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Indiana – Thursday, May 30

Part of the reason I headed toward Indianapolis yesterday was because of the donation I’d be making today. But first I wanted to get some walking in. So I headed back to Columbus, which had been a good walking town, and went to a couple of their parks with trails. Tula walked with me for a little over 2 miles in Noblitt Park and seemed ready to do a bit more, but I’m still going to take it easy with her. She is at least tolerating the Lyme disease medication with no ill effects, so that’s a good thing! Then I drove a short ways to Mill Race Park and walked nearly 2 more miles. There were lots of school groups out – tis the time of year for class picnics and field trips! So I was half done with my walking before moving on to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is the location for Camp Atterbury, which is a training base for the Indiana National Guard, and has also been a place for training for thousands of soldiers who were later deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The local USO was located in one of the buildings, so that was my destination. I had a little trouble finding the correct entrance, but when I got to the right spot, I had to stop at the visitor center first to get a day pass. As usual, they needed to see my license, registration and insurance. Then I drove onto the base, and thanks to the directions a volunteer at the USO gave me, I didn’t have trouble finding the USO building. This is a big “camp”, with dozens and dozens – probably hundreds – of buildings and barracks, and many of them are identical. Everyone is in uniform, whether walking down the street, or driving tank-like vehicles around. I went into the USO and there were more soldiers enjoying some time in there than I’ve seen at some other USOs. They were playing ping-pong, or watching TV, or working on computers, or just hanging out. There was a big counter full of snacks and beverages and it just seemed to have a comfortable air about it as a place to come relax a bit. I gave them my donation and was happy to be able to help out in a small way.

Then Tula and I headed for a park outside of town and took a short walk on an old railroad bed that ended abruptly at the river. I thought it was going to be a longer trail! It was pretty hot out, so I left Tula in the car with the a/c while I walked nearly 2 1/2 miles through the town of Edinburgh, and out into adjoining neighborhoods. One of the buildings I passed in town was the place where soldiers go to get their deployment meds – I don’t often think about all the shots and vaccines and stuff they must need as they’re deployed to the far reaches of the world. And there was also a sign saying Edinburgh was the “Black Walnut Veneer Capital of the World”! I wonder who thinks of these things?!?!

By then I was nearly done with my walking for the day, but I stopped in Franklin, the next town down the road, and Tula and I did another mile and a quarter before calling it a day – giving me an extra 1/2 mile for the day. I now have 4 1/2 extra miles to go with the stormy forecasts for the next couple of days.

Indiana – Wednesday, May 29

Tula and I went for a mile and a half walk around the campground as soon as we were up and about. And then I drove to Clifty Falls and did another mile and a half of walking on some of the trails. The falls were pretty – not as big as I was expecting, but still pretty. And I enjoyed the walk in the woods – there were some big rocks along the trail, including one called Cake Rock that looked like a birthday cake tipping off a platter. I wouldn’t want to be around when that rock finally breaks loose! Clifty Falls is a big state park – there’s even an inn on the grounds. And as I was driving back out of the state park I saw 3 turkeys.

Then I headed back into Madison, a near-by town that I drove through last night when it was dark. It looked like a fun one to return to, and I’m so glad I did. They had a long river walk, and Tula and I walked it from one end to the other. Everything was green and grassy, and there were flowers, and more barges on the river – a very scenic walk. We even followed the old railroad tracks at the end of the river trail for a ways, and covered 2 1/2 miles and then Tula was ready for a rest. I left the air on for her while I covered another 2 1/2 miles walking from one end of town to the other on the main street. Madison is said to have the largest historic district in the state, and it was a good town to walk through – lots of well-maintained old buildings, and good window shopping. Madison also has the oldest tavern in the state and a restored horse and livery building.

