pecan pie with a banner elk!

I can hear you now:
What the heck is a banner elk?

Well, I've done some careful research into the matter, being as I'm analytically-minded, you know.
And you know what I've found?
The animal is extinct, and has been for more than a hundred years.
When Martin L. Banner of Wales came there in 1848, he established the first permanent settlement.
At the time, the Eastern elk roamed the mountains freely.
By 1877, the subspecies of beast was extinct from Banner's Elk, no doubt because the man's brood rapidly grew, reaching 55 members.
That's a lot of food to be hunted!
The possessive was dropped in 1911 when the town was incorporated.
Today being our final day here in the Cherokee National Forest, we wanted to check out this little town we'd driven through almost every day... and we did it on foot.

Look over there!
That looks like a train car!
What is it now???
Well... I'm not sure...
but it just may be
a real estate office.
Let's go over to the
Consignment Company!

And so we did, spending quite a while with Patricia Bundy and her old and new wares.
I bought two melted 45's (that's a type of record from back in the day, y'all) and a little sawed-off trunk with a bunch of painted wooden flowers.
Barbara bought a set of handmade Christmas ornaments for her goddaughter and then had the artist - the shop owner! - autograph them. Bonus!!!

Lunch time!
The Banner Elk Cafe was just the place,
with three menus of selections!
I opted for the grilled lake trout,
collard greens, and pinto beans...
and a slice of pecan pie.
My, oh my! That thing even had a shortbread crust!
Divine!

Walking up that side of the block,
we just had to stop at the
"Dog Bakery and Pet Boutique"!
No worries - no dogs or other loved ones
are being cooked here.
Instead, they get special treats cooked
especially for them!
"Crazy Cat Guy" - aka bfe - would love this place!

Rain had been forecast, so we
headed back to the condo, one last time.
We made a special stop at the overlook
(the spot with the binoculars)
for a good, long, last gaze
at those distant blue peaks...
and a walk around the big, blue house...
and the collection of a rock for Mama.
(smile)

i thank You, God, for this adventure.

the grandfather and hugh morton

Today was fabulous!
Well, except for one little thing: I forgot my phone at the condo.
That meant I had no ability to take photos...all day... drats.
No worries: Barbara and Sandy had their phones to use as cameras!

For instance, Boo took this one at our first stop on Grandfather Mountain.
We were standing in front of this gorgeous, orange-bedecked, rhododendron.
I know you can't tell, but there are mountains right behind our shoulders.
(smile)

That photo, and this one,
were taken at the first stop
on the audio driving tour.
Here, Sandy and I are posing
against Split Rock.
The Sphinx Rock was right beside it.
There were some trails available
for those sure-footed folks
who wanted to climb them,
but the Tear'em Up Trio
opted not to do so!

Speaking of las tres amigas,
here we are with Mildred the Bear
(and her cubs!)
inside the Nature Center.
We had lunch out on
the deck of Mildred's Grill,
enjoying birdsong and the view!
Then we visited the cougar -
the three bears (plus a cub!) -
the bald eagle and his juvenile son -
and the sleeping otters.
Oh! How very cool!
Then it was time to sample the fudge!
The Tiger Ripple was quite tasty!!!
(smile)
After a perusal of the Museum in the
Nature Center, it was time to continue
our journey upward and onward!

"Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit" went the Grinch.
We drove nearly twice that high!
Did we have nice, straight, sweeping paths to the top?
Oh, you make me laugh!!!
See those hairpin turns and banking curves and loops?
That's the road, dear...
that's the road.
It really reminded me of the narrow, winding, little streets on the isle of Capri.
I'm glad our tour guide handled those for us, back in 2002!
Those folks drove fast.
We never even hit thirty miles per high and were generally going much slower...
just like everyone else here.
Dancing with the car, once more!

Then, suddenly, the view opened up
and we were at the top!
Of course we had to walk across
the Mile-High Swinging Bridge...
But of course!
The Park Ranger woman was even
kind enough to take this photo
to document that we sea-level gals
were five thousand, two hundred and eighty feet above our normal.
Wow!!!
This four-hour adventure was
so worth the cost of admission!


