I arrived safely at my first stop, the Minister's Treehouse, on Beehive Lane, outside Crossville, Tennessee. I have pictures, but they can't possibly do this place justice. I'm typing this sitting in the back of the van, and looking out the window out the house, and I can't even imagine the thought processes that must have gone through this man's mind, the conviction that he was speaking to god. Fanaticism surely, but at least it was a madness of creation rather than destruction.
This is the treehouse:
This is me standing in front of the curious place, picture taken by a random stranger also there to revel in the madness of it all:
A picture I took with the van in the foreground, looking polleny, but none the worse for wear:
The rest of the shots, included my autograph on one of the supports for the bell tower, which in case you were wondering, does indeed have bells. I have more pictures, some really nice, but will worry about getting them all posted, later:
I find I don't have much to say. It all feels too pithy, and snarky, and that's not what I'm feeling. Thoroughly enjoying this, now that I've gotten out onto the road. I've already had a few missteps, and I think the Garmin doesn't like me, but I'll prevail in the end. I'm going to break for lunch now, and then get back onto the road. Been taking pictures, but will probably not post most of them. In order to remind to experience the journey rather than compulsively document it.
I have had naught to eat today but bread. Perhaps my planning has been a little lacking. I'm not entirely certain what I'm going to do when I get to the airport, or how I'm supposed to bring my stuff with me to the condo, but I suppose these little details are all manageable. I need to get back on the road. I'm already running later than I'd like. Listening to American gods, which is fucking perfect atmosphere for the journey I'm on.
I'm not going to mention the natural beauty, because I don't have the words to do it justice, and besides, if you want to see what I've seen, that would be easy enough to arrange.
Well, that took a lot longer than I'd anticipated. I cannot get the network to work, and am incapable of fretting over it. I'll worry about it later, perhaps in the morning. The only thing I really have to add to the two bits I wrote earlier boils down to two simple things. If you've ever got the opportunity to drive through the Shenendoah valley during sunset, you fucking go for it. The second is more prosaic. I had two incidents today. Hardly disasters, but certainly mishaps.
The first resulted after I attempted to toast a slice of bread on the camp stove, with mediocre results. I removed the camp toaster from the stove, and like a jackass, put it down on the floor of the van promptly burning a crop circle into the carpet. Woops. I'll upload a photo on Monday when I'm setting off on the second leg of my journey. This confirms the need for a wash basin, if only to have a place for hot things to be doused in water and rendered not so hot. My first order of business after my departure on Monday will have to be a shopping trip in the suburbs.
The second incident came just after I arrived. Needless to say after fourteen odd hours in the car, I was ready to be on my way, and in my hurry to leave the car neat, but untempting for would be thieves I managed to install a make shift burglary defense, when I managed to break the glass of one of the two framed pieces of art I brought with me. I believe I already said it once, but whoops. So when i pick up that wash basin I'll need to pick up a trash can as well in order to dispose of the hundreds of shards of broken glass which now coat the floor of the van.
Despite those two kerfluffles I'm in high spirits. Excited to be here. All I want to do is close this laptop, and hit the streets, which is exactly what I'm going to do.
It was a good day, and I'm glad it went the way it did. It seemed surreal to finally be doing what I've planned for so long, and I mean that in the original sense of the word: Super-Real. I actually jumped up and down like a little girl when I got to the condo, and I feel like jumping up and down now. Only I'm in a coffee shop glombing WiFi, and it seems inappropriate. On the docket for today? I'm going to get my writing done, and I'm going to check out the venue of the show I'm going to see on Friday night, and then maybe a museum or two. I love life.
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