Altapass Orchard visit

  

Altapass, North Carolina history

A repost from 2014 when using a camera before iPhone.

NOTE: 2023, I don't think the historic display is still up, at least I didn't

 notice it last year on my yearly visit. I think some of the information

 (especially about the Cherokees) isn't accurate. And there's now a

 separate building for dancing and music...lots more area to watch

 as well!

But the apple pie a la mode still is superb!

 I had to pause in enjoying my homemade apple pie a la mode to 

record this photo for you!  In no time there was just an empty bowl

...and smiling elder.

 While my much younger friend enjoyed hers, I spied the "history

 of Altapass" sign over on the post.  But I had to watch

 some of the more limber folks dancing to the music...Sunday 

afternoons at Altapass are live music and dancing! Free. And 

lots of those folks wore their clogging shoes (which are maybe 

like clogs, but I think more specifically designed for dancing.)

(NOTE: 2023...the following are mixed photos of the display maps,

 and aren't all that clearly defined. Sorry. I just wanted to keep 

them for my own historical interest.)

 It was a huge wall map, so I've tried to capture little bits in each photo.

 If you received any North or South Carolina history in school,

 you must have heard of some of the big Revolutionary War 

battles, of which Cowpens SC, and Kings Mountain NC are 

spoken of.  I learned of them through my various ancestors 

in my family tree (though I was raised both in Texas and 

Missouri, so didn't learn about this history in school at all!)

 I was particularly glad to see other elements of local history were 

also shown...here a little bit about the first Americans to live in this area...

 This is the weather we had for driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway...and I

A was so happy Teresa was driving this trip!

Sharing with Signs2 HERE.

2014 by the French Broad River

 Tuesday sharing- 

Living in Black Mountain and Western North Carolina...

Two little lovelies, the bright blue and the strange purple fuzzy leaf with tiny pale violet flowers

A strange deciduous tree with tiny pine cones, what is it? (Thank you Tom, it's now known as a Larch!)

Our common violet

A couple of Canada Geese by the French Broad River

the two pairs of geese had goslings around this time last year...but apparently don't even have a nest at this time, since they both are sunbathing.

The same park last year with tiny little fluffs of yellow which proud parents shooed away from us.

 On US 251 between Marshall and Asheville, NC, this little park has a sweet picnic area, shared with geese this time of year.


Today's quote:

There’s an intimate connection between what we eat and how we feel.

Update for this week- Post Office, Old Depot and Railyard

 

I had a PO Box when I first lived here, because I had to share a mailbox with my upstairs neighbors, and didn't really want to do that. Several people keep them for business purposes, and perhaps they live way up a mountain which is hard for delivery.

Yes the "COVID 6 feet apart" is still in evidence here!

A really modern house was built across from the Post Office.

As I continued down the street, I stopped to catch a few shots of a new venue...The Railyard.

Here the remains of a warehouse have been transformed into some shop venues. (I think.)

Most of the terrain contains picnic tables, with a small bandstand at the far end. I've heard there are entertainers here.

The other side of the picnic area has all these shipping containers painted black. I believe somewhere there are supposed to be food trucks to provide fare while the audiences listen to entertainers. 

On Wednesday evenings there's a market set up, with local produce and other vendors, which I keep meaning to visit.

As this road deadended, I turned right, crossed over Hwy 9, and came by another favorite place in Black Mountain, The Old Depot, which has members who sell arts and crafts. I used to be an active craftsperson and member.

Today's Quote:

When you go deeply into the present, gratitude arises spontaneously, even if it’s just gratitude for breathing, gratitude for the aliveness that you feel in your body.

ECKHART TOLLE

Coming home repost

In 2012 I posted these photos as I returned from a Florida or Georgia visit.

So here's the important part of coming home.

It's hard to tell that this picture is in one part of the state or another, but for me it's the first glimpse of a mountain straight ahead.

Whow...look at those clouds over the pass.  Will I get smacked with another rain storm?  (I exited the highway at a Mt. Airy exit earlier, and got turned around getting onto I-40 west.  It just felt like I was going east for the first 5 miles)

Not a bad shower, but left windshield a bit wet as I went slowly around the switchbacks of Old Fort Gap.  Notice I'm driving over in the truck climbing lane...and there wasn't a single semi on it!

I hope Linda Starr sees the highway right here in Black Mountain that has the Blue Star title...in honor of American Ex-Prisoners of War.  I dare say half the people that live here have no idea that's the name bestowed upon our "State Street" or Hwy 70 as it comes into town. (I don't remember if this sign is still up on Hwy 70 in 2023.)

 

I turn past the primary school on Richardson and love the yellow flowers and yellow busses together, seen through the reflections in my car windshield.

And I'm so happy to see my little cottage is sitting here waiting for me, and my friend Tim has mowed while I was away.  What a sweet feeling!  Home sweet...you know.

2023 note: I lived in that one bedroom cottage on Beech St. until 2015 when I moved to Blue Ridge Apartments.

Today's quote:

It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (1918-2013)

Old collection about Pit Firing

From a post in 2011- a pit firing at Marsha Cozart's home. I see Bette Potter Jones, Sarah Vekasi, Charles Freeland, Ellen (?), Bob Cozart, Geoff Bird, Mary Vekasi and hubby!

OK, if you were there, you know how delicious it was. And fun to watch that barrel smoking those pots down the hill. Sitting on the deck was fun, chatting too. So here are the pics.

Green flames were fun, probably from copper carbonate that Charles liberally sprinkled on sawdust!

Ah, the pork, the salad, the beans, the mac 'n cheese, the deserts...can't remember them all but we were stuffed with wonderful food!

 

 Ellen demonstrates how to go down that invisible step, which had already been christened with wine.

Once you settle in an Adarondack chair, then eat, you're in big trouble getting up again.

Thanks to Sarah (below) who took this picture after I left...that's Charles' vase on top of coals.

Just before we left, as it was getting dark and we had about 15 miles of mountains to wind through, there was this tiny bright red bird with black wings, just barely visible.  Can you tell what it is?

look in lower center of picture, just to the left of tree trunk, below where you can see branches