We Love Lucy

Lucy is a bit like the physics principle of a body in motion staying in motion and a body at rest remaining at rest.  When she is active, she is moving at full speed.  And when she is resting, she is quite reluctant to get up.  Instead she looks at us as if saying, "Really?  You really think I'm going to move?"

She is never interested in making that last trip outside just before bedtime

 How can you ask me to move from my sunbeam?

I'm WAY too comfortable to get up.

While we're not sure how she knows, she can tell the difference if we are going for a walk or driving to the park.  I'm sure there are some subtle changes in behavior that she interprets.  Unfortunately, she sometimes misinterprets and thinks she is going to the park when, in fact, we are going out to run errands and she is staying home.  She gets very excited until she realizes we are leaving her behind.

When my husband is downtown she thinks she hears his car several times and runs to the door to wait for him.  Often she is actually asleep when he drives up so she doesn't hear him drive up.

We have no idea if she is aware of Ellie's absence or not, but she is definitely more inclined to follow my husband upstairs or downstairs than she was when Ellie was here.  Perhaps we are coddling her too much, but we don't leave her alone as often as we left the two of them.  I'm sure she sleeps the entire time we are away, except when the dog walker comes, but we feel more anxious when we leave her more than an hour or two.

As we come to the middle of May, our thoughts continue to be with those suffering in the world.  The people affected by the wildfires in California, the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who don't even know who drove them from their homes, the young girls kidnapped by the despicable Boko Haram in Nigeria, those suffering from storms and drought, and all those victims and relatives of victims of tragedy throughout our planet.

The author of today's quote is unknown:

"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."

HAVE A MOST WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!

 

Getting Outdoors

It is fitting that the new visitor center in DuPont State Forest should be named in honor of Aleen Steinberg.  Originally from Wisconsin and later living in Florida, Aleen Steinberg retired to nearby Cedar Mountain, NC.  A tireless devoted fan of the outdoors since childhood, she took a special interest in our natural resources here in Transylvania County when she moved.  Her family had vacationed here for many years and moved here full time fifteen years ago.

She, along with several other interested people founded the "Friends of the Falls" committed to fundraising and improving DuPont Forest.  The project increased in popularity and is now known as "Friends of DuPont Forest."  (You can link to the Website here)

When our daughter visits, we always take the short trip to DuPont State Forest to see the waterfalls.  On her last visit, we also visited the new Aleen Steinberg Visitor Center.  Inside are topographical maps of many of the trails, along with maps and brochures.  The center is staffed by volunteers from Friends of DuPont Forest.

The Aleen Steinberg Visitor Center

Establishment of the Friends of DuPont Forest has led to many improvements in the area.  Twice each year, the Friends sponsor tour buses to provide access to people who could not otherwise visit some of the waterfalls.  And that is a wonderful thing.

However, in my opinion Aleen Steinberg's greatest project was co-founding a non-profit organization known as "Muddy Sneakers."  (You can link to their Website here.)  The mission of Muddy Sneakers is "To awaken in children a deeply felt connection with the natural world, one that inspires learning, and brings new life to classroom performance."

 Photograph from the Internet, not credited

The program started in 2008, partnered with Pisgah National Forest and Brevard Elementary School.  Fifth graders were taken to a new classroom as big as all outdoors...nature.  Since then the Muddy Sneakers program has spread to four other counties in the NC mountains.

 Photograph from the Hendersonville Lightning

The children learn about native trees, insects, and all manner of flora and fauna.  Day camps are now running during the summers.

Photograph from Laurel of Asheville

How exciting and promising it is to have children learning more about nature and its wonders.  And that's where it must start, isn't it?  With the children.

Scenic Highway through the Gorge

US Highway 64 from Highlands NC to Franklin NC is designated a scenic highway.  The road twists and turns through the Cullasaja Gorge following along the Cullasaja River.  There are several waterfalls within easy distance on this stretch of road.

