Public Works workers did it

Added to the Memorial Gardens at the entrance to Montreat, is a new sitting arrangement.  One stone is in honor of a Public Works Director. The blank stone across from it, and behind the two sitting benches says "In Memory of Those who have Served the Town of Montreat."  It is blank below that heading.

You might like to know that Montreat has more retired Presbyterian ministers than imaginable, as well as a Christian College.  And I guess that the people who have moved these huge flat stones into this arrangement must have been public works workers.  They get to make the town beautiful for all the people who visit and live there.  So to have a special spot for the people who have served it's public works says a lot for the town.  I'm impressed.

Pizza downtown Black Mountain

If you are walking among the stores in Black Mountain's downtown, this is the easiest Pizza place to find.

It may have a convoluted entrance (once you enter the door you walk down a long hall, then descend a set of stairs to the eating area)...but it's worth it.

And on a Sunday afternoon in Feb. it was actually warm enough to sit outside (mainly in the sunshine) to eat.

Of course there are great salads, but when I go to a pizza restaurant, I usually have some pizza!

And bring some home.  My friend and I had a selfie taken at the entrance, but she probably wouldn't talk to me again if I posted it here...though I think she looks better than my half face does.    It was fun.

He liked posing

I just wish I'd caught a picture of the little boy who walked up behind me, said politely, "Excuse me, Ma'am, that's a heron."
It's a good place for him to drink water, and escape the maddening crowd, when the fountain is turned off at Lake Tomahawk.

My new desktop wallpaper

Guess which one of these photos I now look at on my computer's desktop.

Grandmother Oak Part last

Ground crew was busy with all the fallen limbs...I won't take pictures of a chipper.  I had to listen to it going for 2 whole days.  There's a certain whine in its motor that sets my teeth on edge.

The view Wed. morning, and with the sun behind the cutter, it was a bit hard to take pics of his work.  Notice the garbage hasn't been picked up.  Beech St. is a one truck street, and the garbage truck has to back up it, 'cause there's no room to turn around at the top.  The chipper truck was blocking half the street, so I wondered if we'd get any garbage pick up...but after the chipper left, the great collection truck did arrive.  They don't get enough credit in my mind, for a job that's very important in our lives.  Just think what it would be like without garbage pick up.  But I digress...

He's looking down as a limb falls.  I tried without much luck to catch one as it fell.

Wish I had stayed out there to see the final top part go...but I did have other things to do.

Grandmother oak, part 2

Yes, there's more to fall.  Continued tomorrow.  And I think I'll have a bit higher resolution on the photos...these are a bit small!  For such a large subject!

A neighborhood grandmother oak goes

Across the street have been many construction workers and different kind of motors rumbling for several weeks.  Today chain saws woke me up.

And there was, high in grandmother oak, a man with ropes and chain saw.  I guess since the truck in front of it must be 12 feet tall, the oak is around 150 feet tall.  As the day went on, I would poke my head out and take a few pictures.  At first I hoped he was just cutting deadwood.  Now after about 8 hours, I'm pretty sure the whole thing will be chopped into moveable lengths by time he's finished

So here's the beginning to the middle...

They took a break at noon, and I went to a meeting.  Then the rest of the afternoon will be continued on my next post (tomorrow!)

Narcissus er, Crocus

Would someone tell me why all my digital cameras have this same problem getting any detail with a yellow flower?  There are just big blurs of yellos and white.  You have to guess by the shape what flower it is.  I know I saw lots more detail.

Coming into NC

OK, lots of reflectioins on this one, but it speaks of my joy at returning to my home state!

So when you get home from a trip, there are the photos to shuffle through, and decide which ones are worthy of posting on a blog.  I have thus given you a few of the last stages of my trip yesterday up to Big Stone Gap, VA.  I'll have the pictures of that end of the trip on another of my blogs, because after all, I can't very well let you see the beauty of western VA and eastern TN under the title of this blog, now can I?  But there are more NC pictures as well, so look again tomorrow, if you will.

These shots were taken coming down US 23/future I-26.

As my friend Helen said, it looked like you could just reach out and touch those clouds.

Pack Library

This is the public library in Asheville, NC.