thought of this yesterday, that for this summer i decided to ride my bike for a long time and essentially be homeless, kind of an odd choice for a summer vacation.
i may have a show with The Sugarfoot Serenaders in mid October too.... !
and tonight is the old time jam at Jack of the Wood and the next night is Bluegrass jam night.
yes, so the adventure staggers on ward.....
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
arrgh!
alright, i'm going to work on rewriting these last few posts,
they forgive the scribbling-scrabbling.....
they forgive the scribbling-scrabbling.....
Friday, September 23, 2011
home stretch-
coucil to damascus 09/21/2011
i like how out here when people are telling you how to get somewhere, they often say, "well you just go over that mountain, and on the other side you turn left...." that's just what they said when i left Coucil VA. Big A Mountain was nothin' compared to the Mountain that dropped me into Hayters Gap!
Hayters Gap boy! i was hatin' it, that mountain was the biggest yet. a thousand foot climb and a two thousand foot decent into Hayters Gap. descent was super fun of course. then i emerged from the hills and valleys to rest atop a hill that seemed to be the rim of the bowl i just climbed back up out of. the road that lay before me in valley below, spreading south and north was the road that would lead me on the final seven mile stretch to Damascus. the sight that greeted me was this beautiful blue monochromatic mountain scape that spanned the entire horizon line. the photos will do it little justice but it was a moment of beauty and peace.
now from Damascus i have 104 miles till Asheville.
i'm in the Mountains.
in Damascus i have befriended the local bike mechanic bad ass at Damascus Cycle Works. it's funny we talked today about the personality types of the bike mechanic/shop owner- it seems that only the mechanic/shop owners are the ones with the really intense, aggressive, angry personalities. even funnier is that i get along with all of them. a shop owner who is really chill is probably not doing the mechanic stuff. i'd be interested to hear other cyclist opinions on this.....
this town is at a cross roads of sorts, with the Trans Am Bike Trail, the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail and the Appalachian Trail, the last of which is a hiker trail. you see a lot of bearded nomady kids striding around here walking sticks in hand with really large shoes giving out "trail names". but there are people of all ages too, there be some older folks up there too, walking around in them woods takin' in sights that other people aren't going to see.
i stayed in a really inexpensive hostel where they ask you to wash some towels with your laundry. i like that. you pay on the honor system and i hear some people don't pay and i know some people don't wash towels.
i like how out here when people are telling you how to get somewhere, they often say, "well you just go over that mountain, and on the other side you turn left...." that's just what they said when i left Coucil VA. Big A Mountain was nothin' compared to the Mountain that dropped me into Hayters Gap!
Hayters Gap boy! i was hatin' it, that mountain was the biggest yet. a thousand foot climb and a two thousand foot decent into Hayters Gap. descent was super fun of course. then i emerged from the hills and valleys to rest atop a hill that seemed to be the rim of the bowl i just climbed back up out of. the road that lay before me in valley below, spreading south and north was the road that would lead me on the final seven mile stretch to Damascus. the sight that greeted me was this beautiful blue monochromatic mountain scape that spanned the entire horizon line. the photos will do it little justice but it was a moment of beauty and peace.
now from Damascus i have 104 miles till Asheville.
i'm in the Mountains.
in Damascus i have befriended the local bike mechanic bad ass at Damascus Cycle Works. it's funny we talked today about the personality types of the bike mechanic/shop owner- it seems that only the mechanic/shop owners are the ones with the really intense, aggressive, angry personalities. even funnier is that i get along with all of them. a shop owner who is really chill is probably not doing the mechanic stuff. i'd be interested to hear other cyclist opinions on this.....
this town is at a cross roads of sorts, with the Trans Am Bike Trail, the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail and the Appalachian Trail, the last of which is a hiker trail. you see a lot of bearded nomady kids striding around here walking sticks in hand with really large shoes giving out "trail names". but there are people of all ages too, there be some older folks up there too, walking around in them woods takin' in sights that other people aren't going to see.
i stayed in a really inexpensive hostel where they ask you to wash some towels with your laundry. i like that. you pay on the honor system and i hear some people don't pay and i know some people don't wash towels.
