Blue Ridge blog

We get what we need

This photo was taken from my deck last night near sunset. The sun is peeping out from a cloud that reminds me of the shape of Michigan .

     Youngest daughter is learning a valuable life lesson. That is, if one lives in a tourist-y area and does not work for the university or the medical center, than one will often needs to piece together several odd jobs in order to get what one needs. She has four different jobs that she is juggling--This week she is doing construction work. Yesterday she painted and learned to lay hardwood floors. She was hungry, tired and sore last night, but quite talkative about how she is going to spend her new wealth.

     This morning as I drove her to the job site, she sat quietly listening to her ipod when she grabbed her left earbud and pressed it into my right ear. She was sharing her music with me and I was amazed that she was listening to this . We drove up Rock Crusher Hill to the sounds of the London Bach Choir and the Rolling Stones singing 'You can't always get what you want' . It was a perfectly special moment that was soon interupted by the introductory words of "Oonter, gleeben, bobben, bloben," for the song Pretty Fly for a White Guy by the Offspring. I was going to negatively comment when I realized that on the job today she will be tormented by the sounds of my husband's preferred genre of music --- Country.

Rain

Today it rains. It is a good rain. I have taken many photos in the rain today. My feet are wet. The cows in Valle Crucis like the rain. Time to find a puddle.

Scary Pinball Chick

Maybe it is her blue hair and blue teeth that scare me--or else it is the impressive baseball pinstriped uniform that she wears as she visits the Queen's Palace---but she intrigues/worries me. She is my Scary Pinball Chick upon my D. Gottlieb Royal Guard pinball machine. Yep. In less than an hour I was able to score 3 free games. Ok, so all the games are free, but these were earned. The game is a 1968 machine. After several games I pulled myself away to look at the original schematics. It is an electrical-mechanical game and checking out it's guts is a marvel. I groove on the relays and switches. A few lightbulbs need changing on the headboard. The face is in excellent condition. As soon as I leave you I am going back downstairs to flip out!

I saw S. at the Winn Dixie this evening. Had a great grocery store convo about interesting women in the High Country. Alas, nobody is quite as interesting as my Scary Pinball Chick--I gotta know her story. Being a pinball graphics designer in 1968 must have been a cool job.

In any case, I promise a semi-rant on billboards soon. I noticed 2 more new billboards on Hwy 105 today. One w hich has now blocked a major view of the Watauga River near Valle Crucis. I have never bought a product or service because of an advertisement on a billboard that I recollect. I have never bought a car, chosen a log home, shopped a store, chosen an internet service, ate at a particular restaurant, gone to a particular tourist destination or gas station because a billboard persuaded me to do so. I have depended on directional signage on major U.S. highways for gas and food, but major purchases require a bit more of my attention than a billboard. Billboards piss me off. How 'bout you?

Fog rising

The site of fog rising (or burning off as some folks call it) is a particularly hopeful site each summer day here in Valle Crucis. I managed to squeeze in this shot before I was to go to an assignment at a sustainable farm on Dutch Creek Rd.

Today was hopeful in personal ways as well. I was able to run for the first time since I sprained my ankle on Monday. Despite warnings from everybody, I ran and all still feels great. I like to sweat. Additionally, I was treated to a semi-private cello concert on my deck. Eldest daughter performed for me as I cooked dinner. Tomorrow she leaves for a month at music camp . Youngest child is doing the jig as I type this.

Happiness is when the men in my life 'get me'. My father surprised me yesterday with a bag full of rolls of Chocolate Necco Wafers . He must have read my blog and honed in on this particularly sweet delight of mine. Now, if he'll also read that I am also partial to Sixlets as well. And,  my dear husband who can not keep a secret at all blurted out that he bought me a used pin ball machine. He intended to surprise me, but he gets so damned giddy with the thought of giving that he can't contain himself. In anycase, he can't remember the name of the machine or anything except that it is of a 1970's vintage. He is going to pick it up on Monday. Don't be surprised if I stop blogging temporarily so that I can connect with my inner pin ball wizard. I'll fill you in on the details when I know more....

In awe...

I bow down to book goddess SPF at Pagesturned because I will never possess her bookish talents. I'm not jealous because I can not be jealous of a gift that I simply do not possess. She reads many books and speaks intelligently about them.

P.S. SPF, if you are not a chic, so sorry. You left few clues...I hope you take no offense if I turn the page and find out otherwise. Heck, that is what retractions are for. Right?

***Pagesturned is authored by Susan***

Sun between trees

I've forgotten how much I enjoy having the girls not go to school. It means a reprise from the morning school routine. I now have a few extra moments to steal away into Valle Crucis to take photos. For example, this morning I drove to the bridge across the Watauga River Road bridge and saw the sun trying to break through the morning fog. Et voila! Here is the image.

A summer morning in the mountains

Camp Wanda

The tire is a remnant of Hurricane Ivan's visit to Valle Crucis Park. The turtle is just working on his tan. The Valle is in a full-fledged summer boogie. Ya gotta be here!

Harley and I enjoyed a romp in the park. Afterward, we stopped by to see Harley's new best friend Wanda  (the one on the right). She kept Harley while I was on vacation. For free and everything. Harley enjoyed playing with Wanda's dogs and going on daily walks. It was puppy camp for her. For me, knowing that Harley was safe and happy made my vacation that much sweeter.

Vacation Roundup

Melissa  asked for it so here it goes. My vacation favorites:

1. I made my nephew PeeDab smile 8 times in less than 6 hours. Yes, I counted. His Aunt Re Re must look quite funny. This photo of him is taken a wee bit too late to catch the full effect, but he was waking up happy from a nap.
2. For our 17th anniversary my husband took me to Le crepe en haute restaurant in Ormond Beach. I would provide a link but the restaurant does not have a website. It says that it is Zagat rated, but I can't find it anywhere. In any case, the food was excellent, the waitress was not. Doesn't matter though because I enjoyed my husband's company alot. He's a keeper.
3. BOOKS I READ: this item should be rated higher because I spent more time reading than most anything else. My vacation all-time favorite was The Kite Runner . A great story with additional bonuses. Surprisingly I also voraciously read Joyce Carol Oates' Big Mouth, Ugly Girl . I actually bought the book for my youngest. Oates also wrote this and Small Avalanches  for teenagers and thought that she would like her style as beach reads. Although Big Mouth is filled with typical teen angst, the plot is unusual. Youngest read it and I know she liked it but she wasn't in the mood to talk about it or anything for that matter. I also read The Speckled Monster . Good, good, good, if you are into the descriptions of pus and sores of the 18th century. I am. Not sorry. Last but not least I read Blowfly . Typical Patricia Cornwell. Escape in a grotesque way, I suppose. I share this fascination of diseases with Fred .
4. For archival purposes I loved the family boogie boarding times. The walks on the beach with my (gulp) Mother-in-law, and I appreciated the finer points of drinking Rhum taught to me by my husband.   Ta ta for now.

Leaving Florida

Going, going, gone from the tree-line rocket corridor of I-95. I escaped the state troopers this time as I blasted my way back home with youngest child asleep in the seat next to me. We are back. We are tired. And we are trying to re-assimilate. To quote a line from Eminem:"Back to reality, oops there goes gravity."

I'm a little poorer, yet richer none-the-less.

I'm filled up on hotdogs so,  if you will excuse me, I'm going to read your blogs now....I've gotta ketchup!