When I was literally walking my last block before getting back to the van, I happened to pass by a Big Brothers Big Sisters office, and the door was wide open – like it was just waiting for me! So I thought this would be a good place for my donation today – I’ve heard of the program, but haven’t made a donation to it yet. Before going in, I went to the van to write a short note and get my checkbook, then I went back to the office, and met Gina, who’s been working for Big Brothers Big Sisters for 5 years. I explained a little bit about what I was doing, and that I’d be happy to make a donation if they could use it, and she was so appreciative of it, and very supportive of my journey. She even wanted to meet Tula! She told me their local BBBS program has 80 pairs of mentors/students, and that many of them have been together for years. Several of their students are graduating, and part of the reason is the positive impact of their mentors. There are probably lifelong bonds and friendships between some of these people, and I was happy to be able to help a tiny bit. Gina also told me that their satellite program in Kentucky has another 13 (31??) pairs. What a rewarding experience for both the mentor and the student!

I was hungry by then, and got some take-out food from the interesting looking Hong Kong Kitchen. The road out of town no longer followed the river, so I decided to head northwest toward Indianapolis. It was very hilly once I got out of town, and there was a pull-off under a large rock overhang – it dwarfed the van and made it look like it was going to get squished in the rocks! Along the way I stopped in Columbus, which is known for architectural design (which I know nothing about), and walked another 2.2 miles, which put me a little over 10 miles again today. I’m hearing some reports of bad weather being around all weekend, which is why I’m trying to get a few extra miles of walking done. I stopped for the night in Taylorsville, just a little south of Indianapolis.

Indiana – Tuesday, May 28

This morning I was all packed up and ready to leave, when the phone rang, and it was the vet with Tula’s Lyme disease results – she has a pretty bad case of it. The normal numbers for whatever they test in Lyme diesease are 0-40; Tula’s are 253. Yikes- poor dog. I backtracked into Cincinnati so I could fill a prescription for her – Tula will be on a pretty aggressive round of antibiotics – 2 pills twice a day for month. On one hand, I’m happy to finally know what I’m dealing with, and on the other hand I worry about permanent damage and feel bad I didn’t have this particular test done sooner. I hope the treatment will be effective, and I imagine I’ll always have to monitor this. She’ll still be taking it easy on the walking as she recovers.

After that, I crossed the Ohio River into Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Right away I could see this would be a good walking town, and Tula and I set out for a short walk along the river trail. Then I put her back in the van while I walked in the other direction, and I also got caught up with a couple of my dance instructors about the performances this weekend, and it was really nice to hear all their news – a good distraction from my worries for Tula! While on the river walk, I also noticed the beginning of a rail trail, so I moved the van and left Tula in the comfort of the air-conditioning, and walked another few miles on the rail trail. The first segment of the rail trail passed a big electricity-generating plant of some sort – there were piles of coal in the yard, steaming smokestacks, and sizzling wires overhead. And then there was even a sign by a bench that explained how coal is turned into electricity – in terms I could understand! I don’t know how electricity works (and am not particularly interested – I’m simply happy a light comes on when I flick a switch!) but after seeing countless trains and barges on the river full of coal, I did become slightly curious about it all. The sign just basically explained that the barges dump all the coal at the plant, then conveyor belts take the coal to a machine that pulverizes it into a powdery consistency, and that is burned which produces a high heat, which turns water (not sure where the water is) into steam, which powers a turbine that runs a generator, and voila! Light!

After passing the electrical plant, the rail trail became a wonderfully shaded, quiet walkway – I was literally walking under a canopy of leaves. And the trail went across an old train trestle. Lawrenceburg was a great place to start the Indiana week. In all, I walked just a little over 6 miles there with the river trail and the rail trail. I decided simply to drive southwest along the Ohio River, and the next town I came to was Aurora. Aurora also had a river trail, and Tula and I walked 1.8 miles on that after enjoying a little Dairy Queen snack!

