I didn't really want to leave Connecticut. Our next assigment was a toss up between Nebraska, Canada, Belgium, Wisconsin or...Illinois. What did we choose? Illinois. Illi-freakin-nois.
Why? Why do we keep coming back to this state? Not that there's anything wrong with it, we just always choose to visit during the winter season. Most of my audience is Southern, that means they can't really relate to the bone chilling cold that comes along with living near Lake Michigan. Wait!!! My sister-in-law--SHE would understand (I finally know someone who understands NORTHERN midwest cold)!
The good news is we're not going back to Chicago. This time we'll be stationed near St. Louis, which hopefully won't be as bad as the northern part of the state. Keep the toes crossed just in case.
For the moment we're camped across from the mighty Ohio river (again). We're nestled in the Kentucky hill country. Our drive down from Connecticut was quick and painless. We drove through West Pennsyltucky and the beautiful Appalachians for the majority of the trip. It reminded me of the little town we lived in West Virginia. Chester, which sat right on the Ohio as well. We're pretty familiar with this river now, seeing as it hosts many different power houses up and down it's banks. Plumes of white smoke cloud around the smokestacks down river from our campground...boiler after boiler, nuke after nuke. The Ohio is a pretty popular place for power.
Well, I guess most rivers in America look the same way. It's sad...the last time Heith and I floated the river in our town we passed a large pipe buried underground that spilled out into the river. Green slime and soap scum dripped into the water, creating suds and film on the surface. (The local chemical company takes those honors.) My old neighbor who passed on a few years ago, used to rant and rave about the pipe and the pollution it created. One day our little town may play host to another Erin Brockovich story.
Oh well...just don't eat the fish.
"put your soul in the water...join me for a swim tonight" -- live
I totally understand about the cold, lake effect snow, and mountains of fresh fluffy snow. I do have to admit that Wyoming and its horrible -30 (or lower) wind chill is like nothing I've never experienced. Oh and The Kalamazoo River is so polluted from paper mills, they actually removed tons of dirt from the bottom to try to rid the water from pollutants. The strongly recommend that no one eats the fish or enter the water at all!
ReplyDeleteHappy trails to you! The TN river is the same way. Sad, sad!
ReplyDeletePaper mills are the absolute worst! We should rename the Enoree the Nasty Starch river.
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