We are celebrating our first Thanksgiving in Durham, NC with Meg and Rusty and Rusty’s parents, Gwen and Pepper. As Gwen and Pepper were making their way from Greensville, SC to Durham Meg and I were running the Gallop and Gorge, Thanksgiving Day 8k run in Carrboro. Meg’s NY Marathon gang of Noel, Kelly, Allison, and Kiyah, joined us for the run. It was my first organized run since my ankle surgery in 2005 and it went well.
After the run we showered and headed for Durham to greet Gwen and Pepper on their arrival. It was the first time Suzy and I had met Rusty’s parents and had a great opportunity to get to know them. We found we had so much in common other then raising two wonderful children. Meg and Rusty had organized a great feast and included us all in the preparation. Too much good food to mention.
The next day we met the gang in Carrboro for some coffee, antiquing, then out to the fifth wheel for Thanksgiving leftovers. Wonderful weather and lots of leaves on the ground made a nice picture. On Saturday we all drove up to Linconton, NC to visit the Labrador breeder where Rusty and Meg had the tough task of picking one puppy out of two litters totaling 14 puppies. As they tried to concentrate and rate puppies the puppy "grandparents to be" enjoyed playing with the puppies and their parents on the beautiful farm. We took a break for some true Carolina Barbeque (vinegar sauce) and then back to the farm for the final pick. They were all so cute, I am glad I didn’t have to choose. Little David had his toe nail painted to mark him for when Rusty and Meg return to pick him up next weekend.
The weather all weekend was just super ending up on Sunday with temps in the high sixties making a great fall bike ride possible. We look forward to spending Christmas in Greensville, SC with Gwen and Pepper and the “kids” prior to hitting the road as we head south to Florida.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Shaconage
The Cherokees named these mountains shaconage meaning blue like smoke. We thought the Smokey Mountains was a better name I guess. I like shaconage, but then again I like Denali in Alaska better then Mt. McKinley. We Americans seem to be famous for renaming. Saw this in Europe over and over, the most famous being Cologne which is not even close to the German Koln. Anyway enough said about renaming.
The Smokeys are the most visited National Park in America, far outnumbering the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. A ranger told us it was because there is such a large population here in the east. Not sure that is it totally. I think all the tourist oriented strip malls outside the park bring them in. Anyway, now is the time to have the park to yourself. Wonderful roads climbing from the entrance at 2,000 feet to over 5,000 where Suzy and I started hiking on the AT (Appalachian Trail). We decided not to do all 2,174 miles of the AT today so we did 5. The AT winds some 70 miles through the park and is the border line between Tennessee and North Carolina. I have no idea how many times we crossed and recrossed the border in our five mile hike. We did ride the beginning 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway also. We had done the first 100 miles of the northern end late in October. Some genius had so much foresight in putting these roads in. What an amazing ride without any signs or businesses or anything except you and the views.
We loved the trees in the Smokeys, I am sure that is why they are called the Great Smokeys. 85% of the NP was formerly owned by the timber companies and 65% of that was logged but it still leaves some old growth. Majestic stands of Fraser Fir, red spruce, maples, basswood, yellow buckeye, Carolina silver bell, beech, yellow birch, yellow poplar, magnolia, hickory, eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood (Carolina state tree), eleven species of oak and five species of pine all make up one of the world’s most diverse plant communities. And throughout it all was our favorite NW wild rhododendrons. They were everywhere and thriving. Getting 55 inches of rainfall annually is probably the main reason for the rhodies success.
So its back to Chapel Hill today to settle in for another spell. Have to admit it took a small stick of dynamite to pry Suzy out for this trip. She is liking staying in one spot for an extended period. Can't let her roots get too deep or we will never get to Florida in January.
The Smokeys are the most visited National Park in America, far outnumbering the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. A ranger told us it was because there is such a large population here in the east. Not sure that is it totally. I think all the tourist oriented strip malls outside the park bring them in. Anyway, now is the time to have the park to yourself. Wonderful roads climbing from the entrance at 2,000 feet to over 5,000 where Suzy and I started hiking on the AT (Appalachian Trail). We decided not to do all 2,174 miles of the AT today so we did 5. The AT winds some 70 miles through the park and is the border line between Tennessee and North Carolina. I have no idea how many times we crossed and recrossed the border in our five mile hike. We did ride the beginning 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway also. We had done the first 100 miles of the northern end late in October. Some genius had so much foresight in putting these roads in. What an amazing ride without any signs or businesses or anything except you and the views.
