A River Runs Through It

The Hiwassee River and the Valley River merge here in town, along the banks of which I walk when I mention the river walk. If you are of a certain age, you might be somewhat familiar with the Tennessee Valley Authority and how they changed the lives of the people of Appalachia. Most of the time for the better because they controlled flooding and brought power to one of the nation's poorest regions. On the other hand, those folks whose towns were buried under water might have felt differently. In any case, there are many dams in the region and to date we have visited three of them. Mostly on the days when we wake up and it is raining, making pickleball out of the question. So far they have been 25 miles or less from our cozy home away from home. There are so few cars on the road that traveling, unless it is super steep or crazy winding is pretty darn nice. At least it is from where I sit in the passenger seat!

I suppose that I've told you very little about Murphy, perhaps because I know so little? I still don't know a whole lot, but we have begun picking up the weekly newspaper that serves both Murphy and Andrews, well actually all of Cherokee County, including news from those two towns along with some smaller villages. Get this---they include the arrest report! Mostly drugs or domestic violence, both of which are regrettable. The latest census shows that Murphy is smaller than most high schools in Orlando, well maybe even smaller than some middle schools. Closing in on, ready? 1,700 people! Certainly that does not count the "summer people" of which there are plenty of those. Mostly from Florida from the looks of the license plates in the WalMart parking lot which we frequent, well frequently because we are still stocking up with staples. We have been blessed to have supplies here, but every once in a while we discover something that is a wee bit out of date. I went looking for bay leaves in the spice cupboard and pulled this one down. How long do you think it has been since a jar of McCormick spice was 39 cents??

I received permission to throw it out! After a little sleuthing, I came across this article that at least gave me a ballpark figure. Should you be curious, well, you know what to do!

The first damn we visited was the Nottely Dam. In the picture we are approaching and will soon be crossing said dam located in Blairsville, GA, not far from the North Carolina border.

Look at how dreary the weather is!!! As I am no expert on dams, Bruce has done his best to explain the concept. Maybe, just maybe, by the time we leave I will get it, but for now, I am still learning. This is maybe what you would call the underside of where we were driving?

After parking, we walked alongside the river which included a tiny waterfall.

Should you be a fan of the color green you are in the right place today because there will be plenty of shades of your favorite color. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that, when it rains a lot in the summer, it is going to be GREEN. 

And when you are in Western North Carolina there is going to be steam on the water, as well as plenty of rocks.

Would you look at that? More green.

One purchase we made before leaving was our hiking shoes, both pairs made by Merrill. They have proved to be Invaluable on the  muddy trails.

I am puzzling about the soil which contains lots of clay, that sticks to your shoes btw. Anyway, I wonder how far is clay present from Georgia? Isn't that the state that you most associate with clay soil?

The above is a nearby trail that we hiked in the drizzle. One thing that is especially interesting to me is the prevalence of mushrooms to be found on so many damp, fallen trees. My photo library now has a compilation of all of the mushrooms I've seen and I will add to it as more present themselves.

This is usually how it goes...Bruce way out in front as I am a slow poke, in part because I walk slowly and in part because I dawdle, taking photographs of everything I see that interests me, a description that will surprise no one. 

Wait...no Bruce! Let's go back to my library and find him. Stands out because he is in blue, right? Something else that has been invaluable are the walking sticks. Oh my yes! This was a pretty steep incline that would have been impossible for me without one.

So frilly and green!

Aren't they cute?  So that is one dam trip, but there are more to come!

Tomorrow marks four weeks since we've been here and so far the blogs are running way behind. Here's a little rundown in list fashion which I plan on returning to as time permits.

