Connemara with Gerhard

Our outing for the day was going to Connemara, Carl Sandburg’s home for the last 22 years of his life. Grandson David and friend Gerhard paused near the parking lot to read the first informative board.

052819 1 Gerhard David with Sandburg info.JPG

Near that sign, John chatted with an older man who saw Sandburg occasionally. He and his brother could not drink cow’s milk, so they came regularly to buy goat’s milk. Mrs. Sandburg had a herd of prize goats that supplied their need. The man said when they didn’t see Sandburg, they often heard him singing as he strummed his guitar in the house.

John and I toured the house last year after major maintenance projects were done. Pictures had not been rehung, and the furniture was not all in place. We were happy to see everything now back in order. The docent told us Mrs. Sandburg moved to Asheville after Sandburg died. She wanted to leave a legacy of her husband and sold the house and grounds to the National Park Service. She sold her goats, and she and her daughter packed their clothes, leaving almost everything else behind. The house is basically just as it was when our Poet Laureate died. He had three Pulitzer Prizes, two for poetry and one for his biography of Lincoln.

The Sandburgs had quite different schedules. He wrote into the wee hours of the morning, whereas she was up early to manage her goats. We saw her office, filled with filing cabinets of records for all the goats she had owned. They always had dinner together and exchanged news of their day. The docent made it easy to imagine daily life in the Sandburg household. He met a grandson himself, who recounted the time he dropped a cat down the stairwell to see if it would land on its feet. Both cat and boy survived.

After leaving the house, we went to the barn. We knew the park service searched the records and bought back some of the goats. All of them on the farm are descendants of Mrs. Sandburg’s herd. We enjoyed the house tour and delighted in the goats. Most of my photos were taken in the barn, as we petted the extremely friendly animals. Gerhard, John, and David stood with the red farm buildings. David agreed to pose as a goat. The little goat on the ground near me had surgery a few days before to remove an extra eyelid. There was a sock-like dressing over his head.

052819 3 Gerhard JC D at Sandburg goat farm

We had lunch in an Irish pub in Hendersonville before driving home on the Blue Ridge Parkway. John drove us to Looking Glass Falls, where Gerhard and David walked down the steps near the falls. By enlarging the photo, I can spot David’s maroon shirt on the lower right side of the picture. Gerhard, wearing a white shirt, is next to him.

052819 7 Looking Glass Falls Gerhard with David in red shirt.JPG — Looking Glass Falls

To make it easy for your eyes, I’ve included a photo of the two of them with the falls in the background.

052819 8 David Gerhard at Looking Glass Falls.JPG

We went on to Sunburst Falls, my favorite. Gerhard, David and I got out to see the falls up close. I restrained myself from taking a photo, since I already have so many. I did have one last photo of Gerhard on the spot where he took photos of the mountains at Pisgah Inn.

052819 9 Gerhard at Pisgah.JPG — I love watching shadows move across the mountains.

Cataloochee Valley

The rough, twisting road to Cataloochee Valley begins about three miles from our home. The valley is the place to see elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, if you happen to be there at the right time. We stopped to read information about the area and posed at my favorite lookout point.

One of the buildings left from the abandoned community was the picturesque little chapel. Inside, friend Rose pretended to preach.

052719 Rose pretending to preach at Cataloochee chapel

Inside one of the old houses, $ struck up a conversation with a family as they stood before a photograph. He found out they represented two branches of the family that had lived in that house. They named all the people in the picture, starting with their great grandfather. Their grandfathers were brothers. It was exciting to meet people whose history was bound up with the house they were standing in.

Rose, a former school teacher, pretended to write on the board in the old schoolhouse. She and I agreed that we would have a hard time concentrating in that room, because we could see a stream outside the window. $ and Rose posed in the opening on the second story of the barn. Rose, wearing her hiking sandals, waded through a stream. This was the same spot John’s sister Barbara waded a year or so ago. If I’d had sandals like Rose, I would have gone in the water, too.

052719 6 Rose teaching in old schoolhouse

John commented on a ring of stones in the stream, which we had not seen there before. $ explained that Indians used to catch fish by putting stones in running water. The front had smaller stones to let fish in, and larger stones were at the back to hold them in the circle. Rose said she saw fish in that area, holding her hands about five inches apart to show the size of the fish.

052719 9 Circle of stones in stream.JPG

We saw groups of people sitting in camp chairs next to their vehicles, waiting to see if the elk would come out of the woods to graze at dusk. We needed to get home, but we were looking for the animals as John drove. Either John or friend Gerhard spotted a small elk near a red truck. John stopped as the rest of us aimed our cameras or phones. The picture with the truck is the way we saw it – not zoomed in. As we watched, a mature animal ambled around the truck. There were three or four young ones that followed her.

052719 10 Elk at Cataloochee.JPG

Rose got the best shot. Two elk wandered onto the road, and she captured them beautifully. You’d think they were alone, with not a care in the world. The truck was off camera as these two ambled by.

