Friday, October 14, 2016

GOING TO TOWN

Mae West made a film in 1935 called Goin' to Town, which has absolutely no correlation with this post. My going to town experiences are much less provocative and hardly sexually stimulating.

After two weeks of gloriously beautiful weather, I had no qualms about making the dreaded drive into town yesterday morning. As soon as I got ready - as if on cue by God - the torrential rains began. I had to wait two hours for the storm to subside - after which my car wouldn't start. This mishap forced me to waste another hour making uneducated manuevers under the hood (the hood is the bonnet, for those of you in Yorkshire).

Against my better judgement, I brought my El Cheapo camera with me this time, and documented my perilous journey for posterity.

It's nearly impossible to take photos on the way to town because there are very few places to pull off the road, and there are constant risks of plunging off a cliff or getting pummeled by a logging truck (or lorry, for those of you in Sheffield).

Despite the obstacles, here are the results of my efforts.


 I took all of these photos from the car window, so they're not particularly good. The trees are just beginning to turn colors.They will look much more spectacular in another week or two.



 The "cliffs" look more impressive in real than on these pics.






The rain clouds eventually broke up and the blue sky emerged.

Taken on the way home. This is the narrow road that winds past my mountain shack.

 A view of the cow pasture adjacent to my property.

And some photos of the moon which I took a few nights ago.




My other blog:
http://cabinetofcurioustreasures.blogspot.com 

25 comments:

  1. Jon,

    I know what you mean about the cliffs looking less impressing in photos. I have often taken snaps of the hazardous narrow steep woodland trails I go up or down and they always come out looking kind of less steep and flat.

    Larry

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    Replies
    1. I agree. The photos that I take never show the height of the trees, the depths of the cliffs, or the grandeur of the scenery in general.Not to mention those winding roads!

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  2. I would love to have my roadster on those roads this time of year.

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    Replies
    1. It would be even more exciting if you waited until the winter ice!

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  3. Drivng smack dab next to a high cliff like that is just freaky. Looks like a beautiful, but nerve wracking drive.

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    Replies
    1. I wish I could take a video of the entire drive - - you wouldn't believe it!

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    2. Stick the camera on the dashboard somehow and we'll ride to town with you. ;)

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  4. thank you for risking life and limb to show us your trip.

    hopefully, you stocked up on beer and cat litter and milk and bread and toilet paper.

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    Replies
    1. I'm always ready to take dangerous risks to entertain (!!).
      Cat litter and cat food are always first on my list (unfortunately...) and toilet paper comes next.
      I still have enough beer at home - - I'll get more next time.

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  5. I hate to burst your pretty bubble, but those cliff views remind me of my home in Indiana where old wive's tales abound regarding cliffs just like those. I was expecting lots of "straight down" views from the side of your car: of which we also had those kind of "urp slop, get the mop" views where I lived. You could hire an illegal alien to ride on the hood of your car carrying a flashlight, to yell "AYE YI YI" when you're getting too close to the edge.

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    Replies
    1. I could have gotten much better photos if I would have gotten out of the car. You can't see any of the dangerous cliffs or winding roads on my photos. Next time I'll get drunk and take more risks......

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  6. Very picturesque. We're still waiting for some signs of color in the leaves around here. So far, to prevalent colors are still green and brown. With the drought we've had, they may be the only colors we'll see this year.

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    1. The leaves never seem to be very colorful until nearly the end of October - - and it was the same way in the Missouri Ozarks. I'd like to live in a place where they turn colors in September
      (Canada, maybe??)

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  7. Impressive photos, Jon. Beautiful colors captured in their subtler autumn stages. Trees are rooted unnervingly close to the cliff-edge. I'd feel safer if some of them were on leashes.

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    1. Tree leashes would definitely be a good idea, Geo. There are often big icicles hanging from those cliffs in the winter.

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  8. Love all these images ... but the 'cliffs' beg a second, then a third look.
    How I'd love to see them up close, in person! I wonder if anyone's ever tried rappelling their surface. (FUN!)

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    1. I don't think any of these hillbillies indulge in rappelling - although I could always be the first. There are lots of those cliffs along the way to town - and also caves and a few fresh-water springs.

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  9. You live in a beautiful area. Had to laugh at lotta joy's comment.

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    1. Instead of illegal aliens, I should probably just ride on a donkey - - but it would take two weeks to get to town.

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  10. Your drive is much like mine to work. Although mine is not quite as desolate. But no lying, you have to admit that foliage makes me nice ride. Our trees look about the same here.

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    1. The scenery is always worth the drive, except when there's winter ice....

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  11. Your life now compares so drastically to your salad days.......do you miss the city and city excesses ?

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    1. When I was young, I never wanted to leave Los Angeles and always preferred big city life. Now, however, I love living in a rural area. There are, admittedly, many inconveniences - but the peace and privacy is wonderful. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

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  12. Jon,
    The mountain roads of western North Carolina which border Tennessee look exactly like your photos. The roads are dangerous to navigate swirling around to get off the mountain but beautiful. Occasionally you meet a car approaching you which is always "fun." Seeing those roads cut through rock makes one think of all the work by individuals that it took to put those roads in those stone mountains.
    Ron

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