On Friday morning, we said our goodbyes to Edward and a fond farewell to Biltmore. Our week was everything and more. Roy and I relaxed and we did a lot of reading by the fireplace. Not that we can't do that at home and we have beautiful scenery here too but not the mountains and no one refers to us as the Monarch Party. We were able to return to Black Mountain and Montreat but because of the cold temperatures and our uncertainty in winter precip, we hung around the house and the Inn quite a bit. I didn't even do as much shopping. I loved our room. We were not able to get a mountain-view this trip but I think I would exchange the view, because we had an okay view, for the spaciousness of the room. It truly felt like being a princess in a tower because we didn't have rooms beside us. Only the bathroom wall connected with another room. The first night we were there Roy heard an argument going on in the bathroom next door.
Here is a closer view
You didn't feel like you were on top of one another in the evenings. I could sit in the chair with the ottoman and Roy was clear across the room, with the TV turned to his chair. Even then there were several nights he didn't even turn on the TV because we were both engrossed with our books. When something exciting happened in the stories we were reading, we would stop and tell the other one what we had just read. So it was like having two books going. Yes, we are such nerds, such book nerds. The valet man that Dena and I have named Scrumptious, seemed to be the valet that brought Sequisha around. Ah, such eye candy and he remembered me from other trips. So it would be fitting that Scrumptious brought us Sequisha for our journey homeward. Roy had gone back in the lobby to get a cup of coffee and I noticed that a light on the dashboard was on, one I hadn't seen before. I am going through the car manual trying to figure out what the heck was wrong. As we discussed options on the drive out, we were once again treated to the sight of deer and wild turkeys that welcomed us on our Saturday arrival, out in the fields once again on our departure. Roy was able to get some pictures this time. North and South Carolina wildlife agencies came to the Biltmore to ask if the near extinct wild turkeys of the area could be put on the estate in hopes of replenishing their numbers. Like all things both wildlife and human, once you arrive, you don't want to leave. The wild turkeys are doing quite well in reestablishing their numbers. The geese that have found the Biltmore fields and waters, don't fly further south for the winters. They arrived and took up residence. The deer must know they are in a safe zone except every once in a while, they do have to cull the herds and that is hunter talk for kill. Doesn't cull sound so much nicer?
Back to the eventful departure....Roy realized the gauge was merely low tire pressure in one or all tires. So in 19 degree temps, we stopped at a station and began putting air in the tires. Neither one of us is good at this kind of stuff and while I was searching the car for plenteous quarters, since I knew we would not get all the tires done in one 75 cents worth, I figured Roy was reading the directions of the air deal. Ha! Men don't read directions. Dang, it was cold and it took quite a bit of time for my fingers to have feeling again. We were able to get the tires taken care of on two 75 cent worth. Our start on the road was delayed by about 30 minutes, yes that is how good we are at this stuff, and we were back on the road. We didn't have a time schedule in mind which is a good thing because neither of us pulled out the saying of long ago, "we've got to make good time." We went through Chattanooga later than usual and hit all kinds of traffic but once we were in Alabama, the traffic let up and driving through those now familiar cities, B'ham, Tuscaloosa, Meridian, Jackson, Brookhaven, McComb....well you get the picture, went quite fast. No, I wasn't speeding. We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express, that I don't think I will ever stay in again. You feel like it is one of those places where you check in but don't check out. Saturday morning was a rainy one and we had opted to get on down the road and make a CB breakfast stop, rather than eat at the scary Holiday Inn. As we left the clerk at the front desk asked us if we were going to eat or at least get coffee. I said, let us get our bags in the car. But we did not go back in. I think that particular location runs on a shoe string budget. Our room smelled so musty from the lack of air circulation.
I must leave this mesmerizing post now. Always so much to get done to get back into the groove but this time, Christmas decorations add a little more to the mix.
No comments:
Post a Comment