It's hard to believe, but I will essentially be through Ohio by the end of the day tomorrow. I probably could be in W. Virginia, but my brother Ron is driving over from Indy to walk in three states in one day with me. So, on Tuesday morning, I will leave Steubenville, cross the Ohio River into WV and after 5 or 6 miles, I will cross over in Pennsylvania. That will make five states in September that I walked in.

Yesterday Valda & I took a much needed day off and just rested. We were at the Piedmont Marina & Campground in Smyrna, OH and spent two nights there, listening to some live music, and visiting with the neighbors. We ate all day with Kenny & Becky (picture below) and enjoyed her beans and ham, bluberry muffins and pizza. Becky works in a restaurant in Zanesville. We were sure glad they pulled in behind us. Thanks for the food and company.  Now for those of you who know my brother Keith, you might see some resemblance between him and Kenny.  It was like here is my brother Keith, and my other brother Keith.  Wierd.

Today we resumed our journey. I got in a good 20 today and we are currently just east of Cadiz, OH, home of Clark Gable. Tomorrow, we will be in the hometown of Dean Martin. The weather today was cool and overcast and it was just perfect for what I'm doing. As stated previously, the terrain has turned hilly and the grades both up and down are getting longer. It is quite picturesque and looks like a postcard around every turn of the road.

I want to thank Nancy & John Walker of Hillview Acres Campgound in Cambridge, OH for letting us take on water last Thursday. It was much appreciated.

Today's stats:

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2731.5

Money found: $0.00 Total: $76.31

Friday's stats:

Miles covered: 15 Total: 2711.5

Money found: $0.16 Total: $76.31

Another glorious day here in Eastern Ohio, and I'm right in the middle of it, walking down the road. The mornings are cool, the afternoons are warm, and the evening darkness comes way too soon. We are in hill country, foothills to the Appalachians I reckon, and the road has taken to long uphill grades and downhills that sometimes aren't as long. Seems I'm climbing up more than walking down. But it's Fall, the pumpkins are being picked, the corn has turned brown, and pretty soon I'm going to have to deal with frost and that crisp nip in the air that it brings.

I had a visitor today. Lynne Jones of Cambridge, OH joined me on my journey and walked a couple of miles as I got into Cambridge. Lynne is the niece of long time friends of Valda's and mine, Bob & Marylou Nash of Palm City, FL. She has lived mostly in this area her whole life and has been in the dental field as well as the political field the past several years. Many thanks to her for joining me and then for buying Valda's & my lunch at the Coney Island Restaurant. Marylou & Bob, it was a special treat and we all three wished you could have joined us.

I said goodbye to US 40 for the last time. I walked on US 40 for the first time in Utah, then in Colorado, then in Indiana, and finally in Ohio. I am now walking on US 22 and am about 55 miles from Steubenville, home of Dean Martin. This road is not nearly as nice as US 40, but it is the only one going my way. We are currently about 3 miles east of Winterset, OH. Not too many large towns on US 22 so it's hard to tell you exactly where we are. I am walking tomorrow and then will take Saturday off and rest. I'm still keenly aware that I was sick this week and I think I'll take days off a little more frequent now.

Personal to Bob & Marylou Nash: thanks so much for your donation to Gateway and to Valda's gas fund. It is much appreciated. Thanks also to John Strauss of radio station WIBC in Indianapolis for letting me ramble on a call in interview last Sunday morning. Emmis Broadcasting, who owns WIBC among other stations, has really been good to us and have actually given us five interviews on their various radio stations. Many thanks to them. I also want to thank Jeff Reed of radio stations, WILE, WCMJ, and WWKC of the Cambridge area for the walking interview this morning. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to spread word about what we are doing and it too is much appreciated.

Pictures below: Lynne and me walking the streets of Cambridge. An 'S' bridge just befor you get into Cambridge, and an old mile marker on US 40.

No more blogs till Sunday evening unless I change my mind.

Miles covered: 18 Total: 2696.5

Money found: $0.90 Total: $76.15

I'm in Zanesville, Ohio, home of author Zane Grey. Now Ol' Zane is an interesting character to say the least. He was a noted author, and if you read his books, he was also a bigot. My great-grandfather on my mother's side called him a scoundrel. He should have known, because he was Zane's uncle. My grandmother's dad and Zane's dad were brothers. So, I don't know what that makes me to him but some kind of cousin several times removed, I think. My brother says Zanesville was named for Zane but seeing as he was born here in 1872, I think it might have been the other way around. Anyway, we walked through Zanesville today and are currently sitting in New Concord, OH. Tomorrow we should be well past Cambridge.

Yesterday I was tuckered out and actually was sick most of the day. I did my afternoon leg and laid down and didn't get up till this morning. I had a 101 degree fever and felt like I was getting the flu. But this morning, it was all over with and I had a great day. I guess I just needed a rest.

I had a TV interview today, WHIZ TV out of Zanesville came out and caught me while I was just entering town. They did a short interview and filmed me walking down the sidewalk. It should be on my 'media page' in a day or two or you can go to their website at whiznews.com and see it now.

