Last week, My Sweet Babboo and I did a test drive to time the route and check the roads for an upcoming drive for our MINI club. We are leading a group up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a picnic lunch at Pisgah Inn. There is only one road up to that section of the parkway open to us right now. The Pisgah Inn is open, and we want to bring attention to the business and take our club there to support them. This day, the clouds were settled into the valley so thick that they covered the mountaintops.
We went into the restaurant to have lunch, and when we came out again, much of the cloud cover had lifted.
The views are spectacular.
Every direction from the Inn is lush green with stunning mountains.
To give you information on how bad the damage is to the biggest tourist draw we have, the Blue Ridge Parkway, here is a link to a video on our local TV station showing the damage to this one section and the repairs that are being done. Click on WLOS TV. On the section north of the Inn, between it and the Arboretum entrance, this huge section was just gone. The repair involved taking out all the damaged asphalt, building a retaining wall, then filling the area with gravel and construction stabilizing fabric in layers. When the huge area has been built back to the level of the road, then it will be paved. There are apparently 58 areas similar to this on the parkway, not all this big, but enough to close the road in several areas. There are roads open to get to the parts of the parkway which have been reopened, and the area needs the visitors to come back. So we are taking our car clubs to these areas for our monthly drives. The Folk Art Center is accessible again as well, come up the parkway entrance from Hwy 74.
The rhododendrons are in full bloom right now, gorgeous!
Back home, I am working on getting a new squirrel to trust me. He is pretty skittish, but he did grab a sandwich thrown out into the yard this day.
A traveler came by a few days ago. He was motoring along at a pretty good pace, then stopped on the driveway. My Sweet Babboo went down to chat with him, but he was not forthcoming with his destination. We didn’t have anything for him to eat, so we wished him safe travels and left him to be on his way when he decided to go.
I have a stand of day lilies that have come back after I thought I had ripped them all out. I am tired of them, and I have never liked this orange color. But they must have had some bulbs that escaped my shovel. I’ll dig these up soon.
The dogwood tree is still blooming. I am amazed at how long these flowers have lasted.
The goldfinches are sporting their summer colors, such a bright yellow. There are at least a dozen of them, and they squabble a lot over perches. On the lower left, a titmouse tries to get a bite.
My hydrangeas are in full bloom, and I am delighted with the lavendar color. This only happens when the pH of the soil is neutral, neither acid or base. I have been adding lime to the topsoil for a couple of years now, and have the perfect balance right now.
Some flowers tend to the pink side.
But most are this gorgeous lavender that I love.
I’m not sure how long the balance of pH will last, but for now, it is marvelous.
Looking out of the office window in the early morning last week, a doe and her fawn were grazing on the plants on the mountainside behind our home. The fawn disappeared into the underbrush before I could get the camera warmed up.
I have been steadily working on Koi Pond, hand beading the fish. I am placing a glass seed bead on each scale. It took 4-1/2 hours to bead the gold one.
I just started on the first purple fish. At the rate I am going, it will take 9 hours to finish the beading, then I have the applique to go. I hope I can finish it this summer!
In the kitchen, the orchid finally opened fully, and a second bloom is forming behind this one. It is a phalaenopsis orchid.
The violet finished blooming, and I clipped out the spent flowers. The next day, it began producing more. I have never had a violet so happy.
On TV, we are really enjoying a new CW series called Sherlock and Daughter (link to IMDB) starring David Thewlis (Professor Lupin from Harry Potter). The series is well written and interesting. It is so hard to find a decent series these days! If you have a streaming service, check for it on your video on demand. It is worth the time. Or catch the reruns.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Taking a Break post, and on Stashbusters on Friday. I have not been able to respond to all of them, but I have read each and every one multiple times. Your kind words are so helpful, and I hope to be posting at least once a week again, perhaps more later in the summer.
In the next few weeks, we have two more car club drives, and my last in-person guild presentation. I have some open days to sew, and I hope to be inspired to work on some more projects. If you are interested in one or more of the produce bags, hot handle pads, foot control pads or the “Cluck It” wall hanging from the last post, let me know. I’ll be happy to ship. Have a great week!
