Trip back last week.

I've been kind of busy this week, what with staying late for Knit Nite and Knitting Guild and errand running and just life in general.

I knit up a hat for the class I'll be teaching in a few weeks, but I forgot to photograph it.

So here are a couple of pictures of North Carolina wilderness areas. We decided to come home through Highlands, so when we left Fletcher we headed west on I-40. (I think that's the highway number - I'm working from memory here.) We got off at one of the exits for Waynesville and headed south towards Franklin. The mountains were looking green, gold, red and just lovely as we drove through, over and around them. When we got married all those years ago, we spent our first night of our camping honeymoon in Franklin. This time we didn't stop, but turned onto a scenic highway heading into Highlands. This road is one of those narrow, skinny roads with the ocassional scary drop off right on the passenger side, depending which direction you are heading. I had the scary drop offs to look over now and again. The drought has affected this area, but there are still some waterfalls.

This one we nearly passed. It's on the side of the road where there is a tiny pullover with no warning that it's a scenic overlook. The autumn sun made photographing it a bit difficult since there were deep shadows and really bright sunlight.

Here we are at Bridal Veil Falls. I'm across the street against some fall foliage. I see one goldish tree in the background.

Here are the falls themselves. You can drive behind the falls (which we did since we nearly passed them) I'm standing there for scale. (I'm the tiny white, black and blue thing in the picture.)

We drove on down to Highlands and got out to roam around the town for a little bit. Asheville, while also full of tourists, has a very different feeling. It reminded me more of my only trip to Colorado with younger people in jeans and hiking boots drinking locally brewed beers hanging out at the pubs. The art galleries go from high end interesting things to places where anyone can rent space and show things that a 5th grader could do better. Highlands reminded me of Alpharette or Buckhead. I was not thin enough, blond enough or covered in enough gold to really be there. I looked like I belonged more in Asheville. Of course, I find these displaced Buckhead Betties to be really quite hilarious in their absurd attempts to maintain their youth only to turn into sideshow freaks with the botox and plastic surgery. We saw one woman, thin with long hair who looked youngish from behind who looked like she stepped out of Tales from the Crypt when she turned around. Needless to say, Highlands will not be my first place to visit again.

One of the local knit shops has a small Highlands location, and we looked for it while we roamed around. I had heard the location was unfortunate, being off the main drag. We saw a sign for it that led us between two buildings, across the back parking lot and to a small patio. There we saw the shop, closed since it was Sunday. I looked through the windows to attempt to see the inside when behind me I hear a very familiar sound. From somewhere a cat has appeared and is meowing at me, not Keith, to pet it. My very aura must say "Catslave". I did as I was commanded since the kitty was quite plump, well-groomed and wearing a collar with tags. He or she seemed nice. I know I didn't pet it as much as it wanted, but since I know well petted cats get agitated and nip, I stopped before I was bitten. Kitty followed us back towards the other building and luckily for me, since I would worry, stopped before we got too far.

We found a barbecue place about 2 blocks off the main street. It had been recommended to us by some kids working in the grocery store. Not quite what we were looking for since I prefer those slightly divy places with a strange collection of pig items. The food was good, and the restrooms were clean, and both those things are quite important.

After that we headed back home through Dillard and down towards I-85.

I have an all day knitting workshop coming up this week with Cat Bordhi. I'm quite looking forward to it. Hopefully it will make up for the physical, complete with fasting blood test that I also have to look forward to this week. It will be nice to know if I'm really hypothyroid, or if it was something out of balance that particular day.

Until later.