Today was a great day as I said. The weather was once again perfect, mid 70's to low 80's and little humidity. The sky has been clear with scattered clouds. The terrain has turned hilly and that's okay too. I am passing small family farms with scattered pastures mixed with corn fields. Occasionally I pass a farm that is selling pumpkins. It is a nice serene setting and quite pretty.

Personal to Marty and Jeanette Brooks, founders of Xocai, for their donation to Gateway For Cancer Research. Thanks much, it is certainly much appreciated.

I just found out yesterday that NYC is hosting another great event on the same day it is hosting my 'splash in the Atlantic' to signify the end of my walk. The other event is the NYC Marathon. What timing. Chris is checking out their route and the time they start. The good thing is we should only have around 11 miles to walk that day so we can set our start time to pretty much whatever we want. Hopefully we won't all meet on the Brooklyn Bridge, going two different directions at the same time. Oh well.

The pictures below are of some postcards from Zane Grey's Museum, and that serene setting I spoke of.

Today's stats:

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2678.5

Money found: $0.60 Total: $75.25

Tuesday's stats:

Miles covered: 15.25 Total: 2658.5

Money found: $0.13 Total: $74.65

Today we got up and hit the road again. We are currently in Amsterdam, OH, a really small town about 35 miles east of Columbus. Tomorrow we will be in Zanesville. The terrain has gotten hilly and I was told it would stay this way from now on. Oh well, it isn't Colorado at least.

I got an email from Tillie McCarty from Columbus, OH today and she shed some light on the stars that I've been seeing on the front of houses. She said they are of German and Dutch origin and are placed on houses, barns, and even outhouses to ward off evil spirits while welcoming visitors. The Amish are of German decent and use the star symbol quite often. Thanks Tilllie for this information on the stars and if you have an answer you want to share, please leave a comment on a blog so everyone can see it.

Mike Althoff and Kay Burke showed up this evening on their motorcycles and I actually got Mike to walk a bit with me. He earned his bookmark. Kay earned hers yesterday. Thanks to you both. By the way, Valda thanks you for the WalMart card. It is much appreciated.

Miles covered: 18 Total: 2642.75 Correction from 9.18.08: Add .5 mile, Total: 2643.25

Money found: $0.22 Total: $74.52

Well, we finally made it through Columbus...walking that is.  We haven't yet left the area, but I think tomorrow will finally find us on our way to Zanesville.  We met up with an old frind, Mike Althoff and his friend Kay Burke here in the Columbus area, and it was really good seeing him after 27 years.  I thought it had been more like 35 years, but Mike being the chronological genius that he is, told me that he left the Indy area in 1981, not the early '70's like I thought.

I want to thank both of them for their hospitality, a couple of dinners out, and a great home cooked breakfast this morning.  I also want to thank Mike for his donation to Gateway and I want to thank Kay for her matching my 'money found' fund, and for walking 6 miles with me today through Bexley and surrounding areas.  It was a fun break and everything is much appreciated, but now I need to get back to work.   

Yesterday Valda & I were visited by Steve & Penny Bennie of Franklin, IN.  They were on their way to Washington, DC and hooked up with us on the west side of Columbus.  Penny raised $125 for Gateway by taking pledges for the walk around  Monument Circle in Indy two weeks ago.  She walked all ten laps and did a heck of a job.  Thanks Penny, it is much appreciated. 

We had a short day yesterday, walking only 13 miles, but getting through the downtown area of Columbus.  Today, we had another short day and walked 14.5 miles and will start out tomorrow just east of Reynoldsburg.  Tomorrow I'm looking at a 20 miler.

Tonight we had dinner with Mike & Kay's friends, Gary & Mary, and Katie and Jim.  It was fun getting to know them and answering their questions about what I'm doing.  I want to thank them all for their interest.

By the way, thanks to all who commented about the stars on houses.  I don't think we are talking about the same type of stars.  I've seen the ones you mentioned in windows, depicting military service, etc.  The stars I'm talking about are about two or three feet in width and are made of plastic or metal.  They hang on the front of homes or garages.  Take a look at the white house in the previous blog and look at the large star on the front of it.  Someone told me it notated an Amish family.  More input please.

Pictures:  Steve & Penny Bennie, downtown Columbus, and Kay Burke & Mike Althoff.

Sunday's stats: 

Miles covered:  14.5  Total:  2624.75

Money found:  $0.91  Total:  $74.30 

Saturday's stats:

Miles covered:  13  Total:  2610.25

Money found:  $0.68  Total:  $73.39

I had an old friend ask me the question in the title of this blog this evening and I told him that I knew the accepted answer, but not his answer. He told me his answer, and it was much different than mine. Anyway, we are very near Columbus... Buckeye country. By the looks of flags on cars and in people's yards, the OSU football program is a big deal around here. Valda & I were in a restaurant yesterday and all they had was Ohio State this and that. I wanted to ask the lady at the check out why they didn't have anything from U. of Dayton, or Xavier, or Cincinnati, but I thought better of it and kept quiet.

