April 25 was Jim's service in Kentucky. We got up early and drove up.
The drive was uneventful, we stopped and had breakfast at the KY border and headed on to the cemetery.
As soon as we were over the state line, horses and huge barns were everywhere:
The service was short, 10 minutes or so. 21 gun salute, folding and presenting the flag.
We saw Loretta only for a few seconds, she said she had to go, she'd see us at the luncheon.
So, we went to the luncheon.
It was at the Pioneer building in Hopkinsville. Large black men were making BBQ in the shed out back, even though it was pork, I had to try it. SO good.
We saw Loretta only for a few seconds, she said she had to go, she'd see us at the luncheon.
So, we went to the luncheon.
It was at the Pioneer building in Hopkinsville. Large black men were making BBQ in the shed out back, even though it was pork, I had to try it. SO good.
This was one of my favorite shots of Jim from the memorial:
I'd like to say a few things about Jim, but here is the actual thing, I only met him 3 times. The first time, I was pregnant with Chan and I was so sick, I had taken some stuff for nausea and it knocked me flat out. We went to meet him and I fell asleep on the couch.
The next time was when they moved to Lake Barkley and we spent a couple nights there, took the kids swimming and out on the boat. Jim told me his biggest regret in life was not marrying Loretta 20 years younger so they could have a dozen boys, all just like Jake. I loved him from that moment on.
We wrote a few times and called back and forth, I went up for another visit before they sold their lake house and moved to Arizona. They had just moved back when he was killed.
The man was in the war, he wrote a book, he built many houses, he made an impact and his life was snuffed on a sunny winter day out running errands.
The next time was when they moved to Lake Barkley and we spent a couple nights there, took the kids swimming and out on the boat. Jim told me his biggest regret in life was not marrying Loretta 20 years younger so they could have a dozen boys, all just like Jake. I loved him from that moment on.
We wrote a few times and called back and forth, I went up for another visit before they sold their lake house and moved to Arizona. They had just moved back when he was killed.
The man was in the war, he wrote a book, he built many houses, he made an impact and his life was snuffed on a sunny winter day out running errands.
We only got to visit with Loretta another few seconds, long enough for a hug and for her to complain about the kids being so much bigger. She was exhausted and in the process of leaving, so we let her go.
On the tables were many flower seeds and potted herbs. The kids each picked one to plant in Jim's honor, those went in the ground this morning.
On the tables were many flower seeds and potted herbs. The kids each picked one to plant in Jim's honor, those went in the ground this morning.
More barns:
We went back by the cemetery to get photos of this little cemetery tucked off in the trees I had spotted at the service.
Full as ticks and in no hurry to drive straight back, we detoured to geocache on the way home. Traffic was light until Nashville, where we were backed up a while.
When we lived in Tennessee, we never went to Dunbar Cave State Park because you had to be 6 to do the cave tour. So on the way back home, I headed that way to check it out. Turns out, no one has been in the cave since 2006 when they found white nose syndrome in one of the bats.
Being friends with a state park ranger, we have talked about this a few times. There's no good evidence that humans are helping to spread the disease, so all over, parks are opening their cave systems again. Just not in Tennessee. Yet.
Being friends with a state park ranger, we have talked about this a few times. There's no good evidence that humans are helping to spread the disease, so all over, parks are opening their cave systems again. Just not in Tennessee. Yet.
We opted to do the mile long walk to stretch our legs a bit.
blue hyacinth
Dwarf crested iris
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| A bale of turtles |
There were thousands of may apples!
False garlic
Wood sorrel
Trillium
Toothwort, past bloom stage
May apple bloom
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Back in the van, Nuvi assures me, just a little farther...
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| You can do it! Do it FAST! |
Square flower
Old millworks on Fountain Creek (near Duck River)
That crick needs some floatin'!
I am going with bittercress
unknown succulent
UGH, damn rednecks!
Ben shaved for the service. He's growing up SO fast.
I think I figured Jake and Chan would grow up faster, but I still had my baby one. Now he's bigger than Chan and about to overtake Jake. He's been taller than me for 2 years.
Look at those curls.
Yeah, I stood there and took pics as the kids ran over this little hill, I liked the sunset and the height and clearness of the path-it was all very perfect, even if I was standing kind of near that deer carcass. eee
And that was it, we made it home after stopping for gas, which is HIGH. Gah, it was $3.41 Thursday when I went in to the dentist and as we left town with the van all clean, I stopped to fill up and it was $3.62, at the SAME PLACE. 21 cents in 3 hours. That does not bode well for my summer!
