Got to the next day

 I made it through my anxiety about the chemicals that could kill mold being sprayed all around my apartment. I still felt them after going out for a while.

Friend came to pick me up because my car was blocked by the truck and trailer of the pressure wash guys (see below.)

My car is closest on the left just behind the trash corral, facing the black gear on the pressure wash trailer. I got out of my apartment before the sprayer came at my building. At one point I put on a mask, which helped me a bit.

Judy called and said she felt better than a couple of days ago, and wanted to go to lunch. So she called another friend and we met (reminding myself it was Wed.) at Ole's. I am so turned around by a holiday on Mon.

We enjoyed a cool breeze by Flat Creek, for lunch.

My 2 shrimp tacos, a la cart, hit the pocket book at $8.00. Good meal and a good tip was painless.

I came home and took a nap!

Today's quote:

Death can come at any minute, in any way. We do not know what is in store tomorrow, or, whether there is a tomorrow, or even a tonight! But still, we have the golden present. Now we are alive and kicking. What should we do now? Love all, serve all.

SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA

A couple of log houses and more

 

A promise of a few iris booms in the near future 

Site of our Good Friday lunch!

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday

Today's quote:

There is so much beauty in honoring those that came before you and seeking their wisdom.

Climate Conversation continued

This shows you the kind of work we do...talking about bulk buying of ethically produced goods...here the sunshine of S.'s shirt matches a roll of "Who Gives a Crap" tissue wrap. I think it's made of bamboo (the tissue.) After I try it I might go in for a small part of a bulk purchase.

 Several of us decided it was a beautiful day and we'd replenish our calories with my favorite Mexican restaurant, Ole' Guacamoles.

We enjoyed sitting out under these "whatever they're called." 

No that's not razor wire along the handrail on the bridge...but twinkle lights.

And the Flat Creek flows on it's way to the Swannanoa River.

PS, I decided to go back to basic white background, whew, what a relief. And I couldn't wait till my birthday to take down my photo.

TOday's Quote:

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

 -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (1915-2005)

May I have a dance?

 

A rather scary continence on this lady, dressed so prettily in her yellow hat and dress...but remember May 5 is coming, the Dio de los Muertos...for Americanized hispanics. I'm told Mexicans in Mexico don't celebrate like we do. But it is a day to honor the dead, or departed, or those who have passed. However you choose. Ancestors is good.

And she stands inside Ole' Guacamoles Restaurant in Black Mountain NC.

On a more personal note this week I drove through the intersection where I'd had my accident last Augusts...for the first time. I had avoided it, thinking my own eyesight was partly to blame for not seeing a car behind a huge SUV. But mainly I was hesitant to get back on the horse. So now I've done it. I feel better about myself. I was extremely cautious, like the rabbit! Maybe like the one who's going to hide Easter Eggs tomorrow for the kiddies to find.

Today's quote:

Clara Barton once said, "I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay." 

Favorite perhaps?

 

The little family of adolescent Mallards were entertaining while we ate lunch.

There are usually a couple of crews of Hispanic men also eating, a lot of them like being inside for the air conditioning. It says a lot that these construction workers like the fare here.

I keep trying different shrimp dishes...and so far my favorite is Shrimp Tacos Baja. 

Tables are much closer again, and staff is only half way masked. I asked one gentleman where his mask was, and he said he'd been vaccinated. I (wearing my mask until time to eat) said so was I. I didn't say, but you can still pass on Delta virus! but I sure thought it. our waiter was masked throughout his service, and he got good tips!

Flat Creek is behaving herself again after Tuesday when she bathed the patio...a rise of maybe 3 feet. This flood didn't get inside the restaurant, as one a couple of years ago did. Since then there have been several construction projects here.

My birthday lunch with Teresa!

Today's quote:

Times of scarcity need to be met with generosity, times of fear with comfort, times of uncertainty with presence. When we care for those around us, we create a field of love.

THOMAS HÜBL

Lunch specials at Ole's Guacamole

 I remember when Ole's opened the year I moved here...2007.  It had been an old appliance repair store...and I went with some new friends to try out Mexican food.  Mmm! A few years later they relocated to this building by the creekside...and later they've opened another restaurant in Asheville.

 A study of yellow on yellow!

Great Mexican touches in a nice comfortable restaurant, usually pretty crowded, unless you know to get there early!

Yep, I look pretty tired, but I'd just walked a half mile around Lake Tomahawk, so I earned it! I also earned the Enchiladas Suiza, (not THE lunch special but on the lunch menu.)  Mmm.  And bringing half of the lunch home in a box for later too!  I wanted to show you the ceramic tiles that make the booths more private.  And I'm so glad to have a friend or two who also is available for lunch that's reasonably priced.

TODAY'S QUOTE:

Having the wisdom to know that life is but a dream does not mean that we ignore living.

A brush with a storm

Black Mountain didn't get a severe blast, as Hurricane Florence just seemed to die down to a drizzle, though she did give us 5-3/4 inches (officially.)  Winds never were extreme where I live...though lots of tree limbs did fall.  One friend had a limb land on her house but she wasn't hurt.

Nothing like what happened (and is still happening) with floods in the Piedmont and the coastal counties of North Carolina.

The Town Square clock shows when the rains began Sat. morning.  I stopped by the Tailgate market and about 2/3 of the vendors were there.

Turnoff to my Apartments from Old US 70.

Looking uphill in parking lot...my building is on the left behind building D which you can see.  I'm tucked in behind some old maple trees behind those white cars to the left.  The 2 story building on the right is the office downstairs and a couple of apartments upstairs.

Looking out at my front porch with all the plants removed, I can see my little car right by the sidewalk.

Monday morning there were a few minutes of sunshine, and the fog lifted enough to see a plume drying up across the valley, and even the ridge tops.

I had to go check Flat Creek at Ole Guacamole's...it's high, but still below the terrace and the little footbridge.  They had many customers today!  If there's more rain today the water may go over it, we have flash flood warnings still.

But Flat Creek did have some moments a lot higher, because the mobile home park was evacuated Saturday.

There were a lot of power outages as well.  So Sunday was full of different levels of inconvenience.

Bue Ridge Road had a crew working on the lines near the Swannanoa River bridge...you can see a bit of the water in lower right hand corner.  My apartment is up the hill behind the Citgo station.  Traffic lights are at US 70.

Someone thought to drain Lake Tomahawk (which they didn't do in the May storms).

But just the rain of one day had it filled back up again.

The clay studio had a bit water over most of the floor, which was being wet-vac-ed and broomed off.  I just left.  Put water and clay on the concrete and it's a great sliding solution for any kind of shoes!

Invitation to lunch

"Hi Barb, let's meet for lunch..."
And off I went to the nearby lovely restaurant, Ole's Guacamoles.

I settled on the patio overlooking Flat Creek, and waited for Cathy.  And waited.  And waited.

I wasn't alone, this duck kept me company.  Hadn't Cathy said Ole's for lunch?  I called her.  Had to leave a voice mail..."I'm sitting here waiting at Ole's."

There's my table by the duck...I was served my chips and refried bean dip...and Cathy called back saying "I'm sitting on the patio at Oakie Doakies, where are you?"

I had really messed up, thinking of one restaurant, going there, and all the time the invitation was to another one.  Mmmm.  How to fix this?  Order Mexican to go, thank the waiter and leave him a tip, then hightail it across town to the barbecue place to meet and eat with Cathy.

Both restaurants seemed to take it in stride.

But I didn't have time to take more pictures, my mouth was full, when I wasn't talking with Cathy.