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#upper midwest gothic
compte-jaques · 9 months
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The corn ate her flesh, my deer
She was dead on the ground to close to the corn
It sprout through her and ate her whole, the corn is blood thirsty ya' know
Be weary or else be lost. This cornfield has n safety net it will eat you and hardly leave a trace
Be careful, never get to close especially not by yourself
They have ears not eyes, but yet they're all knowing
Don't let it draw blood! Don't spill your water unless it draws blood.
Run before they somehow get closer
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marshswamp · 9 hours
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houghton, last october
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the-chosen-none · 1 year
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As a former Michigander, I strongly believe the state would make a great location for Fallout because of the Great Lakes, it’s close ties to Canada (which would allow for more exploration of the in-universe annexation of Canada) and its unique vibes of rural gothic spookiness mixed with Rust Belt industrialization, and since there’s been so little mention of the state in lore, here’s some ideas of my own:
Parts of the state that connect most closely to Canada (such as Port Huron and Detroit) would have logically become highly militarized zones before the Great War, leaving behind a lot of resources for people to fight each other to get their hands on afterwards. I imagine that a lot of people of Canadian descent would have been persecuted in some way before the war, but it would most likely cool off in the many decades afterwards. There would probably be a parody of Tim Horton’s somewhere.
As for Detroit, because of the aforementioned closeness to Canada, the factories there probably would’ve manufactured all kinds of weapons, tech, besides cars. Expect to see roving gangs wearing hockey gear like how the Legion wears football gear. There’s also definitely a Henry Ford analogue who could’ve been a contemporary of Mr. House.
Since cars are the state’s Thing, it probably has the highest amount of working cars outside of the NCR, and fights over fuel are FIERCE. Boat travel would be a lot more common, and a way for people to escape the state by traveling somewhere else along the Great Lakes.
The Midwest is said to be a dust bowl beset by tornadoes, and that probably affects Michigan, too, mostly in the South, while after the war the Upper Peninsula suddenly becomes a lot more of a desirable location, but the Mackinaw Bridge could have been destroyed before or during the war, making travel there a lot more difficult.
Some Lakes could have been more affected by radiation than others and create some terrifying mutant fish. Have you ever seen a sturgeon? Imagine one much bigger and with a taste for human blood.
Very topical jokes about lead in Flint’s water (I’m from Flint, I can make that joke. There’s a great restaurant there called Tia Helita’s you should check out if you’re ever in the area).
Mackinac Island becomes home to a cult of fanatical Luddites who reject all modern technology.
Winter is still fucking cold.
That’s all I got for now, anyone else familiar with Michigan can make their own suggestions.
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dknuth · 1 year
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Albi
A last sunrise over the valleys of the Tarn seen out the window of my room, then I took a taxi from Cordes to Albi.  
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Albi was a great finish to the area of the Albigensian Crusade since this was the city at the heart of it.  
After the crusade the bishop of Albi decided he needed to make a statement with a new cathedral.  It was the time of Gothic cathedrals, but he didn’t want a light airy building, he wanted a building that expressed strength.  So the cathedral is in Southern Gothic and to me resembles resembles a cross between a fortress and a midwest grain elevator.  
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Started in 1282 it is also built out of brick, a LOT of brick.  I’ve seen it described as the largest brick cathedral (almost certainly true) and the largest brick building (maybe).  Brick was cheap and apparently plentiful.  But that didn’t mean it was quick construction.  It was finally consecrated in 1480!  
There are no side isles, a single span and the outer walls are huge deep masses of brick with chapels between them.  
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It’s frequently quoted that it was built to demonstrate the power of the Catholic Church.  But to me it looks more like a defensive structure.  So power, but in a defensive position, not sure that the battles are over or that you’ve really won.  
I think every surface in the cathedral is decorated with something. It doesn't make for a restful space.