Wheelwright to Elkhorn City
Wheelwright to Elkhorn City- 09/20/2011
the dreaded Big "A" Mountain was next on the menu to devour. it wasn't really as rough as everyone said it would be, when i got to the top i was thinking there was going to be more around the next bend, nope! nutin but a down hill. entering Elkhorn City was another roller coaster decent into really skinny roads. the Church of Christ put me in a motel that night. i could have camped anywhere in town but i didn't want to camp in the rain. met another cyclist the next morning, Andy, we had breakfast together.
then i hit the Breaks. the Breaks Interstate Park. unfortunatley i left Elkhorn too late to spend any time in the Breaks so i just took some photos from a top an overlook. the Breaks is said to be the Grand Canyon of the East. so that's where i crossed into Virginia. this part of Viginia is really beautiful, more so than Kentcuky, though i still love Kentucky better.
the dreaded Big "A" Mountain was next on the menu to devour. it wasn't really as rough as everyone said it would be, when i got to the top i was thinking there was going to be more around the next bend, nope! nutin but a down hill. entering Elkhorn City was another roller coaster decent into really skinny roads. the Church of Christ put me in a motel that night. i could have camped anywhere in town but i didn't want to camp in the rain. met another cyclist the next morning, Andy, we had breakfast together.
then i hit the Breaks. the Breaks Interstate Park. unfortunatley i left Elkhorn too late to spend any time in the Breaks so i just took some photos from a top an overlook. the Breaks is said to be the Grand Canyon of the East. so that's where i crossed into Virginia. this part of Viginia is really beautiful, more so than Kentcuky, though i still love Kentucky better.
in their midst
the next stop was, Bevinsville, Bypro, Wheelright KY- these little townships are all with in a three mile stretch and there weren't really any signs to indicate where i was, i had to stop and ask people, "where am i?".
there was some beautiful country out there, i really love this State of Kentucky.
i stopped in Fat Daddy's diner in Bevinsville to inquire about lodging around town, there i met this quiet young lady who reminded me of one of my long lost friends from Dallas, "Steena", her bright blue eyes just bored right into to you when you talked to her. and she had this way of sayin' "Yuh" that just tickled me. the mom who was co-owner and the boss of the place, looked Italian but had THE Kentucky Accent- i might add at this point, that i love this accent so much. to me it sounds like music. did i already mention that in past posts??? then the dad came out and talked to me until the boss quietly and away from my eyes, set him back to work. (my friend in Berea also told me that in the 20's i think, a lot Italian immigrants came down to this region to work in the coal mines....)
the Dad popped out from the back periodically to talk to me and at one point told me about the church down the road in Wheelwright that puts up all the cyclist that come through and then he put me in touch with a local fella that picks some and who happens to go to said church and also happens to own the restaurant in direct competition with Fat Daddy's.
i stayed two days in Wheelwright, i went to the church service on sunday morning after a bit of practicing out behind the church. i had never been to a Mountain Church service before. this was full on baptist preaching at it's zenith! the dudes were shouting in rhythm and jumping up and down and talking about salvation! and there was a lot of singin'. they left me be to be an observer. however during the remembrance in prayer session i asked them to remember Mildred -(See previous post entitled, "pairs of opposites"), for what ever it's worth, honestly, i don't think much, these folks are really focused on how horrible this world is and the reward god has for them at the end. i don't mean this disrespectfully but as an observation, but that was the basis of most of what i heard that day, and i was thinking, "but i'm happy, and life is actually pretty good for me." (this of course could spark a whole knew conversation, because, i don't have the life experiences that these folks have had to view the world from, this is a pretty impoverished region which has been exploited by big energy companies- a favorite slogan around here is "coal keeps the lights on". think about that. think about mountain top removal. think about an economy dependent on that... or tobacco, the other devil in american society. i don't really know what i'm talking about here, i'm just seeing shades of this by passing through and talking to some folks about it where i can...) i feel like they could focus more on positive aspects of life instead of longing for the everlasting reward.
