Day 23 - Tuesday, June 2
Start - Hodgenville, KY
End - McDaniels, KY
Miles (on the route) - 46
Miles (total) - 51.65
Avg Spd - 13.2mph
Max Spd - 36mph
Total Ride Time - 3:51
Got a late start this day, doingd laundry in town in the morning and then went over to the local library to work on the internet. Got some things done that I needed to get done, and got Subway on the way out. Getting the laundry done is crucial, nothing motivates like actually having clean clothes to wear for the day.
I finally passed into the Central Time Zone this afternoon, a landmark of sorts. Central time has been my home for the last two years so again it was a return to something familiar. Speaking of which, I started coming across Amish today, riding in the horse and buggy and also doing construction along various parts of the route. Didn't know there were significant populations in Kentucky, but I knew they weren't far north in Indiana. Again a comforting sight, almost like back home in Lancaster.
I found a place to stay that evening in the small town of McDaniels. While waiting for the fire crew to return to the station, I got a pizza at the country store across the street. Eventually a truck and some water towing four wheelers rolled back to the station and I asked if I could throw down the tent for the night. It was early, but storms were moving in and I didn't want to roll the dice too much. They let me shower up and takled with the crew for a while. The captain explained it was an all volunteer fire department staffed with one of her sons and a few other guys. I guess I never really thought about it but it was surprising to hear of their setup. The fire department is all volunteer, they don't get paid a dime and drop everything with every call. They don't even get reimbursed for gas for all the drives to and from the fire station. About 60% of the community donates to keep the fire station funded. It's strange to think that such a serious need is provided by a few volunteers. Seems like something more would be done for such a group, but these towns are small and maybe the funds aren't there. Somebody has to do it, and thank God these people do.