An hour and a half later, we were back at the condo.
Yes, we took a scenic route... again... but we returned before dark.
Hallelujah!
I cooked dinner for all of us - lots of veggies and the rest of the rotisserie chicken!
Then we got in our pajamas and caught another lovely movie on television with our Sandra Bullock and my Keanu Reeves: "The Lake House". What a sweet romance!
What a marvelous day!
i thank You, God!

dancing with dj jazzy j

This evening has been so much better than last night - hooray!
So good to have watched our girl Sandra in "Miss Congeniality" as we wound down this second day of Barbara's vacation!
We had hoped to see "Zootopia" under the stars in Beech Mountain, but the technology wouldn't cooperate.
No, Barbara did not even touch it!
(smile)

But let me back up to earlier, okay?
(The question is rhetorical,
so don't feel compelled to respond.)
~~~~
(-:
~~~~
As you may recall from earlier,
I had walked up, literally, to the township
and was last seen awaiting their presence.

Here I am, ponytails and all,
in the game-stocked dining room
at the Holy Smokes BBQ.
Right place, right time!
How do I know?
Mama's Raggedy Ann on the shelf
to my left...
very nice!

Another sign that I was
in the right place?
The waitress, Julia,
a bouncy young local girl,
led us up to the
third floor picnic tables
for dining with
a Blue Ridge view!
Coupled with my Wolfdog,
it was divine!
Barbara and Sandy were thrilled
with the choice, too!
i thank You, God!

We stayed there for quite a while,
taking photos,
breathing in the mountain air
along with the mountain view.
Then we had free fudge in the gift shop
and I bought Oz memorabilia... yeah!
That's when Julia told me that
she liked my upbeat attitude...
Very nice!
Then we bopped down to Fred's,
so they could check it out.
After that, it was back to the condo until time for the dance party.

Yes, I did say dance party!
Held in front of Town Hall,
with DJ Jazzy J(ulia) spinning tunes!
I won a small pepperoni pizza from the
Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria!
Later, I awarded that certificate to a
talented little girl who came late,
but matched me move for move -
you go, girl!

Then we sat and waited for the movie,
enjoying each other
and the sunset
over the outside dance floor
across the street from the pizza place.
Ah... life is good!
i thank You, God.

i'm walkin', yes, indeed!

I started off with a good breakfast.
Baked butternut squash, blackberries, cheddar cheese...
and the constant sound of babbling Barbara.
After the conflict over television last night -
I was opposed to anything concerning the blonde guy in the White House -
we were all a bit tense.
They opted to hang around the condo.
I went for a walk into town.

The day was beautiful...
and the surroundings were much quieter,
outside of a little birdsong
and the light traffic.

My first true stop was here.
The Beech Alpen Inn allowed me
the use of their very nice bathroom.
(Thanks for the emergency pit stop!)

And of course I had to get a photo
when I saw this mailbox!
In memory of one of my favorite restaurants,
now long gone.
This 606 also belonged to a restaurant.
Maybe I'll get to try it sometime!

Uphill I continued on,
pausing frequently for breath
and to avoid traffic.
Then, the buildings of
the town of Beech Mountain
were at hand!
Woohoo!
I made it!

Here I am, across the street,
outside Fred's General Mercantile,
a must-see site for sure!
You would think it had been there for years,
but nope!
It's from only 1979, folks.
(smile)

Of all the cool, oddball, interesting stuff
contained within its walls,
I liked this upstairs reading room the best.
What a lovely place to hang out,
should there be a rainy day!

And before leaving Fred's shadow,
I just had to snap a photo of me
with one of the gorgeous rhododenrons!
How lovely of them to be blooming for our visit!
Do you recognize the shirt I'm wearing?
It's Oskar, the space cat!!!
(smile)

I then bounced back across the street
for the mini-golf course.
The yellow brick road portions had drawn me in!
However, the Oz-like configuration was not yet finished... hope it will be soon!
(We were unable to obtain tickets for the Land of Oz theme park - they were all sold out for our stay.)

Next up was an assortment of bird houses -
and various types of birds -
on a roadside trellis.
How funky!

Since I could not journey to Oz
and its Emerald City,
this sign will do instead!
Emerald Mountain...
how nice and cool they appear to be!

