Alas, The Market is Closed

One of the most anticipated days in the spring is the re-opening of the Whistle Stop Market. Only a mile from our house, the Whistle Stop offers fresh local produce all summer and most of the fall. Last weekend, the market closed for the winter.

Early every morning, local farmers pick vegetables and gather fresh eggs and bring them to the market.



No one seems to know why the market is named Whistle Stop. There never has been a train anywhere near the area. That was the name of the market when the current owners bought it, and that is the name it stayed.

In the fall, the main attraction is an extensive display of North Carolina apples.

There are many varieties, one for each person's taste or purpose.

Onions, potatoes, squash, and all seasonal vegetables are available. And they are all fresh and delicious. Boiled peanuts are very popular here. I must admit, I have never tried them. Fresh berries, peaches, plums and all local fruits are available in season. The market sells many varieties of corn all summer long, and in the fall, all sorts of nuts are available.

By far, the most popular summer items are tomatoes. I never knew there were so many varieties and we have tried most of them. Fresh tomatoes and cucumber with a little oil and vinegar make up our salads for most of the summer.

Inside the market are preserves, jams, jellies, honey (real Sourwood honey), pickles and relishes. Local baked goods are also available.

Like most local markets, the Whistle Stop sells antique kitchen ware.

Seasonal decorative items are always for sale. I took these photographs on closing day, so the pumpkins, gourds, dried corn, etc., predominated.

So we will now have to subsist on "store-bought" tomatoes and vegetables. But we know that, come the spring, the Whistle Stop will once again supply us with the freshest, most delicious vegetables that western North Carolina has to offer.

Fridays are Golden

It was a lovely autumn afternoon. Not a cloud in the "Carolina Blue" sky. And it had been such a long time since our dogs, Ellie and Lucy, had been allowed to run free except on our property. As if with a single mind, my husband and I each said, "It sure would be a great day to take the girls on a trail."

They had already been for a long walk, so perhaps they wouldn't run so hard. We drove down to one of our lakes. The girls had never been there before. The trees were so lovely with lots of golden on this golden afternoon.






The girls were very excited to be in a new place. They ran onto the dock, then back to us, then back and forth. We got on the trail that leads around the lake. I think the smile on their faces says everything you need to know about the little trip.











Fridays have always been golden for me. It always signalled a respite from a high-pressure job. In retirement, we still enjoy the weekends. We hang around the community. And have our usual New York Strip steaks on the grill. And, we enjoy our Golden Girls!

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful weekend. Get outdoors as much as you can and relish these autumn days.

Color Comes to the Mountains

The leaf color in the mountains is at or near peak at elevations above 4,000 feet. With normal gasoline supplies and beautiful weather, mountain communities eagerly await the arrival of the "leaf lookers," also called "lookers." Tour buses loaded with lookers are everywhere, bringing the much needed tourists to feed our our little town's economy.

Here are some pictures from the Blue Ridge Parkway at the higher elevations. I certainly cannot add words more eloquent than Edna St. Vincent Millay.

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists, that roll and rise!

Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag

And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag

To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!

World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!
Edna St. Vincent Millay

SCOTUS Rejects Hearing

UPDATE: (October 15, 2008) The execution has been ordered and will take place at 7:00 PM on October 27, 2008. The eyes of the world will be watching the United States on that sad day.



Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) rejected an appeal from death-row inmate Troy Davis. The Court refuses to consider his case in spite of the fact that seven of nine key witnesses have recanted their testimony since the original trial. Five additional witnesses have said another man committed the crime.

As is customary, SCOTUS turned down the petition without comment. This appears to have been the final opportunity to save the life of this man whose guilt is very much in question.

The order clears the way for the State of Georgia to set a new execution date. The stay of execution expired automatically when SCOTUS refused to consider the case. It is likely that Georgia will proceed sooner rather than later. Today's sad news will be followed by even worse news in the near future. It will be a dark day for all Americans.

See September post about this case: http://ncmountainwoman.blogspot.com/2008/09/georgia-execution-scheduled.html

Carolina Moon

We have had some absolutely wonderful autumn days this past week. The cool, crisp mornings and sunny days inspire everyone to be outdoors.

As an added bonus, we have a full moon this week. It rises just before the sun goes down and is incredibly beautiful.

There is still sufficient light to show the colorful trees as well as the full moon.



Here is the relection of the moon and the trees in the waters of a nearby lake.

As the sun goes down, the moon is surrounded by a lovely orange glow.

And here is the face of the old man, barely visible.

The most special thing about a full moon is that it shines directly into our bedroom around 10:00 every night. What a treat to have the moonlight flooding the room.

Turkey Crossing

The roads in our neighborhood are private and the maximum speed limit is 25 throughout the community. There are very good reasons for this. The roads are narrow with lots of hills and blind curves. Another reason for the low speed limit is the abundance of wildlife with whom we share our community.

Yesterday, my husband and I were driving near our house when six wild turkeys happened to be crossing the road. They seemed in no hurry at all. Fortunately, I had my camera so I took a few shots of them.




They sauntered across the road as if they had the right-of-way. In fact, they did.




The turkeys walked right past my side of the car and I took another picture through the open window. They were too close for me to get all of them in the picture.




Clearly, these turkeys (like the proverbial chicken) were crossing the road to get to the other side. Fortunately, the driver of the car behind us was aware that we had a good reason for stopping right in the road. It is not at all uncommon to come upon a stopped car around here. Usually, it's because a deer has crossed and the driver is waiting, knowing there are likely more to follow. We stop for all animals here, including squirrels, chipmunks or anything else that shares our community with us.

There is almost always a friendly wave from the driver in front as he or she is finally able to move forward. I like that.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I caught a glimpse of her on Thursday. You would think I would be delighted to see her. She was a magnificent specimen. While appreciating her beauty, my first thought was, "No, not yet. I'm not ready." Perhaps I was wrong. After all, I didn't get a really good look. Perhaps it was an immature male.

I saw her again on Friday and there was no mistaking her identity. She was perfect in size, her white eyebrow shining in the sun, her pale bill so obvious. She was gorgeous. Our first female Red-breasted Grosbeak had indeed arrived. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise. After all, I spotted the first male on September 24.




She came to one of the feeders for a nice meal. Such a beauty.

So, why was I viewing this bird with such mixed feelings? Because the arrival of the females signals the departure of the males. When I saw her, I knew I would have only a few days to see this bird:

Or this one:

Just as we do every fall, we have so enjoyed seeing the bright (and not so bright) males. We are very fortunate that they seem to love our woods and interrupt their long journey to take a little respite here. In a few days, the males will be gone, but we will have more and more females to join our early arrival. We will love them as well, and lament their decision to travel on.

And with the spring will come the even more brilliant males. We already look forward to seeing them.