Monday, June 30, 2008

Last Tuckasegge Photos

 

Here are the last few Tuckasegee photos for now. This first one is of the campfire where we've eaten many a breakfast and dinner. It's a great place to dry off after dunking and many a poem has been recited, many a story told and many a song sung here. Walker has to keep the woodshed stocked so family can be supplied when they come on the weekends.

 

Here's the path leading to the river where we swim and dunk. It's tradition that you have to dunk (skinny dip dunk) before eating breakfast. The women and kids and teens all seem to do it but most of the men find a way to get out of it.

 

Here's the actual dunking hole. Once you're standing knee-deep and naked in the river, you're wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea. It's only five seconds of brain-numbing exhilaration, and then your skin sends urgent messages of, "send blood, send blood" and quickly you're warm as toast. Really. Almost as soon as you surface, you feel warm, alive and twenty years younger. I remember Pa Pa Pete saying that in Sweden it was common for them to go in the sauna then roll in the snow. I'll be glad to give you the opportunity to say you did it if you're ever so inclined.

 

This is another photo on the front porch of the clubhouse. I liked the way the morning light looked on the table and chairs. This is the overflow area for when the campfire is crowded and it's where we've eaten many a meal.
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One Last Tuckasegee Post

 

This is the path we nervously take down to the river for our 'before breakfast dunking'. As we stand naked and knee deep, we always wonder what we were thinking but it does keep one from getting old too soon. I remember Pa Pa Pete saying he used to go in the sauna and then roll in the snow.

 

This is the actual place we dunk. It's freezing for five seconds (you can stand most anything for five seconds) but you feel like Rocky on top of the steps when you come up out of the water. You're warm too. The skin sent a message: "HELP, I'm freezing. Send blood. Quick. Don't pass GO. And suddenly you're warm as toast. Works every time though standing there beforehand you're never quite convinced.

 

Here is the firepit where many a morning we eat breakfast and dry off and many an evening we eat dinner and talk, roast somemores, recite poems, play music, read and try to keep the kids out of the fire.

 

This shot is of a little overflow table on the front porch. I liked the morning lighting on this one. If anyone wants to visit here, this summer is the time. We can only go if a Clarke goes EXCEPT this summer while Walker is the warden. Hurry and we'll take you.

End of June Garden

 

Here are a few photos of the garden as it looks now.

 

This is the 'upper garden' nearest the house. It's a hodgepodge of all kind of flowers with a pathway leading to the house.

 

The tall flowers are old-fashioned hollyhocks and some of the many sunflowers are just beginning to come on. These two flowers really make the garden what it is.
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Warden Walker Wakes

 

Here's the side of Walker's cabin.

 

And, opps, here's Walker just waking up. Looks like a bear stumbling out of hibernation. I was snooping around taking photos when he came out to say goodmorning. My theory is that this new hairy look gives credence to his words when he's chasing off trespassers. It also fits with the motorcycle persona.

 

This is a view of his 'kitchen'. The only stove is an old woodstove. I'd say his cabin is even more rustic than the clubhouse if that's possible.

 

Former wardens hung these trophies (black snake skins)on the cabin wall. The snakes keep the mice down - somewhat!
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Our Tuckasegge Visit to See Walker

  Most of you have never seen "Tuckasegee", a place we go at least once a summer that belongs to the Clarke family. Tuckasegee is also the name of the 'town' but we call this place simply "Tuckasegee". This first picture is of the front of the 'clubhouse'. It used to be an old post office and who knows what else. From this porch you look out and see the river through the trees. The same river we have to skinny dip in before breakfast!! Tradition!! Walker's the warden here this summer so I thought I should publish some photos of the place.

 This is the view out the back of the 'clubhouse' and the field Walker has to mow by hand and where we play ball, 500, Frisbee, shoot the spud gun, etc.

  This room is (I have been corrected) called the 'game room'. Each of the rooms has a name. This is where most card playing takes place and is the last room to see 'lights out'. On the wall are tracings of trout people have caught in the river with the name of the person and a description of the fish, date, etc.