And then I came to Rising Sun – another beautiful river town. It’s known as the barge viewing capital of the Ohio River. They also had a river walk and Tula and I did another short walk along the river, and then I went for a walk through town while she rested in the car. I did another 2 miles in this town, bringing me to a total of 10 for the day – despite a late start! Rising Sun was named for the beautiful sunrises over the green cliffs across the river in Kentucky. They also have a little amphitheatre dug into the banks of the river which must be an awesome place to watch fireworks! And there was an old paddlewheeler tied up downstream a bit – this part of the river used to be full of those too. Back in the day, the Ohio River (and many others) was a crowded, lively, congested river highway – the main means of transportation for people and freight! I wish I could see it like that for just a couple days!

Because I had enjoyed these little river towns so much, I wanted to make a donation in one of them, and Rising Sun actually had a food pantry. It wasn’t open in the evening, but I drove over to the Rising Sun Church of Christ, and found the Free Store food pantry, which is part of the Christian Outreach Center. It had its own separate building right next to the church parking lot, and I imagine it has helped a lot of people in its day. I’ll be mailing them my donation, since no one was there to take it.

I continued a beautiful evening drive along the river, going through a county named Switzerland, and ended up at Clifty Falls State Park, where I was the last camper to check in for the evening! The campground had been full over Memorial Day, but it wasn’t crowded tonight, and even though it was mostly dark as I was getting set up, it was good to be camping in a state park again!

Ohio – Monday, May 27

I was up and out early so I could get to Ironton, and find my way around to park and get a spot to watch the parade. With thousands of people coming in to watch, I thought I’d have a hard time, but I found a place to park just a couple blocks away from where I’d be sitting, and I got my chair set up to “save” my spot, and then I had time to get Tula out for a 2-mile walk through Ironton. It was fun walking all around town, and walking past all the different staging areas for the parade. Last night I had read that the Harvest for the Hungry Food Pantry would be open before and after the parade, to pass out water and snacks if people wanted them, and to provide some information about the food pantry. I wanted to make a donation there, so I found the food pantry, and met Diane, the director. She told me the food pantry has been helping people for over 20 years, and they were just able to move into their new location last fall, so they’re enjoying their new space. They help about 500 families a month, and they can shop at a food bank and stretch my dollars farther than I can!

Then Tula and I settled into our spot to watch the parade – I even brought her dog bed out for her to lay on. With a 21-gun salute and a rendition of Taps, the parade began. And it was a full 2-hour parade with countless military and veterans organizations, firetrucks, bands, flags, church groups, scouts, karate, dance and gymnastic groups, community groups, old cars, and horses. Toward the end there was even a hillbilly section with old, old cars decorated with road kill and moonshine barrels, and the people dressed in overalls and straw hats. Kids got lots of candy, and I don’t think anyone could chew all the Double Bubble gum that was passed out! It was a fun parade to see.

I paid attention to the group leading the parade and that was the local VFW Post 8850. I had already decided my military-related donation for the week was going to go to the group who organized the parade. So I found their post, and went in and rang the buzzer for non-members, and someone came out to take the donation and give me a receipt. It sounded like a lively group inside the building – all happy with the success of a good parade and good (although cool) weather despite an early threat of rain!

Then it was time to start heading west again. But I only got about 1/2 hour or so up the road when it occurred to me I hadn’t yet bought Ohio postcards, which I send to various family members every week. I was in the town of Portsmouth, and stopped at a CVS to see if by any chance they had any. They didn’t, but the guy referred me to the visitor center and said they had a lot. I didn’t know if they’d be open on a holiday, but it was worth a try, and then I saw something I had forgotten about. I had been in Portsmouth before, maybe about 12 years ago, for a dance performance weekend with a bunch of kids from the studio. Taryn was young, and wasn’t performing, but she and the other younger dancers were also able to participate in a master class and watch the performance that some of our older studio kids were performing in. One of the things we all saw when we were down there were the flood wall murals, and when I saw those again, I knew Tula and I would have to get out and walk and admire them again. Portsmouth is right on the Ohio River, and there are 20′ high concrete flood walls along the riverbank, and an artist created a timeline of murals depicting the history of the town from prehistoric times to the present. They take up about 1/3 of a mile, and they’re all 20 feet tall, so it’s a very large, impressive work of art. I had to walk by twice to look at it all. But I hadn’t forgotten my quest for postcards, and I actually passed a little museum that was open and I asked the lady if they had any postcards, and she said the museum didn’t, but the shop next door did, so she simply went over and unlocked that shop and I was able to buy my postcards! And then I got to talking with her a bit more, and realized it was a small military museum that was open for the special weekend. I put Tula back in the van so I could go in and have a look at the museum, and it was a wonderful display of military memorabilia from WW1 on. Their son and grandson are both military people and avid collectors, and they have so much stuff they change the museum displays every year. There was a donation box since there was no entry fee, and although I had already sort of earmarked money for a donation earlier in the week, I hadn’t actually sent it yet, and I thought a donation that preserves military memories was a fitting Memorial Day donation! They were interested in my journey and pleased to be a part of it, and then the lady told me she and her husband graduated in 1956, and also got married in 1956, and that made the donation all the better! So all of this came from a simple stop at CVS for postcards – otherwise I would have driven right through Portsmouth! It’s so fun when things work out like that.

