The morning is a crisp 54 degrees, with little mountain fog. The sunset was majestic last night and the sunrise this morning rivals the majesty of last night. The sun over the distant mountain and the beams through the mist act like spotlights on the trees. The pastures look like they are set for the play to begin. The distant crowing of a rooster and the singing of birds welcome me to this Tuesday morning in the mountains. These days here have been so invigorating. Physically, I am a different person up here. It as if I have been rebaptized into life, not only spiritually experiencing His abundance, but in the daily, ordinary ways of life. It dawned on me this morning we might not make a home purchase on this trip. OK, I knew that going in but it as the days wind down it is becoming a reality. The process is on hold until Roy gets here. So in the waiting I pray and thank God for His wisdom in this process and decision. And what a glorious waiting room!
Along with a good cup of coffee this morning I am having my Appalachian biscuit from the Biltmore. Oh my, delicious! Edward even put in some of their homemade strawberry jam. I want Roy to go back with me so he can take pictures of the sunflowers and do them justice in showing their beauty and magnificence lined along Antler Hill and on toward the mountains. Yesterday on the walking path in front of the sunflowers I met all manner of people. There was a professional photographer who obviously was in sunflower heaven capturing the moments of flowers and bees, with the whole pollen and honey thing going on. She asked me the time and when I told her she could not believe the morning had passed so quickly and it was now afternoon. There was an older gentleman and his dog. The man set on his walker seat while his dog ran through the field of flowers. He told me it was worth every inch of climbing back up that hill to sit there this morning, taking it all in.
I am trying to save my books whose story whether it be fiction or nonfiction, is set in this area for when I get home and I am pining for the mountains. I truly now understand what John Muir said long ago, "The mountains are calling and I must go." So I am slugging along in a beach read and I have just about decided to try another book. The author is introducing so many characters in these first chapters, I am having a difficult time keeping them straight and who goes with who. So, I'm going to look through the ever increasing stack of books to find another one that might keep my interest. This is why I don't fly here. I bring back way too much stuff.
Last night Dena called and it was so fun to get caught up and also discuss NC houses with someone besides Roy. I continue to do research on the area trying to know where you want to live and where you don't want to live based on well water etc... These things I have never thought about before in my life. One of the houses, if it is still active when Roy arrives, has a block foundation. So, I did my research on knowing what that means. There are very few slab foundations up this way. My mind keeps drifting back to the ranch home across from the farm. With a finished out basement and a kick butt backyard....the ordinary ranch style front would mask a beautiful retreat. Roy sends me his work safety moment each day. We kind of have a running joke about them because his comments in the prelude to the body of the email are hilarious. We both have noticed that these last few safety moments have had a direct impact on the decisions we are making. Again, being more practical than is usual for me, I have to think about the year or two after all the newness of having a house up here wears out on friends back home and the trips begin to shrink. Then we have a lot of space we aren't using. It is also thinking of things health wise too. So what if the bathrooms aren't huge, really how much time does one spend in a bathroom? Well, I guess it depends on each individual. But I think our time in Blue Ridge Ga in a home meant for guests that had lost its appeal for the owners. It is for sale, on the rental list, with the barest of necessities. The home we made an offer on is really a great home for guests but we are keeping in mind, the house up here is going to become our home when Roy retires. Who wants to traipse about in a big house when you can feel cozy and at home, feeling like a retreat in an ordinary ranch style home. Heck, and if friends do come a lot, there are tons of B&B's we can put people in. Yea! No cooking involved for me!!! We shall dine on the finest of pizzas from the gas station and fill up on pretzel rolls and Lusty Monk Mustard Butter at Cedric's in Antler Hill Village! We can order chicken legs from Arby's, I mean KFC!
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