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Sulky Threads Friends and Family Sale!! Get 30% off orders over $40 with promo code FAMILY30. Sale ends tomorrow at midnight! Fabulous sale price for high quality threads and stabilizers. Check out the latest spring design special and mystery box!
Fat Quarter Shop has new specials for June! Get 20% off the Basic of the Month, Pure Solids by Art Gallery, 30% Off the Notions of the Month by Annie, 30% off Patterns of the Month from Fig Tree paper patterns and see the Book of the Month – Summer Memories. Check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week. The Liberty Box is shipping this month, and there is still time to order a box! This limited-edition mystery box is filled with goodies to celebrate the All-American spirit. Fat Quarter Shop will donate a portion of the proceeds of each box to the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Plus, FQS is kicking off their 22nd Birthday with two live streams every week in June! Fat Quarter Shop has hundreds of items on sale all month long, with a few fun surprises for customers along the way. Please click to FQS from my blog so I get the credit. Thanks!
Shop the Milk Street Store – Cookbooks now on sale including the fantastic newest release Milk Street Backroads Italy, along with the huge tome of Milk Street 365 (with over 600 recipes) and my favorites World in a Skillet and Tuesday Nights. Several two cookbook sets are on sale too. Then check out the fabulous knives and more.
From My Carolina Home 
Thanks for sharing the beauty of your yard. I think it is wonderful that your club is supporting businesses that need the visitors. I wish I lived nearby to help. Perhaps we can plan our summer to visit next year.
Those beads are the perfect addition to your koi!! That project is going to be spectacular. When it’s finished, I hope you’ll be entering it into your Fair. So happy to see your orchid bloomed!!! My stem produced 7 blooms this time (my personal record!) but they are fading now and I’ll have to wait and see when another stem pops up. I’m glad to see you posting about the hurricane damage. I don’t think people quite understand how awful the damage was and just exactly how long it takes to get things right again. Those views are beautiful and makes the trip so inviting. Enjoy your monthly Mini Ride!
We see lots of turtles this time of year. I think the females are looking for places to lay their eggs. Your hydrangeas are beautiful.
I am happy to see you back in my inbox! Your pictures are beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing the completed koi’s pond. Blessings.
I’ve been insanely busy and not able to read or comment lately, but its always a cozy experience to read your blog, thanks for keeping to going over all these years!
Also, I would be very interested in the cluck it hanging, it would be an awesome gift for a good friend.
It’s great that you are supporting those businesses. I’m sure their survival is tenuous with poor accessibility. Love the beading on the Koi. That is a labor of love.
Welcome back!
So much beauty!
Excellent job of stitching the beads in the proper manner to allow them to stand upright!! Yes, beading is very time consuming….but worth it!
I am so happy to hear that you are continuing to share your talents with us! Your flowers and nature photos are beautiful and we who live in the north are just now starting to enjoy flowers. My husband and I are able to see deer at our state park and have seen several tiny fawns following mama. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get any good photos of those. Have a fun road trip with your friends!
I’m so sad that we missed those views when we were at Pisgah at the end of April, but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. A lovely place, good food, and friendly people.
The mountains are so beautiful, but it is heart breaking to see the road damage. The engineering feat and hard work to build/repair them is incredible! I think it’s wonderful what your car club is doing. My dad worked in a CCC camp somewhere in the Blue Ridge mountains back in the early ’30s. He worked with a crew building fire breaks in the mountains. I’m not sure which state he worked in, but we have a picture of him from those days. He said it was hard work, but they were fed, clothed, and had a place to sleep at night so life was good – especially by comparison to what many were going through during the depression. Your Koi piece is going to be stunning, wow!
Thanks for the series recommendation. Looks good and I so love not having to find something to watch. Have fun on the car club drive.
What a delightful post with all the pictures. We are still repairing roads here in Florida as well and hurricane season is upon us once again. Your Koi project is stunning with the beading. I am looking for a small hand work project to start on. Right now I think it will be amigurumi. I have seen some adorable hanging planters I want to try.
