Pam, Ginie, and I decided it was time for another girls only hike so we set off to a favorite place which Ginie had never visited...Secret Falls. The hiking path was clear of fallen trees, but boy, oh boy, was it ever muddy! We talked and hiked and before too long we were at the top of the falls. We took a few pictures before descending to the bottom. There were a few groups of people enjoying the pool at the bottom of the falls. It was busier than I thought it would be on a Thursday. I guess it’s not so secret anymore. These ladies are so much fun. We talked and talked and TALKED. We enjoyed looking further downstream. Isn’t that Carolina sky gorgeous? We hiked back to the car over the log bridge... ...and around the muddy spots. We drove to Horse Cove in search of the giant poplar tree. I swore this was it, but there was no identifying plaque which Pam and I remembered it having. We walked further along a path crossing a footbridge and venturing deeper into the woods. We finally gave up and returned to the car. But we’ve decided to hike and explore more of Horse Cove on our next girls only hike. I can’t wait!
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Our brother, Ken, his wife, Marilyn, and their friends, Bill and Judy, decided to spend July 4th in Highlands. It was Bill and Judy’s first trip to Highlands. I hope it’s not their last! When my son discovered that his aunt, uncle, AND his cousin, Diane, would be here, he decided to have his family join the party. We were thrilled to have so many visiting. Phillip and his family set out to find a swimming hole for the day while the rest of us went to Kelsey-Hutchinson Park for the annual Rotary Club hotdog cookout. The proceeds supported a fund to purchase a service dog for one of our local teens. She’s recently started experiencing violent unpredictable seizures. This dog is trained to recognize an oncoming seizure and protect her during the seizure. These talented canines are expensive to train— around $60,000. The family is asked to pay $17,000. Our community has rallied around the cause and I am sure that Eliza will soon have her dog due to the efforts of community organizations, churches, family, and friends. There was a large turnout, but we found a perfect spot to enjoy the outdoor entertainment, eat, and visit with each other. Lots of dogs enjoyed the day with their owners. Highlands is a dog-friendly town. Ken, Marilyn, and their friends left mid-afternoon to visit Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Diane went to complete a few business tasks. Phil and I returned home to get things ready for returning to the park for bluegrass music and the town’s fireworks show later that evening. We returned at 6:00 with three pizzas and all the fixings for banana splits. Yum! Phillip and his family joined us for the 4th of July dinner and fireworks. The band declared an impromptu Freedom Parade for the kids to march around the park and the adults cheered them on! We visited with town visitors sitting nearby and met a charming couple from North Alabama and, later, another friendly couple from Charleston, South Carolina. Both couples were on their first trip to Highlands, but eagerly volunteered that they would be back. One husband said what we’ve often heard, “I feel like we’ve stepped into a Hallmark movie!” As dusk approached, we packed everything back in our truck except for the lawn chairs and settled in for the fireworks show. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day. From our mountain to your hometown... Happy 4th of July!
This year we decided to take out part of our retaining wall in the back yard and add steps for easier access to our back property. Here’s the old wall... As you can see from the picture above, this particular section of wall was terribly unattractive. Another problem is that it is the immediate view from our living room windows. Ugh. But then Fito, our stone guy, went to work and look at our view now! Our new steps are a beautiful and functional addition. Our plan is to plant shrubs and perennials on the slope beside the steps. We also need to extend the stone pathway at the bottom of the steps to the gate at Boots’ Run. And finally we plan to have a large spot leveled for a fire pit sitting area which will be a destination spot to which the steps lead. But those are next year’s plans! Project by project... we’re getting there!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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