Listening

Snippets from the City

Just a few snippets of downtown Asheville. I am a huge architecture
buff and will share more when pics when I get them downloaded.
                                                                  

                               

Double Decker Coffee Shop

One of the winged lions outside the Grove Arcade Building

Friezes on the Drhumor Building

Vance Monument and the Biltmore Building (which was designed by I.M.Pei)

Iron sculpture in front of the Flat Iron Building

Raleigh, NC

The NC State Capitol building was completed in 1840. It is one of the
finest and best-preserved examples of Greek Revival architecture.  



    

 

I love the keyhole.

 

Senate chamber



State Library room

   

Hawk's nest near the capitol building. Park rangers
told us the pair hatched out three chicks.

 

After touring the capitol building and seeing the hawk's nest, we visited the Museum of Natural Sciences. It was a wonderful museum. Then we headed to the Lego store, which the boys were super excited about. They had a hard time deciding what to buy with their money, but they got good stuff! Then we we headed for home. Home sweet home. Well, all caught up on the vacation pics.

                                                      .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

 

Beach Sand

Beach Sand

 

Maybe it's the memories

the change of pace that brings us there

the sense of vacation

maybe the smell of the place

the sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grasses.

But oh, it is the feel of it

the crunch and slide of it

the feeling of beach sand

so different from dirt, soil, loam

no, not earthy, moist, rich

but oh so granular and gritty even when wet. 

Movable paper spreading under toes

sliding beneath the soles

smoothing my skin

clearing my mind

unburdening me of the rest

drawing me to the tactile, the feel

of beach sand.

 

~Raymond A. Foss

 

 

 



The last of our favorite beach pictures. Next up, pictures from our state capital, Raleigh.

                    

Ship Ahoy!

The USS North Carolina Battleship, 729 feet in length
Commissioned in 1941; De-commissioned in 1947
Arrived back in North Carolina to her current berth in 1961 and
 is a memorial to the 10,000 North Carolinians who died in World War II.

During the war, ship and crew earned 15 battle stars.



The ship carried 2,339 men.

The crew slept in metal bunks stacked 5 tiers high.
This was in a tiny corner room, which only fit 3 tiers.

Morse code

This is the office where crew would get a leave pass (libery chit)

The boys each received a pass with their name and rank typed on it.
Oldest son is GM3c or Gunner 3rd class. For some reason, the
pic of youngest son's pass would not rotate correctly to post.

 

The next day we visited the aquarium at Fort Fisher. The touch tanks were the favorite.
The boys got a big kick out of holding the horseshoe crab and toching sea urchins, and
 hermit crabs. The dive tank was amazing, with sharks, rays and all types of fish.

The diver and the eagle ray say hi!

Summer beach reading

Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore
Eyewitness Ocean
About Fish: A Guide for Children
Exploring the Deep Dark Sea
The Little Island
Peterson field guides
Seashells of the World


                          Favorite photos from our beach trip in early summer:


We had a really great time, save for a few minor bumps in the trip. Wilmington has a nice downtown area. We went to a snake museum and to see the USS North Carolina battleship. Near Wilmington is Fort Fisher which has an awesome aquarium with touch tanks and more. I'll show our pictures from those places next time. I'm going to get all our summer pictures posted before summer is up!

Love to all,

Jenny

Animal friends

Garter snake

Pipevine swallowtail caterpillar

Eastern box turtle

Little glimpses of our summer so far. Lots of animal encounters, playing in the creek, short hikes and explorations. We raised and released Pipevine swallowtail butterflies, nurtured rescued mice and read voraciously. The crisp fall air is making an early entrance, so we make the most of these remaining summer days. I've been preparing for fall with a little herbal medicine-making. Soon will be time to harvest roots. Next time, I'll post our list of summer reads.

May all feel welcomed in this space.

xo
Jenny