Sun Records Studio Museum
El Queda Education:
Cosmology
and Runner's High:
Dogs and Cayotes
Americans are Friendly
Nashville!!!
Tenn-Tucky Bar
Bill Monroe and Rosine, KY
Abraham
Lincoln and Hodgenville, KY:
Ground-zero Firemen U.S.Post Office Picture:
Fort Knox:
Louisville (Jacuzzi City) and the Ohio River:
Indiana Towns and Terrain:
China and the Shepherds of Christ (SoC) movement:
Japan Radio Interview:
Sayonara
Dearborn County Sheriffs Office
Lawrenceburg, IN
1/1/03
Hi friends and family, and a Healthy and Happy New Year to all.
I'm writing this update from the Dearborn County Sheriff's Office (again happy to report, on the good guys side of the fence!!) in the old historic town of Lawrenceburg, IN along the banks (and levy) of the Ohio River.
Sheriff David Wismann kindly let me use his PC to catch up on my communications. We've had three straight days of heavy rain along the Ohio River Valley and there are news alerts for flooding in some of the low lying areas in the area. Hopefully the rains will end tonight and I can continue my Run tomorrow morning.
Run Summary:
Since my last update from Memphis, I have run 558 miles through the very beautiful states of Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana. I am now at the 3,930 mile point (72%) of my planned 5,450 mile Run Across America--For Enduring Freedom (RAA-FEF). All is going well, a few stiff joints (mainly in the hip/pelvic area), but no real pain or injury. I have been blessed and fortunate!!
Sun Records Studio Museum:
In my last update, I mentioned visiting the National Civil Rights Museum located in the Lorraine Hotel (Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination site), and the Rock and Soul Museum, both in downtown Memphis. On my way out of Memphis, I stopped at the Sun Records Studio and Museum where Sam Phillips first recorded Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Next door to the old studio is a soda fountain/cafe where Sam "entertained and signed" his artists over cherry and chocolate cokes. The cafe is now part of the Museum. There's a great 10'x12' enlargement of a photo on the wall of the cafe of Sam, Elvis, Jerry Lee and Johnny all together in the studio (probably mid-late 1950s vintage). I met Larry Harwood, photographer for the University of Colorado at Boulder, at the museum cafe and he snapped some neat pictures inside and outside the museum cafe. I'll try to get the pictures posted to the www.RunAcrossAmerica.com web-site. Btw, they still serve cherry cokes in the cafe and they are delicious!!
El Queda Education:
On Thanksgiving Day, I met Zach Verheller, Fayette County Deputy Sheriff. Zach is an ex U.S.Army Ranger and super Patriot. Zach plays acoustic guitar in country and bluegrass bands in the Sommerville and Nashville, TN area. His guitar has the American Flag air brush painted on top. Zach said he wishes he was back with the Rangers and would love the opportunity to "help educate the El Queda in the fundamentals of American Patriotism!!!
"Walking Tall":
My run from Memphis to Nashville was mostly along two-lane TN100 thru many beautiful western and central Tennessee towns, including Henderson, TN. The town and environs of Henderson and the Chester County Courthouse were venues for filming the "Walking Tall" movies about Sheriff Buford Pusser in the 1970s. Buford Pusser was sheriff of McNairy County (county immediately to the south of Chester County) during the 1950s and allegedly cleaned-up the County of drugs, gambling and prostitution by "walking tall and carrying a big stick". Apparently the good folks of McNairy County did not support filming of the movie because of the negative publicity the county would receive, and the fact that apparently good ol' Buford was not the "squeaky-clean" sheriff that the movies' story line portrayed. This is an example of the many trivia gems I've dug up while running across the country and befriending the locals. It was really fun running past buildings and along roads that I remember being in the movie trilogy.