052719 Elk at Cataloochee by Rose.jpg

The Hostel

After our first year of living in North Carolina, I thought we occasionally ran a bed and breakfast place. It was wonderful to have many of our closest relatives and friends spend a few days with us. We had two guest rooms, so there was always room for everyone.

Our college friend, Gerhard, made reservations for our bed and breakfast months ahead of time. When son John $pencer and friend Rose came at the same time, we had to work out where people should sleep. The hikers ($, Rose and grandson David) insisted they would all be in the bunk room that has three beds. At breakfast the next day, they said everything went smoothly. It was like sleeping at a very nice hostel. I took a picture of the happy people at breakfast.

Later in the afternoon we had our Memorial Day lunch. John and $ cooked the burgers and brats on the grill. By that time David was working, so it was just the five of us.

We set off for Cataloochee, the area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where elk are often spotted. We ended up being much later than expected. We couldn’t let David know we’d be late getting home, because our phones had no bars in that remote area. He found the meats and buns and heated some for his dinner. We joined him to have leftovers together. It had been an unusual day, but a nice one.

The Smokies

Son John $pencer and Rose drove about 15 minutes to hike in the park close to us. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular park in the United States, having 10 million visitors, according to several sources. The Grand Canyon, second in popularity, gets 5 million. I thought $ and Rose were going to the top of Purchase Knob, so I took a photo of it as we came home from our walk. Our house is the tan blob under the tree.

As it turned out, they hiked to the top of Hemphill Bald, which is slightly behind and to the left of Purchase Knob. It was still exciting to me, though, because Rose took a photo that shows buildings that we pass on our morning walk. With his monocular, $ could identify the service station and the church. With a little imagination, I can see them in this picture, too.

I asked Rose for her favorite photo of the day. She had two, and I chose this one. She has an artist’s eye and composes her photos carefully.

Now if people come to visit us and want to hike, we know where to tell them to go. Note, I am not going with them. The trails are well-marked and will provide great exercise with beautiful views.

The Happy Hikers are Home

Son John $pencer, friend Rose, and grandson David had a great overnight in the mountains. Dog Sadie was carrying her pack without protest.

They took time for a selfie in the sunshine.

Lush scenery is common in the Smoky Mountains. This was Rose’s favorite shot of the view.

They took time to pose with the view behind them.

It was hard to pick a favorite of the sunset shots. David took this one.

David has always enjoyed fires. He lingered with the campfire long after the others went to bed.

They carried snacks, pouches of food for dinner, and water. Hiking is thirsty work, and they drank plenty of water. $ has a filter to destroy bacteria, so they safely replenished their supply from a stream. It amused me that they bought pizza on the way home.

I giggled when the hikers talked about their campsite. It wasn’t easy to find a place with trees and a flat space. They needed trees for the hammock and an even area for the tent. $’s back discovered a divot that plagued him all night. David was pleased with the way his uncle strung up the hammock for him. It sagged during the night, and David’s arm was on the ground when he woke up. Guess what they did after they got home and ate their pizza. They all took a nap!

The Vacuum Ate the Headset

This is today’s reason to loathe cleaning:

From Uh-Oh to Let’s Go!

People may get the wrong impression of someone’s life if they rely solely on social media. We tend to write about and photograph the good things, omitting the sad and ugly. I’m going to share a kitchen accident, so that you will know things are not always perfect at our house. I put a bottle of tartar sauce too near the edge of the refrigerator shelf. When John pulled the door open, the bottle smashed on the tile floor. What a mess! There was broken glass in an oozing puddle of pungent sauce. John and son John $pencer moved in to clean it up, advising Rose to put dog Sadie out on the porch. That saved us from rushing to the vet with a bleeding dog.

Rose suggested we pose as directing the clean-up, and David acted as photographer.

Rose and Anne pretending to direct the real work

The men did a wonderful job of cleaning and vacuuming up shards of glass. As you might guess, the floor was cleaner than it had been before the accident. After that excitement, the younger generations began to pack for their hike the next day, spending a day and night on the trail. $ loaned equipment to David and advised him what to take. The next morning I hovered with the camera but didn’t ask them to pose. The picture shows David going to the garage door, carrying his pack.

A few minutes after they left, my phone dinged. Rose texted me a photo of two happy campers, David and Sadie. They were off to a good start.

David and Sadie in the car, heading for a hike

Snippets

There are lots of things going on at our house, but they don’t merit a post of their own. Before things get really busy, I’ll give you a peek

051619 Nate models new suit.jpg — Nathaniel

at our activities.

Grandson Nathaniel bought himself a new summer suit and sent us a photo from Charlotte. He found a vintage hat to go with it.

Son John $pencer and Rose are moving to this area and will be living with us when they aren’t hiking. They had a celebratory dinner at the Mexican restaurant.

