Jeremiah Watt

Well, I have done all the stinking blogging I can stand for a day or so, and I have made myself two promises. To work harder at finding a Peaceful resolution with the Librarians of America, and to kep my blog done up each day from whatever little town I come to with a Library to work from. We will see how it goes.

I had worked way to late and visited far too long into the evening to be up early............but I was. I beat the sun up, and was in the shower to start the day, not sure when I will get another so take advantage of it is my motto. I could hear Chuck and Beth were up and about upstairs and left them to there morning routine while I packed my trailer. I had bought some new duds at the bike shop, a a pair of tights to over bike shorts. And YES FOLKS>..........a new pair of BIB"S. My butt was just a few threads short of falling out of my oldest pair and I had to be very carefull not too hook them on the nose of the ssaddle when I stepped onto my bike for fear of leaving eveything exposed for good...................or bad I guess depending on you point of exposure.

Beth, such a wonderful host while I occupied her basement apartment, fed me a great meal of eggs and ham and some sweet rolls, along with some fresh Orange juice and COFFEE. I was ready, I visited with Chuck for awhile longer about the smalest things he has learned in all his road trips and was ready to ride by 10 am. I thanked them both and told them my home is theres should they ever get to California.

I was riding back roads, those are the ones that look like earthworm trackas when you look at aTennessee Road Map. I have found these to be by far the most interesting to ride but also the most serious canine infestations are here as well. The sky is grey and overcast, the temp running about 60 degrees and the terrain is a gentle roll, not the "grunters" I have had prior to this section. There is a palpable aroma in the air, and there is enough smoke in the already heavy sky to make it just slightly deeper grey. I am now fairly sure that the smoke that fills the sky over head is derived from the tabaccoe smoking barns that are very prevelent in this region of the State.

To me, the smell is pleasant, the smoke is just a little sweeter than regular wood smoke, since the dark tabaccoe that hangs above the smoking fires adds or infuses some of its own odor into the smoke that finally emits from around the roof line of the smoker barns. The heavy humidity and cloud cover make the smoke more discernable than on the clear and crisp days I have rode.There are places where you will see four of five barns all smoking in one little valley, and very often they will be located at the deeper corner of a field down against a tree line or a creeks edge. When you roll it all together, the smokie smell, the rolling terrain and the turning leaves it does make for a sort of magical ride.

I stopped in the little town of Adams to do a little mailing duties which I had been a alittle remiss at taking care of and I do apologise for that. I trode on and seen a sign for the Historical Bell Witch Caverns and decided that I had better take that in....................but, alas it was closed for the winter season. So, I rode back to the main road I had been following and pedaled ona little further to an inviting refurbished School building that was now an Antique Mall. It looke very cool, and I still have one person that I am trying to find soething for for the Christmas Season. I head in, and notice that there are tiny little rain droips now hitting me and the sidewalk both. The mall is full of many items, both good and junk, but the one item that I search for has eluded me once again. But while I am in there, I meet a lady whom is also a biker, and she compliments me on my great shape and the journey that I am on. I have come to realize that there are a lot of folks whom would love to make a trip like I ma doing, but for one reason or another have decided that they can't.

I am informed that right next door is a Church LAdies Restaurant, and they make the best Southern Fried Chicken around...........so, I decide I had better try a little a\nd make my way over to the tiny restaurant that is along the side of the old school building. Well I have to say, I don't eat a lot of Fried Chicken, so I do not consider my self a "Connysewer" of such dishes_-----_------_----_ pie is a different story, SO DO NOT FOGET TO SEND YOU BEST VERSION TO MY ADDRESS. Anyways back to the chicken, itt was very good indeed and the ladies that served it were just as sweet. Nobody offered up any real neat morsels that I could share with you here, except for a brief hisorical account of the Bell Witch................sadly, the one whom related the stories would not allow her picture to be taken.

The Bell Witch, got her name from the hauting of one Jonathan Bells tiny farm house and farm in the 1850's in the town of Adams Tennesee. It is written that on many nights she actually beat up Johnaton Bell, and left him bruised and bleeding, she would throw furniture around the house and torrment the dogs and cats, and after raucous nights she would flee to the Cave that she hauted from. It got so bad, and the stories of it grew to such an extent that one Andrew Jackson (prior to his Presidency) was issued an order to procede to the Bell Farm and investigate the occurences. Now it is also said that the Witch really only haunted the owner and seldom ever acted upon other men or women in the area. But on this occassion when Andrew Jackson arrives to proceed with his Investigation, that the said witch was in a rare and foul frame of mind and she created such a horrific wailing and torrmented the horses that drew Mr. Jacksons carriage so badly that Jackson quickly withdrew and retreated clear down to Nashville. The case was never investigated any further, nor was it ever decided if the Witch was real or not.

I rode on further east, what a great ride it was, the terrain was easy in this section, and the traffic rather light. The rain got heavy enough that I decided to tear apart my bag and dig out some rain gear. Once I had that on I carried on east, Stopping in Portland to get something cold to drink, and some Bagels. While in ther, I was literally accosted by 3 young checkers and a bagger.............where ya from..................where ya goin.............why...............how far........ how many States ya seen .....I tried to answer them all, but between signing autographs and answering I may have missed a few. Yes its true, the checker asked for my own autograph right after I had handed her my plastic card.............gosh, I felt so cotton pickin impotent.

I only have 53 miles in, it is quite wet, but decide I want a few more miles on the cranks before I quit riding. I pedal on another 7-8 miles and am looking for a church with a covered picnic area, just in case the rain decided to get real heavy tonight. That never showed up, but a good church building did turn up, and I camped on the lee-ward side of it to get out of the thin slanting rain that fell with a lot of wind.

Pitched my tent right up tight against the back wall of the Church, and then out on the blacktop, and on top of my old license plate that I carry, I built a very small BUM type of fire so I could cook my hot links and make some Cous-Cous for supper. Supper was good, although maybe a little wet sitting in the rain. I climbed into my tent, zipped it up tight, sdaid a few Prayers and rolled into my bag of sleep. It didn't take long for my eye-lids to give in and I was out I guess by 7:45.

Good Night and God Bless

Libraries visited 16, answer NO.