Jeremiah Watt

I had only maybe 15 miles to ride to arrive in the town of Dickson, and My intent was to work at the Library. I made it to Dickson by about9:30,as I had to wait for some of the fog to lift. The road was very busy, and I had camped in maybe my worst camp setting thus far on the trip. But, I rode on a little late and left myself no time to lookfor a good camp place. A night with very heqvy dew................and I got run by 3 dogs just gettig to Dickson.

I entered into the town Library, under the viel of a Prayer. Its not lie I hate Librarians, it is just that there is this general overpwoereing attiude that seems to stand in the way of actually doinf something versus jsut downloading music or spending your time looking at plain old stupid stuf on the internet. Not sure hoe else to say it folks, but that is what and where my frustration come from. Second to this, since I am getting my Library thing off my chest, is that for several yeqars we have been told that these small town Libraries NEED computer access to bring our RURAL children up to speed on the technology age.
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And that may well be the case, and the whole thought concept may be exactly what the doctor ordered....................but somebody needs to bring the sweet as home made pie little old grey hair Matron who over sees the Library UP TOO SPEED. There, I have my conscience cleared, now you know the source of my frustrations.

I am assigned a compyuter, and go directly to work on the photos for the blog since they take the most time for me to get ready. I get some place around 60 pics ready and tery to upload the pics to the blog and I get the warning from Hell. That by executive order this cannot be done, and to see staff for access to this area.

SO I wander out and get the TECHIE, and have her sit down and in one foul key stroke she erases every thing I had done for the last 2 plus hours. And all of that is following a brief conversation elling her that if she agrees with the screen prompt, that all of my work would be thus lost....................Uh huh, she says and clicks away.......................now lets go see if it stored.......................well, you know the rest of the story.

I decide its time to take my leave, and head for some groceries to make a sandwich out of. I pull all my stuff out and aly it in the sun to dry completely. Its great, the sun is warm, I eat and lay back to take a nap and let the sun do its magic on wet gear.

Yes, I leave just a little peeved. BUt, the ride north out of Dickson, and on towards the next small town Library is just beautiful. I am on avery small back woods road, very little traffic, huge rolling hills and great looking farms and forests. Its hard to stay upset, when the riding is this pretty. I head for the little town of Charlotte, some 15 mile north of Dickson. I find the Library firt, and ask about my downloading of pictures to the internet for my blog........and the last ladies sister..............just tells me NO. Fine I say, I just go and do my bike thing.

I ride the town square and it is a classic to be sure. I notice a fine arts Gallery at one end of the Sqaure that resides in the shade of the huge trees that line this fine example of what a town Square should look like. I head on in, to meet the artist as I walk through the door............he being H.R. Lovell.

And he is working on a acommision piece as I talk to him. He is noted as only the second artist in residence for the State of Tenneessee and his work is just superb. Are you a fine art student I ask, meaning a school Graduate. No he says, just have always loved to paint. They can teach how to paint in schol, but they can't teach PASSION, thats a apart of your inner most character............it just has to be there to make a good painter.

HR, is quite the histiorian, and he brings me up to speed on just howe important and note worthy this litle town of Charlotte is. Why heck, he says, that there Courthouse is the second oldest in the State of Tennesee. And this is the only town in America to be able to say that they have had 2 sitting Presidents reside inthe same town to practise Law. So, who would that be, realizing I was also being asked. Well, that would be James Polk and also Andrew Jackson..................matter of fact they both occupied the tiny offices ion that building over yonder with the green shutters.

NOt only nthat, but you notice there is a lot of things named "MOntogomery Bell: around this town. Montgomey, made Charlotte the largest steel producer west of the Alleganies back about 1790. As a fact he had over 300 wood fired furnaces working in this town alone, that helped produce enough cannon barrels and balls to have us win the War of 1812.

Without his methodical processing, and modern for there time Mills, many histirians feel that America would have run short on most items made of metal if it hadn't been for ol'Montgomery. Charlotte remained on the steel producing maps till well into 1860's when gradually ran out of ore and local wood to cut. And thus came the slow demise of this once fair town.

I rode on into a beautiful evening of golden light on turning fall foliage, the winding roqds like a soother to a day frustration. I had spent over 3 hours of the day trying to get my blog thi ng caught up, had only made some 35 miles of actual ridiing in doing so. I was starting to thin k that I may not make it home for the first spring flowers. I rode in to a great camp sight out behind a small country church and had a very meagure supper..........just not hungry tonight.

LOve ya Mom, and KIDS
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD BLESS