Made it down, and over, to beautiful western North Carolina today! The drive to these parts always amazes me and reminds me of how much I love being in the mountains. Be it the Rockies or the Applachias, nothing smells sweeter than mountain air.
The pic was taken while driving (please do not try this at home) through a portion of Cherokee National Forest. Can't help but think of the time when my ancestors were fortunate enough to roam these hills freely and live without constraints. I felt their spirit and gave them my thanks.
A few years ago I visited the Cherokee Indian Reservation and envisioned what I thought the place would like. Tipis everywhere, men riding horses, women sitting around a fire with their children producing goods for trade. Um yeah, I was wrong. I found that I could get my picture taken with a "real" indian for $10, buy a rubber ended tomahawk or better yet visit the casino which is where all the other tourists were. No thanks. The only time I stopped was to visit a store to buy some handmade moccasins and some praline pecans. I must admit, it made me very sad to see what they have to do to make a living. Then of course, I visited my fantasy land of thought and decided that they probably just do these things as a cover up and that really, behind the sheild of the mountains, they still live in tipis. Next time, I am going to ask........