When I looked at the photos I took today, I noticed how Nathaniel’s shirt stole the show. He and I ran an errand in town, then walked along Richland Creek which runs through Waynesville. He jumped on the rocks near a tributary stream, stood beside a shallow area where it would be easy to wade, and agreed to pose at the overlook.
We had an exciting first for lunch. We went to a restaurant the very day it opened! Willie Brooks BBQ had been under construction for three months. It replaced a Mexican restaurant that son John $ and I went to once. Enough said. There had been a lot of activity the last few days, so John pulled in yesterday. A tiny sign said it would open the next day. The place was crawling with employees, all smiling and asking how we liked our food.
The afternoon’s activity was burning the Christmas tree, which had been lying in the burn pit. There is no ritual for this winter chore yet. Both Grandpa and grandson like to tend fires, so I called them pyromaniacs. They had smoky grins.
Mehrling Muse 
What an awesome day! So did you like the restaurant?
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We’ll go back in a few weeks. They ran out of the sauce John would have liked. My sandwich had two big blobs of fat. Unacceptable! The sides were good.
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Ugh fat gobs are the worst. Nice of you to give them a second chance:)
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You couldn’t miss that shirt if you tried to, it’s certainly bright.It certainly looks as though the meal is being enjoyed and I’m wondering if John and Nathaniel are trying to start their own BBQ fire down there.
xxx Mammoth Hugs Anne xxx
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John starts fires, but he doesn’t cook. He and Nathaniel enjoyed burning the tree.
xxx fiery hugs xxx
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I love red as it is my favorite color. It seems a nice sunny day in the mountains. Did you all like the BBQ ?
I enjoy your daily posts now. Good reading about your fun days.
Susie
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The BBQ place is not our favorite yet. We’ll give it another try. There are more things to write about with Nathaniel here!
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The red shirt is perfect for the surroundings! Love hearing about your road trips and your family Anne.
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We have enjoyed having Nathaniel here. Red shirt shots made a red-letter day.
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They turned out great!
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It’s illegal to burn trees here. Kind of makes me think of your two as rebels. 😊
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I’ll tell them they could be outlaws. We are out in the country, and we are allowed to burn if it isn’t dry and windy.
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The red shirt does steal the show! My husband would love the idea of burning the Christmas tree–he’s sad that we recently got a portable propane fire pit instead of burning fire wood wherever we go. He misses the element of starting a fire. When we lived in Florida, the city (Jacksonville) had a designated day for curb pick up for Christmas trees. They would be used to build up the beaches where erosion slowly withers them away. I hope you enjoyed your BBQ–those first impressions can make or break a place, that’s for sure.
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John loves to start fires, too. So do the grandsons. That’s great that used trees could be put to a good use in Jacksonville. We’re out in the country here and have to deal with trees ourselves. I hope the BBQ place takes off. It is the closest one to our house, and I would like it to be my favorite. I know I’m going to pick through the meat before putting sauce on the sandwich next time. I’m not going to chance getting a mouth full of fat.
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Your photos remind me of shots of cardinals in a winter scene. Spots of red among the various shades of gray! Let’s hope the restaurant works out. I never go the first month. They are still working bugs (not literally) out.
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You described it perfectly — Nathaniel’s shirt was like cardinals in winter. You are wise to wait a month before going to a new restaurant. We were so eager to go, and what could go wrong with a BBQ sandwich? I laughed that they are still working the un-literal bugs out.
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Beautiful pictures, Nathaniel is quite the model!
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It always helps to be tall and thin!
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Red is alwYs a good choice.it really soundslike you had a great day .😀
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Every day is a great day with grandson Nathaniel!
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And he is like you.the resemblance is incredible 😊
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He is much better looking than anyone on either side of our families.
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That red shirt sure draws your eye as soon as you look at the picture. That tasty looking burger draws my eye as well. 🙂
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Actually, it was barbecued pork, one of our favorites.
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Oh, I like that too, with some coleslaw piled under the bun lid. Sounds and looks yummy!
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You take slaw on barbecue for granted when you grow up in Tennessee. The new restaurant offered slaw as a side, not as an integral part of the sandwich.
