A new normal meets an old norm

 

Black Mountain

We are:

•B•ent but not broken

•L•iving the loss… and the love

•A•cknowledging tragedy and grace

are simultaneous and intense

•C•ompassionate amidst the chaos

•K•eeping our heavy hearts open

•M•ining strength from each other

•O•vercoming more than we ever

dreamed we could endure

•U•nified in our tears, fears, exhaustions

and exaltations

•N•aming our heartbreaks and joys

as we claim all our feelings

•T•aking on the worst devastation

alongside the very best of humanity

•A•ware, each hour, that goodwill

abounds

•I•n awe of the power of nature,

and the power of community

•N•ever forgetting the healing power

of good people in bad times.

Thanks to whoever wrote this first on Facebook. It's been copied about a hundred times by now.

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The official White House Christmas Tree was selected this morning from Newland, NC. The Cartner Christmas Tree Farm has been growing Fraser fir Christmas trees since 1959. The tree will be displayed in the Blue Room of the White House.

After Hurricane Helen's damages in western North Carolina, these farmers are hoping to have a good year of selling trees.

It seems strange, but the thrust of our recovery from the hurricane damage is now to encourage visitors to come to our area and shop, maybe hike where it's safe, enjoy our warm fall air and whatever colorful leaves may remain on the deciduous trees. The entertainers are also back with various venues. The main idea is to bring revenue to the businesses that usually would have had their biggest income from the "leaf peepers." The Biltmore is open again.

But I'm afraid finding an empty motel/hotel in the area may still be difficult since FEMA put so many folks into rooms who lost their homes. And there is still work going on to repair roads and electric lines, now mainly in the further reaches of the coves. Some areas may not recover at all, unfortunately. And we still are grateful for the free showers, laundry and hot meals being provided by several non-profits.

Yesterday I was so unhappy to see the crowded streets full of "out of towners" who drove in fast and pushy ways...they aren't used to our easy going drive through town at the speed limit at all! But if these folks are going to park and eat a meal at a newly reopened restaurant, and shop for Christmas gifts in the various stores on Cherry St. then I'll put up with their lack of courtesy (maybe).

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Here's a video (which is sometimes pretty slow to watch, so be prepared to push a fast forward if you wish). Its about Swannanoa as of Oct. 10 taken from a drone, with narration by the drone operator, Dominic Taverniti. Also be prepared to mute the occasional ads that pop up.

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And I went searching for when the Concorde and the Space Shuttle were in the same airport. This is what I found.

Another (better angle of the same occasion).

An amazing shot of the 747 taking off with the space shuttle on her back!

Concorde and Enterprise together at Dulles Airport, 1986. This is the only dated photo I've found.

The USS aircraft carrier Intrepid has the Space Shuttle Enterprise on her deck, while alongside is a concorde, some docks somewhere! No date.

This might be the same occasion that I was started looking for place and date.

I'm satisfied thinking it was at Dulles Airport in the 1980s.