Cloudland Canyon
From my Journal:
Tonight, walking to an open field to see the stars, I almost bumped into two deer, one with antlers. Turning on the small flashlight I carried, the doe ran off, but the stag stood his ground, staring right at me. He was a deer in the headlight, as it were. Finally, he turned, gracefully leaping away into the night. I saw when he did that around six deer were gathered nearby.
Turning to the stars, Orion stood bright and bold in the East, his dog stars, Sirius and Procyon, nearby. The Pleiades and the thousands of stars of the Milky Way filled the lenses of my binoculars.
Cherokee Falls
Starr joined us twice in Cloudland. The first visit we hiked to Cherokee Falls and along the river that runs through the park. On her second visit, Darryl cooked salmon in puffed pastry, and we had an enjoyable visit sharing gifts. Of course, the two of them ganged up on me at one point, refuting my pessimistic and critical view of so many of my friends' Bourgeoise values, their obsession with posting and proclaiming nothing but mindless happiness in their lives.
For all that, I've loved our days here: the hikes, the quiet, our music, Darryl's fabulous cooking from turkey chili to salmon to eggs and bacon to walnut fudge... And most of all, Darryl's love and Starr's friendship.
River Front, Chattanooga
Horse sculpture and Walnut St. Bridge
Salmon for me.
Rabun Gap-Dillard House
If Cloudland was all about hikes, waterfalls, intimate gatherings, and the love of Nature, Rabun Gap and Highlands were about feasts, watching the variety of animals, and continuing to experience quiet and tranquility. Horses, birds of every kind, crowing roosters, and the drive over the scenic route to Highlands filled the hours. We had a fire in the fireplace every night. Having built those fires, I allowed myself to be mesmerized by them. Nonetheless, I managed to finish reading =The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay= a superb novel by Michael Chabon.
Darryl in Highlands, NC
Dillard House Sunset
