Yeti's Western NC Blog

Squirrel on our Window

2011-12-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

When i was laying down, i heard a noise coming from the window right above my head...I sat up and took a look and there it was, a squirrel hanging to the screen of the window..

Lake Susan at Montreat College

2011-12-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

On this day kristie and i took a ride over to montreat..We got out and scrolled around the campus and visited the book store..

Our New Kitty Blue

2011-11-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

Bringing kitty blue to her new home.. Ours..

After about two weeks, as you can see, he's fitting in real good..Not a care in the world.. :>)

Asheville Occupy Arrests

2011-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

ASHEVILLE, N.C. --
Police arrested 7 Occupy Asheville over the weekend for unlawful assembly and impeding the flow of traffic. The arrests stem from a November 2nd march that violated state laws and blocked traffic in the downtown area.

Officers arrested and charged the following people:

-Natalie Nicole Nicolay, 21, of Jackson, TN
-Lisa Bain Landis, 53, of Pisgah Forest
-Joseph C. Bacanskas, 72, of Asheville
-Terry James Whittey, 21, of Hendersonville
-Trevor Alexander Hofvendahl, 21, of Waynesville
-Clare Marie Hanrahan, 62, of Asheville
-Hanna Antonina Lesky, 18, of Matthews

Asheville Police are still trying to identify other protesters who participated in the illegal march. Once identified, officers will notify the remaining individuals of outstanding warrants so that they may voluntarily turn themselves in.

Mt Airey

2011-11-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Step back to a simpler time when you visit Mount Airy. Actor Andy Griffith grew up here, and it's no coincidence that a stroll down Main Street in the "Friendly City" reminds people of the town of Mayberry on the endearing and enduringly popular '60s hit TV series.

My Sammy My Sammy

2011-03-08T16:45:00.001-08:00

Precious Patches

2011-03-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree Kitty

2011-01-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Gabby had made a nest in our christmas tree..

Our New Place..

2010-11-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

This is our new place that we're renting... It's a good house with a little more room than our old place..

A Day on Ocracoke

2010-11-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

Ocracoke Island is so beautiful..

This is where they keep the wild horses..

Kristie is waiting for lunch..

I'm waiting for lunch and watching the Carolina football game..

Here's the ocean side..

Here's the Pamilco sound side.. (much calmer)

Nights in Rodanthe

2010-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

This is the house Serendipity from the movie "Nights in Rodanthe" starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane..

Sleeping around the House..

2010-11-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Top of Doggett Mountain

2010-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is the top of Doggett mountain in Madison county NC.. On the leicester side is the steeper side and the Trust/Spring creek side, it's longer but not as steep..This is a very nice mountain to visit..

Spring Time around our Property

2010-04-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here's some random pics i took thr other day..It was such a beautiful day..

Here's where Mayfield is buried..

His memorial..

Our back yard..

The grass is now mowed!!

Front porch..

Please Don't Do it..

2010-04-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Please don't tear our screen..

NCBI Bigfoot Group Cookout

2010-04-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

These are pics from one of our cookouts for our group "North Carolina Bigfoot Investigations"..

Owners: John (left) and Danny "Yeti" which is me (right)..

Anthony, Ray and John waiting for the food to get done..

Other members from the group having fun with the babies..

My buddy Anthony is posing for the pic while Fran and Ray watch..

JFK Limo Driver Buried in Waynsville, NC

2010-04-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Kennedy Assassination Figure. He was the Presidential Chaffuer for President John F. Kennedy and was driving the limosine the day Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

Place of Burial:
Green Hill Cemetery
Waynesville
Haywood County
North Carolina, USA

Source

A Cece in our Mist..

2010-03-31T16:46:00.001-07:00

While kristie and I were chilling, Cece decided to hop on the bed to pay us a visit..Although she's the only dog we have, she's never alone..she has plenty of entertainment around (thanks to the kitties) :>)

What happened to Lake Junaluska?

2010-03-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

On the way to Maggie Valley a few weeks ago, Kristie and I passed Lake Junaluska.. To our surprise almost all of the water was out of it..Doing work to the lake? They're definately doing something to it..

The Stare Down

2010-03-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

The neighbor's cat giving patches and gabby the stare down..

