A Fish Tale & More

The other day I was returning from a ride when I saw a man cleaning a large trout at the boat ramp near the campground, so I stopped to have a look. He & another guy had caught a cooler full of trout & were cleaning them. I'd never seen so many trout! I guess there were 20 or 25, all nice size. The older guy offered me a fish & I accepted one uncleaned. He said they had fished all night.
"What didja catch 'em on?" I asked.
"Wigglers", he replied.
"Where did you get wigglers? I haven't seen bait for sale anywhere."
"Along side of the road", he said.
That sounded a little weird, but I let it go & thanked them for the fish.
The next morning I saw them on the side of the road, moving leaves & picking something up. Hmm. Maybe he wasn't pulling my leg after all.
Later on I went to where I had seen them searching & tried my luck. At first I saw nothing but centipedes & a few other critters. Then I spotted one-a full grown night crawler as big around as my pinky! I grabbed him up & the hunt was on.
The hard gravel kept them from hiding in deep holes like they usually do. They were easy to catch & I quickly had a dozen or more. I remembered an article in Wildlife in NC about the fun of catching your bait, and how that used to be part of fishing. I remember digging worms, collecting crickets & grasshoppers & even burning wasp nests to get their larva. I also remembered a little Cherokee boy showing me how to find stick bait, a larvae that uses rocks & sticks to make a cocoon.
The river banks are steep & rocky, but I finally found a rock to stand on & caught a nice fish on the second cast using a wiggler. He jumped twice before I landed him. I was so confident of catching a bunch that I let him go in hopes of catching a bigger one. As it turns out, that was the only one I caught that day.
Been watching a slew of movies lately - The Green Mile, Risky Business, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, and finally mine & LaVerne's wedding video. Of course I shed a few tears, but I also had some good smiles & laughs. What a fun time we had that day! Reverend Susan was on her game for sure, and the Ballad of Fred by Jill & Alan Goldman was a hoot, again! Even with all the heartbreak, I would do it all again. I regret losing touch with Rev. Susan, as I believe she could have helped me & LaVerne even more than she already did. Loving L was wonderful, as was being loved by her. As I said when I put her ashes in the ocean, bon voyage, baby!

Latest pics

US129photos has posted the pics from Sunday, June 27, with me wearing my new, red Dragon's tee shirt with the big eyes on the back. I've almost figured out a way to get a pic riding naked without getting a ticket or worse. Whether they'll publish it or not, I'm not sure. How much of a bribe might it take, I wonder? Whatever, it's fun to think about. :-)

More Vespa photos

A website called killboy has more photos of me riding the Vespa on the Tail of the Dragon. They're posted under Deal's Gap, June 23. I rode it yesterday wearing a cool red shirt with dragon eyes on the back. Can't wait to see those!

A Serene Sunday

While looking at a sketch map of Fontana Village, I noticed a road exiting the back that looked interesting, so off I went. It was used so little that it was covered in leaves, rocks, sticks & stuff. I half expected to see a bear around the next curve! It took me across the ridge & down to Tocoa, on the river below another dam. There was a very isolated boat ramp, camping area & dock that looked seldom used. It was so quiet there I could hear my own breath.
At the river I saw several kayakers braving the high, fast waters that had been released from the dam. It was thrilling watching them shoot the rapids, disappear for a moment then pop up down stream. Now THAT's adventure!
From there I went up to Deal's Gap to the motorcycle gathering place & saw the cool vehicle pictured here with the eagle painted on it. I had to take a pic. Forgot to ask what it's called, but it has a steering wheel. What a gorgeous ride! The lady in it was pretty, too.
Last night there was a talent show at the Village, which was so much fun. People doing goofy things & just laughing & having a good time. The son of my camp ground friend, Penny, held his breath for a long time & the look on his face was hilarious! Some folks danced, some sang, some told stories, good & bad. I regretted not having practiced my magic tricks & have vowed to do so. They're a lot of fun & were enjoyed by me & others. Probably more me, but that's okay, too. I love the one where I sniff the rubber band up my nose then spit it out! They always made LaVerne laugh, too. Life is good!

