Aug. 13, 2017

How to start a perfect day? I found this book my grandmother gave my great-grandmother in the mountain cabin published in 1985. Written by Earl Thollander it describes back road routes across North and South Carolina… so we decided to follow his route out of Blowing Rock.

I had driven a part of it a year or so, but didn’t get down to Globe, NC – Sunday morning at the Globe Baptist Church.

on his map there were several waterfalls marked, this photo doesn’t do this one justice, it’s not the waterfall but the swimming hole – I will be back!

Across the road was a pretty waterfall with several sections.

Even the bottom was nice.

Then it was time to work are way back toward an afternoon hike, running Forest Service roads and 221…

We skipped lunch on the road since it started raining hard, but cleared in time to hike the Boone Fork Trail Loop. Hike #29 #52hikechallenge

Hebron Falls on the BFT

and just a pretty spot on the trail. We said goodbye to my brother and sister in law as a heavy rain started and we drove home, stopping in High Point for a Mexican dinner. Just about a perfect day (If only I had the motivation to get out of bed and ride before we left in the morning)

July 15, 2017

Captain Sam heads across Lake Murray.

a quick visit with my brother at his lake house, exploring, playing on the boat, swimming and a Low Country Boil

 

a great day!

June 23, 2017

Sam and I headed to the mountains, meeting my brother and sister-in-law to work on our little place in Blowing Rock.  After dinner Sam and I headed to Raven Rocks Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the sunset, but clouds rolled in and this was all we got.

But it is still better than watching TV!

May 14, 2017

Mother’s Day – Breakfast in bed. (Uncle Wayne, do you recognize the pan?)

Deb went back to bed to celebrate her day and I went for bike ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is me trying to rescue a snake.

Then some work around the “mountain place” including yard work and finding thsi salamander.

Then it was time to hike. #19 #52hikechallenge – Gragg Prong Falls. Sam and I started last year to hike to these falls, but it was getting woods dark and we didn’t have a place to camp yet so we turned around, really glad we went back, awesome place and great swimming hole when it warms up.

The whole hike is beautiful!

There are a couple of creek crossings, in the end we gave up trying to keep the boots dry!

April 24, 2017

A quick trip to the North Carolina Museum of Art to see Ansel Adams: Masterworks

and Glory of Venice: Renaissance Paintings 1470-1520.

It is amazing seeing original Ansel prints and painting that are 600 years old!

April 4, 2017

Crap, another one.

March 11, 2017 (the party)

My mom hosted an engagement party for Steph

 

A great cake

 

And family time!

Jan. 15, 2017

Hike #3 of the #52hikechallenge. Raven Rock State Park. The famed rock is 1 mile long and 150 feet tall.

The weather was perfect and I knew it would be crowed, lots of cars, but plenty of trails, so still plenty of solitude.

Northington Lock and Dam remains ripple the water on the Cape Fear River.

“A road that stretched from Raleigh to Fayetteville crossed the Cape Fear River via the Northington Ferry and served as the area’s major transportation route. Locks and dams were built along the river to facilitate navigation by boat, and Raven Rock became an important landmark for river pilots. After a hurricane destroyed the locks and dams in 1859, the structures were not replaced.” From Wikipedia.

Kodak.

Dec. 25, 2016 – Bonus

After Christmas diner, we drove around looking at the lights.

My favorite – Santa outhouse.

Dec.25, 2016

Good morning!

Vinyl records and Rock-n-Roll t-shirts, making teenage girls cry since the 1950s

Deb was very impressed by the rice presentation!

Deb got everyone “character sunglasses” for the family portrait

Where’s the kaboom? There is supposed to be an Earth shattering kaboom!