high gloss paper magazine stock, so of all the brochures, this one caught my eye, Discover Cocke County, Vol 5, 2024. A downtown turbocharged with coffee and cars; foothills nature; people history even older than the Revolutionary War; real people doing the business of America in the ads; a creamery -- as in ice cream, all the flavors are great smiling faces assure; MEAT!!!! at the Hillbilly's Smoky Mountain Diner (Texas-style fare like BBQ and sauces to go), and axe-throwing! All in Newport, TN. Forget about Disney. Put Dollywood on hold!
Them there's fightin' words, I'm sure.
I81 to 77 adds hours to crossing between T'see and Carolina.
Trump won all seven battleground states (flipping six), won a huge popular vote, Republicans won 53 Senate Seats, and the votes for the House are still being counted, radio tells. A rest area hosts OVERSIZE LOAD labeled vehicles. Even before sunrise traffic slowly but surely rolls onto the highway.
It's Veteran's Day.
The blue holiday lights line the fence between parking lot and world on the move. A lifesize statue of a soldier stands ground and always salutes an enormous Old Glory. Trucks parked in rows start to come to life, parking lights, head lights, tail lights....a quiet nod to another work day.
A framed write-up on a woman cook for Ihop is amongst the articles and photographs of honored people, professionals, at the travel center. She's had the job for 33 years! And also values spending time with family and friends. Even cold, the next morning, the country fried steak and hashbrowns melt in the mouth. A school bus's yellow flashing lights blink in stark contrast to the mist and low cloud foggy weather.
The bond market is closed for Veteran's Day, the radio relays. Across from a giant Davy Crockett (whose birthplace is not far from here) is the Baileyton Antique Mall. Antique Mall is printed on the tin roof so even barnstormers can locate themselves in the landscape of homeland.
TVs at dinner last night served up tough talk, a truck carrying 46,000 pounds (or pieces) of apple crash, and war stuff. The vague beyond the fringe does and does not have specifics attached just yet. A man on the radio explains nations taking roles in holding other nations accountable, de-escalating destruction to peace & prosperity, and people living the values of "peace through strength". An overall feeling "in the streets," as they call popular people, is that we'll all be safer when the wagons are circled.
As governments transition the stage metaphor loses appeal for people in a real defensive position about transparency and strategy.
At a pop-up Trump Store a worker is bemoaning the late arrival of potential stocking stuffers. He takes his time to explain forty five dash forty seven. Been to dozens of rallies, including July's shots fired and Trump hit rally where nobody ran. Little cardboard Trumps show the man with an authentic smile. No doubt about "winner" and currently in the standard process of picking loyal people to stand with him and the Republicans migrating back into managing the country.
A billboard advertises a selection of 6500 bolts of fabric and mountain farmland makes its own sort of living Americana quilt. Rolled hay and handpainted sign: Eat More Turkey jogs memories of how we make this work now that the competition-proper is over. In America's heartland--all over the country, city and nature-preserving places--we buy, sell, and trade! It's staple to hospitality.
My next stop is the Roadside Station~Garden & Gift. The lady is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but kindly finds out if there's something she could help me with. Wishes for a good day to each other and I'm on my way.
My days off from work are special no matter what I'm doing but to drive through our country makes my days booocoooo special. Soaking up memories of family and life 'cuz I have thinkin' time. I remember driving mama around and meeting lots of people in seasonal transition. Budget-minded people, work and play schedule-ing people, people who think ahead to grandchildren and future people still needing to tend to where we live. Taking stand now so we can live how we want to live in a future world.
And then there are the animals. Me and mama had not had country time in a while and it was almost shocking to learn anew about the crazy steed. "We need more meat," a stout-lipped farmer type relayed of where he was representing. The girl steeds were stuck somewhere else and the tensions were building. "Are those bulls humping that hill?" Someone drinking spiked ice tea asked. A glance. "Guess so." A cell phone call, They'rah ready.
Hot, dark roast at the Seven Brew Drive Thru Coffee. We are stacked up on the Tennessee side to savor. A road sign lets us know these commercial/businesses are in a Main Street zone. The sun peeks through broken cloud and the mountains show themselves.
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