Recovery
After saying goodbye to our cabin, packing up the truck, and setting the GPS for home, we realized we needed coffee. With it being Christmas Eve, our options in rural Madison County were limited. A small town called Marshall was set along our route, though, and we figured that would be our best option.
The winding mountain roads snaked alongside the French Broad River for miles until Marshall peeked into view on the other side of a bridge. Once downtown, it became clear our luck was running out. Most everything was closed or shuttered, save for a little mercantile beside an old-timey gas station near the opposite side of the business district.
This place was devastated by hurricane Helene last year. Evidence of its recovery is obvious if you’re looking for it. For example. the house pictured was boarded up with debris strewn around it. I imagine it was a casualty of the storm and still isn’t inhabited. With the town sitting so low in the valley and directly on the river, it’s no wonder they suffered when the French Broad rose following record-breaking rainfall.
We continued home through rural parts of NC and TN until finally reaching the highway. From there, it was a straight shot home. With everything going on, I had a minor existential crisis concerning mortality somewhere along the way. I finally snapped out of it when Ashley applied lotion to her hands and it made a hilariously cartoonish slathering sound that made me die laughing.