Maggie Valley Landslide

2010-03-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is the tail end of the Maggie Valley landslide..We wanted to see the main part of the slide but it was closed off to the public and by seeing a couple of trucks on the side of the road, we thought people was up there working..

Snowy Roads

2010-03-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Out and About in the Snow Again

2010-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kristie and I were out running some errands.. Although we heard that we was suppose to get some snow, we didn't expect moderate snowfall along with sleet so soon in the day..

Goodbye Winter- Hello Spring!!

2010-03-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

Well after we lost our Mayfield, I wanted to step away for a little while.. It's the first day of spring and what a good time to start back posting in my blog again..

Below is a snowman that my friend and i built at work..It's saying goodbye to winter..

We Miss our Mayfield..

2009-11-26T04:09:00.000-08:00

On 11/19/09, we had to put our Mayfield down due to deteriorating conditions.. This absolutely broke our hearts..We'll always love and miss you Mayfield.. Rest in peace..

Big Pine Mountain Graveyard

2009-10-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

A friend of mines told me about this hidden graveyard in the Big Pine community which is deep in Madison county..This graveyard is where her parents was buried..It was on top of a mountain all by itself.. For some reason i really wanted to find this place so we decided to give it a shot..

After miles of riding, i finally found my landmark..

This road was narrow, rocky and very steep in places..A fourwheel drive is highly recommended..

After we finally got to the top, we found what we were looking for..

This is an old graveyard but kept fairly well maintained..

This was one of the older tombstones..

This was on the way out..

Going up Roan Mountain 2

2009-10-20T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well at this point, Kristie and I proceeded up the mountain..The farther up, the more snow we ran into..Enjoy the pics below.. They will tell the rest of the story..

The trees are looking kind of icy..

We were getting close to the top at this point..

The higher we went, the more snow appeared..

We've made it to the top..

Winter wonderland..

While we was on the top of Roan, we rode around for a few minutes..

We came up from the Tennessee side and went down on the NC side..

Going up Roan Mountain

2009-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today Kristie and I came from the high country after being up there this weekend. BTW -we had a WONDERFUL time!! Well, on the way home, we decided to go to Roan mountain which is one of our favorite mountains..We had a good time and I'll be posting more pics of Roan mountain on the next post..So stay tune.. :>)

Beautiful view on the way up the mountain...

You wouldn't believe how much snow was on it..

Leaves falling off the trees..Leaves blowing in the road..This is how fall suppose to be but we knew that winter like weather was just ahead..

Half way up Roan mountain Kristie and I stopped at out favorite spot..

Small Community of Stackhouse

2009-10-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

During the aftermath of the Civil War, Amos Stackhouse established a settlement along the banks of the French Broad River in Western North Carolina. Amos Stackhouse, born in 1819 in Philadelphia, Pa., established the settlement of Stackhouse, NC in the 1870s, where he died in 1909.

The Stackhouse community is in the middle of all of that..

This is the French Broad river which runs next to Stackhouse..

This railroad runs through Stackhouse and next to the river..

This is a Beautiful place.. It's between Marshall and Hot Spring and it's in Pisgah National Forest..There's nothing there but beauty..It's definately a place to visit..

Heritage Festival Mars Hill

2009-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Heritage Festival Mars Hill (part 2)

2009-10-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

Heritage Festival Mars Hill (part 3)

2009-10-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Farm Fair in Brevard

2009-09-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

On saturday morning, Kristie and I went to the farm fair in Brevard and we had a wonderful time!! Enough said- enjoy the photos.. :>)

Getting to the End of Summer...

2009-09-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Gabby is Growing!

2009-08-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Gabby is getting BIG fast!!!

Don't she look like a puppet in this photo? :>)

Coleman Boundary (Big Ivy)

2009-08-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday Kristie and i went for a little drive towards one of our favorite areas- Barnardsville..We drove until we came to Big Ivy.. I've been to this point before but never went no further then the entrance UNTIL this day!! Read the General Info about the area..

This object in the photo below struck both of us as odd.. It looks like a piece of sheet metal right in the middle of the ravine.. It was very shiny and metalic looking..We ruled out water and we debated about a vehicle or an appliance of some sort.. But anyhow, we knew that it wasn't suppose to be there.. This was very srange to us..