I remember trips here when I was a child.  In a non-air-conditioned car.  Arguing with my brother about the imaginary center of the back seat and which side had the better view.   I was always excited when we came to Bridal Veil Falls because the highway actually went underneath the falls which dropped on the other side of the road.  If there were no cars behind us, my daddy would stop briefly under the falls.

One of many waterfalls in NC called "Bridal Veil"

Today the regular part of the highway  passes by the waterfall but one can still park and walk on the old highway under the waterfall.  In 2003 a large boulder fell and blocked part of the entrance on the old highway.  In 2007 a private contractor removed the boulder so people can once again drive under the waterfall.  Few people, except for motorcyclists actually drive under the falls because there are usually people walking there.

 The water drops over the old highway

 A short drive from Bridal Veil Falls brings one to Dry Falls.  Improvements have made this waterfall much more accessible than before.  The parking lot is spacious, there is a handicap-accessible viewing area and a paved path all the way beneath and beyond the waterfall.

Folklore says the waterfall got its name because people can walk behind the waterfall and stay dry.

 Upper Cullasaja Falls known as Dry Falls

 Differing references give its height as 65-80 feet

We did not walk behind Dry Falls because there were just too many people.  Waterfalls lose a lot of their appeal close up if there are too many people around.

 The tiny people in the bottom left are getting ready to walk behind the waterfall.

(You might need to click to enlarge)

The drive back from Franklin towards Highlands is quite beautiful and there are at least three waterfalls that can be viewed.  On the day we were there, the turnoffs were full, so we couldn't photograph them.  We will definitely make this trip again.

We Love Lucy

We have had such great weather this week with near-record breaking temperatures.  It has felt more like August than mid-May.  Great time to get the flowers out on the deck, set up the bird spa, and plant the little herb garden.  The grosbeaks have traveled on and we are waiting for more of our migrants, most of whom are a little later this year.

Lucy has been to the park almost every morning and just loves it.  Occasionally there is another dog or two and she runs and runs.  She runs and runs even if there is not another dog.  Times like these are when we miss Ellie even more than usual.

Lucy enjoys the deck, but is not much for posing

 She snoozes happily in the den after a morning run

 She really hates being left inside when we are outside.

She stood at the window the entire time it took my husband to set up the fountain.

I often get frustrated with the wrongs in the world.  And then I recall a quote I heard as a child.  It is attributed to several different people, most commonly Helen Keller:

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything but still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

We all know our abilities and resources are finite.  But that must not stop us from doing the somethings that we can do.  We are all on this planet together and if each of us does what we can, it will make for a better world.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS

AND HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND

DO THE SOMETHING YOU CAN

Not Pleased to be Number One

North Carolina has the dubious distinction of leading the nation in outside money influencing our elections this year.  More than 90% of political advertisements and phone calls were funded by "outside" money, not by citizens living here.  Yesterday was our primary and yes, I voted as I always do.  I was given an extensive information sheet that the 2016 elections will require voter identification and asked to sign a sheet as to whether or not I actually had "valid" identification.  I was not asked to show any form of ID.  (Our recently passed Voter ID laws are processing through the court systems.  They are far more limiting that those in other states.)

Encouraged by the recent rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), money from undisclosed citizens has poured into NC this year.  Koch brothers and the Republican States Leadership Committe, among other conservative groups, poured more than a million dollars into advertising aimed at a single target; unseating an incumbent on our State Supreme Court.  Keep in mind that elections for Supreme Court Justices in our states are NON-PARTISAN.

The scene for making our Court more partisan was set by our newly bought elected governor.  More than a decade ago, the General Assembly created a fund for campaign financing for candidates for the State Supreme Court.  This funding was accepted by the vast majority of candidates and helped to diversify our Court.  One of the Governor Pat McCrory's first official acts was to zero out the funding.

It comes as no surprise that huge amounts of outside money are pouring into the State to defeat our incumbent US Senator Kay Hagan.  And that will only increase now that she handily won the primary.  It will be more vindictive and vicious for the general election in the fall.  NC is considered on of the "vulnerable" states in which the Republican Party might gain a Senate seat.  Her performance is not an issue; her political party is the driving force.  And how sad that is.