The altar is at the west end of the church, which is unusual, but that’s due to changes in the use and construction.  The original altar is in the choir, behind the rood screen in the area of the church reserved for clergy.  So the congregation was separated from the altar and mass.  Years later it when was decided to allow ordinary people to observe mass, a second altar was constructed at the west end.  
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Also at the west end is a huge 15th century mural of the last judgement in two pieces representing heaven and hell.  But in between is a large doorway into a new chapel added in the 16th century.  To create the doorway, they took our the section of the mural of Christ actually doing the judgement.  It seems rather strange to me to take out the central part of the whole mural.  
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During the French Revolution the gold and valuables were stripped out and the cathedral was actually offered for sale.  Apparently no one had a good alternative use for a cathedral and there were no takers.  The intricately carved rood screen was also proposed to be ripped out as the church was converted to a Temple of Reason.  But an engineer with the Ministry of Bridges and Highways protested “.. If we take it upon ourselves the right to destroy that which we owe to the genius, generosity and piety of our ancestors; what right do we have to expect the preservation of those which the memorable events of our own time will inspire.”  Let’s hear it for highway engineers!!
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The bishop also built himself a huge palace next to the cathedral, which looks even more like a fortress. 
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In fact it was.  The documentation at the site notes that the bishop was concerned about more uprisings by the local people.  In part that was because the church and the bishop had become very wealthy from the plunder gained in the battle against the Cathars.  
So several generations of bishops expanded the palace increasing the fortifications.  
The palace now belongs to the city and is used as a Museum of Toulouse Lautrec’s work, including paintings donated by his mother.  
There is a lovely classic garden between the palace and the river.  I also really liked the ceiling of this upper level hallway between parts of the palace.  
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In all Albi was a nice place to visit for an afternoon. The next morning, I took the train to Toulouse.
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Driving east through Ohio into a snowstorm
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supernovacoff33 · 3 years
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something from last winter
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i remember, close to newberry upper michigan
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Upper Peninsula Gothic
- why does everyone have that yooper sticker? you don’t have that. where did they get it. - Is that a mail box or a person? - you could swear this road was shorter, why are the street lights so far apart? - You can’t tell if you’ve been driving for an hour or a couple minutes, didn’t you’re friend live closer? do they live in town or closer to Mass? how far away is Mass? you have no service. - you could’ve sworn there was more people in this town, you never know how many people there are. they all know about you. - does anybody live there? the lights have been on before. why are the lights on. you could’ve sworn no one lived there. no one has ever come in or out, no one ever will. - you’re walking down the street, you haven’t seen a car yet. you haven’t seen a person yet. its the middle of the day, are you the only person alive in this world? who’s that? why have you never seen them before. you never remember anyone’s face. no one has a face. - what time is it? why is it so dark and snowy, you could have sworn it was the fourth of July yesterday. - you’re friend asks you for a gun. why are they asking you? they say its for hunting, you know their family already has guns. why are they asking for more? you don’t give them the gun. you can’t let anything know you’re without a gun. - you drive an hour just for dairy queen. you drive an hour just for dairy queen. you drive an hour just for dairy queen. you drive an hour just for dairy queen. you drive an hour just for dairy queen. you’ve been driving for hours. where’s the dairy queen. Where’s the next town.  - You hear a sound from the woods but ignore it, you hope it was someones dog. it was probably someone’s dog. it didn’t sound like a dog. no one lives in that area. - Did you hit a deer? you hope its a deer. it didn’t look like a deer. it look’d human. you tell yourself it wasn’t. it didn’t look human, it didn’t look right. you hope it was a deer. you keep driving, you don’t dare to look back. you know its still looking at you. - you’re friend says they’re road tripping in another state, every time you try to you can’t find the road out. is there a road out? why are you back in Ontonogan? you just left Ontonogan.
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I love how when famous people come to small towns everyone collectively loses their shit. Like Gordon Ramsay is in my college town right now, and everyone is losinf their collective MINDS
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ginnyzero · 4 years
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The South Dakota Setting (my books)
Like I said, bikers are quintessentially American. I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve seen quite a bit of America, even if it was just traveling through it by car or train from one place to another. I’ve lived on both Coasts, went to college in the middle of America for a time and haven’t always taken a plane to get from one side to the other.
