As I've mentioned before in this blog, my mother and stepfather own a mountain cabin up in Ashe County, near Jefferson and West Jefferson, and Barry and I own a small adjacent, undeveloped property. We enjoy spending time up there, mostly unplugged (there's no internet or cell phone signal) breathing the mountain air, feeding and watching wildlife, hiking, and doing yard maintenance. Well, maybe that last part isn't quite so enjoyable, but we always feel good after it's done! It had been a full year since anyone had gotten up there due to winter weather and spring/summer illnesses and injuries, so we were anxious to head up and check on things, plus enjoy some fall foliage along the way. My brother Adam always visits in October for this very reason, so once we knew that Dal was well enough to make the trip, it was a go. Our trip was cut short by one day due to the freak storm-related power outage in Hickory (see my previous post), so a day later than planned, we packed the car to the brim with our luggage and the food Mom had prepared in advance, since we'd be arriving to an empty fridge, and drove on up. Along the way we saw plenty of tree damage from the storm in Catawba and Alexander Counties; in fact, we had to take a detour and go through a couple of one-lane areas in Alexander County, where the damage was especially widespread. Crews were out in force cleaning up downed trees and branches and restoring power to those who had been without for a couple of days. Once past all that, though, the mountains were unscathed, as they missed out on the severe storm, and the foliage, later than usual this year, started getting colorful. We pulled over at Dal's favorite viewing spot way up high for some lovely views. Unfortunately the clouds kept it from being quite as magnificent as it could have been, but it was still very nice indeed. And chilly! The temperature had been falling steadily as we gained in altitude, and the wind was blowing. But the views were worth shivering for.
Here is "The Folly", nestled in the pines... ...with a lovely view of the New River. The image below looks out over the property Barry and I own, which is kept unmowed, providing the perfect habitat for wildlife, like the deer that hide in the brush. Here's another view of our undeveloped lot, looking from the river back up towards the road, with the Folly on the very right side of the shot. We would only be able to stay for two nights, so Adam and I made the most of our only full day by taking a hike up a very steep mountainside road to enjoy the serenity, views, and foliage. We were lucky enough to flush out a couple of deer as we ascended, but other than wildlife, we didn't see another soul. Bliss! I also enjoyed a solo walk down the road to check out some of the other properties along the way. This has been one of my favorite cabins for quite some time. It's so charming with its rough-hewn beams and chinking and has a great view overlooking the river. One of the neighbors had a nice garden and grew some amazing gourds this year. The day was so beautiful I had to stop along the road for a selfie! Back to Hickory.All too soon it was time to pack back up and head back down the mountain to Hickory. Before leaving, I filled the many bird feeders to overflowing and put down field corn for the deer, so I am sure the wildlife were as happy as we were that we finally came back for a long-overdue visit. Last but not least of our excellent adventures, on my final night in Hickory, we had such a fun time with good friends Karen and Carl. They are always a blast to be around. We started with drinks at Mom and Dal's, then moved onto an Irish pub nearby for dinner. Lots of laughs and silliness ensued, and I found a new favorite brew, the hilariously named Ass Clown Orange Citrus IPA, made right in Cornelius, NC! I only wish Barry could have been there to join in on the fun. It was a great visit and so good to see everyone! Mom outdid herself with the food, Dal was doing so much better, and it was excellent to catch up with Adam. But it was getting really chilly -- time for this winter wimp to hightail it back to the Sunshine State!
4 Comments
Adam
11/13/2017 01:25:33 pm
Great job Em, love all the photos!
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Emily
11/13/2017 04:08:49 pm
Thanks, Ad! It sure was a fun time, and we really lucked out with the foliage. So glad we got to do it.
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Sabrina
11/16/2017 12:26:05 pm
Beautiful colors. Lovely views.
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Barb
11/28/2017 01:38:13 pm
Fun to see pictures of your family. I feel like I know you all!!
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Emily & BarryWe're a long-married, early-retired couple who are currently traveling as nomads with no fixed home base. After years of living in North Carolina (Emily's home state), we spent 18 months living oceanfront on Ambergris Caye, Belize, a year road-tripping the US in a Honda CR-V, a year in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are now roaming North America in our 32' motorhome, Pearl, following warm weather whenever possible. Archives
July 2019
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