Construction update

On the back of the house that's being renovated, a new living area is constructed.

That stump is probably going to be around for a while!

A peak at spring

Imagine me sitting in my nice wicker chair, sipping something cold, reading my book, and wearing sunblock, a week ago when it was 70 degrees for 2 days in a row.  Now we've got 2 days in a row of freezing rain.  (At least it's not snow, like fellow blogger from Ithica, NY, Gary Rith has!)

Teresa's granddaughter, Madison

Teresa, Sarah, and Chris (and Madison-to-be)

Teresa and Stephanie

Teresa, Sara and Steph

Wild "guess the girth contest"...with pieces of string

happy parents to be

I haven't been to a baby shower since my middle son's first was expected.  So Saturday was a fun occasion for me to join my friend Teresa and her daughters...with her family and his family all gathered to celebrate the coming birth of Madison.  I hope they can see these photos somehow.

I love St. Patricks Day

...from green beer to the great step-dancing to drumming.  Ahhh.
Shamrocks are beautiful, if somewhat weedy once they are established.  "Erin go bragh!"

I need to read seriously the Irish history which includes some of my ancestors, as well as the Scottish ones who were forced to move to Ireland by the British.  I don't know which side is right or wrong. And lots of wonderful music has been written.

I love the myths.  Bridgid.
The ancient sites.  Newgrange.

So I will salute St. Patrick's day, which was brought by the immigrants from Ireland to the US...and still goes strong each March 17.  Erin go bragh!

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Dublin, Ireland

And especially a toast to my son who was active celebrating St. Patty's day this weekend.  I hope he's feeling up to going to work on the real St. Patrick's Day!

Duplicate blogging today.  Gotta go...

Dam at Lake Susan

A favorite restaurant...The Veranda

At busy times, there is sometimes a short wait for a table.

During your wait, there's some fun stuff to browse through.

And you may notice the same two women who are standing in the first picture on the sidewalk, here reflected on their backsides.

It's on Cherry St., downtown Black Mountain, but not open on Sun
http://www.verandacafeandgifts.com/

Gazebo at Lake Susan

As you walk along the dam at Lake Susan, it's nice to see a sweet little gazebo.  Many of the stone pillars are given plaques which speak of memory of someone who donated to this structure.

Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville, NC

Sepia Saturday, HERE, shows a dome from the Library of Congress.  (If you chose to add your own blog post, just go to the bottom of the Sepia Saturday page, where various names are listed, and you can click on each of them to see other blogs about mainly this theme, and add your own, easy peasy)

Nice.

Here's our local dome.  It and the entire building is made entirely of bricks and mortar...a freestanding elliptical dome with a span of 58 feet by 82 feet.  Rafael Gustavino, the architect, worked on the Biltmore house as well, here in Asheville.

Wikipedia says this about the dome of the Basilica of St. Lawrence -

The basilica was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith and the surrounding Catholic community of Asheville, North Carolina. The Basilica is on the National Register of Historic Places and was elevated in status to a Minor Basilica in 1993 by Pope John Paul II. The basilica is the only basilica in Western North Carolina. The basilica's dome has a span of 58 by 82 feet (18 by 25 m) and is reputed to be the largest freestanding elliptical dome in North America

A publication by the Basilica gives more information HERE.

All photos are from Wikimedia commons.

Tours are available, and I have already enjoyed one.  Photos are allowed while walking through the building also.

Lake Susan

All the buildings you see here belong to Montreat College, in Montreat NC [elevation 2,615 ft (797 m)].  The lake is dammed up and gives overflow of Flat Creek, which comes into it from higher elevations, then flows down to Black Mountain at a slightly lower elevation [2,405 ft (733 m)] 

Tomorrow, the dam.

Clear waters

Snow is melting above these waters...they have the great clear tint of turquoise every once in a while that is different.  It surprised me, reminding me of the colors in icebergs.  Nowhere near us!

I see it on the outside of the white water flowing into the pool.