I Have Returned

            This morning as I woke from my slumber in my own bed, I was welcomed home by the barking of the neighbor’s kennel of dogs, the crowing of the roosters, and the cawing of several crows. The soft whisper of the breeze coming through my bedroom window said that I am home.

 

            On the trip east, the first stop was at Old Bedford Village. The site held nearly a dozen or so buildings that were saved from ruin and moved to this site for preservation and to share their history with fellow visitors. The buildings were from the surrounding areas. The log cabins were homes, blacksmith shops, stores and shops of different types. A barn and a church also graced the property.

            Route 30 is a drive that takes the motorist up and over the Appalachian Mountains. Steep grades and winding roadways were the results of the migration of settlers to the west and a desire to travel more easily.

            My first encounter with Route 30 over the mountains came on a return trip from Downingtown, Pennsylvania where my daughter was attending college. I wanted to catch Route 76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, before the mountainous stretch arrived. I asked my wife Cindy, and my mother-in-law Retha, to help me watch for traffic signs to make the transition. They became engrossed in reading and the trip over the Appalachians was inevitable.

            I don’t think that it would have been difficult, but the daylight disappeared and a light rain had begun to fall. It was almost like driving in fog. By this time, Cindy and Retha were unable to read anymore due to lack of light and wanted to talk. I didn’t want to be distracted by their chatter and because I felt it was their fault that I was still on Route 30, I asked them none too politely to keep quiet while I was driving. That was a harrowing experience that took all of my concentration to stay on the roadway.

            My vacation driving over Route 30 was a much more pleasurably affair. The sun was shining and even though the road was just as steep and winding, I was able to see the scenery and the road.

            My rambling about Route 30 has a purpose. The next stop on the trip was Gettysburg and there is so much I want to say, I needed to share my emotions and my thoughts on this great battlefield at one time. I didn't want the post on Gettysburg to be distracted by anything else.