Life in the Carolina Mountains

Grove Arcade, Asheville

2012-01-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

The Grove Arcade encompasses a full city block.

One of my favorite places to visit in Asheville is the Grove Arcade. Whenever we have company, I will take them on a tour of this beautiful and historic building. A dream of Edwin Wiley Grove, the creator of the Grove Park Inn, the Neo-Gothic style Grove Arcade was finished in 1929, two years after its creator passed away. At 269,000 square feet, the Arcade is the largest building in downtown Asheville and one of the last shopping arcades in the country.

Originally built to support a 14 story tower, only the base was competed. Upon opening, it contained a fine collection of shops and services including candy and cigar stores, a haberdashery, stenography office, fruit stands, millinery shops, beauty parlors, barbershops, a photography center, bookstalls and specialty groceries. Offices filled the upper floors and for 13 years this building was the center of commercial life in Western North Carolina.

Upstairs offices and apartments embellished with medieval grotesques.

Peaked glass ceilings and wrought iron walkways and staircases add to the drama.

In 1942, the Federal Government took over the building, evicting all of the tenants to be replaced by offices to monitor and win World War II. After the war ended, the Federal Government used the building to house the National Climatic Data Center. For 50 years the Arcade was shuttered and windows bricked over.

Open air market

Al fresco dining

With the revival of downtown Asheville in the 1970's the public supported returning the Arcade to its former glory and use. Restored and opened to the public again in 2002, today it houses all of the same sort of shops it once did, with offices and luxury apartments on the upper floors. Restaurants line the street side with outside patios while a open air market adds charm in the warmer months. Hope you enjoyed learning about this piece of our town's history.

The exterior is ivory hued terra cotta tiles.

Winged lions guard the north entrance.

Steep Slope Homes

2012-01-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful holiday - I took an impromptu break to catch up on other projects. A belated Happy New Year to all!

I thought I would try to find some images that show some unique and unusual things about the place I call home beginning with this post.

It never ceases to amaze me that people build houses on steep slopes, ending up with absolutely no usable land to walk on around their house - just decks instead of a yard. Here is one going up just off Route 9. Sitting below the twisty winding road , it is built on a cement slab. They had to haul off dirt to level off a place for the house. It is going to be 3 stories high with decks in back and the front door faces a dirt wall. How safe can this be?

The homes in the pic below sit on Riverside Drive with their back decks jutting out over the street below. It would scare me living in a place like this!

Do you have limits on building steep slopes in your town or do they do this?

Merry Christmas Ya'll!

2011-12-24T05:41:00.000-08:00

Not to worry - it is a silk poinsettia!

It wouldn't be Christmas in our house without all our cats! Even tho it is a challenge to keep a tree up and decorated thru the season, their antics keep us amused. Every morning our tree skirt is splayed out in the middle of the living room and ornaments are found all over the house after being batted across the floor all night!

Minnie with wrapping.

We have even lost a cat in the tree one year - Sweetpea was a tiny kitten then and crawled up into the tree to take a nap. We looked all over for her, thinking she accidentally got outside, but then I thought to look in the branches and being black she blended in out of sight.

Darby

So today's post is pictures of all our cats in Christmases past. Enjoy and Meowy Christmouse from all of us!

Kitten Al.

Tabitha helping out.

More Montford Holiday House Tour

2011-12-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

1924 Proctor House

Today's post is continuing with the Montford neighborhood of Asheville Holiday House Tour from last week. The Proctor House was built in 1924 in the Georgian Cottage style with a stucco finish. The current owners have been renovating for the past five years, combining traditional and contemporary elements. They allowed us to view the whole house but I prefer to keep the bedrooms private except for the unique Christmas tree in vibrant colors in one bedroom.

On Cumberland Circle we visited the Abbington Green Bed and Breakfast Inn. Local architect Richard Sharp Smith created this home in 1908 and finished it in 1909 as a Colonial Revival that incorporates shingles over weatherboards., Doric posts, molded trim and a central gable.

Abbington Green B&B

The original floor plan worked well as an inn - all the rooms are used as what they are in the original house. The only room that was redone was the kitchen to make it more usable and modern. Gingerbread houses decorated the main rooms downstairs along with greenery and festive trees.

Inn front porch well decorated/

Dining room.

Foyer

Living room

The inn was booked full for the weekend so they only showed one guest room for the tour and it was lovely. Hubby and I love to stay in B&Bs when we travel although the rates have gone up considerably in recent years. Years ago they used to be the budget way to travel - now not so much!

Sample guest room

Hope this has given you a glimpse of this historc neighborhood in Asheville and a taste of our town's holiday decor. We are joining Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday this week.

Happy Holidays from us to you!

Cats and the Montford Holiday Home Tour

2011-12-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

Scales House

I love taking home tours and seeing how other people decorate their homes, renovate older homes and landscape their yards. This tour was a holiday home tour of the Montford neighborhood in Asheville. I jumped a the chance to go with my husband. Each home was decorated for the holidays and offered a hot beverage and snacks.Of the 13 homes on the tour we saw seven.

We were lucky - it was a balmy sunshiny day in the upper 40s - in years past it has been snowy and cold. The first house we visited was the Scales House, built in 1926 and has undergone extensive renovation. Fresh baked goods from Small Batch Baking local cookbook author Debbie Maugans were available for sampling. Their tabby cat was trying desperately to catch a squirrel but his bell gave him away even tho he was hiding in the bushes!

can you find the cat?

The next house wasn't so much the house but a walk in bakery. They built a wood fired oven outside and baked breads and other delicious goodies in the oven. We bought a whole grain bread and two pnatonnes, one for us and a gift for friends visiting the next day. This is a small Italian pastry with bits of fruit and nuts - great for toasting for breakfast. Their cat was sunning himself outside when a brave or dumb squirrel ran right up to him be fore realizing his mistake! No blood was shed as he got away!

The wood-fired oven of the Montford Walk In Bakery

This is a home business and the way it works is they list online what the offerings are each day, you place your order by phone or online and come by to pick it up. They are inspected by the Agricultural Dept. rather than the Health Dept. - they cannot have any refrigerated items. We will be back for more goodies. Their web site is www.montfordwibakery.com.

Not a bright squirrel!

The third house (we will continue the tour later this coming week) was the Kuhne House, a story and a half but not a bungalow. Built in 1896, it was the oldest of the tour. It was built by Richard Kiibler who ran the butcher shop at a local market long gone. I liked the grounds of this place best especially with the cat to show us around.

Their backyard patio, fire pit and workshops.

Kuhne House circa 1896

Pretty kitty.

I am joining in on the new Saturday Photo Hunt. This week the word is JOY! This season is full of joy and I find joy in participating in many different holiday celebrations like this home tour! I am also taking part in Camera Critters. Please do stop by both blogs and join in on the fun!

Come back by in a few days when I will post the rest of the tour. Hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the holidays! Happy Weekend.

Gingerbread Houses Gone to the Dogs!

2011-12-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Louie

For the post today I am featuring a few special needs dogs from our local no-kill shelter Brother Wolf. If you would like more info about them please go to their web site.

Grand Prize Winner

Made of Milk Bones!!!!

Now on to the gingerbread houses.....The Grove Park Inn in Asheville hosted a Grove Bark Inn Doghouse Gingerbread contest much like their annual one for people only in this one the material had to be dog edible and the money raised went to the local pet shelters! I stopped by one day this past week while they were still on display at the country club building.

The categories were set up like the dog shows - by breeds: Sporting - individual adults, Working - businesses, Herding - non profits, Terrier - ages 9-12 and Toy - ages 5-8. It looked like a fun competition and a well worthwhile cause!

A Flinstone version!

My favorite!

This one has jerky roof tiles.

The Grand Prize Winner was Tim Lamb of Atlanta who made a giant hydrant out of milk bones! Pretty creative!

This holiday season, please consider donating food, supplies or money to your local animal shelter - they need your support! Have a great weekend.

Pawpaw

Oh Christmas Tree.......

2011-12-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

Over the mountains and into the valley!

We invited a friend and his daughter to go with us to cut our Christmas tree this past weekend. My family has cut our own trees since I was a youngster - a long time! On Sunday we headed out to Sandy Mush Valley in Leicester - on the border of the next county out. Frazer Fir trees only grow over 3000 feet and this area was a higher elevation than our town.