Yellow Creek Falls is the name of the one I finally found on Friday. It was a challenge just locating it, then the climb was an even bigger one. It was steep & rocky & when I got there, I got a strike on the first cast. Got lots of strikes, but no fish. The water didn't look yellow to me, but it sure wasn't clear. What another beautiful piece of paradise!

Ever since I bought my helmet I've been looking for decals to spice it up a bit & finding nothing. But the red dragons looked pretty cool, especially along with the white ones on the scooter. I earned 'em so I'm gonna show 'em!
Yesterday I went to Asheville to discover I was a month early for Bele Cher. But I still enjoyed watching the USA play a pretty good soccer game. Found a great seat at Pack Tavern & enjoyed a new summer beer from Newcastle. Delicious! I watched with a very nice fellow name Juan, from Spain, his brother Jose & their friend Peter from Germany. These guys really knew the game & it was so informative listening to them until the noise level got too high to hear them.
There was an Art in the Park going on in town, so that was fun to cruise. It was a very hot day so the water park area was a big hit.
Will probably spend time at Deal's Gap people watching today, as it ought to be a good one.

Racey Rides the Tail of the Dragon!

The professional pics of me riding the tail are on http://www.us129photos.com/, under "Motards, Trikes, Dual Sports & Scooters". Don't know what a Motard is, but it doesn't sound very nice.) They're pretty cool & there are lots of them (17). When I first looked, they were on page 11 & numbered 434-450. Then the numbers disappeared never to return. I ordered 5 of the best & will post them here when they arrive.
Took a long ride to Robbinsville yesterday & saw lots of pretty water along the way. I ventured up a road toward Joyce Kilmer & came across this pretty little water fall. First cast, caught a nice little small mouth bass. That was it for the fish, but the rocks were gorgeous. I think they're igneous, formed by fire/'volcanoes. It looked liked they'd been sliced then turned on edge.
This morning I rode up to & across the dam & found where the Appalachian Trail comes down. That sure is some rugged country. Made me tired just looking at it!
May go to the big town tomorrow, Asheville, for the Belle Cher festival. I've been once before & it was terrific. It's so isolated here, I'm missing people.
That said, I met my campground neighbors in the pool yesterday & they're from Ft. Wayne, IN, home of my sister-in-law, Suzanne & her husband, Dave. We had a very pleasant conversation while floating along the "river" in the pool. Great way to beat the heat.
Time to ride....more tales later. Off to find a water fall.

"I'm back in the saddle again..."

...sang Roy Rogers. And I'm back in the good ole Vespa saddle again! It was a 2 hour round trip to Sylva, plus an hour for them to put the new tire on. It was worth every penny of the high price they charged.
During the ride over & back, I realized this is the longest I've gone without riding since I started in November of '08 - 5 days. It seemed like an eternity.
The Tail of the Dragon is 318 curves in 11 miles and I rode it twice yesterday. It's on US 129 going into Tennessee. My eyes watered I was so happy to be on that scooter again. It is truly a mood elevator, just like the red chili lights on the trailer.
One challenge of riding a 2 wheeler is not breaking in a curve. The instructors say to accelerate or hold your speed throughout a turn. Well, when you're going down hill through continuous S turns, that becomes very difficult. So I stayed focused, no sightseeing, and rode my ride, not influenced by what others were doing.
Since the road is closed at the far end, you have to turn around & come back. During that part on my second run, I was pushing a big Harley Davidson who finally pulled over & let me by. When we got back to the Deal's Gap store, he came over & complimented me on how well I was riding. Finally! Respect from a Harley owner! Boy did that feel good!
Deal's Gap is a big store, pub, RV resort & refueling station. It's nearly always crowded with Harley's, Japanese crotch rockets, trikes, dirt bikes & most everything else you can imagine on 2 or 3 wheels. Then there was my little red Vespa. I was very proud!
The Tree of Shame is decorated with motorcycle parts from wrecks that have occurred on the Dragon. It is very sobering, to say the least. There are notes written on some of the parts, like "A head on between 2 Harleys". There's one sign there that says "Ride your own ride & stay in your own lane." Since most cycle accidents are caused by going too fast around curves, that's very good advice.
There was a place along the road taking pictures as people rode by. Their website is US 129 Photos.com. The ones from yesterday haven't been posted yet, but hopefully there'll be at least one good one of me riding the Tail of the Dragon! What fun! Going back again today.