later in the day i sat and picked with this fella from the church, Robin, who is an excellent songwriter. he invited me to play a tune with him at the evening service, which i did. the folks really dug it, it's nice to have people be so receptive to my pickin' up in this part of the country and i felt honored to be asked to play. i even played the only spiritual i know for them, however, i felt a little in-genuine for it.
and we can mull this over too, Robin told me that that morning he wanted to play a song he just wrote last week, but he said the Devil discouraged him from doing it. to which i said, "yeah, it's easy to get discouraged." at this point i'm thinking, damn, he is not talking figuratively here, he really means the devil. to me the devil is the personification of things like doubt and insecurity, the devil to me is a metaphor, to him the Devil is a real Supernatural Monster.
later a the evening service, he plays this new song..... it was incredible! it was really great! as in among the best songwriters you could name and his voice was beautiful on it. so when i told him that, he just said that god gave it to him, like he had nothing to do with it. i was sort of stumped, he wasn't accepting this compliment. even after hanging out with him for only a few hours, i could see how much he loved to make music and he is really great at it. i feel like his faith keeps him from his love, he would disagree because he devoted his life to serving the lord. in hind sight (there's a lot of that on this trip) i wish i would have told him in answer that god would not have given that song to anyone else because god give him his special talent. (makes me think more about the line in "wayfarin' stranger" that says "i'll drop this cross of self denial and go singing home to god-"
{ok, here's a funny side note, the preacher that i spoke with initially goes by Louie, i mean this in a loving way, he reminded me a lot of the guy in "O Brother Where Art Thou" that ran the radio station where they sang in to the can for 10 dollar a piece.}
and the other preacher's name was Zenith! Brother Zenith! he was a great guy and a big banjo fan.
i don't remember the youngest guy's name, he was the most interesting to me because i could see real trouble in his face, real conflict, guilt.
all in all, these people were super sweet to me must have been shocked be me in a lot of ways, i could tell some of them might have though i looked just like the devil but they did right by me and welcomed me into their midst.
pairs of oposites
hazard to wheelwright- 09/17/2011
stopped in Hazard Kentucky and saw the Coal Pride festival. i met some sweet kids that were sons and daughters of coalminers. we had a conversation about the fact that coal is what their communities survive on and at the same time hinders it's development socially and is environmentally damaging yet is a mater of family pride and tradition.
what i mean by social hindrance is that, you are either for coal or against it and a lot of people are vehement supporters of it to the point of being indoctrinated. the attitude is, "Coal supports my family!" and you can't really fuck with that.
one of these kids was a mandolin picker and really cool, we hung out for a good while but his mandolin was the next county over, so no pickin'. because none of the folks i met lived in town, i spent the night next to a bridge in my tent out of the view of the general population, it was a really good night, pleasant weather and quite peaceful.
comming out of Hazard in stopped at this mechanic's shop, i wanna say it was Baglliani's Auto Body Shop, but i might be mistaken- i was ten miles away from Hazard and just passed through Dwarf, but the Mechanic was definite Italian and a bluegrass fan. there was a Sheriff that worked in Pike County there getting his car serviced. those fellas were some jolly fellas. they asked me to do some pickin' for 'em. mechanic said that made his day
* * *
next i passed through Hindman KY, where i heard an elderly woman calling for help as a passed. i didn't believe my ears at first. nobody else was around accept one pickup truck that didn't seem to be stopping. i heard her say she couldn't get up. she was about a hundred yards away in a bench out side a community center that was apparently closed for the day.
so i turned around and pulled in. first i tried to find someone who could help her, and i told her so, but she says, "what did you say? i can't hear, Help Me Help Me! iv'e been here for an hour and no one has stopped!"
i tell you, i couldn't figure out where to support her to get her out of the bench and on to her walker, she was really frail and not strong, i was afraid of hurtin g her. finally another woman from the flower shop next door came out and practically scolded her, "Mildred, what are you doing out here?" the lady put one hand on her back and the other under the back of her leg by the hamstring and helped her right up.