Tractor rides!

The kids are having fun.

Once we left town the roads got less crowded with the last six miles going up and across the mountains and down into the valley. We began to see cars going the other direction with trees strapped to the roof or even tucked inside, crowding out the people.

Rows and rows of trees.

Not an easy task.

It was a busy day for the Sandy Hollar Christmas Tree Farm.. The weather was mild yet a little cloudy and misty being on the mountains. The farm offered rides through the trees in their wagon, hot chocolate, a fire pit for warmth and even had a huge inflated snowman to welcome the kids.

Our perfect tree.

My husband found the perfect tree right off the bat. I put a marker on it so we could find it again and headed out to look at the others. I wasn't going to take the first tree we saw now, was I? The hillsides are steep and that day muddy. Walking was a bit of a struggle. We found a couple of others we liked but after hiking back to the original tree, we decided our first choice was the best.

Cut

Haul

Our friends were new to this and took a little longer to choose theirs. Someone from the farm cuts the tree for you and even helps get it to the car on their ATVs. Being experienced at this, we hauled our own. A six foot Frazer Fir is not light weight! The farm hands bale the tree if you want - makes it easier to get in the car. We have a pick up truck so that was not an issue for us. Our friends decided they had room in the SUV for the tree rather than tie it to the top.

Putting it in the baler

We paid for our trees and enjoyed some popcorn and hot cocoa before heading off home to set up and decorate our Frazer Firs. We explained to our friends the details of fresh cut trees - how to cut a bit more off the base before putting it in the stand and filling the stand with warm water for the first day. After that they must keep the well full of fresh water to ensure a long lived tree. These trees keep their needles forever... I have had Frazer Firs up and decorated through March, changing the decorations for each holiday - Valentines Day and then St. Pats. My husband would not let me leave it up for Easter!

Do you have any Christmas tree traditions in your family?

Ruby Tuesday
Rednesday

Snow and Snuggle Bags

2011-12-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Looking at the ridge across from us.

We got our first snow this week - just a dusting but the mountain tops of 4000 feet got 3-4 inches. I came down as wet big flakes.

The woods behind us.

When I went into town I was pleasantly surprised to see the snow had accumulated and stuck to the trees and bushes at the farm on top of the ridge above us.

Snowing more at the Continental Divide.

The cats just settled in for a day of napping...trying out their new Snuggle Bag!

Sweetpea inside and Yoko on top!

Happy Saturday everyone! We are joining Camera Critters and Scenic Sunday.

Gingerbread Houses at the Grove Park Inn 2011

2011-11-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

At the Grove Park Inn, holiday decorations have been put in place. The Christmas trees are up, the wreaths hung and once again it is time for the Annual Gingerbread House Contest. The winners were announced this past week and all the houses are on display in the public areas of the Inn. Competition was fierce this year from bakers all across the country and the results are pretty amazing!

Grand Prize Winner Ashley Howard, Winter Springs, FL

To celebrate the winners here is some interesting gingerbread trivia to go along with the pics -

~It is a tradition to wait until New Years Day to eat your gingerbread house.~

~Gingerbread houses decorated bakery shop windows during colonial America's Christmas holiday.~

Second Place Adult Heather Lewis. Austell, GA

~Crusaders brought the spice ginger to Europe from the Middle east in the 11th century.~

Third Place Adult Barbara Evens and Mary Jo Dowling,Edlesten, IL

~The original gingerbread was a rough paste of rosewater, stale bread crumbs, ground almonds, sugar and ginger. The bread crumbs were replaced by flour and finally int he 17th century molasses was added to the recipe.~

First Place Teen Carly Owens, Swannanoa, NC

First Place Youth Lydia Gentry, Hendersonville, NC

First Place Child Abby Adkins, Kodak, TN

Wishing everyone stateside a wonderful Thanksgiving. See ya next week!

Ruby Tuesday

Rednesday

Roadside Humor

2011-11-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

Tina's Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Feathered Friend

2011-11-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday
Camera Critters
Photo Hunt - Two

I am having a drawing just in time for the holidays on my other blog. The give-away is the new book Awkward Family Pet Photos from the web site of the same name. Just drop by Cats of Wildcat Woods and check it out and leave a comment saying you want in! Good luck!

Dona Nobis Pacem 2011

2011-11-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

November 4 is BlogBlast for Peace which began in 2006 with a small number of blog posts promoting peace. Today thousands of blogs across the globe post for peace on this day. This is my peace post for 2011.

I am fortunate to live in a very beautiful part of the country and whenever I feel the need to stop the world and get off, I only have to take a hike in the woods behind my house, gaze across the pasture at the ponies and goats, take a short drive to the mountain peaks nearby or just stroll in my garden and inhale the fragrances. Nature is my energy source, my calm in the storm, my contact with the Great Spirit. I hope you enjoy these photos of my world and the peace quotes below them. May you walk in peace.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." - John Muir

"If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace." - Thich Nhat Hanh

"Peace is always beautiful" - Walt Whitman

"The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." - Black Elk

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

The historic Grove Park Inn hosted a special weekend, celebrating Halloween with family fun for all. From parties to pumpkin carving , there was something for all tastes. They decorate the front entrance with pumpkins, straw and cornstalks while inside a huge floral display graces the table int he Great Hall!

Over to the right, the entries to the pumpkin carving contest filled the huge fireplace. I stopped by to cast my vote for the best Amateur and Professional carving. Pumpkins don't look like they used to - so imaginative and detailed! I voted for the last one in this post.

How did our Jack-o-lantern of Halloween come about? Hundreds of years ago Stingy Jack played tricks on everyone, even the Devil himself. As one story goes, Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree while Jack quickly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil could not come down. Jack made the Devil promise not to take his soul when he died, removing the crosses so the Devil could come down.

At the end of his life, Jack made it to the Pearly Gates only to be sent away. At the Gates of Hell, he was turned away there too just as the Devil promised. Now Jack was doomed to wander the world between Heaven and Hell for all eternity. He asked the Devil for a light to help him see his way int he darkness and the Devil tossed him an ember. Jack carved out a turnip and pu the ember inside. From that day forward, Jack roamed the Earth, lighting his way with his Jack-o-lantern!

"The Pumpkin"

Oh!—fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,

When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!

--John Greenleaf Whittier 1850

Wishing one and all a very spooky Halloween!

Mosaic Monday

Mellow Yellow Monday

New Life

2011-10-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Our home sits on a hillside that overlooks our neighbor's pasture. They have goats, ponies and donkeys. Imagine my surprise when I went out this morning to take in some house plants before the cold front came through and saw a tiny foal that had just been born!

I ran inside to call our neighbors to alert them, grabbed my camera and headed back outside to get a closer look. It was cool, blustery and still dark. Excuse the graininess of the pics as I had to lighten them. I used my zoom so not to disturb the mother.

She had just given birth when I saw her and was laying down which is what alerted me to something going on. I could see a small figure behind her. When she stood up, her placenta fell out and landed on the foal. Mom picked it up in her mouth and seemed to be shaking it. I am not familiar with horses so don't know what she was actually doing.

I was blessed to see the precious foal's first steps. What a treat. All seemed well and she walked off on wobbly legs to be with her mom safely away from me and other onlookers. Bignify for a better view! love living where I do - each day brings so many wonderful surprises! Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Bat Cave, Apples and Black Cats

2011-10-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

On a warm day last week I decided to take a drive from my town down the twisty steep Route 9, dropping 1000 feet through Hickory Nap Gorge to tiny Bat Cave. The Gorge was formed by the Rocky Broad River which begins in the high mountains as a stream, gaining depth and width as it winds down to Lake Lure. The canyon is 14 miles long and dotted with picturesque towns. With Halloween approaching, it seemed appropiate to stop in Bat Cave! Bat Cave is named for Bat Cave Mountain and yes there is a bat cave at the base of the mountain but it is on private property and not open for viewing. As you can see the foliage has not turned here yet.