We loved the trees in the Smokeys, I am sure that is why they are called the Great Smokeys. 85% of the NP was formerly owned by the timber companies and 65% of that was logged but it still leaves some old growth. Majestic stands of Fraser Fir, red spruce, maples, basswood, yellow buckeye, Carolina silver bell, beech, yellow birch, yellow poplar, magnolia, hickory, eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood (Carolina state tree), eleven species of oak and five species of pine all make up one of the world’s most diverse plant communities. And throughout it all was our favorite NW wild rhododendrons. They were everywhere and thriving. Getting 55 inches of rainfall annually is probably the main reason for the rhodies success.
So its back to Chapel Hill today to settle in for another spell. Have to admit it took a small stick of dynamite to pry Suzy out for this trip. She is liking staying in one spot for an extended period. Can't let her roots get too deep or we will never get to Florida in January.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Checking In
Its been ten days since my last blog. This settling in and living a bit less nomadically is slowing the blogging progress. We love our little RV park in the countryside outside Chapel Hill. It is so quiet and full of trees and squirrels. And I thought with all the squirrel recipes in the south that there would be a shortage of the fuzzy buggers. Even jet can’t seem to scare them away. I am still waiting for Jet to figure out that they climb trees. Right now he is just darned confused on how they disappear so fast.
We had the remnants of Ida in the form of a tropical storm land on us and it did a lot of road damage on the Outer Banks where we were supposed to be last week. We kept postponing and finally decided to drive over to Asheville, NC in the Smoky Mountains while the Outer Banks got back to normal.
Love this area of NC, with lots of forests and little logging towns. Asheville is a jewel of city in the mountains and overloaded with great art and people. It is 74 here today and sunny. Unheard of at this time of the year. Weather supposed to get back to normal soon. In the meantime we will enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the herd of elk that have recently been reintroduced here.
Meg leaves for Chile tomorrow so we won’t see her for a week when we get back to Chapel Hill. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, when Rusty’s folks join us. Will be nice to get to know them. There is another new addition to the family scheduled for early December. This time it is lab puppy David joining Meg and Rusty. Rufus joined Tate and Jeff early last summer so as far as grandpuppys go, we are doing really good. It seems like all of Meg’s friends here in Chapel Hill have little babies. She accuses me of being more gaga over babies right now then Suzy. Hard to believe, maybe I will get a puppy to get over the baby wanta be in me.
We had the remnants of Ida in the form of a tropical storm land on us and it did a lot of road damage on the Outer Banks where we were supposed to be last week. We kept postponing and finally decided to drive over to Asheville, NC in the Smoky Mountains while the Outer Banks got back to normal.
Love this area of NC, with lots of forests and little logging towns. Asheville is a jewel of city in the mountains and overloaded with great art and people. It is 74 here today and sunny. Unheard of at this time of the year. Weather supposed to get back to normal soon. In the meantime we will enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the herd of elk that have recently been reintroduced here.
Meg leaves for Chile tomorrow so we won’t see her for a week when we get back to Chapel Hill. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, when Rusty’s folks join us. Will be nice to get to know them. There is another new addition to the family scheduled for early December. This time it is lab puppy David joining Meg and Rusty. Rufus joined Tate and Jeff early last summer so as far as grandpuppys go, we are doing really good. It seems like all of Meg’s friends here in Chapel Hill have little babies. She accuses me of being more gaga over babies right now then Suzy. Hard to believe, maybe I will get a puppy to get over the baby wanta be in me.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Settling In the Triangle, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill
A new phase in the loop trip of the U.S. for Tom and Suzy; stopping for two months.
We think we are going to enjoy this break for many reasons. First and foremost, being able to do some bonding with Meg and Rusty. After years of just seeing Meg at Christmas or for a week in summer this will be nice to have relaxed time together. And also we will be getting the time to get to know Rusty better. Plus getting to hear his band play, take bike rides with him, and watch some college games to name just a few. This should be a great holiday season. Rusty’s folks are coming for Thanksgiving and I think we are going up to Greenville to share Christmas with them.
