Peed at by ewe, etc

Burke's Garden,
Wytheville VA . Guy on Honda headed for Chicago.  




Up gravel road toward Burke's Garden, VA. 



Bad place.





Near top.


Looking down into Burke's Garden. An oval depression about 25 miles long and 5 miles wide surrounded by a circle of mountains . Two gravel roads and one paved road in and out. One of gravel roads is bad. No store in valley. Nearest town 10-15 miles over mountain.  


At bottom . 
















House not atypical. All are supported by working farms.
















Church established in 1828.
















Functional nevertheless.






Peed at by ewe.  Lots of animals - cows, sheep, goats and other things. 




Herd of camels - more behind.
















Small mountain deer hides in woods - part of a group of three.  Camouflage makes them nearly invisible. VDOT guy we chatted with on road going up said coyotes kill deer. Bear also roam woods. He thought cougars too - although they are not supposed to be here
















Bison.
















Tried to get out on another gravel road (to left). It quickly became dirt and went  bad and we backed out. VDOT guy had without committing himself advised against it.
















Downtown Harlan Kentucky - supposed to meth, marijuana capital of U.S.  Looked OK to me, although coming in saw some really bad trailers. Could imagine meth being cooked there. Marijuana grown out back.















Mr. Bob. We are at Cumberland Gap overlook.
















Mr. Tom, who, going crazy, bought hat. Also lost lost eye glasses. Bored Mr. Bob with talk of black Lincoln Town car with loud mufflers and big bumper guard up front.
 

On the Way To Burke's VA

Day 1 - Sunday 3/25/12

Shot Tower from 1800's - where molten lead was dropped to make musket balls and shotgun shot. New River in background. Rained. I was wearing short pants shirt and Crocs.


Max Meadows - note sign beside building.Max Meadows like a number of the little out of the way towns is in decline. Bob said there was furniture manufacturing but it went away. Cattle still a big deal. We saw lots of shacks and trailers surrounded by trash and abandoned vehicles (and parts thereof). We also some huge exotic old mansions - many of them also falling apart. Wonder about story - who built. Lords? Those who wrote in diaries.


 Was barked at by mixed collection of mixed dogs in downtown Max Meadow. I said hello dogs but they were not impressed.  Man came out and yelled at them - might have yelled at me too if we had not left. I waved at other people who reluctantly waved back.


Mr.Bob looking at train.


Valley named after somebody's wife who got taken by Indians and was bought (purchased) back by husband six years later - after which they lived rustically in log cabin until eventual death. 



More - Followed Case Knife road along ridge. Gravel there. Fog in valleys on both sides. We were above it. Saw one shack with the words NOT FOR RENT scrawled in angry letters. Front yard of another house (in earlier part of trip) was decorated by three toilets placed on stumps. Worst of trailer houses on Cae Knife road coming down case mountain. Saw a lone white boy in hoodie walking in woods beside road.

More More - Went through Pulaski - saw elegant old courthouse, main street with sad little shops, some abandoned, dead dreams of culture and money - large abandoned furniture plants. Bob said fine furniture was once crafted here. Bob has been  everywhere. His company had a loan office here. But we did get turned around when map was wrong about one of back roads.