Blue Ridge Dreaming

Wordless Wednesday

 

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Wordless Wednesday--Enjoying the view

 

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Wordless Wednesday: The last of the summer harvest

 

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Summer's end

I always think of Labor Day weekend as the official end of summer. Don't you?

I know, especially living in the South, that we will have more warmhot days ahead. I know we will probably still be participating in many outside/summer-like activities (playing in the wading pool, wading in the creek, eating Popsicles on the porch) for a while longer. I know the Fall Equinox isn't until late September. I know we (most of us) have been back to school for a couple of weeks already.

Still, I always feel as if our family trip to the lake on Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah of summertime.

       

Now I'm ready for fall.

 

Right now

It is 75 degrees outside. Partly sunny, a gentle breeze blowing. My A/C is off, windows open, fans spinning lazily.

Just a tiny hint of fall.

Mmmmm. Peace.

Wordless Wednesday--Early morning walk

I took these photos on an early morning walk while at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.

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Asheville's Bele Chere

Bele Chere is Asheville, North Carolina's own great big street festival. It takes over downtown for three days the last weekend in July. It's arts and crafts, music, commercial interests (of course), food, street performers, and all that jazz. It's been going on now for thirty years and has many supporters and many detractors.

I grew up in Asheville and I was ten years old when the first Bele Chere was held. My Dad was managing editor at the Asheville Citizen-Times, back when the Citizen and the Times were different editions (morning and evening) of the same newspaper. Along with a group of other employees' kids, I was recruited to sell newspapers on the street at that inaugural festival. It was less than half the size it is now, but was simply magical to me then. I carried a canvas bag full of newspapers all around, but sold only a few and those to people who asked me for them, because I was so interested in looking at everything around me.

Since that day I've been to quite a few Bele Chere events. I've seen it grow large and larger still, go from mostly local artists/craftspeople and local bands to artists and bands from all over the southeast and even bigger name entertainers (this year they had Travis Tritt). I've gone from that girl selling newspapers to a teenager hanging with my friends, to a young adult partying into the night, to a mama introducing the festival to my kids.

And you know, I still love it. Can't help it. Despite its drawbacks, I love Bele Chere and I love Asheville. My hometown.

Here are some photos from the day. I'll follow up with some shots we (Paul and I) took around downtown Asheville.

 

That said, here is my assessment of things this year in particular: The festival didn't actually officially begin until noon Friday, but thinking it opened at 10, I planned for us to be there around 10:30 or so. Parking was easy to find in the Pack Library parking garage (as always; I think most people think they can't get to it or assume it's full), and we started at Haywood Street. Several booths were still setting up, but most were ready to go. Not much in the way of crowds. And the weather was perfect: overcast and cool.

I was disappointed, okay annoyed, that at high noon, the prime lunch hour, several of the food vendors were not ready to open. And that food was so expensive. In fact everything was expensive. I paid $11 for a couple of (delicious) sesame chicken breasts on a stick in a very small pile of lettuce in sesame dressing and a handful of (delicious) handmade chips (made with plantains, sweet potatoes, beets, etc) from the Corner Kitchen. Yummy, but very high.

Then there was the children's section: mostly carnival-like vendors from out of town, with big inflatable things (slides, bounce rooms, a climb-through train), a ferris wheel, and a carousel. Plus some carnival games, lots and lots of junk food (you know, funnel cakes and the like) and then a smaller, out-of-the-way kids' section sponsored by local churches and civic groups. This area had more big bounce rooms, free food samples (hot dogs and burgers) from Food Lion and some free arts and crafts (plus a free, convenient baby-changing area, hooray).

But the children's section--or the carnival part--was so expensive. First you had to buy tickets (as it is with fairs) for $1 each, and then each thing to do cost one or two or as many as four tickets. I guess you're not supposed to remember that each ticket represents one dollar. The carousel was $4! We made Owen cry by saying no to that one on the principle that it cost too much for the two minutes of fun it would provide (plus she never really likes carousels anyway, although she always thinks she's going to).

She wasn't too deprived, don't you fret. We bought three tickets, which she blew on one slide down the big inflatable slide and one crawl through an inflatable train. In other words, she went through all three tickets in two minutes.

After about five minutes of crying (because of the carousel), my parents caved and paid for more tickets so she could spend some time in the Jurassic Park bounce, while Barrett drew on the pavement with chalk in the free zone.

Going as we did on Friday was great with kids because of the lighter crowds, but we missed out on any and all performances (except for a few random street acts). I wished we could have listened to some music, but, again, with the kids, it was okay to miss it.

So all-in-all it was a good Bele Chere for us. A little smaller than previous years, and quite expensive. But good.

A Saturday spent in the kitchen

On our way home from Bele Chere Friday (more about that later), we stopped at the WNC Farmer's Market (the big one) for some peaches. But how many to get? We couldn't decide. We already had almost a gallon of blackberries still in the fridge from Thursday's picking, waiting to be made into something. But we had already made blackberry jam and blackberry cobbler. It was time for peach jam and peach cobbler, don't you think? Plus last year the peach crop was low due to a late Spring frost, and we didn't make peach jam at all.

So we bought a peck.

And today we spent the whole day in the kitchen. We made two batches of peach jam. One peach cobbler. Two blackberry cobblers. And two loaves of zucchini bread. (Because the zucchini is coming in, too, and I've got to do something with it and when I let them get too big I can't use them for anything else).

And we still have half a peck of peaches.

Tomorrow we'll go to church and then lunch at my in-laws. Paul's brother-in-law Bob will get one of the zucchini loaves (because he loves my cooking and that makes me feel generous). Someone else will take the other, I'm sure. We'll put out the peach cobbler and one of the blackberry cobblers and they'll get mostly eaten.

When we get back mid-afternoon, we'll can the remaining peaches in a honey syrup with a sprig of mint in each jar. Make more zucchini bread (because I have more zucchini). Then set to fixing supper: ribs cooked slowly in my new Crock Pot, beans (after we pick them from the garden), potatoes (from the garden), fresh herb salad (from the garden), and, of course, cobbler for dessert.

A meal like that makes a couple of days' work in the kitchen seem worth it, don't ya think?

{Since taking these photos, I can't get that song "Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches," out of my head. Does that ever happen to you? You do something, it reminds you of a song, and then you can't get the song to stop ringing in your ears? or is that just me?}

More simple pleasures of summer

Did I mention the blackberries? Blackberry jam? Did I say anything about blackberry cobbler (made and eaten the same day they were picked)?

They're starting to fade, so get 'em now while the gettin's good. Never you mind the stains. They'll come out in a day or so.

Maybe I said something about sunflowers. Did I? Did I mention the ones that are as tall as the house and about to burst open?

Now I know I didn't say anything yet about the joys of the herb garden, so let me say it now: beautiful green pesto, the sweetness of stevia, the freshness of mint, the tang of cilantro, the aroma of rosemary, cinnamon basil and dill.

Finally, I cannot forget to mention the tailgate farmer's market. Assuming, that is, you have a decent one in your town (ours is mostly homemade soaps and herbs; I had to go into Hendersonville to get these shots).

{And, if you live or wish to travel near the vicinity of Asheville, summer isn't really complete without joining the seething mass of humanity that is Bele Chere. Look for us there!}

This morning's show

We've been watching the hummingbirds for the last few days. No wonder my Dad calls them "Pig Birds": they've been eating so much so fast that I have to fill the feeder every day.

I love watching them. We've counted as many as ten at one time, their clicks and chirps and humming wings loud above me as I waited for the shots.

I do enjoy the morning show.