Then I needed to put on some miles. I thoroughly enjoyed following the road westward along the river – it was a beautiful drive. Most of the towns I passed through were small, and had no sidewalks, and then I came to Manchester and saw a lot of sidewalks, so I was able to finish my walking, on the sidewalks, and a few laps around the track at the local high school where the sidewalk ended.

And so Ohio – State #34 – was complete! I had walked all 56 miles and made all 7 donations – the Hunger Walk, the Lancaster Food Pantry, the Bloom-Carroll Schools, Ducks Unlimited, Harvest for the Hungry Food Pantry, VFW Post 8850 and the Boneyfiddle Military Museum.

I left Ohio and stayed in Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati, ready to drive into Indiana in the morning!

Ohio – Sunday, May 26

After spending 4 nights at Tara and Josh’s house, and kind of using it as a home base for some of my walking and all, it was time to move on. But I wasn’t in a hurry, and spent most of the morning there with them. I feel very fortunate to have been able to be in Ohio 5 times since the beginning of my journey to see the grandkids – having a new grandson born the day before I left wasn’t in the original trip plans! And they grow and change so fast – I’m glad Ohio has been a state that’s been relatively easy to get to from the east side of the country. Now that I’m beginning to head west, I won’t be able to get back there for about 4 1/2 months, and they’re not ready to travel with 2 little ones, so I soaked up every last minute with them.

Since I had a poky start, I headed back over to Indian Lake State Park to walk 3 more miles along the pretty trail by the lake. Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, there were a lot of people out enjoying the water again. Then I stopped at an old-fashioned root beer stand for a coney dog, and began to head south. I wanted to make my way back down to the Ohio/Kentucky border, to the little town of Ironton, which is host to the biggest, oldest Memorial Day parade in the country, and I knew I would have to stay nearby because the parade was due to start at 10am tomorrow morning.

While driving south, I passed through the town of Urbana, and it looked like a good place to get out and do some more walking. I enjoy seeing these small towns that are decorated with flags and red, white and blue banners for Memorial Day. Tula and I got out and walked through the old historic part of town, and then a few blocks out of town we came upon a rail trail, so we walked on some of that. Tula began to get tired, so we walked back to the car, and I drove to a different parking area, and set off again on the rail trail in the other direction, out into farmland. Again, I am struck by the peacefulness of the countryside – it was fun to walk past farms and fields, and it was easy to get 4 more miles of walking done there.

Then I took a little detour to Daytona and the national veteran’s cemetery there. I wanted to walk through one of those this weekend, to see what it looked like with flags out by all of the markers. And it was truly impressive. Even the most unpatriotic of people would have to feel at least a little pride in America while walking through a place like that! It was very touching to see row up row, acre upon acre, of white gravestones with red, white and blue flags by each one of them. I can’t imagine how much time that takes, but everyone is remembered. Even though many of the veterans who rest in peace there returned from combat to live a full life, one’s heart skips a beat to pass the graves of young soldiers who died in the recent conflicts in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. It was a very memorable walk to finish up 10 miles today, and I will be making my military-related donation tomorrow after the parade.

