So....we went to Kentucky

My friend Melody's husband died a little over a year ago, and she needed to take a memory roadtrip to feel better, so that's what we did.

We were so far east in KY, we were nearly in West Virginia. The state parks there; we visited Greenbo and Natural Bridge, are lush, green, rocky cliffed and beautiful.


There have been cut backs, evident everywhere these days, but the beauty of it all can't be downsized. We saw a red fox with a black tipped tail, a fawn who had lost its spots, and a big dead snake. We hit the antique shops in Grayson and Berea.
The evening play viewed from the outdoor ampitheatre at Greenbo was very good. Local civic players do plays every season, and compete with the bullfrogs as evening turns into night. Moths fly around under the stage lights, and the whole experience is so casual, and relaxing. Great fun.


Melody wanted to check out missionary work in one of the poorest areas of the nation, back in the hills in Kentucky.
So, we explored online, then went "hunting" for Nada, where a tiny, wood board, whitewashed church hosts a week long mission for the 5 or 6 children still living in the area. Everyone else has moved out. There are no other children in the speck of a community. They need so much...crayons, books, toys, clothes.

We ended up speaking to the elderly lady who began it all. Which we took as a message from above....freaky things happen, and it was strange that on a whim, we found...the founder.





We stopped at Natural Bridge, two miles down the road from the almost non-existent Nada community. I couldn't hike down all the steps to Natural Bridge, and neither one of us wanted to take the sky lift, so we didn't see the bridge afterall. But, did eat our Subway six-inch at a shady picnic table before heading to Berea.

Berea is really an interesting place to stop...and shop...and watch professional artisans weave, blow glass, make jewelry, paint, and do woodworking. Berea College is there, and that's what they do...teach crafts, make log homes, etc. Remember the old Foxfire books? I'm going to the library to try to find them again, and reread the lessons found inside them. Trust me people, stop at Berea! The antiques were very affordable, and the folks were friendly. Mel and I got our Cracker Barrel fix taken care of there too!
We drove home in a horrible rainstorm, but once we hit Indiana the sky turned blue again. We got home in the early evening to lush, watered gardens that seemed to have grown a foot in just four days. The dogs were well and are looking forward to our country "sheep/cow/pinto pony sightings" ride. Maybe tomorrow.