On the Mountain

Friday, July 24

Up bright and early today!  Unfortunately we have to take Anna and Evan back home.  It has been a great adventure with them for the past three weeks.  They are always the highlight of our summer. We know we are very fortunate to have them close by and that their Mom and Dad will share them with us.  They are both wonderful kids.  I guess our only regret is that they are growing up entirely too fast.

Slade and Candace closed on their new home today, so we get to be one of their first guests.  It will be a couple of weeks before they actually move in as they are having some work done before they do. The home is only a few blocks from where they live now so the kids will be in the same school and have many of the same friends.

This afternoon we checked into a four-star hotel - The Umpstead  - courtesy of Candace.  It is quite the place.  Evan spent the afternoon with us in the pool.

Tonight we had pizza on a fold up table and camp chairs in their new-to-them dining room.

Saturday, July 25

After a beautiful breakfast at the Umpstead with Candace and Anna, we headed up to the Mountain House.  We haven't been here since March, but everything looks great.  It's great to be back up here. This house is so comfortable.

And we don't have to use air conditioning.  Wow! Great sleeping with all the doors and windows flung open soaking up the crisp mountain air.  I do love it!!  61 degrees!

Having a view where we can see the sunset makes us appreciate our mountain home even more

Sunday, July 26

One of the things we love most about coming here to our Mountain Home is going down to the Orchard at Altapass on Sunday afternoons (and Saturdays also) to visit and listen to music.

Always crowded on Saturday and Sunday

Today, after pulling some weeds, spraying some Round-Up (my best friend for tending the flower gardens), and mowing the grass (which really looks bad - there hasn't been much rain), we spent a couple hours at the Orchard.  We were fortunate that one of favorite singers, Randy Flack was playing.  A great songwriter and singer.  randyflack.com

A beautiful deer in the meadow below the house

Monday, July 27 - Friday, July 31

A nice, quiet week here on the mountain.  Cool nights, nice days, good eating, and just generally enjoying the quiet solitude.

The flowers around the house are beautiful this time of year

Gold Finches have been visiting the bird feeders regularly.  We don't remember having seen them here.

We've eaten out a lot with friends.  Bill and Jan came up from Asheville for the Day.  Diane and Keith dropped by for a couple of hours and lunch out.  We met Bonnie and Will at the The Chalet restaurant in Little Switzerland, and Kit came by and we went to the Mountain View Restaurant (which has one of the best views in Western North Carolina from its deck.

Friday night we drove to Burnsville for an evening of good eating and great entertainment at the Parkway Playhouse.  The play, "All Shook Up"  is a nice musical with a story of mismatched love and a lot of old Elvis songs.

Downtown Burnsville has some interesting art.  From the right angle and with the sun in the right position, this scene seems to blend into the mountains in the background.

These rocks appear to be suspended in the air, held in place only by the two logs.

Saturday afternoon, after visiting the Spruce Pine Mineral and Gem Show - an annual event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, which I led for three years - and a short visit to The Orchard, we lazed around on the back porch in the afternoon sun - with the semi-transparent shades pulled down to keep the keenest of the sun rays from heating it up to much - with a wonderful breeze that kept us very comfortable while we read and napped the afternoon away.  

The Mineral and Gem Show has been going on in Spruce Pine for 57 years.  It is mostly cheap jewelry with semi-precious stones.  We went to the biggest Mineral and Gem Show in the country one year when we were in Albuquerque, NM.  I didn't see anything I wanted there, and I didn't see anything I wanted here.

What an absolutely wonderful way to spend a beautiful, crystal clear, afternoon.  This is what makes this such a special place.  We built this home just for such occasions as this.  A beautiful view on the top of the ridge, designed with wide, sweeping porches, able to soak up the breezes in the summer and protect us in the winter.  Oh, how I wish we had a home like this in Beaufort.  It is perfect in so many special ways.

Sunday, we had a lovely evening at Bonnie and Will's

Monday, August 3 and we're getting ready to head back to the coast.  But not before playing tourists here in the mountains.

This morning, we decided 1) We'll leave tomorrow and 2) We'll have fun today.  So we drove up to Blowing Rock for lunch and shopping - Clara shopping.

Blowing Rock is such a neat little town.  They've done their downtown right!  It's not just shops - and shops - and shops.  There's a nice park right in the middle of town.  The sidewalks are filled with visitors and the park benches are great for the guys - while the women shop.

We had lunch at Storie Street Grill.  A very interesting lunch with fried asparagus for an appetizer and a toasted cheese sandwich for the main course - but not just a cheese sandwich - smoked cheddar and bacon.  Good!!

Tomorrow, Beaufort.