Coffee brewed and tasted good. Biscuits are in the oven being made ready for a pan of gravy for hubby and son.
We took a trip to Pilot Mountain, NC some time ago, with our two kids and our Chickadee. It was a perfect weather day, not too busy with traffic, and we closed our day with a walking tour of Mt Airy a.k.a. "Mayberry" NC--enjoyed beautiful scenery and some of the friendliest folks you'd ever want to meet.
To My Roots
My paternal grandparents settled there in the late 1800s and my dad was born there in a rustic log house and was delivered by a midwife, according to
his birth certificate. After my grandparents passed, my uncle purchased the property from the other siblings. I enjoyed spending time in the summer with my Uncle Ernest and Aunt Pearl in the old log house, and climbing to a loft where I slept. So rustic!
Love reminiscing about those days.
The well in the back yard was a fascination for me, too. I remember dropping that bucket with the rope down and hearing the ice-cold water splash and echo from the depths of the earth...I stood and turned the handle on that rope and brought that icy water up with Aunt Pearl's help, and had a drink from the dipper.
My ancestors were tobacco farmers back in the early days of government subsidies, etc. But they were also dairy farmers, vegetable growers and very busy people. Grandmother and Grandfather both died in the community where they settled.
Back to our trip....
We strolled the sidewalks, stopping for many photo ops, and we stopped at Opie's ice cream shop, where my Chickadee and I shared a waffle cone of Peach ice cream. I sat on the bench, she in her 'wheels', and enjoyed our ice cream in the sun...the only way I like it. I do not like to eat ice cream inside with refrigerated air, it must be in the sunny warmth complete with a meltdown while I enjoy.
Our daughter stopped in front of Lloyd's barber shop. It was closed, but she enjoyed finding a picture that was posted in the window of Clint Eastwood's son having a haircut on a recent visit there. We understand the character on the Andy Griffith Show was based on this local barber.
We stopped at a Veterans Memorial fountain to look at the names of many of our country's military servants; very touching as it went back to Revolutionary days...and our family name had several noted there.
What a wonderful outing!
We enjoyed the scenic beauty, a good meal at Chili's restaurant, & walking the beautiful streets of Mt. Airy. Everywhere we went said "you are welcome here." And we drank water--the southern sunshine demanded much water throughout the day. As our kids conversed in the car about childhood, and things they remembered about Mom and Dad, we had to "dispute" some of their memories, while laughing heartily at others.
And just like that, they were grown.
What a blessing to spend the day with our two children and granddaughter!
I share more about my memories in Mt. Airy in my book "My Endearing Appalachia; Memoirs of Southern West Virginia Coalfield Life," which can be purchased here.
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