These conversations

 --   So some people talk about politics.

And some of us talk about weather, and climate change. Goodness, what about Hurricane Milton?

Some (many) of us talk about women's issues.

And some of us talk about art...in all its various forms....music, poetry, painting, sculpture, pottery!

I've been posting over on "Alchemy of Clay" some of the art I liked at the recent exhibit at the Columbia Art Museum - on loan from the Brooklyn Art Museum, The new header here on my blog was one of my favorite paintings. French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950 

I must give a big comment about cousin John in South Carolina (though he probably won't ever read this.) He was an angel of refuge for me. But while receiving a comfortable home, I got to know a very intelligent and interesting man that I wouldn't have without staying with him for 8 days. We had at least one meal together daily. He wouldn't let me cook, which probably was a good thing.

 I bought some groceries after we decided on two meals which would also leave him with left overs. Like many busy people, he likes to cook a big amount and then have several meals out of it. But I must comment that the man likes a very big serving for a meal, so leftovers probably don't go very far. He also runs about an hour each day! I was thrilled to have such wonderful things provided for me.

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I've safely traveled (on Wed.) to a dear friend's home in the piedmont of North Carolina. The news yesterday was that non-potable water would be tested in Black Mountain to see where leaks were in an emergency 18 inch line. That water would only be useable for flushing since it would have so much sediment in it.

I have loved renewing my friendship with Martha in her sweet house. I'm so blessed! But I'm also eager to be back in my little apartment. The maintenance man called me and told me elec is on and there's water coming into toilets, but can't be used for anything else. So I'll be sure to pick up some water bottles by the case before I go home. Sunday is my target travel date for now (I wrote this on Friday 10.11.24)

This is probably already in the works...we just haven't noticed it!

Above: When the cleanup begins. Spruce Pine downtown.

Below: Unincorporated town of Swannanoa, after Hurricane Helene! All the brown is mud drying which turns into dust if you drive over it! The building hanging over the erosion has a 10 foot drop from it's floor to the mud below.

Meanwhile, myself and many of my friends are doing the following:

I'm busy blogging about where I evacuated to, where a normal life could be experienced! But that was before I returned to live the life I'd chosen here in Black Mountain NC.

Looking into the mouth of a dragon fruit.

Do you suppose they are firey spicy?

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An interesting YouTube demonstration of the debris flows in the mountains, if you're interested. I didn't know that after a first pulse of mud and debris, there can be a second or even third pulse. That's how a firefighter lost his life going to help someone after the first pulse of debris in the Garren Creek community of Buncombe County. That was a site of quite a few people who died from Helene.

Photo by Lynn Bauer

Today's quote:

Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”