Last weekend's trip to southeastern Kentucky took place during the brief time between the snows of this long winter and the coming of leaves on the trees. So all the driving I did on back roads was 1) not treacherous and 2) showed more of the bare bones of the region than one usually sees. Of course I love stopping along the way to take photos or explore, even if I am running late. My modus operandi seems to be that you never know what you can see if you take the time to look closely!
Thanks to those "oblivious to the terrain" cell phone directions, I ended up on a new-to-me road that turned out to be gorgeous but empty, with not even any houses. It included some high-up curves I wasn't expecting, a thrilling rushing mountain stream, and absolutely no traffic. Just me and my adventure. Had I not been running quite as late as I was, I would have taken more photos.
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| There's no other place to stop to take the photo! |
I think I was in Leslie County at that point, but on the way home two days later, I modified the route somewhat. The following photos are in Letcher County. I think. In Kentucky and much of the south, counties are all important. The stream may be in both counties.
Near Delphia I stopped at a cemetery I had visited several years ago. I sat on the hillside, being discreet about my camera, and took photos in front of me, to the right of me and also across the road. I never mean to appear disrespectful, and I am not. But it's true that the bumper sticker on the back of my car does say "I have been to the mountaintop and it wasn't there." Another bumper sticker says EARTH. Oh, and then there is the Obama bumper sticker, mostly faded after 6 years of wear.
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| This time there is a place to pull over. |
On the way home, I hoped to find again a scene that had gotten my attention, since I didn't have time to take a photo of it on the way down. I am showing two views. I love this tree that is longer than the trailer it adorns. The dead stuff on the hillside is kudzu, not yet come back to life to take over the place. There are several houses across the street, so I didn't linger. Plus I was running late as usual....
While I was at the Pine Mountain Settlement School, I took a few photos to share here, the first two with my cell phone! I do NOT recommend this. The other flowers and fauna I have tried are not this good. I think these first two photos are simply sort of a miracle.
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| spring beauties (an appropriate name!) |
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| This yellow trout lily was the first flower of a great many in the area. I used my body to make the shade so that there would be way less washed-out contrast in the photo. |
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| the stream at the school, photo made with my Canon |
This last photo is from our yard. It is current and I just wanted to show it off:
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