The black bears in Highlands, North Carolina have been extremely active this month which has limited my daily walks with Boots. We started out for a walk a few days ago and heard a heavy rustling in the woods by the road. I knew without a doubt that it was a bear so we turned around and came home. Five minutes later we were sitting on the screen deck and mama bear appeared with her two cubs. She didn't hang around long. Instead she led the energetic cubs down into the woods and disappeared from sight. The next morning Phil called me outside to show me she was back or maybe it was another mama bear because there were now three cubs. The cubs scooted up the tree as mama bear sat at the tree base to guard her babies. She soon tired of surprising passing drivers and posing for pictures and decided to take a short walk to our neighbor's house. She wasn't gone long and returned to her cubs. That walk must have tired her because she sprawled out beside the road for a nap. The road must have been uncomfortable because she decided to follow her cubs up the tall tree... When she neared the top of the tree, she stretched out for another nap. And there she lay for over an hour as people passed by unaware there was a bear and three cubs overhead. You can bet I'll be looking up in the trees on my future walks!
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Many years ago Phil inherited his grandparents' farm bell. It was used on their farm in Andalusia, Alabama. In the early 1900's these bells were used for communication. It was placed on an old lighter'd pole just outside the kitchen door. It was rung for meals or to convey a prearranged message to family members working in the fields. It could also be used to signal an emergency with its loud ringing sound. Phil had Arde, our post and rail fence guy, bring us another black locust pole to mount the bell. Then he notched the pole and bolted in the mounting upright to hold the yoke. Everything was going along smoothly until Phil called me down to help lift the pole and place it in the hole he had dug. Problem! I couldn't budge that heavy pole. I called our neighbor, Dee Dee, and asked if she knew anyone close by who could help us. She brought another neighbor, Patrick, over to help. Together, the guys lifted the pole and placed it in the hole. The guys stood the pole up and it was way too tall! So they brought the pole down and decided to cut off about four feet. They put the shortened pole back in the hole and made sure it was plumb. Then Phil poured dry concrete mix in the hole around the pole. He wet it down and this pole will not be going anywhere! After a couple of days Phil decided to put up the bell. So he got out the ladder and heaved the bell and yoke up to the top of the post and upright. Finally he added the clapper. And he finished with a little of this bell's history. Maybe we'll use it to warn the neighbors of bears!
With the arrival of spring, Phil and I have turned our attention to the grounds surrounding Two Holt. We started by adding post and rail fencing to three areas. Our plan was to place the fencing to define driving/parking areas. We looked at the post and rail fencing available at our local Home Depot and Lowes stores, but those fences seemed so frail when compared to other fences around town. So what did I do? Well, I went to Facebook and asked the locals for advice of course! I followed the advice I got and called Highlands Lawn & Garden. I discovered they sold black locust posts and rails. Black locust trees grow in this area, but it's not a desirable ornamental tree in my opinion. Young seedlings have very sharp thorns so we pull them out and destroy them. However, the wood of a mature black locust tree is amazingly long lasting and is a favorite fencing material in these mountains. So here's Two Holt before the post and rail fencing... And here it is after... Now I plan to plant a climbing rose or two and clematis on a few fence sections. Doesn't that sound lovely?
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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