America is huge and it’s extremely varied. The Rockies, the Catskills and the Appalachians may all be mountain ranges in America, but they are so different from each other. I grew up in upstate New York in the Fingerlakes Area. It’s a beautiful place. It’s very green. Our hills are covered with trees so the further away they are the bluer they look. A lake to me isn’t this tiny thing. A lake is miles long and you have to go up to a top of the hill to look across it.
There were a couple places that I’ve visited with my family and where I’ve lived that really stood out to me. One of my favorite places in the United States is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the area bordering Lake Superior. It’s a beautiful, slightly hilly landscape that is covered in pine tree forests. The lake is huge and blue and has its own tidal system. I remember going across Mackinaw Bridge and being amazed that I could look down and see the lake floor where the lakes met and how intense the colors were. If I was to have a summer home, that’s where it would be. A lake house where I could hunt for blue agates on the beach.
I’ve talked about how I’ve went to college at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. And I know I have rose colored glasses about San Francisco because I can google earth/map it and it doesn’t look the same as it did when I lived there. What I loved about San Francisco though was the architecture, whether it was the early twentieth century buildings put up after the earthquake of 1906 or the gothic cathedral or the French art noveau inspired buildings on Market Street or even the buildings of Japan town. The weather was decent though I’ve grown to like my weather warmer than San Francisco can give me. The shopping was great even if I mostly window shopped while I was there, poor student after all. There were art galleries and open area parks. San Francisco had atmosphere when the fog rolled in at night. It also always felt extremely safe in most neighborhoods. I could walk around late and not be bothered because half the working population left over one of the two bridges each evening. The best thing about San Francisco though was the way it felt like a town and not a city. I could walk everywhere. To the grocery. To the movie theatre. To class. To my friend’s. To my favorite pizzeria on Bush and Powell. To the sushi place. To the Korean hibachi bbq. OMG, THE FOOD. Very rarely did I take a bus and when I did, Muni was an amazing bus system. I sincerely miss it when I’m waiting every half hour for a bus here in Daytona. (Unfortunately, I haven’t yet figured out a PLOT to set IN San Francisco. It’s very frustrating given how much I love this city.)
The summer after my senior year of high school and before I went to college, my family had a big out west trip planned. I’d already gone to NYC with my class for our senior trip and visited my Uncle in Texas to meet my newest cousin with my mother and grandmother. But this big out west trip was to meet some relations in South Dakota and hopefully make it to Yellowstone, before I went to Ohio. (We didn’t make it to Yellowstone.) Most of the trip out there was through the Midwest, and the Midwest is one thing, flat. And it became this sort of game to count what the fields were growing, corn, alfalfa, sunflowers, and more corn. There were bands of trees between the fields but honestly, there wasn’t much of interest.
We stopped in Mitchell, South Dakota to see the Corn Palace. It was a tribute to Elvis year. The Corn Palace is just one of those things you either know about it or you don’t and you either get it or you don’t. After the Corn Palace we went through the Badlands on our way to Wall and promptly the camper overheated and broke down. South Dakota is mostly prairie and along the highway there were ranches where they kept bison and donkeys and ostriches. In one of the national parks, the bison were allowed to roam free. And people do keep bison in New York (which is crazy to me but yes, it was once part of their natural habitat) but this was different. There weren’t any fences to protect you. Fortunately, bison are mostly placid animals.
Once we got to Wall, we stopped in Wall Drug and it was this huge indoor strip mall basically. Buffalo burgers turned out to be a bit dry. But then we were finally on our way to the Black Hills. It was the evening as we were driving down the highway through the last of the prairie and there was storm rolling in and lightning looked like it walked across the grasslands. We got closer to the hills, the white spruce really did make them look black and then the tops were pure white rock and bare of trees.
