My Home Town....

It's like my own Currier and Ives lithograph that I get to live in every day, my home town. A post card of some unreal place that looks to perfect to exist.

The face of my home town changes this time of year with all the fall decorations magically appearing overnight. Mums lining the brick sidewalks, fodder standing at attention at each lamp post like good will ambassadors greeting you as you pass by.

Nature has started it's own little dance in the background. The hills surrounding my home town are in the throws of metamorphosis that will bring visitors from places that I can't even pronounce. These hills are like the choir behind the soloist. Each element having a very important role in a concert that will end in a crescendo of orange, red, yellow, brown and many other colors that defy name and description.

The leaves make us wait. Like they are saying "be patient". Almost like they know that there is strength in numbers. As if they are calling each to the other "Hang On, Just Hang On!" This is my favorite time of year. The senses are working overtime, emotions are in flux knowing that it will all end soon and we will be confined to living indoors again. The creatures of the earth are more active as if they know something is about to happen soon. Things even sound different this time of year. Nature's music is more evident, more pronounced.

Shhhh........Listen.......Can you hear it? I can. Thank God, I can.

The watershed trails...

…….well….not the best place to ride but it is close by and easy to get to. So that was the best I could do for a Saturday afternoon. I had the trails all to myself, at least for about 30 mins. Then some kid comes by pushing his bike yelling at the top of his lungs trying to find some other kids that ran off and left him behind. Not exactly what you are looking for when you are on the trails out for a ride alone. But he seemed to be a pretty decent kid so it wasn’t all that bad. Well, that is until a crowd of church folks came through the woods yapping and barking like a pack of coyotes. They sure were a rag tag bunch of mtn. bikers. None of them had bikes that I would even trust on the trail. One of them was pushing his. Probably for the best. I wouldn’t ride that thing either. He had a mile of duct tape holding it together. But they were there for the same reasons that I was. The only difference is that I was alone and the were in herds. So much for a Saturday afternoon. The big orange fungus was worth the trip (

I was granted a pardon....

I was granted a pardon from going to Hampton this past week. Or at least that is how it seems. With the colder months approaching and summer already gone, I do need the time to get some things in order before it is to late. Didn’t get to do much outdoorsy stuff this past weekend. We did do a little hike to Laural Fork Falls in the Pond Mtn. Wilderness on Saturday. There was a few people on then trail but not enough to make it unpleasant. I do hear the Creeper Trail calling. With fall coming on it is a good time for a smooth easy bike ride in the mountains and the Creeper is the perfect place for that.    

It was 1:30 am......

It was 1:30…….when I pulled into the driveway Friday morning. The ride home was fairly uneventful save a few deer that threatened to leap out into the highway and create a major halt to the progress I was making. Nonetheless……a fun weekend of camping and biking around Dupont State Forest. This time was the Burnt Mtn. trail which is rated difficult on the trail guides. What the hay……we have been on difficult trails before. When the leaves start changing color we will do this on again. Camping at Davidson River was less than perfect, noisy, crowded, only one shower per bath house. Cascade Lakes is a much better place to camp. But…….it was worth a try. Now we know.