Iron Deficiency?

 During the pandemic I became enamored with online auctions. I didn't go overboard with it, but I did come across some interesting finds. One was a collection of toy irons. I have since added a few toys and salesmen's models since then:

While we were in Asheville I came across another iron. 

I asked the Mister if this should become part of my collection,

because obviously, my collection was lacking!

The iron was created by Reed Todd a quirky nod to the

"flat iron" building in Asheville, built in 1927. 

Escape Room

I had never participated in an 'escape room' adventure until my family came to Lake Lure. It seemed like a good family activity, and it didn't disappoint! 

We participated in "Merlin's Apprentice" at Lake Lure Escape Games, helping fairytale characters solve riddles in order to escape. We were led to a room with a large, central console. The console had drawers and doors and lights and sounds that all did their thing if we touched the correct buttons, in the correct sequence. There were interesting objects and illustrations on the walls that may or may not have been clues. We were asked not to take pictures so as not to ruin other's fun, but I had to take a few (and they didn't really give away any of the puzzles!)

For just over an hour we rolled up our sleeves and worked together to solve a number of puzzles. It was so much fun to watch the family interact. Everyone participated and each of us played a key role in solving one or more of the puzzles. 

Puzzles were presented on various sized panels,

and a reusable tablet was provided to jot down notes.

Ah hah! 

Chris thinks he has found something...

Could it be over there?

Yes! 

This has to be it!

Yup! 

We rocked that puzzle!

We ultimately solved all of the puzzles, 

needing hints on two of them.

.... most important,

we escaped the escape room!

Truth be told...

it took us slightly longer than the allotted hour,

but the puzzle master wanted to boost our egos!

Lake Lure Escape Games has another 'game' - it takes place in an elevator in the '20s

That sounds like it might be fun for a group of our contemporaries...

maybe we should have a 20's themed party and participate in escaping from the elevator!!

What Were They Thinking?!!

 Seriously?

It makes one wonder!

Last year we bought a used motorhome. When we transferred our belongings from the old motorhome to the new-to-us motorhome we realized that the new-to-us RV didn't have the vacuum accessories. Odd that someone would take them off when they traded in the RV, but, OK, so be it. We took the accessories from the RV we were trading in, and then found out that we needed a different hose.

I finally ordered it. It was delivered to NC where we stayed last week. I could vacuum. (And with two Corgis, I must vacuum!) 

Yesterday we were packing up to head home. The new-to-us RV is going to stay on the lot in NC. As I mentioned, I was packing up. I needed a few shopping bags to transport our stuff. I usually fold them and toss them behind the seats in the RV. 

There I was, practically standing on my head looking for the bags behind the seats. The one I was specifically looking for was my large blue IKEA bag. If you have shopped at IKEA, you know. It's a great conveyance for clothes. It holds a lot. 

So, as I said, I'm practically standing on my head, and I see a corner of blue material peeking out from a space under the arm rest of the chairs. I reach down and tug. Tug some more, and ever so slowly I pulled out .....

a bag of vacuum accessories! A bag of brand new, never used vacuum accessories! 

What?! The former owners never vacuumed? The former owners never had an occasion to practically stand on their heads to search for something behind the seats? The former owners never saw that little piece of blue poking out from a space that extends under the arm rest, and can ONLY be accessed from the back! 

Brand new vacuum accessories:

Where they were hidden:

I can't fathom the thinking that may (or may not) have gone into the decision to tuck away the bag of accessories in that location 

A Magical Spot

A picture just doesn't do it justice.

This is our special grotto, with a bridal veil fall of water

that looks like strings of pearls. 

What you can't judge in the picture is that everything 

above the heads of my son and grandkids rises vertically. 

The picture makes it looked steeply sloped, 

but drips from the top most ridge fall on the lip of the ridge below it,

and they fall on the edge below,

and so forth, until the last drips fall into a small pool behind the kids. 

It's a short, but fairly steep hike to get to the falls.

I spent a few hours earlier this week trimming laurel out of the way

for most of the ascent. 

Our son made comments about how neat it would be to create a walkway,

perhaps with a little bridge, and some steps,

all leading to the falls where there would be a small bench

to rest on and enjoy the water music. 

The Mister and I had similar thoughts over the years!

 

Picnic Rock

Then...

My sons, David and Chris

1997

Now....

My grandkids, Kellan and Lex

(That's poison ivy up there...Kellan wasn't too keen in sitting down!)

 

Grove Arcade

On our recent trip to Asheville we came across the Grove Arcade. This is a beautiful building that was  one of America's first indoor malls, opening in 1929. After renovations at the turn of the century, the building has been returned to its original purpose and houses boutiques, offices and restaurants. I was entranced by the design and the art of the building. They don't build them like this any more!

I was curious about the purpose of the ramps that zig and zag up the outside of the building. 

A bit of reading and I now know they were for pedestrians, 

including women with strollers, 

to access a roof garden where they often had music and tea.

The floor gently slopes from one entrance, downhill to another.

Spiral stairs, currently adorned with huge paper flowers,

allow access to a balcony with access to more spaces, possibly some apartments.

I think this may have been a 'communication hub'

housing a bank of payphone...back in the day!

I found this Grove Arcade web site which can take you on a tour of the building and 

offers a bit more history. 

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Trip Along Alt 74 in NC

 From the twists and turns of Ms. Pac-Man at the PinBall Museum ....

To the twists and turns of Alt. 74 between Asheville and Chimney Rock, NC.

This was always our favorite route from Lake Lure area to Asheville.

The Mister loves driving the curves.

Although Google Maps showed the route being open, 

we may or may not have slipped through a barrier 

showing the road was closed to all but local traffic.

Well, we were kinda local, right?! 

Areas of the road were reduced to a single lane due to undermining of the road

from the waters of Hurricane Helene.

There were three areas manned controlled by stoplights. 

You could see some of the washed out areas,

but what you couldn't see, unless you knew the area, were the washed away buildings.

Many of them.

Parts of the highway have been shored up and rebuilt.

Other parts have been created along new paths where what remained of the

valley was too steep or narrow to carve out a new section of road.

The road used to be on the far left of the picture, 

near the buildings you can see. There's not enough room to remake the road there. 

You can see a bit of the former highway on the left, 

its destination is now covered by a dirt slide. 

The reshaping of this valley, 

the moonscape that has been left,

is hard to stomach. 

One wonders if its beauty will ever return....

probably not in my lifetime.

And to think that this is only one small area of North Carolina 

that suffered such destruction from the storm. 

The story is retold in countless other villages and towns that were

flooded and lost structures and infrastructure.