So too I have dug out orange dsylilies by the truck load but still thay come back..not so much blossoms..only about 10 or so this year …but lots of leaves..??I used to “break floweŕ” every evening and always had 50 or more.They were pretty plied in a bowl for the evening. Your Koi is going to be beautiful with the beading..tired fingers and all. The rebuilding is slow but the area will be back to grand eventually..
That looks like such a beautiful area for a drive and a meal – those views! I’m sorry that there is still so much damage to be fixed. Love the turtle photo! Don’t you wonder just where he was going? Your beading on the fish looks amazing – very labor intensive. Is that a project you want to submit to the fair? Have a wonderful Sunday, Carole!
What a great idea for your car club to support the reviving of those businesses cut off by the road damage. Still praying for the recovery to all those hit by the hurricane, flooding and then fires. What a year! We have loved seeing some new fawns in our neighborhood as well. Two were just the tiniest and so sweet! Your flowers are lovely. I’m excited about a large crop of volunteers that are blessing me this year! Daisies from a nearby gathering and Black Eyed Susans new off a plant that volunteered last year. August is going to be the reveal month, I think. 🙂 The Koi quilt is going to be so full of interest! I can’t wait to see it’s reveal. You are doing such a wonderful work with it. Happy June!
Your dedication to the beading is paying off – How fabulous the finished work will be with that beading!
Love the photos of the yard and goings on. I love seeing the birds and turtles are my personal favorite. Since my Geo and I moved we have Baltimore orioles and I am thrilled to watch them and feed them some grape jelly and oranges!
Enjoy your Sunday – I am off to look at those Milkstsreet Cookbooks! I took a few out from our local library and a couple are on my list to purchase!
So glad to hear that Pisgah Inn is open again. Thanks for the pictures of the view. We had reservations there last year and then Helene hit, so I’m hoping we can get up there soon. As always, your flowers are gorgeous and all your visitors are charming. The beading on your koi is beautiful and I can’t wait to see the finished quilt. You are an inspiration to me on so many levels. Thanks for posting!
Love your flowers Carole, and the views of the Parkway. What a great idea to take the car club there to support the tourism! The beading on the fish will be so worth the extra effort. I find that type of hand work so relaxing, makes me slow down and enjoy the process.
Gorgeous drive scenery on the BRP! And that lavender color of your hydrangeas is stunning! Mine are currently showing variations of pink or blue, a first (usually pink). I’m hoping my last four years of amending soil is helping. That beading on the koi is absolutely beautiful, Carole!
bring on the beautiful spring! and i love the beads on the fish- genius.
when you think of how fast the government can move to get a new bridge done over a shipping lane (Baltimore) and then move so slow to repair mountain areas from a hurricane is astounding. One wonders how long it will take for all the repairs to be done. Sometimes things get fixed so fast and other times so very slow – people had blue tarps over their roofs in Little Rock two years after a tornado hit still waiting for repair. I think last time I was there and we drove through the area it finally looked like all was done — of course by then there were three other places in the state waiting for newer repairs from this years tornadoes.
So good to hear from you again, I hope you are feeling rested. I love reading you blogs, but don’t overdo! Take care of yourself! The beading on the fish is totally beautiful!
I always enjoy your Sunday chat! Thanks for sharing the beauty of the mountains. I love that you are able to get out and take these drives and enjoy the beautiful weather and support the businesses. The beading on your koi project is stunning. Good to hear from you.
I love your refreashed banner photos, especially the redbud & bird embroidery. Thanks for the WLOS link. What an undertaking! There are places near me that were damaged from Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and weren’t restored. By the time it reached NY it was no longer a hurricane, but the flooding was incredible. If I lived in NC I’d visit the Inn too. What a lovely setting. Enjoy your road rallies!
I was
It just delights me that your club decided to make it a mission to support businesses in need. That devastation was terrible and I’m sure the businesses along the way have taken a big hit. Well done. The quilting on the koi is exquisite! Have a wonderful week. Sounds like your break is doing wonders!
I love seeing your garden. It is always like getting a preview as mine is usually 2-3 weeks behind yours. My hydrangea has died so I need to get another. Tomatoes are growing & Squash may be big enough to pick soon.
