Thursday July 27, 2006 77 miles - Total so far: 2,747 miles

This morning I woke to the sound of trucks roaring by on the highway and learned that the source of all this traffic is coal mines in the area...from which they haul coal to barges on the Ohio River (the Illinois/Kentucky dividing line). However, it wasn't long before I crossed the river and left coal truck territority to enter eastern Kentucky. I was now in "loose dog" territory...an area I had been forewarned of by westward-bound cyclists. Fortunately, I had come prepared for battle...with my ultrasound dog repeller, and I had several opportunities to use it within the first ten miles. This instrument has proven its' worth many times...producing a sound that is beyond the range of human hearing but creating an annoying (frightening?) sound to dogs...stopping them in their tracks as they begin the chase. It has the added benefit of giving confidence to the cyclist...making us feel invulnerable to the beasties :-) (some say they sense fear).

This area of the country is quite scenic...with gently rolling hills, well-maintained roads, quaint small towns, manicured lawns and gardens, and fenced horse pastures. By noon I had reached Sebree, where three other cyclists converged with me. David was traveling west, while Beth and Leona were heading east, tho they had been on a different route than the shortcut I had chosen. We all decided to relax and chat awhile at the local soda fountain...where I had an awesome malted milkshake! David told us of a fire station in Utica (25 miles further east) that houses cyclists for free, so Beth, Leona, and I decided to cycle there and spend the night. On the way to Utica, though, my sister Melanie called and offered to pick me up there becaus thunderstorms were forecast for the next two days (we had previously planned several days of rest at her house when I reached the area). So...saying goodbye to Beth and Leona in Utica (and gifting them my ultrasound repeller) I drove off with my sister and her husband Michael to the comfort of their home in Louisville.