Fall At Outside Clyde

Tired of waiting for the leaves to change color at home, we decided to go over the mountain to a place known far and wide for its transition of foliage from summer green to dusky crazy quilt hues. Destination: A mountainside outside Clyde, North Carolina to visit fellow blogging friend Christopher. Or as we like to think of it, *she’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain when she comes*. Exiting the interstate at the appropriate spot we begin the ascent.  (That is the royal we, for The Financier has taken a group of the clan up to Pennsylvania to witness live a Penn State football game.)  The camera is armed and ready for action. The road is somewhat desolate, so pulling over for a shot of this picture perfect barn backed by the turning leaves while still in the car seems like a good idea. It looks a little foggy on up higher and there is rain in the forecast.The road climbs and the visibility is lessening. There is so much to admire around me that the driving is taking second fiddle to the search for a nice photo opportunity. This tree tunnel with a rustic fence looks promising, let’s just stop here in the middle of the road to take a quick pic. Snap. Just as I get back into the driver’s seat, a couple of motorcycles come racing around the bend and yell at me to get a move on. Uh oh. I hop in and throw her in gear just in time to see more motorcycles and a couple of trucks come around the blind curve behind me. Boy, bad luck for them because this road is narrow, no room to pass, and I am not comfortable racing up the zig zagging road even on dry pavement. There is now fog and a steady drizzle.The camera gets put onto the passenger’s seat as driving gets my full attention now. Having impatient motorists behind me always makes me a little edgey. Wet pavement also makes my feel unsure of braking ability and sharp hairpin curves on a steep mountain road are not going to speed me up either. Pretend like there are no vehicles behind me, that’s the ticket. It seems now like we are driving through a cloud, seeing the road is getting more and more difficult.  Where oh where is our landmark?Uncle Ernie! There is his smiling welcoming face. But we have missed the driveway. We pull into the drive across the road and signal for the parade of cars, trucks and motorcycles in the long line  behind us to go on past.  See, I have business here, belong here and don’t make those kinds of rude gestures at me either.Backing up and pulling into the driveway at the cabin in progress to take a portrait or two of Uncle Ernie I notice that Christopher’s truck and another car are at the cabin. It is raining lightly now. Driving  down the steep driveway to look for friendly human lifeforms seems like a good idea. Hi guys, don’t let me interrupt the serious work going on here. I’ll just go up and visit with Bulbarella while you finish up. Except I am now stuck with no place to back up and turn around to mount the incline to get back to the road. There is some traffic control, car movings and finally I am headed up to the next driveway to enjoy a delicious lunch and exchange a few plants and seeds. As is always the case when garden bloggers meet up, the talk is nonstop. Plants are discussed, cameras are shown to hold secrets of video making, and cabins are toured at length. It is raining as the car makes its way down the mountain to continue the trip on to Asheville. (To be continued.)
Frances