Workers Defense Project

Attended the march on the Capitol Workers Defence Project Austin Texas staged last February in solidarity but wonder if such events are more about rallying the troops than effecting change. In particular it struck me that most of the politicians that would be influenced probably don’t understand Spanish.

I have been reading Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and find it very enlightening. Labour Laws in Texas put me in mind of the conditions Charles Dickens railed about nearly two centuries ago. I see little difference between the way construction workers are treated and slavery.

Changing the system as it now exists is not in the self-interest of the Politicians on Capitol Hill. The system by which these people are elected and paid or not paid ensures that only the rich and powerful can afford to run for office. Finding a means of shaming these people into action would seem the only practical solution.

The pen is mightier than the sword. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin did more to bring down slavery than any number of protests and rebellions. I believe  sympathetic and famous writers need to be inspired to write memoirs or fictional accounts to expose the evils of construction work in Texas. I’m sure there would be no problem finding case histories and individuals who would be willing to supply background for such accounts.

Self-Discipline

The old adage of “Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child” has seen the pendulum swing to a permissive society in which children know their rights and discipline is a dirty word, self-discipline virtually unknown. Creativity and Self-Expression trump learning proper grammar and spelling. Recent online articles emphasize the problem of young parents feeling entitled to inflict their badly behaving screaming youngsters on their fellow restaurant diners. Were I to become drunken and unruly I’d expect to be asked to leave, why should these children be any different. Forgive me for thinking that until children have learned how to behave in public their parents should order home-delivery, take-out, or do their own cooking until their children learn self-discipline. Or they can frequent MacDonalds or Chuck-E--Cheese as has been suggested, establishments that cater to their needs and allow the rest of us to eat in peace.

An obsession with constant online contact and instant communication has led to an epidemic of texting in public places, particularly distracting to fellow theatre goers. Hand-held devices have led to the need for laws to make texting while driving illegal. A generation of new writers raised using instant-messaging shorthand combined with self-publishing has lead to the release of e-books that lack professional editing displaying an ignorance of grammar, syntax, or proper spelling.

Home Stretch

Aggravating is the discovery a few miles down the road that you paid 10¢/gal too much for gasoline. The going rate today in Ohio is $2.29 but I couldn’t get online this morning to check that out. Such are the pitfalls of travel. Driving through the countryside I found the signs advertising gun shops strangely at odds with the two hoardings that listed the Ten Commandments. At least there was no visible signs of bullet holes next “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” Plenty of traffic and State Troopers appeared to be out in force. Signs indicated areas of Drug Use, beware DUI Drivers. Not a fact featured in the state tourism brochures I’m certain.

Finding Crosscreek Campground eluded my GPS once more. At least I had a drive through the country for my troubles and I eventually found the place. Spent a quiet afternoon and evening. Fell asleep for several hours in the afternoon and spent the evening reading and writing E-mail. Alas, the formerly good Wi-Fi service here let me down.

Slept in again and got off finally around 9 AM. Today was the first I had to contend with a gusting crosswind. Every now and then I make a smart choice. I filled up my gas tank somewhere near Akron Ohio before crossing into Pennsylvania. I paid $2.29, it’s $2.59 in Erie. Ouch! Just short of arriving in Erie a tiny insect came in through my air vent and landed in my left eye somehow getting past my glasses. This is my good eye. I could feel it squirming around in there but being in the middle lane of an expressway I had no place to stop.

When I found Sara’s Campground the sign in the window read Closed--I didn’t try the door. The snow drift remaining where the snow was pushed this winter was not particularly promising. Double Ouch. Got a ticket for a site across the road--$38/night from a dear little old gal who acted as if I was the first person she’s served this year. Got a Wi-Fi ticket and it works. The campground is no shakes but the hydro works and once the curtains are drawn....

Stopped at a Dennys near Akron today that looked like a Sixties Diner from American Graffiti complete with the sound track. Brunch was good but Kindle on my Tablet refused to open the book I’ve been reading on my laptop, then told me I’d already bought it when I went to the website--well, dah! Waste of time and frustration. Dumb technology. Spent the day listening to Guardian Buk Podcasts. Alas, I have 24 hours of podcasts remaining in that series, fourteen day’s worth in total.

