Yesterday was another nice morning of riding around Ozark NF and Buffalo NR.  Love the pavement here --- a brown macadem -- perfect for motorcycles.  There are plenty of places to ride off -road around here, even the little country roads are dirt and gravel.  However, with the amount of rain they've had, the back roads are more mud.  Not something I'm willing to do by myself.  Hmmmm, maybe I am growing up?  I think maybe I am just playing it safer because I don't want to fly home with another cast on.  

Talked with a National Park employee while I was at the Tyler Bend Visitor Center.  He approached me with a comment, question.  "Did you know that 1 out of every 10 motorcycle riders today is a woman?"  I laughed and said no, I didn't know that.  Then he was worried that he had offended me.  I had no idea why.  He was from upstate NY, moved here because of the obey part of the marriage contract.  Going on 27 yrs. and still happy.
We talked about motocross and KTM's ( he wants one, but can't afford it).  The old smells and noises around dirt tracks.  He used to go to Unidilla in NY all the time to watch motorcycle races.  He was sure I'd never been there before.  But in fact, I had, with Todd and Tommy probably back in 2000?

Time to hit it, weather not on my side and I had already outstayed my time table for getting to Siloam Springs, AR before the storms.  Traveled some of Arkansas's Heritage Trails.  In Particular, part of the Trail of Tears - US 62 to Harrison through Alpena and part of US412. Gave me a lot to think about.  Parts of those same roads are also Civil War Heritage Trails.  More to think about.  I recalled one of the best tours I have ever had --- that really gave me a sense of what it must have been like to be a soldier in the civil war.  It was at Gettysburg, we were on a cub scout field trip and our tour guide was my ex-brother in law, Steve Timchula.  His twin boys, my nephews were a part of my den.  He brought history alive for not only the boys that day, but for all of us.  

In light of South Carolina's decision this morning, I feel the need to comment.  I have been traveling around Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and every time I saw a battle flag, I felt fear.  A deep seated fear.  Let me add a note here, the battle flag is not one of the flags of the confederacy.  There were 3 official flags.  The battle flag was just that, a flag carried into battle. It was also flown as a Navy jack.  It is known as "Southern Cross".  I've just learned this.
I have read what the Sons of the Confederate Veterans have said.  Heritage not Hate.  I get that, I really do.  I understand the importance of history.  They are proud of their ancestors.
The always wanting to be a rebel, God knows, our government has not done a lot to prove themselves worthy of complete and utter trust.  One person looks at the flag and sees a heritage they are proud of.  Yet another person sees the flag and remembers that her ancestor was lynched.  
I cannot tell you why, but I can tell you that what I feel is very real ---- when I see the battle flag of the confederacy --- my heart jumps into my throat, adrenaline starts rushing and I want to RUN as fast as I can.  
Let me also say here, that everyone on my trip so far has been beyond friendly and considerate.  Both while I have been on my motorcycle and off.  In fact, I was on the wrong side of the road so that I could get a picture and a logging truck actually stopped to wait until the cars in the opposite direction had passed so that he could go all the way around me.  And he waved! 

Onward, I did not beat the storms.  Very thankful I was not on the Interstate.  Just kept riding, slow and steady.  Stormy is a trooper.(Wonder if I should change her name)?

Checked radar maps this morning at 5 am and decided to just wait it out --- tired of riding in the rain.  So I went walking in the rain.  Shipped some things I'm not using or finished using or decided I won't need, home.  Any bets that I'll need something I just shipped!

Headed to Oklahoma City in the morning via Historic Rt. 66, which I'll pick up just S of Tulsa.

While I was breaking down camp in Paris Landing SP --- a man came over to me pulled in by my "Fly Army" sticker.  He was curious.  Very nice conversation, he was from SC. and his 31 yr. old son flies ospreys for the Marine Corps.  Of course, he also got one of my stickers and one of the M stickers.  I just love those stickers!  Luckily the website is printed on the back of them, so I direct them there for more info. But basically, I just say -- please put this on your car and look for motorcyclists.  It is very well received.

