Bill's Blog

October 31-

The morning in North Carolina dawned gray and rainy... and didn't improve much as the day went along. So, what else to do then continue with a planned drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains: up through Mount Airy (home of Andy Griffith and model for Mayberry) to Fancy Gap (population 258); then east on the Blue Ridge Parkway past Meadows of Dan,  Rocky Knob (a favorite campground of ours "back in the day") and Rake's Mill Pond. The fog on the Parkway was sooooooooo think that we missed the Chateau Morrisette cutoff... twice! No stop at a favorite winery this trip.

(high-def versions of some of these images are in my 2009- Hither and Yon Gallery)

"The fog was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife"

Everything took on a fuzzy gray tint

Fence lines disappeared into the mist

Trees became very isolated

A Non-Traditional Landscape

The fog & mist cleared off at Rake's Mill Pond, the easterly end of our drive

We spent a fair amount of time at the "house" (cabin) of Orelena Puckett. A midwife in the late 1800's to early 1900's who had 24 kids of her own... 24 (!!!)... with almost NO mention of the presumed long- suffering husband(s). Lived to 102, 24 kids of her own and midwifed over 1000 babies... impressive numbers!

Mom studying the Outbuilding

Closeup of the entrance to the cabin