Back at the Community Garden

 

Finding it from Blue Ridge Rd. S. is a bit tricky. Take the dead end turn opposite the one that goes to the YMCA Assembly. Then wind around past some derilict housing on one side, and the indoor sports arena and the fire station on your right...and find the sign that says, "parking for garden."

Despite the clouds, and no rain at present, no one was working in their plot that Saturday before Easter. However, by the time I took this photo a real Easter bunny, brown and wild, was aware of my presence and high-tailed it in the other direction from the center of the gardens.

I imaging Mr/Ms bunny found more tasty treats than these pretty violets.

An overview of the gardens I looked more closely at in the following photos...as I walked down the path to the left.

I thought I was catching the farmer's name on their garden tags...but it is still too small to read. And I wonder what these goodies will be...

I'm guessing these are peas of some variety, as they are hardier than beans. Clever climbing trellis here.

Looking further in that garden plot, we see some seeds planted, and a cabbage I recognize.

There are also some beets growing in the next section, and looking just about ready to eat!

I'm guessing some kinds of lettuce perhaps...and maybe some herbs...just a guess.

And then some soil prepared for working soon.

I do plan to come back and see how this garden fares through the season.

The compost area has been finished, with lids on the new bins...to dissuade bears at least. And the sign says to cover kitchen scraps with dirt.

As I turned to go back to the center aisle that I'd been pulled away from by the good looking plants, I was surprised to see Ms some kind of ground hog flee from her den. She wasn't as big as most ground hogs...more the size of a gerbil or chipmunk...but I didn't get a good enough look to see if she was striped. She must be well fed in this garden though!

These gardeners are trying to keep out critters so they will have their crop to eat themselves. Good chicken wiring around 3 sides however leaves one side saying welcome rabbits!

I'll share the rest of the photos from my walk last Sat. in another post. Hope you have a Happy Easter, and good Passover.

Today's quote:

 “True music must reflect the thought and aspirations of the people and time. My people are Americans. My time is today.”  George Gershwin  born Sept 26(1898) wrote Rhapsody in Blue, “Summertime,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Embraceable You,” 

Some sights around town this Saturday

 

Of course there's a welcome sign at every major junction coming into Black Mountain. Here we are on NC 9 after getting off the I-40 exit...and heading up the hill into the center of town.

Going south on the 9, the overpass of I-40 is barely visible. I wanted to capture the trees really...which look like they're going to leaf fully after some blossoming time.

After going under the I-40 overpass, I passed the Huddle House sign, which refers to nothing but a slab of concrete and hasn't been there for years now.  This stop light is the popular turn into Ingles Grocery, where I'd just shopped. It wasn't too crowded, but they only had a couple of live checkers, and most people would line up there rather than use the "stupid" automatic check outs. I used the automatic, which kept telling me to leave my purchase on the counter, when it made more sense to load my basket. Ugh! And yes, it's a coolish grey day. Notice gas price has finally gone  below $4...just barely!

As I continued on the 9, a barbecue place (Phils) is on the left, and further on is the Cheshire community. I take the right fork which is Blue Ridge Rd, South. My reason for taking this photo was to see the greening of the mountains. It's kind of dull looking today, but is so bright on sunny days!

Through the windshield I saw these blooming bushes.

Soon I'll share the Community Garden, which was my next stop off Blue Ridge Rd. S.

Today's quote:

A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience. 

-Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616)

Grovewood Gallery

  Rainy day which was great for gallery visiting!

We had fun while waiting for the shuttle to take us back up the hill to the Inn

I'm pretty sure this is a Japanese Andromeda bush. But what is that in front of it?

It's a crow holding a golf ball in it's beak.

While it rained pretty steadily, we just waited under the little porch covering for our ride. I liked the tall pine trees. Various metal sculptures are throughout the woods below the road. 

These wind sculptures were lined up along the walkway.

More to come, including a fabric art named "Stained Glass" and the dead fly.

Today's quote:

There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts.

-George Matthew Adams, newspaper columnist (23 Aug 1878-1962)

Grove Park Inn

 See today's "When I Was 69" post about a birthday celebrated 2 years later...thanks to Covid! I'll add the link HERE.

Looking around the Grovewood Gallery

  

Beautiful hand made cooking implements. Not fly swatters!

Oh my goodness, just look at that fly! Glad to see he's dead! Wonder how that happened...

There were quite a lot of wood-worked items, compared to many pottery pieces they displayed in the past (pre-Covid-times.)

I liked these little boxes with magnetized lids!

These beautiful fabric pieces were just listed with a price tag, and titled "Stained Glass"

I was quite impressed by the hand work on these Stained Glass fiber art pieces.

My friend had tried to get me to lie across this bench for a photo...but she fit much better than I would!

I bought a card by this artist, Jane Voorhees. I was pretty sure I'd seen her work elsewhere in the Asheville/Black Mountain area.

Since I'm mailing the card as a thank you to my son and his family, here's a photo of it!

A display of pottery, wood working and wire sculptured animals

Today's quote:

"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up.” 

- Mae West

Eat it toxic or eat it organic?

