Daddy's Arms

I had a dream a few months ago. I wrote this within days so I wouldn’t forget a detail.  With today being my dad’s birthday, I thought it would be a good time to share.

It was winter and I was at my parents' home in Dixfield. I was late for work, it was snowing like crazy and my vehicle was buried and wouldn't start.  I felt panicked and didn't know what I was going to do. I went inside to tell my mom that I would have to call someone to either give me a jump or a ride, and then went into the garage to get a shovel.  I came out, worried and stressed, ready to start digging my car out. Mom was standing in the driveway and I said to her, "This is just great - nothing EVER goes my way."  She turned to me and said, "Look."

I saw that the driveway had been plowed. My car was completely cleared of snow, running and warming up.  I turned to ask her "What? How?", when suddenly, out of nowhere, my dad was standing there - wearing his typical flannel shirt and jeans.  I turned to him to say "thank you" and put my hand gently on his arm, afraid to touch him because he was so sick. But he wasn't sick. This was strong, healthy, pre-cancer dad -- and he took my hand, he pulled me in close and gave me the biggest, warmest, heartfelt hug.  I buried my face in his chest and inhaled deeply of that familiar dad scent that took me back to my childhood.  I don't think he actually said the words "It will be alright" - but I knew deep in my heart that it would be.

Before I could say or do more, I woke up. I was devastated and felt like my dad had been torn from my life all over again. As I cried, I tried desperately to go back to sleep and pick up the dream where I'd left off.  It was no use. I got out of bed. I was shaken and sad, but I was also elated that I'd had that brief moment in my father's arms once again. Because there, there was no fear, nothing was overwhelming, nothing was impossible. There, I was a little girl again and daddy was going to make everything OK. 

A few weeks before having this dream, I had said to Jimmy "I wish my dad was here.  I want to talk to him and get his advice."  Now, having some time to recover from the incredible realness of the dream, time to replay it and cherish it, I can say two things with absolute conviction: My dad IS here and is watching over me -- and no matter how old I get I will always yearn for that safe, secure, I-know-I'm-loved feeling that only my daddy could give me.  

Been a while!

It has been a looong time since I have posted a blog entry. I'm hoping to pick it back up again on a regular basis - but until I get into my old groove, I will start small and just fill you in on what we did this weekend.

We decided to visit the local fish hatchery on Saturday. It's not a very large facility, but in a nice, scenic area where you can fish and picnic. There were lots of families, with small children running around with their kid-size poles. Brought back memories of fishing with my parents when me and my sisters were little. Dad would make us poles from small branches, set us on a rock on the side of the brook, and hope for the best. We only fell in once in a while, and we actually caught quite a few fish! The last time I went brook fishing with my dad, just the two of us, I was 5 months pregnant with my son. Dad spent more time worrying about me hopping from rock to rock with my growing belly than he did fishing.

At the Walhalla Fish Hatchery, they raise trout (brown, brook and rainbow) for stocking ponds and lakes around upcountry South Carolina. When you walk beside the tanks, the fish think they are going to get fed, and start flipping out (pun intended). They jump right up out of the water. A few casualities lay on the pavement... One tank held only display trout - and some of them were HUGE.

Today, we drove into Georgia and wound up at Toccoa Falls, on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. The campus is very pretty, with a stream running alongside the road, and several historical markers scattered around.

The falls has a drop of 186 feet into a small pool that is surrounded by large rocks and boulders. It is the largest waterfall we have visited so far.

 There is a memorial on the site, dedicated to the 39 people (mostly college personnel) who died in 1977 when the dam above the falls broke and flooded the campus.

We stopped at the South Carolina welcome center on the way home to pick up a bunch of pamphlets and brochures - offering up lots of possibilities for future adventures. A visit to Charleston this fall is definitely on the "must-do" list.  There are many events and festivals coming up, too, so I am sure I will have lots to blog about in the coming months.

Thanksgiving

I make my mom's stuffing every year for Thanksgiving. I've tweaked it a bit over the years - it no longer gets stuffed into the turky, I use chicken broth instead of water, sautee the onions in lots of butter before adding them to the bread...but one thing that hasn't changed is the seasoning.

Bell's poultry seasoning. You know - that little yellow cardboard box with a picture of a turkey on the front? Well guess what?  I CAN NOT FIND IT AROUND HERE!

