day 12 - marion, oh to celina, oh - 80 miles

day 12 - marion, oh to celina, oh - 80 miles

what a perfect day besides the occaisional dog chase. i woke up to blue skies at the hickory grove campground. by the time i got out of bed the sun was high in the sky. i emerged from the camper as a caveman from his cave. of course i hit my head coming out as my lanky body couldn't stand up straight inside. i packed up, chowed a power bar and i was flying.

i rode for a couple hours without seeing but a dozen cars as i zigged and
zagged through the flat ohio farmland. i found myself on a lonely road, overgrown trees to the left and tall grass to the right, a road you'd find in a horror movie, i thought. a house suddenly appeared on my left and as i rode i kept thinking of horror movies. i heard something thumping to my left and as i swung my head around an 80-90 lb black lab mixed with rhino was bearing down on me. this dude was smart as he didn't bark once. he was hunting. dude could have lunged, caught my left leg, knocked me down and carried me into the woods for a lean meal. i would have been lost forever. fortunately i put some power into my stroke and tore ass outta there.

shortly there after i was confronted by a rottweiler who stopped me in my tracks. as i got nearer and nearer his house he stepped closer to me. i turned around and went around the corner so he'd think i was gone. when he went back to resting under his tree, i made a break for it. fortunately just as i made my break, a car came from the other direction masking my sound. as soon as that car drove by, that dog became aware of me and began charging. as he grew closer i let out a huge bark which stopped him in his tracks. but this only enticed him more. he looked at me for a moment, ears perked, head cocked and he let out his own bark in return and put it into full gear. we were side by side. he in his yard and me in the road. as i rode to the end the yard he took a sharp right back onto his property and barked as i raced away, heart pounding. sorry to all of you that were hoping for a better ending. you know who you are.

only a few miles from my lunch destination my rear tire went flat again. after fixing it and over inflating it, so i got a mad wobble and thumping, i pulled over in somebody's driveway for another look. changing a tire on this thing can be a bit time consuming as i have to unload the entire thing so i can turn it upside down. anyways after some tinkering the owner of the home came out and shouted down his long driveway to make sure i was ok or if i needed anything. i explained i was good to go. all of a sudden he was right behind me, snuck up on me like a child sneaking to the christmas tree before he is supposed to be there. he handed me a cold bottle of water with his good hand. "figured you could use this." his other arm was a prosthetic with a hook for a hand. i thanked him and we discussed the ride and where to get a good lunch in lakeview - the next town over. before i took off, he said, "you need any jack?" i looked confused. he spouted "money?" "oh, no thanks. i'm set." i replied.

in 30 minutes i was in lucky's lounge in lakeview, oh where i was treated to a free calzone and mtn dew - awesome! i sat down inside and the owner amd i discussed the ride and the cause for quite a while. turns out her brother was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. today, saturday the 22nd, luckys is doing fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, where a portion of proceeds will go to said charity. Jill and I had great conversation for over an hour as i swalloed my food. after coming back from washing my hands, i asked how much i owed. she said "this one's on me." how kind and generous. "thank you for what you are doing." she said.

i was on the road again and racing as i had heard that tv station and newspaper were at the Kozy Campground waiting for my arrival. welp, due to a massive detour i ended up arriving late and missing the media.

i met sandy mast as i pulled up. she was just as delighted to see me as i was to be there. she showed me to a camper and said "i'll give you a few minutes to get ready and the i'm taking you to meet some people and grab some dinner." "all good to me. thank you." i replied.

we picked up her husband, kevin, a dude who could be a linebacker in the nfl, and her mother margaret. we all went down to a new restaurant, dockside, that sat on grandlake. there we met sandy's, daughter, brother, ted and his wife ainette (spelling?).

great family, the masts. they were definitely kind and welcoming. made me feel as i had known them for years.
we enjoyed apps, dinner, drinks, dessert, great stories, good conversation and some sweet jokes.

the day was perfect.