Show me the door!

I've had about all I can take of Illinois. I don't think I can stand to see one more burnt soybean field or one more farmer fred double-parked at the Food Mart. Thanks to the friendly folks with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who ventured through the corn and carry-on baggage security hiatus, we will be staying in the lovely land of Lincoln another week...or two...or three...or maybe none. Who knows? It's all up to the NRC whether I'm stuck at Lake Louise another dreary week or if we're off to Pennsylvania this weekend.

Which by the way, we're staying in Harmony near Zelienople at Indian Brave Campground. I've checked out the village of Harmony, and from what I can tell we'll be in the Master's neck of the woods...little Germany. The Harmony Museum is hosting a cool Oktoberfest dinner but by the looks of things here in the Midwest, we may miss those festivities if we don't skedaddle fast. We have been advised by other travelers who have worked in Beaver Valley and by the owner of the campground to not travel a certain stretch of highway that will carry us through West Virginia....according to local legend "terrorists may kill you but hillbillies will keep you"....woof....we're dealing with more than little ole West Virgenoree here. I'm trying to remind the Master of the low budget horror flick Wrong Turn and other films along the lines of Deliverance and Texas Chainsaw Massacre to dissuade him from traveling this lonesome trail through the backwoods....ahem, backcountry, of our dear old West Virginia. However, curiosity did kill the cat and the Yankee...and in this case, the redneck. Woe is me.
I have to admit, since there is such talk about staying away from the area---how could we NOT want to see what's down that path? The camera is begging for me to find that shack with the gas pumps still rusty from 1953...just stay away from males who give you the "eye" and say things like, "Them panties, take em off."
We may be over exaggerating, but we're from the South, and that's what makes us colorful.

I'm not going to miss Illinois...or Chicago (and the brats and the smells that they produce after digestion) but I will miss my friend Cathryn from Wisconsin (well Loves Park now). We shall meet again my dear!

Tom Berenger (left), a native of Chicago, Illinois!------Willem Dafoe (far right), hails from Wisconsin! So long boys!!!!


--Remember what the door mouse said...feed your head!