noMATTic life

ITs been a while since ive posted anything. Ive driven over 35 hundred miles in the last month to go from :

Richmond, VA -> Fayetteville, Arkansas-> Dallas, Texas -> Austin, Texas-> Fayetteville, Arkansas -> Oklahoma City, OK -> Fayetteville, Arkansas -> Richmond, VA.

with two brief stops in Little Rock.

One of the most striking things that marks the drive is the incredible amount of Crosses that are placed by the highway. They begin in central Virginia and are consistently distributed all the way to Oklahoma. The most common version is the three crosses about 10 or 12 feet tall that are placed at the top of hills overlooking the interstate. Second place in presence is the two identical white pre-fabricated metal crosses that are about 30 or 40 feet tall and about 800 miles apart from each other. Last is the small crosses that are attached to fences or painted on signs posted in the ground.

The other thing that catches your eye when driving is the expansive, dominating, kudzu. It covers everything, trees, telephone poles, shrubs, fences. Its as if someone had placed a blanket of green fondant over what was there and turned the objects under it into abstract form. Some look like a zoo full of outlandish creatures. Others,the kudzu already half covering a tree reveals the epic battle between native flora and invasive vine.

A fun stop I made on the way back from Austin was the Style Station. Ashley Cross told me to stop there, so I did. It was a good stop. The early morning visit ( 8:45am) was greeted with vintage boots, pearl snaps, and denim galore, not to mention the expansive conversation ranging from conservative Christian radio conspiracies to the decline of the greatness of Texas to Japanese and German tourists to American political dynasties. I did purchase some sweet 6 dollar shades.