Cosmology and Runner's High:
Although I try to run during the daylight hours, I often have to run into the evenings. I actually enjoy the evening runs since there is generally less traffic and the moonlit and starlit skies are beautiful in the sparsely settled desert, plains and mid-south country side. I have been an amateur astronomer for many years and I look forward to opportunities to ponder the Universe and its creator. The long evening runs have given me lots of time to view familiar constellations and some of my "old friends" including Orion, Cassiopeia, the Big and Little Dipper, and the major planets. I've had spectacular views of the Milky Way from horizon to horizon, and caught glimpses of a few meteors. I easily get mesmerized with the physical, philosophical, cosmological, and religious aspects of the Universe...gives new meaning to the term "runner's high".
Dogs and Coyotes:
Every run segment includes "welcomes and visits" from the local canine Corp. Most are tied and/or fenced, but many are loose and want to make sure I move quickly through their territory. Having grown up with big dogs, I feel I can handle any situation that could arise. Most dogs are friendly, and I generally say "nice dog" or "good dog" as I run by. For those few nasties, a loud, crisp and sharp "STAY" or "GET BACK" command will take care of the situation. I am amazed at dogs' sense of hearing. They can hear me coming and start barking from a 1/4-mile away, often with thick woods or houses and barns separating me from their view. Two nights in a row while running through the hills and valleys around Linden and Centerville, TN, I heard the howls from packs of coyotes as I approached and passed. They never showed themselves, but were very clear that I was not to venture into their territory. Local sheriffs and police say the coyotes "usually" do not bother people. I am "usually" OK with that!! NAFTA: The little towns to the southwest of Nashville are going through some tough economic times. In almost every town, folks talk about having lost business and industries to Mexico since the advent of NAFTA. Small towns away from the interstate highways suffer big time. But the the folks manage to keep a positive attitude, including lots of town and home Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, and town parades.
Americans Are Friendly:
Since I carry a small American flag and wear patriotic red, white and blue running clothes, most people are open to meeting me and welcoming me as I pass through. I have met hundreds of people who are eager to share their patriotic feelings, views about defending America's freedoms and values, and stories of long distance biking, hiking and running of family members and friends. Folks are also open to sharing stories of family members and friends stricken with a brain disorder, and they are eager to hear more about the work of the Brain Center on Cape Cod.
Nashville!!!:
The run into Nashville on TN100 was beautiful!!! Many rolling hills and roads, high rock-walled hill sides, little streams and waterfalls, and beautiful views of the distant hills surrounding Nashville. From 20 miles out flashing red lights from the radio and TV signal towers perched high on the hills are visible in the night sky. One such tower pumps out the finest traditional country music in the world...WSM AM650. For many years, I have tried to pick up the 50,000 watt clear-channel signal of WSM no matter where I am in the U.S. Due to skip, I can often get the station, especially on Saturday nights when the two Grand Ole Opry programs are broadcast. I listened to a very clear WSM for 5-6 weeks as I approached and departed Nashville. The Eddie Stubbs' (former Johnston Mountain Boy fiddler, and current Grand Ole Opry announcer) evening radio shows, and the daily traditional/classic country music shows are GREAT!!! And Nashville was all that I hoped it would be and more...including visits to downtown honky-tonks, the Bluegrass Inn, the Station Inn, Gruhn Guitar Store (guitars and mandolins and fiddles and dobros and banjos and ... a "picker's paradise"), the Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
I met David Blood and Virginia Lee and the Mixt Company Bluegrass Band at the Bluegrass In and had the pleasure of singing two songs with them on stage. David and Virginia and their Band have a great traditional mountain sound with tight three and four-part harmonies.
I was delighted to spend an evening and dinner with David and Virginia at their Nashville suburb home. They have an antique (1920s vintage) floor standing radio that is tuned to WSM 24x7 (and no TV!!). Also had fun with Albert Brien and Tabby Lord (Fiddlers' Loft fiddle friends from New Hampshire) at the Station Inn's weekly Sunday evening Bluegrass jam. Albert, Tabby and I also played fiddle tunes and a couple Christmas Carols in the lobby of the Nashville Best Western Hotel.
