Rubber Necking
I’ve always been a person who is curious. How, what, when, where, why? My mind is usually in gear, whether I want it to be or not. It can be a blessing, or occasionally a curse.
I left our log cabin in Green Bank, West Virginia around noon on Saturday. I had expected to leave near dusk, but an impending rain/ice/snow storm hastened my departure. This would be the first time since October I had made the 408 mile trip back to New Jersey in the daylight. It would mean more traffic than night driving, but it would also mean I could be nosey.
Winter is the perfect time to scope out everything. With no leaves on the trees, I could see far into the woods and farther into everyone’s property. A combination of valley farms and mountain homes awaited me in West Virginia, then sprawling valleys with farms and suburbs would usher me through Virginia and Maryland.
I don’t usually make this trip on a Saturday. Once on the road, I was immediately struck by what a social day it was. With temperatures in the mid 40’s, mountain folks were outside talking to neighbors, fixing fences, cutting and splitting firewood, working on cars, and riding ATV’s in their yard. These weren’t the kind of activities you’d find during the weekdays, and they occurred to a much lesser degree on a Sunday.
In farm country, I started to check out every barn. Now mid-February, how much hay did they have left? How much corn silage did the dairy farms still have? What kind of equipment did they have? Are their tractors, combines, and wagons kept under cover or out in the elements?
Were the barns well maintained? Freshly painted? Did the farmhouse have Rockwellian appeal or was it neglected? Was there a picket fence around the house? Maybe a few fruit trees in the yard? Are there dead cars parked out back?
I’m equally as interested in the livestock. Are the cattle looking well fed? Are the sheep looking fit? Are these livestock kept in an area large enough that they have a clean place to lay down, or are they caked in dried mud? I came across a flock of about 30 sheep outside Franklin, WV. They had beautiful, immaculately clean white coats with black faces. They looked like something out of a child’s book. I was impressed. It brought a smile to my face.
I also enjoy looking at general stores and the nostalgia they impart, churches and their varying steeples, bridges, and waterways. After much rain of late, the creeks and rivers were rushing torrents compared to back in the autumn when they were trickles.
My six and a half hour trip back to New Jersey was full of interesting, thought-provoking, heart-warming sights. I was rubber necking the whole way. It makes me wonder - do other people get as much pleasure tripping in America as I do?
- Mountain Man