Friday, 9 June, Natchez Trace Preserve

Happy Birthday Ellie, 4 years old today : )  We so miss not being there to celebrate this big birthday with you but send you bags of love and massive hugs!

Man, it was cold during the night and this morning I was surprised to note, it was a chilly 13 C!  Happily it soon warmed up and less than a couple of hours later it was 30C : )  That’s more like it.

Chris took us for a drive to the Amish Community where we hoped to learn more about these gentle people.  The Visitors Centre appeared to be just a shop selling mostly second hand goods but I did buy some hand-made soap to support the cause.  We wandered around the flea market, the second hand/antique shops, the saddle makers, the museum etc. but the general consensus was pretty much that it was rather a contrived tourist attraction.  The Amish people we came across were not particularly welcoming or talkative.  The horses ‘parked’ under sunshades ready to take the tourists sightseeing seemed happy and well cared for.  The ones we saw trotting, at a particularly fast pace, along the main four lane roadway did not seem to mind the 60 mph traffic hurtling alongside, but I did notice the horses wear blinkers.

Amish Truck

Regardless, it was an interesting day out and was topped off by a visit to Walmart, Carrol needs a bucket and the boys some lunch, thank you Burger King – please note, that can’t be counted as McDonalds, so Kim’s abstinence record remains intact!  There was an Amish horse and cart parked under a tree in the Walmart carpark - they too, it seems, need the everyday trappings of life and groceries, as we know it.

We got back to camp mid afternoon and just had time for a read (sleep) outside in the dappled sun which was just hovering below the canopy of our trees, before HH is upon is once again!  Darn it, the bugs are biting!  Need to lather on more repellent!