Professional and amateur musicians living in the Nashville area are very lucky folks, even if they have to keep their day jobs. Running out of Nashville over the Cumberland River Bridge and past the Tennessee Titans Football Stadium was a particularly happy and fun run!! Met some interesting folks including Cat, a well-educated guitar-picking busker, a Viet Nam War veteran and a Madison, TN cop patrolling a local Wendy's. All had their own interesting stories to relate.
Tenn-Tucky Bar:
On the last night in Tennessee, I ran to the Tennessee and Kentucky state line and stopped in the Tenn-Tucky Bar (an oasis in the wilderness...no other houses or businesses for two miles) to say hello to a few locals.
The bar is smack-dab on the state line (Nevada and Utah border deja-vu). This time the Tenn-Tucky Bar has a yellow and blue line painted down the center of the floor, and right up and over the bar and back wall. On the Tennessee side of the painted line, you can get beer and whiskey (both illegal on the "dry" Kentucky side of the line), and on the Kentucky side of the painted line, you can purchase cigarettes that have a lower state sales tax than Tennessee (Kentucky has many tobacco farms that need the support of a lot of smokers and a low state cigarette tax).
The Tenn-Tucky bar has a large round table in the front area where 7-8 men were playing cards (Knock, I think). I met all of them and the four younger guys planted on their barstools all talking pro and college football and basketball. I quickly found out that they don't talk soccer and hockey in these parts. The only woman in the bar was Margaret, the barkeep. Had a great time over a couple or three complementary brews. The next day I managed to run my highest daily miles to-date, 31.9 miles. There's a lot of carbs (fuel) in beer!!!
Bill Monroe and Rosine, KY:
Over the next few days, I ran to Bill Monroe's birthplace and boyhood home in Rosine, KY. Dr. Campbell Mercer, executive director of the Bill Monroe Foundation and Rosine Project, along with other members of the Foundations' Board and staff met Albert, Tabby and me, and we all had a great lunch complements of Albert. Later that evening, Campbell gave me a personal late-night tour of the old farm on Jerusalem Ridge including a walk around the old home place and recently constructed stage and natural-setting amphitheater, and a walk along Pigeon Ridge (next to Jerusalem Ridge).
Campbell, his lovely wife Julie and two young daughters live in a mobile RV home about 100 yards from Bill Monroe home. Campbell and Julie have dedicated their lives to assure Bill Monroe is appropriately honored by having his home restored, his mandolin purchased for the home-museum, having a Kentucky State Park built around the house, and holding annual Bluegrass Festivals on the grounds. Campbell is a "mighty fine" mandolin picker and plays in the Cumberland Highlanders Bluegrass Band with four ex Blue Grass Boys. Campbell also directs and produces a Bluegrass TV show which airs several times a week on the cable TV "Outdoor Channel".
Campbell and I managed to pick a few Bluegrass songs and tunes, and he taped me playing Bill Monroe's "Kentucky Waltz" on the old home place front porch. Campbell plans to air my visit to Rosine in one of his upcoming (mid-end January) shows. Stay tuned!!
While paying my respects to Bill Monroe and his departed family members at the Rosine Cemetery, Scott Duke, grand nephew of Bill Monroe (grandson of Bill's oldest brother Blade Monroe) stopped to introduce himself and kindly led me to each of the family member grave sites including the grave of Pendleton Vandiver (Bill Monroe's uncle on his mother's side). Bill Monroe wrote and recorded the classic bluegrass song "Uncle Pen" in honor of his uncle playing the fiddle at local dances while Bill was learning the mandolin.
