Since we’ve been out and about almost every day of the trip we elected for another day of resting. Just because we could! Yesterday our little Dixie recorded 50 miles per gallon! And, although she’s doing well with the gas, we thought she might enjoy a rest, too.

We made a farmer breakfast of bacon and eggs and ate on the veranda. But, today we decided to turn on the air conditioner for a bit. Continuous days of over 80 degrees does begin to feel hot.

But, I went out through the surrounding neighborhoods and took a two mile walk, then settled down to read my book. I sat down by the river in the swing and just admired the beauty. Why would anyone need to go anywhere else?

We walked to the Dollar General Store for hot dogs and buns to go with our salad for dinner and called it a good day of resting. Blessed!

Using Canton, KY and our little condo as a home base, we ventured south to find Shiloh, Tennessee.  Shiloh was a rail hub for the South during the Civil War and the Northern armies wanted to control the rails so the South would be split in two and would have no direct lines for supplies to their troops. Thus, the battle of Shiloh. As with most of the history of this terrible war, it was a bitter battle with high costs on both sides. But, Gen. Grant prevailed and managed another major victory in the South.

The landscape on the way to Tennessee was similar to what we had seen in Kentucky. Only we were able to spot some distinctive crops along the way: tobacco drying on racks in the fields or in barns, and fields and fields of cotton popping from their pods in the early October sunshine. Again, our route was mostly back roads, as there seems to be no direct north or south; east or west road in Tennessee. Looking at the map it is easier to understand why. All of southern Kentucky and all of Tennessee looks like a map of the veins in the body. Each little vein on the map represents a river or a creek. So, understandably, there are no straight roads for a direct route to anywhere since the early roads followed the rivers.

After many twists and turns through small towns, along farmland, and though thick growth, we arrived at Shiloh. It is the site of the battlefield park and National Cemetery some distance from any real civilization. First, we viewed the very excellent film at the Visitor Center to give us an overview of the struggle over the two days of the battle. We walked the immediate grounds by the cemetery and ate our picnic lunch in the Fall sunshine that was offering us an 82 degree afternoon.

We followed the driving tour through the battlefield and read about the conflicts that took place at each stop along the way during those fateful days in April, 1862. Satisfied we had seen all the park had to offer, we stopped in the bookstore. Being the only ones in the bookstore, the attendant asked where in the North we were from . . . and, I had to ask him to repeat himself as I couldn’t understand a word he said. This wasn’t a movie we could stop and play back because we didn’t understand the dialect. Truly, I was surprised I couldn’t understand him, but his Tennessean accent was thicker than a bale of cotton. “Wur y’all frum in da North?” My driver answered, “Seattle.” To which he replied, “Seattle! That’s not north. That’s West.” Hum. Was there an answer to that conclusion? We decided not to engage him. So, undeterred, he continued to enlighten us with bits of lore and whimsy that surly have a long history in the area. I bought my pin and patch and we finally found our way to the car for our return trip to Canton.

We back tracked the same roads we had used on the way to Shiloh; only traveling in the opposite direction provided a completely different view of the very same landscape. The late afternoon light is my favorite time for photography and I wished we could have stopped at every beautiful scene. But, we traveled on. As we crossed the Land Between the Lakes – and both lakes – to make our way back, the clouds had turned a soft pink and were mirrored in the silver blue of the lake water.

“Home” again, we warmed up leftover pizza from the other day and accompanied it with a side of chili mac and cheese. Our outing to Shiloh was complete and we are so glad we went. Shiloh marks the farthest point South we will go on this trip – and that was almost to the border of Mississippi.

Technical difficulties arise here at inopportune times. But, I think I’ve got the pictures documenting the day. Thanks for your patience.

We had a bit of a “lay in” (as the Brits would say; which means we got up late) and ate our yogurt and bananas on the veranda where we could see the river. Clouds and sun accompanied a pleasant 67 degrees, which would work itself up to 78 degrees before the sun set. Perfectly beautiful. We just sat for the longest time and simply enjoyed the day.

With what was left of the morning I spent sorting laundry and hauling loads over to the laundry room. It’s really nice to be in a place with laundry facilities where one doesn’t have to sit right by the machines. I filled 3 washers and went back to sit on my veranda. Once the wash was done (a couple of hours later) I went for a walk.

I walked down to the end of the road to find we are actually situated on a tiny peninsula that juts out into the river and behind us there is a lovely little lagoon of sorts. There are hardly any people around this time of year, but I can imagine it’s a busy place in the summer months. Still, we would prefer to be here in the quiet and solitude. It’s simply lovely.