It was actually around Sturgis Bike Week when we went. So, once we got out of Rapid City and went into the Black Hills themselves, there were motorcycles everywhere. The roads in and out of these towns twisted about between the hills. The forest grows right up to the roads. It really felt like a place where something magical could happen. There is still evidence of some gold mining going on as well. We did some tourist things, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore and across the state border to Devil’s Tower. There is a lot of history in the Black Hills of the old west between it being a drop off point to sell cattle, gold mining, trains and Wild Bill Hickok. There are ghosts in the Black Hills.
What I didn’t know at the time is how important Sturgis was to Bikers, because I was much more interested in the cowboys and the gold mining and the Native Americans. Sturgis is the biggest bike week in America. (Daytona being the second biggest.) And it’s a mandatory event for a lot of biker clubs. They often induct new members and have special events that go on at Sturgis. To me, there were just a huge amount of bikers in the Black Hills which were holding up traffic and annoying my father.
Once I found out about how important Sturgis and the Black Hills were to the biker community, out of all the places I had seen and loved about America, the Black Hills were the obvious choice to make the setting for my novel. In some ways, bikers can be like the new cowboys of the modern era. Rugged individualists riding iron horses. (I am not saying it is a one for one comparison.) The Black Hills just felt appropriate.
With just these three core building blocks, there is a lot for me to explore and think about in my universe. I try not to get overwhelmed by it and approach it one bit at a time. It’s a journey and the road may be long, twisty and the engine noisy. And that’s the best way to be.
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deathdroprp · 5 years
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𝘿𝙊𝙉𝙉𝘼 𝙒𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙒𝙊𝙊𝘿 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦
ᴡʜᴏ ɪs sʜᴇ?
Donna Marie Westwood. Born March 19th, 1992. Upper Class. Commercial Real Estate Agent. Old Money Membergroup. Bisexual. Nina Agdal.
Donna was born in Bedlem like many of your characters to come and has made a remarkable career for herself in commercial real estate working for her parent’s company, the Westwood Group, whose goals in the past decade have been to revitalize the downtown scene by way of hot new clubs, coffeehouses, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and more!
Was a popular student in high school noted for her kindness and bright peppy spirit. After school, Donna attended university in Rhode Island for business and moved back to Bedlem to acquire a real estate license. 
Came from a huge family where she was the only girl among four boys. They grew up in a beautiful 19th-century Neo-gothic farmhouse just outside of town on their parent’s ten acres of property. As a girl, her hobbies included dressing up her brothers, climbing trees, playing in the mud, and being around the farm animals. While girly and fluffy she has an equal balance of toughness and grit lurking just below the surface and she isn’t afraid in the least to show her more cutthroat tendencies. 
After she first came home from school in Rhode Island she appeared on MTV’s The Real World and lived in London for three months. While it did a lot to popularize her already familiar face around town the relationship with her high school boyfriend broke down and they split shortly after the season aired. 
As of right now, she’s just living her daily life in Bedlem. It’s small, sure, and it might not be as glamorous as LA or New York, but it’ll always hold a special place in her heart.
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs sʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ?
Her family plays a big role in her life. They’re a tight-knit group and sure, they fight and argue over petty things like family do, but they’re thick as thieves when it really comes down to it.
First things first, her parents. Her mother and father have been together for about thirty years give or take. They’re probably from Bedlem like herself (or at least one of them would be) and have lived here all her life. They started to sell real estate some time ago and eventually became the de facto agents of the area. I think they probably started selling homes, then moved on to big mansions, and eventually started on commercial real estate which is the focus of their group now, mainly redevelopment and revitalization of public areas. 