Sara’s at the foot of Presque Isle State Park in Erie Pennsylvania is a mini-empire. If location means everything for a business this place has it in spades. On the west side of the boulevard is a beach-front campground with a secondary to the east fronted by a series of fast food eateries on the way into the State Park. On what was the first warm spring day here on Lake Erie the line-up for the drive-through window at the burger joint was 15 cars deep, the parking lot full. It would appear to be the kind of joint frequented for generations as soon as teens can drive. The largely seasonal campsites are packed in like sardines but again think location. Fifteen miles of hiking trails and at least twice as many beach front parking lots on the sand spit and to the south an amusement park complex. Just open with a snow drift still in place beside the office whose sign read ‘closed’ the overnight spaces east of the blvd were empty. A paved platform with full hook-ups provided what would in season be cramped quarters. The Wi-Fi worked for me. A cold front blew in from the west dropping the temperature from 80 to 50 in minutes and bringing thundershowers here without the pyrotechnics. Must have sent the people eating burgers and curly fries at outdoor plastic picnic tables scrambling for cover. Only an electrician in a lift basket kept me company as the wind howled through the barren tree branches overhead.

A week later I’ve finally gotten around to completing this saga. Boring is good. Made it home on the gasoline I bought in Ohio. The look of a Lake Erie which is still frozen over was rather chilling. After the dump truck debacle which shut down the Northbound Burlington Skyway there are now two over-height sensors installed. Customs proved a painless experience. I even paused to chat before I left the booth. Stopped by the Tourism Booth for a break and to collect Bumph. Made it home without incident as predicted at 1:00 PM Sharp and found my parking space. Traffic on the QEW Hamilton to Toronto is always heavy but at least there were no slowdowns.

My last night on the road saw heavy thunder showers but nothing more violent and the air was calm for my drive. Having a soak in my own bathtub felt good. I need another. Sleeping in my own bed....

I was home a week Tuesday. Reality is beginning to set in.

Kentucky Bluegrass and beyond

First step was getting out of Nashville. The gas stations near Music Valley and the highway were clip joints. Worse yet the one I opted for pumped gas slower than molasses running up hill in the wintertime--or was that sorghum? The stretch from Nashville to Park City, Kentucky was heavy with truck traffic. On the advice of the good ole boy at the Kentucky Visitor’s Centre I stopped in Franklin to fill up my tank at $2.09. As warned the price rose to $2.39 as I drove North. I did not take his advice on visiting Maker’s Bourbon Distillery. Kentucky makes 90% of the world’s sour mash whiskey.

Wherever my GPS thought it was taking me it didn’t seem to know where Mammoth Cave was at so I took my own head for it and headed North on paved country roads until I got to a sign that directed the way. The park is approximately 7 square miles with little apparent development above ground. The Headquarters Area features a Visitors Centre, Campground, Park Store with pay showers and post office, and a Hotel. Below ground are over 400 miles of interconnected caves and counting. Although the area was formerly extensively farmed the Civilian Conservation Corps--CCC Boys planted trees which today cover much of the landscape with towering hardwoods. They also cleared underground passages, and built stairs, railings, pathways above ground and below along with buildings and shelters. The campground provides a paved parking space, finding a level one being no small feat, concrete picnic table, fire pit, and lantern stand. The water here filtered by limestone is gloriously soft, the bathroom has hand soap, water, and blow dryer, even lights. The Visitors Centre provides Wi-Fi though a turtle moves faster.

The visitors centre has an information desk and Kentucky Tourism stand. A regimented sales area for underground tours complete with overhead display seems more like an airport desk than a park. All tours leave from the visitor’s centre, remote tours by school bus transport. The requisite book store is separate from the section selling clothing and memorabilia. The ‘museum’ is a maze lined with rock and has a small theatre with movie telling the history of cave exploration and mapping today assisted by laser. Outside is a walkway leading to the Hotel, several shelters for tours to wait protected from sun or rain, and a walkway leading down to the “Historic Entrance” and on to an above ground walk through a ravine.