Eerie Feeling from The Old Past at the Yadkins River

2009-08-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

On the way back from my parents today, we decided to look for this area where this guy saw a bigfoot on the banks of the Yadkins river.. This area is right off of Hwy 40 and in between Winston Salem and Statesville.. Well, when we found the place, Kristie had gotton this very strong uneasy feeling.. We got out of the car and I wanted to head down the old path but kristie didn't want to go..So I hopped the cable and I headed in.. About 100 yards down or so i came to a gate and by this time, Kristie was walking up behind me.. She definately felt nervous so we decided to head on out..

You can read the report here: Bigfoot on Yadkins river

Homemade Blackberry Pie

2009-08-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago kristie and the kids went to the upper part of the property and pick a pot full of blackberries.. Later that evening after i woke up, I went into the kitchen where they were making a homemade blackberry pie.. It was Wonderful!! Hmmm..I can still taste it..Down below is the outcome..

Morning Ride to the Parkway..

2009-08-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

One late morning Kristie and I took a ride to the Blueridge parkway from Reems Creek rd on the other side of Weaverville.. Surprisingly it took less than 30 minutes from Mars Hill..

I'm back..

2009-08-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Will be posting some stuff.. Hope everyone is fine!! :>)

Offline for two weeks..

2009-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey you all.. One of the kitties had knocked my laptop off the bedside table and turned out that EVERYTHING was swiped clean.. Being shipped off to get fixed.. Will update when i get it back... Using one of the boys pc for minor stuff.. See ya.. Yeti

Our new Family Member..

2009-07-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Say hi to Sophie!!

A Day in Old Fort

2009-06-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went to Old Fort for a festival..But hey, there was none.. We was a year to late!! Oh well, we still a wonderful day.. We to the museum, had a picnic on the steps of the amphitheather and then we went to Andrew's Geyser.. Oh yes, it was a wonderful day in old fort..

Hyatt and Jevin chillin..

We made a new friend..

The creek that runs by the amphitheater in Old fort..

The Family

Andrew's Geyser

momma and I..

Brotherly Love..

Hold on Jevin.. Hold on!!

I'm looking up at an UFO..

The UFO tried to beam me up..

Slow Down Danny, Slow Down..

2009-06-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Am i going fast? By the way hyatt is leaning back and by the blurr outside the window it LOOKS like i am.. It's just an illusion.. :>)

Pics from around our State (NC)

2009-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Catelin's Graduation

2009-06-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here's Kristie's daughter Catelin.. She a very beautiful young lady who works VERY hard on her schooling and we're so proud of her for what she's accomplished..

Catelin and Kristie

Catelin, Kristie and I..

Poltergeist

2009-06-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

What is she seeing? She does this alot..We might have to call a priest in to bless the house..

Deep into Madison County

2009-05-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

Kristie and I went to check on some property that was for sale deep in Madison Co (10 min from us) This land was beautiful although the pics don't do it justice..It's 46 acres and they have addition property for sale.. On this property, you'll find plenty of wildlife and plenty of peace and quietness..It's something that we definately would like to have..

I'm on the Dollywood Cup

2009-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here am I on a Dollywood cup..I'm under the word "Pigeon Forge"..Kristie doesn't think the lady beside me is her.. We were there when this ride first opened..Kristie's sister and brother-in-law painted this ride.. We even saw Dolly Parton..It was a very fun day!!

Who's the King of the cat tree?

2009-05-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Mayfield and patches had issues with this monkey head being on top of their cat tree..LOL

Hominy Valley

2009-05-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

I will take and post more pics of Hominy Valley.. This amazing place has breathtaking views and it lies right under Mt Pisgah and the Blueridge parkway.... I use live a couple of miles from here..

Odd Landscape..

2009-05-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

As we were driving around, we came across this unique but odd looking cow field..

We took this pic from our private helicopter..(YEAH RIGHT!!)

At the Red House..

2009-05-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is the craziest commercial..lol

Landslide near Hotsprings

2009-05-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

A part of this hill came crashing down during the heavy rains we had a few days ago..

Here it is..

This is a huge rock.. Makes a good doorstopper.. :>)

According to the news, rocks and dirt had crossed the road so they had to close the road down until they got it cleared away..

Cows in a Blanket

2009-05-16T12:51:00.001-07:00

Maybe someone can explain why these cows are wrapped up like this.. I would really like to know..

Snakes eeK!!!

