Day 4 hardest day

This morning I needed to get my bike worked on so I went to Mike's bike shop in London, KY.  You can see the pictures of it in my earlier blogs,. The store does not officially open till 10 AM however, Mike allowed me to come in just a few minutes early. He's a real nice guy and he explained a lot about bike maintenance and repairs to me. He fixed my bike rack, and gave me a tuneup and lube.

As I said earlier, today has been the hardest day yet. The hills were numerous and long. Coming out of London up 638 is one very long hill.The good thing about 638 is once you get near the top of the hill there is a store called Robinson's market. They serve both cold cuts and hot food. Had  a good meal with some very down-to-earth country people. Amanda and the workers there fix pretty good hotdogs.

Between London and Mt. Vernon there are hardly any places to get food or water (unless you get it from the rivers and creeks, for which you will need a filter). After Robinson's market, you will not see another store until you get to Mount Vernon. There is a café in Livingston however, it was closed when I came through around 7 PM. Even though it was a long and winding road, and even though I am exhausted and sore, it was a great day. There was the beauty of the rolling hills on the mountain tops, and the winding of the creeks and rivers along the trace. There were quite a variety of cattle and barnyard animals. The biggest aggravation today were the many dogs that chased me. At one house there was a whole pack of dogs that came out after me. They circled around me like a pack of wolves. I continued to put my bike between myself and them. Next time I will probably bring Pepper spray with me.

One of the highlights of the day was coming down the other side of 490. Once you start down the mountain you do not have another big hill until you get to State Road 25. The road from Rockcastle river bridge all the way to Livingston is an easy ride, however, State Road 25 from Livingston to Mount Vernon is demanding. Adding to the struggle was the fact that I ran out of water just after I got to Livingston. Getting my bike worked on was a necessary thing but it did put me behind. I rode into Mount Vernon at the Kastle Inn just as it turned dark.

As I contemplated my journey today I could not help but think about how life is much like the road I am on. There are up hill  challenges  and there are dangers around every curve. Sometimes when you think you can't go any further, you find that extra strength to go on. You long for the destination, but you cherish the journey.

To follow along on the trip you can view the actual journey and pictures by clicking on the link below:

 Expect great things from God, Attempt great things for God - William Carey

Larry Penix