Eating on high!

 Our Mt. Mitchell trip had a pinnacle event, (groan!) to have a picnic at the picnic grounds..

Plenty of tables, even handicap accessible, plenty of nearby parking. We ambled along until we found a shady spot with a view, and a bit of sun, since it was kind of windy at that point. (Thank heaven for the wind, which not only entertained us, but kept the tiny flies at bay - at least no biting!)

I tried making a 360 degree video...it isn't that great.

There are many dead trees in one area of the picnic grounds. The woolly adelgid continues to knock out perfectly healthy trees.

Aside: Adelges tsugae, the hemlock woolly adelgid or HWA, is an insect of the order Hemiptera native to East Asia. It feeds by sucking sap from hemlock and spruce trees. In its native range, HWA is not a serious pest because populations are managed by natural predators and parasitoids and by host resistance. In eastern North America it is a destructive pest that threatens the eastern hemlock and the Carolina hemlock. HWA is also found in western North America, where it has likely been present for thousands of years (See Wikipedia)

Evidence of HWA or Hemlock Woolly Adelgid - white patches on underside of branches.

 I thought at first this small rodent was a chipmunk...but no stripes. and a long tail.

So a baby squirrel with interest in the next table visited us, but was skittish enough to take off when we started talking about her.

Our prerequisite selfie...not sure who's on Teresa's shirt. I'm sure going to miss spending days with her and her granddaughter. But fortunately we can text, facetime phone visit, and phone call each other daily still! Making new friends (see below) but keeping the gold ones!

Wonderful young balsam trees growing. I could watch shadows of clouds crossing mountains in the distance all day.

I stopped for a shot with Madison after we'd had our lunches.

I found peanut butter and jelly on brioche bread were delicious, with a Coke Zero and Key Lime yogurt. Teresa packed PB&J and pickles, some pretzels and chocolate chip cookies for them. I shared some cookies I brought all around as well.

We ate "above it all!"

Yes, one of these vistas will become my header, when  I get tired of looking at the shot of Lake Tomahawk, which I just put up. Let's see, maybe a week from today? 

Sharing with Saturday's Critters (do pest beetles [woolly ageldids] count?) at least I found a wild squirrel!

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And oh yes, the fun part of Saturday (yesterday) was meeting Mary Moon and her daughter Jessie. Such a lovely time, even though short. Mary is just as she is on her blog, only taller than I thought she'd be, and oh so sweet, trim, beautiful, loving, and just the kind of friend who I hope I move next to in my new home. Can't I take her with me? Oh dear, guess her hubby might have something to say about that!

Barbara and Mary at Four Sisters in Black Mountain. (Soon to be thousands of miles apart, but still right here on their blogs!)

And yes, by 3:30 the dining table, two dressers and a book shelf had taken off in the Habitat truck. I tipped the workers $10 each and a Coke Zero...hope that was enough. Probably not... But they saw how I live, so most folks won't expect much from me. Just big gratitude!

Years with questions or answers

 

This was an excellent floral display based upon the painting above. At the Black Mountain Center for the Arts 2025.

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A lovely cool morning (in the shade) at Four Sister's Bakery in Black Mountain - eating a chocolate croissant with an Americano. That was my celebration of Independence Day this year.

I did check the heat around 1pm when I was about to eat lunch, did I want to sit out on the balcony? Nope, too hot.

Teresa had a late' with almond milk, and a strawberry rhubarb bar.

That's it for me celebrating (on Independence Day last Friday). Teresa and her hubby were planning to go to the baseball game in Asheville later. It included hot dogs and fireworks.

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Today's quote:

There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

Zora Neale Hurston

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An old photo:

Monday murals and then some

 

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

Some words of wisdom from Facebook.

Sunday last Helen and I went to a free art museum trip in Asheville. Zoom tickets are available to lots of venues in Asheville, through our Buncombe County libraries. This one was for an air conditioned trip, and a pass lets two people in. We also signed up for a Van Gogh movie, taken from an exhibit at another museum, complete with docents talking about the paintings. It was pricy, but after all, we'd obtained the entrance tickets for nothing.

Around noon thirty in downtown Asheville, there was a Vegan-Fest. Too hot to go strolling for me, however.