Then I had a few hours of driving through southern Ohio in the evening hours. I always enjoy being able to drive through the countryside, especially after having walked so much. It was late when I checked in to the motel, but I was only about 15 miles from Ironton, and that was my goal!

Ohio – Saturday, May 25

Tara had to be in at work early, but I stayed around a bit through the morning to give Josh a hand with the kiddos. Then it was time to head out for some walking. Tula and I started with a 2 mile walk in a local park, then headed over to a bike trail around part of Indian Lake, which is a huge lake with islands and everything. The trail was right by the water and was a fun one to walk on. Even though it wasn’t a hot day, there were lots of people out boating, skiing, tubing and jet-skiing. Lots of geese liked parts of the lake too, and most of them had babies following them around, and I was hissed at by numerous geese as I walked past them. I was glad Tula was in the car for that particular stretch of the walk – she would have wanted to chase them, and she doesn’t need any encounters with angry geese! I walked 2 1/2 miles along the trail and then back again. Then I got Tula out for the last mile to finish off 8 miles.

My donation for today went to Ducks Unlimited – I actually made that donation back in March when I visited, and we all went to the Ducks Unlimited banquet. A lot of my extended family members are outdoor people and hunters, and Josh is in charge of the local DU banquet next year, and I’m happy to support the organization.

Tara was home from work by the time I got back there, and I had more time with the grandkids. Josh barbecued some chicken for dinner and we all enjoyed a pleasant evening. Then I got Tula out for another couple miles of walking along the farm lane by their house – the sun had gone down, but it was still light enough to walk and it’s such a wonderful, peaceful place.

Ohio – Friday, May 24

My dad was en route to Michigan from South Dakota, so he came via Ohio, and got to Tara’s house this morning, and spent the whole day here. Since I was ahead with about 5 miles of Ohio walking anyway (2 of them were from my March visit when I thought I would be doing the Ohio week then, but I ended up heading back to Maryland), I took the day off, and enjoyed a 4-generation family day instead. Those are special times! When Josh got home from work he barbecued steaks, and it was a fun way to kick off summer!

All my pictures for today include the grandkids, and I’m honoring a family request to not put their photos on my blog at this time. But they’re cute as can be and I’m a lucky grandma!!!

Ohio – Thursday, May 23

I had scheduled a dental appointment at Tara’s dentist, and the only time they could get me in was 11:00, which happened to be the same time Tara had to start work (she’s a nurse), so I couldn’t babysit the kids today. But the kids were up early and we had some playtime before packing them up for the babysitters, who happen to be part of an Amish family nearby. The kids only have to go 2-3 afternoons a week, and it’s a wonderful arrangement. Two Amish girls look after 4 kids (there used to be 3 babysitters, but the oldest one just got married) on the family farm, and they occasionally go outside to “help” with chores and all. It was fun to see the place when we dropped the kids off.

I continued on to my dentist appointment, and now I’m done with that until I get back to my regular dentist. I hadn’t heard back from the vet yet about a possible appointment for Tula, but I was nearby, and stopped in in person. They agreed to see her at 4:30. So Tula and I just stayed in Bellefontaine, and we walked a couple miles around the downtown area. Bellefontaine’s “claim to fame” is having the oldest concrete street in the US – it was paved with concrete back in 1891. Tula was ready for a rest, so I put her in the car, then went on a long walk on long streets through residential areas. Bellefontaine was a good town for walking, and I finished up the 7 miles that I did today in yet another part of town. This time I ran across “the world’s shortest street.” It was only a few yards long – connecting one street to another.