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My mom and I used to like to get this wonderful cheese mini baguettes from a local produce market. They baked them every morning at around 10:00 a.m. but on Saturdays, if we had errands, we’d get there when they were freshly baked. A little crusty, cheesy and a garlicky, but not so much that people would run away from you. We’d split one on the way home and the other two, we’d get some lunch meat, and they were an Italian market, so made this awesome cole slaw with a tangy vinaigrette dressing. We’d pile that coleslaw on top of fresh veal bologna or mortadella – I am salivating while writing this now. So tasty and we were easy to please. Heaping slaw on BBQ pulled pork sounds delicious to me … have to have a big mouth to do that. I’ve never had a problem. 🙂
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I wonder if your mouth is as big as mine. I used to joke that my mouth was as big as Martha Raye’s. Martha died in 1994, so maybe you didn’t know her. Your Saturday treat sounds wonderful.
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I just Googled Martha Raye … the name sounded familiar, but I didn’t recognize her picture. My mouth is pretty big and I have TMJ but it doesn’t bother me in the least – no issues with headaches or jaw aches, but when I go to the dentist and open wide, the hygienist and dentist wince as my jaw pops! For that reason I never bit into an apple as I am worried I’ll knock something out of kilter, but eating a tall sandwich never was a problem. Those warm cheese sticks were to die for. One right now would suit me just fine.
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I’m pulling a blank on those initials. I’ll just call it Too Much Jawing.
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Oh, I haven’t seen the word written out for years … I had to Google it “temporomandibular disorder”. I’m lucky as some people have painful symptoms. I never had it until after I got braces on my teeth for an overbite – got rid of the braces after 3 long years – TMJ after that. That is your jawbone, the largest bone and it is where it attaches that is problematic. Mine only clicks … loudly!
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I’ve heard of others who have that.
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Me too but my dentist says I am lucky that I have no side effects except the popping – it is really loud. It only happens if I open my mouth very wide – a big yawn could do it as well.
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That is a bit amusing.
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Actually it is – I try not to “open wide” as I’m afraid my jaw might lock and get stuck that way. When I had braces, I had a full mouth of the metal braces and two headgear apparatuses – one to pull my teeth back and one to pull my teeth up … plus the rubberbands to help the headgear. I did not have to wear the headgear to school, just when home – good thing as it looked like I was wired to received AM and FM stations. I had the headgear off and was eating dinner over 4th of July weekend and my bottom and top braces got caught on one side and my father had to go in with the tin snips to cut the two wires. Lucky I had lots of wax to put on over the wires to keep from cutting my cheeks and tongue all up. I went to the orthodontist on the first business day after the holiday and he told me I was eating caramels and they stuck. I said I was not and it just happened – I got a long lecture for eating things I was not supposed to be eating but it really was not my fault. Orthodontist was a miserable man and I had braces on when I was older, and he treated me like a child. This was pretty funny now that I think of it, but wasn’t at the time. Maybe I can weave this into a blog post sometime. I had the most wonderful walk this morning – I saw a couple that I see walking from time to time, they were near me the “rat tree” … told them about it, could not find the rat … it was getting late as I was chatting with them and had to take the car for a spin, so I couldn’t look intensely – all trees kind of look alike right now. I have to look again next time – now they say we might have rain tomorrow morning, possible snow will be around Thursday morning, so may not make it back right away. So, now I have to find out if I just couldn’t see it this morning, or it is gone – so did a predator bird take it or did DPS come and get it by using a tall ladder or a bucket/cherry picker? Now must go back to work … a long document is now in two versions and I hope I see the end of it soon. 🙂
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Our grandson David had braces half his life by the time he was about 16. Once a rod came out of a tube while we were visiting our daughter 800 miles from home. He couldn’t eat at all. Luckily, an orthodontist put him back together the next day and didn’t charge anything! If there isn’t rain, we need another report from the rat tree, please.