2009-05-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

As we were driving up this property, we saw a black snake slithered across the road into the brush..When we passed it and surrounded the next curve, there was another black snake (atleast 3 ft) in the road sunning..Kristie wanted to pick it up and move it but i had other ideas like "turning around"..To many snakes in one area!! Even one snake is to many snakes.. Sorry snake lovers..Due to the heavy rains we had in the last two days probably caused the snakes to come out of this field to get some sun on this gravel road..This would be my guess.. No telling how many more snakes are up further..

God help us all..

ok, enough is enough..

Glad we're at the end..

New Cat Tree

2009-05-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor gave us a cat tree that her cat wasn't using.. We sprinkled catnip on it and they went a fool.. Hope we get some sleep tonight.. lol

Happy Mothers Day!!

2009-05-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here's my Mom... Happy mothers Day mom.. I Love You!!

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Wicked Weather in our Area

2009-05-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those crazy weather days.. We had tornado warnings all over the place while i was at work..When i got home, i went back out with the cam and took the photos below..

close to the house..

same..

storm clouds over Mars Hill college

this is on the other side of Mars Hill..

this pic tells the story..

Posting The Last Snow Pic..

2009-05-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I think the snow is over for us this year ALTHOUGH you can never tell around here.. This pic is of the last snowfall while on Potato Hill.. We actually got stuck trying to go up the hill thanks to the truck that was in front of us..lol -Well anyhow, we made it..

Spring Brings on Green

2009-05-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how green everything is around our house.. Obviously the pics don't do it justice but everything looks to be close to full bloom and growing rather quickly INCLUDING the grass.. :>(

Lost Files: The pics i wouldn't normally post..

2009-05-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Our Son..

What's that??

That's not Mayfield..

Sad!!

Showing out!!

The Old Red Bridge

2009-05-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

This bridge is located in Hotsprings.. On this side of the bridge is a small neighborhood right at the beginning of town and on the other side, there are neighborhoods farther on down the trail..

Eating at Applebees'

2009-05-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my good friends here at Applebees'.. We had a great time that night..One of them (Ben) had just came back from Iraq so we HAD to hang out..

Left to Right: Aj, Ben (next to the window) and Blue..

Kristie and I with the Kids..

2009-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Kristie, the kids and I were at a birthday party of this lady who turned 80 yrs old.. We had a good time and plenty of cake.. Yumm!!

My Paradise

2009-04-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here is my paradise.. This property is a couple of miles up the mountain from Hot Springs.. 3/4 of this property is surrounded by the river and the other 1/4 is surrounded by national forest.. It's an amazing sight with all the nature you can stand..

Hot Springs NC

2009-03-24T17:30:00.001-07:00

More Photos

History of Hot Springs

Hot Springs is located at the confluence of the French Broad River and Spring Creek. A natural hot spring is also located here, the only such spring known in North Carolina and in much of the southeastern United States. Thus, this area haslong since been a destination for those looking for therapeutic relief from their ailments.
Native Americans were the first to discover the 100+ degree mineral waters, and European immigrants settled the area over 200 years ago. It is reported that people were visiting the springs by 1778 for the waters' reported healing properties. In 1828, a major road was constructed through the current town, the Buncombe Turnpike, making the area more accessible.
By 1831, James Patton of Asheville bought the springs and had erected 350 room Warm Springs Hotel with its 13 tall columns representing the 13 original colonies in 1837. The dining room of this large hotel could seat 600 people. The railroad reached the village - then called Warm Springs - in 1882. The hotel burned in 1884 after 46 years of operation. Another hotel, called the Mountain Park, was built in 1886.A higher temperature spring was found, prompting the changing of the town's name from Warm Springs to Hot Springs in 1886. Sixteen marble pools were surrounded by landscaped lawns with croquet and tennis courts, and it was know as one of the most lavish resorts in the Southeast.
By May 1917, the hotel and grounds were leased to the US Government to be used as an internment camp. That hotel burned in 1920, and two more were built - neither as large and opulent and both later burned as well.Today, the springs are privately owned as The Hot Springs Resort and Spa. Water is piped to outdoor tubs beside the French Broad River and Spring Creek.
The town itself is popular as a modern tourist destination, for aside from the springs, outdoor recreation is abundant in the area.The Appalachian Trail runs along downtown's Bridge Street and climbs the mountains on either side of the river. Rafting and kayaking is popular on the French Broad River itself. There are numerous other hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, and sightseeing opportunities in the nearby Pisgah National Forest.

