Light & Dark

It’s morning in Shenandoah, and the sun overcomes its obstacles. As usual. How perfect is a morning? Fresh and potent with opportunity and intention. Never you mind what becomes of it; that’s the evening’s problem to solve.

The clouds veil the light, hiding the blue, so you don’t take it for granted. The temperamental mountain weather shifted all along my path southwest. But I reached North Carolina and set myself up for an easier day tomorrow.

First, a hearty and satisfying vegan hash (cilantro lime style) at The Bluegrass Grill & Bakery in Charlottesville, Virginia. I also headed to Pearl’s Cupcake Shoppe, which offers daily vegan selection of their yummy looking cupcakes… but at 10:30 am. I was too early to try them and had a lot of driving to accomplish. I was bummed about that.

Of course this was the same Charlottesville, Virginia that has been in the news lately. All around were messages of healing.  Love, like the sun, overcomes obstacles.  But you got to let it in.  Gosh, love may have even more obstacles than a ray of sunlight in the forest on a mountain. 

I’ve been to the South many times and there are definitely a lot less Confederate flags than I used to see. But, as I traveled the backroads that my navigation spat out, I did see some.  I saw some of the First Confederate National flag too, which I had to look up.  I was happy to see way more flags for The United States of America. Key word: United, as in the Confederacy lost its bid to secede, just like the Allies won World War 2 against the Nazis. So what does this combination mean here? I kinda love my country, but I am still fixated on the one that got away?

Fond of roadside attractions, I had to visit the Lotus shrine in the middle of winding rural backroads. All of sudden you’re in Yogaville, a city founded in 1980 but big-deal spiritual leader Sri Swami Satchidananda. 

I got a glimpse of the light of Truth Universal and left. 

After fighting get-away Friday traffic, I finally arrived in Asheville, North Carolina.  Totally beat to the world, I ordered take-out from Rosetta’s Kitchen. The dish had their peanut butter baked organic tofu, sautéed kale, smashed potatoes and their signature gravy.  It didn’t photograph all that well and kind of looked like it was from last. Perhaps it was the jostling walk through downtown Asheville during their third Friday tradition Downtown After 5?  Despite its looks was a good meal that I ate in the company of the Spike network, the channel that the tube television was stuck on. 

Manmade lights: Tube t.v. and these great neon signs. 

I don’t mean to eat, sleep and run, North Carolina, but… I am. The Great Smokey Mountains are calling.