Walker & I Fishing at Tuckasegee - photos

Here are the photos that didn't publish with the last post.

 

 

 

Fishing With Walker @ Tuckasegee

 

 

 

After work on Thursday in Flat Rock, I tooled on over to Tuckasegee where Walker is warden for the summer. We spent just over 24 hours together talking, cooking, digging a new outhouse hole (he did the digging, I did the watching), looking for bear signs, sitting around the campfire, picking blackberries and fishing in the Tuckasegee River. We caught quite a few brown (native) trout which are not really brown but full of beautiful color patterns. At one point while I was digging for worms for our fishing trip, he yelled, "Mom, come here quick." I ran up to his cabin and he showed me his resident black snake that was crawling around his kitchen sink and then heading up into the rafters to look for mice.

He returns to Fairview in two weeks after being in Chapel Hill for two years and at Tuckasegee this summer. He's going to be the farm manager for the organic pasture meats business at the end of our road (Spring House Meats - you can check them out on the web). They have an old very small house for him to live in less than a mile from us!! His girlfriend is waiting to hear on the 25th whether or not she gets a job with one of the Clarke clan right here. If she does, we've offered her Jake's room. I had such a great time with Walker that I hope to go again next week before he moves back here. If so, more photos will be forthcoming, especially if we DO see that bear he's sighted several times already.

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.

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.

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!

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.