Update about blog

Some color near Durango CO
Showing posts with label day trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day trips. Show all posts

Thursday, October 16, 2025

On the parkway

 Blue Ridge Parkway trip.


We were struck by many fallen trees, and the lack of leaves on some still standing...showing results of last years Hurricane Helene disaster which kept the parkway closed until this month for much of this stretch,.

Our goal was to drive to Little Switzerland and then Spruce-Pine (off the parkway.)


I'll post a few of our early sightings of perhaps a bit of color. You know how the first flash is always worth the picture...even though it will look so blah when you see something better. But 99 photos for the day, and I've definitely taken out half of the early ones!






More will be revealed...




More to come will include a Septic Tank Truck!!

Sharing with Thankful Thursday

Friday, May 23, 2025

The rest of the Hendersonville trip

 

Hendersonville NC has a rather large (I think) downtown shopping area, though there were closed signs and boarded over windows still on a few shops. But with blocks of shops on both sides, they definitely outnumber Black Mountain.






After a difficult session of picking out penny candy at Mast General Store, (where it's 12.99 a pound now) we had to relax in some of their rockers.



A shop that was closed. It was Wednesday!

I'd never seen a hydrangea bush with so many different colors. I had to wonder how they did that!


At the deli early we didn't have to stand in line. Here T. had a roast beef with au jus sanwich.

My sandwich was a smoked salmon BLT...but the salmon didn't come through tastewise as much as the wonderful bacon!

We checked out rocks and crystals, but didn't buy anything.

And gave some patronage to the bakery!

A nice mural in the bakery

The county courthouse through the windshield. Great sky though!

We followed the  train tracks to find the little train station.

One door on the side said a model railroad club uses the building, but otherwise it seemed empty.

Then I navigated us into the wrong area, and we eventually found a road going to Asheville.








Today's quote:

The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. -John Adams, 2nd US president (1735-1826)


A tall vase made in 2009, maybe 2 feet  tall.



Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Day tripping...Weaverville, NC

 Last Thursday my friends Helen and Teresa and I finally (it had been postponed several times due to health issues of one or another of us!) drove to nearby Weaverville. We went there some years before, and wanted to see if there were changes, and  especially some local businesses where we could give our slightly touristy dollars. We knew lunch would be our big expense of the day, but we each bought some smaller gift items at various shops as well.


Sorry, but there are lots of photos, which I may have to break into two posts (so y'all don't go crazy and just skip them entirely!)

First, in the parking lot, I saw a holly tree much like the one where my neighborhood robins have been munching. Lots of berries here, and no robins! 


Helen, me, and Teresa, who pushed the button on my phone...a real group effort! We finally got a really good selfie shot. The trick? Take it when we're first starting out, I think! 

Our first stop, (Artisans on Main) and we must have looked at each display, picking up things and sharing them with each other! Such fun! 

Oh look,  a pregnant mug!


Look at this, a napkin holder that's hand crafted from Cedar! 

The wood bar is a separate piece, which keeps napkins from floating away!


They have a separate studio where they make custom-made lamp shades...just look at the paper rack of what's available!


 
Next stop, the gallery/studio combination  of Magnum Pottery. It had a few changes, but as always had lovely pieces which we ooo'd and awwww'd over.






Sitting outside a bakery where we'll return later, this young woman was fine with me capturing a photo of her hair-do! Her hand was about to cover her face, and you can just see a corner of her friend's response to my request.

I'll give you a few more shots tomorrow!

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Current events and also art:

I stand with Ukraine!
Art by Watercolors by Rachel Facebook page

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Today's quote:


Being unappreciative might mean we are simply not paying attention.

DAVID WHYTE



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My family photo of the day:


My oldest son, Marty as a safety provider for the "Mustang Sallies Krewe" of women in the Gasparilla Parades (yes multiple ones) in Tampa, FL.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Big events, little steps

For me a big event means doing something that's rare, that other people take part in (usually) so we can share it, that maybe is one of those life changing events.  In the meantime, I take a million little steps.

Yesterday was one of my day trips with my friend, Helen.  We decided to go to Boone, NC.  Neither of us had ever been there.  When I checked on line, there wasn't much besides a university and lots of chain stores that can be found in any community.  Would it have a personality of its own, or just be another rubber-stamped college town?

I decided it did have some personality, but it seemed to not have many really old buildings well preserved, like we have here in Black Mountain.  That's ok.  The university has lots of new looking buildings, much bigger than I'd originally thought.

And there's a smallish downtown area with some vintage type stores locally owned.  I'll be posting on my other blog about them.

Today's big event might be considered small steps for many of my friends.  I've dragged out the vacuum, and the mop.  So far, the kitchen floor is drying, while I give my back a break and write this.  Next will be this office area/the living/dining area, then another rest...then bedroom and bathroom.  That will be my final cleanse for here at home, then I'll lug the laundry to a local laundromat, wait for it to run and then celebrate my cleanliness with a friend and pizza.

I had thought I'd renew my driver's license today, but didn't get up early to go get in the line.  When I called DMV, the woman said every day there are waiting lines for 2-4 hours.  I thanked her, since last Fri. I decided not to stand in line (it must have been a 4 hour day).  I have to drive 20 or so miles to Marion NC where the DMV used to be able to process people faster than Asheville.  I wonder now.

I hope this is just another little step.