And they’re off…Pea Soup Green has the early lead but Coonhound One and Two are quickly closing the gap. Pea Soup Green is starting to accelerate but so are Coonhound One and Two. Wait, Coonhound Two is dropping back but Coonhound One has pulled almost even with Pea Soup Green.  Looks like Pea Soup Green is shifting gears and going all out…24.8 mph and, and, and Coonhound One has finally pulled up. The winner by a half length (or maybe a wheel) Pea Soup Green !!! The crowd goes crazy as the jockey pumps his fist violently in victory. No need for pepper spray in this race (but thanks to soon to be Mayor Joe H, I was totally ready with the spray if it was needed). 

Got an early start and the Ole Bus Stop Diner actually served me before they were even open for breakfast. It was once again humid and there was quite a bit of fog…translates to I was soaked even before I climbed my first hill. Which by the way was immediately there as I left town. Light traffic and heavy dogs for the first 25 miles. The first chase was initiated before mile two was in the books. Overall I think there were about 8 separate chases with the largest pack of dogs being 4, then one pack of 3, two pairs, and the rest being solos.  The Coonhounds were far and away the fastest. There were a couple dogs that just looked at me and sneered as I went by and one was sleeping smack dab in the center of the road. I think it was too early for them to engage.  

Being confident in my masculinity (or lack thereof 😳), when I got to Buckhorn I stopped to ask one of the construction workers for some direction advice. Why should I go out on the damaged roads and have to hike through the mud (it poured and hailed last night, strong winds too) if Route 28 was open all the way and I could use it to get to Route 15 and into Hazard?  He agreed and the detour was now my route. It still had plenty of climbing and only cut one mile off the day. Well worth it and I’m happy to take a time penalty if need be. 

I didn’t take pictures again today. For sure I wasn’t going to stop in the land of the dogs and stopping on the uphills is just not smart. Then of course there was the fog which didn’t lift for a couple-three hours. Finally and maybe the best reason is, I didn’t want to stop and take pictures of the impacted folks’ misery. Houses were gone, roads broken away, bridges over streams and creeks gone or impassable. I think the high school is being totally gutted. Trees downed all around from the floods and newer ones from last night’s storm. Piles of garbage that was once someone’s home and/or worldly possessions. It was just heartbreaking to see the conditions the folks are now forced to live in and rebuild from. They absolutely need our help…please think about reaching out and donating to the Red Cross or some other fund to help!

Tomorrow is…well let’s just wait until tomorrow to see. 

Night all

ian