One of my favorite places is this wonderful old building housing the gift shop, A Touch in Time. The front porch beckons with a line of pumpkins on the railing along with a cart full for sale on the lawn. Local apples and cabbage spilled from the bins. Halloween decorations and painted pumpkins filled every nook and cranny.

Since I like tart apples, the owner told me to try the Arkansas Blacks and to put in a few Pink Lady too. It was only $5. for a bag full of delicious apples. North Carolina is the 7th largest apple producer in USA and this county is the largest producer in NC. It is peak apple season so there were plenty of varieties to choose from.

Inside the shop, Midnight, the resident black cat, greeted customers from his perch on the counter. Sitting next to a painted pumpkin, he certainly fit the spirit of the season. I have several black cats and love them, dearly, perhaps even more since they are the last to get adopted in animal shelters.

The shop sells lots of local crafts, postcards and many Christmas items. I only took away some photos and apples. I guess I have more than enough "stuff" already at my house. Have a wonderful weekend!

Straight Out of the Camera Sunday

Clouds, Swans and Mountain Colors

2011-10-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

I had to run errands in Black Mountain the next morning after a rainy night. The clouds still lingered, snagged on the mountain peaks.

Trying to get a better view of the clouds I headed over to the tiny town of Montreat. Lake Susan sits in the center of the Montreat College campus and provided outstanding reflections of the fall foliage.

The lake is home to a couple of swans but I only saw one that day. I do hope nothing happened to the other. The one swan kept swimming back and forth along the wall in front of me like she was searching for something she may have lost in that spot.

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Grandfather Mountain's Autumnal Colors

2011-10-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

Rednesday

Big Falls, Elk Park

2011-10-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite picnic areas is along the Elk River in Elk Park just above Elk River Falls or Big Falls as they are also called.. A few years back there weren't many signs directing folks to the falls so we stopped to ask a local man outside in his garden. He was happy to give us directions.. He also told us a colorful story of how one tourist just sat outside his home and blew the car horn for someone to come out. When the local man went out to see what the problem was - the tourists just wanted directions to the falls. Well, they got directions - a long round about route that sent them all the way around Hump Mountain and no where near the falls! Our guide roared with laughter at the thought of the rude tourists getting lost in the mountains. Served them right too.

The picnic tables line one side of the river above the falls and make for a lovely spot to eat. It is just a short walk down to the falls along the river - not difficult but a bit rugged for some people.

The falls drop 50-60 feet into a deep cool pool that is filled with swimmers in summer. They have had fatalities here - someone was swept over the falls this past summer. The current in the river above the falls is much stronger than it looks.

The river flows down a few more smaller cascades with a path along the river to view them. After heavy rains, the trails can be a bit washed out and muddy, especially if the river has risen up to them.

View above the falls.

You can go out on the rocks above the falls and view the river as it flows downstream. Be very careful and stay on the rocks! For directions visit NC Waterfalls.

Watery Wednesday

Our World Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday

In Memory of A Special Friend

2011-10-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

October 2, 2011 is Livestrong Day, sponsored by Lance Armstrong's foundation. Today is a day to help raise awareness of cancer and offer support to those who live with it daily. Over 23 million people in the US live with cancer and my dear friend Emily was one of them.

Emily was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago.She endured surgery, chemo and radiation only to have cancer return the following year in her spine. It came back each year after that to her brain. Emily took things in stride and resumed life as usual after each treatment. She had two brain surgeries, plus multiple rounds of chemo and radiation. She finally succumbed last weekend at the age of 55, leaving behind her husband and a teen age daughter.

Emily was my hero and inspiration. No matter what she went through, she lived her life to the fullest, never complaining. She was a talented artist, devoted mom, loving wife, sister, daughter, loyal friend, great cook, incredible interior decorator, supportive cancer center volunteer, avid animal lover, especially horses, gifted gardener, kind and dedicated special needs children's tutor, art teacher, and children's book author and illustrator.

I loved to shop with her at thrift stores and antique malls. Emily was so creative that she could see endless possibilities for an ordinary object. She expanded my mind constantly!

She was the funniest person I know and kept her sense of humor thought it all. She could make us howl hysterically with laughter, tears streaming down our faces with her hilarious stories about the minute details of everyday life from her perspective. Her special symbol was a dragonfly and she collected them in jewelry, art and crafts. When I see a dragonfly, I always think of Emily. The world will be a lot less brighter now that this lovely bright light has gone out. Until we meet again Em!

Mountain State Fair

2011-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

We went to the fair last week and had a great time. We just stay on the ground and watch the rides, view the prize winning exhibits and visit the animals. They had been showing the pig races on the local news station nd we made sure we got to see that. It was difficult to photograph the races as the kids were so excited that they kept jumping up in front of me or waving their hands. I have included the video from the fair from YouTube so you can get a taste of the pig/duck/goat races.

My favorite is always the animals. I love the Brahmans - so huge, quiet and expressive. They are actually very adaptable to different climates , intelligent, inquisitive and actually shy.

Brahma bull

This year they set up a "Mooturnity" ward for the cows who were about to have calves. Many were born during the fair and it was great for the kids and adults to see.

Newborn calf

Sleepy pig

Llama

We are playing Camera Critters, Straight Out of the Camera Sunday, Mosaic Monday, Our World Tuesday

Neighbors

2011-09-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Flying Cloud Farm is a short drive from my house and offers fresh organic produce and flowers all season in a small roadside kiosk set up on the honor system. I love to visit here not just for the things for sale but because the owners Annie and Isaiah are two of the kindest people you could meet.

When my husband and I first moved to this area a few years ago from the high mountains, we took a drive to explore and stopped here at Flying Cloud. Unfortunately, our car died in the parking lot and we had forgotten our cell phone. We propped open the hood and I stayed with the car while Don headed off down the dirt road to the farmhouse with the farm dogs following, to ask if he could use the phone to call AAA.

While I was waiting, many people stopped to ask if they could be of assistance - not just patrons of the produce stand, but those driving by. Their kindness made a big impression on me.

Back at the farmhouse, Don had had called AAA using the house phone and was talking food and gardening with Annie, losing track of time. She discovered during the conversation that we had just moved here and had no jobs as of yet. Don was very touched when she invited us to dinner at the farmhouse. He assured her we had savings that would tide us over until we found work.

Meanwhile at the car, Isaiah stopped on his way out of the driveway to try and jump the dead car but to no avail. We had to wait for AAA.

In spite of all the hassle of our car breaking down, everything turned out just fine. We met so many warm and welcoming folks that afternoon, we knew we had moved to the right place!

Rednesday

Labyrinth Meditation

2011-09-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

September 11 is my mother's birthday (she passed in 2006) as well as a day to honor those who lost their lives in 2001. I decided to do a walking meditation to honor both by visiting the local labyrinth, tucked into a mountain cove not far from my house.

I took with me a stone, engraved with the word peace, a sunflower from my garden and a scrap of paper with Happy Birthday Mom written on it. It was the perfect day - blue sky, a hint of fall in the air and brilliant sunshine. Not a soul was nearby - I had the place to myself. I placed the stone at the entrance which is guarded by twin trees. The path in is littered with stones, trinkets and personal items placed there by many who use this lovely labyrinth.

I walked slowly and deliberately, chanting silently to the center. I placed my flower next to and tucked my note under a small statue of Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of compassion, wishing my mom a very Happy 94th Birthday. I spent a few minutes in the center rotating around to take in all of the details of this serene wooded setting and began my slow walk out, stopping to pick up a tiny spotted feather I had not noticed before. I took the feather as a good sign, for birds are symbols that connect this world with the next. My mother got her message, I felt.

When I got home I sat outside on the deck for a while watching the birds at the feeder and a brilliant orange butterfly hovered over my heart and stopped there for the briefest moment before fluttering away. I was delighted - I felt I had been visited by a sprite or fairy!

I have been thinking of making a change in my life and this seemed to tell me to go with it - butterflies mean transformation and change and so does the color orange. Orange also means creativity which fits perfectly with my dreams of change. Nature talks to us if we only stop to listen.

The labyrinth is available for all to use during daylight hours and lies on the property of a private residence. They offer alternative healings at and labyrinth retreats. Please do visit their web site to learn more - The Labyrinth Center.

