Alone on the Natches Trace

January 15, 2017

It was dark and we were alone on the road that stretched from Natchez Mississippi to Nashville Tennessee.

We were tense as we drove the isolated road. Ghostly prehistoric animals, indians, settlers and slaves loomed in the shadows of the dense forest lining both sides of the road. The only light was cast from the full moon filtering light through cracks in thick hardwood trees.

My job was to be the  spotter as we drove ‘The Natchez Trace’, nicknamed ‘The Trace’.

If you are a waterskier, then you already know you really need a minimum of three to go skiing. One to drive the boat, one to ski and a another to spot. The spotter plays a very important roll, as they watch the skier, and let the driver know when the skier is down so they can immediately turn around and go pick them up. The spotter also holds a red flag in the air until the skier is safely on board again or out of the water. The red flag is a universal sign to other boaters to let them know there is a person in the water and to stay clear of the area.

When I was a gymnast….a very loooong time ago (seems like a life time). We had spotters. To spot someone meant to physically assist them to complete a skill, preventing or reducing injury.

I took my job as spotter very seriously, as I called out the stealth critters when they appeared, preventing a casualty, theirs and ours!

“Deer on the left.” “Two deer on the right” I called out. Before we were home we would dodge more than 25 deer!

Maybe we should get a cow catcher for the front of our truck. After all, we are on the road alot since we became full time RV’ers and our truck tows our home with our belongings. This in itself, means it plays a much more important role then it did when we used it occasionally for work when parked in our driveway.

I would highly recommend a scenic road trip along  ‘The Natchez Trace’ . This 440 mile historic parkway is one of the most beautiful and peaceful drives in America. However, if you decide to drive it, please drive it during the day time. If not, you may want to install a cow catcher on the front of your vehicle.