Road trip


This building is in Alleghany County near Sparta. I’m not sure if it was a church or a school.

My sister and I made a little road trip to Ashe County yesterday to go to a funeral. It was the perfect day for a road trip — sky busy with heavy, fast-moving clouds, pleasant temperatures, everything lush and green from the generous rain western North Carolina has had recently. The old buildings always catch my eye.

Ken has been drawing sketches for a shade shelter and straw shelter for the chickens. I thought this little building, on Booger Swamp Road in Yadkin County, had a lot of charm. Yes, there really is a Booger Swamp Road. The road sign was missing yesterday, so the signs must get stolen all the time.

One thought on “Road trip”

  1. David, you’re back! I’m so glad to see you posting on the blog again. I should be grading mid-term exams right now, but your updated blog is more interesting.

    One of my great pleasures in the car, like you, is spotting all the old out buildings — tobacco curing barns, ramshackle chicken coops, horse barns and the like. It’s the main reason I don’t mind commuting from Graham to Chapel Hill. I love that stretch of N.C. 54. I fantasize about living on that stretch of road all the time. Every “For Sale” sign catches my eye.

    I’m happy to see you got the beets pulled and canned in time. And I don’t think that losing color in the canning process is a negative. I’ve had them that way, and I think I prefer it to the inkiness of fresh beets. The proof will be in the flavor, I guess, but they look wonderful in the photo.

    There’s a bountiful fig tree at Frank’s house, and it was absolutely loaded with baby figs this year because of all of the rain. Last Saturday, we were looking at it and swearing we were going to get the figs picked this year before the birds ruined them — they usually peck a third of the fruit and leave the rest to rot. This Saturday, we discovered the entire tree stripped clean. I figured it was raccoons. They used to do that to Lila’s fig tree every year, too. They would come in at night as a group and strip the entire tree in 30 minutes, then move on.

    Speaking of finches, Jane and her husband, Jim, were lucky enough this year to get a small flock of American gold finches hanging out at their feeders. The males were absolutely spectacular — brilliant gold in color. They definitely will be attracted to wild flowers, but in the absence, a feeder with thistle seeds will attract them, too.

    The main attraction in Winston is it’s a big blue jay year. Big family in the woods in the back, including three wonderful brothers that come every day, getting bigger by the day. Brilliant plumage, sharp and playful. Corvids are the smart ones. My favorites.

    Wish I were there. Best for now.

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