Blue Monday

Macro Monday

September Blooms

2011-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

The rain bands from Tropical Storm Lee were still passing through his week when I headed over to the Arboretum to see what was blooming this month.

I was surprised at all the flowers in bloom from the symmetrical formal garden with oranges, yellows and purples to the wooded paths with various flowers scattered here and there. Even the dried hydrangeas looked lovely!

Autumn Crocus

Hydrengea

Spider lily

Hydrangea

Formal gardens

Water garden

Pool and container gardens

Waterfall

Bridges over the creek.

Skywatch Friday
Weekend Reflections
Sunday Bridges

Ducks, Bridges and Lake Reflections

2011-09-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

I like to go for a walk around Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain. The views are just amazing and the local water fowl provide an amusing display! With little rain this month the lake is low and covered with algae.

There are two bridges - one at the far end of the lake over an overflow drain and the other back to the parking lot.

My favorite view is of the seven mountains called the Seven Sisters visible from the far side of the lake near the fountain. Hope you have a great weekend.

Weekend Reflections

Sunday Bridges

Straight Out of the Camera Sunday

Please stop by my Wildcat Woods Vintage Treasures blog for lots of new and gently used items for sale to support my feral cat rescue.

Highland Brewing Company

2011-08-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back my husband and I visited one of our local microbreweries - Highland Brewing Company for some beer and music. The brewery and Tasting Room is located on the old Blue Ridge Films site off Fairview Road.

No food is served but they do have a food truck and/or a catering company on hand to offer a light bite.This day was a Mexican food truck. The hall is expansive with no frills seating at banquet or picnic tables. They only serve their own beer plus a soft drink or two. Bring your own water or other beverage if you are not drinking beer!

Ping pong tables were set up as you enter the hall. To your right is the beer making room and after that the bar.

The Tasting Room is open Thursdays through Saturday from 4-8pm. On Friday and Saturday they offer food and music. The band playing the night we went was from Athens Georgia - the Packway Handle Band - an indie blue grass band with lots of fun songs. Our favorite song was Earl the Duck you can play some songs on their myspace page - checkout their web page.

All ages are welcome and this young lady shared our table! Other children were dancing up a storm on the floor in front of the band.

Hope you enjoyed the visit. To check out Highland Brewing Company's beers, please stop by their web site.

Please visit my resale blog - lost of goodies for sale to help fund my feral rescue efforts. Vintage mosaic tile trays just posted - Wildcat Woods Vintage Treasures.

Ruby Tuesday
Rednesday

Computer Crash

2011-08-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

My computer crashed big time on Sat Aug 20 and is in the shop. Does not look like an easy fix so we may be off line for a few more days.

Thank you for stopping by - we will return the visit when we get the computer back! ( I think I need to invest in a laptop to times like this.

Curate Tapas Bar, Asheville

2011-08-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

A new restaurant called Curate, opened in downtown Asheville in the original bus depot building. Built in 1927, the place was completely refurbished by local artisans. The Chef is Katie Button who trained in Spain with Ferran Adria, owner and Chef of El Bulli, supposedly the best restaurant in the world.

As you may have guessed, it is traditional Spanish tapas or small plates. We went with another couple and ordered a total of 11 dishes of all kinds - meat, seafood, vegetable, appetizer. They offer local and Spanish beer with some cocktails and non alcoholic beverages. I am on a restricted diet and was thrilled to note that the menu listed all items that were gluten free, lactose free, vegan and nut free - helping me make my choices easily.

The kitchen is open so you can sit at the bar and watch as things go down. With four of us, we ate at a table in the long narrow seating area. The Chef came out a couple of times to see if things were to our liking. We told her that we had just seen the episode on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel about her mentor Ferran Adria and had wanted to try out her place in Asheville.

Pan con tomate with manchego cheese $6.

We opened with pan con tomate -City Bakery bread with roasted, peeled and seeded tomatoes with added manchego cheese, a sheep's milk cheese. The tomatoes were very fresh tasting and the cheese was a bit like parmesan.

Bocadillo serrano $8.

The bocadillo serrano sandwich was excellent - much like the tomato bread but with jamon serrano, a very expensive ham. The ham definitely made the sandwich.

Chistorra con patatas al acieita de oliva $8.

The gambra al ajillo (sauteed shrimp and sliced garlic) was delicious with the shrimp cooked just right. The aceitunas curate (home cured olives) were a hit with all - a nice variety of olives. The chistorra con patatas el aceite de oliva (grilled chorizo with olive oil potato puree) went over well - nicely cooked quality chorizo with just the right amount of potato puree.

Espinacas a la catalana $7.

Since I could not eat everything, I should have asked for my two choices to come out at once. I got my espinicas a la catalana (sauteed spinach, apples, raisins and toasted pine nuts) early on but never got my vieiras con pimiento del piquillo maestro julian ( seared scallops with roasted red pepper sauce) until everyone else had finished. We had to ask for my scallop plate. At this point I was very hungry. Again - my fault for not speaking up. It was worth the wait - the scallops were cooked to perfection and went well with the sweetness of the red pepper sauce.

Vieiras con pimiento $12.

Overall the food was excellent. The plates came out of the kitchen spaced well except for my main dish. There could have been more small plates stacked on the table to use - my husband ended up swallowing a olive pit since we had to reuse the same plates to share the tapas foods. Most tapas restaurants have a large stack of small plates on each table and keep taking the dirty ones away so you could take a clean plate with each tapas entree. No one bussed our table until the end. Our table was cluttered with dirty dishes, leaving no room for the new ones.

Our bill for all this plus two beers and a ginger ale came to about $85. Not bad. The tapas plates were generous in portions. You could easily order two plates for a meal and be satisfied. I would recommend Curates to anyone. A unique and fun addition to Asheville's dining scene. Curate is located on Biltmore Avenue downtown, Asheville. For more info visit Curate.

Weekend Reflections

Double Rainbow

2011-08-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

After an early evening thunderstorm, my husband called me outside - there was a double rainbow brilliantly filling the sky! It had faded a little by the time I went inside for my camera. I have not seen one so magnificent in a long time. Bignify for best effect.

Cooling summer rain

Leaves double rainbow behind

Where's the pot of gold?

Happy Skywatch Friday and Straight Out of the Camera Sunday!

Bele Chere 2011

2011-08-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not posting for a while - we had a kitty crisis here with our older cat Chica and that took up most of a week of ehr being hospitalized. She is home and seems stable for the time being.

Couple decorated their balcony in the tropical theme.

On the last weekend in July our town hosts a huge festival downtown called Bele Chere for the 33rd year. In spite of the heat it went on this year as usual. I attended on Friday the opening day to bea the crowds. It ran thru Sunday with food, art, music and plenty of entertainment. The theme this year was tropical - as the local paper called it "Bele Chere" Island! The name means beautiful living in ancient Scottish dialect but as the paper noted in Island dialect it describes waking dreams of flying with no wings! Let's fly into the festival via my photos.

The crowd makes for great people watching.

Eclectic street entertainers.

Experimental R&B band The Secret B-Sides


Young entrepreneur on a side street

Plenty of local art for sale...

and local beer.

Ultimate Air Dogs was created by former Detroit Tigers pitcher Milt Wilcox as part of a grass-roots dock jumping club in Michigan. The goal is to jump the furthest off the platform into the pool This pup was afraid to jump most tries!

Love the pink on this girl. She had on a pink bunny back pack too.

When the heat got to ya...you cooled off under the misters!

Nashville band The Apache Relay kept the crowd on its feet.

Guitars, mandolin and violin provided foot stomping tunes.

I don't know how they did it in the heat!

This little girl enjoyed the band! Hope you enjoyed the essay.

Splashing through Summer

2011-07-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

About 20 minutes from where I live is the tiny town of Montreat, population 700, situated back up in a mountain cove. Lake Susan (I wrote about this lovely lake in a previous post here.) feeds Flat Creek, the creek that flows through Robert Lake Park, a favorite place for families to bring young children during the summer. The park, named after one of the children of a prominent Montreat fmaily, has a lovely playground but the creek itself is the place to be as far as the kids go.

I went by a few weeks back when the native rhododendrons were in bloom and it was lovely - shaded, with the sound of water rushing by and the town children enjoying the cool waters.