The simplicity and beauty of the tribute lyrics are testament to and example of Bill Monroe's song writing genius, and one of the reasons I developed a strong love for Bluegrass over 25 years ago, and have committed a fair chunk of my recent spare time to learning to play the fiddle:
Verse 1: Oh, the people would come from far away, to dance all night 'til the break of day; When the caller would holler "Do-see-Do", you knew Uncle Pen was ready to go.
Chorus: Late in the evening about sundown, high on the hill up above the town; Uncle Pen played the fiddle, Lord, how it would ring; you could hear it talk you could hear it sing.
Verse 2: He played an old piece he called 'Soldier's Joy', and one he called 'Boston Boy'; The greatest of all was 'Jenny Lynn', to me that's where fiddlin' begins.
Chorus: Late in the evening about sundown, high on the hill up above the town; Uncle Pen played the fiddle, Lord, how it would ring; you could hear it talk you could hear it sing.
Verse 3: I'll never forget that mournful day, when Uncle Pen was called away; He hung up his fiddle, he hung up his bow; He knew it was time for him to go.
Chorus: Late in the evening about sundown, high on the hill up above the town; Uncle Pen played the fiddle, Lord, how it would ring; you could hear it talk you could hear it sing.
Abraham Lincoln and Hodgenville, KY:
My next destination was Hodgenville, KY where Abraham Lincoln was born in a small one room log cabin in the early 1800s. The cabin is now completely enclosed in a beautiful granite building at the top of a treed hill accessed by about 50 20' wide granite steps. A visitor center/museum is located on the grounds. Lincoln lived in this cabin for two years before his parents moved to a larger home and farm nearby. At age 7, the family moved to Indiana, where he lived until moving to Illinois to pursue his political career after getting his law degree.
Ground-zero Firemen U.S.Post Office Picture:
Later that day, while picking up a package at the Hodgenville Post Office, I met Bob Hummer, the Postmaster. After explaining my mission, Bob asked me to follow him to his office to view a beautifully matted and oak-framed picture poster of the three firemen raising an American Flag at ground-zero in New York City. The U.S. Postal Service turned the photo into a postage stamp and later into an 18"x24" poster. (I've had a 3"x4" copier enlargement of the stamp pinned to a cabinet in my RV since my start in Southern California). Without hesitation, Bob lifted the full-size framed poster off his office wall and handed it to me saying he wanted me to hang it my camper. I was momentarily speechless, but managed to express my thanks and appreciation.
Bob told me that he was going to inform the the U.S. Postal Service of my Run and their gift to my mission. I am pleased to have this framed poster as a daily reminder of and motivator for the objectives of this Run.
Fort Knox:
I then ran from Hodgenville and central Kentucky to Fort Knox where I was able to get on the highly-secured Fort, and see the the Gold Repository from a distance. Fort Knox is also the home of the General Patton Armor Museum. The Army M.P. and security staff were very friendly and helpful, and grateful for my patriotic Run and visit.
Louisville (Jacuzzi City) and the Ohio River:
On Christmas morning, I ran through the University of Louisville campus into downtown Louisville (named for King Louis XIV). My RV was parked across the street from the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel and the General Manager invited me to use the Marriott facilities after my first daily run. A hot Jacuzzi soak was exactly what I needed after four days of cold, rainy/sleety, snowy, windy running!! After a few "Merry Christmas" phone calls to friends and family, I ran across the 2nd Street Bridge over the Ohio River in the early evening. The Ohio River is very wide at this location (appeared to be wider than the Mississippi River where I crossed at Greenville, MS). The bridge and approaches are about a mile long, and it's an eerie feeling running high over the River, looking down at the gray water illuminated by city and shoreline lights reflecting off low hanging clouds. I'm not exactly sure what an "out-of-body experience" is, but for the second time, I kind-of-imagined myself doing a swan dive over the bridge railing and slowly flying/falling into the water below. Since there were no bungee cords close-by and knowing the water would be cold and hard, I decided to keep on running, and leave flying and swimming for another day.
