54th Wedding Anniversary

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I did not realize our wedding anniversary fell on Flag Day until we had been married several years. A presidential proclamation established June 14 as Flag Day in 1916, and it was established by an Act of Congress in 1946. It is not a federal holiday. That means no one gets the day off; therefore, there are no parades or big sales. Towns often put flags out on the main street, and that is what we saw this year. John usually decorates the front of our house. I caught him as he was putting a letter in our mailbox to be picked up.

061418 John at our mailbox on Flag Day.jpg

A number of people called and sent messages to notice our day. There is a photo of one of them – David and John listening to Nathaniel. We asked about his last day of school. Years ago, when he began wearing a suit to school every day, he declared that he would wear shorts on the last day of high school. As we spoke, David pulled up his picture on Instagram that showed him wearing a red shirt.

061418 David JC talking to N about last day of school.JPG
Talking to grandson Nathaniel as David shows his brother’s photo on Instagram

We wanted to know, “Did people notice that you weren’t wearing a suit?”

Nathaniel replied, “They didn’t realize it was me unless I called out their names in the hall!”

Our celebration was spending a day in the mountains. John consulted the waterfalls book and listed several we might see. David checked out the first one, calling back for me not to go down the path. He brought back photos on his phone, so we would know what we missed. I didn’t take any photos of my favorite one, because I have so many. We went on to Pisgah Inn, a restaurant and motel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. David was our official photographer for the day, taking this shot on the deck as we waited for a window table to be free.

061418 John Anne at Pisgah Inn.JPG

The left-handers sat together, so I took a picture of John and David at the table. They ordered roast chicken in a spinach wrap, and I had a crab cake sandwich. We split two desserts – key lime pie and chocolate silk pie.

061418 John David at Pisgah Inn.JPG

As we left the restaurant, an emergency vehicle went past quietly. We caught up to it at the Looking Glass overlook, our destination. John read that there was a great swimming place across the road. The book said the path had steps, but we didn’t realize its rating was 5. We found out quickly that the path was as difficult as one we encountered the last time we hiked to some falls. There were rocks and roots in the steep places. After a bit, a hiker came toward us and said a woman had hurt her leg. I assumed she had fallen in the water, so we continued on. The path did not get any better. A bunch of men came from the overlook wearing huge backpacks of emergency equipment and a stretcher on two wheels like a bicycle. Another hiker told us the woman had fallen about the time we sat down to our leisurely lunch, so she had been waiting for hours by this time. We sat on rocks when we realized the rescue was taking place over the next steep hill, not down by the water. One of the EMS people came back to tell us that it was going to take a long time. We started the trek back, very thankful I was not the one lying on the path. You can be sure I took my time going back. Waiting at the overlook were a fire truck, an ambulance, and vehicles that rescuers had come in.

We had not stopped where the road crossed the stream above Sunburst Falls before. It was too steep for me to get down to the water. Nimble-as-a-goat David leaped down to explore and took a photo of me standing on the road.

061418 D pic AM on road above stream near Lake Logan.jpg

It was after 6 pm when we stopped at the last falls on the list. John read that it was a scramble the first few feet, and then the trail followed an old logging railroad bed. David again scouted the terrain, saying he thought Grandpa could make it, but I’d better stay in the car. I was very happy to read the newspaper in the fading light. John probably enjoyed walking along the old railroad, and David brought back photos of the falls. John said the trek was challenging. I suspect we are going to read between the lines the next time we plan a waterfall expedition.

Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

Published

71 thoughts on “54th Wedding Anniversary”

    1. We had a lovely day. During lunch, we watched rain fall on a valley two ridges away, while we stayed dry. We got hot on the medium-level hiking trail. Air conditioning took care of that until we cooled off.

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    1. We go to the Pisgah Inn about once a year. I didn’t look this time. I think they have a nice web site. The menu is limited, but we’ve always enjoyed our choices. The desserts we’ve had were beautiful and delicious. I hope you go and have a wonderful meal.

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    1. We live in a valley with lots of people, so going to the mountains for us is a ride on the parkway or a visit to Smoky Mountains National Park. This park has the highest attendance of all national parks in the US!

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      1. Been there a couple times as a kid(had to have one of those stuffed black bears with a red leash) and once as an adult. It would be so nice to live close there- you could go when it wasn’t full of tourists!

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        1. I was in the area as a child, and I had a metal bracelet as a souvenir. It left black marks on my arm. Come to think of it, maybe that was when I was branded! The mountains put their mark on me, and I finally made it here to live.

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  7. It sounds like you had a very special day – a very rigorous trip in parts, so yes, luckily you were not horizontal on the path. I like the picture of you and John – very nice, including the background. I also like John’s flag shirt for Flag Day.

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          1. I’ve got a dog with a 4th of July pic on it – I would have to take a picture of the shirt though to have it on a blog post. I tried a couple of times to take a selfie with the camera, but I looked like I was star gazing and the photo was taken from below instead of head on. Must practice more.