We usually travel the Blue Ridge in VA as we are close to the start at Skyline Drive. It’s sad to see the destruction but glad there is progress. I have read there has been some restoration at Mabry Mill.
I’ve been busy with pattern testing so I haven’t calculated my Stashbuster totals, but will this week.
I love your beadwork and am amazed at your patience. It will be awesome!
How kind of your car club to support the Inn and other businesses that are suffering from the road issues. My husband and I traveled the blue ridge parkway from end to end numerous times when we lived in TN and always enjoyed the small communities and the beautiful views. The devastation is incredible. Your flowers and yard are such a joy to see and thank you for sharing it all with us. I admire your green thumb with such a variety of flowering trees and shrubs. This week I will finish mending the T shirt quilt that was torn by dog during a storm.
I enjoyed all of your interesting post, and especially your process of embellishing the koi fish. Beautiful! The colors of the hydrangeas are so gorgeous!
Glad to see your post! Hurray!
Thanks for giving us a glimpse of the parkway hurricane washout. I think the press needs to do a better job of keeping us informed on recovery progress and what is stalled. Seems like they cover the storm and then they taper off the coverage and you don’t hear much. Putting the spotlight on what still needs to be done might help speed the recovery along. Hoping the recovery projects get the attention and resources it needs. Super that your Mini club is visiting these areas and supporting the businesses.
Your bead work is exquisite! Really elevates your art quilt!
I will have to revisit Stashbusters!
Thanks for the lead on Sherlock and Daughter. Will check it out! Currently watching the DVD of Ted Lasso episodes.
Sending joyful energy your way.
Jo Anne
I love the beads on the koi – it will be stunning! Beautiful views! Thanks for sharing.
Your photos are beautiful. Dogwoods are one of my favorites. Enjoy your car club trip!
I am also glad to see you back. Some of us are getting older and don’t have the energy to travel much or to belong to quilting clubs. We do have the energy to read blogs and to turn out a quilt about once per year. I enjoy reading about your critters and your flowers. I’ve also made several of your recipes and we still enjoy them. Thank you for sharing them with us. Best wishes.
Carole, I am glad you will be posting at least once a week! The mountains look beautiful, love all of your photos. The lavender hydrangea is gorgeous! Hydrangeas are still in bloom here. Have a wonderful week!
I love your pictures. I would like to know how you keep the deer from eating your hydrangeas. Mine almost never get to bloom because the deer eat the buds off. The picture of the road damage is familiar. I live in southwest Virginia and one of our roads just reopened after Helene damaged over a mile of it. Hope you have a great week.
Carole, did you get my request for the n
I think your internet service provider is blocking my emails and the paypal invoices. Can you just mail a check? My address is
PO Box 524
Mountain Home, NC 28758
Yes! Mailing you a check for $11.00. Thanks for your patience!Sent from my iPad
Carole, I have managed to keep one hydrangea alive. It only had 2 blooms this year. I cut back the dead stems
These road projects do take time. We have one on the island that they will start soon, happened in January 2024. Maybe it will be fixed before the next big storm, and it is not really going to prevent further damage….so on it goes. We are not in charge of the weather or the repairs (thank goodness). Glad you can support a business that has struggled, such a good thing to do!
Lovely to see you back with us! 😂
I think your Car Club are brilliant for taking in the areas that have had such a hard time since the storms. It must give the people in the area a good feeling to know they haven’t been forgotten.
I love beading my pieces (probably do too much) and your Koi will be just so beautiful when you are done.
As always your garden is coming up trumps with some lovely blossoms. I have a gorgeous white hydrangea and a deep cerise one. I love the vintage colours that the flowers become as they die off. Right now, they are asleep waiting for Spring. I do love your Dogwood. Keep meaning to check if we have them here.
We have had a lot of rain in the Auckland area with a mighty downpour overnight. Looking out the window I think there is more to come today. The sun keeps trying to pop out but the clouds quickly snuff it out. Bit cold as well!
Mary :))
Hello Carole:
I agree about the dogwood trees and their blooms. The coverage of blossoms on most I see in my local area (Portland, OR.) is amazing and over the whole tree. They don`t seem to vary (have less blooms) from year to year, at least in my current thinking/memory. Attention getting and there are many on properties around here.
