Seymour, Indiana 2-8-02

Howdy Everyone!
On wednesday I left Camp Challenge and walked around 14 miles into Brownstown. I got a few miles down the road and saw "Bogan's Rugged Outdoors, Inc." so I stopped in. I enjoy checking these stores out to see if there's anything I can't possibly live without. Todd started visiting with me and was amazed that I was walking across America. He wouldn't let me pay for the 2 bottles of water, plus he gave me a hat with the store logo on it, and then wrote out a $50 check for the Epilepsy Foundation. I asked him if there was a Chamber of Comm in Brownstown, and he said yes there was, and he was a member. He said he'd call them and let them know I was coming, and try and find a place for me to stay. A few hrs later I was at the Chamber office, but they were closed for the day. So I called Todd back, and he said yes, that the Brownstown Christian Church was going to let me stay there, but first I had to stop at the Newspaper office. So I went there, then headed for the Post Office. They handed me a stack of letters, but not before I told them what was going on! They were mighty curious as to why I had so much general delivery mail there. After that I found the church and stepped inside the office. I visited with Teresa for awhile, and they made arrangements for me to sleep in the house next door to the church, that they use for classrooms. Plus it was wednesday night, and they would have evening services, so I stressed that I would be out of their way and go eat during that time. They asked if I would rather eat first, then talk for a few minutes in each class. I said sure. So I spoke for 15 mins first in the childrens class, then the youth class, and then 2 adult classes. I really enjoyed meeting everyone, they are all so nice. The next morning someone from church hauled my cart to Seymour, so I got to walk without it. The weather was beautiful out and it was great walking without a jacket! Remember the other day when I talked at the Bedford High School, and one of the PE teachers called his folks in Seymour and told them I was coming? Well they were expecting me, so when I got into Seymour I called them up and Walter asked me where I was at. I told him what buildings I was near, and he said he'd be right over. He came and picked me up and took me to their house, and my cart was sitting on their front porch. I've stayed with them th & fr night, and they're super nice people. They showed me all around town, and the Mayor gave me a t-shirt with Seymour on it, a tote-bag, and a Seymour pin. On thurs evening, they invited some company over and served cake & ice cream for my birthday. One of the guests, Don Hill, recited a couple of James Whitcomb Riley poems. Riley is a Hoosier, and people around here are pretty proud of that. It was really neat listening to Don. One of the poems he recited was Little Orphan Annie. Then today Billie took me to Southern Indiana Center For The Arts. The building was bought by John Mellencamp, a Seymour native, as a place for county residents to exhibit and learn about the arts. John leases the house to the county for $1.00 a yr. It has established itself as a regional center for the fine, performing, culinary, architectural, literary and artisan arts. One of John Mellencamps songs, "Small Town," was written about Seymour.
There at the Arts Center, they gave me a cook-book with recipes from Mellencamps fans, and also the book "Highway 50," which tells about the road I've been on for the last 2,000 miles or so! That'll be fun to read. Then after that, Charlotte, Mrs. Stan Johnson from Hardinsburg IN (originally from KS,) and her 3 daughters, met me here in Seymour for lunch. I really enjoyed getting together with them. They live about an hr south of here. On saturday I'll walk to North Vernon. Walt & Billie have already called someone up who lives there and made arrangements for me to stay with them, so tomorrow night I'll be in someones house again. What a treat! Y'all take care and have a great wkend! KB