AMERICAN STORM

AMERICAN STORM:


Words and music by bob seger 

Headin' out on some uncharted path 
You soon turn back 
It happens time and time again 
You never seem to reach the end 
Someone's out there on the street tonight 
When things go wrong 
He'll guarantee to make them right 
If the price is right 

Every time I look you're fallin' fallin' 
Beaten by the wind 
Every time I turn around he's there again 

It's like a full force gale 
An american storm 
You're buried far beneath a mountain of cold 
And you never get warm 
It's like a wall of mirrors 
You charge `em at full speed 
You cover up - you hear the shattering glass 
But you never bleed 
You never feel the need 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob+seger/american+storm_20021946.html ] 
Everybody casts a certain light 
A special gift 
It's theirs to use for wrong or right 
When you face the night 
More and more we choose the easy way 
We take no risks 
We figure out which games to play 
And how to make 'em pay 

Suddenly the pressure's fallin' fallin' 
Skies have all turned grey 
Suddenly the storm is heading straight your way 

It's like a full force gale 
Atop a mountain of cold 
You tell your story again and again 
And it never gets old 
It's like a wall of mirrors 
You charge 'em at full speed 
You cover up - you hear the shattering glass 
But you never bleed 
You face a full force gale 
An american storm 
You're buried beneath a mountain of cold 
And you never get warm - no you never get warm 
You face a wall of mirrors 
You charge 'em at full speed 
You cover up - you hear the shattering glass 
But you never bleed 
You never feel the need

Little Switzerland and motorcycles

I've put in another ride. I rode up over the mountain, Roan Mountain.


Image caption: View from Roan Mountain.

Once down into North Carolina, I get on NC-226 south and ride into Little Switzerland.  I've never been here before and didn't know what to expect. I actually THOUGHT I would find something that could be called a town. I was wrong. It's a post office, a few resort lodges, a restaurant with a book store thrown in for good measure. All on a mountain top.


Image caption: Little Switzerland shopping and restaurant 

I stopped, thinking I would see what the buzz was all about here. There were about 40 motorcycles parked on the side of the road, in the post office parking lot across the street and filled their own parking lot.  Well damn it, this place is OK, the food smelled good, but I don't care to sit outside watching traffic as I wait for my name to be called for a table.  Oh, by the way...there is an exit for the Blue Ridge just before you find the restaurant. All these people came off the Blue Ridge. The fall colors are here, and so are the riders and drivers. OI.

I also noticed my first woolly worm of the year here...I'll bet people in the restaurant thought I was nuts to get on my stomach to catch this little guys photo. I don't care...never did, never will.  


Image caption: Wooly Worm

I also realized I was on NC-226-A, not on NC-226 proper.  I turned around and headed for NC-226. A great ride down the mountain side!  I took a few photos as I was riding down, but they didn't come out. It was a frantic kind of ride...there was a lot of construction. I was actually glad when the trip down the mountain was done. But then...I came upon this....


Image Caption: SMOKING GUN

This is a slow cooker/smoker/BBQ'er.....see the smoke coming out of the barrel of the gun? I had to make a big U-TURN when I saw this.

I was on my way home, speeding like crazy on NC-108 when this guy pulled out in front of me. Slowed me down to 45 from 65 in a 50.  So I took his photo once I got my bike to settle into the slow pace. I was late getting home.


Image caption: Slow Poke on 108

So...I guess I'll share this last photo with y'all ...


Image Caption: Chessie on Roan Mountain.

A weekend Chalk Full of Riding, Family, and Friends...

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My sister and her squeeze were going riding on Saturday. Somehow they were aware of what is known locally as "Trade Days"....a festival put on by the town of Trade, with Profits from the festival going to improve and expand the Trade Community Center and Park.

Trade is a community with the distinction of being the Easternmost community in the state of Tennessee. I'm a might bit confused because their web site also claims Trade to be the oldest community in Tennessee...I always thought Jonesboro held that distinction...oh wait, maybe Jonesboro is the oldest TOWN in Tennessee? Trade is unincorporated.

Oh hey, you remember the photos I took of Tom Dula's historical marker in Wilkes County NC?....



It seems that Tom Dooley (remember, that's how the folk song memorializes him...guess it rhymed better than Dula...) Oh off track here...but Tom ran to Trade to hide out...he was suspected of killing his fiancee...the posse caught up with him in Trade, dragged him back to face trial in North Carolina, convicted and hung...poor Tom Dooley...hang your head....

Well anyway...Sis, Carter (Sis's Mr.)and I climbed on our bikes...His>>>>a really nice Moto Guzzi...I was charged with getting pictures...but somehow...the bike managed to escape the lens of my camera...me bad....

Sis and her MR. live up Stony Creek off of RT.91...so we pulled out of their driveway heading North on 91 to Shady Valley and RT 421...or the Snake...



riding the Snake into Mountain City...and beyond...we made our way to Trade...and the Trade Days location.

We rode around the parking lot, settling on a place near the entrance of the lot...not realizing...the entrance to the event was a bit more up the little lane...we could of parked right close to the entrance...with the bikes...ah well, this couch potato needs the walk anyway...but lord...it was hot...in the low 90* and that is hot for this part of the mountains...



Once inside, we found a grist mill....





An actual working mill...you can go inside and watch the mill as it works....
Or you can walk up a slight incline to the place where the Native American Pow Wow is going on...choose a meal from the half dozen or so vendors



...and watch or participate in the show put on by the troupe of Native Americans gathered for the Pow Wow festivities...





Of course there were you regular vendor types selling "native American" souvenirs...flutes...weaves...wood carvings...but I'd seen and done all that stuff before...and so have you...I just left them for others...

After eating, we walked about the venue...saw what there was to see...and climbed back on the bikes...I was hot, I wanted to ride home...it was time to start dinner for Mom and my MR.... I took RT. 67 home...making a loop ride of it, while my sister and her MR. returned the way we came...

Another good day in the dust...and memories are golden... Thanks for inviting me Di...