Vacation in the Mountains

[overmind]

I'm having trouble uploading the pictures from my phone, but I can share some of the photos from the camera. I stayed at a house in Banner Elk, to the southwest of Boone, NC, with some family friends.

Here is the back of the house. There is also a driveway going to the front, which I don't have a picture of.



A small garden at the back of the driveway.



The living room (top floor), shot from the dining area.



The master bedroom (top floor). There were three other bedrooms in the basement, which I did not take photos of.



The front end of the main room in the basement.



The back end of that room.



Some giant South Carolina peaches in the kitchen, which we got to take home.



My sister and I after exploring Linville Caverns (sorry, no cave pictures).



Looking down from the top deck.



Some goldfinches. There were also hummingbirds, but I was not able to get a photo.



The hammock on the bottom deck.



Some flowers.



In the evening.





Okay, what I've done here is arrange the photos of the view so that it pans from right to left (with a few zoomed in at the scenery). You get to see a full 180 degrees of the mountain range I got to look at.

[Sandy]

It was far more beautiful then I was even imagining, Arthur. I can almost breath in the mountain air, having been in these mountains myself. You can see where the Smokey mountains gets it name with all those little pockets of mist rising up from the dips and valleys. It's such a wonderful place to visit in the hot summer months because it is instantly cooler with all those creeks and streams (the mist/smoke makers) crisscrossing the area acting a bit like air conditioning.
Thanks for posting the photos. They were the first thing I viewed this morning on the board and they've made my day! I feel like I just received a post card from home!
Love,
Sandy
P.S. I must say I don't think I have ever in my life seen peaches that size! awesome!

[overmind]

I love looking at the mountains, but those winding roads make me car sick.

I'm still a beach person.

[Sandy]

yeah... sitting in the back seat on those roads can be murder. LOL I had forgotten about that.
XX Sandy

[Sandy]

Arthur,
I am contemplating you photos all over again this morning...I do enjoy them all, but at 11:11 I determined my favourite! The one of you and your sister. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to finally see your face! You know...you look exactly as I had imagined!
Hugs,
Sandy

[George]

Great Pictures, Arthur!

Good to see you and your (baby) sister.

Cheers...

[overmind]

I mentioned before that I wanted to post a picture, but I'm a bit camera shy and have few recent pictures. I was glad this one came out well.

Victoria likes looking taller than me in photos as a joke. Though I doubt she will ever be my height, she is still pretty tall for her age. She'll be 16 in November.

[Sandy]

It looks like you and Victoria get along well and were having a good time.
We are all little shorties in my family. I'm the tallest of the women at a whopping 5' 2"
XX Sandy

[I-AM]

Wow. What a PNP! (Pretty Nice Place)

I agree with Sandy. It was nice looking at you and your sister. You even have eyeglass frames of similar shape... One can immediately tell you are a family.

[Krystalshard]

Thanks for the pics, it looks like you had a wonderful time. I've only been through the smokey mountains once, but I've lived half my life in Colorado, and now live at "lake level" in Minnesota. I can really get to missing the peaks and valleys...so thanks for the "fix"!

Beautiful, yummy and fun!

Jean

[Zachary]

loved the pics! I couldn't get over the basket of peaches. They looked so... succulent

[Sandy]

loved the pics! I couldn't get over the basket of peaches. They looked so... succulent

I know what you mean...my mouth was watering just looking at them!

[Sandy]

I just had a thought as I was looking at the photos again...Can you imagine what this scene will be like in just a few weeks when the leaves turn color! Wow! Arthur you are going to have to go back!

[overmind]

I'm really not a Fall/Autumn person though. I much prefer the flowers in the spring and the greenery of summer.

[Sandy]

Arthur, you would love it here in New South Wales then. There are always flowers, greenish grass (unless we are in a temporary dry spell) and leaves on the trees. Oh and an ocean ten minutes away too.