Kentucky SunRise Today!

Yesterday, Monday, March 31st, Rosemary, Pedro, and I bid "good-bye" to Peggy early and were back on the road again.  We drove from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, to Atlanta, Georgia.  Rosemary wanted to pick up her sister, Rebecca, visiting from San Francisco, California, on our way back to Lexington, Kentucky.

Our last sunrise at Hilton Head Island for who knows how long?  Taken on the bridge over the bay between Hilton Head and Pinckney Island, 3/31/14.

Hello, Georgia!  It's not far south from Hilton Head Island.

Skyline, Atlanta, Georgia.

Sisters!  From left, Rosemary, and Rebecca.  We're eating a very good Mexican lunch at Mezcalito's Restaurant, down the street from where Rebecca's son lives in Atlanta.

Skulls & skeletons help Mexicans celebrate "La Dia de los Muertos," the Day of the Dead, celebrated October 31st (All Saints' Eve), November 1st, (All Saints' Day), and November 2nd (All Souls' Day).  They remember, honor, and pray for their dead relatives and friends on those days every year.

This cross on the restaurant's wall was decorated with bottle caps.

Shrine in an alcove just inside the restaurant's entrance, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron Saint of Mexico and of all the Americas.  The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, appeared to peasant Juan Diego in 1531 on a hill in Tepeyac, Mexico, and asked him to tell his bishop she wanted a church built on that site.  The bishop didn't believe him and asked for a sign.  Juan Diego asked the Lady for a sign and she gave him roses, which didn't bloom in that part of the world, to put inside his tilma (cloak).  When he opened the tilma to present the roses to his bishop, not only did roses fall out, but the lady's image was imprinted on the cloak.  Witnessing this miracle, the bishop built the church!

Painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe and prayer on the wall in the Women's Restroom.  Our Lady of Guadalupe's Feastday is celebrated December 12th in the United States.

The trip through Georgia was full of bright sunshine, swamps and forests alongside the road, still full of the familiar Palmetto Palm Trees until Atlanta, and very straight.  There seemed to be few exits south of Atlanta.  Interesting names on signs included Black Creek, St. Augustine Creek, Magnolia Springs Park, Skate-R-Bowl Road, and lots of Native American names: Ogeechee River, Ohoopee River, Oconee River, Ocmulgee River, Hiwassee Occee River. Then there was Indian Springs State Park; they needed a park named after them!

We saw a familiar Georgia sign, "$1,000 fine for throwing trash on highway."  There was no trash on the highway!  There were billboards with Whistle Stop Cafe, home of (the movie) "Fried Green Tomatoes," and "Gone with the Wind (movie)" museum and tours. There were many ads for pecans and peaches in Georgia.

At last, on Interstate-75 north, in Tennessee, shortly before the going into the State of Kentucky, we passed the Titan Rocket on the left, in front of the Fireworks store.  It was the fourth time I had passed by there in a week!  This time, since Rebecca was driving, I noticed that there were two small ferris wheels, and that the elephant there was pink!  One can not notice the details when one is driving on interstate highways!

It's hard to snap a photo of the mountains and valleys along I-75 in Tennessee, north of Knoxville, because there is no place to stop.  The mountains and valleys are awesome, even before spring.

Oh, Kentucky and home!  No matter how far I have come or how tired I am, when I reach the Kentucky state line, whether north, south, east, or west, I am energized and have to drive all the way home to Lexington.  Home is wonderful!

This morning, I watched a Kentucky Sunrise from my bedroom window.  From my kitchen window, I watched a red Cardinal bird hop among my barren flower pots and smaller birds at the Finch feeder.  Then I walked around my yard and noticed the first gala and bright yellow daffodils.

First daffodils in my yard this year!

My tulips are tall but there are no buds yet.  The first tiny yellow leaves have popped out on the forsythia bush.  Other bushes and trees have started to bud out.  Yes, it is GOOD to be HOME!  Praise you, Lord, for keeping us all safe on our travels this past week!