[pooh]

Well, not earthshaking, but still....Monday Mike and I headed to North Carolina, along with our son and his family. A few days in a cabin, a cabin with all one needs, including internet access, sounded great. When we got out of the car in South Carolina for lunch, it was about 40 degrees and windy.... and raining. We left beautiful weather. Arrived with our little electronic devices, laptops, nintendos, cell phones with internet access. The rain had stopped, it was still friggin' cold, but if we had to stay indoors for a while, we had our toys! Yes, we had our toys, but had no internet and since we were in some sort of valley, surrounded by mountains, phone service was also iffy. No Netflix, no e-mail, no phone calls in or out, well, if we were outdoors, maybe we'd get a signal. For the first time for me at least, AT&T provided better reception than Verizon. Calls to our cabin's owner were promptly made from the middle of the rather large yard....and she said she'd get things up and working in the morning. It was pathetic, lol.....6 people walking around mumbling about how they couldn't connect with their individual worlds. Daughter in law to the rescue...she started a fire in the fire ring on the property, marshmallows were promptly toasted and eagerly consumed. A trip to the grocery store was next...it isn't close, then dinner prepared and eaten, bedrooms assigned and finally, everyone off to bed with only the games on cells phones to be played. I actually got tired of Angry Birds...lol. Next morning, calls from property owner, connection to AT&T to get internet back up and working and then about an hour and a half with a lovely technician who had the patience of a saint. Daughter in law standing outside with phone relaying info to our son, he relaying it to hubby who was indoors at the router with our laptop trying to get all working. We were afraid to try the phone on the outdoor deck near where the computer and router were located so it was like a fire bucket line....info from tech on the phone to Leslie, Jim to Mike, Mike responding to Jim, Jim telling Leslie, Leslie talking to tech. It was frustrating, but really funny. In the meantime Aaron is playing with his new Nintends 3D DS, Lindsey is watching a movie on her portable DVD player and both kids are wondering when we finally can get to see waterfalls and the mountains. Finally, we're connected and can get on the road to nature. Ever drive on a twisty mountain road with 4 out of 6 people who get carsick? Oh joy! One is asking we drive s.. l..o.. w.. l.. y, another who is afraid of heights and realizes there are no guardrails, wants off that freaking mountain and my poor husband trying not to laugh, cry, drive quickly and yet slowly to get to lower ground and wondering why the heck we didn't take two cars for this particular adventure. Drove up in separate cars, but our treks to waterfalls, streams, trees were taken in our car that holds all of us. Finally, there it was, nature in all its glory....at least for my daughter in law who happens to love this kind of stuff. Beautiful waterfalls. Some easily seen from viewpoints just off the road, others seen only after an 80 mile hike up some stupid mountain, through mud, remember it rained, over rocks, logs, did I mention mud? I made it part of the way but turned back. I'd had enough of nature and when the kids got back, they said it was an unbelievable hike. They took pictures with the phone. Lovely, and I didn't have to get covered with mud. Kids had enough mud on their shoes to back up the Mississippi.
One nice thing, son cooked....he's the chef...and breakfast was hearty and delicious. Today it was a hike all over downtown Asheville...and again, it was COLD, but we ate our way through the city....lunch, dessert, snacks. Visited shops filled with handmade items from local artisans, art galleries, shops in beautiful old buildings, so many of them. Even though it was cold and windy, it was fun. Tonight we're watching Megamind, last night it was Tangled...I love watching animated movies with the kids. Son and daughter in law are off to dine out. Tomorrow Mike and I will pack and rest. Heading home Friday AM and it's a long drive home. The kids might be off to enjoy more nature on their final day here, but I've had enough. Apparently Mother Nature has had a field day at our house today.....tornado watches, severe thunderstorms and high winds, apparently very high winds. Hope my patio furniture and Mike's plumeria survived.
Figure when I download all my e-mail, apparently that doesn't seem to be coming through with this particular router here, my computer will go into overload. Did I mention someone around here has a rooster? Dam bird....

[ssmith]

Oh Pooh thanks for the laughs....a vacation to remember. Reminds me of a story I used to read to the kids "the Berenstein Bears and Too Much Vacation"!

[graciegirl]

We should never have let you leave campus!!

