Re-enactment worth the drive, to me anyways

I traveled from Lexington to Allen, Ky. It's quite a drive, about 2.5 hours.

The drive wasn't bad. It wound through Stanton, and Prestonburg, just small towns along the way. Nothing out of the ordinary for Kentucky.

The event was supposed to start at 12:30, but I figured I should plan lost time. I didn't want to get lost and be late, but I was dead on and got there at 11:17. So there was a ton of people in church.

The deal: they were commemorating four confederate graves, with re-enactors and the whole deal. Pretty cool.

It didn't get started until about 1:31, and it was hot.

In this line of work, you're not supposed to take anything (freebies). I will turn down almost anything, unless it's health related. I had to this time.

Like I said it was hot. 95 degrees. And I was sweating. I was nearly drained, and they started handing out water, so I took one.

Finally the ceremonies began. I watched it, didn't get too much. I had a few pics. They're below if you want to see.

They were firing six pounders, four times each for each soldier. Well my first shot I bent down to set up for my picture and one of the men's wives said, "Honey, those things are loud. Do you have ear plugs?"

I laughed. Earplugs?

"Yeah you may want to step back too," she said.

No I'm fine. I know everything.

So I stay probably within ten or fifteen feet and then the blast happens.

"Fire!!!"

I fired a frame, but my head almost exploded. What felt like shrapnel, (from of the blast) hit my face and seemed to pierce straight through my sun glasses.

The wife said something, all I heard was "whaohd bluah blarsh roah nhou louahr." I still imagine it was something about I told you so.

It was a fun day, but the bitter taste came when only one picture ran, in the back of the paper.

It happens, and I'm used to it. The drive was the only thing that really ran through my head.

Here is my tribute to my trip. Enjoy.