then Mildred wanted us to help her home, so the lady Rebeca, i think that was her name, got her car and we drove about five hundred feet to Mildred's home and walked her in side. Mildred was sort of in a panic and wanted us to stay with her, which was kind of impossible. in hind sight, i should have stayed with her and asked her to tell me about her life and kept her company for a while. she wouldn't say how old she was and apparently her care giver was off with family for the day because of a death in the family.
according to Rebecca, Mildred used to own a hardware store and has three sons that don't check on her and only this other woman that helps her. Rebecca's opinion is that she should be in a home so she can have constant care. i left there feeling depressed because this woman has nobody and is very lonely and obviously has the desire to get up and move, yet Rebecca told her, for her own safety, to stay home and read the bible or a good magazine and not get out again. you know the term use it or lose it? i was thinking she should be getting out as much as possible, i can't believe she made it down the ramp of her house without falling but you can see she has a lot of fight in her still. i feel like she does need to be in a home so she'll have help getting around and more social interaction instead of being alone.
i rode on through the valley of Pipa Passes with a sinking feeling over that.
stopped in Hazard Kentucky and saw the Coal Pride festival. i met some sweet kids that were sons and daughters of coalminers. we had a conversation about the fact that coal is what their communities survive on and at the same time hinders it's development socially and is environmentally damaging yet is a mater of family pride and tradition.
what i mean by social hindrance is that, you are either for coal or against it and a lot of people are vehement supporters of it to the point of being indoctrinated. the attitude is, "Coal supports my family!" and you can't really fuck with that.
one of these kids was a mandolin picker and really cool, we hung out for a good while but his mandolin was the next county over, so no pickin'. because none of the folks i met lived in town, i spent the night next to a bridge in my tent out of the view of the general population, it was a really good night, pleasant weather and quite peaceful.
comming out of Hazard in stopped at this mechanic's shop, i wanna say it was Baglliani's Auto Body Shop, but i might be mistaken- i was ten miles away from Hazard and just passed through Dwarf, but the Mechanic was definite Italian and a bluegrass fan. there was a Sheriff that worked in Pike County there getting his car serviced. those fellas were some jolly fellas. they asked me to do some pickin' for 'em. mechanic said that made his day
* * *
next i passed through Hindman KY, where i heard an elderly woman calling for help as a passed. i didn't believe my ears at first. nobody else was around accept one pickup truck that didn't seem to be stopping. i heard her say she couldn't get up. she was about a hundred yards away in a bench out side a community center that was apparently closed for the day.
so i turned around and pulled in. first i tried to find someone who could help her, and i told her so, but she says, "what did you say? i can't hear, Help Me Help Me! iv'e been here for an hour and no one has stopped!"
i tell you, i couldn't figure out where to support her to get her out of the bench and on to her walker, she was really frail and not strong, i was afraid of hurtin g her. finally another woman from the flower shop next door came out and practically scolded her, "Mildred, what are you doing out here?" the lady put one hand on her back and the other under the back of her leg by the hamstring and helped her right up.
then Mildred wanted us to help her home, so the lady Rebeca, i think that was her name, got her car and we drove about five hundred feet to Mildred's home and walked her in side. Mildred was sort of in a panic and wanted us to stay with her, which was kind of impossible. in hind sight, i should have stayed with her and asked her to tell me about her life and kept her company for a while. she wouldn't say how old she was and apparently her care giver was off with family for the day because of a death in the family.
according to Rebecca, Mildred used to own a hardware store and has three sons that don't check on her and only this other woman that helps her. Rebecca's opinion is that she should be in a home so she can have constant care. i left there feeling depressed because this woman has nobody and is very lonely and obviously has the desire to get up and move, yet Rebecca told her, for her own safety, to stay home and read the bible or a good magazine and not get out again. you know the term use it or lose it? i was thinking she should be getting out as much as possible, i can't believe she made it down the ramp of her house without falling but you can see she has a lot of fight in her still. i feel like she does need to be in a home so she'll have help getting around and more social interaction instead of being alone.
i rode on through the valley of Pipa Passes with a sinking feeling over that.
