The view above the tracks

 Doughtery St. comes down the hill and makes a sharp turn into the beginning of Sutton St. At that corner above the tracks is now the Cove Auto repair shop. It opened in that location sometime since I' moved to this town in 2007...but I don't know what was there just before. The tracks haven't changed over the years.

A few weeks ago I showed a post card taken from the site of the Gladstone Hotel looking across the tracks HERE.

This early 20th century postcard captures the train pulling into Black Mountain station (coming from asheville) with the Gladstone (Gresham) Hotel perched on the hill nearby to the right. All the closest  trees on the left and the siding tracks are no longer  there.

"Hotel Gresham was located along the north side of the railroad tracks in downtown Black Mountain. Provided by Swannanoa Valley Museum."

"Built in 1882 as the Mount Mitchell Hotel, this structure served as the first hotel for the town. Unfortunately, the original building burned down in 1905 following a fire caused by sparks from coal being transported on the nearby train tracks. By 1911, a new hotel had been built at the same location, known as the Black Mountain Hotel. In time, this hotel was called the Gladstone - and later the Gresham. By 1947 this building had also burned down."

Source: Black Mountain News: Valley Rewind: Black Mountain's Hotel Gresham, details from Swannanoa Valley History Museum, April 1, 2024

Are you tired of seeing our dogwoods yet?

Looking the other direction, there's the same train depot, which now houses arts and crafts in The Olde Depot store.

As I stood near the tracks taking the above photos, I looked down to see this hardy volunteer plant.

The view looking down hill from the tracks, with an old stone building which might have been there when the hotel was.

Today's quotes:

History is all explained by geography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (1905-1989)

Today I celebrate with all of you,
The miracle of sunlight,
The humble joy of being and breath
And the mystery and grace of each new day.
—Vincent VanGogh
The Field Next to the Other Road

Montreat College in Black Mountain

Montreat (just north of Black Mountain) is the home of the college of the same name, as well as vacation and retirement homes (mainly for Presbyterian ministers and their families.) But in the last year or so, Montreat College opened another campus which had formerly been a retreat and before that had been a private mansion and grounds. That story needs telling in a separate post. But here's a good article I found on the internet "Intheoaks"

As the sign says, there are atheletic fields here, which are missing in the original Montreat College, just a couple of miles a way. The "Manor House" is probably the old mansion, I'm guessing.

The drive takes one back through heavily wooded areas, then there are parking lots available for students, and other smaller buildings.

The Manor House

These little shabby shelter buildings may be left from the last "retreat center" days...or earlier.

Today's quote:

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

Vincent Van Gogh

A mountain ridge is not flat along the sides

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day.

In the literal observation of a Saint from the Catholic church, even though he has some great stories attributed to him, most Protestants in Ireland would not be observing this holiday.

In fact they wear Orange.

As a protestant - or at least not Catholic, I tried that once. Got many pinched arms as result.

SO  - I go along with the flow. There are many times more Irish descendants in the USA than there are either Catholics or Protestants in Ireland. I kid you not. Thousands more!

A pretty dawn sky  before rain started last Friday.

When a low sun hits my ridge view, suddenly it's not just a silhouette, but has three dimensions. But you have to be fast to capture what that sun is telling you. Bear with me that looking at that ridge through the many branches of trees is really an enjoyable pursuit for me. It will soon be gone for about 6 months of having leaves outside on these trees.

Within minutes you can see all the slopes are crenelated, and not just a flat surface which the usual dark mountains against bright sky lead one to believe.

I love being able to imagine how roads travel up through the mountains. (Yes I posted this a few days ago...did you notice?)

The end of the day.

Vincent van Gogh painted the scene of The Starry Night, which would become one of his most famous works, a total of 21 times.

Today's quote:

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (1853-1890)