falls

We did some exploring yesterday – basically right down the street.. Ohio Pyle is sort of a park / little town about ten minutes further into the mountains from Chad’s parent’s.

White-water rafting is a big attraction – so the town is little crunchy with mini mom and pop versions of REI and coffee stands. We stopped into one general store that carried everything from groceries to fishing supplies. The isles were tightly packed together and at odd angles to one another. It smelled like gun oil. We bought two four-packs of birch beer.

We took the scenic routes to most of our destinations. “Scenic” sounds silly.. the main drag is breathtaking enough… But since this is Chad’s old stomping ground – he knew all the obscure gravel routes.

I’m beginning to suspect the entire mountain is populated by Chad’s direct and indirect kin. We passed the homes of family including: “Uncle Lucky” and “Uncle Cannonball”.

We stopped by our favorite mountain lunch joint “See More All Stars’ Video and Grill”…. Part video rental shop… Part ice-cream parlor… Part greasy spoon. It’s where locals belly up to the bar to enjoy soft-serve and gossip. Chad saw two more relatives. I ate a fish sandwich and shoestring fries.

I’d spend the evening bundled up on the porch with cigarettes, a pot of coffee and a really good book.

This is the stuff that burns memories into your brain…. Why would I need a blog to record them?