On to the brothers. I’m thinking that she probably has one older brother somewhere between his late twenties, so like, twenty-eight or twenty-nine, and his mid-thirties. I love the idea of there being a twin to Donna as well as two younger brothers who would be somewhere between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five. In my head, these siblings would be pretty tight. They grew up out in the country and probably didn’t have a lot of kids around them to branch away from their families until they were of the age to drive. That means they spent large portions of their childhood playing together on their parent’s farms. They likely bonded and remained close into their adult lives. I think it might be fun too if these guys were in some way involved with the family’s real estate business but you’re entirely open to take them where you’d like. 
Lastly, I’d like an on-off boyfriend. This is the same guy with whom she broke up with while her stint on TV was starting. They were probably a high school power couple, but as they grew up they’d have grown apart from each other. We can discuss the details of their relationship in time. 
ᴡʜᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏs ʜᴇʀ?
My name is Brenda Meeks and I’ll be playing Donna Westwood. I live in the Midwest of the United States and I’m 25. I’m pretty comfortable with mature plots, and I really don’t have any triggers if I’m being honest. If you’d like to chat on Discord and inquire about one of the characters Donna needs then you can message me @ (hotdogslippinslide#9336).
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stephaniemarlowftw · 5 years
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BIG|BRAVE ANNOUNCE TOUR DATES WITH DEAFKIDS, SUNN O))) & MORE
Their new album A Gaze Among Them is out now on Southern Lord.
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"Each of the experimental trio’s four albums has been better than the one before, and the recent full-length 'A Gaze Among Them' cements their transformation from band on the rise to heavy-music essential." - Chicago Reader
Montreal’s BIG|BRAVE have announced new tour dates for this summer, including shows with Sunn O))), Deafkids, and more. The band continues to perform in support of their critically-lauded A Gaze Among Them LP, released in May through Southern Lord Recordings. Following recent tour dates in Europe with MyDisco as well as North American tours with the likes of Primitive Man, Dreadought, Planning For Burial, and more, BIG|BRAVE will tour across the Western US in late August and early September.
Leading with two shows on their own on August 15th and 16th, BIG|BRAVE will headline from the Upper Midwest down the West Coast with support from Brazilian trio Deafkids through August 30th. BIG|BRAVE will then join up with labelmates and familiar touring partners Sunn O))), supporting the group for a trek across the Southwest and West Coast from September 1st through 9th. BIG|BRAVE will tour their way back home with another set of headlining shows. Watch for more tour dates to be announced in the days ahead.
Since their inception seven years ago, BIG|BRAVE have remained loyal to a triad of key principles: space, volume, and raw emotion. That commitment to style and form has never been more evident than with A Gaze Among Them. Doubling down on their explosive chemistry, earsplitting dynamism, and sonic discipline, this new LP finds the trio more confident than ever.
A Gaze Among Them was spawned by a simple, but no less profound, question: “How do we take very little and make something bigger than what we actually have?” Toying with stark minimalism, melodic tension, and Wattie’s staggering vocal strength, the album serves as a culmination of BIG|BRAVE’s near-decade of musical fearlessness. Anchored by their tried-and-true three-person lineup, A Gaze Among Them also enlists a who’s who of guest talent. With Thierry Amar (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt Zion) on Contrabass and Seth Manchester on synth overdubs, A Gaze Among Them is BIG|BRAVE’s most evolved, inclusive work yet.  
Stream BIG|BRAVE’s A Gaze Among Them HERE, and see their “Sibling” video HERE and the “Holding Pattern” video HERE.
