
Turn in at the little piece of white fence . . .
For the first 18 years of my life, I lived in a place where the driving directions included the phrase, “Turn off the paved road.” I love that so many places in Appalachia can be reached not by driving down highways or paying attention to street signs, but by following more . . . organic descriptions.
Spreading oaks, winding creeks, rickety barns, big rocks, and even livestock provide directional markers in my neck of the woods. You might be told to “Turn left at the Millers’ Farm,” even though the Millers left twenty years ago, and someone named Johnson lives there now.
Directions can also turn into eloquent commentaries on the land. “Go on down the road a piece, you’ll see some rolling fields off to your left. George Smith farms those fields, keeps as nice a farm as I ever seen. When you top out on a little rise, you’ll see a big old maple on the right–prettiest tree in the county come October. Turn there.”
But my all-time favorite directions were given to a photographer acquaintance of mine. He was traveling the back roads of Western North Carolina photographing pockets of Appalachia that seemed frozen in time. (I highly recommend his books, especially The Face of Appalachia.) He asked for directions to a particular farm and was told to, “Turn at the horse.” He asked what to do if the horse wasn’t there. He was assured that it would be. And over the course of several trips the horse was, indeed, where he was supposed to be every time.
It’s a special part of the world that can use a horse to point the way. And probably, when the horse dies, the directions will run, “Turn where that old horse used to stand.”
Now that’s where I want to live.
And we always answer the question…” How far is it to wheeling ?” by answering in time instead of miles.
“ It’s about 2:15 minutes to get to Wheeling…..”. Lol. That’s just what we do……🤭
Yep that is correct as I live on a dirt road that begins at the end of a paved road. Just past the little blue playhouse. Can’t miss it.
Remember well growing up on the farm & this is how we gave directions!!!! And, you are so right: I still call the one farm the Chris Seiber farm even though several families have lived there!!!! Good memories of a ‘lost art’ . . . today’s children will never know this ‘quality’ nor how to read a map!!!!
Absolutely!! I worked as a Nurse for Home Health & that’s how our directions to homes read. When we moved to FL & I worked for HHealth it was an eye opener UNTIL I taught THEM how to write directions! IT WORKED :)) Gotta LUV those “hillbilly”
roots!!! ❤️
Loved this. Understand – was same in central Virginia where I was raised.
You will enjoy this – the one trip I made to Upsher County, probably 15 years
ago we were on those roads around the French Creek P. church. Probably stopped
in front of your land (didn’t know about you then) got out of car and dogs were barking so
got back in left. I had planned on asking about the Phillips family.
We went further down road and there was an old man on his riding tractor in road. We
stopped and asked him how far back to Buckhannon – he said right down the road little way. Then he proceeded to tell us about his bowel problems he was having!
Peggy