TN to MI

07.31.09

Route taken to Saylersville, Ky

Salyersville, KY

Spent my birthday in the coal hills of eastern KY.  After visiting with the Dougherty clan in TN, I stopped there to surprise my friend, Kim Hoskins.  Kim is good company and has a sparkling intellect.

This was my first time in that neck of the woods. Eastern Kentucky is pretty country.  From there I drove north on US 23.  Nice road!  Think I’ll go that way again sometime.

We had an impromptu birthday celebration— just sitting on her big rap around porch and talking.  I really enjoyed Kim’s new home.  It’s a great place.  I even got

Very nice wrap around porch

I didn’t get to enjoy any exploring on foot. My knee is still stiff, but feeling much better.  Stopped taking pain meds.  Most of the pain is gone and it doesn’t get worse when I sit for a few minutes.  My cousin, Mark in TN said I hurt it sleeping on his couch which is too short.  He said he’s done the same thing.

So I just took it easy so it would get feeling good enough to drive without pain. But I did get some good writing done which is always a plus to me.

North to MI

Route up US 23

Left Kim’s place at 0400. Drove up north on US 23.  Hit rush hour in Columbus instead of Cincinnati, which was shorter and less stressful.  The drive across the farmlands of OH was very picturesque.   Stopped in a mid OH town for breakfast.

The roads through the farmlands were in very good condition, and I found if I wasn’t careful, I get rolling along above the speed limit. As of my birthday, my plates are officially expired. So that was even more incentive than usual not to get pulled over.

I drove behind a truck for quite a way because he wouldn’t go faster than 55, but at a light in a small town, I lost him. As I got back out in the country again, there was a woman in a car behind me that was right on my ass. I got annoyed and pulled over and let her by.

It was a beautiful sunny morning. Bucky’s head was in my lap. Had a good classical station on the radio. Looked down and had let my speed get up to 70 mph! I immediately slowed back to 55. As I decelerated around a curve, there was a State Trooper turning around! The trooper roared off ahead of me and pulled over the lady I let by.

Joe's House

Ypsilanti

Arrived in Ypsi just after 1100.

Ypsi is the loudest place I’ve been since I left Ypsi.  It’s really quite amazing.

Joe is in good spirits.  Had a pleasant first evening. He cooked a steak birthday dinner for me and invited a few friends like Frank and Sandy.

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Getting To Knoxville

07.26.09

Route to Knoxville

Travel

Made it to Knoxville without incident.  Had a good ride.

I had been concerned about my car making it.  Guess now I was lucky to have had all those problems with my Escort back in Sanford last winter. Certainly was a lot easier to deal with and fix there than on the road! Hopefully my car will be good to go for a while.

Larry McNeely

Stopped and spent the afternoon in Carthage with my friends Larry and Beth McNeely. Larry is one of the best banjo player in the world.  Larry has worked with scores of well known musicians, has recorded well known movie sound tracks, and might be best known for the Dukes of Hazard TV theme music.

We became friends when I got to play a couple shows with Larry: one in Carthage for the Buggy Days in 2007, and later we played a street fair in Southern Pines. Beyond his extraordinary talent, the best way to describe Larry is to say that he is an intelligent and gracious gentleman.

Road from Sanford to Carthage

Larry and his wife, Beth are both really fine people. They operate an antiques store in Carthage, NC called Granny’s— named for Beth’s mother.

Larry is also a writer working on SciFi projects. We became best acquainted talking about our mutual literary aspirations.

Bucky and I spent much of the afternoon visiting with Larry and Beth in the Old Buggy Factory where they have their store. Larry asked me when I was headed for MI. Told him I was already gone— his town just happened to be my first stop. Larry insisted that we play some music when I get NC.

Uncle John Dougherty

My uncle is doing very well at the moment.  Though his condition is considered terminal, for the time being, Uncle John is improving daily. Even hospice decided to leave and wait to comeback when they are needed. I’ll bet they don’t get to do that very often.

It is good to see my uncle doing so well— especially when I expected to find the worst.  New therapies are being developed everyday, so perhaps something will come of that.  I respect that he is choosing his treatment based on quality of life— so no chemo, however, he has changed his mind and decided to explore some radiation treatment.

Having a gathering at my Uncle’s house today. I’ll probably head north Monday or Tuesday.

