Patio Chipmunk

Outside of the birds who come to the feeders in my small garden, this is what passes for wildlife at my house.

The fun fact is that you won't find chipmunks anywhere in the world except for North America. No European chipmunks, no African chipmunks, no Asian chipmunks. And as annoying as these tiny little creatures are - they devour all my safflower seeds that I fill my bird feeders with since squirrels will not touch it - they are really cute.

I have a family of five who have created a little den under the edge of the patio. They all look the same except for one who just has one eye (not this particular chipmunk). Perhaps due to a run-in with the cat I catch periodically hanging around my bird feeders?

A Different Field, The Same Storm

Same Saturday storm, but a different field. Same results with the Birkenstocks though as this field was also mowed.

Saturday Sunset, Greensboro, North Carolina

As ominous as this thunderhead looks, the storm that is producing it is actually to the south of Greensboro. No rain here at all.

The clouds caught the red from the setting sun and behind me, those clouds were a vivid purple.

And a lesson learned, too. Don't go into a freshly mowed field with just Birkenstocks on. I now have the scratches, scrapes and bug bites to go with the snapshot.

Glen Alpine, North Carolina

Some of you may be familiar with The Hunger Games; either through reading the trilogy of books or seeing the movie. I'll be the first to admit I've done neither as my reading tastes lean more towards non-fiction.

The entire movie was filmed here in North Carolina. The scenes for District 12 were filmed down the road from this house in the tiny village of Hildebran 25 miles to the east. This house  wasn't part of the movie, but it is part of the textile history of North Carolina's mountains.

As far as I can figure out this was either the mill owner's house or the mill superintendent's house in Glen Alpine. The mill was built in 1915 and produced socks for many years until most of the North Carolina textile industry collapsed due to the massive influx of foreign made fabrics and clothing. While this house has languished and become uninhabitable, some smart person bought the mill and converted it into a tasting room for a nearby vineyard.

Little Brown Mushrooms

While I can't grow daylilies this summer, I certainly can grow mushrooms in the small garden.

Like my sparrows that are fondly called LBJ's by birders (otherwise known as little brown jobs), these are called LBM's by mycologists or little brown mushrooms. I think this is the species called "Japanese Parasol" but if someone can really identify it, please let me know.

What a weird, wild summer we're having this year. We've had thunderstorms that have dropped six inches of rain in three hours and days where the heat index has gone over 107F. The garden is showing the effects - the daylilies are gone and the leaves have turned yellow despite soaking on the weekend. I am keeping a close eye on the hostas and heucheras that have been planted, but they seem to be weathering the situation well as they are protected from the height of the sun.

American Robin

When it gets too hot and humid to go outside to take a snapshot, I amuse myself by shooting through the sliding glass door at the various flora and fauna in my small garden.

A regular visitor to the bird bath (although not the bird feeders) is the American Robin. The early immigrants to America saw this bird's red breast and named it after the Robin that they knew in Europe although these two birds are not related at all. This is a large member of the Thrush family while the European Robin is a member of the Old World Flycatchers.

There are times in the winter that I will look out at the huge white oak in the common area behind the house and see the limbs full of robins who have decided to hang out here in Greensboro than migrate further south to Florida or Mexico.

The End of the Daylilies

A last look at the daylilies in my small garden. Next year these will be replaced with hostas and heuchera (coral bells) as the Forest Pansy redbud has gotten so big that it blocks the sun the daylilies need to produce nice blooms.

The names of these daylilies are unknown as I bought them as a bag labeled "Lost Tags".

Barn Quilts in Old Fort, North Carolina

And more barn quilts along the Marion County Barn Quilt trail. These are located in the tiny village of Old Fort, home of the Andrews Geyser.  It is named Old Fort for the Revolutionary War fort that was once located here.

This quilt block is called Arrowheads in honor of the 14 foot rose granite arrowhead located next to the train depot which was built as a symbol of peace between the Cherokee and Catawba Indian tribes.

On the Mountain Gateway Museum, you'll find the Log Cabin quilt block.

And on the side of the Old Fort Mountain Music building, this quilt block has the appropriate name of Bluegrass Star.

A video shot inside of the Old Fort Mountain Music Friday get-togethers.

For my friends who think this would be a great idea for their areas, but are concerned there aren't barns or outbuildings to put them on, Old Fort is a good example that barn quilts can be put on any type of building from town hall to museum to commercial building.

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Sometimes when you are up on the Blue Ridge Parkway you can catch a glimpse of why these mountains were named as such by the pioneers who settled here. Fog had settled in the valleys after a thunderstorm came through with rain and higher humidity. I took this snapshot after crossing the Linn Cove Viaduct which is considered one of the engineering marvels of the world.

Andrews Geyser, Old Fort, North Carolina

One of the advantages to staying off the interstate highways and driving the backroads is that you can discover hidden gems that aren't amusement parks or shopping malls. This little park centered around this fountain is one of those gems. It is called the Andrews Geyser.