I went to about 10 stores looking. I even went so far as to write to the company to ask if there was some place - any place - around here that sold it.  I was told that a certain store, an hour and a half away, MAY sell it.  What?  Oh, and "For future reference you can purchase 4-1oz boxes direct from us for $15.00.  We accept Visa and M/C.".  Thanks, but I just want ONE box! Now!

I called my mom to share my horror. "Can you BELIEVE it?? Send me some!" I said.  (This was Monday -  a little late).  "What? How? Do you want me to put some in a ziploc and throw it in an envelope?"  Sure, ma.  I can just picture Homeland Security knocking on your door, holding a baggie of poultry seasoning, and dragging you in for questioning.

So, I had to settle for McCormick's. Close - but not quite the same. 

I missed my Bell's but missed my family more.  Especially Brandon. It was strange, and sad, to have a Thanksgiving dinner without him.  It's one of our family traditions to go around the table and have each person in turn state one thing that he/she is thankful for.  Here are just a few of mine for this year:

My son - who never ceases to amaze me (good or bad) and who I love more than anything.  The best friends anyone could have.  My in-laws, for being so helpful and supportive since I've been here (and for coming to dinner so I'd have someone to lay those leftovers on!). And my mom - who continues to be the coolest woman ever. 

She's going to send me some Bell's poultry seasoning in time for Christmas dinner.

Chau Ram

Last weekend we drove out to Chau Ram County Park to add another waterfall to our tally.  The morning was chilly - around 45 degrees. I was excited because my order from L.L.Bean had recently arrived, and this was the first opportunity I'd had to wear my new hikers. You know how we girls are - new shoes add a little something/something to any activity...

The park isn't far from downtown Westminster. Even though the name Chau Ram sounds exotic, like a Japanese restaurant or an ancient Greek warrior, it actually comes from a combination of Chauga (River) and Ramsey (Creek). They converge at the park. I know...not extremely creative.

After paying the $2.00 park fee, we drove to an almost-deserted parking lot. The park is very nice...well maintained and in a pretty, picturesque setting. There is a playground, a large picnic pavilion with fireplace, a campground, picnic tables in scenic little spots here and there, and several hiking trails.

Chau Ram Falls is adjacent to the lower parking lot.  It wasn't very impressive size-wise (approximately 30-40 feet), but it takes the top spot on the list so far for amount of water actually "falling". 

After crossing the suspension bridge (the longest one in Oconee County according to the sign), we found a hiking trail map mounted under plexiglass on a pole. The plexi hasn't done much to protect the map or its legibility, so we figured we would follow one of the few trails we could just about see on the faded, water-spotted paper - the blue trail, a 1.2-mile loop.

The trail started along the water, with several pools and small rushing cascades over rocks.  It slowly veered away from the creek and into the woods where we soon came to a set of wooden stairs that climbed about 20 feet or so up the hill. Then it was a steady incline through the woods from there.

The sun was slowly warming up the day. And then it hit me. You know how there is always a day or two in each season when you can confidently say "it smells like summer today" or "I smell winter in the air"?  Well, this was one of those quintessential days.  Seriously. The sun breaking through the tree tops, the smell of warm fallen leaves, rich soil, crisp air... I stopped several times to just inhale the scent of autumn.

After finishing our loop at Chau Ram County Park, we found a map of nearby waterfalls at the information board.  We decided it was still early enough to try to squeeze in one more.  So we drove out onto highway 76 once again, took a wrong turn, turned around and tried again, then decided to not follow the map and let the GPS lead the way. We finally found the right road, but couldn't drive my low-slung Avenger out onto the dirt road so we had to go the rest of the way on foot (after making mental notes to take the truck from now on when chasing waterfalls). 

After about a mile of walking along this deserted, rutted firelane out in the forest, in the middle of nowhere (while hearing things crashing through the leaves in the not-too-far distance), Jim looks at me and says, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea - seeing as how it's hunting season?"

So, even though I was feeling pretty recognizable as non-prey in my new, golden cider L.L.Bean fleece pullover,  Riley Moore Falls would have to wait for another day.

Learn more about Chau Ram County Park.

     

Westminster, SC

Westminster, South Carolina is where I now live (on Scruffy Lane to be exact. I sincerely hope the street was named after some sweet little girl's floppy-eared, much-loved mutt - and that the name is not at all indicative of the type of people in the neighborhood). 






