September - October in the mountains

Mon Sept 29

Let's go to the mountain house!

And we're off, heading West to Spruce Pine.

Tues Sept 30

The mornings are cool and there's almost always clouds in the valley this time of year.

Clara had called some friends from Beaufort who have a home near Grandfather Mountain, Gary and Judy Mercer and arranged for us to meet them in Linville for lunch.  As this is near the Y, I had a chance to swim a while before lunch.  After a nice lunch, we drove back by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The grass in the yard really needs mowing.  It's almost 12 inches high. It looks great, but the it's going to be a job getting it mowed.  I raise the lawn mower deck as high as possible and start mowing.  I must have dumped the grass catcher a dozen times.

Of course, after mowing the grass, it's time for a little relaxing.

I love the mountains.  We've spend a majority of our adult lives living in the mountains and they really do feel like home.  It's always great to get back up here and experience the Parkway and it's beautiful views. Although we've seen a lot of beautiful sights traveling around the country, there is nothing like sitting on the deck of our home overlooking the view and watching the sunset behind the Black Mountain Range

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This evening Jared and Lane, our neighbors in the log cabin next door came over and we had a nice evening getting caught up on all that is happening.

Wed Oct 1

A work day - and a hard one.  There's always work to be done - especially this year.  We've been up here so infrequently and everything keeps growing.

This evening we go over to the country club for dinner with Bill, Judy, Kit, Will and Bonnie.

Our house taken from Kit's deck about 3 miles away.

Thurs Oct 2

We're off to Linville and the Y, while Clara stays at the Crossnore consignment shop.

On the way back from Linville, we noted a subdivision that has gone all out for Halloween.

After a nice afternoon, where Clara decides the front steps need a little sprucing up with paint, we enjoy a perfect afternoon on the back deck reading, listening to the birds and watching the sun sink into the mountains.

Note the glass of wind on the steps.  

Fri Oct 3

A rainy day

Down the mountain to Marion's Y for swimming, then Clara and I go look at motor homes at Tom Johnsons RV Center.  We keep looking for something we like better than what we have.  So far, nothing has shown up.

Fog on the mountain.

Continental Divide Road

Sat Oct 4

A cold front came through this morning, but we only got to 44 mph winds here on the mountain. This is the time of year when cold fronts start bringing high winds.  It may get down to freezing tonight.

This afternoon to the Orchard.

Clara and Bill Carson take to the dance floor

We really missed Anna and Evan helping us pick apples in The Orchard

There's a bear on the mountain.  This is at the entry to our subdivision.

Sun Oct 5

The temperature only got down to 35 here at the house last night.  But it's still cold.  I need to head South.

Today we are tourists!  After lunch we decide to drive up to Mount Mitchell.  We haven't been there in quite a while, and today it is perfectly clear - a great day to enjoy the ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the view from Mount Mitchell

Clara's comment:  "An old tree and and old man".  Ouch!

The colors are changing.

Icicles on the road up to Mount Mitchell.  It was 22 degrees on the mountain last night.

The clouds were really different - like flying saucers

Clara thinks our home is there!!!  We can see the Northern part of the Black Mountain Range from our house in the summer - and the Mount Mitchell peak in the winter.

A little nap after the 300 foot walk from the parking lot to the top of the mountain.

Mon Oct 6

Arranging to get things done.  One of the things I enjoy the least about coming up to the mountain house is the cleaning on the morning we leave.  Clara likes to leave it perfect, and of course I think it looks perfect.  Anyway, I think we've finally found someone to clean the house (to Clara's standards) after we leave.  Now if I can only keep her from wanting to clean the house so the housekeeper doesn't think we're slobs.

I've been wanting to replace a whole section of shingles in one spot on the roof for years.  Every winter, we seem to lose a few shingles in this area and we have to keep replacing them one or two at the time.  We initially had shingles installed that are rated for 90 mph winds, but it's obvious that in this corner, the winds are getting considerable above 90.  Bill Carson has recommended a local contractor and he came by this afternoon and he is going to replace a whole section of shingles with shingles rated at 120 mph.

Tues, Oct 7

Clara left this morning to go to Asheville to spend the night with Diane Howell, a friend from her days as an X-Ray Tech at Memorial Mission Hospital.  They're making arrangements to meet a bunch of the "old gang" who use to work together at the hospital.

I spend a very peaceful day doing absolutely nothing.

Wed, Oct 8

The crew to replace the shingles shows up bright and early at 8:30, awaking me.

I think we have this problem corrected.

The view from the roof is quite spectacular.  Kinda makes we wish we had built a 3 story house

Tomorrow we head back to Beaufort for a few days and hopefully, we'll be back on the mountain in a couple of weeks.