Cooling Off....

2011-07-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

With the extreme heat wave our country is enduring, I thought some frosty white pictures of last winter would help to cool things off.. Isn't funny...when it is cold we are longing for warm weather and in the heat of summer, we want it to be cooler.

This year we did not have those lovely late spring, early summer temps to enjoy. We went from cold/cool to HOT! I do hope fall is normal with cooler days.

Stay cool, be safe and do make sure your elders and pets are not getting too hot. Have a good weekend and hopefully the heat will break soon.

Me, all bundled up.

Rabbit tracks in the snow.

Skywatch Friday

Flowers on Saturday
Scenic Sunday
Mosaic Monday

Shadow Shot Sunday

Help Needed......

2011-07-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Lil Em helping her foster Mom blog.

UPDATE - A home was found for Lil Em and she is setting in well. A woman who lost her elderly cat and has no other pets has Em and it looks to be a purrfect match! Thanks for your help.

A wonderful friend took in two four year old sister kitties, Lil Em and Sapphire, that were given up by their human mom because she wanted to "change her lifestyle". It turns out one of the sisters had kidney cancer and it was not treatable. Poor sweet Sapphire was put to sleep last week.

Lil Em on her blankie.

The remaining sister, Lil Em desperately needs a loving home with people who will give her a good life. She is young, loves cuddles, is a beautiful long hair almost dilute tortie or maybe a torbie. She is in South Carolina but we can arrange her to be transported.

Playing with her nip cigar.

Please help by re posting this on Facebook, Twitter or email to your friends. We need as much exposure as possible to reach anybody who could giver her a home. Thanks for your help and have a great weekend.

We are playing Photo Hunt - the word is backwards. Lil Em's life went backwards when she got brought back to her original foster Mom when her human didn't want her anymore. We are also joining Camera Critters.

Lily Extravaganza

2011-07-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

All of the lovely lilies are in my yard thank to a previous owner with a very green thumb. They have survived many years of neglect until we got the place. Like the numerous kinds of daffodils we enjoy in early spring the lilies just fill the yard from early June on. I brought bouquets to work for weeks. Hope you enjoy a glimpse of the show I see everyday.

Caught in the Rain

2011-07-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our home overlooks the neighbor's goat pasture below us and we enjoy watching them. With the extreme heat we have had this summer, they let the goats out in late afternoon or early evening when it is cooler. This is also when we get torrential rains and thunderstorms.

One day this past week, mother goat and her son got caught out in a sudden very heavy shower with thunder. They huddled under a tree for some shelter. The barn is all the way down the other end of the pasure over a creek. I watched, waiting to see what they would do.

The son was the first one to make a run for the barn, dashing out into the rain and leaving mom behind, hugging the tree.

She waited a bit but after a big clap of thunder, made the dash herself - you can see her as a blur on the far right of the picture.

I am joining in on Camera Critters today and Photo Hunt - Busy. I was busy taking pictures and the goats were busy running for cover!

Local Beer and Singing Bowls

2011-06-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

The Wedge Studio

I promised to post the rest of the River Arts District Studio Stroll. This studio is called The Wedge on Roberts Street in Asheville. Built in 1916 the building, once a food warehouse, now houses a number of artists on the street level and below by the railroad tracks. Ashehville has been chosen Best Small City for Art and it shows.

Rather than show all of artists in this building, which I covered last year, I want to share one of my favorites. Marston Blow creates incredible singing bowls out of pottery. They are usually made of brass or glass. From the street side, you enter her showroom displaying all sorts of plates, vases, bowls and more for sale along with her singing bowls.

Inside Marston set up a table with bowls of all sizes to encourage visitors to try one out. If you are not familiar with this meditation method I will explain how to use the bowl. You hold the wood mallet lightly in your hand and run it around the edge of the bowl. After a few seconds, the bowl will start to vibrate and hum or sing. Large bowls make deeper tones and smaller ones higher tones. The tones they emit encourage healing , meditation and a calm state of mind. The sound in the room was soothing with everyone trying their hand on the bowls. To learn more about Marston and her singing bowls check out her web site here.

My singing bowl.

My husband gave me a bowl for Christmas last year. I went with him to pick it out since I wanted to choose the tone and size. I love mine and use it often.


Marston, the artist showing how to use the bowls.

Just below her studio there are steps going down to the lower level of The Wedge and to the Wedge Brewing Company, a local microbrewery. For the second year in a row, Asheville was named Beer City USA for all of its local beers made here.

View from above of trains and brewery.

The brewery offers about 6-7 of their own locally made beers on tap with indoor and outdoor seating. If you like trains, it is fun to be here when one goes by. They also have live music outside to entertain the patrons - usually a local band.

Metal sculpted fence around the outside seating area.

A food truck offers edibles outside the Wedge.

Some pups jostling for a spot in the shade.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. If I keep having issues with downloading pics I will just do a photo or two rather than a long post. See you on the weekend.

Ruby Tuesday

River Arts District Studio Stroll June 2011

2011-06-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like I did more posts in the winter than I am doing now that the nice weather has arrived. It could be that I am busy doing things and visiting places to use for my posts. Between that, work, caring for my rescued cats and doing the blogs, I have even less time to get online. Please forgive me for not getting back to all of you who visit - I am slowly working my way through.

Last weekend was the River Arts District Studio Stroll in Asheville. Over 100 artists have studios in this old industrial warehouse area down by the river and train tracks. Every June and November they host a weekend open house where you can stop by to see them at work, buy art and enjoy the atmosphere. It covers a rather large area so I decided to visit studios I did not make it to last year.

I will do a two-part feature on the stroll beginning with the Pink Dog Creative studios along with a restaurant I discovered in the complex. Brad Stroman is the husband of a friend of mine and I was eager to see the new studio he had moved into.

Unlike some of the older buildings, it is bright and spacious with lots of great light. Located on Depot Street, it is a bit away fromt he center of the arts district but worth the walk. Opened recently, the building originally housed textile manufacturers and warehouse.

Brad explains that his paintings "reflect the intimate and fragile relationship between man and nature." Using the Zen Buddhist concept of Wabi-sabi he shows how that all things are impermanent, incomplete and imperfect.. An explanation of wabi-sabi is below. His work is delicate yet colorful and is in galleries all over the country. For more information on his work, please visit his website here.

Just down the street from the Pink Dog is a relatively new restaurant that I had not been to before called The Magnetic Field. Don't you love the name? They offer a cafe, bar with bands and dancing and live professional theater.

The menu was eclectic and the food superb. The food is mostly local meats, cheeses, produce and beers. We coud not decide so ordered several plates to share - quiche, arugula salad and crab cakes.

The decor is modern with lots of dining areas indoors and outside. I will have to come back to try the theater - the offerings looked to be quite interesting! They have a great website here.

Mellow Yellow Monday

Ruby Tuesday

Outdoor Wednesday

Blue Ridge Mountains in Haze

2011-06-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

You often see pictures of the Blue Ridge Mountains in a blue hue going off into the distance. This is not something you see every day so when I caught these photos I was excited. The combination of the humidity, and haze worked to my advantage. This is the view from the deck of the Grove Park Inn Asheville.

With the hot, humid hazy days we have been having the Blue Ridge Mountains are showing their characteristically blue hue. The mountains are noted for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.

Some info on the mountains for those not familiar with them - The Blue Ridge range is part of the Appalachian Mountains and begins in southern Pennsylvania and extends into northern Georgia with over 125 peaks exceeding 5,000 feet including Mount Mitchell at 6684 feet.

Hope you all are surviving the heat. I am off to the River Arts Studio Stroll this weekend - hope to post that this week.

Straight Out of the Camera Sunday
Blue Monday

Larkspur and Sunflowers

2011-06-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers

I stopped by our local produce stand yesterday while doing errands and was delightfully surprised at the fresh flowers they had for sale - larkspur, lilies and sunflowers in huge bouquets. I looked off into the garden on the right and the larkspur was blooming as far as I could see. (All photos will bignify when clicked.)

Larkspur bouquets

Lily assortment.

Next to the larkspur was a smaller bed of sunflowers all just about to open. It was a wonderful sensual overload! Enjoy!