The town began as a stop for the Southern Railway in 1876. The historical train depot was almost completely destroyed by fire five years ago, but has been restored and now houses the town's Chamber of Commerce.

       

On a beautiful fall day this week, we decided to take a walk on Main Street and check out a part of our new area. The history and architecture of the storefronts and buildings remind me of Rumford's downtown. A comforting feeling of nostalgia came over me as I walked past the barber's shop with its antique pole out front, and an old-fashioned pharmacy and gift shop.

Scarecrows and hay bales left over from Halloween adorned the street lights on each corner, and a huge mural that has obviously been around for some time covered the side of one building. You can make out just enough of the art to visualize how nice it must have been when newly painted. There's a general store museum that I plan to check out next time I'm there.

 

Moon's Drug Store held some quaint surprises. There was an RC Cola & Moon Pie display that reminded me of my uncle David, who drank RC all the time when I was a kid. Weird how random memories like that stay with you! I briefly flipped through a book called "How to be a Southern Girlfriend" and, being an over-40 independent woman, I must say I found only the biscuit recipe to be of any use. There were Apple Festival plaques, gorgeous wind chimes, and LOTS of Clemson and South Carolina items. But I have to say, the most interesting things I found at Moon's were the Little Peckers.

Yup. You heard me right. Little Peckers. And how can you beat a tagline like "Where are you going to hide YOUR pecker?" Brilliant! AND they "dress up any mansion, home or trailer" Genius! I have to tell you - if I can figure out how to ship them - it's gonna be Little Peckers for everyone!!

And I don't want to know where you plan to hide yours.

Oktoberfest

Walhalla, South Carolina, where my mother-in-law and her husband live, began as a settlement of German immigrants who arrived aboard ships from Hamburg, Germany and Bavaria. Trustees of the German Colonization Society of Charleston bought 17,859 acres (72.27 km2) of land for $27,000 on December 24, 1849.  

The town pays homage to its German heritage with a three-day festival every October - a tradition that was started in 1979.

Walhalla celebrated Oktoberfest this weekend. All kinds of vendors and music on Main Street, plus a carnival at Sertoma Field - the local soccer arena.  I could have spent a FORTUNE on jewlery and other handmade items, but kept the shopping to a minimum. I really wanted to get a Clemson "pup" tent for Anna, but just couldn't justify the price.

There were a bunch of vendors selling the expected bratwurst and beer, as well as barbecue, but I was craving "fair fries". I just couldn't find a vendor that had vinegar among their condiments. Just when I had given up, the very last booth that sold fries had some.  YES!  I was handed my paper cone of hand-cut, just-cooked fries and I promptly picked up that squirt bottle of vinegar.


The kid working the booth warned me, "That's vinegar you know... I don't know why, it's weird, but some people seem to like it".  I just laughed and thought, "Yup, that how we yankees eat our fries!"

Evidently the deep-fried Twinkie Jim ate just wasn't enough, so he had to try deep-fried Kool Aid, too.  No...that's not a typo.  We were dumbfounded when we saw the sign. How in the hell do you fry Kool Aid??!

Turns out, they flavor funnel cake batter with Kool Aid then fry it in balls and cover them with confectioners sugar. They were actually pretty good - but came in only one flavor, cherry, which isn't one of my faves.

Thank goodness the booth selling deep-fried Snickers was closed by the time we walked home...

Chasing Waterfalls

There are SO many waterfalls in this area of South Carolina. A lot of them are just short hikes into the woods of Sumter National Forest here in Walhalla. We hiked to Yellow Branch Falls last weekend - a good 3 miles round trip. The amount of water actually "falling" was a bit disappointing due to the severe lack of rain this summer. It was later in the afternoon, so my photos are a bit dark (I really need to upgrade my camera.)

Did get a good shot of the cutest little lizard though... :)

Kings Creek Falls was a pretty hike we took in August (photo to left).

Issaqueena Falls/ Stumphouse Tunnel is one of my favorite places to go. This summer we actually found another trail that takes you around the side to a spot where you can stand on a ledge behind the waterfall. Indian legend tells of Issaqueena, a young Cherokee girl who pretended to jump over the falls to avoid capture by white settlers - but she hid behind the falls instead. I think I may have stood where she did.

The story of Stumphouse Tunnel is very cool. Check out some info here.