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Underway

07.21.07

Travel

Taking off today.  The car is packed: Clothes, Camera gear, Laptop, Dawghouse bass, a few tools, and Bucky’s stuff (bed, backpack, meds, food, dish, blanket, couple leashes).

Got packed up and then hung around Sanford for another week.  Weather turned nice.  Did some good writing.  Everybody thought I was gone, so no one bothered me.  Plus, I worked on a few things I will be glad to have done in case the place suddenly sells and I got to get back fast and decamp.

Heading for TN today.  Then to Ypsi for the August Moon Squallor.

Music

Moon Squallors are a home made music party started on Oct 12, 1975 out in the Cabin at Henry Ford’s old hideout off Geddes Rd. in Superior Township, MI. They were so much fun, they just became a tradition. Later they continued when I lived back at Deep Run Farm, and when that place was razed, my friends, Kevin and Cathy Howard have continued them at their place in Willis.

House Sitting

Wasn’t planning on leaving Sanford and coming back.  Figured I’d stay until the house sold, but it hasn’t sold.  I need to go back to MI to renew my car licenses.

Everything is cool here.  Grass is scalped.  Shut most everything down.  Will leave the radio and a couple lights on…

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July 21, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Preparing For Travel

07.19.09

Travel Prep

I should be on my way to MI to update my license info.  All my stuff is packed and I’ve been ready to go for days.

Weather

All of the sudden, the weather has been great here.  Usually by July the heat here in NC is oppressive, but the past few day it’s been great and has made it hard to pull away, but I’m certain it will change shortly.

House Sitting

One thing I’m doing is leaving things so I don’t need to come back here for a while— unless the place sells.  Depending on how things go, I’d really like to do a tour that includes time in northern MI and maybe a swing through TX.

I’ve also used the good weather to get things done around the house so I’ll have less to deal with if I have to come back to Sanford and decamp Club Todd in a hurry.

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July 19, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Learning To Write

07.08.09

Writing

I’m still learning to write— probably always will be, but I feel I’ve struggled to a new plateau from where I can see how to better manage story elements and layers of meaning.  I am experimenting with short stories to gain some feedback and also feel a sense of accomplishment— which is a long time coming on a novel project.

House Sitting

Had a good visit with Todd.  Yard sale business was slow, though we did sell some.  Seemed like most of our sales were to the neighbors— some Todd never really met before.

Bob the Kitty was glad to see his old pal Bucky. Bob likes to head-butt Bucky— and everyone else he likes.

Todd brought a batch of his homemade Jerky.  Man was that good! If he gets tired of tooling, he could do jerky!

Was pretty sorry to see Bob and Todd heading back to Chicago.  I don’t mind living here alone, but it sure was fun having them here for company and sharing some meals.

Travel

In other news, John Rike called me from Texas yesterday.  We are planning to meet in MI during the first or middle or late part of August.  Told me he has a pop up camper.  We don’t have an itinerary yet, but John has always wanted to explore the UP.

I’m getting ready to pack for the trip to MI. I plan to go to Knoxville, then stop in Ypsi before going on to TC.

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July 8, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

The Hill Beautiful

07.01.09

The Hill Beautiful

Hill Beautiful

In summer, I always feel drawn to the place where my early childhood summers were spent. My family had a farm high on a hill near Eastport with an astonishing view.

I was about 2 when I first went there and can still remember my first time walking in the place—  the look of it, the smell, the wind— even calling out the name of the woman my parents bought it from wondering if she was still there.  That was early 1957.  Ten years later, my parents sold the farm to my mother’s mother and her husband.

My step-grandfather, who was Dutch, named the place for the view and put it on a sign at the head of the driveway.  ”De Schoone Heuvel” Grandpa called it in Dutch: ‘The Hill Beautiful’

House Sitting

Todd is driving down for the 4th. He’s bringing Bob the Cat. Along with having a yard sale to get rid of stuff, we’ll also chill and have some fun.

Travel

I am headed to MI before the end of the month to tend to some personal business.  I don’t know if the winds of fate will blow me all the way to Mass City, but I sure would love it if they did.

Another part of my mission is to visit Knoxville. I fear I may be saying good-bye to a favorite uncle afflicted with aggressive brain cancer. My itinerary may change suddenly.

Bucky & her Stuffy Bear

Bucky

Bucky is still limping some, but better, though she does seem lethargic. Her regular vet is in Lake Leelanau, MI. I plan to go to TC while up north and will take Bucky in for a check up.

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