We have already shared some of Meg's great cooking which I am sure Suzy enjoys over my predictable fare. I have already been on a great run with Meg and Rusty and Jet and Barley. Another planned for Saturday and then the Carrboro farmers market to follow that. Next week, Suzy and I are going out to the Outer Banks for five days. Then back to our little forest setting RV spot to enjoy more of the Durham, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh area.
Life is good.
We think we are going to enjoy this break for many reasons. First and foremost, being able to do some bonding with Meg and Rusty. After years of just seeing Meg at Christmas or for a week in summer this will be nice to have relaxed time together. And also we will be getting the time to get to know Rusty better. Plus getting to hear his band play, take bike rides with him, and watch some college games to name just a few. This should be a great holiday season. Rusty’s folks are coming for Thanksgiving and I think we are going up to Greenville to share Christmas with them.
We have already shared some of Meg's great cooking which I am sure Suzy enjoys over my predictable fare. I have already been on a great run with Meg and Rusty and Jet and Barley. Another planned for Saturday and then the Carrboro farmers market to follow that. Next week, Suzy and I are going out to the Outer Banks for five days. Then back to our little forest setting RV spot to enjoy more of the Durham, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh area.
Life is good.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monticello
Thomas Jefferson’s home or Ben Franklin’s was the question I was asking myself after leaving Monticello. The home was so full of little inventions that you had to wonder if Jefferson was reading Franklin’s email. Clocks that told the day, dials that carried wind direction to the patio, dumbwaiters for wine, the first storm windows, plants that were hybridized like 33 kinds of peas, a book stand that kept five books open to the last read page, the first use of decks attached to houses, and dueling pens that automatically made a copy of everything written all indicated the author of the Declaration of Independence was more a tinker then most realize.
Monticello is located on top of large hill outside Charlottsville, VA. Jefferson built this house to his own specs and called it his “essay”. He retired here and lived his last 17 years here and ironically died here 50 years to the day from his Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson’s trademark views on freedom and independence are a bit clouded by the remnants of the slave quarters on his property. He never did release a single slave during his lifetime but long pondered how he could. It was obvious that his large plantation might become rundown without the help of all the slaves. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation does recognize that TJ fathered at least one child with a slave, this happening ten years after his wife died.
Despite the hypocrisy of his views on freedom and slavery, he was THE voice for separation of church and state and wrote the Virginia state articles on this separation that were modeled by others. As our third president, Jefferson certainly had a great track record however he did not list the presidency as one of his three life accomplishments that he had put on his headstone. All in all, he was a significant person in our country’s early history and set the bar for many ideals.
We are off for the Blue Ridge Parkway running along the Blue Ridge Mountains today. Too far to make Ashville in one day but the weather is supposed to clear so it should be another beautiful day of driving. Nice to not have a schedule and be able to go as far and stay as long as we like. Probably never be another time like this in our lives.
We are looking forward to landing in Durham later this week or weekend and setting stakes in the ground for TWO months. What will that be like? Look forward to time with Meg and Rusty and getting into a bit of a routine. Not that traveling the country isn’t a routine of its own.
Monticello is located on top of large hill outside Charlottsville, VA. Jefferson built this house to his own specs and called it his “essay”. He retired here and lived his last 17 years here and ironically died here 50 years to the day from his Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson’s trademark views on freedom and independence are a bit clouded by the remnants of the slave quarters on his property. He never did release a single slave during his lifetime but long pondered how he could. It was obvious that his large plantation might become rundown without the help of all the slaves. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation does recognize that TJ fathered at least one child with a slave, this happening ten years after his wife died.
Despite the hypocrisy of his views on freedom and slavery, he was THE voice for separation of church and state and wrote the Virginia state articles on this separation that were modeled by others. As our third president, Jefferson certainly had a great track record however he did not list the presidency as one of his three life accomplishments that he had put on his headstone. All in all, he was a significant person in our country’s early history and set the bar for many ideals.
We are off for the Blue Ridge Parkway running along the Blue Ridge Mountains today. Too far to make Ashville in one day but the weather is supposed to clear so it should be another beautiful day of driving. Nice to not have a schedule and be able to go as far and stay as long as we like. Probably never be another time like this in our lives.
We are looking forward to landing in Durham later this week or weekend and setting stakes in the ground for TWO months. What will that be like? Look forward to time with Meg and Rusty and getting into a bit of a routine. Not that traveling the country isn’t a routine of its own.
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