Soothing Waters

Greetings from Lake Blackshear Georgia!
I arrived here at sunset, not last night, but the night before that. I was amazingly peaceful . . . and remains so. After many nights of camping near a highway, and driving on the Interstate, the roar of semis was a strong feature. I finally decided to drive off the highways just a little ways to have some quiet, and this place sure fit the bill. I've also come far enough south that I no longer needed to wear a coat or even a sweater while setting up camp, and I slept with my bedroom door open to the night noises of the lake. Sophie was a bit worried about the splashing. But I enjoyed the sound of frogs and owls, and the cool moist air rolling in.

Yesterday I spend working on writing and doing some catch up. It was delightful to sit outside in light clothing, enjoying the quiet cove of this lake, as I wrote.

Its been a while since I posted. I took so many pictures in the Red River Gorge, and I was so eager to post them all! It was so lovely there. But slow internet got me frustrated. I stayed and hike through last Saturday, which was forecast to be a warm, sunny day for that area. And it was. I set out on a drizzly, cool Sunday to drive over to Corbin KY (near the southern boarder). This drive was very twisty and I was glad I planned a short driving day, so I could do some laundry and shopping in Corbin.

The next day, I set out towards Tennessee . . . torn between lingering there, and getting myself further south. It was drizzly and cool again, with potential storms on the horizon, so I kept going south. I made it just over the boarder into Georgia. I stopped at another little "highway campground" as I think of them. These tend to be a mix of people who are living in the campers year 'round, and people just needing a place to stop for the night.

Staying in these places has given me another look at the poverty of the US. Particularly in the campgrounds further north, where people are battling the cold to keep their camper's plumbing working in temperatures that they weren't designed to work at. The place I stayed in Indiana had kids dropped at the entrance by a school bus. I pictured what it might be like to grow up with a campground by the highway as home. The pluses I could see: a playground, a pool, and nearby laundromat.

Today, I'm torn between continuing my journey south--so I can meet up with the family on the evening of the 24th in Salt Springs FL--and lingering another day in this very peaceful place. Having never really been in this world, each day of travel unfolds as a mystery. Sometimes that seems exciting and rewarding. Sometimes I luxuriate in what I know, in what has, in my setting down my camper, what I think of as "home." So this is my journey, balancing finding a sense of home and adventure.

And isn't this exactly what the Solstice is about? Out from the cozy, warm hearth with rise with the waxing sun, and find ways to shine throughout the year. Wishing each of you a sense of balance between home and adventure! Happy Solstice.

Here's a picture of sunset on the longest night from my peaceful home away from home . . .



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