Thursday, September 25, 2014

100% Natural Ingredients

Captured near the New River State Park
I'm reminded every day about how fortunate I am to live in the North Carolina mountains and in particular Ashe County. Our little corner of the world and state is a special place with lots of "natural ingredients".

We all think of home as a unique place where we spend a great deal of our time but do we think about those amenities that really makes it 'home'? I got to thinking about all of the reasons I like calling Ashe County home.

Neighbors- are the people around you friendly? Do they offer help before you have to ask? Are they fun to be around? I consider everybody I meet to be a neighbor because they make me feel welcome even though I haven't been here all that long.


Scenery- do you enjoy visually where you live? Is it a place that makes you feel alive? These mountains that I call home bring me a lot of joy. It's like 'brand new' every time I look across the mountains or scan a valley that's layered with dew. Even though I see it everyday it still gives me pause.

New River- we're so fortunate to have this historic water resource meandering through our county. It offers wonderful canoeing, kayaking, fishing and exploring opportunities. No matter the time of year the New River offers up rapids, clear water and wildlife.

Christmas- everyday of the year. You can't drive 10 minutes in any direction without seeing fraser firs and the like in neat rows basking in the sun. Our tree farmers know how to produce top notch trees that ship all over the country starting in November of each year.

Seasons- like 'fall' each bring a different perspective to an already beautiful landscape. The rich palette of golds, reds, yellows and crimson leaves are already starting to show. You can see the mountain tops beginning to glisten with fall color highlights that slowly work their way down the mountain into the valleys. The air is beginning to have a crisp feel to it as well.

Cabins- are the predominant homes in our county. We have a large number of second home owners that frequent the county all year long to enjoy the warmth of their 'special place in the woods'.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit about my part of the world and the 'natural ingredients' that make it so special to me. I hope I can call you a neighbor someday soon!