One Way

The monks at St. Meinrad's Archabbey rest in peace because of His promise.

The Narrow Gate

The monks at St. Meinrad's Archabbey remind us of the importance of leading holy and virtuous lives.

Watching Over His Sheep

Death is not the end but only the beginning. The Benedictine monks at St. Meinrad's Archabbey are a quiet witness of this promise

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 52

A funny reminder to watch that sharp wagging tongue. People forget the awful power of words. Words can build up and soothe. Words can also tear down and destroy. Gossip can destroy reputations and lives. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me" is a lie. Read what Rabbi Telushkin has to say about the power of words . I take these pics, Sept. 5, at the lovely North Fork Baptist church just off Switzer Road near the covered bridge.

Intriguing shadows and light. Nice bike, huh?

I like the vibrant contrast.

There is a handsome graveyard. One of the Lucas headstones is for a Confederate soldier.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 46

More pics from my Aug. 19 ride. The first three pics are of pretty Long Lick Baptist Church on Long Lick Pike near Locust Fork Road.

A parishioner tells me that the new steeple will be installed when the weather is right and the men are ready.

This is the graveyard at Long Lick Baptist Church.

Pretty horse and quilt at a barn on Bond Pike. This is a distant shot.

Good news. The bike shop phones this evening to say my bike is ready. Yee haw! (I'm buying plenty of spare inner tubes).

Bad news. Looks like my pepper spray and I will be "training" another Rottweiler. This new brute lives on Long Lick Pike. Wish me well. (I wonder if this might become a part-time business; training dogs to stop chasing bikers.)

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 43

This is the house on Rogers Gap Road. I ride almost 32 miles this morn before work. I bike Long Lick Pike from Skinnersburg Road to Locust Fork Road which is a portion of Long Lick Pike I've never before biked. Really pretty scenery. Pretty Long Lick Baptist Church with graveyard. I believe I bike past JoAnn's home. Take Locust Fork to Bond Pike to US 227 to Stamping Ground then back. Spook a bunch of turkeys on Bond Pike. There is a GREAT, LONG descent on Bond Pike that empties into US 227. It's really great to ride early in the morn--cool temps, quiet, no traffic, great light for taking pics. Unfortunately, I don't have my camera with me this morn. These pics are from yesterday's ride, Aug. 15.

Another pic from Elk Lick Road.

This is the long hill climb up to the lonely cemetery on Hinton Sadieville Road. You can just barely make out the cemetery. Not a good shot, I know, but it gives you an idea of the long, lonely climb.

More flowers along Hinton Sadieville Road.

My vital stats from my bike computer for today's ride: Speed (13.9 mph avg., 37.0 mph max.); Heart (118 bpm avg., 144 bpm max.); Cadence (80 revolutions per minute avg., 128 revolutions per minute max.). I burn 731 calories. Actual pedal time is 2 hours, 17 minutes.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 42

Cemetery on Hinton Sadieville Road not far from Stone Road. I see this shot as I'm climbing a long hill. The loneliness of the cemetery really strikes me and it is this feeling I try to capture. I was tempted to crop out the stump in the top right corner but leave it in because it adds to the feeling of loneliness. I'm not all that happy with this pic. Suggestions anyone?


Flowers along Hinton Sadieville Road

House along Rogers Gap Road not far from the railroad crossing. I like the shadows. I wonder who lived here? Why did they leave? What kind of stories were told on that porch during lazy, warm, cricket-singing summer evenings?

Close up of house.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 32

Getting really serious about my training. Went and bought me a new bike computer that measures speed, heart rate, cadence (how fast I pedal per minute) and calories burned. All of these measurements can be displayed in real time, average and maximum. There are lot more measurements available. My only complaint is that the numerals are too small for old geezer eyes. This might be something I hand down to my son.

More pics of the Pollard Henry Cemetery from my July 16 ride. This is taken from inside the cemetery looking across NE Countyline Road at an old shack.

There is a plastic case affixed to a wooden post which contains vital statistics of some of the people buried at the cemetery.
This is a closeup of the record for farmer and widower Pollard Mack Henry, died May 27, 1937 of chronic heart disease. Left click for a better look.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 31

This is what it looks like this morn at 6:50 AM riding 18 miles down Biddle Pike to Skinnersburg to Glass Pike to Long Lick Pike and back. The fog fogs my glasses so I ride without them. I put my bike into sonar mode--ping! ping! ping! Something big and fast parts the fog directly in front of me. I swear it's a torpedo but it barks as it whizzes past. Barking torpedoes? Only in Kentucky. Anyway...what a great time of day to bike. It's cool. It's quiet. It's calming. Traffic is zilch. Distant mooing and barking and other critter sounds seem to carry further and have that special early morn-biking-Kentucky country road-barking torpedo quality. Ya know what I mean? Colors are subdued but richer. They aren't washed out by the noon day sun. Even smells are richer (that's an artsy-craftsy way of saying "smellier"). I pass through a pungent yet delightful aromatic cloud of tobacco as I pass an old tobacco barn on Glass Pike. Cow and horse manure twizzle my nose hair. Prayer seems the proper response on my return trip to get ready for 10:30 Mass. Glass Pike resounds with "Our Father," "Hail Mary," "St. Michael the Archangel," and "Angel of God my guardian dear." A final prayer of thanksgiving leaves my lips for heaven thanking God for watching over my son Nicholas during his recent biking accident.

Speaking of Nicholas...the plastic surgeon says Nicholas' elbow injury is healing nicely. No infection. He will need a skin graft though. He will meet again with the plastic surgeon next Friday to schedule the surgery.

This headstone pic and the following ones are from my July 16 ride. They were taken at the Pollard Henry Cemetery on NE Countyline Road.

There are a lot of Kidwells. "Cheak" is a bench.

Detail of headstone's soldier pic.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 29

More pics from my July 16 ride. These are pics of the Pollard Henry Cemetery along N.E. Countyline Road connecting Hinton Sadieville and Dryden roads. This portion of the road is loose gravel for one mile and requires some walking instead of riding. My bike points in the direction from which I came. I think the cemetery is in Harrison County.

Little baby Bessie Kidwell born Jan. 1906, died April 1906.

Closeup of baby Kidwell's angel. Left click for more detail.

Another angel headstone.