Micro-Joy Barn
Dispatches from a Kentucky Campground
On a road trip this week we have spotted Boot Barn, Bourbon Barn, Gospel Barn, and Smoke and Vape Barn. They weren’t all in actual barns, neither were Dress Barn nor Blouse Barn. If you’re in a rural area, I guess you can go barn-nanas when naming your business. So, welcome to Micro-Joy Barn.
Husband and I are camping in Kentucky. We still haven’t reached our road trips goals of gas station fried chicken (him) and fountain Coke Zero (me). I have had the opportunity to engage in a small amount of stranger chit chat, which led to side questing to walk around the historic town square in the tiny hamlet of Hayesville, NC. In keeping with my new travel rule of buying a book from any indie bookstores we happen upon in our travels, I spent $5 on the 2025 edition of Best American Poetry at the Hayesville Public Library bookstore. I could’ve spent hours wandering through the stacks of used books, but they were about to close.
I’m working with scraps of cell service, so you don’t get lots of words this week. Instead I’m sharing some of my favorite moments of nature joy from the past few days, including giant rocks and hiking through a grove of blooming mountain laurel.
I’m always open to ideas, suggestions, shenanigans, tomfoolery, collaborations, cheese, snacks, and field trips.
You can find my art here and here. I offer custom workshops and design. I am the proud guardian/custodian of a 17 3/4 year old cheeseburger named Patty.
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Cheeseburger & sweet potato fries $21
All photographs and art are by me, Rubi McGrory, unless otherwise noted.
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words and images © Rubi McGrory 2021-2026
Road trips; where you remember the simple things that make you happy---for me it's sour gummy snacks & a fizzy drink for the road (and maybe it's the to-do list left at home)
Barn-ananas..... groanlaugh