Then it was time for Tula’s appointment. They were really busy – possibly people wanting to get in before the Memorial Day weekend. We had to wait nearly an hour extra for our appointment, but it was worth it. We went over Tula’s history, and my concern about Lyme disease, and the vet spent a lot of time with us. Tula was terrified of the exam table – it was low down like a scale, but then it could be raised electronically so that large dogs could be examined at a height that works well for the vet. Tula didn’t like being raised up like that. The vet did a thorough physical exam, including stretching her neck, feeling her backbone, and stretching out all her legs, where she found sore spots in one of her “wrists” and both back knees. There were no swollen joints, which is a good thing, but definitely some tenderness. We had decided to do a full blood screening, and the blood for the Lyme disease would have to be sent out, so she needed to get enough blood for both the in-house tests, and to send out. So she had to use the vein in Tula’s neck, but had to try a few times because the vein kept rolling. Tula’s vital signs were all normal, and she could finally get off the table, and I took her back out to the van while I waited for the test results. After about 1/2 hour, the vet came out to talk with me again – all the blood chemistry tests they had done were normal, but it would take 4-5 days to get the Lyme disease results back. We talked about how we would handle things with me on the road – if the Lyme disease test is positive, she can prescribe the antibiotics, and we’ll figure out how to do that once we know where I am; if the Lyme disease test is negative, she suggested maybe putting Tula on a course of pain pills for the tender joints while we sort out what other tests we might need to do.

I didn’t make a donation today since I had doubled up yesterday.

The vet appointment took a lot longer than expected, so I got back to Tara’s house past dinnertime, and we just ordered in some Chinese food and enjoyed the evening.

Ohio – Wednesday, May 22

I headed east to Zanesville this morning to start my walking, and to see some of the things that make this town unique. Zanesville used to be known as the Pottery Capital of the US and they had several large pieces on display in various places around town. Tula and I did a little walking, but she’s dragging a bit. So she waited for me in the car as I walked around town some more. I walked over the “Y-Bridge” – there aren’t many of them in the US. Zanesville’s Main Street is said to be the first one in America, and it’s part of the old National Road that I first ran across in Frederick, Maryland. I also noticed a canal with a path alongside it, so Tula and I took a walk along that too. There were a couple 10-11 year old boys pulling a wagon loaded down with fishing poles and stuff (playing hooky from school?!?!) – again, such a timeless activity! I walked past the canal locks, and it looks like they might still be used – I’ve been running across more canals than I ever expected to see, and there’s something fascinating about them! I walked a little over 3 miles in Zanesville.

Then I started heading west again along a scenic drive to Lancaster. Ohio is beautiful to drive through – lots of green rolling hills dotted with farms. I had read about the Lancaster Food Pantry, which is part of the Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio that was formed back in 1912, making it one of the oldest social service organizations. They offer a variety of programs, but I was interested in making a donation to the food pantry. I called to see if they would prefer a food donation or a check, and discovered they were going to be closing for the day in about 1/2 hour. There wasn’t time to shop for food, so I went and dropped off a check. Their food pantry was very neat and organized, and they were helping a few final people before closing for the day.

Then there were a couple parks side-by-side in town that I was going to visit to get some more walking in. Tula and I started out in the Rising Sun Park, and she walked along happily for about a mile and a half before getting tired. I’m on the wait list for an appointment at Tara’s vet tomorrow. It was starting to sprinkle anyway, so I put her back in the car, then I did some more walking in Rising Sun Park, then crossed the street to go walking in the Fairgrounds Park. I always like fairgrounds, and this was a big one, with lots of livestock barns, including a round cattle barn. There were goat barns, pig barns and a long row of horse barns in addition to a racetrack. One side of the fairgrounds was full of old buildings that had been moved to be on display – sort of like an outdoor museum, which included an old doctor’s building, a country store, a covered bridge, a chapel, a schoolhouse etc. I walked all around the whole place a couple times and didn’t mind to get rained on a bit. There were other people out walking too. Then I crossed back over to Rising Sun park and walked up onto one of the trails on the side of some big hills where the trees kept me protected from the rain. I saw some deer, and one of them walked toward me like it wanted to pose for my camera! I finished my walking for the day despite the rain, and I didn’t even get all that wet.