My ride that day started out well --- Just a couple of hundred yards and there was "Thompson Drive".  Took the Tennessee River Trail (79 S) among others.  Flat, straight and hot!  Even started seeing  "mirages" ahead of me.  Not sure which is worse, riding in driving rain or in extreme heat.  I have a feeling, I will have an answer for that question by the time I reach California.  Crossed the Mississippi.  One of the drawbacks of being on a motorcycle, is that I won't pull over in dangerous places to take a photograph.  That was never an issue when I was driving a car or a pick-up truck across the country.  I have a lot of images only in my head, which is very frustrating for me.  I have just starting saying " click" to myself when I see something that I can't stop for.  Shared some really good Tennessee fried chicken with a stray dog before crossing the state line.
Went through Sheryl Crow's hometown of Kennett, MO.  At least that's what the sign said.

Made it to Paragould, AR and found a room at 2nd place I stopped.  Holiday Inn Express right off US412.  Perfect --- knew just what to expect --- Hot shower, wifi, soft and firm pillows, ice for my cooler, eggs, coffee and yogurt in the morning. And a cart to carry all my gear.

Monday's ride was the best --- no highways, partly cloudy, so even with temperatures hitting almost 90, I was comfortable.  Have to say, it is a bit strange to see other motorcyclists in t-shirts AND NO helmet.  I have found myself envying them in the heat.  However, I think I would be more uncomfortable without my gear than I would be not sweating.  I look at sweating as a way to cleanse my pores.  HA!!

I stopped quite a few times yesterday ( Mon.)  ----- Had lunch at an elementary school.  I have found schools to be the best rest stops.  Perhaps, because I feel comfortable pulling into them.  The layouts are all pretty much the same --- I always use the bus loop.  Also stopped to photograph another grave site.  I will post those images to Galleries, as soon as I can.  On my blog page, I will just post snap shots taken with my iphone.  
BTW, I never did get to photograph The Whitford cemetery.  I pulled into the dirt road, Imm. saw a HUGE mud puddle -- crossed the whole road, stopped to check it out, dropped my bike.  Got my bike up, by myself, without too much trouble, as most of my gear was in camp and not on my bike.  Took a couple of deep breaths, tried to figure out if I could turn around  -- because of the grade I couldn't --- I had to go through that puddle --- for my whole being ----  I did.  It felt GOOD.  And it was not a problem, at all.  But as I kept going down this dirt road, I began to wonder, how far back would I go?  This was not a well traveled or even occasionally traveled road.  I checked my cell -- no service.  Here, I could and did turn around.  
So headed off into a larger town to get some supplies ---- Saw a sign for Ft.Donelson and Ft Donelson National Cemetery.  Very cool.  Did spend some time with my camera in the cemetery.  Really well taken care of - nice to see.  It is maintained by The National Park Service.

As I was riding yesterday, I started noticing Black eyed Susans, everywhere.  Even in rock.  Then all of a sudden, I felt an overwhelming sense of my brother talking to me.  He was with me. This is a much longer story than I am going to go into here, but I had to pull over to cry and enjoy the feeling.  

As Tommy reminded me a couple of months ago, this trip is about me.  A week in and I am finally starting to understand and relax into what that means.  It means a discipline and a commitment to selfishness.  About silence and allowing my muse access to greater forces than my mind.  About getting out of my head and into my heart, my soul.  About God and the infinite universe.  To me, right now that seems selfish ---- but I'm beginning to be OK with that.  I am truly blessed to be married to a man that understands me better than I do myself.  Thank God!

Wonderful loop ride through the Ozarks this morning --- Driving, wind driven rain on way back to my little cabin outside of Yellville, AR.  All settled in and drying out.  Time for a beer and a steak.  "Life is Good".

