Different world here...only in NC?

• 80+ year old woman sitting on the floor of the pick-up truck bed with an open tailgate
• Roadside stand sign: "Possum Seasoning Sold Here"

We are currently residing in Buncombe county.  I sometimes think it should be "Bumpkin" county.

Judy and I get a kick out of this school bus sign which we see everywhere.

 Maybe we've just not noticed, but I don't think Illinois has this same version.  The stop sign I get, but it is the paintball-like "star" that makes me wonder if we are supposed to be on the watch for people shooting at school buses.

Regardless, whenever we see one now, we immediately respond, "BLAMMO!"

Trip from the grocery store to the cottage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m5P7d2Qd5A&feature=em-upload_

Published Aug 13

Videos of Weaverville Main Street (with an unsteady hand):

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This video doesn't do justice to the way it looked in real life. It took your breath away. The water didn't look muddy and was so refreshing to just breathe and relax in Gods creation.  JP

Published Aug 6

Went out with a realtor today after much discussion  and refinement of what features were most important to us.  This is tougher than any requirements doc I ever put together.  The main reason, as the realtor aptly put it, is now is the time where dreams meet up with reality.

For example, both Judy and I always said we wanted to be in a relatively private, possibly remote setting, but the reality is over the next 20 years the need for proximity to shopping (e.g. groceries) and services (e.g. medical) will outweigh the desire to be out in the woods without immediate neighbors.

So, today was largely the first few steps of a lengthy discovery process.  We made progress, but are a long way from being ready to make decisions. Filter, filter, filter.

Here are a few pictures of what we saw today:

Hendersonville/Flat Rock (south of Asheville)--plenty of promise as a place to live;  will have to see if there is a community that fits us.  This is one lot in a community we viewed.

 

Flat Rock-Kenmure

At the end of the day we headed north towards Marshall.  The views here were gorgeous, but the community was just too remote for us.  Additionally driving the hills to get back to this area looked to be a challenge we might not want to deal with as our skills diminish.

View from Community Center at French Broad Crossing-Marshall NC

Published Aug 3 2016

Pictures from Al's "Cake Meeting" (Jul 14 2016).

Ken and Al Jonynas:

L to R: Kans; Ken; Shashanka; Ravi; Al

mmm...cake!

L to R: Mohit Chourasia; Chandana Vemaraju; Mary Trew; Ken Peters; Al Jonynas; Amol Patil

L to R: Mary Trew (bottom); Mark Cozine; Stephen Woods; Ken Peters; Cheryl Flack Barr; Dan Herman; Al Jonynas

L to R: Paul Kern; Ken Peters; Mike Schoenberger

L to R: Dan Herman; Ken Peters; Mike Schoenberger