The trip to High Falls NC

 

Bee Balm

From the internet, and I somehow am not old enough to do this!

At the High Falls visitor center we enjoyed checking out the diorama/detailed map of the area.

Helen is standing near the Covered Bridge, which is right upstream from High Falls. I really wanted to go to the Covered Bridge, but was voted down. The falls were extraordinary, and I'll try to come back to see the bridge in the fall.

We were standing in the visitor center.

It was good to see most of the falls and the trails were open (following tropical storm Helene 11 months ago). Most of these hikes were not considered easy, and the one to High Falls was listed as either moderate or easy. Lots of more agile people were just breezing by us...proving that this elder needs to work on stamina (still!) But my breathing limitations are caused by a disease process which is incurable and due to get worse over time, so I may be just kidding myself that I can improve.

High Falls, Cedar Mountain, NC

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Today's quote:

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

– Albert Schweitzer

Saturday's Critters a day late

 

For many years I had tropical fish, and in the small tank, gold fish. 

From the internet

My own photo of Swallowtail on the butterfly bush.

Pup Zora and my son just relaxing!

Sharing late  this week with Saturday's Critters.

Several dogs were on the trail to High Falls on Thursday last. I feel for their paws, because all the fresh gravel was sharp and big pieces.

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Today's quote:

It's 83 years now

 Happy birthday to me. So here I am, now 83...starting my 84th trip around the sun. And I don't expect lots of wishes, which of course are welcome, but not necessary at all. I do expect to continue to share and converse sometimes with other bloggers. I never know what you all are going to post each day!

From the  1960s

My joy for 12  years after retirement...playing in clay!

Here are some memories of my 80th weekend celebration:

Russ is behind the camera. Going around the table starting with G-D Caroline looking over her shoulder, to left is G-D Audrey, her sis, D-in-L Kendra, Son Tai, G-S Michael (Marty's son), me, Son Marty, G-S William, and G-D Cayenne (William's sis.)

Celebrating my 80th in 2022 with lots of family members at a luxury cabin in the woods, gifted by my three sons. (Left to r: Will, Cayenne, Audrey behind, Russ, Caroline behind, myself in hat, Tai behind, Marty and Michael. Kendra is behind the camera.

Lake Lure in 2022!

Yes, it did qualify as a beach. and even then the water never got above 4 feet deep. 

Sons Tai and Russ and grandson William seated.

William and I enjoyed Kaleidoscope app while others hiked.

Cayenne giving a great pose!

Audrey at the base of the falls.

The hat and myself climbed down to upper falls, and back up. Then we left the hikers to go to lower falls.

My three sons (not often I  get a shot of all of them together) Tai, Russ and Marty.

Granddaughters Caroline and Audrey.

Sepia Saturday suggests a nuclear family is all dressed up to go somewhere. 

Our SS host, Alan Burnett says:

There was a period at the beginning of the twentieth century when family photography moved out of the confines of the studio and into the open air. This was the age of amateur photography: cameras and film had developed to such an extent that ordinary people - enthusiasts, at least, could afford to buy cameras and start taking photographs. Cameras and films had not progressed far enough, however, to enable such photographs to be taken without a plentiful supply of natural light - and so garden photographs suddenly became popular. This week on Sepia Saturday you can share your photographs taken in the garden, of the garden, outside the garden .... or nowhere near the garden. Simply share an old photograph on or around Saturday 23 August 2025 and add a link to the list below. And then you can pop out into the garden and see what is coming in the next few weeks on Sepia Saturday.

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The Sepia photos...

Grandmother "Gummy" holding me with my older cousins, Claudette and Sandra. Alex was their father, Houston, TX when I was 11 months old. I looked very much like my father as a baby.

George Rogers, my father, as a toddler.

My second (or third?) birthday with Mother/Daughter dresses.

August 12, 2025, having no more dizzy spells after Doc checked me out Wed. afternoon!

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Today's quote:

The Theosophic doctrine that the physical world is an externalization of an astral plane or even the higher Platonic doctrine that it crystallizes a world of divine ideation is given to beginners as a help to give them a crude grasp, a first step towards the theory that the world is an idea, until they are mentally developed. 
When their mind is mature they are then told to discard the astral plane theory and told the pure truth that all existence is idea.

—Paul Brunton
Notebooks Category 21: Mentalism

Chapter 3: The Individual and World Mind

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Apologies, I know I said I'd have waterfall photos soon. Soon!

Miscellaneous week ending

 

From the internet

This is your brain!

researcher Alexander Shapson-Coe decided to focus their gaze—and the full power of electron microscopy—on just one cubic millimeter of the temporal cortex. 

The dent in my landlady's brand-new car. Mea culpa.

Before hiking the trail to High Falls.

Almost finished with the 1-1/2 mile hike...yes we were plumb tired out. Then had our picnic.

I'll share the wonderful High Falls soon!

Sunrise TN.NC by Jack Cathy Ollis, from FaceBook. Sharing with Skywatch Friday.

Throwback photo:

A gathering of pottery and plants 2015. 

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Today's quote:

The human skin is an artificial boundary: the world wanders into it, 

and the self wanders out of it, traffic is two-way and constant. 

 

—Bernard Wolfe

Where on the earth are we?

  

Sharing with Thankful Thursday!

Austrian artist Heinrich C. Berann

Closer to home, my neighbor across the way has lots of pretty plants.

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Adventures of inner ear, in all likelihood:

Yesterday I talked with my Care Coordinator, Rob, about my scary dizzy episode in the middle of the night before. I went about the day until around 3, when I called him, thinking I needed it in my chart at least. I drove just fine to pick up my lunch, and even did a bit of photography up in Montreat (those will be part of blogs probably.)

Rob said it would be a good idea to have neurological signs/symptoms checked out so I got in to see my Doc. at 4:10.

On the way I backed my car into Peggy, my landlady's car, however, which was parked in a no parking zone, and I was coughing so didn't look fully and see it. So I stopped and found out it was her brand new car. Yikes. She said her husband would be quite upset. Then we did the exchange of insurance info while she was trying to make me feel less stressed.

I explained I was on the way to the doctor, right across the street, about vertigo last night. I didn't have it now.

Went to Doc. who said I was ok, all systems looked good.

Came home to find the police were by Peggy's car, talking with her. She said her insurance wanted a police report. I got out and went to explain that I had been the one who hit her car. They got my particulars, but never heard my side of things, and then gave me a form with a number on it for getting the accident report, which may cost $5.

I had called my insurance while waiting to see the Doc. and they said they'd already had a call, (probably from Peggy, and hung up since by then I was being weighed.)

BUT my nurse said I should be sure to tell the insurance that she had been parked illegally...that that might make a difference.

I didn't get a chance to say a thing.

I lost my first come/first serve disabled parking spot too, so had to park way up the hill and walk down. That means the next time I drive, I'll have to climb the hill.

And thankfully I can go on the picnic at the waterfalls today, with someone else driving!!