I should have known better than to opt for a caving tour involving 120 people. The squalling baby and people who just wouldn’t shut up were just the capper. Mammoth cave may be the longest cave system in the world but the 2-mile section we hiked on the Historic Tour was rather featureless. The info imparted in the four talks was already available in the Guide Book. The caves are a uniform 54º F and humidity 80%. The lighting is quite low, our guides used flashlights, the pathways uneven, and the ceiling frequently low. So-called fat man’s misery wasn’t all that narrow. The 385 steps were all too real, the bottomless pit 150 ft. Coming out into 80º heat sent me looking for water--two large glasses after the water fountain. The Historic Tour Route has seen a lot of traffic over the years and was even mined for saltpetre.

Getting out of Kentucky proved a bit of a challenge. To put a cynic’s view on matters someone voted for the right party. A majority of my route to Cincinnati was under construction, add heavy truck traffic and not a pleasant drive capped by a 5-mile traffic jam in Cincinnati caused by a broken down tractor trailer. Stopped once more at a busy Krogers and discovered first hand the ethnic diversity of at least that part of town. The majority of shoppers and store staff were African American. Found what I needed and was treated with respect by all. Learned that although the sky turned black while I was driving I missed a humdinger of an electrical storm. When I reached Winton Woods Campground water and broken branches lay everywhere.

This is my second visit to Winton Woods Park. I have fond memories of my last visit having spent time exploring what is a large suburban county park outside the campground itself. The gal who signed me in seemed new to the job and lacked knowledge of her park and also sympathy for a customer who had just spent 3 hours fighting traffic to get to her counter. I did eventually get signed in and then bought an ice cream cone. With allergies to chocolate and nuts my options were limited and the double scoop of lemon sorbet I received was over soft and around too long. It melted so fast my beard seemed to get more than I did.

The site I had selected was surrounded by standing water but was at least level. Wi-Fi Service is provided by Tengo, a service I’ve had issues with in the past. Here it provides free service and does not appear to indulge in internet squelching but it requires an extra browser-based log on and cuts out at unpredictable moments. At times it doesn’t seem to want to let one in and as usual makes getting online nearly impossible in early evening. Important to me this because I’ve spent three days with recurrent thunderstorms and heavy rain so I haven’t been out much. One crack of lightening seemed right on top of me, despite tornado watches no funnel clouds here. Hearing about the flooding, downed trees, and power wires elsewhere in Cincinnati does not make me feel any better.

Dumped my tanks and filled my smaller fresh water tank upon entering the park. My site backs onto the lake but until today, Saturday, I have not braved the standing water in the grass to approach it. At least I’m fairly isolated from the bulk of camp activity, this being the weekend the place has filled up with families and children. Today I have made sweet and sour salad and I’m about to put together Chili con Carne having just fried the meat, I’m about to assemble the chopped ingredients and spices in my crockpot. Does campground life sound prosaic?

Nashville

Entering Nashville from the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace is not a comforting experience. I did not stop at the Loveless Café Complex or Andrew Jackson’s mansion, the Hermitage. The number of traffic lights and interchanges to be negotiated is intimidating. The fact that I’d asked my GPS to stay off Expressways on the Trace may have been a factor in my trip through downtown.

Arriving on Music Valley Dr in the middle of a thunderstorm did not help matters and discovering my favourite KOA might not have room for me and could not offer me Wi-Fi was a definite turn-off. Fortunately Two Rivers next door did have room and their Wi-Fi has worked fine. The heavy weather persisted for the next 36 hours culminating in a tornado watch. Luckily the worst we experienced here was horizontal rain, gusting winds, heavy rain, and a touch of hale. To put a positive spin on matters I got my RV scrubbed clean for free and the Campground couldn’t complain about it. Catching up online kept me busy. With all the windows closed I was thankful for A/C.

Saturday dawned clear and cooler. I did not get up early to watch the moon eclipse. When I did get active walked over to KOA to talk to the Grayline Rep about a ticket to see the Grand Ole Opry that night. Stopped at Camping World to look at LED Lighting. The item I selected was not in their system and a comedy of errors ensued. I am not particularly impressed with Camping World.

Without an appearance by Minnie Pearl, faked or otherwise I did not feel properly welcomed to the Opry but someone else appeared to flog the $15 programs. An hour is a long time to sit and wait for a show but riding with Pat on Graylines is part of the fun. The stage crew are the Opry’s true stars and anyone strong enough to hand-hold a TV Camera steady gets my vote, the guy on our side was tall and thin. His maneuvers made my knees ache. The majority of the acts Saturday Night were up and comers. What do they feed those tall skinny guys to give them those deep basso profundo voices. Some of them did almost everything but break dance on stage. The Opry’s male dancers looked old enough to need walkers once they got off-stage. The sound was full without being over-loud and the screens front of house and backstage gave close-ups of the artists. The ads seemed less intrusive and more subtle than in past years--or am I getting inured to them.

