A Monday Drive

 Yesterday I took a drive from Astoria to Rushville and then on to Macomb. On the way back I routed my path through Vermont.This road sign is just up the hill from the Sugar Creek bottom.

 Devils Backbone Road is a narrow curving country road. It is often just a single lane with no safe spot for another vehicle to pass. A little further up the highway you encounter this road. 

Sadly, at least in my mind, Christian Neck and Devils Backbone do not intersect. It does leave me wondering how the road names came to be. 

The two pictures above were in the same yard in Vermont, Illinois. The knight statue made me wonder if the family who lived there were Knights. The Skelly sign was a pleasant reminder of my first job off the farm. In the summer of ‘72 I worked at Don’s Travel In Skelly at the intersection of U.S. Highway 34 and Interstate 74. It is an empty lot now with a tall sign simply stating “FOOD”. 

We have driven through Vermont many time and generally find little to draw our attention.  There is a small monument in the center square of the village to celebrate a visit by Abraham Lincoln in 1858 when he was running for Senate. There are to the west and south of that square several interesting homes I happened to see yesterday. 

Each of these homes are interesting in their own way. I am especially taken by the last one. The arch of the windows and front door creates plenty of curb appeal. I suspect the single story structure to the right was originally the kitchen. As with many of these older homes it is beginning to show its age. The cost of upkeep is often beyond the means of owners and I fear the future of this home is bleak. 

A bit of advice for my dear readers. Some days slow down and take the road less traveled. There are wonders all around us. We fail to see them as we rush to get from where we are to where we are going. There is a wonderful, magical world out there. Some day I will drive all of Devils Backbone Road just to see where it goes.