First, Mark, the grading contractor, made a road bed from which to work on the basement area.
In August we had multiple trees taken down in preparation of the grading which began on October 14th. What followed were exciting days of nervous energy as the roots from those big trees and earth were dug out for our new basement. Taking out so much earth right next to Two Holt worried us--would it compromise Two Holt's foundation? Would we hit rock and be unable to dig down enough? First, Mark, the grading contractor, made a road bed from which to work on the basement area. Then he got busy taking out all those stumps and roots left behind from the tree removal. Day 2 of the digging unearthed a large vein of stone which Mark patiently kept digging out. He piled the stone in one area and plans to use it for the stone walls he will build along our new driveway. Mark returned for a third day of work to get the basement ready for Chaz and his concrete company to finish off the basement. At this point, Mark stepped aside so that Chaz and his concrete company could finish the basement. Mark will come back on the job to backfill once the poured concrete walls are finished and set. Then he'll create our new driveway and parking areas. Keep watching!
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Phil and I decided to spend the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As we set out for our adventure, we just had to stop by our own little community lake, Mirror Lake. How pretty the colors are this week! We had another distraction on our way to the Parkway. The small town of Cashiers was having a craft show. We stopped and did a bit of shopping for Christmas presents. We made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway by early afternoon. We spent hours admiring the October colors and the gorgeous overlooks. The pictures below will give you a tiny taste of what awaits you on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but you must actually drive it to feel the full effect. Imagine driving along the road with these colorful vistas immediately to your left and to your right as you ride along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations up to 6000 feet! Stop #5 was Steestachee Bald. Simply beautiful! Licklog Ridge was Overlook #7. Stop #9--Lone Bald Overlook at an elevation of 5635 feet. So much beauty surrounded us today! Phil and I couldn't resist having our picture taken at Haywood-Jackson Overlook. Beartrail Ridge Overlook was one of my favorite places. We lingered here taking in the views. It was getting late in the afternoon, but who could resist stopping at a site named Rough Butt Bald? Our final overlook stop was Devil's Courtyard. I told Phil that I definitely want to come back and take a 20-minute hike to its crest. Boy, oh boy! You should have seen the leaf peekers who were out in full force at the overlooks we passed by for the remainder of our time on the Parkway. Parking areas were full and cars were parking on the grass on both sides of the road. Traffic was snarled in places. On the way to Brevard, North Carolina to meet Larry and Susan, we passed Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock, Cradle of the Forestry, and a few other places which made us both decide we would be returning to Brevard at a later date. We arrived at Hawg Wild BBQ in Brevard and enjoyed a fine plate of ribs with Larry and Susan. The brothers said goodbye and we headed back to our little slice of paradise, Two Holt.
This has been THE most stressful launch to a school year that I ever remember! I left school on Friday and drove straight to Highlands to join Phil who has been at Two Holt for the past week. Atlanta traffic was horrible, but when I finally stepped into Two Holt I could feel the stress begin to fall away as I sipped the hot spiced cider Phil had waiting for me. We woke up to a rainy Saturday, but honestly the rain never bothers me. And that's a good thing since Highlands is a temperate rainforest. Phil and I drove into town and visited a craft show and a few other shops on Main Street which are always beautiful. We returned to the comfort of Two Holt, watched college football games, and decorated Two Holt with a few seasonal items. I love the white chair in the picture below because I can change out colorful throws and pillows for each holiday or season. Here it is all ready for Halloween. Back in 1983, I cross stitched the pillow in the picture below for Phil's mom. Now it sits on our mantel at Two Holt. We've had the little bear with the jack-o-lantern for about 35 years. We added this cute pumpkin to our side porch. Now we're just enjoying fall at Two Holt. Tomorrow we hope the rain clears out so we can enjoy a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Happy fall, y'all!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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