Tennessee-

{writen Tuesday, August 16th, 2011}

58 miles, at least three rivers, one water fall,
10 or so creeks, a lot of hills, at least five
flattened snakes, a flock of wild turkeys,
one broken spoke, and one gravel dust sand witch
later and i'm camped at Shady Grove,
60 miles outside of Nashville.

currently covered with three days of road grime-
it's about 160 something miles from Tupelo.
that's three days of riding and camping out.

stayed in a town called Collinwood last night,
they have a campground right in town, very handy.

the night before i was in Tishomingo State Park.
it's beautiful there, alot of big rocks jutting
out of the earth, all moss covered in the forest.
Tennessee has a lot of that too.

The people up this way are pretty friendly,
can't say the same for the horse flies.
i learned today that butterflies eat shit.
i watched a beetle and two butter flies
go to town on some deer or dog droppings.
(this is significant to me because one will
often see ladies with butter fly tattoos- so
next time you see one, think about what
butter flies do...)

Tennessee on the Natchez Trace is a rich
feast for the eye, ripe with tall oaks and maples,
steep valleys and long hills, carved this way
and that with gurgling creeks and dreaming rivers.