A Gaze Among Them is available on CD, LP, and digital via the Southern Lord webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
BIG|BRAVE Tour Dates:
8/15/2019 Grand Gerard – Toronto, ON
8/16/2019 Ribco – Rock Island, IL
8/18/2019 Eagles 34 – Minneapolis, MN ^
8/20/2019 Mutiny Info Café – Denver, CO ^
8/21/2019 Diabolical Records – Salt Lake City, UT ^
8/23/2019 El Corazon – Seattle, WA [tickets] ^
8/24/2019 The Valley – Tacoma, WA ^
8/25/2019 High Water Mark – Portland, OR ^
8/26/2019 Old Nick's – Eugene, OR [tickets] ^
8/28/2019 Elbo Room JL – Oakland, CA [tickets] ^
8/29/2019 Lexington – Los Angeles, CA ^
8/30/2019 HOCO Fest – Tucson, AZ ^
9/01/2019 Granada – Dallas, TX [tickets] *
9/02/2019 Emo’s – Austin, TX [tickets] *
9/04/2019 The Gothic – Denver, CO [tickets] *
9/07/2019 Arcosanti – Phoenix AZ [tickets] *
9/08/2019 Mayan – Los Angeles, CA [tickets] *
9/09/2019 The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA [tickets] *
9/13/2019 Mr. Roboto Project – Pittsburgh, PA
9/14/2019 - Basilica Hudson – Hudson, NY
^ w/ Deafkids
* w/ Sunn O))), Papa M 
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compte-jaques · 2 years
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I think I might start mostly posting Wisconsin gothic posts or well the horrors of the-middle -of-no-where, Wisconsin
Cuz like I'm starting to go insane, like I was it's odd You go insane here that's how the locals are, but once you leave your sane again...
With all the things tapping about, running, and watching I refuse to be quiet. I can hear them getting mad so I'll just drown them out with my music. I'll never say less then vague things never to the full extent that's the rules I cant even name most of them despite having a good idea on what they are. They get mad easily just by being acknowledged but frankly I don't really care, in all honesty they live here and are bothering me so I can do the same back. I've got a deathwish sure but idrc no matter how much fits they throw I still don't care. I can't believe they're getting mad at me for playing fucking music for fucks sake. Anyways welcome to the night, grab a bite if you can stand raw flesh and blood for everything else is rotten. It's winter somewhere in Wisconsin, the creatures are spoiled brats who don't know how to coincide with another creature (probably much worse then them)
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marshswamp · 5 months
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abandoned air force radar station
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julielovephoto · 5 years
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Life on the Road: Year 2
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Today marks our 2nd anniversary of living life on the road. This past year we have experienced some new places and revisited some old ones. After leaving Kentucky, we ventured to Iowa to see the backdrop of Grant Wood’s painting American Gothic depicting the famous image of a Midwest farmer and his daughter. We even got to play dress up and do our own parody! Moving on to South Dakota (our summer destination) we worked at the Wall Drug Store and got to see almost everything the area had to offer – from Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills to large bison herds roaming within the Badlands. My daughter, Shanyah, came out and also got a chance to work. We had a blast and met so many new friends from the area as well as different countries! It was great seeing my Dad too when he came to visit on his own road trip!
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Our next destination took us back to Crookston, Minnesota for another round of playing with dirty sugar beets. We worked the night shift this time and unfortunately the weather wasn’t playing nice – so we spent a bit more time than we would have liked in Minnesota. Moving forward – we started our 5 day stint to Campbellsville, Kentucky to work for Amazon one last time. We made a side trip to see the last place Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played at the Surf Ballroom as well as the crash site in Clear Lake, Iowa. Working for Amazon doesn’t allow for much sightseeing during their peak season and Kentucky winters aren’t the kindest, but we did get a chance to tour a large castle as well as visit historic Georgetown.
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This lifestyle has made it possible for us to see the country as well as meet new friends – I wish we had known about this sooner! We also got a new truck this past year (thanks Mom!) and our beloved cat, Salem, is still doing well. He loves to go on walks and look out one of the many windows in our cute little vintage camper. Which we also renovated for a second time and now have a huge working kitchen with running water (I learned more about plumbing than I thought I would ever need to know)! More on this in the next post. Our next destination will take us to the upper peninsula of Michigan this summer – can’t wait to see where else we go in 2019!
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First snow in rural Ohio
Taken December 2020
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supernovacoff33 · 3 years
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seems like a lot of people go missing from my hometown. almost every winter, it's somebody else dissappears, sometimes sevral people even . the only clue police ever find has been, every time, the missing persons shoes are found hung on this tree
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