One of my favorite political cartoonists who is always right on the money

 So why target North Carolina?  The answer for 2014 is relatively simple.  One party dominates the General Assembly (made up of State Senators and Representatives) and the governor is a member of the same party.  Much of the legislation passed by this General Assembly is being appealed through the court system.  What better way to block and delay appeals than by filling the Supreme Court with ultra-conservatives with agendas far beyond justice?

As for the Senate race, we are a Red state with a Blue Senator, and a female one at that.  The republican primary winner is Thom Tillis, the current Speaker of the NC House of Representatives.  He led the General Assembly to the hard right views of government.  As for those of us who dare oppose his agenda?  His comment is "What I see from the folks who are opposing our agenda is whining coming from losers."  He has vowed to appoint only anti-abortion judges.  In a statement to a group of Republicans in 2011, Thom Tillis said that Republicans must "divide and conquer the poor."  He is very proud of stopping the Medicaid expansion in NC, leaving more than half a million NC citizens without health care.  He insists they "don't deserve it."

Many unhappy voters decided to vote blindly against any incumbent in 2010 without regards to performance.  (Akin to throwing out the baby with the bath water.)  And as is always the case, voting districts were redrawn following the census.  For NC this meant they were redrawn to favor the party in power.  And the lines are strange indeed.  Liberal Asheville was moved into a more conservative district to lessen their impact.  Gerrymandering is always common after the census, but this redistricting was worse than usual.

Why am I ranting so once again?  Because I am FURIOUS that more voters from my state don't bother to find out where candidates stand on the issues.  I am FURIOUS that North Carolina was once known as a progressive moderate state and is now extremely conservative.  I love North Carolina but truth be told?  I would not have returned to retire here had I foreseen the political climate we are now facing.

I grew up here and came back here for my retirement years.  I love North Carolina and I want my state back.

The Kids in Spring

Connemara, the Carl Sandburg home is one of our favorite local trips.  The grounds are lovely in all seasons and there are great hiking trails and points of interest.  But in Spring it's all about the kids.  That is what draws us there in April.  This year we were not disappointed.

Carl Sandburg's wife was an award-winning goat breeder, and generations of offspring from her original herd still live at Connemara.  You can read more about the Sandburgs and the home which is now a National Park here.

One of the new kids on the block

 Still nursing, but the kids already nibble on grass

 The farm cat doing what farm cats do

 The little kids huddle together despite the warm weather.

Their mothers were in the meadow right then.

 The males are kept separate from the females.  The brown one seems to be the alpha.

He re-directed this one for no apparent reason other than that he could.

It is humbling to stand in places where the Pulitzer Prize winning author walked and lived and wrote.  He lived at Connemara for 22 years and died there in 1967.  His wife Lilian was determined that his home in Flat Rock should be preserved in perpetuity and the site officially opened as a National Park in 1974.

The Golden Girls loved the trails at Connemara even though they could not be off lead.  Here they are taking a rest in April of  2012.  Princess Lucy is, of course on top of the stump.

We Love Lucy

No sooner did we see our second hummingbird than we witnessed conflict between the two.  They twirled around each other like tiny helicopters and one of them fell to the deck.  Lucy was lying in her bed and watched the recovery.

Lucy reflected in the glass

 She attentively watches the little bird

 She stands and her tail wags each time the bird moves

It's hard to believe the first quarter of 2014 has passed already.  This winter and spring have brought very unusual weather to us here in the mountains and to many areas around the globe.

We have so much to be thankful for as we note how many people on our planet are suffering and dying.  Natural disasters have taken a toll and humankind perhaps a larger toll.  Our thoughts turn to those in pain around the world.

Today's quote comes from Maya Angelou.  They are words we should all heed.

"During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced.  You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that.  We are obliged to know we are global citizens.  Disasters remind us we are world citizens whether we like it or not."

So think of your fellow citizens of the world.  Help those in need, here and abroad.

HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!