I talked to my brother Don tonight and he said we had @ 618 miles left to walk, give or take a couple. That's going to put us right around 3200 + miles for the total, not the 3700 that I originally thought going into the walk. The program I used to figure the route had me doing some funny things here and there, but it shouldn't have been off 500 miles. But I'm glad it was. The splash in the Atlantic is set for Nov. 2, and it looks like I'll probably be there for it...on time.

The walk today went well. We were in farm country again, mostly corn and beans. I walked through three or four small towns and am currently 4 miles east of West Jefferson, OH, about 10 miles or so from downtown, according to all the maps we've looked at. I should be through town tomorrow and hope to be near where I-270 crosses US 40 on the east side of the city. We will hook up with that old friend from above and have dinner with him tomorrow night. He asked me what I liked to eat and I told him nothing experimental or anything with tofu or any thing like tofu. I think we'll be fine.

Below pictures: Can anyone tell me what the star on a house signifies? I see them all over the country and especially here in the east. The guy who owns this farm has the right idea. He actually had six of these going just as fast as they could go.

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2597.25

Money found: $0.22 Total: $72.71.

I guess things are not etched in stone and thank goodness for that. We were planning on walking through Friday and taking Saturday off in the Columbus area, but then we saw where Ohio State was playing a home football game and we decided there would probably be no campsites available. So, we took Thursday off and stayed at the Tomorrow's Stars Resort RV park in South Charleston, OH instead. I want to thank manager Rita for comping us a night and letting us catch our breath.

Yesterday went fine as far as walking is concerned. The weather was absolutely great and the traffic was light. We did another 20 miler and wound up in Brighton, OH for the night. I believe we will still get to Columbus by the weekend, we just won't have to deal with all the football fanatics.

By the last count we could put together from the TV, there is still about 500,000 households without power in Ohio. They are getting more and more back on line each day, but we've talked to several people who have been without electricity since last Sunday. This campground got their power restored yesterday morning and told us not to drink the water.

I'm going to try to string together another nine or ten days of walking. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there (apologies to Jerry Reed), and I don't want to end up 50 or 60 miles away when I'm supposed to be in Manhattan. So, I will be walking with limited days off until I'm sure I'll make it okay.

Thanks to Kim McKinley of The Springfield Paper and daughter Natalie for coming out and interviewing me yesterday evening. The article will come out next Wednesday and you will probably see it on our 'media page' the next day.

Personal to Hal Swartz: email me. I got your package...thanks a bunch. I'll work on trying to come up with names for you.

I have just started realizing how expensive a trip to NYC for our final two days will be for anyone who plans to attend. If you decide not to come to NY for the final mile, I will be the first in line to support your decision. I just didn't know how expensive hotels/motels were in that area. So, if you said you would be there and are having second thoughts, I completely understand. In this economy, who knows what's going to happen. Thanks for your support, and if it works out and you are comfortable in being there, I'll see you then.

The pictures are some icons from the past.

Wednesday's stats:

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2577.25

Money found: $0.40 Total: $72.49

Indiana stats:

Miles walked:  154.5  Average miles per day:  19.25

Days walked;  8  Days off:  4

Money found:  $3.67  Average money found per day:  $0.46

Average money found per mile:  $0.025

Number of counties walked through, 9:  Vermillion, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Henry, Wayne

State highways:  0  US Highways:  2  County roads:  0

Major bridges crossed:  1 (Wabash River)

Most unusual find:  Jeff Gordon Nascar toy Hotwheels car.  Note:  Finding these cars is not unusual in its own right, but they are always #8 and #20 cars and I just kick them out of the way.  Finding a #24 is highly unusual, thus it is a winner.

Indiana was a homecoming for me.  It was great to get into the state and see several friends and relatives in the Indy area.  As always, the people are what makes a place memorable.  The visit was exhausting but all too brief.  Thanks again to all of you who supported Valda & me in our various fundraisers.  Now it is on to points East.  This new format for State stats is for certain people who can't afford printer ink.

Well, today was much like yesterday, businesses closed, generators running, kids playing outside, and people working in their yards. The TV said this morning that it will be well into next week before the power is restored everywhere. Funny, but I can't recall seeing any power people working on the lines anywhere. As a matter of fact, all the lines I've seen look okay.

We covered another 20 miles today, a day of great weather. The terrain is mostly fields of corn and beans with an occasional pasture of cows thrown in. It is flat mainly but I did start getting into some gentle rolling hills this afternoon. We are currently just east of Donnelsville and should get through Springfield tomorrow. Hopefully Springfield will have electricity.

Not much going on today, just walk and drive, walk and drive. Valda said she needs to find a laundramat and I think we will find a campground tomorrow. Three more days till break. Valda called some newspapers today but they said the current power problem was their main concern. I think most people know the power is out and just how do you keep telling the same story over and over? Oh well, whatever.

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2557.75

Money found: $0.46 Total: $72.09