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Mountaintop location |
Deckchairs at the Lodge |
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Donna Keaton and I drove to Highlands, NC, to attend an elderhostel at The Mountain Retreat Center. The week was devoted to Wildflowers of Appalachia, Story-telling, and Appalachian music. In spite of the foggy weather, we enjoyed every minute. Here are some of the highlights. |
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| Rustic setting of dining room | Death by chocolate | Cozy bright dining room |
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| Lee Knight singing to the dulcimer | Pat Greenwald portraying Nance Jude | |
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Our three instructors were all excellent. Lee Knight covered Appalachian music, accompanying himself on banjo and dulcimer; Pat Greenwald portrayed Appalachian (mostly women) characters, and Gwynn Ramsey gave double as our botany teacher and also as a Master Appalachian story-teller. |
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Fog obscured the view. |
Gwynn Ramsey telling a Jack tale |
When the fog withdrew, the view was worth the wait. |
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| Meditation Rock | Rustic Cabins with decks | The Tree House |
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| Foggy morning charm. | The Tower | Donna is enchanted |
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Eager elderhostelers listen to Gwynn at the Botanical Garden in the Highlands |
Gwynn knows them all. | Flame Azaleas |
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| Swamp Iris | Sneeze weed | |
When our Elderhostel group drove down to the Highlands to visit the Botanic Garden, we were pleased to discover that there was no fog and the sun even came out to accompany our botanical pursuits. |
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| Rhododendrons and azaleas | Iris | A temperate rainforest |
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| Pond in the Botanic Garden | Dog hobble | Donna and I before the 200 yr. old poplar tree. |
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| A misty day in May | Wild Geranium | Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls |
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| Ever changing shadows on the mountains | Vasey's Trillium | Bob and Pat Greenwald |
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| The Puzzle-workers. | The puzzle completed! | The Mountain Quartet |
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| Mona Lisa's older sister. | Gwynn and Betty Ramsey | |
The last day we did story-telling. Donna bravely told a story, but I did not get up enough nerve to tell one. I did resolve to go back to North Carolina to continue with my story telling career. Gwynn Ramsey and Pat Greenwald inspired me. |
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| Pat Greenwald leading a story-telling worshop | Donna Mae telling a story | |
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After leaving the Mountain, Donna and I headed for Kentucky and Mammoth Cave, where Donna had gone for her honeymoon and with her son Scott. We visited the cave, hiked the trail to Echo Spring, and wound up the day with a sunset boatride on the Green River. |
| Ranger John explains the cave development along the Heritage Trail. | The Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave | Graffitti highlighted on the cave wall |
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| Echo River emerges from the Cave | At last, a bench! | Miss Green River |
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| The Green River (is really brown) | Miss Green River's merry Captain |
The quaint-looking Green River ferry is constantly in demand. |
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