This is a man-made fountain in Old Fort, North Carolina in McDowell County. The fountain is named for Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews, a North Carolina native who was the Vice President of the Southern Railway Company and one of the men responsible for the construction of the railroad between Old Fort and Asheville, North Carolina, in the late 19th century. The fountain was constructed in 1885 with a dual purpose: it was a feature of the Round Knob Hotel, and a tribute to the approximately 120 men who died building the railroad through this particularly treacherous stretch of land, that culminates with the crossing of the Eastern Continental Divide through the Swannanoa Tunnel. The fountain was said to be eye-catching for railroad passengers ascending the 13 miles of track and seven tunnels that peaks at the top of Swannanoa Gap because it could be seen several times along the route.

The Round Knob Hotel burned to the ground in 1903, and the fountain fell into disrepair. In 1911, George Fisher Baker, a wealthy New York financier and philanthropist who had been friends with Colonel Andrews, funded its restoration. The Southern Railway Company did not grant continuation of the easement for the fountain at that time, so a new, five-sided basin was constructed about 70 yards across Mill Creek, and the piping and nozzle were moved to the fountain's current location. The town of Old Fort was given rights to the basin and the pipe that carries the water, and the fountain was formally named Andrews Geyser.

The town of Old Fort continues to use Andrews Geyser and the surrounding area as a public park. Andrews Geyser underwent extensive restoration again in the 1970s, and was rededicated on May 6, 1976. Signs at the park describe Mr. Fisher's role in the early 20th century and the role of Old Fort's private citizens in the 1970s in keeping the fountain running.

Andrews Geyser shoots water continuously to a height of about 80 feet. Its water supply is drawn from a pond located at the current site of the Inn on Mill Creek, a local bed and breakfast. The Inn's property contains the original dam constructed by the railroad in the late 19th century, and the pond formed by the dam with the water of the Long Branch of Mill Creek. A 6-inch-diameter (150 mm) cast iron pipe runs from the dam, through a hidden gate valve, then underground approximately two miles downhill to the fountain. The water comes out a half-inch nozzle pointed skyward, and the 500 feet of elevation difference creates the pressure that drives the fountain.

Mitchell County, NC Barn Quilts

And here are more barn quilts that can be found right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. These are a part of the Mitchell County Barn Quilt trail:

This is Dream Ship on the Little Switzerland Book Store.

On the other end of the book store you can find Books and Coffee Cups quilt block.

And from an overlook on the Parkway you'll see the Apple Tree barn quilt on the side of the Altapass Orchard store. In the fall you can go and pick your own apples from their trees or buy them in the store. The weekend that we were up in the mountains, they must have been having a clogging class as I could hear the music and the sound of tap shoes.

Way too hot to go out this past weekend to take snapshots. The heat was in the triple digits, breaking all sorts of records along with some severe thunderstorms. We were lucky not to have been hit by the derecho that swept just north of us from Illinois to Washington, DC. 

Triumph Register of America National Rally, Little Switzerland, NC

Not everything I saw and photographed during my weekend trip to the mountains was barn quilts. There were antique cars, too!

The Blue Ridge Parkway is much loved by motorcyclists and antique car aficionados due to its 45 mph speed limit and twists and bends. I've never driven the parkway without seeing packs of middle aged Harley Davidson riders and restored cars ranging from Model A's of the 1930's to muscle cars of the 1970's.

I drove up to Little Switzerland just off the BRP to see if I could get some good landscape shots. And this is what I found - all sorts of restored Triumphs.

This guy saw me in the parking lot and asked me to take his photo. His car is the only one I know the age of; he was driving a 1959 Triumph.

This was the Triumph Register of America's annual rally. It is associated with the British TR Register in the UK and is the national association for TR2, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, and 4A owners. They came from all over. I saw license plates from the Midwestern states and Canada in the parking lot.

The cars were gorgeous, but my brother owned a TR-7 back in the 1970's and it spent more time in the shop being repaired than being driven. I always regarded Triumphs as more of a weekend car and you better keep the phone number of a towing company nearby.

Brown's Bow Tie

This is the newest barn quilt on the McDowell County Quilt Trail and one that I thought was a Dresden plate pattern. See how much I know; it is called Bow Tie.

Here is a longer blog post describing how this barn quilt block came into being:

http://mcdowellquilttrail.org/2012/06/21/3rd-quilt-block-on-mcdowell-rural-heritage-quilt-trail-browns-bow-tie/

Futures Dawning

Back from a weekend spent up in the Blue Ridge Mountains with plenty of pictures to post for this week. But I had to post this snapshot first as I have never seen anything quite like it.

I have posted in the past of snapshots that I have taken of the many barn quilts here in North Carolina. First started in western North Carolina in Mitchell and Avery Counties, the idea then spread throughout the mountain counties as a way to draw tourists to their areas. McDowell County joined the Quilt Trail of Western North Carolina back in 2009 with 16 quilt blocks which has grown to more than 100 quilts today.

One of the rules of joining the McDowell County quilt trail is that your quilt block cannot be similar to the others. I think this quilt block follows that rule to a T. I don't even think there is another barn quilt in the US that is comparable.