[Jhooman]

You go Pooh Girl. I know your loving every moment of your fabulous life. Lean into the love and sip the joy.

Love you friend.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by ssmith

Oh Pooh thanks for the laughs....a vacation to remember. Reminds me of a story I used to read to the kids "the Berenstein Bears and Too Much Vacation"!

And tonight, my cell phone battery has gone belly up!....lolol. Tomorrow it's off to the Verizon store. At least we now have internet to find it...

[pooh]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We should never have let you leave campus!!

LOL.....and you know Gracie, I'm beginning to think the same thing! At least all the flowering trees here are showing off their absolutely spectacular blossoms!

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Jhooman

You go Pooh Girl. I know your loving every moment of your fabulous life. Lean into the love and sip the joy.

Love you friend.

I'll be a lot more loving when my phone is working! Oh, how I love that phone.... In the meantime, it's time for some of that delicious old fashioned penny candy we bought today, you know that stuff that's now $7/pound! (I bought $4.50 of the stuff!)

[bkcunningham1]

Oh, Pooh, we rented a cabin near Grand Father Mountain in Boone, NC a couple of summers ago. What a view. It was an adventure. Lucky for us, after we finally found the cabin, went back to town for groceries and came back up the mountain to the cabin (I had to get out of the vehicle before my husband parked because the turn and backing up into the driveway gave me vertigo), we had a lovely hottub to enjoy for the remaindor of the weekend.

If your family ever goes to that area again, look up Tweetsie Railroad. It rocks and the kids would love going there. Your story was awesome.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

Oh, Pooh, we rented a cabin near Grand Father Mountain in Boone, NC a couple of summers ago. What a view. It was an adventure. Lucky for us, after we finally found the cabin, went back to town for groceries and came back up the mountain to the cabin (I had to get out of the vehicle before my husband parked because the turn and backing up into the driveway gave me vertigo), we had a lovely hottub to enjoy for the remaindor of the weekend.

If your family ever goes to that area again, look up Tweetsie Railroad. It rocks and the kids would love going there. Your story was awesome.

Not sure where Boone is, but I'll let hubby and son know. Daughter in law loves the outdoors, but she's one of the 4 that gets carsick so not sure how well she'd do if it's a twisty ride up. Don't know why she can ride roller coasters and not get sick...or the TeaCups at Disney. Granddaughter gets vertigo with heights. Why they picked the mountains of NC for the family adventure is ??? Maybe a trip to Boone is something for Mike and me to enjoy on our own...without the kids!

Did I mention that the weather forecast the last time I looked, mentioned something about the possibility of snow flurries for Friday morning....SNOW FLURRIES !!! I'm from southern CA where we keep snow where it belongs, on the mountains....oh wait, I'm on a mountain

[bkcunningham1]

And it gets humid and very hot in the summer. But in all honesty, I love the mountains in NC. Did you get to see Biltmore Gardens?

[K9-Lovers]

No internet, no phones, no computers, and sometimes no electricity can be very lovely. Maybe not with bored kids, but otherwise, sounds like my kind of vacation!

[jebartle]

So sorry you caught NC at a bad time, if you waited another month you would have loved it....Actually Boone is home to Appalachian State University, wonderful public golf course and many cute shops...All the years we lived in NC, never enjoyed Tweetsie, grand-children were not interested, too old, just like us...giggle...Asheville is my favorite, guess you missed Biltmore Estate...Sounds like connecting to the REAL world was the straw that broke the back....Lots to put in your memory book...lol

Originally Posted by pooh

Not sure where Boone is, but I'll let hubby and son know. Daughter in law loves the outdoors, but she's one of the 4 that gets carsick so not sure how well she'd do if it's a twisty ride up. Don't know why she can ride roller coasters and not get sick...or the TeaCups at Disney. Granddaughter gets vertigo with heights. Why they picked the mountains of NC for the family adventure is ??? Maybe a trip to Boone is something for Mike and me to enjoy on our own...without the kids!

Did I mention that the weather forecast the last time I looked, mentioned something about the possibility of snow flurries for Friday morning....SNOW FLURRIES !!! I'm from southern CA where we keep snow where it belongs, on the mountains....oh wait, I'm on a mountain