day

I did get some sleep and woke up to gorgeous hazy hills. Good to be back in the Appalachians, even without a tent I guess.


Now ride ride ride, up to Apple Orchard mountain and down to the James River. The light that Jesus gave us in the Mojave desert now refuses to turn off (too wet last night?), and will soon burn out.

Late in the longest of days, I arrive at my parents' home, uninvited and unexpected. The first person I see is Naya, the niece I was visiting in Colorado three weeks ago. Apparantly Leigh Ann is working at the Coors factory in the Shenandoah Valley for the week and brought her daughters. My sister and her two girls are also visiting. My uncle, my brother, and his fiancee are also planning on coming in this weekend. Wow. I got to see everyone in my family in a three week span, unplanned.

We all went out to the lake to soak up some sun, play in the sand and enjoy one another:

It was quite a lovely homecoming, and they were all glad to know I'm alive. They missed Rachel, but I went and got her a few days later.

Enjoying Dad's blackberries:

Tags: 7/11/2007
Current Location: Fishersville, VA
Current Mood: prodigal

After a morning of discussion and meetings, I hit the bike as the heat hit the hills. It was a long ride up to the plateau of Floyd at Adney Gap and then a quick zoom into the Roanoke Valley. Rush hour was nearing and the traffic near the city was kind of pestering. The parkway is apparently the quickest way to Vinton from Clearbrook, now both nearly part of Roanoke. Thunder was building in volume and some sparks were flying as I started to ascend away from the busy valley, and I stopped to view the storm and secure some valuables from the imminent rain. These happy motorbikers were doing the same (father and son):


I stood by my bike for about 40 minutes of serious rain and then continued riding in lighter rain and lighter traffic as I was entering the National Forest again. I felt a bit lonely while standing in the rain, but like the storm, it passed.

Finding a spot between these two rocks, I made camp. Rain came intermittently through the night and I got a little wet, while ants crawled on my face. It, being the last night out on the road, was actually the worst night. Loud lightning and a spider bite on my neck that still itches a week later confirmed that.

Tags: 7/10/2007
Current Location: Great Valley Overlook, Parkway MP 100, VA
Current Mood: antfood

Over the next couple days I made (most of) the rounds in the Ferrum area, riding my bike, and getting a few rides.

I think we figured out how to best situate my working intentions, both as a soccer coach and also working at the Blue Ridge Institute. As long as the accounting aspect works out alright, it should be great.

Everyone was very helpful in making the situation possible, and it was great to see old friends again.

Tags: ferrum business
Current Location: Ferrum College, VA
Current Mood: efficient

Lucky day everyone.

I rode my bike out to coach Baker's new (1890's) house and on the way he passed me in his car carrying two other friends. We all lazed around his place while Rod and I talked about strategy and players we will have this year. Go Ferrum Soccer. I shaved off the last of my hideous mustache and felt much better.

Rod had bought one lotto ticket and scratched off four 7's, winnning $28 dollars, lucky him. Soon we were hungry and chided him requesting he treat us to dinner, take out from the one restuarant within 10 miles, El Torito. The total?

$28 exactly. He hadn't been planning it but saw that it was destined so he picked up the oh-so-lucky tab.

Here is Rod's new cat, He-man. It is going to be a giant:

Tags: 7/7/7
Current Location: Haw Patch, VA
Current Mood: lucky

I climbed back up the steep trail before changing into my bike shorts, and listened for cars on the remote gravel road before stripping down. As I pulled up the shorts I realized I had been busted by a girl jogging the road quietly enough, and I think we were both embarrassed. That is my payback for yesterday's photo I guess.

Several smallish mountains were in store this day, but I rolled down into Franklin county well before dark and surprised my yurt-dwelling friend Randy (who was in the buff) trying to stay cool in the oppressive heat. I guess it is just that kind of day where nudity prevails.
Here is Randy and Katy's abode:


We cooked veggies over a fire for dinner and slept while their six cats (3 month-old kittens) frolicked through the night.

I saw this sign today. It is an awful long dead end, or someone forgot their period:

Tags: 7/6/2007
Current Location: Ferrum, VA
Current Mood: well recieved

the lighter bike and a slight tailwind allows for a long day starting in Bristol and following Rich Valley (parallel to Poor Valley) through Saltville and Bland to the Dismal Falls.

Late in the day I had a dog-induced sprint that left my quadracepts cramping, but I dusted that pup, oh boy.

I also saw a smashed rabbit that had been painted onto the road with a thick white line. So that is how the tortise won, hmm.

Strange biking without Rachel, but I'm still having a good time and having positive interactions with locals.

At the falls, I hardly felt dismal, but rather joyed for the natural shower and mosquito-less night. I even had a half dozen naked girls prancing around on the rocks.


Here is a better view of part of the falls.


PS the girls weren't really naked, but the blurriness makes it appear so, no? I'd never take pictures of skinny (or fat) dippers.

Tags: 7/5/2007
Current Location: Dismal Falls, VA
Current Mood: anti-dismal

"I left my wife in Tennessee.." are some words in a Leonard Cohen song, but the following line is " and a baby in Saigon" which isn't quite as true.

I rode to Bristol solo, hauling much less gear, leaving the tent and other amenities with Rachel. My college roommate, Ayres Christ was returning to his parents' house for a couple of days, and we spent it well, cooking, watching the U-20 world cup, and playing wiffle golf in the yard.


It was the fouth of July and Rachel and I spent the day "independantly"; the first we've been separated for more than an hour or so in about 6 months.

Tags: bristol, tn
Current Location: Bristol, TN
Current Mood: independant

'the exchange place' is a historic farm with barns, houses, cabins, springhouse, gardens and animals. erek and i shingled the blacksmith shop first. we tore off the old, soot-covered cedar shingles, which was a FILTHY job. all you coal miners out there- i feel your pain! coal dust does not come off the skin. i scrubbed with lava rock and pumice all week. finally we put on new shingles. lots of hammering and measuring and carrying heavy loads of shingles up ladders.

erek needed to return to work on his cabin, so i did the small cabin by myself. it is lovely work- like fitting together a giant puzzle. i must have hammered a billion nails in a week, and my right hand is still recovering. at night i returned to our friend ken's home (near the cabin site)to eat supper at 10, drink a gin-and-tonic, and do crossword puzzles for an hour before crashing. i was shingling in my dreams by the end, but i really liked it, and i think i'll go back for more this fall.

erek and megan's cabin


for two days before andrew came to pick me up i helped erek and megan put the tin on the roof of their cabin. that was actually more difficult than the shingles, but much, much faster.

so i got to be a monkey for ten days, see my good friends, and make some dough to pay for the major car repairs.

Tags: roofing monkey
Current Location: kingsport, TN
Current Mood: satisfied

once the bikes were reassembled we rode off toward the grocery store. the brains were still disassembled and bleary which made shopping for food very difficult. it was only 10 miles to 'the exchange place', the historic farm where our friend megan lives. once we were safely in her bed we slept for the next 18 out of 24 hours. we woke up serious, somber, and mostly-mentally-reconstituted.





after our little rest we went to work on erek and megan's cabin. they are building it using old logs that were part of two barns near the site. erek and his dad have gotten the structure this far in only 15 days!
y

erek and andrew are getting creepy lately. maybe it's something in the water.




there is a need for a roofer at 'exchange place', and i am in need of some income, so i (RT) am sticking around here to shingle while andrew bikes to bristol, then ferrum, then fishersville.

Tags: kingsport, tn
Current Location: kingsport, TN
Current Mood: needed