A pasta cooking tip

Do you know what happens when you cover pasta with water, forget about it for a while then cook it? Last night I found out.
It looked okay. Sure it seemed a little soft, but I was hungry & covered it with the clam sauce I'd made & it smelled good, too.
The first large bite stuck to everything inside my mouth that it touched - teeth, palate, tongue. And I do mean stuck. It was like a very strong, pasty glue that just wouldn't let go. Finally had to take a finger & peel it off/out, otherwise it was going to stay there 'cause it sure wasn't going down! No telling what would have happened if I had been able to swallow it. Don't even want to think about that.
I had visions of becoming a casualty mentioned in the Darwin Awards, but that almost made me laugh & that could have been a disaster with a mouth full of pasta-glue.
Also thought about my wonderful kids & the suffering they endured as I experimented with cooking & subjected them to the results. I love you, kiddos, & glad you survived!
Glad I finally learned to make good gazpacho & that filled me up.
Another adventure survived & chronicled! Yeeha!

Itinerary Update

These are confirmed plans, or at least as confirmed as things can be:
Today - July 2, Fontana Viillage, NC
July 2-4, Alan's house in West Jefferson, NC
July 5-11, Raccoon Holler, Glendale Springs, NC
July 11-16, Pipestem Resort, West Virginia
July 19-26, Douthat State Park, VA Yes, there is a 3 day gap not yet filled.
July 26-August 3, Barbara's house, Forest, VA
August 3-10, Hot Springs, NC
August 10-24, Lake Powhatan National Park, near Asheville, NC
August 24-September 21, Mountain Stream RV Park, Marion, NC
September 21-28, somewhere near Durham, NC
September 28-October ?, somewhere near Wilmington, NC
October & November, Mississippi, then Florida for the winter.

Another hot one!

Not sure why I waited until 5pm to turn on the AC yesterday. It was 94 degrees, inside & out! Since I grew up in a trailer without AC, that may have something to do with it. Plus camping with the kids & no AC was fine, too. But not today! I'm on a porch at the village, sipping a cold beer with a fan whirling overhead. Life is good!
Except: no scooter, no TV = no US Open, not World Cup Soccer, no riding the roads.
Made a big batch of gazpacho yesterday morning. What was I thinking? Before I had help eating it, but not this time. It's good for me, though.
Skyped with daughter Barbara at the lodge yesterday & that was a nice Father's Day surprise. It saved her writing me an e-mail about their trip to Disney World. The pics they took are terrific & it's obvious they all had a very good time. I'm glad the travel gene is alive & well!
Got some new neighbors yesterday. A Cadillac sedan pulling a utility trailer full of camping gear. There's an older man, a younger man & 3 kids. They talk loud & a lot & seem to be hyperactive, except for the older gent. And I'm pretty sure they're from the north.
Finally talk a long walk yesterday, the first in quite a while. My knee has been hurting a lot & I thought walking it out might help. It was sore later, but I do think it helped.
I've stayed at 10 different RV places since last September and so far, this is the worst. Serves me right for not reading the reviews first. Also, I want to start writing reviews again, as they are very helpful.
Today's Pics: a view from the lobby; a neat war poster; the dam; my trailer from the top of the dam (big white spot on left)

