In my opinion, one of the 'good' things that came from the creation of Land Between The Lakes was a permanent home for a herd of these majestic animals. I never get tired of watching the 'Buffalo' and often stop to see them..
To get this picture, I had to belly crawl through the tall prairie grass until I was almost close enough to touch them. Just kidding! This was snapped very quietly from the safety of my car because there are NO FENCES once you are in the Elk/Bison range. I wonder if they ever charge at cars?
This old fellow was in a pen all by himself and the first one we saw today. For a while I thought he was the 'token' buffalo on the buffalo tour. Do you ever get the feeling you're the one being watched???
So if you are looking for something inexpensive to do this Fall, take a drive through Land Between The Lakes. Bring some picnic food and enjoy the outdoors. While you're driving through, think about the fact that you are seeing your decades old tax dollars at work and the results of Eminent Domain in action. While I do love the buffalo, I can't help but think about the people that lived and worked the land for generations. As you drive through Land Between The Lakes, you will notice numerous cemetery signs. That, in itself, will give you an idea of the population. Their history is unrecognized in the materials and information you will receive in any of the welcome stations. But, you can read about it here, Land Between The Lakes: A Story of Colonialism in Kentucky. It's a true tale that should make us all question Eminent Domain and what it can do to the heart of America.
4 comments:
Thanks for the link to the story of LBL. It was so sad what they did to those families. Not only do I hate Eminent Domain, but when I found out earlier this year that LBL was now designated as a "UN BIOSPHERE" I about came unglued! Our government has no business giving our lands in America to the United Nations! The article I read said that 47 areas of the United States are now under UN Biosphere status including Thomas Jefferson's home and the statue of Liberty! Are we still the United States of America or are we now the United Nations? Sheesh!!
Hi Marge, Eminent Domain scares me... I hate to see people's lives and homes destroyed like that. It could happen anywhere to any of us...
I do love seeing the Buffalo though.. You got some great pictures.
Hugs,
Betsy
I read the entire story and think this is terrible and it is still happening today. Thanks for helping spread the word.
I just ran across your blog, and it brought back many memories. My father grew up in Land Between the Lakes. My grandfather owned a grocery store there. I used to go with him on his grocery route when he delivered weekly supplies to those that did not have transportation to make it to the store.
I remember their house to this day. It was a classic country farm house, with a large front porch. We used to sit on the porch swing for hours at a time. I spent many hours climbing on their stone fence, playing in their barn and picnicing on the hill across the road. Today, the only reason you can even get to the old homesite is because there was a cemetary adjoining their property line.
I also remember the tears in my grandmother's eyes when they closed the doors to their house for the last time. I was too young to really understand what was going on, but I sensed my grandparents' heartache. They moved, not because they wanted to, but because they didn't have any other choice.
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