Monday, September 13, 2004
Athens
On the way out of McArthur, I was stopped and questioned again by a police officer: that's twice in one day in once city, and after I managed to go all the way through Indiana without getting stopped once. I got about 6 miles, just past another town that barely qualifies (no shops or services), and stayed there for the night.
Since I was far from a church, again, I decided to take it slow, and did OK for another 7 miles or so, until I stopped beside a driveway and the residents drove up while I was sitting down. They didn't speak to me, but called the Sheriff. TWO officers, in different cars responded, and offered a ride into Athens, to the shelter there. They were both, rather surprisingly, on the friendly side, and the one who drove me in was especially generous. I wound up bypassing Albany, which was just winding up a local fair with a parade. It was afternoon by then, rather late for any church services, so instead I found the Ohio University library and spent the afternoon there. I overstayed and, rather than try the shelter (which had a rather awkward procedure for getting in), I found an athletic field on the outskirts of town to stay at.
I got up before dawn and went back to the library, with the intent to do more serious research. I have better notes on 2004 events for a wider variety of "Western" nations; at the next university library, I'll be looking at various asian nations.
There are two possible routes for me to get to Marietta, which is about 47 miles away, and again I think I'll pick the better traveled route, US 50, though I may not get far on it before dark. I can't tell whether any towns between here and there are significant. I find, from information I've picked up on campus and around town, that this is considered part of Appalachian Ohio. The countryside is up-and-down and forested, and what clearings there are, are more occupied by pasture and hayfields than cornfields and soybeans.
Since I was far from a church, again, I decided to take it slow, and did OK for another 7 miles or so, until I stopped beside a driveway and the residents drove up while I was sitting down. They didn't speak to me, but called the Sheriff. TWO officers, in different cars responded, and offered a ride into Athens, to the shelter there. They were both, rather surprisingly, on the friendly side, and the one who drove me in was especially generous. I wound up bypassing Albany, which was just winding up a local fair with a parade. It was afternoon by then, rather late for any church services, so instead I found the Ohio University library and spent the afternoon there. I overstayed and, rather than try the shelter (which had a rather awkward procedure for getting in), I found an athletic field on the outskirts of town to stay at.
I got up before dawn and went back to the library, with the intent to do more serious research. I have better notes on 2004 events for a wider variety of "Western" nations; at the next university library, I'll be looking at various asian nations.
There are two possible routes for me to get to Marietta, which is about 47 miles away, and again I think I'll pick the better traveled route, US 50, though I may not get far on it before dark. I can't tell whether any towns between here and there are significant. I find, from information I've picked up on campus and around town, that this is considered part of Appalachian Ohio. The countryside is up-and-down and forested, and what clearings there are, are more occupied by pasture and hayfields than cornfields and soybeans.