And yes, your hydrangea color is beautiful — a favorite shade of mine, as well. I grow many varieties of Iris, which can be very colorful, with many combinations — I have a bed of the Tall Bearded variety and also groupings of different colored dwarf bearded ones, as well. They average around 12 in. tall. I love all varieties and styles of iris. Then there are some bulb iris —Dutch variety – comes in many colors. A category of very small bulb types that grow to about 5 or 6 in. cute. (name escapes me at the moment). They bloom in early Spring and are blooming along with the little Tete-Tete yellow daffodils and the Crocus, which I have in part of my front yard, with some Hyacinths, too. Like seeing all that color in the Spring.
I enjoy your colorful emails and all the different activities you contribute to and enjoy yourself. Regards, Nancy Wells
Carole,
You are certainly multi-talented. I love all your beautiful pictures- great camera work. I can’t image doing the beading work on your Koi Pond fish. I’m not fond of handwork, so don’t think this would be my cup of tea. Besides quilting and sewing, I also do limited crochet. My other interests are musical, piano, organ, Hammered Dulcimer and Mountain Dulcimer. I also like to bake bread, but not so much in the summer. My mother used to have a quote for my brother- “ a busy boy is a better boy”. So I think we crafters can apply the same, although we sometimes overdo.
Thanks again for sharing. Glad your spirits are lifted. We’re all entitled to “our moments” periodically.
Beverly
I’m sure that the Inn will be so thrilled to see your group! What a beautiful drive.
I know this is a bit late, but I felt very bad for you when you had issues with you wanting to give up your lovely blog. I so look forward to your blog entries and love reading them on Sunday. I especially love your book reviews and have read many of the ones you suggested. I’m sure it can be stressful at times, people can be so cruel these days. Please don’t give up your blog, you’re a wonderful lady and so generous with your time for all these great causes. Love seeing your squirrel buddies, as we have our buddies in our yard along with our bunny family that my hubby feeds nightly. I am very jealous of your bird friends and your lovely blue hydrangeas. Stay well and take good care.
How sad about the broken road, and to think that here are so many more spots that need repair. I hope the road repair people can get to them soon. I’m sure none of it is a quick fix and requires lots of work to make the roads safe.
Your turtle visitor might have eaten lettuce?
I never like those orange day lilies. When I was a child my aunt told me that they were often planted around outhouses and told me what they were often called. Not a pleasant thought. Our neighbor proudly shared some with use a few years ago. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I didn’t like them, so the little bunch grows near a telephone pole, half hidden from the road. Ha!
Beautiful flowers and animals in your part of the country. We are in a suburb and I know there are deer but I don’t see them in our yard or even in our neighborhood very often. Such beautiful animals.
All the best on finishing your Koi Pond by the end of summer. Lots of beautiful work on it.
My niece brought me a violet plant that was in bloom. Like you, I snipped off the flowers are they wilted. But what keeps them blooming? I haven’t got a green thumb!
I hope you have a good week.
Thanks for the report on the restoration efforts. I know how long it can take to recover from hurricane damage to flat land areas and dealing with the mountainous terrain is surely daunting. I am glad your car club is going to the Pisgah Inn. I love that place and had wondered how it was doing. It is so peaceful there and the views are wonderful. I hope your event helps them out.
you had me laughing when I saw that your uncommunicative visitor was a turtle!
i love your flowers, especially the lavender hydrangeas and the dogwood. I like the hydrangeas in any shade of blue but am not a fan of the pinks or the “green” ones.
The Koi is coming along nicely. The quilting is beautiful and the beading adds a lot of dimension and interest.
Carole, I’m not sure what I like more, the lavender hydrangea or the beaded fish. I am positive that the beaded fish would take a blue ribbon at the fair if you entered. It is so nice for you to enjoy the beautiful countryside, too. Enjoy your summer!.
I love your pictures of the birds and blooms. After daisies, hydrangeas are my favorite flower and that lavender color is absolutely gorgeous. I thought your fish were great with the quilt pattern that you used on them but now seeing them with the beads takes it to a whole other level. Can’t wait to see the finished product.