Some mornings I pretend I'm not out here on the prairie but instead I'm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. If I sit just right and at a certain angle, the roof of a big house, blended with the trees on the green space and the tops of a wheat like shrub just on the other side of our fence can almost, not quite, but almost mimic a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. OK, there is a lot of squinting involved but some morning the extra lines being formed on my face are worth it. Surprisingly, at least to myself, I was up early this morning and on a morning I didn't need to be up early. As the sun began to rise over the rooftops from across the creek I couldn't make myself go back to bed but it was pure joy to sit here, sip some coffee and take in the best thing I will see all day.
Buddy and I are so happy that the birds have returned. Although, there are some birds I wish had never found the feeder. They are little black birds, not like the bigger crow-like birds, but these little birds travel in great numbers. It can almost look plague like when they descend. Any little noise or movement spooks them and they take off in a great responding rush of wind. The doves are back. They mainly peck at each other and yet being the biggest birds at the feeder, they can be intimidated to release their grip on the feeder. Then there are the mockingbirds. One mockingbird can clear a feeder in one fell swoop. Buddy is memorized with all the flying and especially so when a few doves choose to sit on the window sill. Those birds are so close, but a pane of glass and screen separates the birds natural predator. They don't even know that danger lurks so closely. I've had the windows open slightly and the noise created by the smaller birds sounds like a rippling stream. When the noise of the birds duplicates the sound of rapids it usually means there is a bird skirmish going on at the bird feeder.
Again this is a two day post. This morning I woke up later and although it is a beautiful morning I missed those moments that I described above. But this isn't pretend, I made two dinner reservations at the Inn yesterday afternoon. It is good to plan ahead.
Roy and I enjoyed a delicious late lunch/early dinner at Lupe's yesterday. Then we made a trip to Sprouts. He is making breakfast for his Bible study this morning and needed to get a few more things. Before he got home I did a quick trim back of our Mexican Heather. We had done this about two weeks ago and they still needed to be trimmed back a little more. We will probably finish putting out mulch later this afternoon.
I made myself quit reading last night but everything within me wanted to finish the book I am reading. After getting all the background on the main characters in place, the big reveal is coming up in the next couple of chapters. The big reveal of the story is happening at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville. So, it is fun knowing that when they talk about the sunset grill, I can picture it and the huge fireplaces big enough for two cars....I can see it. One of my favorite stories of my friendship with Peggy happened at the Grove Park Inn. We did a girls trip in 1999 and made Nashville our base at my brother's home. We ventured out and went sightseeing during the day. Since we were so close to Asheville we decided that we should go over and see the Biltmore House. I had never been there before. My brother told us about Grove Park and he said he would make reservations for us. On the way to Asheville we went via Chattanooga to meet two friends of mine from a Southern Writers Group on AOL. I had met Kay before but never Trish and let's just say that Kay, who loved showing off Chattanooga, made us walk long distances and ride unairconditioned busses on that hot July day. The" treat" was the walk along the riverside to the restaurant she had chosen for lunch. Except it was hotter than fire that day in Chattanooga, it was even hotter there than in Houston. Peggy and I tried to reason with her that in Houston you just go from A/C to A/C with only the briefest moments spent outside. She wouldn't hear of it, so we began what Peggy and I now refer this as the Bataan Death March. To add insult, we had dressed kind of nice and dressy not our usual shorts and t-shirt summer attire. By the time we got to the restaurant we were drenched with sweat, Peggy's feet were killing her because of the cute thin strapped sandals she had on and my eyes were a burning red because all the Estee Lauder fruition I had on under my make up soaked into my eyes and I could barely see. To add insult to injury, we had to get out in pouring rain in Knoxville, so by the time we got to the ritzy resort we looked worse than drowned rats. We looked like drowned raccoons who had been attacked while gathering food in a dumpster. The front desk personnel gave us a wary look as everyone around us looked like and dressed like they were out of The Great Gatsby. We asked about dinner at the hotel and the dress code for dinner was resort wear. They let us know we needed to change into our resort wear. If we hadn't done the death march and if we hadn't left the cake out in the rain...I don't think that I can take it, cause it took so long to bake it....oops, ADD moment, we had worn resort wear that day, we just ran into some non resort situations. But, we were told, we would be able to eat breakfast at the hotel in the morning. So, we go up to our room which is located in the older part of the hotel. If you are staying at the Grove Park, always ask to stay in the older section. All handmade arts and craftsman style furnishings and claw foot bathtubs make the visit. Uh, there in the room was only a double bed and after calling the front desk we were told no other rooms were available. So we made due and both of us slept very close to our respective sides of the bed. I kept dreaming if I moved Peggy's daughter Jaime would be killed. The next morning after our lovely resort breakfast and our most well rested sleep of our lives, NOT, we headed over to the Biltmore, my first visit and we know it hasn't been the last. Months later while looking at my Southern Living magazine I saw where the Grove Park Inn had been voted most romantic stay in the south. Of course I had to call Peggy and tell her the news.
So you got the long story of why I could picture all the different places at Grove Park. I have returned to the Grove Park even after that disastrous but now very funny to us, stay with Peggy but now when we are in Asheville, I don't even head that way. Another Inn has taken the Grove Park's place.
Roy should be home soon from Bible study. I am hoping he has leftovers and that can be breakfast for me as well.
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