Day 33

A Mighty Wind

April 28th, 2010



Most of the trees in this cemetery were leaning over like this one, permanently bent by the stiff winds.

Day 33

Nice caboose!

April 28th, 2010



In someone's back yard

Day 33

My name is Maria

April 28th, 2010



I live at Walk behind and my head is broken.

Day 34

These signs are everywhere

April 29th, 2010



This is a pretty standard library icon. Isn't it a little strange?

Day 34

Family Fun Center

April 29th, 2010



I have my doubts.




Perhaps I should retract my previous comment.

Day 34

The Railroad in the Swamp

April 29th, 2010



Now a multi-use trail

Day 34

Ghost rails

April 29th, 2010



Taking a walk on the old Toledo, Norwalk, and Cleveland right-of-way

Day 34




from the defunct railroad

Day 34




Complete with pouting child in front.

Day 34




On the same lawn!

Day 34

Beer drive-thru

April 29th, 2010



A proud Ohio tradition

Day 34

CHSH FIESTH

April 29th, 2010



ON HHYES HVENUE

Day 34




Uncle Ray Tells Really Lame Stories.

(The sticker was originally on the front of the package.)

Day 35

Dave and Jan

April 30th, 2010



They wanted us to feel right at home from the start. Jan set up the sofa bed while Dad and I showered, and then we shared some popcorn and nominally watched golf while Dave and Dad had a good long discussion about how things have changed since the old days. After breakfast this morning, Jan packed us a couple of snack bags for the road, and told us "Thanks for stopping by!"

Thanks for having us!

Day 35




I didn't notice.

Day 35

Another windy day

April 30th, 2010



on the flats of Ohio

Day 35

Awesome mailbox #6

April 30th, 2010



I think it's #6, anyway.

Day 35

More wind

April 30th, 2010



Rustlin' the crops

Day 36

Dad departs

May 1st, 2010



We parted ways this morning in Bowling Green, OH. For the record, he walked 8 miles on Monday after meeting me in the afternoon, and then 23, 20, 22, and 23 miles on each of the following days. He's a tough ol' sonofabitch!

Day 36




So there's art on the sides of buildings.

Bowling Green, OH

Day 36




Something of a palimpsest




"Vote Friday on Tuesday"?
"Vote Tuesday for Friday"?
"Vote Friday, but do it on Tuesday"?
"Take Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday out of the equation, and there's a 50% chance you'll get it right"?

Day 36

Young pine cones

May 1st, 2010



They grow up so fast

Day 36

Some bigger windmills

May 1st, 2010



Ohio's first utility-scale wind farm

Day 36

Awesome mailbox #7

May 1st, 2010



Weird!

Day 36

Lake Erie buffers

May 1st, 2010



Read more about filter strips.

Day 37

Waiting for the rains

May 2nd, 2010



A nice elderly couple let me stay in their barn last night, sheltering me from the huge thunderstorm that rolled through in the wee hours of the morning.

Day 37

State pride!

May 2nd, 2010



Or, more likely, willingness to have things painted on one's barn in exchange for money.

Day 37

Rural skyscrapers

May 2nd, 2010



The largest grain elevator I've seen so far.

Day 37

Google defeated?

May 2nd, 2010



I can't find anything about this guy or his parkways. Any nerds out there up to the task?

Day 37




Napoleon, OH

Day 37




A first on this trip

Day 37

TV TIME POPCORN

May 2nd, 2010



The Google results are basically people asking "Does anyone remember TV Time Popcorn?" Well, do you?

Day 37

Draining the fields

May 2nd, 2010



where there once was a swamp.

Day 37

Awesome retaining wall

May 2nd, 2010



That must have been tiring to build.

Day 37




But I like the sign.

Day 37

A muddy creek

May 2nd, 2010



Or maybe it's part of Willy Wonka's factory.

Day 38




Last night I was on a road with no houses anywhere in sight. It had been raining on and off all day, and there were some menacing clouds in the sky, so I ducked into an old barn I saw just off the road. The people you see pictured were out riding their four-wheelers and stopped by the barn to give me a beer. Jerry, all the way on the right, also made a financial contribution, bringing the total for this trip to over $100!

Day 38

Buck Cemetery

May 3rd, 2010



Spoooooooky...

No, wait. Muuuuuuuddy. It was muddy.

Day 38




And I'm glad I finally took the time to read about them.

Day 38

This might be

May 3rd, 2010



my favorite bridge since New York

Day 38




Coming Soon: Fields of Western Ohio, Part II

Day 38




As promised.

Day 39

Yet another barn night

May 4th, 2010



I ducked inside this abandoned barn yesterday evening to escape a storm, and decided to spend the night here as the rains kept on pounding until near sunset.

Day 39




The shadows were long early this morning.

Day 39

Dear Indiana,

May 4th, 2010



HELLO I AM HERE.

Day 39




As soon as I crossed into Indiana, I spotted the first flowering dogwood of the trip.

Day 39

This poor sign

May 4th, 2010



This is the most abused sign I've seen so far.

Day 39

Hot asphalt

May 4th, 2010



You could hear the bubbles popping when a car drove over them.