Perryville
no riding on Saturday, but the fam used the beeooteeful weather well in having a couple new and interesting experiences. i had had an opportunity to drive up for the Tigers/Yanks game (my old man has tix), but instead we took in our first experience of a re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Perryville in Perryville, Boyle Co., Ky. this was KY's only large battle, with the Greys winning the battle and the Blues winning the war. i don't feel like getting into details, but apparently, Perryville is one of the best preserved battlefields in the country, so it's a re-enactment opportunity sought after. one of the participants told us that the federal battlefields won't allow reenacments, so they have to do them on adjacent fields, but Perryville actually takes place on the exact locations of the original skirmish. this year was a "national reenactment", so the crowds were MUCH larger than previous years. i'm going to load some pics and update our time there. it was rather more fun than expected- lot's of horses, smoke, noise and KY rednecks cheering for the "Stars-n-Bars" and the "Rebel Flag". the fact it was 68 or so under a perfect fall, sunny sky made the day quite pleasant.
the 2nd portion of the day (i just remembered that, duh, i DID ride yesterday morning), so my 3rd portion of the day entailed a reenactment/Chinese Harvest Moon party at the farm of my school friend Julie's. i cycled through this area in July and posted some pics (the ride kicked my ass-July21st to be specific). he husband in a Hong Kong-born art professor. the farm is 6 miles from the battle site, so they've thrown a farm/field party for several years. we went there afterwards for brats, ribs, dogs, beer (only 2, aren't you proud) and such. the culmination of the evening was the "Moon" portion of the evening. evidently, the Chinese celebrate the fall moon, with this year's being the closest to the earth and Spectacular! we went to the top of the hill, with a fire and tiki torches and such. Yin Kit flew Moon Cakes in from SanFran. these are world-reknowned, with the original baker found in Hong Kong. b/c we're basically southern, julie more so b/c her folks are from Eastern KY, she also had some Moon Pies. don't know if my many readers out there know what a Moon Pie is, but you have to be southern i think. so, Moon Cakes from China via Cali, and Moon Pies found only in the American South, Green Tea and the fullest moon of the year, all found on a desolate KY hilltop with a perfect, cloudless sky above us. VERY cool.
**i just read something of the history of the Moon Pie. they were/are baked in Chattanooga, TN, but were marketed initially throughout TN, KY, and WV to miners (or maybe that's where the inpiration comes from). you can read, but MoonPies must be something of a Southern Appalachian tradition. my dad, who now lives in Detroit, loves the things even though he grew up in Louisville and in Shelby Co. KY.
and the ride, i know realize, happened in the early a.m. before the boys' soccer game (L scored twice!! and Z scored once!! even though his team is really bad- he certainly being one of the better few), i got out on the Blueridge. it's interesting in that i hadn't been on the Blueridge since my 50-miler in the summer. obviously, i have so many bikes to choose from that i just forgot to ride the most expensive one. it's also the case that i've put alot of miles in on more comfortable bikes of late. the LHT and the fixie are both set up for shorter, more upright reach, and the Crosscheck isn't far behind. even though the Blueridge is marketed as a "touring bike", it still lays you out much longer and more forward than the others. yes, i could put a little stubby stem on it, but alas, i don't. i remember getting the Blueridge (grad school graduation gift from dad) as the ultimate "do everything" bike. it DOES have lots of clearance, cantis, and rear hardware for fenders but not front) now, i have a stronger sneaking suspicion that the Rivendell Atlantis would be that bike, or even a Kogswell or something else along those lines. or even the LHT a little more gussied up. or maybe i shouldn't be such a greedy bastard and be very happy with my bike garage. or maybe i'm like so many others who like bikes.
Date: Oct 7
Mileage: 18.5
Ride type: road
Bike: Blueridge
Temp: 50
October mileage: 91.5
Year to date: 1710
the 2nd portion of the day (i just remembered that, duh, i DID ride yesterday morning), so my 3rd portion of the day entailed a reenactment/Chinese Harvest Moon party at the farm of my school friend Julie's. i cycled through this area in July and posted some pics (the ride kicked my ass-July21st to be specific). he husband in a Hong Kong-born art professor. the farm is 6 miles from the battle site, so they've thrown a farm/field party for several years. we went there afterwards for brats, ribs, dogs, beer (only 2, aren't you proud) and such. the culmination of the evening was the "Moon" portion of the evening. evidently, the Chinese celebrate the fall moon, with this year's being the closest to the earth and Spectacular! we went to the top of the hill, with a fire and tiki torches and such. Yin Kit flew Moon Cakes in from SanFran. these are world-reknowned, with the original baker found in Hong Kong. b/c we're basically southern, julie more so b/c her folks are from Eastern KY, she also had some Moon Pies. don't know if my many readers out there know what a Moon Pie is, but you have to be southern i think. so, Moon Cakes from China via Cali, and Moon Pies found only in the American South, Green Tea and the fullest moon of the year, all found on a desolate KY hilltop with a perfect, cloudless sky above us. VERY cool.
**i just read something of the history of the Moon Pie. they were/are baked in Chattanooga, TN, but were marketed initially throughout TN, KY, and WV to miners (or maybe that's where the inpiration comes from). you can read, but MoonPies must be something of a Southern Appalachian tradition. my dad, who now lives in Detroit, loves the things even though he grew up in Louisville and in Shelby Co. KY.
and the ride, i know realize, happened in the early a.m. before the boys' soccer game (L scored twice!! and Z scored once!! even though his team is really bad- he certainly being one of the better few), i got out on the Blueridge. it's interesting in that i hadn't been on the Blueridge since my 50-miler in the summer. obviously, i have so many bikes to choose from that i just forgot to ride the most expensive one. it's also the case that i've put alot of miles in on more comfortable bikes of late. the LHT and the fixie are both set up for shorter, more upright reach, and the Crosscheck isn't far behind. even though the Blueridge is marketed as a "touring bike", it still lays you out much longer and more forward than the others. yes, i could put a little stubby stem on it, but alas, i don't. i remember getting the Blueridge (grad school graduation gift from dad) as the ultimate "do everything" bike. it DOES have lots of clearance, cantis, and rear hardware for fenders but not front) now, i have a stronger sneaking suspicion that the Rivendell Atlantis would be that bike, or even a Kogswell or something else along those lines. or even the LHT a little more gussied up. or maybe i shouldn't be such a greedy bastard and be very happy with my bike garage. or maybe i'm like so many others who like bikes.
Date: Oct 7
Mileage: 18.5
Ride type: road
Bike: Blueridge
Temp: 50
October mileage: 91.5
Year to date: 1710
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