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The metal braces back in the day are nothing like the modern ones now – they have improved so much and now just “dot” each tooth on the front and a thin wire, sometimes in back of the tooth, plus now they have the “invisalign” braces and no one sees them unless you are up close. I had the full metal braces where each one wrapped around each tooth. They pulled the wires once a month, redirected the rubber bands and changed the size of the rubber bands as well to coordinate with your treatment. Plus that awful headgear – two types … one to pull up the teeth and one to pull back the teeth … plus I had those big curlers in my head – slept with my head hanging over the side of the bed half the time. 🙂 I would have the orthodontist and one assistant with their rubber mallets working inside my mouth at the same time … I can remember coming home and eating a banana and soft as it was would hurt your teeth after they tightened the wires … it was like a key on a can of sardines the apparatus they used. Usually my mom would make mushy meals that night and next night … as for the rat, yesterday I took some pictures at the Park and was talking to another walker … a new walker, and mentioned the rat. I walked over with him to the tree area as I remembered where it was and couldn’t find it … now, right at this time in the Park, most of the trees look alike, and it is an area along the Creek’s edge. I looked and looked up in the trees and saw nothing, but I may have been a few trees down. I don’t know if I just missed it, was off base or it blew down, was taken down by DPS (doubt that) or another creature got it. I have to go back and look. This morning we are supposed to have rain and my taxes are ready to be picked up (dropped them off last Thursday) so I may zip over in the car and do that before the rain comes … it is a five-mile trip, too long to go during the week, as I have to walk along a busy street with lots of stoplight and they don’t open until 9:00 a.m.
So likely no walk this a.m., tomorrow morning is rain and Friday morning is snow. I will go back and peruse better on Saturday when I don’t have to watch the clock. When I showed the other walker on Monday, (the man who was walking near me), I was able to find the rat hanging in an instant. That makes me think it might be gone. I felt dumb yesterday as I said “look at this” and then couldn’t find it … I did take some photos of the big tree branch that fell down.
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I hope you will eventually find out what happened to the rodent. We didn’t walk today because of rain. Might be rained out again tomorrow.
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We never did get rain! I could have driven to the Park, walked, then driven to the tax office, especially since I got there and they couldn’t find my paperwork … the guy who did it yesterday does not start until 10:00 a.m., and they had to call him to ask him where he put it … didn’t get out of there til 9:30 a.m. I hope I find out as well – it is a great mystery. We are getting a gulley-washer starting at 3:00 a.m. and going all day until late afternoon when the snow begins. I would like to fast forward to April. I always like for it to rain in the afternoon and suspect you do too, so it does not spoil a walk.
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Yes, rain should be ordered for afternoon.
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My sentiments exactly! I also need to quit listening to the weatherman. I say I won’t do it anymore, then I go back to following their forecast, and, like this morning, they called for drizzle off and on all day, beginning with the a.m. drive-time. So, I was just going to go out and run the car and that’s it. We never got a drop of rain. Sorry that we’re having snow as everything is all clear and dry … they say it may not last long as it will be in the low 40s this weekend, but still messes up the Park path. Don’t want to wipe out, so unless it all melts, will stick close to home.
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We don’t make a final decision to call off our walk until we wake up. The weathermen get forecasts wrong far too often. Good luck with your snow.
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That is best and no more listening to them for me … I say that and then am following them the next day, but I do like to know what is going on … today as you’ll read in my blog which I posted late tonight (busy at work all day again – started earlier due to the incessant rain and we had a lot of things going on, including month end/sending out the invoices early in the month, hopefully Friday) and worked late. We had all that rain, it morphed into snow, still snowing and after 10:00 p.m. (late for me, I am usually in bed by 9:00 when possible) and icy tomorrow morning. I don’t know the total for the snow but at one time it was coming down one inch an hour. And it is heavy and wet snow. It was so clear and beautiful – hope it melts so I can resume the walking regimen again soon.
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That sounds like serious snow. We are having heavy wind and rain.
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That high wind is bad sometimes – there were 62,000 lost their power here in Michigan. It was a result of high winds and ice on the trees. We could have done without Mother Nature’s mischief.
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We’ve had lots of wind, but so far the power is still on. In NY we were the last area to be reconnected. We installed an automatic generator here in NC, and I think it has come on three times in three years. Overkill!
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My friend in NY has an automatic generator and her power is always going out … they have had significant snow and the wind is bad there too. They are all experiencing terrific wind gusts today … thankfully our weather is good today, but still worried about ice on the path at the Park, so just walked in the park near my house … in the snow. Tomorrow I will go and walk in the morning … if bad, will feed the squirrels and walk in the snow and off the path.