Resource: Townofhotspring.org

Kitties in the Window..

2009-03-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mayfield (left) and patches in the kitchen window.. They are a trip!! lol

Up the mountain to Wolf Laurel

2009-03-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is Hwy 26 and it winds up the mountain towards Wolf Laurel which is about 5 miles from Mars Hill.. The Tennessee state line is about 5-6 miles from where i took these photos..

Watauga River..

2009-03-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

The watauga river snaking through Valle Crucis farm community..

Snow Days are Here Again..

2009-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

We took these pics in Arden after the big snow...We were out in it enjoying the beautiful senery..

Beautiful Barnardsville ( NC )

2009-02-26T16:50:00.000-08:00

The community of Barnardsville is another beautiful and special place.. It is a few miles from us (Mars hill)..It definately has a magical feel to it..We were actively looking for some property here but had to hold off aleast for another year..Believe it or not, it is high in paranormal activity..I geuss by now you all know how i feel about paranormal stuff.. More about the paranormal side of Barnardsville on my Paranormal Blog.. Hope you all enjoy the photos!!

The Babies are Napping..

2009-02-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

Mayfield (black) and Patches taking a late morning nap..

The West Side of Madison County

2009-02-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we went riding through the western side of Madison county.. While on our journey, we took some pics..Here are a few below..Enjoy!

History of The Hills..

2009-02-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

There are old abandon houses here throughout our mountains..When i see houses like this, i often think about the history of them..

The Phoenix lights..

2009-02-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

What do you think?

Quiet Winter Days

2009-02-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

CraigsList Headquarters

2009-02-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here's is the headquaters of craigslist.. 25 people work out of this victorian house in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco..If you're not familiar with craigslist, it's the biggest and the most popular online classifieds website on the internet..

E trade Baby Commercials

2009-02-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this e trade commecial..It was one of the cutest and funniest commercials during the superbowl..

The Vale of the Cross

2009-01-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

While Kristie and I were in Valle Crucis, we found and walked up to the crosses which everyone talked about..This was a very enjoyable moment for the both of us..

Bigfoot 911 Call

2009-01-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

This 911 call took place in the mid-1990's on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State..The guy who made the called never mentioned a "Bigfoot" but said it was a Really big Guy.. As you may hear, this guy sounded terrified and was unsure how to describe what he was seeing..Also you can hear the operator typing in the background..

Note: Even though it's the "Messing with sasquatch" commercial Pic on the video, it is a real Call..

St, Jude's Chapel of Hope

2009-01-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

This small chapel (1st pic) is called "St, Jude's Chapel of Hope" and it's located in the small community of Trust which is near the community of Spring Creek which is in Madison county.. It sits on the corner where hwy 63 and hwy 209 connects.. It's open to the public 24/7..You can actually go inside to rest, take a look around and reflect as the sign in front encourage you to do as I did a couple of years ago.. Also there's a small building (2nd pic) that's called " Plum Nilly Farm" right next to the chapel although I don't think you can go inside of that.. So if you're ever on hwy 209 (between Waynesville & Hotsprings), don't forget to stop at the small chapel of Trust..It will definately be a spirit felt moment- atleast it was for me..

The Watauga River

2009-01-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles (97 km) long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.

The word "Watauga" is a Native-American word meaning "the land beyond" however local reference to the name origin is attributed to the meaning "beautiful river" or "beautiful water".

The Watauga River runs right through the middle of Valle Crucis.

As we drove down river road in Valle Crucis, we noticed that there were several small makeshift bridges along the Watauga River just like this one.

I'm not sure if this is the Watauga dam or not but will check into and I'll update this post....

The General Mast Store of Valle Crucis

2009-01-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

During our trip to Valle Cruscis, Kristie and I went into the famous General Mast Store..

Here's the back of the store..

These guys were playing some very good mountain music..

Here they go again.. We had a wonderful time in the store..We could have stayed in there all day..

Here's a little history on the General Mast Store:

The Mast General Store began as the Taylor Store in 1883. By 1917 it had been purchased by the Mast family, who owned it for anther 60 years. Although today no longer owned by the Masts, the current owners continue to operate the store as a historically accurate general store.

