Solo to Scotland!

Yesterday I went to Scotland! Scotland county that is. To a place named Aberdeen in fact. I went to go check out a rental that was an honest to goodness barn home. Haven't I always said "I wish I could live in a barn?" Well this was a dream come true. Four very nice stalls, wash rack, tack room, turn outs and upstairs a great little apartment with two bedrooms two baths! Its close to where Tim's new job is and surrounded by forests. In fact there was 88 acres of forest to ride through right out the back door. Unfortunately, Tim's job will only be in that area for the remainder of his training, then it shifts back down here for his sales area. It was quite the drive, around 350 miles worth of cotton fields, sod farms and cute towns.

I printed directions off of google packed a snack and felt pretty good about myself since this was my first solo outing into the weeds since we've moved here. Exploring here is a bit different than exploring in San Diego. Finding gas stations can be a real challenge. And the sheer number of back roads would make your head spin... All of them shooting off in opposite directions at every stop sign. There was a minimum of 5 street markers per stop sign. Route numbers, road names and which town you might eventually get to. Crazy!!!! Anyhow, my favorite part of the drive was on North Elwell Ferry road. It was very scenic. Fall colors popping off the trees, gently rolling terrain and quaint farms houses in the distance. Then all of a sudden there was a stop sign in the middle of street. Beyond it was a river. Across the river was a Ferry. A one car ferry, making its way to the shore I was on along a rope. I'm not making this up. There was a "wheel house" with a wooden stool, something that looked like a lawn mower engine and a "ferryman"( quit snickering he was not that kind of fairy) It putts across and lets a mini van off and motions me to pull up. I'm not gonna lie, I had a little trepidation about pulling my truck onto a souped up flat bottom boat, off of a back country road with out my bathing suit.
I guess all this showed on my face because the nice Ferryman says "Bet you hadn't counted on this huh?" I said honestly to him while looking at my google map "No, I counted on a road!" He laughed and off we went out onto the river. He smirked even more when he saw me clicking away with my camera. But hey, how often do you get to ride a boat with your car? I wasn't sure I should tip the guy or not so I just waved and thought I might try my second option from google on the way home. It was fun and all but.....grin. Anyhoo, the next bit of fun came a bit further on. Along the side of the road where a bunch of men in orange hats with big rifles slung over their shoulders. They are all hanging out in the back of their pick ups and waving a radio antennae in the air. Ok..well they are obviously hunters, but what on earth are they hunting from their pick ups with radio frequency? My question was answered not a mile farther when a deer shot out in front of me followed closely by three hounds, two that looked like fox hounds and one " yalla" one( that yellow in North Carolinese) I was flabbergasted, My farrier confirmed it though, they use dogs to hunt deer here! I'm guessing that meat is vile after all the adrenalin has shot through it...OMG. It made me drive very slowly the rest of the way to Aberdeen. I had visions of deer across my hood and hounds under my wheels. UGH.

After visiting the barn home, I poked around a bit to see the area and found a beautiful horse park with cross country jumps that would curl your hair.(and those where just the ones i could see from the road!) Apparently North Carolina has a shmancy horse park akin to the one in Leesburg Va. I could find no one around to ask about it though but it was nice to imagine riding out there on all that horse friendly land!
Having found my alternate route home I drove through Lumberton and couldn't pass up the fall pic of this church, one of 5 I spied going through town. It was a fun day albeit long. I guess I can say I've been to Scotland and back.