appomattox, virginia: fog, film, and a faulty tire pressure sensor

i've been driving these backroads for days, chasing that soft morning light that makes everything look like a faded polaroid. the truck's been rattling, my backseat's a mess of camera bodies, lenses, and empty coffee cups. i pulled into appomattox, virginia, around noon, and the air had that damp chill that seeps into your bones no matter how many layers you wear. the weather app is buzzing with numbers: 15.66°c, feels like 15.06, humidity clinging at 68%, pressure hovering at 1010, and there's something about ground level pressure at 959 that i don't trust. i'm no meteorologist, but that feels off, like the sky's about to spill its secrets. i just need a decent shot before the light goes flat.

i've been listening to the locals in the diner. someone told me that the best peach cobbler in the state is at molly's cafe on main, but the guy at the gas station warned me it's actually frozen now and they just microwave it. i'm not sure who to believe. i did try the coffee at molly's, and it was decent, if a bit bitter. the waitress said they get their beans from a roaster in richmond, which is a nice detail. i also overheard a conversation about a hidden waterfall off route 24 that's only accessible after heavy rain-apparently someone slipped and broke an ankle last month. i'll pass on that.

if you get bored, lynchburg's just about an hour east, and roanoke's maybe a couple hours west if you're feeling adventurous. i thought about heading to lynchburg for a proper coffee, but i heard the traffic on 460 is a nightmare during afternoon rush. instead i stayed put and wandered down to the appomattox river. the water was brown and lazy, reflecting the overcast sky. there's a small park there with a plaque about some civil war something-i didn't read it, i was too busy watching a heron stand perfectly still. i got a decent shot of that bird, just as it took off. the light was flat but the movement added drama. that's the thing about photography: sometimes you have to work with what the weather gives you. today it's giving me cool tones and a slight mist that softens everything.

i've relied on some online resources to plan this leg of the trip. the lynchburg travel board has a good list of scenic drives, but half the links are dead. tripadvisor lists a couple of museums that turned out to be just rooms with old furniture. still, there's charm in that. a friend recommended checking the virginia road trip forum for up-to-date conditions-someone posted about a road closure on route 60 that saved me a detour. and of course, i can't survive without yelp for finding a decent meal when i'm too tired to cook.

anyway, the map below shows exactly where i'm sitting right now-somewhere between nowhere and somewhere. it's a good spot to pause.

i've uploaded a few shots from today. here's the road that led me here, all winding and empty, perfect for a meditative drive.

and this old brick building i found near the river-probably a former warehouse, now just a canvas for graffiti and vines.

i'm not sure how long i'll stay. the light's changing, the temperature's dropping to that 14.42 low, and i need to find a place to crash before the rain (if it rains). i'll probably grab a cheap motel on the highway and shoot some long exposures of the streetlights tonight. the humidity might play tricks on my sensor, but that's life on the road.

to anyone reading this: if you come through appomattox, bring a warm jacket, check your tire pressure (mine was acting up because of the altitude changes, probably related to that weird ground level pressure), and don't trust everything you hear in diners. also, there's a quiet beauty here that doesn't need filters or hype. it's just there, raw and a little tired, like me. catch you later, somewhere else.