Some News from Asheville, and Soon....Virginia.

Hello Family and Friends,

I'm learning the ways of the South. There are several different traffic/road rules here for sure and people don't mind g o i n g  s l o w on the roads. It's a way to enjoy the stunning scenery.
I love the license plate. Papaw has six grandkids - he's fixin' to get a few more I betcha.
Chillin' at my sistah's place. She is doing well and managing. For now, she and I are enjoying being together.
DID YOU KNOW there are white squirrels that are NOT albino? And there's a festival in its honor, "White Squirrel Weekend"!

Over the course of generations, the town of Brevard, (prounounced brah-varrd) just outside Asheville, NC, has been defined by one small creature. It is the white squirrel, and it populates the quiet and rustic crossroads of Brevard. It may be easy to assume that these special white squirrels are albino, which is the absence of melanin, but this is not correct. According to studies, the vast majority of white squirrels are not albino at all. Albino squirrels do exist, but they are very rare.

The white squirrels of Brevard are actually eastern grey squirrels with a mutation in their genes that makes their coats white. They have dark eyes and some grey streaks in their white fur, giving them a notable distinction. The squirrels lack the red-eye coloration as well as the straight white pigmentation in the skin and fur of albino creatures.

brevard nc white squirrels

The view of my sister's backyard, summertime version. In the winter, these trees are completely bare.



Time for lunch on Lexington Avenue, in downtown Ashville. Buchi is short, hip version of Kombucha.



Lunch, Southern style. Collard greens, cornbread and some gravy on the side. Delicious.

I had to laugh when I saw this sign. It's actually a clothing boutique. Hope I never need the real thing.
Downtown Asheville is an East Coast version of Berkeley. Lots of cool spots to shop for vinyl, gemstones, hippie stuff and of course, thrift/consignment stores. Expensive boutiques too!
Guess what I found today? The BEAD SHOP. It's incredible and I had to take a snap of this for my friend Stacey. I brought my jewelry making stuff (a compact version of all I own).
Thank you FB Marketplace. A woman nearby was selling a Hillsdale daybed, cherry wood. It's valued at $900 - $1100 and I got it for.......$100! It's so comfortable and I'm happy with it. Last night I slept in this bed, the first bed in a house since April 30th. The van bed is good too, but this was very nice.


As you may have seen about a week ago, my sister and her friend share a cocktail recipe each Saturday at 4:00 and make it together over the phone. Ingredients are carefully planned out and purchased in advance. Today's mouth puckering, refreshing concoction is a blackberry whisky sour, made with Chambord.

On Tuesday or Wednesday, I'll get Calamity Jane back on the road and head to Chesapeake, Virginia to see one of Steve's best friends from his command in Washington state, his Navy buddy, Kristina. I get to meet her in person for the first time as well as her husband Frank and my sweet little granddaughter...I have been appointed "Bonus Grandma" - I'll take that job any day. I have claimed the title with his other friend's kids, so the more the merrier! My two grandsons Jack and Kohl plus a few extras.

Take care!

Laurie

 

Comments

  1. Ananth ReddyMay 30, 2023 at 2:43 AM

    Hi Laurie,
    Nice to see you having good time with CJ and family and friends! I mentioned about this book I ready in our last weekly meeting.
    https://www.amazon.com/Between-Two-Kingdoms-Suleika-Jaouad/dp/0399588582/ref=asc_df_0399588582/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509360428472&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16907139208857239818&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032048&hvtargid=pla-924954413279&psc=1
    Hope to see your travel journal published some day!
    Keep posting!

    ReplyDelete

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