May 31 Update

I have not posted since staying in Buckhorn so here's an update.
I left Buckhorn and climbed in the cold and damp for several hours until I started to descend into more open country as I approached Booneville, Ky. I still had a good deal of climbing to do in the days' 66 miles of riding. Outside of Berea, I had a tough climb up a heavily traveled two lane road to Big Hill, Ky. The shoulder was only about 18 inches wide and I had to share it with a foot wide rumble strip. The road became four lane before I got into Berea, and I found out why Big Hill deserved it's name. I dove down this big sweeping curved hill at up to forty miles an hour as cars whizzed by at twice my speed.

I made it to Berea Ky. On the 27th and camped behind the Fire Station there. Also camping there was another T-A rider, Ian from Victoria, Canada. He's 55, quite fit, and had done a good bit of touring. We started out together the next morning. He is a lot stronger than me on his bike so I sat in and drafted whenever I could.
Ian is doing most of his own cooking, so I stopped in Harrodsburg, Ky. for lunch. I don't usually take food pictures, but this meatloaf sandwich was as good as it looks. I hope Ian enjoyed his beanie weenies. I was not sure if I would see Ian again, but I caught up with him in a couple of hours. We camped that night under a picnic shelter in a city park in Springfield, Ky.

The next morning we headed out for Whitemills, Ky., about 70 miles away. At the Whitemills Volunteer fire department, we caught up with my buddy, Malcolm, who had taken the Mammoth Cave detour to spend the night with his dad, who had driven up from Florida to see him. A volunteer fireman brought over a six-pack of beer and offered us the use of his car. We did not use the car, but the beer hit the spot.

I spotted this field full of Roosters along the way. We stopped and talked to the owner, who said he had about 300 fighting roosters, which he sales all over the world for cock fighting.

So now, Malcolm, Ian, and I have been riding together for three days, averaging a little over 70 miles a day. It's been great having company, but they are wearing me out. I can stay with them on all but the steepest hills where they usually out climb me. And there are some steep hills. Some of them I can only climb at 3 mph, and I can walk up them at 2.5 mph. I find its better to let them slip away and catch up with them when I'm over the top.

The next night we stayed in a fire station in Utica, Ky. The convenience  store down the road sold pizza and mutton burgers, I had both. Last night we stayed in a Methodist Church in Marion, Ky. It is a large church, and very pretty inside, but, a dwindling congregation, I think. Tonight, after a very hilly day we are in a Methodist church in Goreville, Ill.

Tomorrow we head for Chester, Ill. On the Mississippi river, which we will cross on Friday morning. (I have to stop and think what day it is, I'm looseing track.

We've been getting up about 5:30 to be in on the road by 6:30. We usually stop at a country store around 8:30 to eat breakfast, and again around noon for lunch. Malcolm and Ian tend to cook more than me, I'd rather just buy something.

The scenery has been very nice, but I have not taken many pictures the last few days. We crossed the Ohio river on a small ferry this morning about 8:00. Entered Ill. At a place called Cave In Rock. We've not been too keen on going out of our way to see notable landmarks, our line is we can see them on YouTube.

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Ohio River ferry

Malcolm and Ian at White Mills fire station

Me at White Mills