Fontana

"adventure: something daring & hazardous" Both words apply to the drive here yesterday from Cedar Mountain. GPS took me up highway 276 along Davidson River, not too bad, then down the other side of the mountain on Cruso Road - BAD! It was crooked, steep, rough, no shoulders, few guard rails & huge dropoffs. Then traffic was stopped in both directions for a bad motorcycle accident. Another reminder for me to be careful & stay focused.
Departing Black Forest campground was bitter-sweet. Everyone made a point to bid me farewell & Judy, the martriarch, gave me a nice travel mug. Little Jonathon even rode the golf cart with his mom to the end of the road to clear traffic. Sure will miss that little guy.
The Vespa got a flat tire just before I loaded it, making that task very difficult. What a bummer! After riding over a thousand miles last month, it was almost time for a new back tire anyhow. Found a cycle shop in a little place called Sylva & they ordered a new tire. It'll be here Tuesday & I should be ready to ride again. Sylva is about an hour from here, one way.
Passed a campground called Turkey Creek on the way in. Zoe, Pancho & me stayed there one time & enjoyed it a lot. Pancho & I swam in the lake everyday, as it was very hot here. I may stay there again over the 4th, as most places are already booked.
Which reminds me, I'll be at Racoon Holler near Glendale Springs July 5 - 11. The kids went there many times when they were growing up with the church, but I've never been. It'll put me near good friend Alan's house & my old golfing buddies at Mtn. Aire, and not too far from Boone.
With no phone & very limited WiFi here(at the lodge only, 2 miles from the campground), I feel very isolated. Being without the scooter makes it even worse.
The campground is at the foot and in sight of the dam. The sites have no shade, no pads, fixed concrete tables, water & electric only. The bath house is nice, I have access to the resort & all facilities (very nice), including square dancing tonight, which I loved in high school. My knee has been acting up, but I'm still hoping to cut the rug. There is also other entertainment & activities, so I think it'll be okay.
The adventure continues!

Last day in Cedar Mountain - for a while

Although I'm not leaving until tomorrow, that's moving day so it doesn't really count. Today was my last to do some things & it was a very good day.
Spent the morning drying out my helmet liner. It had to be washed after catching rain water in the gutter yesterday. So did I after wearing it home. It took forever, as it's very absorbent material & my hair dryer is a teeny weeny little thing.
One more trip to Sliding Rock was enjoyable, and I stopped at the hatchery & oogled all the monster fish. At Triple Falls later on, I saw a guy catch another whooper like the one I saw the other day. He caught it on a live worm.
Today I turned over 7000 miles on the Vespa. That's just over a thousand miles in less than a month here. Just can't describe how much I've enjoyed riding here, even though I got wet several times. (Okay, it was more than several.) I'm really getting psyched about riding the Tail of the Dragon & enjoy their website, except for the fatality statistics. Seems like about 4 people a month get killed there and I don't intend to be one of them. They do state what they think was the cause of the wreck, so that's helpful.
Dinner with a new friend didn't work out, so I'm doing laundry & getting ready to move on tomorrow. Don't know what communications there will be like. May have no cell phone or Internet, but sure I'll have at least one.
Took one more ride to Pretty Place. I could stay there forever. It is so peaceful & so beautiful. If I should ever marry again, that might be a place to do it.
Thanks for checking in & hope to post again real soon.

Whatta day

Got caught in the rain yesterday big time, soaked & chilled to the bone. Then the thunder rolled continuously for several hours. It was quite a show. Thought about going to Pretty Place (Symmes Chapel) with the great panorama to watch it & chickened out.
My accountant informed me today that it looked like the IRS was right & gave me a couple of options I didn't care for. So we'll take another step or 2 although I'm realizing that I'm not in a good position on this. What I dislike most is going back to 2008 again & going through LaVerne's business again. I just don't want to do it.
So, after a couple hours of dealing with this I went to Dugan's Pub for a pint and a sandwich, during which a big storm arrived, wind & rain. I peeked out at my scooter only to see that my helmet was gone. Crap! Somebody must've stolen it! I was totally bummed, told the bar maid what had happened & she spread the word. A guy came over, fellow scooter dude, & said he saw me leave it there & neither of us could believe somebody would steal it.
It was raining hard & I was moaning about the IRS when after a while, the guy came in carrying my helmet. He'd found it in the gutter, filled with flowing water - YUCK!_ & it was soaked. But boy was I glad to see it. So I bought him a Guinness & would have bought him several. He said he had been sitting there stewing about it, because he had left his helmet on his ride, too. Before he walked in with it I'd just told the bar maid I was gonna call the police & ask them to look for it. How busy could they be in lil ole Brevard? My mind had really taken things to a bad place, worse than the real place.
I'm tired of the rain & everything being damp all the time, even in the trailer. I don't use the AC so it's natural air all the time. I like that, except at times like this.
One more day at Cedar Mountain, then off to Fontana. Tomorrow evening going to Asheville to meet a new friend for dinner. The adventure goes on!