This sign outside Town Hall very nicely showed my walking path.
See that bit of road labeled "Beech Mountain Parkway"?
That's known as NC-184 North.
The letter "D" (pale green balloon) marks Christie Village Condos - that's roughly where I started. (We were staying on Hornbeam Road, right behind that.)
Then I had walked past Fred's (the "N" red balloon),
beyond the flag at Town Hall and the Visitors Center,
continuing on until I had passed the White Wolf Lodge (the "K" blue balloon).
It may have only been one mile, but it had been uphill the entire way.
Seriously!!!
Thankfully, I had not been trudging through snow, too.
Hahaha haha!
(You know the old joke, don't you?)
Now, I'm waiting for the two old ladies I'm traveling with to finally leave the condo and join me for lunch.
C'mon, y'all - that barbeque smells delicious!
Why have that type of cuisine again?
Well, I had an epiphany while on my solitary stroll, you see.
I had been under the assumption that this vacation was for all of us...
but that was incorrect.
In fact, I had known that would be the case when Boo invited me on this trip to North Carolina, back in mid-January.
I had agreed to come anyway.
Without me to help drive such a distance, Barbara would not have been able to have her much-needed vacation.
She and Sandy would both have missed this opportunity to wake up somewhere new.
That's very important.
So, I have been on the watch for barbeque joints for Boo...
on her vacation.
Nice treat for me, too.
(smile)

in search of the lion of blowing rock

What a day, what a day!
This has been Day One of Barbara's vacation.
We didn't even get started until mid-afternoon!
Then, it was off in search of a barbeque joint to whet our whistles!

The Pedaling Pig was our goal today.
Located in Banner Elk, it was just up the road.
Nice logo, ain't it?
(smile)
Why is the pig on a bicycle?
Well, the folks who started it three years ago
were biking enthusiasts.
How 'bout that?

They knew a thing or two about smoking meat, too!
Offering pork barbeque (for Barbara) as well as beef brisket (for Sandy), there was something for everyone.
Me?
I had the five sides as my plate!
Brunswick stew, collard greens, green beans, bbq slaw, and cucumbers with red onions - my, oh my!
I added bread pudding, too, and got the last slab of it!
I shared that with my friends - I did!

After our sumptuous feast,
we hung around for a while.
First, we cruised the tourist info center
for destination ideas.
Then, we strolled around outside,
admiring the cooler day and
the sounds of the water wheel.
Very soothing!


Then, off we went to buy groceries.
After nineteen miles of twisty, curvy, narrow two-lane road, we found the Food Lion in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Here's the thing: we had thought we had the address for the one in Banner Elk.
Oops.
Then again, it actually worked in our favor.
You see, the Food Lion we went to was larger and had a much greater selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as rotisserie chicken.
I don't know that it was worth the extra driving time...
Sandy would probably say "no", as the roads made her nauseated...
but I did enjoy dancing with the car as I drove along.
(smile)
That's not to say I want to do so on a regular basis, of course.
Sometimes, it's nice to be able to enjoy the scenery without fear of falling into it.
(smile)

Upon our safe passage back to the condo,
Barbara went off for a walk.
I went in search of the
little waterfall we could hear.
All I found was this tiny one...
but that counts!

It was very close to this cool sign.
"Grandparents at play", indeed!
It could well have been referring to us!

And while I was chortling to myself, I noticed a movement...
and then I saw another...
were they two dogs???
Nope!
We were in deer country, right beside our complex!
See that big brown beast near the center?
White-tailed deer!

Why the photo of the little red fire hydrant?

Well, because it matches this sign!
(smile!)
Both are rather reassuring, aren't they?

b-e-e-c-h, not b-e-a-c-h

That distinction is important, as Wegman's dogs can confirm.
(They had a spelling test and used the incorrect one.)
One word refers to a tree; the other refers to my preferred vacation destinations.

Beech Mountain was reached well before nightfall.
Las tres amigas will be in the center, second-floor condo of Boulder Condiminiums, vrbo 960611, for the next four days and five nights.
I'll be sharing the room with Barbara, with her in the upper queen bed.
Sandy has the king bed for herself, in the room with the half-bath.
Tonight, we've had to run the heat.
Imagine that!

