Black Mountain

Mural on the side of a building downtown

 Black Mountain is a beautiful old town with a bustling, artsy, laid-back downtown. There's a weekly tailgate market, arts & crafts and plant sales, a variety of music venues and a couple of breweries. Dad says it's kinda like a micro-mini Asheville, and he and mom have already wandered around down there several times since we settled in. It's very walkable and friendly, and there are tons of spots where you can stand in place and turn 360 degrees and see beautiful blue-green mountains in nearly every direction. Of course, hiking has been at the top of their to-do list, and except for the first weekend we were here (cleaning, unpacking, setting up house, etc.), mom and dad have been at it every weekend. Starting slow, short, and close by since it's been a while and they're a bit out of practice, they've discovered several decent hikes around the Montreat Conference Center, right up the road. This past weekend, they tackled Catawba Falls Trail in Old Fort, where a loop takes you up to the stunning Catawba Falls and back. 

Trail Information

Teenie tiny mom admiring the Upper Falls

View from the trail

And another

There's still quite a bit of ongoing construction to repair damage from Helene, and there is a portion with steps that, according to trail information, is equivalent to climbing a 30-story building. 

Lower Falls and a small portion of the steps

Mom and dad did the loop clockwise so the steps were on the downside, and they claim that they'll do it counterclockwise once they're in better shape so they can show those steps who's boss. 

More steps

And still more steps

They returned hot, tired, and ready to put their feet up, until mom read about the Asheville VeganFest. So off they went, and by the time they returned from checking that out, their stinky feet clocked over 9 miles for the day. They're plotting their next hike for this weekend, and I can see that despite returning home exhausted, they're beyond thrilled to be back in NC.

Phew!

Hi everybody. Yeah, been a while. You know, I love me a good road trip and all, but, damn, what a whirlwind month it's been. 

I knew something was coming up by the way mom and dad were getting rid of a bunch of crap and stressing out a bit.

Mom and dad praised me for being such a good copilot, at least once I was let out of my stupid carrier. Oh, how I groaned and croaked and bellyached while zipped into the damn thing. We were on the road for 5 to 7 hours, dad and I up front and mom in the car behind us.

Dad's girls, zonked out, hotel #1

We hit the road again for day two of our little journey, another 5 to 7 hours, depending on how much a certain two humans had to pee and stretch and stuff.

The ride wasn't too bad, but it was patience-testing at times for sure.

Our destination wasn't gonna be ready for a couple of days, so...

I took up MY spot. Period. End of discussion.

Dad's side of the bed, riiight

You guessed it- dad's side again

Yep, same. Find the kitty...

Sooooo, here we are, in the little town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. We're an easy 20-minute drive east of Asheville, and mom and dad both said they hadn't realized how much they missed it down here. Pennsylvania just wasn't for us, and as far as dad's job goes, he says what he'll miss most is this big ol' goofnut.

Dad's last day with the big pooch

Sure, the sliders were cool. The front door screen was nice, but almost 3 years in Pennsylvania was about, oh, almost 3 years more than we'd care to have done. Everything down here's more enjoyable- the mountains, the humans, the air, the humans, the lifestyle, the humans- you name it. I can go out on our deck-supervised for now, of course- and I get to do this, too. We're up on the second floor, so my view's awesome.

So, yeah, we moved AGAIN. Dad hated the thought of finishing out his working years (he claims he's got a good 8 or 10 more in him) at a job he grew increasingly miserable at in a place where they were unhappy living. They've both said that, of everywhere they've lived, they've always felt western North Carolina was home, and I've already sensed changes in them. Dad landed a job in Old Fort, about 15 minutes further east from here, and they're slowly re-familiarizing themselves with the Asheville area. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, where mom and dad first fell in love with Yours Truly, is in the process of renovating a new location since the one I came from was devastated during Hurricane Helene, and we can't wait to see the new place. 

It's been a crazy few weeks and we're not yet 100% settled, but we're getting there. Mom and dad have already gotten in a decent hike & some good walks and are gradually checking out all of their favorite places in & around Asheville. I think they're still trying to catch their breath, rest their bones and settle down, but long story short-

It's good to be home.

Time Flies

 Hey folks, been a bit busy here lately. Dad said to let you all know we're gonna be on another brief hiatus (I asked him what the hell he thinks it's been since our last post and he just growled at me and gave me a scarier stink eye than I typically give him so I quietly walked away). I've been missing all my furriends here, but I'm not getting any solid answers from anybody. Soooooo I'm just gonna lie here on the floor on my blue blanket while mom does some deep cleaning.

That's all I got for now, folks. Bye.