Pancakes

It's my last Sunday for pancakes on the porch here at Black Forest & it's very enjoyable as always. Young Jonathan is 2 & was at the desk when I checked in several weeks ago. When I'm on the porch with my computer, he always comes around asking my name (he doesn't seem to believe it's Pappy) & rides his scooter. It has been a joy spending time with him.
Dugan's Pub was packed for the World Cup yesterday & a young kid sitting next to me was pulling for England. What a good match! When the USA finally scored, the place erupted & the young guy was very silent from then on.
Itinerary update: I'll be at Pipestem State Park, WVA, July 11-16. Looking to play a lot of golf & fish the New River. Also hoping a golf buddy or 2 might come join me.
Some bad new: Found out yesterday that my oldest half sister, Pat, has breast cancer & the prognosis isn't good. I talked with her & it reminded me so much of LaVerne after she got her news. I want to reconnect with her, as we were very close growing up. It was mutual admiration for a long time & we still feel very close. Please pray for her & her family.
Had a cool camp neighbor from Georgia named Howard. He had a gorgeous border collie named Rosie who melted my heart & reminded me so much of Pancho. Howard told me how Rosie had picked him over a period of time, until the owners finally said "she's yours, that's for sure!"
He also said something I'd never heard before: "My grandson is too lazy to die even. Death thinks he's already gone so keeps passing him by."
Life is good!

The IRS tracked me down!

Yesterday found me back to Lake Imaging (really just a pond) to tryout some new spinners & maybe catch dinner. Instead I waited out a rain storm under a shelter with some very nice people, Alex & Carla, from Long Island, NY. I enjoyed sharing what I know about the mountains & answering their questions. They also took the pic of me & the scooter.
Yesterday I also had to deal with the IRS. They say I owe a large sum of money for 2008, the year LaVerne passed away. This due to unreported income from SSA & the disability insurance folks. I don't think so! Perkins, Lund & Collar, my wonderful CPA's for that year, will handle it for me & save me a trip to Raleigh & the storage building. I sure was miserable for a little while, not looking forward to what I might have to do.
Dugan's Pub is my latest discovery in Brevard, a great place to watch the World Cup. Great beers on tap, good, traditional pub food (had bangers & mash last night, yum!), appropriate decor & friendly wait staff. Plus all the good scotches. I highly recommend it!
Speaking of which, I can't say enough good things about the staff here at Black Forest campground. They are always so friendly & helpful, I'm really going to miss these folks. Next Friday I'm off to Fontana Village for a while, and the change of scenery will be nice.

Birthday week

Since it has been a very busy week & I'm behind on my blogging, here's an entry from my guest book by my good friend, Alan Briggs:
6/9/10"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRED!! Old 'Dead Fred' has actually been able 'to hang' the last two days, despite lots of walking to find (or more accurately - search for) trout waters. Monday was waterfall day - hiked above Triple Falls, up Little River to High Falls. Really special place in the early evening with the sun on the face of the falls. Caught four trout and grilled them for dinner. Then sat up very late by a nice fire, drinking & talking away. [The first 4 pics are at the base of High Falls. Alan insisted on a pic of me & just happened to catch me as I got a fish on.]
Had so much fun that it was nearly 1:00 before we got out today. Went to Fawn Lake and then hiked our butts off trying to find Grassy Creek. The falls were worth it even if the fishing wasn't.
Big steaks on the grill and good wine kicked off Fred's B-day evening. Another great evening before an outrageously beautiful and playful fire. Fred found some cedar logs and the scent of it burning was reminiscent of a sweat lodge. Very soothing and cleansing.
Today Fred is off to Asheville to see old friends. I am deciding to stay or go. Either way - it has been a beautiful visit.
6/10/10 Fred is now into year 64. Way to go. Last night Alan got the 'Can't hang' award while Fred stayed up late again. Way to go, Scooter. Pretty impressive for an old fart. Of course getting you up to make coffee today was a pain - "
While I was in Asheville Alan went fishing at Green River Preserve, a 3,400 acre tract with a beautiful little trout stream. He caught lots of fish, all of them wild, and had a perma-grin when I returned. He fished about 2 hours & caught about 30 trout, all released, of course.
Alan: "So today I leave the birthday boy. Great visit with my little brother, Scooter. I had missed him & it was great to share a little vacation time with him on his adventure. Thanks, bro. I love you. Come to Ashe County sometime. Raccoon Holler is calling. :-)"
On my birthday I received a notice from the IRS concerning my 2008 tax return, saying I owe them a couple grand. Thankfully I had a good accountant do the taxes for that year, as they were very complicated with LaVerne's passing. Looks like I may have to make a special trip to Raleigh to look up some information. Happy birthday to me from Uncle Sam!
Life is still good & I'm still looking forward to the next stage - Fontana Village.