Tonight, we've been foraging for night-time food.
Milk and cereal, snack stuff.
Good thing I loaded up at slunch!
We stopped at Bill & Fran's, a diner advertising "friendly service" and "good food" on its awning.
Correct on both counts!
I had the Thursday special:
Hawaiian meeatballs on rice, with three veggies.
Hooray for collard greens, lima beans, and carrot-raisin salad!

And guess what?
That was for less than eight dollars.
Incredible!
We even had a free dessert included with our meals!
Sandy and Barbara had strawberries with their slice of cake and whipped cream.
Fortunately, the waitress found a piece of cake that had not yet been tainted with crimson, just for me, and she dolled it up with a little chocolate drizzle!
Sah-weet!
(All puns intended, of course!)

Tomorrow, we go in search of barbeque and a grocery store.
Wish us luck!

to the riviera!

Certainly, I would rather head off to a European beach rather than near the top of a 5000-foot mountain in North Carolina...
but the latter was free...
much like the vacation of Larry, Darryl, and his other brother Darryl.

Larry: "Well, we're off for our annual trip to the Riviera."
Joanna: "Oh! You're going to France?"
Larry: "No, we're going to lie out on top of an old Buick."

Today, I'll be going to Beech Mountain, as we tres amigas venture on our first trip together.
(The bfe is referring to us as the "Tear'em Up Trio"... or TUT, for short.)
(smile)
First, though, I went to Weight Watchers, to hold myself accountable, you know.
And the title for this week?
"Have a Great VACATION!"
How very nice!
i thank You, God!

sostenga mi cerveza, parte 3

Sure seems to be a lot of beer-holding going on this year.
In mid-January I first wrote of the weather changes, then again a mere week later.
Well, it's changed enough to make me take notice of the shift.
This time, it's taken a turn for cooler temperatures.
In the morning, the air has been in the low 60's.
In JUNE...
in Savannah...
that's just crazy.
But wait!
It gets even better...
the highs have only been in the upper 70's...
in JUNE...
in Savannah.
Sure, these are Fahrenheit values.
But I want you to notice that they're at least 15 degrees cooler than they have been for the past month.
That's truly been a blessing for the bfe.
He's going to be staying with me for some undefined amount of time.
True, I made sure he has the portable air conditioner (thanks to the Peace guy)...
in the guest bedroom he is using...
but the rest of the house has only fans...
as it did in our homes when we were both growing up, me here, him in Ohio,
several decades ago for both of us.
I appreciate the reprieve from the 90-degree days we've had of late.
I guess we'll both wait to see how the summer goes.
In the meantime, i thank You, God, for the break in the weather...
for both of us.
Off I go to North Carolina to see how their weather fares!

a rose from a banana

I know: it sounds like a magic trick...
but it isn't.
You see, the "b" should be capitalized.

Tonight was the game between the Savannah Bananas and the Thomasville Hi-Toms.
Willie had saved me a seat right next to him!
Good thing, too, as I was almost late to the game.
The bfe was coming to town and staying at my house... but he got here about 6 PM.
I made it to Grayson just in time!
I was even allowed to park up front,
since I'd be taking Willie home. (smile)

The Championship Ring festivities were the first thing
on the agenda.
Hooray for last year's team!
Then the game began...
and the Hi-Toms had
three runs lickety-split!
C'mon, Bananas, get
a hit, hit, HIT!
And they did!
Both of these men hit home!

And the hits just kept a-comin'!
Even Mister Willie was yelling tonight:
"Put the wood on it!"
"Straighten it up!"
The Hi-Toms got five runs, but the Bananas
reached that sum and kept on going!
At the end, the score was 8 to 5,
for the Bananas' second win!

However, the scene that
kept me smiling was
this little girl and her rose.
You see, the head Banana
himself had bestowed that
crimson flower upon her during
the nightly rose giveaway.
Willie had called to him, pointing to me, and I was pointing to her...
as was her mom and dad and three brothers...
and she played with the rose
the rest of the night.


i thank You, God, for that happiness, for her, for her family... and for me, another girl with three brothers.
(smile)