Indiana Towns and Terrain:
The Run through southeast Indiana on IN62 over the last five days has been fantastic. After two days of relatively flat running, I hit the hills, ridges and valleys through the beautiful and historic small towns of Hanover and Madison, and the tiny crossroad towns of China, Cross Plains, Friendship and Farmers Retreat, and into the larger cities of Dillsboro, Aurora and Lawrenceburg. Hanover is a college town set on a ridge, Madison is a beautifully restored county seat and riverboat town with antique shops and historic buildings set in a valley on the Ohio River (probably the prettiest little town I've run through to-date). Lawrenceburg is another historic and classic "river city" with levees, mansions, industrial buildings and a major riverboat casino.
The geography of southeast Indiana appears to have been glacially carved with most hills and valleys following a North-South alignment. Although IN62 is primarily an East-West road, it runs mostly SW-NE in this area. To traverse the hills and valleys, the road typically winds along the top of a ridge line, switch-backs down the east side of the ridge, into and along a meandering valley crossing a small stream or two, switch-backs up the west side of the next (eastern) ridge, along that ridge (are you still with me??), down the east side of the new ridge, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat!! Sometimes the small towns are on the top of a ridge, and sometimes they are in the valleys=hollows=hollers. China and Friendship are two small and quaint towns in the valleys. Nobody could tell me how China got its name, so I guessed that since the town is so deep in a valley, the founders/namers may have thought it was somewhere close to China (the country on the other side of the world!!) :) :)
China and the Shepherds of Christ (SoC) movement:
China, IN has less than 25 residents, but four of them are the most religious and prayerful folks I have ever met. 36 year old Joseph Lee, his 70 year old mom, Jerry and Betty are members of the Shepherds of Christ movement within the Catholic Church. The SoC movement was founded by Father Carter in nearby Cincinnati, and has a mission to pray for priests and vocations, promote and pray the Rosary, and honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (my understanding based on my conversations with them). The SoC movement purchased the abandoned St.Anthony's Church (built in 1867) in China from the local diocese and have completely refurbished the church and grounds and turned the one room schoolhouse into a high tech communications center for the worldwide movement (all in this tiny valley town).
Joe invited me to attend the 6:20 prayer service after I completed my second run. I joined the four of them at 7:30 thinking the prayer service would be close to over. But, they were saying their third of four 15 decade rosaries (most Catholics pray the five decade Rosary)!!! An hour later they took turns reading "messages" from Christ that have been communicated via devout SoC members. Their three hour plus service ended with singing of hymns and Joe playing the most beautiful sacred piano music I have ever heard (it was worth my two hour wait, er I mean prayer session)!!! Turns out Joe has a music degree and gave up a promising music career to dedicate his life to the SoC movement. Joe is also an expert computer and communications technician and when not praying or traveling 2-3 hours per day to attend a Catholic mass (there are no priests at St. Anthony's church), he works 10-12 hours per day doing SoC communications, seven days a week!! The dedication and commitment of this man is beyond belief. He is now contemplating becoming a priest. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Joe.
Japan Radio Interview:
As reported in previous updates, I have done many live and recorded radio and TV interviews and talk shows. While reading my e-mail yesterday, there was mail from a radio station manager in Japan who surfed into the RunAcrossAmerica.com web-site and would like to interview me on his radio show. Having lived three years in Tokyo and traveling through much of Japan, I am looking forward to the interview. Ganbatte Kudasai!!!
Sayounara:
I'd like to share more experiences and memories from my Run, but it is late. Tomorrow, I'll start into Ohio and run to Dayton and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Springfield, Columbus, Zanesville, and then through Wheeling, WV and to (little) Washington, PA (and my W&J College campus), to Pittsburgh (visit with family and relatives) and New Kensington, PA (my home town), then to Shanksville, Somerset, Gettysburg, Washington D.C., Annapolis,
... Again, a Happy and Healthy New Year to all,
Bob