 EWG (Environmental Working Group) list of foods that we can healthily eat this year...the most up-to-date information, based on tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

EWG'S Dirty Dozen for 2022

• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Kale, collard and mustard greens
• Nectarines
• Apples
• Grapes
• Bell and hot peppers
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Pears
• Celery
• Tomatoes

EWG's Clean Fifteen for 2022

• Avocados
• Sweet corn
• Pineapple
• Onions
• Papaya
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Asparagus
• Honeydew melon
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Mushrooms
• Cantaloupe
• Mangoes
• Watermelon
• Sweet Potatoes
• 
  SOURCE: The new 2022 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce 

This will change a few of my shopping habits...ie. spinach which isn't organic has been regularly in my diet with nectarines, pears, celery, and cherries and tomatoes!

Wow.

I've been working to get back to whole foods, plant based, low oil diet...because that, with the other Ornish plan methods, has been proved to reduce plaque in the arteries. Of course I have some different ideas about what I really will be eating...including fish rather than taking a suppliment which has Omega-3 fatty acids from fish. Why not go to the source?

Anyway, plaque is just one indicator leading heart problems, from what I understand. My heart may have a normal rating, but my lungs are more of a problem for me! So good food is probably also recommended for healthy lungs, though my pulmonologist says he hasn't heard of any studies to that effect. Mmm, it makes me wonder if anyone is doing studies about breathing health.

But the mantra which keeps bonking me on my head is...

"do what you did, and get what you got."

Me in Dallas at about a year old. Just doing what I was told at that time, following my instincts to walk, talk and feed myself!

In other words, my lack of exercise, my isolationistic tendencies, and my poor diet gave me a heart attack.

What have I done to bring on chronic lung problems? Some might be heritary...but I did contribute to the problem.

Smoking for 6-7 years, a pack a day, then enjoying occasional pot smoking as well at that time...in my 30s. I think I started smoking around 1972-3. And I quit in 1978. Marijuana smoking became more ocasional as I moved into my 40s. I was so glad to stop smoking tobacco.

I could hike, climbing along in the Smoky Mountains...in my 40s. I would say I was about in my 50s and still felt strong and fit. But in my 60s I found COPD symptoms...lots of coughing, unable to do climbs or long hikes. And physical fatigue after a week of working!

It wasn't until my 70s that bronchietisis was diagnosed. I guess I'm grateful to have lived till then...and now am reaching 80 in 4 more months.

So I'll purchase the less toxic foods for sure. And do as many breathing exercises as I can. I might even do them daily. I am searching for my inner energizer bunny today. She's off somewhere drumming away, and I keep calling her. Hey bunny, listen, I need you now!!

War and peace?

 The war we're watching...

there are lots of other wars which we're engaged in, sadly enough. But this one makes the news every night. My heart feels so sad for all the people being killed, injured and displaced around the world. 

Letters from an American

"April 3, 2022

"Today, Ukrainian soldiers recaptured the areas around Kyiv that Russian forces had taken early in the invasion. Retaking the territory, they found mined homes, executed civilians, and, in the city of Bucha near Kyiv, a mass grave of nearly 280 civilians. In the town of Trostyanets, the evacuating Russians defecated in the rooms of the police station and on a dead civilian outside.

"The reported war crimes and atrocities have made it impossible to separate the Russian troops from Russian president Vladimir Putin. Their shared criminality will have the effect of solidifying Putin’s power by making all the Russians outcasts together as they have deliberately demonstrated they reject the western rules of war. As Russia expert Tom Nichols put it: “If Putin's goal was to cement his grip on power by making Russia hated for decades to come, well, congratulations, I guess.”

"That Putin has taken as many as 400,000 Ukrainians to Russia as potential hostages as he tries to bargain his way out of crippling sanctions or into land concessions is cause for concern. Russian troops continue to bombard the valuable deepwater Black Sea port of Odessa."

Heather Cox Richardson

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Grey Eagle (Black Mountain) NC

 
Grey Eagle was the first (original?) name by which the Euopean explorers knew this town. We don't know what the Indigenous Native Americans might have called it. When the railroad came through in the 19th century, they named it Black Mountain. There are several of the chain of black mountains as part of the Appalachians visible from the town. They are the oldest mountains in the US according to geologists.

The pink caboose reminds visitors of the historic influence the railroad had on this town. The little station is now home to Black Mountain Depot arts and crafts. And those aren't the black mountains in the distance, because this is looking south, and they are to the north of the town.

Looking at the caboose from the other side of the tracks, and you can see why I called it pink!

The cherry trees are all blooming away, after a warm spell. It's now turned cool again. Thus is springtime every year.

This is the backside of the Grey Eagle monument.

Today's quote:

I am a child of the Milky Way. The night is my mother. I am made of the dust of stars. Every atom in my body was forged in a star. When the universe exploded into being, already the bird longed for the wood and the fish for the pool. When the first galaxies fell into luminous clumps, already matter was struggling toward consciousness. The star clouds of Sagittarius are a burning bush. If there is a voice in Sagittarius, I’d be a fool not to listen. If God’s voice in the night is a scrawny cry, then I’ll prick up my ears. If night’s faint lights fail to knock me off my feet, then I’ll sit back on a dark hillside and wait and watch. A hint here and a trait there. Listening and watching. Waiting, always waiting, for the tingle in the spine.

Chet Raymo, The Soul of the Night: An Astronomical Pilgrimage

Early Azaleas

 My post for today of flowers...Here.

 Today's post over on my other blog! Montreat NC.