Because it was considered one of the finest remaining examples of an old country general store, in 1977 the Mast General Store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which seems fitting, since it is located in the countryside of North Carolina’s first and only Rural Historic District. No visit to the charming hamlet of Valle Cruscis is complete without a stop at the Mast General Store, where customers can buy everything from plows to cloth and cradles to caskets. The locals will gladly tell you that, “If you can’t buy it here, you don’t need it.” Just ask any of them as you warm your hands over that pot bellied stove.

Valle Crucis

2009-01-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

Latin for "Vale of the Cross," Valle Crucis is both a more rural and historic area of the high country. Since there are several sites listed in the national register of historic place, Valle Crucis was designated as North Carolina's first historic district.

During the past 25 years, Valle Crucis has transformed from a little-known rural community in western Watauga County to a popular destination for vacationers and new residents. The valley's scenic beauty and situation in the Blue Ridge Mountains have been major factors in the recent growth of Valle Crucis. Where crumbling buildings or open pastureland were once located in the 1970s, one can now find new and revitalized businesses catering to visitors, including beds and breakfasts and restaurants. The Mast General Store, located in the heart of the Valle Crucis community, is now a major stop for visitors to the area.

More history of Valle Crucis

Top of Beech Mountain

2009-01-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

This was our first time going to Beech Mt and what better time to go..

Open Letter To My Son

2009-01-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

SAD SAD SAD...This is from craig's lists..

Date: 2002-09-30, 9:44PM PDT

Open Letter To My Son

Well Son, I think you would be proud of me today. I traded your surf pole and the extra reel for a computer for your daughter Raven . You know since you died I haven’t gone fishing or camping and our equipment has just sat in storage so I thought I might as well pass them on to someone who would put them to good use. A couple of months ago Raven and Brandi were playing around on Brandi’s computer and Raven really liked it and wanted one so I told her I will try to get one for her. So I thought what better way to share our stuff than to give them away I thought you would like that. Sometimes I sit at the cliffs and remember when we used to climb them at shout at the world we were king of the mountain and I can see your face smiling when you reeled in a fish and laughed. I no longer climb those cliffs I guess I’m getting too old. Your sisters don’t care much fishing or camping but I guess you know that so I thought I might as well do something about our gear sitting in storage gathering dust. The young man I traded with is your age or you would have been , he seemed to be a good kid. He likes to work on cars like you did and fish so I guess that makes him ok in my book. There is some other people I am going to give the rest to but that is later. Well I just gave away the last of our stuff to a young guy and his girl friend and they promised to use them a lot. Well son I have to go , your mom and I miss you a lot . Love Dad PostingID: 5983753

Paranormal Activity on Abandon Property

2009-01-08T15:22:00.001-08:00

About two weeks ago, we took a long drive through the northern counties of the mountains just to get away for the rest of the day. As we got into Avery county, we came upon this property that i wanted to take pics of.. when we pulled up into a roped off driveway, immediately my girlfriend kristie had gotton this weird feeling..We sat in the car and snapped a few pics and then we got out and walked up into the property to get a better look..After we took some more photos, we decided to return to the car..As we was walking out of the property, kristie which was about 3-4 yards in front of me, had tripped over something but didn't fall.. I asked her had she been walking long? She said it felt like someone tripped her..When we got back in the car, She said she didn't trip over no vine, rock ect, she said that it felt like a hand on top of her foot and then it dissipated as she started to lift her foot.. All of this happened during the daytime.. As we were heading back from the high country, Kristie wanted to stop back by the property again and take a few more pics..The strange thing about it was that it was a very dark which i had Some idea where it was but yet, it was dark..as we appoarched the property, kristie had gotton that strange feeling again and she said it should be coming up.. As soon as she said that, i almost drove past it.. So i pulled over and we took some more pics from the road..
When we got home and uploaded the pics from the days event, we found some strange things in a couple of photos from this property.. From the tripping, the strange feelings kristie gotton from this property and now the questionable things in the photos, we decided to get the photos analyze by Sarah from the Asheville Paranormal Society. So, when she wrote me back, she said they were orbs in the photos that i sent excepted for one photo..As for that photo, she said they look like orbs except for orbs are usually round but there was a few that weren't in that particular photo.. So no more rambling, checkout the pics below..

This is the way we came in.. On the way out, kristie was tripped right across from this building..