Sunflowers

Today's Flowers

Blue Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday

Macro Monday

Wordless Wednesday - Labyrinth with Gazing Ball

2011-05-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

Straight Out of the Camera Sunday
Mosaic Monday
Macro Monday

Farm Fresh Organic Produce!

2011-05-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have taken a bit of a blogging break to get some things taken care of in my life. Besides it has been so hot so early in the season I had no energy to go out looking for pictures.

This lovely spot is just down the road at our local organic farm and CSA. They had a much smaller produce stand in years past but built this one late last year. They grow organic veggies, fruit, and flowers during the spring - fall season. I try to stop often to pick up fresh food for the house. It was a rainy day and the clouds swirled around the mountaintops. Hope you are all well and enjoying the holiday weekend for those in the States!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

Rhododendron

Our yard is still awash in spring color with babies of all species being born around us. This post is dedicated to mothers the world over of all species. Sending love and light to all, especially Mother Earth.

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,
Impatient of no Child --
The feeblest -- or the waywardest --
Her Admonition mild --

In Forest -- and the Hill --
By Traveller -- be heard --
Restraining Rampant Squirrel --
Or too impetuous Bird --

How fair Her Conversation --
A Summer Afternoon --
Her Household -- Her Assembly --
And when the Sun go down --

Her Voice among the Aisles
Incite the timid prayer
Of the minutest Cricket --
The most unworthy Flower --

When all the Children sleep --
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light Her lamps --
Then bending from the Sky --

With infinite Affection --
And infiniter Care --
Her Golden finger on Her lip --
Wills Silence -- Everywhere --

by Emily Dickinson

On a foggy day.

Our rhododendron "tree"

White iris


Young turkey in nearby field.

Our Lily and her daughter Smidge.

Purple iris

Yellow iris

Camera Critters
Flowers on Saturday
Scenic Sunday
Today's Flowers

Happy May Day!

2011-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Maypole card by Cindy Hendricks

Happy May Day. I always loved this old fashioned holiday from my childhood. We made up little baskets of flowers and left them on neighbors doorsteps. In school we crowned our Virgin Mary statue with flowers after a special procession.

Iris

If you are not familiar with this holiday... a little history...May Day began as a festival to honor Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers. It became a more secular event known for the tradition of dancing around the Maypole and crowning the Queen of May. May first was the first day of summer in ancient cultures with June 21 being the summer solstice or Midsummer.

Pansies and violas

To celebrate this year I visited the NC Arboretum to see what was in bloom since my last visit. A whole new array of flowers made for a great day of hiking and taking photos! What is in bloom near you?

Tulips in all colors

Another iris

Tulips in white and deep maroon

Rhododendrons.

Azaleas

^{Straight Out of the Camera Sunday}

^{Scenic Sunday}

^{Today's Flowers}
^{Mosaic Monday}
^{Mellow Yellow Monday}

Easter Blooms

2011-04-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

All my azaleas

My yard is full of color right now with the azaleas blooming. As I have said before, the previous owners had a landscaping business and we are reaping the wonderful results! Leaving you with a bountiful assortment of blooms and wishing you a wonderful Easter!

Iris

Pink flame azalea

Azalea

Lily of the valley

Peony

Blue bell

Scenic Sunday

Straight Out of the Camera Sunday
Macro Monday
Mosaic Monday

Revisiting Full Moon Farm, A Wolf-Dog Rescue and Sanctuary

2011-04-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

The many faces of wolfdogs. Photos courtesy of Full Moon Farm.

April is Prevention of Cruelty Month sponsored by ASPCA. In honor of their effort to stop animal abuse I am dedicating this post to our neighbors at Full Moon Farm who rescue wolfdogs.

A small cemetery for the wolfdogs sits at the entrance to the farm.

This is a repost from two years ago but this wonderful place is having a tough time financially and could use some support. They rescue wolfdogs - dogs bred with wolves that have been given up or taken from their owners. Please do read and share!

Last weekend I attended my first Howl-In at Full Moon Wolfdog Sanctuary (they have Howl-ins several times during the warmer months). Tours of the farm are given during the afternoon and then everyone gathers for a potluck supper under the shelter.

Volunteers, supporters and people interested in wolfdogs bring picnic foods and visit with each other surrounded by the wolfdog habitats. Later after dark the fire pit is glowing and music and tales are shared.

Banjo and Yeddy pacing in anticipation of visitors.

Banjo enthusiastically greeting Nancy who has taken care of him since he was a tiny puppy.

When I arrived, things were still getting set up. I wandered into the gift shop perusing the t-shirts, photos, cards and other items sold to support the farm. Nancy arrived and the tour began - she took us from wolfdog to wolfdog habitat explaining about wolfdogs in general and about each one in particular.

What is a Wolfdog - it's a dog with recent wolf heritage - a pure wolf ancestor within the last five generations. All dogs are actually viewed by taxonomists as a domestic variant of the gray wolf - even your tiny Chihuahua.

Zodiac, a German Shepherd wolf mix, sleeping through it all. His pen mate was a coyote dog mix and she let me pet her. Very soft fur and kind eyes.

Most wolfdogs are mixed with German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute or Siberian Husky but here they have some strange variations - wolves mixed with Border Collie and Great Pyrenees - not breeds that would work well with wolves since they are bred to protect livestock from wolves! People do strange things.

The one in front is a Border Collie wolf mix. Both were very vocal and friendly

People actually breed wolfdogs to sell as an exotic breed. The ethical ones keep accurate records, take care in breeding good lines and evaluate and educate potential buyers. Most breeders ar not like this and wolfdogs end up abandoned, abused or worse.

Wolfdogs are not wild animals - they are domestic animals with special needs. They were created by humans and depend on humans for food, care and companionship. They are not aggressive - most wolves are timid around humans and so is your typical wolfdog. They will be hiding when an intruder breaks in. Wolfdogs have a very high prey drive and should not be around small animals and children unless they have been raised with them.

I was able to pet this guy - he was very gentle and sweet. One of the wolfdogs began howling and they all took to letting it rip - what a sound - very eerie and wild to hear this many wolfdogs howling. Not all dogs can howl so some sounded like they were yodeling rather than howling. Pretty impressive!

This wolfdog had lost her mate recently and was alone in her pen.

Full Moon Farm is non profit rescue and sanctuary for wolfdogs (wolf hybrid). They rely solely on donations for survival - money, time or supplies. They rescue wolfdogs in peril, educate the public about wolfdogs and provide a safe healthy and loving environment in which to live out their lives if they are not adoptable.

Aries - photo courtesy of Full Moon Farm.

The farm has 76 wolfdogs at the moment - some are kept away from the public due to severe abuse before they were rescued and their fear of humans. No wolfdogs are bred at the farm - there are too many already in the world and not enough good homes for all.

If you would like more information about wolfdogs, wish to donate or volunteer or even adopt - please contact Nancy at Full Moon Farm in Black Mountain, NC. They also have a Facebook page hosted by River the official Amasssadog to Full Moon Farm and an overall Facebook page - follow their activites and Like them!

Straight Out of The Camera Sunday
Mosaic Monday

Spring Whites

2011-04-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

We had warm summer like days over the weekend and I took a short drive to go renewed my Arboretum membership. With camera in hand I spent the better part of the afternoon wandering among the flowering beauties of spring. So many of the plants in bloom were white and contrasted beautifully against the Carolina blue sky!

Spring snow flakes

Flowering quince

Narcissus

Bradford pears

Bridal veil

I hope you enjoyed the flower tour - I will be posting more blooms over the weekend - the pinks were glorious too. Happy Wednesday!

White Wednesday

Lake Lure Shoreline in Spring

2011-03-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just have to turn off the TV, put the newspaper away and get away from it all. Yesterday was one of those days. It was a cool blustery day but the skies were deep blue and the sun was out. My husband and I took a drive down to Lake Lure, dropping about a thousand feet in elevation. Spring is further along here and trees were leafing out. Azaleas, red buds and maples were showing their colors and some daffodils still held on. We even saw some wisteria in full bloom - in March no less!

Redbud

Boathouse with deck and the island to the left.

