Charleston, West Virginia

Today was a long day, but one of those rare times where I rode in the car for lots and lots of hours in a single day and wasn't impossibly depressed at the end of it. I started the day very early and enjoyed a number of aspects of the drive up. First, I have to say that Pilot Mountain might be one of the coolest geological oddities I know of. I think it's actually far more interesting than the Grand Canyon.

Someone told me the other day that the stone was formed that way around the big pinnacle because it is of a kind of rock that does not erode the way others have around it and therefore survives the aging process of our planet. I sincerely wish I cared about that as much as I just like the way it looks over Highway 52 on my way north this morning.

And no, of course I wasn't driving when I took this picture.

The second cool aspect of the drive north along Interstate 77 is that there are two very old tunnels that you have to travel through to get to West Virginia. They are a marvel of engineering -- poking a mighty hole through a mountain, while preserving the nature and shape of the landscape.

I like the little features like the little hills in each one, the way you are supposed to stay within your lane throughout the trip and that the signage for each is done in cool Art Deco scripts to make you feel like you are doing something special.

I got to see the "alternative" (which I am becoming convinced is as offensive as scraping the top of mountains off to mine coal) is digging a huge ditch and building a road right through it. Along the West Virginia Turnpike, I saw something that I'm sure sounded like progress where a huge scar was opened on the mountain to replace a tunnel.

And if you take a picture with the shutter open longer than you planned, you get a really cool effect while driving through the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel. At least, hypothetically...

From a stationary perspective, I got to capture the dome of the State Capitol of West Virginia. It dominates the scene along the river in Charleston, and is frankly the most beautiful state capitol building in the country -- at least that I've ever seen.

Obviously the traditional color of gold is a reflection of the money made in this state from its natural resources being pulled from the ground. There's a lot to be said about the dichotomy of the gold against the significant poverty rampant throughout the state. But sometimes you have to enjoy the place, and forget the surroundings, and this building truly is an amazing sight to behold.

I was successful in my primary purpose from traveling to Charleston (had to deal with a matter involving the insurance department there) and only took advantage of the little bit of time I had to walk around before the appointment in the Farmer's Market. The flowers and food grown and sold in the summer sun were the perfect form of relaxation after the drive but before the meeting to get in the right frame of mind.

This flower was but a part of the collection there, but my favorite one because of the star within its centerpiece.

My snarky horoscope this week was insightful, I believe... "Thou shalt not kill" is a crucial rule for you to follow, and not just in the literal sense. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you should also be extra vigilant as you avoid more metaphorical kinds of destruction. Please be careful not to unleash ill-chosen words that would crush someone's spirit (including your own).

Don't douse newly kindled fires, don't burn recently built bridges, and don't deprive fresh sprouts of the light they need to keep growing. To put this all in a more positive frame: It's time for you to engage in a reverent and boisterous celebration of life, nurturing and fostering and stimulating everywhere you go.

Never ignore signals that the universe gives, right?