Another happy day!

Birthdays are supposed to be happy & this one sure has been. Alan has been here since Monday & we've had a ball. Had lunch with old high school buddies, Gail Setzer Cyr & David Rickman. It was so good to see these fine people! What a day! Hope to write more manana....FR

A beautiful fish

Yesterday I went to Hooker Falls to fish a little, as the delayed harvest season opened at noon & I thought I might get lucky. I saw several people with nice stringers of little ones, so I wet a hook & waded a little, but the easy places had been fish pretty hard already. The season really opens at 6am for young folks & they had done well.
So I went to the falls where a lot of folks were swimming & jumping off into the river. Three guys were fishing at the base & I thought to myself "they'll never catch anything there with all that commotion". In a little while one of the guys obviously had a nice fish on, as his ultralight was bent double & he was reeling hard.
What a beautiful fish! It took him & another guy to land it as he had no net. It almost got free several times & I almost wished it had. He caught it on a cricket.
Then I took a ride & found Green River Preserve, a place where Alan & I may go fish this week. It's an outdoor education center & looks beautiful. It'll be good to see my friend tomorrow & have him here with me a couple of days. On Wednesday I'm going to Asheville to have lunch with an old high school buddy, David Rickman. It'll be a nice way to spend my birthday!

Come & sit a while...

Yesterday afternoon, a high school classmate of mine & her husband, Elaine Reid Wood & Frank, stopped by for a visit. I was so pleased to see them! I said "please come & sit for a while." I haven't used that phrase in more years than I can recall, but it was one I used often when growing up in western NC. They did sit a while & we had a very nice conversation. They told me of many nearby things to see, & all I had to do was turn left where my driveway met the road instead of right. They told me of Camp Greenville, Pretty Place & Caesar's Head. They also invited me to stop by & visit them, so I did just that this afternoon.

On the way up to Elaine's the driveway was long & there were several houses along the way, so I stopped at one to ask directions & be sure I was on the right path. After 15 or 20 minutes, then man & I discovered that we both went to Enka High School & he graduated a year after me! He was also Elaine's brother & had lived in Raleigh a while. We had a real nice talk about the mountains & the bad weather last winter, among other things.

Earlier today I talked with good friend Alan & he excitedly told me that he would be coming here for a visit on Monday & Camp Greenville was on his list of things for us to do. Of course fishing was at the top of that list, & heaven knows I need some remedial fly fishing guidance.

So after leaving Elaine's I rode to Camp Greenville, just a couple miles from their house, & wow. At the end of the road is a beautiful stone, open air chapel with the backdrop being the vista you see with the cross in the middle. It was breathe taking! Even with so many people there waiting to practice for a wedding, they couldn't detract from that view. Rain threatened so I didn't stay long, but I will return for a long, relaxed soaking in of the scenery there. It's awesome!

So twice today I got to just sit & talk for a spell & it was so very nice. No hurry. No distractions. No shoulds or ought to's, just nicely flowing conversation that was lively & interesting.

There was little to write about earlier in the week, hence the long gap. It has rained a lot so I read & watched movies, went to bed early & slept late. I haven't been walking much & my energy level is kinda low. Hope to change that starting tomorrow!