This is what it property look like after we got in it.. Here's an old house that has been on fire..

Here's the inside of the property again with a couple of out buildings..

It looks like a figure in the doorway..

Here's the orbs.. A couple of these orbs looks like faces (especially the ones on the left side of the window)

More orbs.. Where we walked in during the daytime..

So these are some of the photos..Feel free to blow them up and you'll see some interesting things.. And now, we are trying to find out the history of this place..

Lastly, this wasn't our property and i do believe in "No trespassing"..So we was there no longer then five minutes..I just had to get some pics of this old unique homestead..

Helen's Bridge

2009-01-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's the bridge that kriste and I took..

This is the top of the bridge..

This is how the story goes..

When the Zealandia Castle caught fire in the late 1900's, a woman named Helen lost her only child, a daughter, in the fire. Helen was so upset by the loss that she hung herself from the bridge right down the road from the castle.. That's how Helen's Bridge got started.. It's located on Beaucatcher Mountain. There has been much paranormal activity associated with the bridge, apparitions, orbs, etc. Helen is supposed to wander the mountain in a long gown, asking those she meets if they have seen her daughter.

Helen's Bridge video Local Documentary

Another Helen's Bridge video Narrated by Forrest

Miracle- Black and White Twins Again

2009-01-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute story..

Black and white twins Hayleigh and Lauren Durrant proudly hold their new sisters Leah and Miya — who incredibly are also twins with different colored skin.
Their mixed-race parents Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner repeated the miracle after a seven-year gap.
When the first set of twins arrived in 2001, the couple was astonished to see that Lauren took after her white mom, with blue eyes and red hair, while Hayleigh had black skin and hair like dad Dean.
Then this year Alison, 27, found she was expecting again — and lightning struck twice.
She had twin girls again. And little Miya was born with dark skin like her dad and Leah is white like former recruitment consultant Alison.
“The girls just love Miya and Leah to bits. We didn’t think it was even possible when we had Lauren and Hayleigh — and it didn’t cross our minds that it could happen again. But we are just delighted that it has,” Dean, 33, of Fleet, Hants, said.,'','16x16',false);

Check Out the Pics Here

The Events of Brown Mountain (Report)

2009-01-01T17:15:00.001-08:00

My adventures with the Brown Mountain lights started in the Fall of 1987. A friend of mine told me you could see them more clearly and with less company from the top of Table Rock. So that is where we headed--we would climb out on the Gorge side and look toward the Brown Mountain Range long after sunset.
The first time I saw them it was a cool fall night around 50 degrees F. We watched about 5 lights dance all over the Brown Mountain Range traveling at speeds impossible for a car to travel. We saw lights like this several times where they would just appear and "dance around" for about 15 minutes then, just fade out.
But one evening the following year in 1988 it was fairly cold up there. My best friend and my then five-year-old daughter went with me to the overlook on Hwy 181. It was crowded there and we couldn't see anything after about an hour. So we and a young couple decided to drive up to Table Rock.
When we got up there everything was SO quiet. The mountains stretched out below us and we became very much at peace. (No, no one was smoking anything or doing any drugs.) It was just breathtakingly beautiful. After about another hour we still hadn't seen anything. My daughter was snuggled up to me between my legs trying to stay warm. My friend, Leigh and I were sitting beside each other. The other couple was sitting in front of us, over to my left sort of below us on another rock. I leaned back and we started looking at and pointing out constellations. Leigh asked me about the Big Dipper. Just as I pointed out the handle and the North Star, what appeared to be a very bright light "fell" out of the dipper, came down and went to the top of the Brown mountain range and then split into two lights which then raced to either end of the mountain and danced and swirled around, splitting into more lights. We were dumbfounded. I finally leaned over to Leigh and asked her if she saw what I saw and she just nodded her head. The other couple was sitting there with their mouths dropped open. When the lights split into several more, I can't tell you how many, we all started talking at once. It was quite exciting. Even my daughter was aware that something pretty magnificent had just taken place. We watched until the lights faded out about 20 minutes later. We waited about another 30 minutes, but saw nothing and as it was getting quite late, we decided to leave.
On the way down the mountain, through the trees, we saw what appeared to be a house on fire. As we came around a curve in that dirt road, we realized it was the trees on fire. I was driving and just gunned the car through the burning area. We live in Gastonia so the drive home was still long and it took me hours to calm down. It was quite an exciting night.
My family and I have been back up there several more times and have seen the lights again, but have yet to see anything like that one night in 1988. It was just phenomenal.
Dottie ScherGastonia, NC

source : Lemur

Snaking Through the valley

2008-12-31T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Kingdom of the Whispering Wind

2008-12-28T04:23:00.000-08:00

Check out ths report..This happened in Henderson County NC in the mid 80's..

