RRG - extra photos (not necessarily about climbing)

So, the masses (Mark, John and Eddie) have spoken and they want less climbing in my blog; so here it is, a photographic essay of the non-climbing days in Kentucky.

Why is it that every trip has a catch-phrase? It's the one-liner uttered near the start of a trip that becomes a catch-all smile inducer, and red-point stress dissipator.

Kranko-the-klown came up with the perfect catch-phrase this time 
"I like Turtles!"
(say it with a squeaky American twang to get the right "Pooch" effect).

Steak - umm, steak....

Steak was cheaper and more widely available than beer in Red River Gorge.
$13/£9 for these 5 Fillet Mignon. Tasty too - must be all the growth hormone the feed the cows in the US?

Guns!

What hick US town would be complete without a love of all things firearm? On a rest day visit to WalMart John sought out the hunting and fishing counter to buy some more lubes lures and stumbled across a man buying his 8 year old daughter her first shotgun! Strange people; perhaps you shouldn't mock them...

Don't mock the hick hunting headware - it's a legal requirement to wear hi-vis when you go hunting in the US so that your fellow hunter doesn't accidentally shoot you!

Locals truck outside the sole source of beer in RRG - I guess he's packing heat then?

The magazine shelf in the local supermarket says a lot about the local population.

Puzzles!

We meant to immerse ourselves in the gun culture and go to a shooting range on a rest day, but we got distracted by all the high quality puzzling available at Lago Linda's campsite!

This 1000 piece epic took 3 rest days to complete - look at all those similar textures and colours - a puzzling nightmare.

[As it took the combined forces of four seasoned sport climbers 3 days to complete, we figured it was probably about 8b+ equivalent? ;-) ]. 

(Actually, it was only 998 pieces; you can see the two that missing above)

"Pray out the gay!"

The little corner of Kentucky we were in has a god bothering problem; below is a quick montage of just a small selection of the dozen or so churches/missions/bible school etc that we drove past each day between our campsite and the Motherlode parking.

A novelty phrase pinned up outside one of the churches read "Just because the state says it's legal, doesn't stop it being sin!". Howver, it wasn't clear if this referred to gay love, or the issuing of liquor licenses in Lee County?

Chocolate covered crack? AKA Milk Duds - the most addictive confectionery known to man!