Speed Limit 25 mph

We were in the Scotia Barrens for some exercise before the rains came. My husband has been having trouble with his left knee, but he wanted to do a low-key jog anyway. So we drove over and parked the car so that he could jog and I could walk.

As soon as we got there, the sky darkened, and I had watched the weather forecast map long enough to realize that it was likely rain would hit before we finished up our activities. I had an umbrella, and I would indeed need it for the walk back out.

There are two dirt roads in this area. The one to the far left out of scene goes right by the shooting range, which is the way that most people go, often raising a big cloud of dust; but not on this day, because we've had so much rain that everything is muddy. So there's a plus: no dust.

The road you see in this photo is actually closed. You can ride a bike or jog or walk, but you can't drive on it, which is what makes the speed limit sign almost an anachronism. Or at least, vaguely amusing. I'm walking here! I'm walking here! Sure, I'll do my best to keep it to 25 mph or less!

The skies were threatening and they darkened above me, and finally, when I looked ahead, there was just this tiny little corridor of light in the middle of everything. The scene looked old-fashioned and rustic - in a place that probably didn't look much different than this a hundred years ago - and so I picked it for my shot for the day. And yes, a few minutes after this, it did begin to rain.

It's my custom to include a soundtrack song, often one that's related to the content of my image. But this one I've picked is just a song I was listening to on my tunes box as I walked this walk. When you buy as much music as I do, listening to your tunes box can be like a visit to a music store. 

Almost every time I turn it on, I hear something marvelous that I didn't even know I had! This song was so good that I listened to it six times straight. So here is our song for the day: Dolly Parton, with In the Sweet By and By. There is an Irish lady named Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh singing the one verse and the whole thing is just lovely. It's from Dolly's 2001 album Little Sparrow, which appears on every single list of "best Dolly Parton" albums I've ever seen. Enjoy!


There's a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there