We got back into Nashville around 3:30 and had to wait for the other vehicles (one of which carried our bags and bikes). We were coming full circle to our starting church.
And we came full circle to the same weather we’d had on arrival. We got our cars loaded, exchanged quick hugs, and then left for various parts of home.
The storm dogged me all the way to Bristol where, fortunately, I had a room at the Hampton Inn. After a week of sleeping on floors, this was my version of heaven. I didn’t want to get up the next morning!
But I did and headed for northern Virginia. As I went through Roanoke the weather started up again and once again I felt like I couldn’t stop lest I be overrun by gullywasher rain!
Around lunch time I was near Lexington and it had backed off to just misting so I took the exit to get some lunch. Since I don’t know when I’ll be down this way again, I drove through town and out to where I used to live when I attended law school at Washington & Lee University there. I missed the turn for the Country road the first time, but backtracking got me back into the memory of why I lived where I lived.
I lived in this part of the property – the original kitchen converted to a cottage
The cottage is to the left of this photo (front of house)
When I lived there the house was called Tuckaway, named by the Tuckers who owned it at the time. It has a different name now, and lots of improvements, but it’s still the same place. It was built around 1790. The summer beam (the main beam running the length of the house holding the 2 floors above the basement up) was an enormous tree trunk. I used to do my laundry down there and marvel at how old that tree was BEFORE it was cut down in the 1790’s to build the house. And no power tools!
After that trip down memory lane I went back into town. Some things have changed a LOT. There were many new buildings and enhancements of the old ones. One thing was the same though. I saw VMI cadets in their white uniforms (although now I saw female cadets in addition to males) and the W&L students in their uniforms. You know, khaki shorts, rumpled madras plaid shirts and bedhead…nice to know some things don’t change.
I forced myself to get back on the road and competed with trucks for highway space all the way up I-81. It was good to finally get back home around 3:30pm and start a load of laundry and do all the normal things one does.
But I’ve already started my list for the cross-country, and I’m motivated to train on hills to be ready!
Thank you to all who supported this Fuller Center trip. It was a truly amazing opportunity to serve communities who are trying to serve their own. God is good all the time; all the time God is good.
kbikeva 