I woke Gordon from a nap. Before he fell asleep he must have decided to build a tower out of whatever he found nearby...Nemo, Tinker Toys, a beach ball and his shoe...what a crazy kid!
He was probably so tired from all the manual labor Mom & Dad made us do...hauling logs. Dad stood on the steep side of the mountain with his chain saw and we gathered up the falling logs & put them in the truck & unloaded them at the cabin for firewood. I learned something about locust trees...they have deadly thorns!Grandma & Grandpa decorated the cabin for Christmas early 
The leaves are definitely gone up in the mountains and everyone is just waiting for winter to arrive it seems. 
The leaves are definitely gone up in the mountains and everyone is just waiting for winter to arrive it seems. 
Even with no leaves and just browns & grays to decorate the mountains, they are beautiful.
We took a walk after the rain/snow showers were over the day before, it was mostly cloudy and cold but the sun would break through every once in a while. 
Ghost Town in the Sky, is becoming a real ghost town...they are having financial problems & may close for good soon. 
We took a walk after the rain/snow showers were over the day before, it was mostly cloudy and cold but the sun would break through every once in a while. 
Ghost Town in the Sky, is becoming a real ghost town...they are having financial problems & may close for good soon. 
Peeking into a hole asking me "Mommy what lives in there?" 
I told him he'd better be careful poking his walking stick into the hole, you never know when something might grab the stick and pull you in. I take responsibility for any future nightmares! 
The view of Mom & Dad's place from the road above their cabin. 
The road right above my parents place, there is one home at the very top. 
Mom & Dad's place above. This beautiful sitting area with roses outside the cabin is just below theirs.
November roses, amazing!
Checking on the cabin...all looked good except an icky smell around the area where the bench & roses were...Dad and I smelled it, but there didn't seem to be anything around to explain it. We'd seen several buzzards circling just over the area the day before so maybe something was dead just below on the mountain side. We initially both thought it might be gas, but Dad checked the level of the gas on the tanks and it was full.
A dogwood tree that looks like it has more fuzzy lichen than bark.
Gordon playing in the leaves.
That giant tree trunk grows right out of the mountainside. I hope it stays put for a long time - it is an enormous tree.
The sun and blue skies coming out at the end of our walk.
I told him he'd better be careful poking his walking stick into the hole, you never know when something might grab the stick and pull you in. I take responsibility for any future nightmares! 
The view of Mom & Dad's place from the road above their cabin. 
The road right above my parents place, there is one home at the very top. 
Mom & Dad's place above. This beautiful sitting area with roses outside the cabin is just below theirs.
November roses, amazing!
Checking on the cabin...all looked good except an icky smell around the area where the bench & roses were...Dad and I smelled it, but there didn't seem to be anything around to explain it. We'd seen several buzzards circling just over the area the day before so maybe something was dead just below on the mountain side. We initially both thought it might be gas, but Dad checked the level of the gas on the tanks and it was full.
A dogwood tree that looks like it has more fuzzy lichen than bark. 
Gordon playing in the leaves.
That giant tree trunk grows right out of the mountainside. I hope it stays put for a long time - it is an enormous tree.The sun and blue skies coming out at the end of our walk. We had a great visit, did a lot of shopping...not a lot of buying. Had a great dinner at La Paz in Asheville and enjoyed seeing the beautiful Christmas lights of Biltmore Village. It was a quick trip and we got back home Tuesday afternoon. I was too tired to start my grocery shopping so put it off until morning...the Wednesday before Thanksgiving...I never made it to the stores though, instead we made our next trip to the mountains, this time, not for fun. More on that soon.
Typical kitty cats
My T-Rex hatching 
Some kind of lion food...way off in the distance hiding from the peepers, I mean people. 
Begging the elephant, please turn around, fine, I'll take a picture of your behind then.
Well at least I got something besides the backside finally. 
Giraffes are my favorites 
Well, my 2nd favorite... 