051619 Rose and $ day of moving furniture to storage.JPG — Rose and John $

As they moved things from the car into the house, I found footprints to mark the occasion. $ was wearing shoes, and both Rose and dog Sadie were barefooted.

051719 $ shoe Rose's barefoot Sadie's paw taking things inside house.JPG — Porch prints of John’s shoes, Rose’s bare foot, and Sadie’s paws

051819 Smoky wants a belly rub.JPG — Smoky at my feet

Smoky, a friend on the morning walk, came out for a belly-rub. He is getting old and often chooses to lie near his house instead of coming out to greet us.

Rose and $ set up a tent, then covered it with a rainproof layer. The water test was the final step in the check.

051919 Sadie finished inspecting the roses — Rose bushes with Sadie on the path at right

Blogger Susie asked for a picture of our little rose bushes that began to bloom enthusiastically this spring. Wind removed a number of blossoms, but the bushes are still showing off. Bear in mind I’m not a gardener, and plants live here in spite of my care.

In a happy moment, Sadie declared herself King of the Mountain, or at least queen of the defunct waterfall.

051919 Sadie.JPG

051919 $ plays dulcimer.JPG

$ played his dulcimer at Rose’s request. His style is quite different from hers. He has a very strong melodic line with a rhythmic beat. I listened as Rose played a song in the next room. She uses chords in a gently flowing style. One makes you tap your feet, and the other calls you to dream of faraway places.

We’ve had leisurely meals that created non-photographic memories. I asked Rose if they had had horses on the farm where she grew up. We burst out laughing when she replied, “My brother had a Shetland pony. He named him Charley Horse.”

I’d love to know what activities you may be engaging in now that the weather is warming.

David and Sadie

Grandson David loves dogs and will have one of his own some day. Meanwhile, he is doting on guest dog Sadie. Any time she is in the house and he is not working, he will play with her. This is Sadie Sunshine Bear spending time with David.

Sadie is staying here with her owner Rose, friend of our son John $pencer. He and Rose are with us, gearing up for a nine-day hike on the Mountain to Sea Trail. They will be in the mountainous part, hiking toward Mount Mitchel, the highest point in the Eastern United States. To me it is a nine-day wonder, because they plan to hike ten miles a day. The tricky part is that there will be no easy access to stores from the trail. That means they must carry all their food with them, to be re-hydrated on the trail. Food is heavy. Sadie needs to help carry her own food, and she wore her empty saddle bag for a while to get used to it.

Normally Sadie is a bundle of energy, never still for long. She rushes headlong from one person to another and from one activity to another. As soon as they put her wearable suitcase on her, she stood still and looked at us with soulful eyes. David felt so sorry for her that he fetched her water bowl and favorite ball. She lay under the table for a long time, not even moving her tail. I would never have guessed the gizmo could turn her from an animated animal to a zombie. We could have used that kind of magic occasionally when she was jumping up on us. However, David and I hated to see the joy of living sucked out of her. She will wear the pack a few times a day until she gets used to it.

A Non-photo Mother’s Day

My Mother’s Day celebration had the usual niceties, which included greetings, a long-stemmed rose from church, texts, hugs, dinner in a restaurant (a first for us!), visits, gifts, a nap, and an assortment of cheesecake slices. What could be missing? Photographs! I was wearing a lovely top from niece Julie which she had under-grown, so I wasn’t ashamed of myself. Everyone else looked good, but I didn’t feel like pulling rank to demand a group photo. Not a single one of them would have jumped up and exclaimed, “What a good idea!”

Logan came over Mother’s Day Eve (not that there is such a title) and shared a luscious strawberry-chocolate cake for Easter/Mother’s Day. He readily agreed to pose with the cake. He will likely grow up to be a photo-hater, so I am going to take advantage of his willingness as long as it lasts. John, David, and I ate large slices of the cake that evening and enjoyed every bite. Thank you Shawn, Bob, and Logan.

The day after Mother’s Day, son John $pencer showed us his singing bowl from Nepal. It is a hand-hammered metal bowl, shiny and quite heavy. He put it on the table on a holder that looks like a chocolate-covered donut. He struck the bowl with what looked like a lint brush – a wooden thing covered on one end with felt. Quickly he began moving the felt end around the edge, making the bowl hum softly. I don’t know how long one would be played in Nepal, maybe until everyone is hypnotized.

$ let me try, and I couldn’t make it sing like he did. I shrugged and turned to David. David was a natural. He used the alternate way of holding the wooden thingy, using the wood instead of the felt to rub the rim. The tone was higher and louder. Bless him, David didn’t smirk at having succeeded where I failed.

As he put the bowl away, $ told us a player in Nepal would often sit Indian-fashion, cradling the bowl in his lap to play it. Several people might play their bowls at the same time, but he didn’t know an average number for a group. The instruments come in all sizes.

Even though there is no photographic evidence, I had a lovely Mother’s Day. Thank you, one and all.