This is an old story that occurred before I was born. It's a story my uncle told me for many years and I felt I should share it.

It was in the late Fall/early Winter of either 1984 or 1985. My uncle had been hunting and it was getting late, but he had his flashlight and his gun. He was on his way home calling the dogs as he went when he noticed the complete quietness that was usually broken by many of the woods various animals. At the moment all he heard was the noise from his beagles. He came upon a huge, completely open clearing in the woods where there were suddenly sounds coming from all around like whispers and it was if the wind was blowing but the trees remained still.

A similiar thing happened to my dad when he was out one night with friends. They came to the same spot my uncle came across from the above report and started to drive the car through. The car stopped, the lights went dead(no lights worked at all) and then the sounds came. After finally getting the car started they turned around and drove back down the trail. When they reached the end of the trail there was a tree about 12" in diameter laying across the road and they could still hear the strange sounds coming from every direction.

Various hunters have had the same experience and some refer to it as "The Kingdom of the Whispering Wind". Many believe there is an old burial ground on the edge of that field.
Years ago, we had an old cow who would do anything to avoid those woods and that particular open spot in the field.

source: Gcbro

Co-existing

2008-12-28T03:40:00.000-08:00

Mayfield (right) and Sammy is finally getting along.. When Mayfield gets wounded up, he chases Sammy just because he wants to play BUT of course, Sammy don't want to play..

Eating Contest at High Noon..

2008-12-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

How big a boy are ya?

Hyatt (kristie's oldest son) and I had an eating contest today at Burger King..We had to know who could eat the most between us.. He's a teen with a tapeworm and i use to be that way years ago and i'm not about to give up my crown- atleast not yet..Yes, i know this isn't the most healthy thing to do but it's something that we usually do annually AND we love it!!

Starting off with triple whoppers..

I definately don't eat like i use too.. (thank goodness)

Uh oh!! Someone is slowing down..

I'm smelling victory..

Hyatt is waving the white flag!!

Victory is mine Although my competitor pushed me all the way.. This might be the last time i beat him because i know, he will have revenge on his mind..

Feel free to take a guess on what we ate in the comment section.. I'll post it in a couple of days..

My Sammy!!! My Sammy..

2008-12-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

The other day when I walked into the bathroom, I didn't expect this.. I said " My Sammy!! My sammy.. I need that sink.." He just looked at me like i was crazy..He never been in the sink before so i had to get me a couple of snapshots.. Cats are definately funny animals..lol

Our Christmas Day

2008-12-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Everyone is anticipating the presenting of the presents..

I'm excited for my gift..

Well how about that? Nuff said!!

Jevin is checking out his new guitar.. He's our future rock star...

Oh, and yes he will need an amp..

Catelin and Jevin racing to open their present.. Who will win? Jevin? no- not this time..Big sis had won this battle..

One of the games Jevin had been wanting..

Patches was in paper heaven!!

By the looks of things, It looks like patches had an awesome christmas too..

Old Homeplace looking for New Life

2008-12-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a house sitting at the botton of a grassy meadow waiting to be restored.. There's a road on the property that leads to the top of the ridge which gives you close to a 360 degree view..Also the property holds a barn and a small stream ..It looks like this property was an old homeplace and now it's for sale..Boy, I sure do love this property..

Potato Hill 2

2008-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Today, we was coming back from Hendersonville on the backroad of Howard Gap..This road winds right through Potato Hill which is on the outskirts of fletcher..Over the summer this place was as green as a rain forrest.. You can see how green it was Here .. Kristie grew up in this area and she tells me everything is still the same from her childhood.. Atleast this is one area that hasn't fallen into the hands of contractors -atleast not yet..

The Old Steel Bridge

2008-12-15T04:38:00.001-08:00

This old steel bridge was probably built many years ago..It took us by surprise as we came up to it rather quickly..I believed that it went over the French Broad river..I love seeing old structures like this..