Blue Ridge blog

Driving the Viaduct

"Enough," he said.
My husband put down the sander and told me he was gonna take a shower and then asked if I would lay down the hoe and join him later for a Sunday drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
"Twist my arm some more or handcuff me please," I teased.
So at 4 o'clock today, we began our weekend of relaxation.
My husband raised the lid on his beloved '59 Ford Retract and we cruised to the sounds of nifty fifty tunes.
Tis the start of the Parkway season. The scent of wild roses, wild pink catawba rhodos contrast against the blue skies and the lush green mountains await visitors this week.
I saw many photo ops and plan to return soon for *cough* serious work.
May I suggest you come up here and play soon?
You'll thank me.

A Valle Crucis morning

I hope the cows who graze in this field appreciate the view.

To market, to market to buy fresh pork and some worms.

The Watauga County Farmer's Market was in full swing Saturday morning and I took a few dollars along with my Nikon camera to check things out. Going to market has become a tradition for many in the High Country as it is not only a place to find fresh and local goods but is a splendid place to interact with real live human beings instead of on Twitter and Facebook.
I didn't want to carry much photo gear, so the only lens I used was the Nikon 50 mm 1.4. I limited myself to shooting with the aperture wide open to shoot the flowers. You might say I like to shoot bouquets with plenty of bokeh. (Sorry, that is photo geek-y humor.)
I made a small album of images I ripped off my Facebook page.
What did I buy at the market? This time I was so busy shooting and visiting with friends and neighbors, I walked out with  a bag of 400 red wiggler worms, a pound of Charles Church port and a belly filled with a shot of wheatgrass juice. Next time, I'm hitting the coffee and goat cheese!

 

The rhodos on campus are bloomin' awesome...

Isabel's Restaurant in Ashe County, NC

 

"I have an Isa-belly," my buddy Troy said as he burped, rubbed his tummy and walked out of Isabel's restaurant this afternoon.
I have heard tale of this spectacular Latin-American lunch destination over the years, but because it is on a road to no place in particular, it took an assignment in nearby Crumpler for me to hunt it down.
Isabel Tome is the cafeteria's owner/chef/server. The building's ambiance is spartan, but is clean and the ethnic and savory home cooking exceeds anything found in the 5 surrounding counties.
It is that good.
Isabel cooks 3 meats and several sides dishes every day. When the food runs out, she closes her door. And I've heard the food is so good that it frequently runs out.
Locals eat here. For $8.50 you get your choice of 2 meats and 3 veggies and have access to the latin inspired salad and dessert bar. Drinks cost extra.
Rumor has it that Isabel is a retired transplant from southern Florida where she was a private chef for the wealthy. I have no clue if this is true, but as she was plating my chicken enchiladas, latin meatballs, black beans w/rice and boiled cabbage today, she smiled and talked with me about the spices in the food.
"If you don't like things hot, don't try the enchiladas. They aren't hot, but do have more heat than usual," she advised. She added an extra slice of pork tenderloin with burgundy sauce to my plate.
"You should try this" she winked.
It's obvious she enjoys pleasing patrons with her culinary talents.
Troy and I sat in a booth and in disbelief at our good fortune, stared at the plates.
In silence we contemplated our happiness at the simplicity of perfectly prepared food.
Then, we thanked god Isabel hadn't run out of food on the day of our visit.
What a bummer of suck that would have been...

Note: Google searches for Isabel's restaurant tend to be incorrect since she moved to a new space in 2008. Her restaurant is currently on Hwy 16N heading towards Mouth of Wilson, VA from Jefferson, NC, but is before Shatley Springs, NC.
My best directions are from Boone: Take Hwy. 221 towards W. Jefferson. Bypass W. Jefferson and take Hwy 88 past Jefferson (heading south & east). Past Jefferson, take Hwy 16N (on left). Go 3 miles and Isabel's will be on the right. The cafeteria hours are wonky. Most days she is open from 11-3 and she is open for dinner occasionally.
It is best to call to make sure she is open or to inquire about menu options.

Caring for baby

I spy

It is spring, at for least today

I'm being a slacker with this post but I am delightfully busy, yet wanted to give you a glimpse of the blooming dogwoods. I took this image while standing under the tree right across from the Valle Crucis Conference Center.

More later, I promise.

Dear Mom,

I didn't pick these flower for you, but I did photograph them with you in mind.
They are your favorite color.
I let them blossom because they seemed to be so happy to do so. Just like you have always encouraged me to do.
While chasing Annie through the woods, I noticed this little patch of dwarf iris wedged between fallen logs so I hiked back to the house to retrieve my camera gear.
The area to the left, right, up and down, are all scarred from logging, but this is a sweet spot in my world which naturally made me think of you.

I love you, Mom.

Fleeting..

I was searching for dogwoods and instead, found a rainbow. Looks like the pot of gold is smack dab in the middle of Valle Crucis Park. No surprise here. As I crossed the Watauga River bridge today, I noticed a woman in the middle of the road. I wondered for a moment what she was doing.
Did she need help?
I looked in the direction she was staring.
Whoa! Rainbow!
I braked, backed up my Jeep, pressed my hazard button, grabbed my camera and tumbled down the side of the mountain to capture this image. Oh yeah, I also bellied 'neath the electric fence. The rainbow was fading so I only managed a couple of shots before it became history. With muddied jeans and soggy shoes I crawled up the grassy slope and dearly hoped the photo would show how fun the moment was.

On the homefront:
My youngest daughter returned home this evening. We visited on the deck for about an hour before her 'home friends," caught wind of her arrival. Her cell phone went wild and it wasn't 30 minutes later before she asked if she could leave for the evening.
Oh how the glorious, colorful rainbows are fleeting...

**I changed photos on this post. I like this shot better.**