It was time to make a trip to Athens, Georgia - a 3 hour journey to an idyllic, University town located on the Northeastern part of the state. We were traveling east with the hot, mid-July son stoking our back late in the afternoon.
We drove through the up and down cascade of roads among the scenic undulating landscapes, looking at the vast greenery of agricultural lands, pastures where cows and horses grazed under an afternoon sun, the barbed fences separating them from the highway. A foal could be seen following the footsteps of its Mama, shadowing her, looking for shadow for comfort from the sun breathing fire from the sky. Looking at the vast meadow, the phrase "grass is greener on the other side of fence" now made a whole lot of sense to me. Tall Pines, Oaks, Mapples, Sweet Gum, Mimosa trees adored both sides of the road like a gigantic Canopy, bringing a coo, calm, soothing effect.
The hot late summer afternoon sun was baking the undulating hills. A large number of cows from a distance they were looking like gargantuan brown mushrooms in the dusky haze, thanks to the smoke from the Canadian forest fire percolating into the deep South, as far as the state of Georgia. Miles of Cotton and Peanut plantations could be visible on both sides of the road, intesperced by Corn and Mustard fields. The lushly green of the fascinating summer foliage looked fatigued from the summer heat.
The winding roads in sparsely populated rural Georgia during twilight hours can give you a feel of chill and darkness while inside a valley, a rare view of the rural Dixie land of the South part of America. Moments after we took a break to get soaked by the flooding golden rays of the setting sun under an azure sky. Felt like catching the crispiness of the air, yet didn't fail to catch a glimpse of the historic old houses with large front porches while meandering through the small towns filled with Churches as many as the fallen leaves on the ground from the nearby trees. The icing on the cake was the mirage of a big lake from a distance created by the reflection from the asphalt covered road. Didn't realize when I was murmuring this old Yesudas song...
"IN BALKHATI RAHON PE
OONCHE NEECHE SADKON PE
YUHI KAHI MERI MANZEEL CHUPI HAI
MANZEELKO KO MEIN DHOODOON
MUJHE MANZEEL DHOODEN.."
"On these paths fascinating
Up and down roads swerving
Somewhere lies by destination
As I look for it
It looks for me".
A dusky dusk welcomed us to the city of Athens bringing an end to the short 3 hour drive winding through long rural Georgia road. As we stepped out of the car the warm, dry breeze of a typical Georgia summer now at its peak felt like the air a hair dryer caressing us. More later...
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