Thursday, July 3, 2008

The Endof the Earth


I have been to the end of the earth. Literally. Hickman, KY is a small town. I mean there is nothing there. Wait. I take that back, there is a liquor store. Could not find a grocery store but saw a liquor store.

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The reason we were there is to drive by and see what we could of the New Madrid Fault Zone. All we found of the greatest earthquake to hit North America was this picture.


While in this lovely town we noticed a photo op (imagine that) and stopped. Apparently, the Army Core of Engineers were commissioned in 1996 to erect a huge retaining wall to keep the city of Hickman from becoming part of the Mississippi River backwater. 17 Million dollars later, the project was complete. I am really not even sure how to spell KY, that is why I have been abbreviating it (and I'm pretty sure Al Gore doesn't either) , so why on earth would I want my tax dollars to save this hole in the ground from falling in the rivers. I can think of 17 million different things that they could have done with that money that would have been more beneficial than to save a dying town. I mean, in the 1950's Congress bought out thousands of homes underneath Greers Ferry Lake to make that lake. Here, nearly 50 years later they are paying to keep them. What gives?

Anyway, we have been staying with Jenny's parents in their RV at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. You can literally drive for miles and not see another sign of human life besides crops. I hope to come back here and hunt the area during duck season. Should be fun.

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