Jeremiah Watt

You know what I love the most about this country that we live in, its the diversity of not only topography but in human characters. You just never know what sort of a day that you will be having when you roll camp in the morning and hit the cranks to get some miles behind you.

It was a 48 degree morning with a cool wind blowing and overcast as I was ready to leave the Portland Tennessee area. It turned into a little more hilly section of the country than the day before. There was a distinct absence of the pungent "Tabacah" smoke smell lingering in the are as it was yesterday.

I rode only a few miles to the little town of Westmoreland and decided to stop and get something simple to eat. Most of the time if I stop in the morning I try to have some sour dough toast and coffee....................Lordy I do miss my sourdough. On this particular day I decided to eat because I am feeling rather dizzy and make theassumption that it is calories I may need.

I turn the cranks for a few more miles and it is time to find a Library that i can work with and stop at La Fayette to try to get a little work done on the blog. I am soundly defeated after having spent 2 full hours at the key board working on pictures that the lady was suere she could get onto the net for me........with that I decide to move on down the road................very little.

Ther is a parade going on in town for the graduating seniors, and the parade crosses my road.................to which a Sherriff tells me YOU STAY RAT THAR, N I'LL LET YA'LL KNOW WHEN YA KIN CROSS THIS HARE ROAD! So, I head into the quick stop for coffee and a cookie as I am still sort'a lightheaded. I try my cell phone and still nothing. I wait, and wait, about an hour .15 minutes and the Sherrif, smiles and looks at me and waves me on.

Its turning into a cool clear day, and riding requires a long sleeve jersey even though the sun is bright over head. I am pushing into a slight headwind for the whole day as it turns out. Its now into the afternoon and I am on the road to Red Boiling as the locals like to call it. The country side is hard work ion a bike, the hills are getting bigger, but the beauty of it makes each hill quite easy till now.

As I am coming up too the final hill to Red Boiling, I pass JT's Antiques on my left side and up a rather steep little hill, so I decide to tackle it and continue my Xmas shopping. JT, the elder and owner of the establishment is out front as I ride up and dismount..................How fer ya ridin he asks? And I tell him that I am goiong to quit in Red Boiling tonight But that I had stsrted in California.

Good land Son, why'd ya do it on a bike? Well, I tell him, I guess I am the sorta fella that needs a challenge once in a while, not real sure. Golly son, a man can get a challenge in a lot of ways with out workin that hard kin'he? Yes, that is true, but all men need to be challenged from time to time, I think that is the nature of a man. Well Sir, says JT, the Lord he ain't called on me to do nu'thin that there foolish!

SO, from that point on as I strolled the store which was chaulk full of very intersting things I would have taken some of home if I were in a truck................JT would announce to each new person whom entered into the store............"would ya'll be fool enough ta ride thet there "Bycicle" all the way from California. And the resounding answer would be......................"LAND SAKES, DON'T BE FOOLISH..................DID YA ALL BUY THET THERE RIG JT? And he would get the biggest chuckle out of the answers that folks had, and then point over towards me and say............."THET THERE FELLA, HE'S FOOL ENOUGH TA"............ LOOKY THEM THERE LEGS ON THET FELLA...........THEM AIN'T NO CHICKEN LEGS NOW!

Along came a fella who got JT to talkin and off the bike so I could explore the store a little. I looked but did not find that which I was hunting, and so I joined in with JT and his new guest as they both sat up front by the now cold pot belly wood stove. The other fella, as I am introduced to him is Pastor Buddy Davis. Buddy has been a Pastor for some twenty years now, but led a rather different life prior. The afternoon turns into an account of the history of MOON SHINING in Clay county, which was and still is an active SHINE county. Our PAstor friend was a road runner and betwen the two of them they told some great SHINE stories for the next almost 2 hours. I was taught the difference between SHINE jars, and the BALL BRAND #13 BLUE Sealer that some folks try to sell as SHINE jars.

But SHINERS are supersticious fok, and they broke every #13 they got there hands on due to bad luck. The conversation moved onto wood and wood lots in the area and the prevalence of Pine as the newest tree to plant on what had been deciduous hardwood country since time began. The price of Timber at the stump versus at the final yard and where all the profits are going. It made for a very interesting couple of hours, and to share these tales with a PAstor made it all the more fun to be in on.........................I'll have to ask my own Pastor Mike about his background when I get home..................maybe this is typical??

I rode on up the rest of the hill that leads to Red Boiling. AS it turns out, you take a sharp dive down a steep series of hills into the creek bottom now known as Red Boiling Springs. There is not a lot left of the once very popular little town, time. floods and attrition have taken there toll on what at one time had 9 huge hotels to boast about. Red Boiling, as history tells it, is one of only 2 places in the world that has 5 different types of mineral water bubbling up out of the ground. There is one other place in Germany that can boast of the same sort of thing happening there. SO, back as far as 1880's this was ahealth Spa town, and folks with ailments came from near and far to achieve better health by taking the disease diminishing and healing waters of Red Boiling. Over time there were 9 Hotels of very large size built along the creek that spills thru Red Boiling. Each crossing of the creek is covered by a wooden bridge as it was back in the old days. And today, there are 3 very grand hotels left to remind us of Red Boilings days of glory. I really wanted to stay at any one of the old establishments but refrained from spending any extra money.

So it was as I rode the many winding roads and streets of Red Boiling Springs (RBS), that I spotted a new establishment to RBS. On the site of the old Excelsior Hotel, one of RBS most luxurious Hotels, now stands a vintage looking motor cycle museum called Cyclemo's. Now, for folks who know Jeremiah, they know that I am not really into Motor-cycles. But it is here and so am I with a little time to kill till evening sets in. I am very pleasantly surprised, I meet the owners as I enter and we start right in wtih the history and the importance of RBS even prior to the reasons for the Museum. The Museum, at this stage only about 30 days into is actual opening, and only about 30% complete..........is very impressive even for a non-Harlie nor Indian cycle nut. Every rig in the building is a running road bike, each can and is ridden out on the open road. The walls are lined with all of the ephemera that goes with the early vintage years of the brands of Harley and Indian. I start in to take a few pic''s and find my batteries are dead. SO I make the call to go back in tomorrow and take the pictures that I want then.

I head out with the promise to return tomorrow, and ride to the little quick stop an buy a few sausages to eat with my noodles. There is a great little camp place out on the north end, and near a creek, it had tables and a grill place......so I ate soemwhat fancy this night. I walked doen at about 9 to get a cup of coffee before bed. While I was there, I talked to 2 different fellas about the Coal Haulers in Kentucky..................and they both felt that I was really taking chances on riding hte back roads of Kentucky. SO I ponder the advise and walk back to my tent for the night. Its about 10:15 and time for bed, love ya Mom and kids take care.

Good NIght and God Bless