  A close-up of the front porch. This place is Rustic with a capital 'R' and is surrounded by non-stop beauty. More photos to come soon.
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Friday, June 27, 2008

The House Comes Along

  These first two are of the new kitchen addition. This view is from the road side and the large opening will be the front door to the house. The window next to it has a beautiful westward view.
  We should be able to get to the interior sheetrocking Monday, June 30th. This is a veiw from the upper pasture looking down on the house. I guess we can call it a 'house' now instead of 'the barn'. That big opening is for a great picture window over the sink.
  This view is from the inside looking towards the new kitchen addition. What used to be the front door and front wall of the barn was removed and is an opening into the new kitchen.
  Here's Franklin working on the shower/tub plumbing. He did all the electrical and plumbing himself !! (Shhh) If it weren't for his talents, we could never afford this remodeling job. He keeps the big picture in his head and is truly a Jack-of-all-Trades. It is a huge regret of ours that the boys are not here helping because the things they'd learn are invaluable. Walker can't leave Tuckaseegee much and Jake is whooping it up in the Bahamas.
PS: I saw the mama bird today so all is well with the eggs and we finally got rain. Not a great deal but enough to mention.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

 The last image was too small. Here it is hopefully a bit larger.
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Three eggs in a bush

  I found this nest a few days ago. It's located right on the dirt road leading to our house. I don't yet know what type of bird laid these and haven't seen an adult bird nearby until today when I saw a small bird flying away from the back of this small tree. Don't know if it's parent to the eggs or not. I hope to be able to keep an eye on it as I walk by each day and photograph the yong ones as they hatch and grow. Stay tuned. The nest is only about four foot off the ground. If anyone knows what kind of bird laid these eggs, please post a comment.
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Friday, June 20, 2008

  Yesterday, Thursday, June 19th, 2008, was my oldest son, Erik's 31st birthday. This photo is of him and me last year at this time at Morakami Japanese Gardens in Florida. Erik's still working at Kaplan and studying furiously to become a paramedic (then firefighter). His cousin Kyle and brother Kevin are doing the same. We couldn't be more proud. He truly has a beautiful heart and his inate kindness towards people will surely serve him well in paramedics. Grandpa would be proud.
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Hickory Nut Gap Farm

Tonight Franklin and I went to a Land Conservancy recognition ceremony at the Big House. There was a photographer there, Ken Abbott, who has been documenting the whole Clarke farm and clan for several years now. He had lots of wonderful photos there tonight and a short film of the farm. You may want to go to the URL I've included and click on the link to Hickory Nut Gap Farm to see some of the photos for yourself. He hopes to one day publish a book of the photos and with a history of the place. www.kenabbottphoto.com

Raising the Roof on the Barn - AGAIN.

  Here are a few photos of what's been going on with the barn/house remodeling this week.

 Franklin and Russ put on the trusses and then dried it in today.

 It's looking kind of "housy".

  Here's a shot this morning before dry in. Whenever we've gotten to this stage I always have a desire to keep the building as an open-air house with no walls. It helps that it was a warm, breezy day today with no mosquitos or rain or snow.
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Saturday, June 7, 2008

"Christian Comforts"

"I think the number one enemy of Christians fulfilling their full potential is comfort. Instead of pursuing God, we pursue what makes us comfortable." From Oak Leaf Church blog

Friday, June 6, 2008

  A True Friend Shares Her Secret Cherry Picking Spot: At knitting last Wednesday, Anne Tansey, whose house is the setting for our Knitty-Bitty gatherings, put out a bowl of fresh-picked cherries. We were all being polite and not gorging our selves. Finally I asked her if this was all she had or if she had more (so I'd know whether to keep helping myself or not.) She said she had two neighbor's trees down the road that were loaded and that she was allowed to pick all she wanted. In that case, I said, I'll help finish this bowl. She then invited us to pick with her Thursday morning early - which I did. I got about four gallons that day. Went back this morning too and got maybe 3.5 more. A relative of the woman in the house where we were picking pointed us to a yellow cherry tree out back and I got some of those as well. Some are going into the freezer as is for frozen winter treats and I'm borrowing a cherry pitter for the rest of them. At the price of cherries (organic ones at that), I figure I made about $40/hr picking these beauties.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Dusty - The New Lawnmower

  This first photo shows us getting ready to pour the foundation for the kitchen addition. Jake & Tucker shoveled gravel onto this and Thursday the cement truck comes.

  Second photo is of our new miniature donkey, Dusty, eyeing the goats. This is just after he got out of the trailer.

  Third photo is a good side shot of our newest lawnmower.

  Fourth photo: Isn't he cute? And he eats grass AND weeds. He's as affectionate as a dog. We're waiting for the goats to warm up to him (he wants to play but they're afraid) and then we'll introduce him to the dogs.
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