Day 11- Kentucky 4H

I know some of you think that 4H stands for head, heart, hands and health ... Not in Kentucky! It's heat, humidity, hills and hounds. It was a hot one, a humid one, a very hilly one, and I was chased by as many as five dogs at one time. Buuut a very good one.
Today was a blast to say the least. Abi, Bill and myself rode together. We left Hindman riding through the clouds and climbed our way to the sunshine. The terrain may be mellowing out mile by mile but the climbs are still no joke. We rode right at 65 miles today.

I had the best coca-cola ever at a little shop in Cow Creek. It was ice cold and the lady running the store was the sweetest lady ever. She had been in Cow Creek for 45 years. Her and her late-husband started the store and did very well for themselves.
In the stores earlier years, she told us, they had a wide selection of goods and gas pumps. Today the store was down to very few items, the bare minimum actually. A few boxes of little Debbie cakes, soda, and some bubble gum. She blamed it on the "meanness" that is taking over the county.
"You know, pills, dope, booze... These kids are doing everything but the right thing."
Bill and I sat and enjoyed our cold sodas and her stories of her and her late-husbands success, and her take on why it has since changed. I left there with chills, it was wonderful hearing her share bits about her life.
It's interactions like that one over a cold coke, that makes this trip so great.
We are staying tonight behind the Presbyterian church in Booneville. Its a nice set up with two pavilions, one of which even has a shower.
I'm going take it easy tomorrow and slow my roll a bit. Its going to be very hot again but hey, that just makes for more opportunities for talks over cold cokes.

Cheers, T.