Booneville to Hazard-missed Banjo connections
picking this up in Damascus VA in side Damascus Cycle Works, having my brakes adjusted and getting some locking endcaps for my hand grips-writing and editing this from 09/21/2011-09/23/2011- it's hard recapping all that happened.....
last entry was from Booneville-
i never made it out to meet the story telling double thumb banjo picker, who's name is actually Loyal Gail Moris. i was just too tired and needed to get a good nights rest, the sort of thing i would not have gotten if ida met up with that guy. note: in that part of Kentucky from Booneville to Wheelwright they'd say "get up with" that guy, which sounds kind of odd to me. it's one of those things that is distinctly regional and only sounds good coming out of their mouths. another thing they say is "Yuh" which sounds complete adorable coming out of a small blonde lady's mouth or perfectly sound coming out of a Pike County Sheriff's mouth. they put it in conversation as agreement or an acknowledgement after your sentence, as in Texan you'd say "yep" or "yessir". i've tried to adopt it in my speech but it just doesn't sound the same.
left Booneville 09/16/2011 rode to Hazard-
i sort of regret not gettin' up with Loyal..... twenty miles away in Buckhorn they knew about him. Buckhorn! about half way down the mountain is Buckhorn, the pictures here are Buckhorn in it's entirety. in Buckhorn they have this beautiful old church they are restoring, they are so proud of it they gave me a key to go inside and look at it. really friendly folks. there was a pipe organ in there. Awesome! they have a lady that plays it every sunday that is 70 some odd years old (i think they said) and an expert.
i met four other cross country cyclist outside of Buckhorn, the first of them was named Adam, he was from Virginia i believe. we were both really excited to see each other, we met at the top of his accent/beginning of my decent. i can't explain the joy of running into another cross-country cyclist on the road but it's always a bonding experience. then there were the three other guys from LA who took the train to the east coast and were now cycling back, they had been through the biggest of the Appalachians already, stuff i was just about to be hitting. the had been riding with Adam for a while and were about ten minutes behind him, however Adam thought they were a day a few hours or a day ahead of him.
it mostly a down hill coast to Hazard and catching the tail stream of the coal trucks.
last entry was from Booneville-
i never made it out to meet the story telling double thumb banjo picker, who's name is actually Loyal Gail Moris. i was just too tired and needed to get a good nights rest, the sort of thing i would not have gotten if ida met up with that guy. note: in that part of Kentucky from Booneville to Wheelwright they'd say "get up with" that guy, which sounds kind of odd to me. it's one of those things that is distinctly regional and only sounds good coming out of their mouths. another thing they say is "Yuh" which sounds complete adorable coming out of a small blonde lady's mouth or perfectly sound coming out of a Pike County Sheriff's mouth. they put it in conversation as agreement or an acknowledgement after your sentence, as in Texan you'd say "yep" or "yessir". i've tried to adopt it in my speech but it just doesn't sound the same.
left Booneville 09/16/2011 rode to Hazard-
i sort of regret not gettin' up with Loyal..... twenty miles away in Buckhorn they knew about him. Buckhorn! about half way down the mountain is Buckhorn, the pictures here are Buckhorn in it's entirety. in Buckhorn they have this beautiful old church they are restoring, they are so proud of it they gave me a key to go inside and look at it. really friendly folks. there was a pipe organ in there. Awesome! they have a lady that plays it every sunday that is 70 some odd years old (i think they said) and an expert.
i met four other cross country cyclist outside of Buckhorn, the first of them was named Adam, he was from Virginia i believe. we were both really excited to see each other, we met at the top of his accent/beginning of my decent. i can't explain the joy of running into another cross-country cyclist on the road but it's always a bonding experience. then there were the three other guys from LA who took the train to the east coast and were now cycling back, they had been through the biggest of the Appalachians already, stuff i was just about to be hitting. the had been riding with Adam for a while and were about ten minutes behind him, however Adam thought they were a day a few hours or a day ahead of him.
it mostly a down hill coast to Hazard and catching the tail stream of the coal trucks.
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