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mountain adventures of the family flea
Oct. 13th, 2009 01:16 pmin bullet points.
-Leave Athens 9am. Flea manages not to kill husband when he comes out to the car, fully packed and with family buckled in, to say, "What time is it? Do I have a few more minutes before the 9am deadline?"
-Stop at Starbucks in Commerce GA for caffeine. Observe tiny feral kitten in parking lot. Flea and mr. flea chase kitten around the building for some minutes, finally cornering it. Kitten bites the heck out of flea. Wrap kitten in towel; obtain telephone directory. Call local vet. Man selling schnauzer puppy out of back of truck stops by and says he will find the kitten a good home, as local animal shelter is not that good. With some reservations, hand kitten off to man.
-Arrive at Sky Top Orchards in Flat Rock NC. Pick a bushel of apples, half Staymen's Winesap and half Golden Delicious. Eat six hot cider donuts. Casper is stung by a yellowjacket, although she does not notice this until parents point out the welt.
-Arrive at Powhatan Lake campground in Pisgah National Forest. Converse with very muddy mountain bikers while filling out paperwork. Pitch tent.
-Observe street scene in Asheville. Note that it is leftier than I had expected (head shop, tattoos & piercings, gay couples holding hands); wonder if we are still in NC; wonder if it is a good fit for father and stepmother who are contemplating retiring here.
-Eat (good but overpriced) dinner in Middle Eastern restaurant seated on cushions on the floor, while Casper is captivated by the bellydancer (who has tricks but no technique.)
-Watch first half of Totoro in tent. Sleep. Dillo climbs into my sleeping bag 3 times in the night.
Day 2
-Wake, boil water on stove, try new Starbucks Via product which is yucky, take down tent as rain begins.
-Drive to Cherokee NC, partly along the Blue Ridge Parkway in glorious sunshine.
-Visit Oconoluftee visitor's center, eat lunch, buy fridge magnet, pitch wet tent in Smokemont campground to dry.
-Drive up to Clingman's dome, which is mobbed, and coax children up the hill. Dillo very slow because of wanting to pick up every rock he sees and then stashing them in his pockets. Pants falling down makes it hard to walk. Casper just whiny. Very multicultural crowd - South Asians and Asians, especially. Tennessee side is very cloudy, NC side perfectly clear.
-Return to campsite, build fire, cook dinner, roast marshmallows, Dillo generally running amok and somewhat of a danger to self and others. Watch other half of Totoro and to bed. Dillo mostly stays in own sleeping bag.
Day 3:
-Wake, breakfast, flea packs up tent as mr. flea takes wild children on nature walk, miraculously nobody ends up wet.
-It begins to pour rain. Drive down 441 all the way to Athens, where it is also pouring rain.
-Male members of family nap while watching TV. Eat apple pie and ice cream and Jiffy Pop for dinner.
-Leave Athens 9am. Flea manages not to kill husband when he comes out to the car, fully packed and with family buckled in, to say, "What time is it? Do I have a few more minutes before the 9am deadline?"
-Stop at Starbucks in Commerce GA for caffeine. Observe tiny feral kitten in parking lot. Flea and mr. flea chase kitten around the building for some minutes, finally cornering it. Kitten bites the heck out of flea. Wrap kitten in towel; obtain telephone directory. Call local vet. Man selling schnauzer puppy out of back of truck stops by and says he will find the kitten a good home, as local animal shelter is not that good. With some reservations, hand kitten off to man.
-Arrive at Sky Top Orchards in Flat Rock NC. Pick a bushel of apples, half Staymen's Winesap and half Golden Delicious. Eat six hot cider donuts. Casper is stung by a yellowjacket, although she does not notice this until parents point out the welt.
-Arrive at Powhatan Lake campground in Pisgah National Forest. Converse with very muddy mountain bikers while filling out paperwork. Pitch tent.
-Observe street scene in Asheville. Note that it is leftier than I had expected (head shop, tattoos & piercings, gay couples holding hands); wonder if we are still in NC; wonder if it is a good fit for father and stepmother who are contemplating retiring here.
-Eat (good but overpriced) dinner in Middle Eastern restaurant seated on cushions on the floor, while Casper is captivated by the bellydancer (who has tricks but no technique.)
-Watch first half of Totoro in tent. Sleep. Dillo climbs into my sleeping bag 3 times in the night.
Day 2
-Wake, boil water on stove, try new Starbucks Via product which is yucky, take down tent as rain begins.
-Drive to Cherokee NC, partly along the Blue Ridge Parkway in glorious sunshine.
-Visit Oconoluftee visitor's center, eat lunch, buy fridge magnet, pitch wet tent in Smokemont campground to dry.
-Drive up to Clingman's dome, which is mobbed, and coax children up the hill. Dillo very slow because of wanting to pick up every rock he sees and then stashing them in his pockets. Pants falling down makes it hard to walk. Casper just whiny. Very multicultural crowd - South Asians and Asians, especially. Tennessee side is very cloudy, NC side perfectly clear.
-Return to campsite, build fire, cook dinner, roast marshmallows, Dillo generally running amok and somewhat of a danger to self and others. Watch other half of Totoro and to bed. Dillo mostly stays in own sleeping bag.
Day 3:
-Wake, breakfast, flea packs up tent as mr. flea takes wild children on nature walk, miraculously nobody ends up wet.
-It begins to pour rain. Drive down 441 all the way to Athens, where it is also pouring rain.
-Male members of family nap while watching TV. Eat apple pie and ice cream and Jiffy Pop for dinner.