Happy 4th of July to everyone.  Currently in Paris Landing State Park.  Just South of The Land Between the Lakes NRA.  Lots of storms.  I wonder if there have always been this many storms across the country or if I am just becoming aware of them because I'm riding on a motorcycle.  Kind of like when I became pregnant for the first time, I saw pregnant women everywhere.
Beautiful break in the weather yesterday aft. while I was riding on "Woodlands Trace" through Land Between the Lakes.  Absolutely gorgeous. Stopped into the visitor center on Golden Pond and watched a planetarium show on the weather on other planets -- coincidental??? I think not, especially, since what was scheduled was something about moons.  Really put things into perspective for me.  The thought also crossed my mind that if we as a planet don't get our carbon footprint down, we are in for a lot worse than what we are seeing now.  The man doing the show looked like Alec Baldwin ( Rob) and he used to ride a S 1000 BMW -- He asked if he could take a selfie with me....... my pleasure.
Also learned that the big dipper is an asterism and not a constellation.  Think I knew that at one point in my life but had forgotten.  There are, in case you are interested, 88 constellations in the sky --- 44 in each hemisphere.  The constellations that the planets move through are on an elliptical path --- the zodiac.  Pretty cool --- all of a sudden my astrological charts started to make a little more sense.

Once again, I noticed cemetery signs everywhere, although different from the other signs, the format of these signs was all the same and they pointed down stone/dirt roads. ( See pics)
I keep getting pulled to cemeteries --- the first time I picked up my camera after Tommy's death was to photograph a cemetery in Shenandoah Valley last May.  One of my favorite series is some double exposure work I did on gravestones while studying at MICA.  So I have decided to start listening to my voice and am staying here another night to go explore and photograph ( with my real camera) these cemeteries.  

Some closing thoughts:
I recall a scout patch that I probably still have somewhere that said "Camp in the Rain". HAHAHAHA ---- NOT .

Why is Kentucky home of the Bourbon Distillery Trail, yet 39 of their counties are dry??

I really want to thank all of you that are following me and making comments.  I look forward to reading them and cherish your support.  I am unable to reply to you personally now, but will most def. be replying to each and everyone of you once I get home.  You all mean the world to me!!! 

Yesterday morning was a wonderful ride on KY 36.......and 77.  Gentle curves and some twisties through Daniel Boone National Forest,  into Red River Gorge.

Family cemeteries every couple of miles on 36.  Rhododendron in full bloom everywhere.

Love riding in the mornings, clean and fresh, especially after the storm the night before.  Cool, even cold.

My goal for the day was to stay present --- to just let my thoughts come and go -----to ride smoothly.  A riding meditation, if you will.

Really hard.  The family cemeteries got me thinking about ours.  That led to wondering if I'll ever be able to put Tommy's ashes in the ground.   That led to how cool I thought the gates of the cemeteries were.  All different with just one last name posted somewhere on the gate.  How can that happen in today's world?  Just one last name for a family.

Cool tunnel in Red River Gorge..... AND......ABS Off -- UP ON Pegs.  Off Rd.  Yay, for my GS and my new continental TKC 70's.  Here it was easy to focus and stay present.  Even got a little mud on her.  Just so I don't mislead you, it was only about a 6 mile stretch....but still....big confidence booster and a thrill.

My packing and re-packing a dozen times before I left paid off. As has my weighing of every article.  Stormy is perfectly balanced.  For me that means 5 lbs heavier on the left side.

Lunch by Indian Creek, cheese stick, yogurt protein drink and water.  Then headed SW towards Mammoth Cave NP.

Made it.  Total of 292.8 miles, which is a push for my back.  Interstates, throttle lock and gore tex on. Last 2.5 hrs were wet but not horrible -- I was ahead of the storm -- the heavy flooding was N of me.

Had to stop under an overpass to put my gore tex pants on --- yes I packed 2 pair of motorcycle pants ----- but I didn't pack any jammies and I cut my toothbrush down to save weight lol.
I couldn't get my kickstand down under overpass -- see pic --- couldn't get off of blacktop onto stone  - anyway, my left pannier held us up just fine.

Stayed dry and had a room booked --- so was able to concentrate on tractor - trailer spray.

Things to add to my list:
Know where time zones change
make sure cap is closed after fueling.....

Quick hike, lunch and then evening lantern tour of caves.

Head to Land Between the lakes NRA in morning.