They call this "Futures Dawning". I would have called it Bear and Bull, but whatever. The building is home to a Raymond James Financial Advisers office and I guess they hope it draws more business to them.

Grey Catbird Fledgling

While I was sitting in the reception area at the emergency vet clinic, waiting on the results of the lab work on Miss Mouse (although I already knew the outcome), I listened to the receptionist field phone calls from several people who had found baby birds and wanted to know what to do with them.

I could hear the exasperation in her voice while she tried to convince her callers to just leave the babies alone, that this was all the process of them becoming adult birds.

"No, they are quite alright. The parents kick them out of the nest when they get big enough. At that point, they are called fledglings and they may spend the better part of a couple days on the ground. But don't worry, Mom and Dad birds are close by. No, don't touch them. No, don't pick them up. You might want to look this up in Wikipedia."

Yep, when all else fails, look it up in Wikipedia.

I had a close up view of this a few days prior to my rushed trip to the vet. The grey catbirds had kicked their fledgling out of the nest and he ended up in my small garden looking somewhat worse for the wear. Mom and Dad were close by, encouraging the youngster to try flying instead of hopping around the bushes squawking at the top of his lungs. He did manage to make it to the cast iron bell holder before I left to go back to work. I took this snapshot while he teetered on the hook pondering his next move.

He and his parents were gone by the next day. I read in the Smithsonian Magazine that almost 90% of grey catbird fledglings never make it past their first summer. I hope he was one of the 10% who actually do.

Miss Mouse

1995 -2012

Rest in peace, Miss Mouse. You were a wonderful companion for 17 years. . . 

McGavock Mansion, Fort Chiswell, Virginia

If you drive Interstate 77 north out of North Carolina into Virginia, you will see this mansion sitting off in a field at Fort Chiswell, Virginia. It was a marker for my trips back to Ohio to see family that I wanted to be sure to take the correct exit in order to keep driving north and not head south as I did on one trip where I found myself in Bristol, Tennessee.

For many years, the house sat forlorn and covered in ivy. I figured it had been abandoned by the owners who were unable to keep up with what must have been a huge money pit. Soon it would just disappear either under the ivy which would take it down by destroying the mortar holding the bricks or someone would buy it and develop it as a truck stop or strip shopping center.

On our way to Wytheville to see the giant pencil, I stopped at the Virginia Welcome Center to pick up some brochures. Flipping through one of the pamphlets, I found out that the Fort Chiswell mansion was open for tours on the weekend. What a coup and so after traveling through downtown Wytheville, I drove over to the mansion to take the tour.

What a treat it was. The owner bought the house for $215,000 back in 2002 at auction and has set about restoring it back to how it looked when the McGavock brothers built it in the 1840's. There is more than 10,000 square feet in the main house and about 2,000 square feet more in the kitchen dependency and smokehouse. He has decorated it with antique furniture (huge pieces of Eastlake) that he has found on his travels as practically none of the original furniture was left in the house unlike the furnishing at Liberty Hall in Kenansville. Here is a great article out of the Roanoke Times about the history and renovation of the place:  Fort Chiswell Mansion Becomes the Grandaddy of All Renovations.

The one feature of the mansion that catches your eye every time is the huge Palladium window on the third floor.

They are an exact copy of the Palladium windows that Thomas Jefferson designed for Pavilion IV at the University of Virginia.

The Big Pencil, Wytheville, Virginia

I'm told this is the biggest pencil in Virginia. My guess is this is the biggest pencil in the United States.

The pencil was made in the 1950's for Wytheville Office Supply store and as a counterpoint for a three-dimensional paint can that used to hang as signage outside a long-gone paint store. The original owner of the store wanted an eye-catching advertising gimmick to bring in customers when Main Street (which is US Highway 21) was the main route for travelers traveling from the northeastern states down to Florida.

The office supply store has moved several times since the 1950's and the pencil has always made the move with it. I wonder how many kids today are familiar with the No. 2 yellow pencil? They've stopped teaching cursive writing in schools and start keyboarding as young as kindergarten now. Outside of test papers where you have to fill in the correct oval, who uses pencils?

Friday's Thunderstorm

This past Friday, Greensboro was under a severe thunderstorm warning, a flash flood warning and, for a short period of time, a tornado watch.

Lake Brandt, down the road from me, is a great place to go and take snapshots of incoming storms (providing they are coming from the west and not the south). So down to the marina I went to get some photos before the storm broke.

I wasn't disappointed. The thunderheads rolled in, the winds picked up and when the thunder started I packed up my camera and went back home. It's not real smart to stand out on a pier when a thunderstorm comes in.

And it opened up and poured . . .  for 20 seconds. For all of the threats, the warning crawls on the TV, the threatening skies we got all of .2 inches of rain.

Waxing Gibbous

Taken from the patio just before sundown using just the extended zoom function of the Panasonic FZ150.

Wonder what it would've looked like if I used a telescope plus the camera?