Relatively painless day to Paynetown

April 20, 2006

Ralph and Inez's house to Paynetown SRA

Ralph and Inez wouldn't let me leave without making me breakfast, although I didn't get up early enough to eat with them. I spent more time looking at the stuff they have hanging from the rafters and ceiling. Big hornet nests, a locomotive wrench, a well-used sledgehammer, models made by grandkids, and a big ol' Texas Flyswatter just like my mom's. I think it's probably hard to throw anything away when you've lost so much. They hugged me farewell and sent me on my way with route advice on how to avoid the piggy-smelling road I'd used to get there as I backtracked to a main road. No more backroads for me today-not after yesterday's fiasco.

"Didn't I see you a couple of times yesterday?"

I headed back up 135 and took 58 West, where I'd spend half my day. It was one of the best roads I've been on . No shoulder to speak of in some parts (it had a way of going from 4' to 4" at random intervals), but beautiful spring trees along a valley between the hills. All uphill for a few miles as it crested the ridge, but a slow manageable climb with plants to look at and houses tucked into the folds of the hills (not many pictures-like I said, it was uphill and I was just soaking everything in). I imagine all the birds were there cheering me on. And on those long climbs (or even not so long ones when I'm tired), I imagine myself as one of those cartoon characters whose legs just go 'round and 'round and 'round but he doesn't go much of anywhere very fast.

Kert was offended that I took this picture for him...

At the top of the climb was Norman Station, a dot even on my map that showed every street in every speck of a town. I was getting hungry and had some fig newtons after the climb. 58 wound through 'town' at 90 degree turns, but there were a couple signs for the Hitchin' Post, and a loop around the 'block' brought me to their wood-fired smoker. It smelled so good I thought I'd sit a spell in the rockers on the porch (it always has to be 'a spell' when it's a rocker). But the smell lured me in. A Coke and grilled tenderloin later, Kathy with a K and I were having a nice conversation about education and life in Indiana and other such important matters. We'd been having such a good conversation that I just plain forgot and walked out without tipping her after paying at the cash register. I don't think it will be too tough to find the right address and make it up to her, especially since she was so interested in my trip.

58 then followed a little stream and I just had to stop and look at a little herd of ducks. I believe that as the former Iowa State Fair poultry queen, I'm required to do so (Surprising mix of breeds actually-mallard, khaki, fawn runner, and peking all hanging out together).

Then onto 446 with a lane-width shoulder all to myself. Banana peels showed me I was on the trail of at least a couple riders, but the trail was already a couple hours old. I crossed into Hoosier National Forest at the top of another long climb. I don't mind those long gradual ones. It's those little steep ones that get me (Joy cowers at the thought of Virginia's mountains and Missouri's Ozarks). Yet another uphill grind (hey, that's why I came to this area for my shakedown) brought me to Paynestown SRA.

"Welcome to Hellton" (sorry, can't resist a Dead Poet's Society reference)

Climbing on 446 (yes, there is more than corn in Indiana)

My first turtles! (Actually, the ones on the previous log were camera shy and plopped off into the water at the first sight of my camera, so these aren't quite the first)

The sky started to get threatening ('hey buddy, you think you're tough on that there bike? Check this!), and by the time I'd found a good site (300 to choose from, so it took a while), it was raining. I waited it out under an awning since it didn't look like it would be around for long.

Note: don't ever pick a campsite that recently had a river running through it.

It soon cleared and I put up the tent body, hung out some still-damp clothes from the day before on the poles, and went to shower. Then it sprinkled when I was showering and dripped on my stuff, so I moved things and put on the tent fly. Then it started a hurry-up-you-fool-and-throw-everything-in-the-tent-quick kind of rain, stopping just long enough for me to warm up water for dinner, but not long enough for me to eat it outside. And I just HAD to pick a site by the showerhouse without a Pepsi machine. And Pepsi would have been so good with my cheesy white and wild rice chicken. Yum!

Yummy Cheesy White and Wild Rice Chicken!!!

Uh-oh. A couple of damp spots on the floor-hopefully from things I brought in and not from water trying to come in. I'd love to see them try to collect my camping fee in this weather. (Note: it eventually cleared enough for the sunset and for me to go look for some Pepsi)

Messy campground residents. As Ralph told me, "they eat three blades of grass and they squirt a wheelbarrow."

No, silly, I didn't use that other campsite...

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