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  9. Waterfall visiting- what a great way to spend an anniversary. I am sure you saved cake cutting for another day.
    The woman who got hurt incident seems scary- I hope she is ok. I wonder how she managed to ask for help.
    The photo of you on the bridge looking down at the water is amazing.
    Are the paths to the water falls, mossy and slippery ? How do people fall ?
    Susie

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    1. There were swimmers coming and going on the trail where the woman hurt her leg. We had no idea it was such a busy place. David took the photo of me on the bridge. That stream is beautiful. The trail to the waterfall was not slippery that day, but it would be if rain had fallen. Rocks jut out of the ground at funny angles, and roots make a mess of the walkway. You’d rarely take two steps on the same level. It would be easy to slip on a loose rock, turn your ankle by stepping wrong on a root, or get your foot wedged. My shoe was caught under a rock, but luckily I kept my balance. On that rough trail, it’s amazing more people don’t fall.

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      1. I wonder then, why they don’t make the paths more walk worthy- do they think to leave things as they are is more natural ?
        For the experience ?

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        1. It’s a national park, so they don’t add a lot of improvements. Many love challenging hikes, but some of us shouldn’t use those trails. An accident could happen so unexpectedly.

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  12. congratulations! I will remember your anniversary for it is Brant’s birthday too! Now you are still hiking . . .wow! and in the Mountains!! wow again! Thank you for the beautiful pictures you share. and Godspeed in your adventures!

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    1. I hike by accident! Twice now I’ve been on a trail rated 5, moderate. It’s immoderate for me, although I did go as far as John and David. I could not have done it without their steadying help. I’ve had both my knees replaced and do not have the agility I once had. The knees did very well. I had no pain or swelling after those hikes. That’s a miracle in itself.

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  13. From Mary Agnes and the Rooster, a very Happy Anniversary. We shall hit 53 years come November, the Lord willing of course. While in CT we ventured to numerous falls in the White and Green Mts. So much more limber we were back then. Now, it’s five minutes of exercise just to be able to walk after exiting the car from a two hour ride. The flag flies 24/7 on the Roosters hutch, every day is Flag Day. As you watch your mountains, we listen to the corn grow.

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    1. Thank you. Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. Do you have any idea what level your hikes were in the mountains? If I ever go on a “5” again, I’m taking my cane and putting it in low gear. I know what you mean about trying to walk after being in the car two hours. When we got back from our anniversary hike, I had a spasm in one leg and couldn’t walk for agonizing minutes. That’s great that you fly a flag. We do, too, from the front porch. Your hearing must still be good if you listen to the corn grow.

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    1. We were on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Looking Glass overlook. The trail is just across the parkway. I believe it was about 1/3 mile long, though we didn’t make it to the place where people swim. A few weeks ago we were near Robinsville and hiked to Yellow Creek Falls.

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  18. Aww! Wonderful! Happy Anniversary a bit belated! I love that photo with the scenery behind you both, Anne, so beautiful. The water and that bridge, How wonderful! I will be married just 16 years this year, I felt amazed at it, but now I have a lovely new goal to aim for…well done. ❤

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  19. We like to do waterfalls too and just went to Sunburst Falls (post “It is well with my soul”) and I think you may be standing on Triple Arch bridge over the river. I wonder if we’re following the same book? I’ve learned as much as I’ve like to see some of the falls, if Kevin Adams says they’re a 10…. they are probably something I can’t do. I hope the person who fell is okay. I worry about needing help at some point and most of the time we have no cell service. Happy Anniversary ~

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    1. Oh! You are a kindred spirit! Thanks for commenting. I read your post “It is well with my soul”. That’s the area we were looking at on Thursday. We have the third edition of Kevin Adams’ North Carolina Waterfalls. We were trying to get to Skinny Dip Falls when we turned back because of the injured woman on the trail. This was a level 5 hike, which really stretches me. My knees were replaced a few years ago, and I’m obese. I will NEVER go on a trail rated more than 5.

      I love many of the same things you do — chocolate, cats, waterfalls, Jesus, photography (only amateur), naps, and autumn.

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  25. Wishing you both a very Happy 54th Anniversary!! Wonderful post and photos … the desserts sound delicious! I’ve just discovered Key Lime Pie – yummy!

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  28. How lovely to spend your anniversary with your beloved, outdoors in the fine early-summer weather! So nice!! Glad you were careful on the trek though!!

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  29. Congrats! We only made it to our 50th before his days were over. Please continue to love and care for each other . We all have numbered days and we just don’t know when ours is called.

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    1. That’s great that you made it to 50 years. We depend on each other so much that it is going to be a hard blow when one of us dies. We laugh about it, telling each other not to be the first to go.

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              1. I told my mother one day, after a really bad day, if something didn’t happen pretty soon I won’t be here. Then what will they do?
                ( sometime my dad gets reakky ugly to deal with)

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  30. Pingback: 54th Wedding Anniversary — Mehrling Muse | By the Mighty Mumford

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