Oh The Places I've Been and The Things I've Never Seen

We've been here in Shepherdsville/Louisville for a month now. Rick has worked at least twelve hours a day almost every day. The weather has been mostly cold with some rain, ice, snow, wind, and more rain. All that has limited my excursions. In the last month, I've been to the grocery store, Wal-Mart, and the mall one time each. We went out to eat a couple of times. I've walked across the highway to get a jug of milk at the nearest convenient store, and I've walked around the campground (it's a small place) a few times. We poked around the flea market that is just behind our camper for a few minutes one day, and I've scratched the lama that lives across the road.

Do I have to tell you that the walls of my tiny home were starting to close in on me in a big way? When winter refuses to end and I'm confined to a small space I start to get grumpy, frumpy, slumpy... I needed to get out!

Rick needed a few hours away from the computer too! Thankfully he had a light load last Sunday so he took me into Louisville for a little sightseeing.

Now let me see...

I've been to Carlsbad Caverns when the bats were not there. I've been to San Juan Capistrano while all the swallows were some place else. I've been to Charlot, NC when all of NASCAR was running in Texas. I've been to New England before the leaves turned, and now I've been to Churchill Downs. While snow flurried around my face I gazed upon the track where the horses run--a couple of months from now. I bet if I go to Rome, all the Romans will stop doing whatever it is that Romans do! That's how it is when you don't get to plan your trips.

I thought I'd share my pictures with you anyway. Now you know what beautiful Churchill Downs looks like in the dead of winter.See the big concrete vault inside the chain link fence? The 2006 Derby winner, Barbaro, will be buried here soon.These spires and the original center part of the buildings is well over 100 years old. The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875.The walkway by which the horses make their way to the track. How cool would it be to sit at one of those picnic tables and watch them go by!Here you see the dirt track, the turf track, and beyond the bare hedge, the board where the postings are shown, and beyond that, the infield. For $40 you can stand or sit on the ground or lawn chair, along with several thousand people, and "watch" the race. (Though I can't imagine you could see a whole lot. Especially as short as I am.) I'd rather have one of the very uncomfortable bleacher seats in the foreground. We did get to go into one of the "cheap" suites. It goes for a piddly $25,000 on race day.

And the white post you see marks the finish line.

And the winner's circle! It's not much to look at with snow and dry stubby twigs where beautiful red geraniums and begonias grow in the spring and summer.

And here's my Thoroughbred standing in the starting gate! We were freezing cold after our tour. We were thankful for the Kentucky Derby Museum--a place to warm up and see the history of the Derby, jockeys, horses, etc.

Yes, I've had many unplanned trips--been many places. And I've missed seeing many main attractions. I'm sure I'll have many more unplanned trips and who knows what I'll see--or not see. But I know of one trip I'm going to take some day that may be somewhat unexpected or unplanned, but I'm certain I won't miss the main attraction!

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3) Whoo Hoo!!