I had to enjoy this lady's body art, who checked us in at the front desk.

A wonderful mural in the lobby of the Asheville Art Museum

Layers of wood, cut into a Black America. (My son Tai Rogers would love this, as he made many white map-like sculptural forms.)

Detail of "My Big Black America"

Today's quote:

Life, what an exquisite privilege.

Katie Rubinstein

And an environmental quote from Katharine Hayhoe:

“it's OK to grieve over the things we've lost and will lose, grief isn't the same as despair. We need to be brave enough to do the right thing."

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Early coffee at Four Sisters Bakery (where we also found day-old croissants available!) with Suzanne, a dear old friend yesterday morning. Well, I got a decaf Americano, while she brought her own Chai tea. She's trying also to downsize things and finds it hard to do. We discussed briefly the need to get accurate news, and I referred her to BlueSky. She's an artist that has breast cancer, and has given away and sold a lot of her supplies...but still has a good easel for some aspiring talented person. Her interests are similar to mine in many ways. We plan to meet more Sunday mornings and sit in the cool fresh air and chat. She's interested in that Podcast about the Trickster, which I posted about on "Inner Workings" blog. And like my friend Teresa, she's enjoying doing "slow stitching."

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We spoke highly of Thom Tillis (one of NC's Senators in Washington) who'd voted against the Big Ugly Budget Bill. And then later I saw he'd announced his not running for another election.

"After Trump attacked him yesterday for not supporting the budget reconciliation bill, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has announced he will not run for reelection next year, indicating his unwillingness to face a primary challenger backed by Trump. This puts the seat in play for a Democratic pickup.

In a statement, Tillis said: “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.” He wrote: “I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability.” 

Tonight, Tillis told the Senate: “What do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding’s not there anymore, guys?... [T]he effect of this bill is to break a promise.”

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office today said the tax cuts in the budget reconciliation bill the Republican senators are trying to pass will increase the national debt by $3.3 trillion over the next ten years despite the $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other programs over the same period. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) called the measure “Robin Hood in reverse…stealing from the poor in order to give to the rich, this massive transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top…. This is socialism for the rich.” 

Heather Cox Richardson 

Daylilies at Four Sisters Bakery

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My Old Photos:

4.21.48 Galveston TX, my father, George Rogers Jr, grandmother, Ada Rogers & Uncle Chauncey Rogers, myself, Barbara & little sister, Mary Beth. Mother was the photographer. We called it soapy water!

Climate crisis and pastries

Sweet Joe Pie Weed was in bloom here. In many places it's already gone to seed.

ER Correction by Tom....your Joe Pye Weed is sedum, perhaps Autumn Joy!

Thanks Tom!

It was noon at Four Sisters Bakery on Church St...right behind the Red Rocker Inn.

By the time my friend got there and we ordered our pastries and drinks, it had started to drizzle. But we kind of tucked under the eve of the building and had a most enjoyable conversation about the climate crisis, and her planned art/sculptural installation of hundreds of people who are affected by loss of their supportive climate, i.e. clean water, shelters, food, clothing, livelihoods. I talked mainly as a clay adviser, and think I helped her with a design which may be easier to build many little people with self drying clay.

As always, I enjoy talking with her. When I left I told her I always feel stretched whenever we talk together.

Today's quote:

It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn.

PAUL COEHLO

Some outdoor enjoyment

 

Suzanne and I had our quiches outdoors in a sunny spot a few weeks ago.

The Four Sisters Bakery is located behind a popular B&B...and was doing a brisk business on a warm October morning.  Unfortunately my diet usually precludes baked goods that have high fat content...but I did need sustenance!

While waiting in line to early vote, I spied this pretty tree. The bank who owns that property has signs that nobody but bank customers may park there. Those who wanted to vote at the next door library were walking blocks from where they could find parking. And this bank currently has no walk-in customers, just the drive-through window. Thus they won't allow voters to park in an empty lot, on threat of being towed. A small gesture to dissuade voters. It didn't work, as we had more early voting than ever before. Incidentally, the long white buildings across the street belong to a funeral home, which also wouldn't allow parking by voters in their lot.

On a recent walk around the neighborhood.

My friendly violets greet me each morning!

A Facebook post of a waterfall and the fall colors.