Small town excitment

 

A few weeks ago a high speed chase ended up with the suspect holed up in a motel room (a second one behind the sign in the middle of the scene. All those cars in the middle of the street were Sheriff's and Police with blue lights flashing. US highway 70 was blocked from my street (Blue Ridge Rd) to Craigmont, where the CVS is located. That's where I was standing to take this photo. I'm glad someone had posted about the situation to Facebook, so I took the detour.

I did have an appointment at CVS to get my COVID shot, so went around the back way, where all the traffic was being shuttled. The roadblock lasted for hours, and eventually the police entered the room to find that the suspect had killed himself. He apparently had warrants out for some sexual abuse of minors. Nobody said what they were when the police issued a report later that day. 

Since I already was going home by way of a detour (different than the backroad, Craigmont zoo!) I stopped at a local watering hole...which also has good food! Do people still say watering hole for a bar?

Considering it was 5:00 on a grey cool day, they were mobbed. So I sat myself at the bar, rather than waiting for a table. Nobody had been answering the phone for me to get a take-out.

I ha a Dr. Pepper and Fish and Chips, while all those folks were waiting for tables...I swear I was done before some of them got a table. And I had to send the fish back since the first serving had been over cooked...just dark brown. (I always think a 5:00 meal means getting what was cooked for lunch and just waiting around all afternoon!) Anyway the second serving was huge and good, and fried onion rings, lots of good ole fat there!

And here's a seasonal decoration for you, complete with real leaves.

Today's quote:

Your very own inner wisdom should be valued more than any other and will always guide you in the direction you need to travel.

And to get into the seasonal mood...

Going to Pisgah Inn last Sunday

 A partly cloudy cool day in Black Mountain. What would it be like up on Pisgah Mountain, an elevation change of at least a thousand feet..maybe more.

We drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway which had a little color in the leaves as we left Asheville going south...but up in elevation! There were some good bright yellows, oranges and reds as we went along, and we decided where we'd like to stop on the way back, at an overlook which had pretty colors in the trees as we passed on the way to lunch.

We arrived within a quarter mile of the Pisgah Inn to find clouds had dropped to 20 feet off the ground. Sometimes there was mist on the windshield. But driving was clear on the road at least.

It may have been 43, but that cloud sure made it colder, and did I mention the wind?

We kind of rushed inside, and were a half hour before our reservation for 3, but there were just 2 of us, so that changed our status. Nobody said for better or worse! 

We had no intention of going out on the deck while waiting!

So we wandered between the gift shop and the waiting area looking into the dining room. Finally my name was called and we were led to a table for 4 by the window! Wow. I'd never expected that.

These were our views

But we kept hoping the sun might dry it out a bit by the time we were done eating.

We actually got a glimpse of the sky over the mountains for a while, and the little colorful trees below us on the side of the mountain.

I had the small beet salad and my friend had a hamburger. I forgot to take a photo of the French Silk Pie, which was good as always...and I inwardly bemoaned the increased price. But I brought home half the salad which I'll have for another meal.

We did step on the balcony to take a few photos, but it was really really cold, and just a bit windy. 

While I took the obligatory selfie, my friend declined the favor. Now there is no record of J. having been there with me.

My un-retouched photo as it came out of the iPhone.

I did capture the pretty yellows as we left the restaurant.

Yes, people are renting rooms here, who go on hikes as well as enjoy the food. We even passed the camp store on the way out...brr, can't imagine camping on a mountain in this weather!

We rushed to the car and hoped the cloud/fog was just on the peak, and we'd be able to stop and get some better leaf photos on the way down. (Yes we did.)

Just a reminder to all women over 45 years old...including us over 80.

And another sweet reminder of the season. The rest of my photos will follow soon - at least I added some in the headers!

Today's quote:

Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939)

So sayeth an author!