Since we have been here we have:

• Seen fireflies, although it doesn't get dark here till so late.
• I've read a signed copy of a novel that I found on the bookshelf here by Ron Rash, one of my favorites who hails from these parts. Perhaps you remember the novel, and later the film, named Serena? That is him. 
• Had a scorpion in the bathroom sink!! Thankfully found by the man of the house and captured. 
• Loving the sound of rain on a tin roof.
• Been to a downtown art walk, an art festival and a movie at the tiny theater downtown. The movie, the latest Indiana Jones movie which I absolutely hated, cost for admission was $5.50! In the evening no less.
• Made friends with the owners of a new wine bar.
• Continue running into someone we have met just about everywhere we go.
• Seen people whitewater rafting.
• Gone to an art gallery
• Seen two fawns!! Second one pictured below.
• 
  Hiked almost to the top of a waterfall. Almost being the operative word.
• Played pickleball far less than we imagined, but we are meeting folks, so that's good.
• Began attending the tiny, and I mean tiny, Episcopal church with windows made by the Tiffany company and built with wood from the congregants land. Everyone is old, including the priest!

Before you correct me on that, after seeing the very young organist, she is leaving in two weeks time! 

So there's a recap for now. I have loads of photos to share but for now my list will have to suffice lest I forget what we have been up to. 

Lastly, I took the photo below of the river running through Murphy and when I mentioned the location to John, formerly our landlord (still is really!) who now wants us to call him our neighbor, told me that this is called Lover's Leap according to Cherokee Indian legend. Think Romeo and Juliet and you probably can put two and two together. We have yet to visit the museum downtown that explains in more detail the history of the Cherokee Indians in this area, mostly that, as far as I currently know, were interred here before moving on to the Trail of Tears towards Oklahoma. But don't quote me on that just yet. 

Gosh it looks pretty doesn't it? Oh yea, it's been plenty hot but not nearly as hot as Florida!!

your friend,

Gail 

Summer Casualty

Remember how I've been harping on the big storms this summer? Apparently one of the many lightening strikes was close to home. My dear neighbor Regina's remaining giant oak tree was hit a week ago Sunday. Not only did she lose the forty year old tree but multiple appliances and computer problems resulted from the strike. She was out to dinner and the only sign of a problem was her dead phone when she returned. A few days later the leaves on the tree began to brown. Although she had a surge protector it wasn't enough. The sad thing is that she lost two massive oaks in the hurricanes a few years ago, and now this one. The street obviously doesn't look the same without the canopy it provided.

Last night at this time I was mowing the lawn thinking it might be cooler. Good thing it wasn't tonight as the temperature at 7:45 is still 91 degrees. For six weeks the rain was incessant--now it hasn't rained in almost a week. The plants and grass are drying up quickly in the blazing heat. After finishing last night I jumped in the pool to cool off.

The flower picture I'm posting today is from a yard I drive by with some frequency. This is my first time seeing this beautiful flower, the lovely shade of red is captivating. After knocking on the door, I told the owner I loved to photograph flowers, he consented after a moments hesitation. He called it a silk flower which he'd grown from seed; if I'm not mistaken he was kinda proud someone had noticed.

Bruce has been in town all week but that doesn't mean we've had dinner together. Tonight he's at Capital Grille with his colleagues from around the country after two days of meetings at the corporate offices. At least he hasn't had to fly or drive too far this week. Tomorrow he will be driving to "The Villages" in Lake County. It is a huge development, and I mean huge, for retirees. The "town" has been the subject of a recent book detailing life in a planned community that from what I've read is not all that flattering. Debauchery all around.

I'm struggling right now with what to donate for the children's cancer camp benefit at the end of the month. The event is one night in a downtown gallery. My photograph will be in the company of other, more established artists, giving me big doubts about what to contribute. It needs to be something arty, and at the same time, something that someone might want.

Speaking of weather, apparently Jonathan and Alissa went through some wild weather this week in Chicago. From what I heard the lightening, rain, and wind were unprecedented.

My neighbors just returned from nearly two weeks in England. When Matt and I chatted last week he mentioned the heat (no air conditioning) and how he was tired of it already. They echoed his sentiments! However, it passed after a few days and milder weather returned. Mostly when she was over here this afternoon she talked about how expensive it is. I believe I've mentioned that Matt is probably the only person you'll hear about who's saving money whilst living in London. He's unbelievable, but you knew that already didn't you?

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Listening to: Spiritualized - Sway
via FoxyTunes