I did not see frost Sunday Morning but a clear sky and a cold front dropped the temperature to near freezing. By noon my home was toasty but by evening the cloud-cover had returned. Perhaps I should have attempted to make it to church but sleeping in or at least remaining in bed until noon felt soooo good!

Day Three and Onward

Last night my inverter shut down due to RV battery depletion which led to my laptop crashing. After morning of rain decided to pull into Timberland Reservoir Park north of Jackson Mississippi and recharge. Did some battery maintenance after it stopped raining. Spent a quiet night but got coated in tar from a tree. The site picked for Internet access. $23/night.

On the way in stopped at Kroger Groceries for a few supplies including their coffee which is still the best ground coffee I’ve ever found. Spent the afternoon catching up online.

Day Four

Stopped at Kangeroo Gas to fill up at $2.10 on my way out. Took my time getting on the road but left when the internet failed? Why me? Also visited the Mississippi Craft Centre when my GPS took me there instead of to the gas station. Since the Trace is hard to miss decided to use the gadget only to track my speed. Out front was a turkey sculpture with wine bottles defining its tail and a 3-foot ant.

The drive today was distinguished only by the heat and some frustrating construction. No blocks to traffic on the trace otherwise. Found a campsite at Thomas Jefferson Busby Campground that required extensive leveling, then settled in to read my Trace Guidebook. Went for a walk and had supper. Two trucks with trailer homes pulled in behind me on my loop. One couple from Calabogie Ontario, the other from Sharbot Lake. Spent the evening reading Boyden’s The Orenda.

Prominent along the road today were Redbuds and Dogwoods almost over in Natchez. Noted that the only radio available around Jackson was Legends 102 Country unless you can stomach Gospel or Talk. “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On”. Later Kicks 96.

Day Five

Today I drove North of Spring 200 miles to Merriwether Lewis Campground--named for the place where the Lewis and Clark explorer died in mysterious circumstances and is buried. Checked 7 campsites before finding one close to level.

This morning had to put away four leveling blocks before I pulled out at 7:00 AM. Stopped up the road to run my generator and make coffee and toast.

For breaks stopped at the infocentre at the Trace Main Office near Tupelo and after passing through Alabama into Tennessee at the Collinwood Welcome Centre. The latter I’d visited in 2011 on my way through still manned by a good old boy who today demonstrated his dulcimer while I admired the quilts on display while drinking a free coffee. This time round no second good old boy using one of the rockers. The place produces kiln-dried oak. A corn cob sheller on display.

Just after I passed through in 2011 a tornado touched down and followed the Trace for 10 miles somewhat south of Tupelo. The devastation is still palpable. Snow followed by an ice storm caused many windfalls along the Trace which staff will spend months cleaning up. First priority getting the wood off the roadway.

This Parkway was finally completed in 2005 after Busby saw to its start in 1936. An impressive amount of fill was used to raise the road above the surrounding swamps and farmland and to level out the many dips in the gently rolling landscape. The look-off last night was at the highest point in Mississippi, just over 600 ft.

Running my generator to charge my batteries and recharge my tablet. Tomorrow’s hop to Nashville is only 83 miles. I should get in in time to find a campsite. No hurry to head north to that cold! Time now for a walk.

The silence of a primitive campground is awing. I was brought up short in the middle of the night when I decided to make tea and had to remind myself that my electric kettle wasn’t going to work!

Day Six off the Trace

Drove up to the first pull-out to run my generator and make coffee beside a tiny waterfall down a steep embankment with picnic table and garbage can beside it. I didn’t assay the steep grade. Reaching milepost 400 meant 44 miles of the Trace remaining.

After seeing no traffic control signs or signals for 450 miles downtown Nashville with its aggressive pedestrians and drivers and uncoordinated lights is traumatizing. I arrived at KOA to find no room at the Inn and their internet down with a thunderstorm brewing. Two Rivers Campground just up the street is cramped but any port in a storm.