Ruby Trickle

Many, many years ago, I went on a road trip with my aunt Adrene and my sometime boyfriend William to Atlanta. On the way there, through Tennessee, we saw billboards touting Ruby Falls. Every few miles there seemed to be another billboard telling us to visit Ruby Falls and the cave wherein it existed. So after all the hype, Adrene, William and I decided we must stop and see Ruby Falls. Only Ruby Falls turned out not to be the thunderous explosion of water we expected to see. Instead it was just a small flow of water, a very small unimpressive flow. So the three of us talked about how we just saw "Ruby Trickle."

Right now that's how I feel about the information I am able to find about my ancestors. When I first started, there seemed to be so much to discover. If I ran into a block on one ancestor, I could find something on another. The data was gushing all over. It kept me going. Now the information has slowed down to a trickle and I am finding it harder and harder to keep going.

Much of this has to do with not being able to go to actual locations. I know the internet is a wonderful source of information but it is limited. I am so frustrated right now. Maybe after I read the civil war pensions I will be more enthusiastic. Just have to get to D.C. sooner rather than later and break up that water jam of information. Then maybe my research and enthusiasm will gush again instead of trickle down.