Appalachian Mountain Dreams

The Barn behind the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Taken on November 13, 2007. Processed with Photomatix Pro.

This is where I wish I was right now. A bottle of ginger beer and a rocker on the back porch of the Mast in Valle Crucis… Nestled in a secluded mountain valley, you’ll discover spectacular foliage, rustic countryside and a place Charles Kuralt calls, “… a destination.” That place is the Mast General Store in the rural historic district

We have split our trip to the North Carolina mountains in two with a few days in Virginia where I sit in the Hotel Floyd blogging right now. The weather for the most part has been glorious, the people have been friendly, and the drive has been a joy. Everyone keeps telling me that the leave color is not up

We drove into the darkness on Sunday to get to Birmingham. The only observations from the drive on Sunday were we both commented on how dry Mississippi looked. It was a noticeable change right at the state line. The roadside went from green in Louisiana to brown looking in Mississippi. I think it was actually a difference in mowing patterns

Reading the muse from South Carolina has me holding out hope. There is a chance yet that our drive up the Blue Ridge in November might have a bit of color left… For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been searching for signs of fall — with no luck. Where the heck is autumn? I need some crisp air, crunching

On the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge way up in northwestern North Carolina there sits a cabin. Built by hand in the 1880’s it is said by one Martin Brinegar for his bride Carolyn Joines. For six score of years this cabin has watched the seasons roll around the calendar. Winters turning into spring, gardens reaching for summer skies,

It’s that time of year again…As I find new links to fall photo’s I’ll add them to the list. Fall Color Report – Grandfather Mountain The Grandfather Mountain Website has posted new pictures every few days as the color moved down the mountain in past years. Blue Ridge Blog – Blue Ridge Scenery / WeatherMarie Freeman’s Photo/Commentary Blog from Valle

This column from Barbara Damrosch came at a very good time.  It reminds me why I loved fall as a boy…The air is cooler but the overall feel is of warmth… When T.S. Eliot wrote “April is the cruelest month,” he might have added, “October is seriously underrated.” Consider those two months. We expect from both a temperature range midway

Ray is promising a fall weekend for the northwestern corner of North Carolina. Forecasted low for tonight is 40 degrees. Fire up the wood stove, throw some logs in the fireplace, it’s time for some chili simmering on the stove. After the refreshment of Humberto’s leftover rains, now its time to enjoy the good side of a departing remnant tropical system. Improving skies today will bring