The cottages along the lake are built into steep hillsides with no yard to speak of - just the lake. Most have boat houses and build decks on top of them. We drove out to the far reaches of the lake and onto a small island. One lone boat zipped under the bridge as I stood in the howling wind to take photos.

Yellow for FMTSO!

Many of the homes here sit well below the road. Parking is above the house and stairs take you down to the entrance and multitude of decks over the lake. It must be lovely to look out over the water from every place in the house. The sizes range from tiny bungalows to sprawling mansions.

A tiny island home.

A mansion on the mainland.

Another island home.

What a view!

The day was ending as we headed home but my spirits were lifted after this excursion to another world! Hope you enjoyed the tour too.

Friday My Town Shoot Out

Today's Flowers
Sunday Bridges
Mosaic Monday
Blue Monday

Welcome Spring!

2011-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Spring officially arrives today March 20, 7:21 P.M. EDT. Our yard and neighborhood are ablaze with color - sunny yellow forsythia, tiny violets, pink, lilac and fuchsia phlox, rosy cherry blossoms and daffodils in every shade of yellow and white. Wishing you all a very warm wonderful spring!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2011-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

This was not an easy capture - my cats are very skittish of any new object and will run in panic from a simple hat. My trick is to sneak up on them sleeping, try to gently place something on them, and take a quick picture before they freak. Georgie, on the right tolerates things better than Sam on the left. He looks a bit nervous and if I put the pin a little to his side he backed away!

Chica my 20 year old cat was more than happy to oblige! She doesn't get too upset about much of anything!

On St Pat's and always...

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
~Irish Blessing

Friday My Town Shoot Out
Camera Critters

Daffodils and More.....

2011-03-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

I love spring in the mountains. We are situated so that we have the most northern of the southern plants plus the most southern of the northern plants which makes for double the color in spring. It seems like every place you look there is a riot of flowers, shrubs and trees in bloom.

With almost an acre of woods and cleared area, my yard has many clumps of spring blooms still coming up and opening. Right now I have several varieties of daffodils with more to come.

My favorite are the double daffodils and the pastel varieties which have yet to bloom. I also have phlox blossoming in shades of pinks and purple along with the Lenten roses really visible now. Our forsythia is not quite there yet even though I have seen more in bloom in town. The red bud tree is coming along nicely and will be budding in a week or so.

Our neighbors' goats have been escaping almost daily but today the owners checked the fence thoroughly for holes and found the goats around the bend in another neighbor's pasture. Hopefully this will keep them contained! What lovely spring flowers are coming up in your yard?

Scenic Drives, Waterfalls and Heights

2011-03-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

On my birthday last week we took a drive to Highlands situated in the Nantalahala National Forest at 4118 feet. It is a resort town for the Atlanta area with plenty of outdoor activies. On the way home, we took a scenic drive along the Cullasaja River which runs between Highlands and Franklin on Highway 64 west. The river offers waterfalls, deep pools for swimming and lots of rapids.

The first falls we got to is Bridal Veil Falls which cascades over old 64 West. At one time (and we actually did it 15 years ago) you could drive under the falls but in 2003 a large boulder fell from the cliff above and they have roped it off for safety!

See the rainbow?

The next falls we came to was Dry Falls and they were anything but dry! When we came thru here years ago, my husband stood under the falls and I took his photo. Today they did not let anyone down to the trail as the water was coming over the falls too heavily. You would get drenched walking behind them. I had to take my shots from the overlook above. The name comes from usually being able to walk behind them and stay dry!

The walkway is barely visible!

The river just roars through the gorge and at times it was very scary to look down. The narrow two lane road is cut into a rock cliff with just a metal guardrail between you and a serious drop of hundreds of feet.

We were looking for the final falls on the road and somehow missed the turnoff. We turned around once out of the gorge and headed back up. No wonder we missed the tiny overlook barely big enough for one car! Don parked the car and stayed with it while I ran over to get a shot of the Cullasaja Falls. The brochure warned about being very careful here and I can see why but the falls were worth it.!

Now that we have been to Highlands from our present location, we will be going back more often as it is much closer. Just an hour and a half drive brings us to another world!

Camera Critters
Today's Flowers

First Spring Blooms and Rogue Goats

2011-02-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

The weather has been very mild ranging from 72 degrees to mid 50s during the day - I love it. My daffodils and jonquils are opening up with the warm sun. Even my Lenten Roses have blooms on them. Spring is here, at least for us.

The flowers are in clumps all over the yard with many more to still come up thanks to a previous owner. While I was out trying to capture these beauties and balance myself on our hillside, a neighbor rode by on her horse for a late afternoon ride. I loved the way the sun hit her and cast a shadow on the road.

Hubby is getting ready to start our cool weather garden of lettuces and onions - we hope to have a much bigger garden and harvest this year so we will keep you posted on that project. Our neighbor's goat escaped his pasture fencing and visited our yard a few times this week munching on early volunteer lettuces and the corn I set out for the squirrels and birds. He trampled my little cart full of evergreens and corn. Hopefully he will stay out of our garden this year! Check in for more blooms and spring fun!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Mellow Yellow Monday

Hiking in Montreat

2011-02-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

On a warmish day this week, I drove to the tiny town of Montreat. It sits at the base of Mount Greybeard of the Black Mountains surrounded by thousands of acres of preserved wilderness. The town is home for Montreat College and Conference Center. At the entrance to the town you can pull over, park your car, cross the rustic bridge and have access to numerous hiking trials.

Today I was more interested in walking along this creek which is fed upstream by Lake Susan. We had some rain recently and the water burbled and splashed over the rocks at a steady pace. It was late afternoon and the sun glistened on the water. The trees were bare except for a few rhododendrons. In summer this place is very cool and shady.

I love to come here for a short peaceful walk when the weather permits. I hope you enjoyed the visit with me.

S traight Out of the Camera Sunday
Mosaic Monday

Snowdrops are up!

2011-02-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

My husband called me while he was out in the yard the other day to come out to see something! My little patch of snowdrops Galanthus nivalis were up and in bloom! I didn't plant them - the original owners of our land did but I do look forward to them coming up each year. I love that they bloom in February when nothing else is up although my daffodils are shooting up green leaves nearby. The lovely snowdrops give me hope that spring is sooner than I think!

They grow on a steep hillside that was wet and muddy when I took these so I apologize for the blur! I was trying not to roll down into the road! It has been a week of fog, drizzle and clouds but the birds and squirrels don't seem to mind!

Today's Flowers

Sunset at the Grove Park Inn

2011-02-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

On a cloudy day last week, I noticed the clouds parted just before sunset and let the rays through. I loved how the mountains were silhouetted in the background fading away into the distance. The Grove Park Inn is a wonderful place to catch some amazing sunsets with the city of Asheville in the foreground and the Smokey Mountains behind.

For more sky shots visit Skywatch Friday!

Longhorns in the Mountains

2011-01-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

When I head to town to get supplies, I drive by a huge ranch that has always intrigued me - they have Texas Longhorn Cattle - not something you would expect to see in the mountains of North Carolina. On a cold blustery day last weekend after the snow had melted, I stopped to take some photos by the side of the road.

The ranch is Taylor Ranch, a 5th generation privately owned ranch consisting of 500 acres including a 7 acre lake. They raise Quarter Horses and Longhorn Cattle and as I have found out, rent out their facilities for special events. I guess when the weather warms up I need to visit them to see more of their compound.

Now about the cattle here - the Texas Longhorns are obviously known for their horns which on a steer can reach 7 feet from tip to tip! Both cows and bulls (female and male) have horns but the bulls are usually shorter and thicker. Steers (castrated males) can have the longest horns. As ferocious as they look, they have gentle dispositions and are intelligent. Good thing since I was very close to the one near the fence while taking pictures.

The breed seems to have originated by mixing feral Mexican cattle with eastern Texas breeds to create a tough, rangy cow with long horns and legs. They almost went extinct until 1927 when the US Forest Service collected a small herd to breed and preserve in an Oklahoma wildlife refuge. Longhorns are known for their longevity, resistance to disease and ability to thrive in marginal pastures and harsh weather. They are raised for their lean beef. So I guess seeing them in North Carolina is not so unexpected after all!