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You are as determined to walk as I am, maybe more so. I walked by myself this morning, because John was on the road. He and grandson David are headed home now.
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I am behind in reading Reader and comments -but I am uploading pictures to Shutterfly from today’s walk – Shutterfly is having issues, or perhaps it is me, because I only have three bars and usually have five bar in my wi-fi. I will be posting late tonight as I left late … yesterday I did a petite walk two blocks from the house as I, like you, was determined to get my walk in as it was sunny. Today, I left later, so that is why I am late as well. I figured I’d wait til it was above freezing, then not any ice worries. So, most of the pathway was okay, some places icy, so walked in the snow. But I wanted to tell you that there was no rat in the tree! Remember on Tuesday when I was down there I wanted to show someone and couldn’t find it? But, I was in a hurry as it was a work day and I’d been taking some pictures as well, but I was sure it was not there. So I looked today – gone! So, either it was real and a scavenging bird got it – there are many hawks and falcons at the Park, or it was fake and a scavenger bird grabbed it and had a big surprise – might have broken its beak trying to eat it if it was fake. I had a swan follow me up from the banks of the river and wish I had a video of it – that teaches me to learn how to use the video feature of the camera and be like you as your videos make your blog very interesting. He was coming at me and I tossed him peanuts – that stopped him. 🙂 Will be back later – hopefully to write a narrative and hope these pictures turn out well. I think I will be behind in Reader another day. Hope David and John are sitting having dinner with you.
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We all took naps today, David being the most serious sleeper. That means he will be wide awake when we are toddling off the bed.
That rat mystery keeps us wondering!
I’m still learning about videos. Somehow the setting got changed, and the last one I took was too huge to email. It helps that Logan likes to perform! I also found that the only place I know to edit clips is in the camera. When you have a chance, play with it and see if yours can be conquered.
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I should do it – it looks like you just hit the red button to record … the book looks daunting. Nothing came with the camera, so I had to look at the manual online. At the time (May 2015) I decided I was going to try to take pictures that were not all on “auto” but that doesn’t work on the fly with critters around. I took 129 pictures today and many are a blur as I can see the picture as the shutter goes off and the critter is out of the picture. Even the geese today – took about 12 shots as one would dip their head or look the other way – I got two geese, each looking the opposite way like they had a spat. Animals amuse me. You’re right – David will be all excited from the trip, and the sleep, and probably something sweet you made him and won’t sleep a wink. As to the rat mystery, we’ll never know, but it is nice to know it is missing … I can’t see a City DPS worker climbing up there to take it down – it has to be a bird dealt with it. I wish I remember what tree because maybe it is on the ground … or, on second thought, maybe I don’t want to look. Back to blog post, finished writing, now need to pick the pictures to go with it. I cut off part of the swans webbed foot, but he is so darn close up, I’ll use it anyway. Not a professional photographer, so we’ll just go with the flow.
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I wanted to do more than auto photos, too, but I’m usually in the middle of the action which won’t wait for a fiddly photographer.
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I know exactly what you mean Anne – I took 129 pictures at the Park and see how many I used – granted, some were duplicates, but others a goose turned the opposite way, a squirrel blitzed by me … the ducks disappeared out of the frame. No one wants to wait for a fiddly photographer, even humans. I have to post at Patch – I am way behind and it will take me a while to post on Patch because it is set up differently – it is a gallery of photos, so I have to post each one separately in the order that the story goes. I personally don’t think anyone reads them there, but I continue to post them. I can stay up later tonight – I went to bed about 7:30 last night! But if I stay up late tonight, when the alarm goes off, I will want to hit the snooze. Tomorrow is the last day of the week it will be nice – we will have off-and-on rain, or snow or blustery weather … probably no walk until next weekend, unless Mother Nature changes her mind.
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Great Shirt…it’s getting near dinnertime…reading about new restaurants is making me hungry.
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Mmm, nice red shirt! I am partial to red myself!
Re “John starts fires, but he doesn’t cook. He and Nathaniel enjoyed burning the tree.” – I just had a vision of Neanderthal men, going “Ugh! Me start fire! Woman, cook!” Lol. (Silly, cuz I know Nathaniel cooks magnificently!)
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I like your story line.
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