Missed The Blue Ridge This Year…

It looks like we won’t get the opportunity to roam the Parkway this year.

From 2007 Vacation

No Craggy Garden sunrises, no foggy mornings above Valle Crucis, no apples from the Orchard at Altapass, no shopping trip down King Street.

From 2007 Vacation

I missed another Valle Country Fair.I didn’t make it to the Games this year either.

From North Carolina Mountain Dreams

There wasn’t an afternoon spent up on Grandfather…or Grassy Knob…or Roan…or Mitchell either.

No walks in the Valle Crucis Park, no trips to the Mast Store.

From North Carolina Mountain Dreams

No pizza on top of Beech. No bar-b-q and bluegrass in Linville. No outdoor grilling on the deck above Clark Creek.

No morning coffee as the sun comes over the mountain and the valley fog rises to meet it. No evening glass of wine waiting for the stars and the fireflies to come out to play.

From North Carolina Mountain Dreams

I missed the blue ridges fading into the dusk and I missed them when they faded back to blue again the next morning.

As I stare off into the distance here at home, my mind tries to make the tree line across the pasture become the ridges of the mountains from my memory…The layers of branches take on the look of the layers of ridges when my eyes let my memory take over…

In the years that I miss making the trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, I feel the call stronger with each passing month…Next year…

Next year I’ll get there…Next year we’ll make the move…Next year we’ll make it permanent…Next year…

Maybe I’ll see you there…Next year.