As I turned the corner to walk toward a business down the road, three dogs of various sizes started barking and came off their front porch, running toward me. Oh no, I thought, I might have to turn around and go back to the condo. But someone came to the door and yelled at the dogs to be quiet. Then she stood in the doorway smoking her cigarette while she watched me walk past her house! I smiled at her, but I got the impression she wasn’t going to waste a smile on the likes of me. I felt a little like I was in Mama’s neighborhood from watching the show “Justified,” and was just happy she had called the dogs back.

I sat by the river for a while and then came in to make some dinner. Chef salad with grilled cheese sandwiches were the menu items for tonight – and for some reason, they were absolutely delicious. Eating out is wonderful, but one can tire of it quickly. The grilled cheese and salad was just what we needed.

We caught some national news and were horrified to learn of the terrible shootings in Las Vegas. Such terror seems so far away from this sleepy, out-of-the-way place in Kentucky. We pray for all who were affected in any way, and for an end to such terrible acts of violence.

A lazy day, indeed. But, at least I got the laundry done; had a nice walk around the area; and prepared dinner for us to eat on our veranda while watching the river and listening to the crickets, frogs and birds.

As darkness fell, it cooled off a little and still, we sat on the veranda watching; listening to; smelling; experiencing; and touching the grace that is this tiny, wonderful, beautiful, place!

October began with a warm and sun-shiny entrance. The morning temp was 65 and rose through the day to 75.

We leisurely ate our yogurt and banana for breakfast and watched “Meet the Press” to catch up on the weeks of news we have missed. Feeling a bit more informed on current events, we decided to make a tour of the immediate area around the small community of Canton, KY. I made my driver a coffee and filled my water bottle and we set out. What I neglected to remember was to bring my water bottle with me! Out of practice already. This place just makes us want to lean back and forget everything. I guess I’m off to a good start.

We drove over the Cumberland River and found the Visitor Center for the Recreation Area known as “The Land Between the Lakes,” or more popularly known as “LBL.” It is 170,000 acres created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1950’s. Now it is a pristine wildlife habitat that hosts camping, fishing, boating, hiking and all kinds of outdoor sports. And, it is beautiful! We drove the length of the LBL until we made our way into Tennessee. Already that far south, we made the decision to go as far as Fort Donaldson on the Cumberland River near the town of Dover, TN. It was a gorgeous drive and before we knew it we had arrived.

Ft. Donaldson is the site of the first major victory for the Union troops in the Civil War and was a turning point in the struggle for Southern territory. The battle was led by Gen. Grant and when his opponents asked what his terms for surrender would be, he wrote back saying, “nothing but unconditional surrender” would be accepted.

The fort was a Southern stronghold along the river that controlled major shipping lines of goods and services. Being on the high banks of the river, it is a very picturesque and beautiful spot. Today the grounds were visited by all manner of hikers, picnickers, and bird watchers. We walked through the National Cemetery and went over to visit the Dover House where the surrender to Gen. Grant took place. The structure is the original building and it was inspiring, once again, to stand in the same locale as a person I admire so much. Grant has been much maligned by history, (there was fake news even in his day) but because of his intelligence, stamina, devotion to his family, and his success as a humble leader, I admire him greatly.

As we slowly drove out of the park there were several people standing and looking into the trees. We slowed and a woman turned toward my car window and said, “Thar ‘er two eagles in the tree over thar. Come stand right cheer and you can see ‘em.” So, of course, I had to get out of the car and see if I could. Eventually, I did sight one of them, but they were too obstructed by the branches to possibly get a good picture. Still, it was thrilling to see one of them. My thanks to the woman who encouraged me to try.

Without water or peanuts or any of the usual provisions I carry in the car, we had to make a stop for fuel. Next to the Ft. Donaldson Park Visitor Center was an establishment named “Mama Mea’s” that was billed as a pizza place. We actually looked around for something else, but the only other establishment in the small town looked less than appealing. So, we went for pizza. It was filling. That’s about all. But at least now we could hear some of the birds tweeting instead of our stomachs growling.

We took an alternate route to return to Canton and our little condo and, once again, enjoyed the back roads of Kentucky. Along the way, as the sun was setting, we passed two families in horse and buggies out for a Sunday evening drive. The day could not have been more beautiful.

Last stop, we had to get a few groceries for the week. We found the Food Giant in Cadiz, which, my driver joked, was more like a Food Dwarf. Yet, it had all the items we needed. So, we purchased a few fruits and vegetables and came back for an evening of waiting for the internet to download pictures. It’s a slow and arduous process here, but we are committed to carrying on.

Check back to yesterday – I think I have the pictures added there now.