Hope you enjoyed seeing this unusual place on our area and will come back when I do a more in depth post on the whole facility.

Photo Friday
Scenic Sunday

A Flash Mob at the Asheville Mall

2011-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

A young couple (the ones with the baby strapped to Dad) who teach dance in Asheville staged a Flash Mob at the local mall on Saturday Jan. 22. The dancers mingled with the crowds and on cue, the music started and they began dancing to "dj got us falling in love" by usher while the crowd watched. Once the song was over they all just disappeared into the crowd again. Their video has been getting lots of hits on Youtube.

This video got me to thinking about how I put on weight every winter from eating too much over the holidays and then not getting outside to hike cuz it is too cold and snowy. A fellow blogger, Sarah from A Brit Gal in the USA is setting up a group of bloggers who want to lose weight, work together to achieve our goal and support each other. If you are interested (I am) contact her (see bottom of post) or tell me in your comments - this is what Sarah says:

I have had an idea and I'm hoping there maybe a few of you out there who would like to join me.

I need to lose weight, with all the thyroid ups and downs (plus a few too many fattening British foods on my visit), once again I have gained and I need to start the reversal before it gets any worse. I do better with support and motivation from others, but do not have the time or inclination to join a club locally, online is just easier for me.

So I am proposing the following:
Forming an online weight loss support group centered around a new PRIVATE blog, only accessible to the participants.
You would only report the total number of pounds you want to lose, not your actual weight.
You must need to lose a minimum of 15 pounds to join.
We would all 'weigh-in' on the last day of each month and then report our weight loss on the blog.
The 'biggest loser' each month would receive a motivational, edible or helpful reward from every member by mail, anything up to a $5 maximum value.
Each member would be a blog 'author' and will be able to publish their own posts to help, inform, motivate or raise questions with the other members.
Each member must put up a minimum of one blog post every two weeks. This can be anything from a progress report, a question, a recipe, exercise ideas, food/exercise log, a challenge etc.
If they choose to, a member will be connected with another member/s as their own personal 'buddies' for additional support.
Everyone is responsible for their own food plan, there will be no correct diet to follow.
Upon reaching goal the member will post a before and after picture.
Once goal weight has been maintained for 8 weeks, the group will come up with a suitable reward or celebration.
This is just a basic outline based on my own ideas. But if we get this off the ground then it can be developed further with more ideas from the members.

It doesn't matter how much you have to lose as long as it's over 15 pounds. If you have alot and you want to split the amount so you have realistic targets, that's also fine.

Male or female, any age, any country, any preferred way of dieting, you can even be a member of weight watchers or similar. All I ask is that you are commited to helping and rewarding others, and also prepared to help keep the blog running by posting regularly.

I would like to officially start the group on Monday, January 31st.

If you are interested please email me at sukie175@hotmail.com putting 'WEIGHT LOSS' in the subject line and I will contact you direct with further information.

This could be fun and by spring/summer we could be looking and feeling so much healthier! I do hope you will join us!

Frozen Hickory Nut Falls

2011-01-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

I took these last week when the snow was still on the ground but it was late afternoon and the gorge was in shadow. The pictures came out with a blue hue that I did not like as well as making them black and white.

The Broad River tumbles through Hickory Nut Gap and the gorge, dropping a thousand feet or more into the towns of Bat Cave and Chimney Rock emptying into Lake Lure.

The rim of the gorge rises high above and from below I got a fantastic view of Hicky Nut Falls frozen on the walls of the cliffs. Sorry about the blur - my tiny camera doesn't do well with zoom photos. The good news is that I got a Cannon Rebel and will soon be able to take much better photos!

Hope you enjoyed my foray into Black and White!

Watery Wednesday
Friday My Town Shoot out

Ponies in Snow

2011-01-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

After days of snow flurries and temperatures in the teens, we are starting to thaw out here. Our neighbor's ponies were allowed out of the barn for the first time in days. We got above freezing today and the sun was out. They were all huddled in the sliver of sun on the side of the pasture closest to our house and I could get a few pictures. Don't they look all fuzzy and cute in their winter coats?

Please join other animal lovers in Camera Critters and for lovely scenes around the world visit Scenic Sunday.

Bloggers Beware - Just wanted to let everyone know that Google/Blogger deleted one of my other blogs as spam and I am trying to get it back. Check out my temp blog for info on how to back up your blogs and how to get yours back if you lose it.

Snowed In....Again!

2011-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Looking east down our road.

We have been housebound all day today and the snow will continue to come down through Tuesday morning. Looks like it will take the county a few days to clear us out - hopefully by Wednesday this week!

The view to the west on our street.

We are not the only ones with snow shots this week I am sure. For more photos around the world visit My World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday and Watery Wednesday.

Icy French Broad River

2011-01-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

With bone chilling temperatures a few weeks back the French Broad River which runs through the city of Asheville, began to ice over. Since the French Broad River is a free flowing river, it has to be real cold for it to freeze. The fast flowing current keeps it open. We visited Carrier Park along the river after the sun had finally come out and the ice was breaking up. It was still pretty impressive!

Be sure to visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday for more outdoor scenes!

2010 - A Photo Review

2010-12-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

It has been a year to remember for weather, experiences, losses and change.

I am taking one photo from each month to highlight the year - in celebration and a chance to reminisce.

In January we had a severe ice storm and lost power for 4 days. It was a winter never to forget. We had moved here to get away from the heavy snows of the High Country - it seemed they followed us!

Another ice storm in February plus more snow than the area had ever seen in years - 38" to be exact. Normally we get 12" for the whole season!

Unlike in my native Massachusetts when the snows last forever or so it seems, here March brought flowers and blooms galore. Our daffodils were a welcome sight.

By April the dogwoods were in bloom and winter was forgotten.

In May our neighbor's goats were having kids int the pasture across from us. I witnessed two births this past spring. How cool is that?

The summer brought warmer weather - much warmer with days in the 90's. Hiking was put off until it cooled a bit but we did manage to go to Conamarra to hike the their trails to the ridge line in June.

In July we hit the streets of Asheville for the huge Belle Chere festival with art, music food and lots of fun. We hooked up with old friends from the High Country and had a great visit.

August was still quite warm and we headed to a cool spot in Brevard to hike to Moores Cove Falls.

Our organic garden gave us plenty of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions and lettuce this year and we have plans for a bigger garden in 2011.

Fall in the mountains is breath taking and this view from the Parkway showing Mount Mitchell is exquisite. Hard to take a bad photo of the colors.

The unusually warm temperatures carried into November as well but then it was welcome. I visited the River Arts District during their annual open house and had a wonderful time exploring all the galleries.

We chose and cut our own Christmas tree this year, driving out to Leicester on a cool crisp day. Rosa is enjoying the fragrance and secretly wishing she could play with the ornaments.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

I will leave you with the words of Ellen Goodman:

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.

Skywatch Friday
Scenic Sunday

Camera Critters

Christmas Snow (With Photos)

2010-12-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

(Sorry if you visited and the pictures were missing - seems like I had to buy more storage to add photos to my blog and it took all day to process my purchase!)

Looks like the bulk of the country got some snow for a Christmas gift this year! We got 8" but just an hour west of us in the higher mountains they got over 2 feet! We normally get 12" all season! It started on Christmas morning and was very pretty - a nice snow to walk in. Our home faces a lovely pasture with ponies and goats that belongs to our neighbor. The ponies enjoyed the early snow but when the winds picked up and the temperatures dropped they headed for the barn and we have not seen any of them until today.

Garren Creek meanders through the pasture and follows our road for the seven mile length of our street. Once the snow got heavier I took a walk down the street a ways to get some shots of the creek.

The snow is lovely but being house bound for three days while the DOT crews tried to plow the county out was not fun plus losing power off and on. It is supposed to be 50 degrees by Friday this week! Hard to believe. Hope you all are safe and warm until the snow removal guys get to you. And lucky you who don't have any of this white stuff!

Question for my readers - I am being told that I have exceeded my photo upload quota and must buy more storage - is this normal? Do I have to purchase more or is there a way around it? I have my photos on CDs plus on the hard drive - if I take them off the hard drive will this free me up? Thanks for your help! (Well I went ahead and bought more storage - the easy way out!)