By now it was late afternoon, and it was time to make a beeline for Tara and Josh’s house where I could spend time with the grandkiddos again! Since I had finished all my walking, and had more than an hour of driving ahead of me, I wanted to stop and get a cold Diet Coke for the drive. I passed a McDonalds, and at first I wasn’t going to turn into that one, because there was a lot of traffic in the opposite lanes. But there was also a traffic light, so I figured it was as good a place to stop as any. I was waiting in the drive-thru line when I noticed about a half dozen adults in red t-shirts who were talking to all the drivers in line, and it looked like they were selling something. It turned out that they were teachers – and the principal – from the Bloom-Carroll Middle School, and they were selling chocolate chip cookies to raise money for the school. And this turned into a fun donation opportunity for me! I told them I could do a little more than buy some cookies, and I pulled out of the line, wrote a little note, and wrote out a donation check. The teachers and principal were wonderfully supportive and interested in my journey, and that made the donation all the more fun. One of them told me that they were specifically raising money for a new display case to showcase their Students of the Month in their Hall of Fame. The students of the month are not necessarily chosen for their academic or athletic talents (they have their own hall of fame), but are chosen for their own personal achievements that are milestones for them. I was happy to be able to help a little with something like that.

Then I finished my drive to Tara’s – a little later than expected, but it’s always good to be there! I’ll be enjoying grandma time and using their place as a home base for the next few days 🙂

Ohio – Tuesday, May 21

I entered Ohio by way of Cincinnati, and although I’ve driven through Cincinnati numerous times on I-75, I’ve never stopped there before. I had read that there were a couple nice riverfront parks with walking trails, so I decided to check it out. And when I did some preliminary donation research, the first thing I noticed was the upcoming Hunger Walk in Cincinnati, scheduled for next Monday which would be Memorial Day. All the money raised would go toward the Freestore Food Bank, and even though I didn’t plan to be in that part of Ohio on Memorial Day, I wanted to support their 10th annual Hunger Walk. So I mailed in a donation.

I didn’t have any trouble finding a place to park by the water, and Tula and I got out to explore the riverfront parks. But one of them was really crowded with kids. It was apparently Kids Fest Day, sponsored by the local fire department, and dozens of groups of young students were there to look at all the police cars, fire engines, rescue vehicles, boats, red cross information, and even a tugboat spraying water like a fire engine. Many of the kids wanted to pet Tula, and it became a little much, so we hastily walked through that area, and stayed on the regular sidewalk when we returned. The other park (the two parks are side-by-side) was wonderful – a long walking path which also included a geologic timeline built into the concrete, gardens, flowers and the pretty river. And there were tugbots pushing barges up and down the river. There were lots of cottonwood trees on the river banks (I’m assuming that’s what they were) shedding their cottony fluff – it had built up around some of the plants like snow, and was floating all around in the air.

Tula had had enough walking by then – I’m still noticing a lack of energy in her, and I had decided when I get to Tara’s house, I’m going to take her in to their vet for a full blood workup. I’m a bit concerned about Lyme disease. I left her in the air-conditioned van and walked across the Purple People Bridge – a pedestrian-only bridge that crosses the Ohio River into Kentucky. I enjoyed my time in the parks, and altogether I walked over 4 1/2 miles there.

Then I headed east for a while, and stopped in Hillsboro to walk another 2 1/2 miles. From there I drove up Chillicothe and the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, which consists of very old mounds of earth which had been used as burial chambers by the Hopewell Indians. I got in another mile of walking around all the mounds.

It was such a beautiful evening out. When I was driving away from the Hopewell place, I noticed the beginning of a rail trail nearby, and even though it was 7:00 and I’d already walked 8 miles, I headed out for another 3 miles of walking on the rail trail. I’m loving the later daylight hours! I passed several ball fields full of teams playing softball – it really makes it seem like summer – such a timeless sport! At the end of my walk, I noticed part of a rainbow in the clouds even though it hadn’t been raining. There was still enough daylight to enjoy another 40 miles of driving through the rolling Ohio farmland as the sun set. I walked 11 miles today and I think I’m happy to be back in the midwest!