Bo  Smith's Blog History

Last Updated: August 1st, 2010                               email: bo_smith@bellsouth.net

June 21st to July 31st, 2010
July 31st (Saturday)
It was a very late get up today with breakfast at noon. It was rainy for much of the day. So, we spent the afternoon relaxing and doing a few errands before going out for dinner at Mary Jane's, a small restaurant in Burnsville.
The dinner was delicious and the same band, Chalk Mountain Connection, that played at Ginny's wedding played and were great!
July 30th (Friday)
On the way to pick up my sister, Barbara at the Charlotte airport, I stopped by to see Chou-Lin and his new haircut at Daniel's.
Chou-Lin is such a cuttie and couldn't have a better attitude. We miss him but he has a good home with Daniel.
Barbara will be staying at the cabin for a nice long visit. After a welcome dinner at the cabin, we went to the Burnsville Town Center and saw "Balsam Range", one of the nation's best blue grass bands.
We arrived at the cabin about 5:15pm and Diana had this wonderful dinner of Cornissh game hens, fresh green beans and my favorite; iceberg lettuce, locally grown vine rippened tomatoes, Vidallia onions, and capers salad with Blue Cheese dressing! Yum!!
Balsam Range was, as usual, FANTASTIC!! Check out their website at http://www.BalsamRange.com
They will be back in Burnsville November 13th and you can bet that we will be there.
July 28th (Wednesday)
We spent the day recovering and cleaning up. Diana washed, dried and folded  70 chair covers and took a nap. I made a major run to the recycling center and to Ingles (the local food store) and got some extra good rib eyes. No chicken tonight!
July 27th (Tuesday)
Wade, Shannon, Austin, Weston, and Bailey Groover departed to return to their farm in Thomasville, GA.  Alec, Alice, and Seth Hickox departed to go to New York to visit their daughter Virginia who attends RPI but is working for Bank of America in Manhatten this summer. Hampton, Susan, Malachi, Jacob, Aubrey, Ethan, and Ellie Groover visited the Penlan School of the Arts during the afternoon and departed for home near Atlanta, GA about 6:00 p.m.
I conducted a Rock Mines Tour for a family from Bathesda, Md from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Craig Shapiro, Lisa Lee, Lizzy, Toti, and their dog, Genevieve, a female chow mix.

Lisa, me, Lizzy, Toti, and Genevieve
July 26th (Monday)
We spent the day at the cabin enjoying the company of all of Diana's children and their families.

Ellie, Susan, and Jacob Groover and Alice Hickox
 In the afternoon, the Hampton Groover and Alec Hickox families joined Diana and me at the Grassy Creek Gem and Mineral Show.
July 25th (Sunday)
The big event of the day was the wedding of Diana's daughter Ginny and John Dietzen (a retired Navy Captain/P3 NFO).

John and Ginny with daughters (from left to right)
Carmel, Anna, Pilar (Ginny's daughters) and John's daughter Laura.

John and Ginny cutting the wedding cake in the reception area of the Richmand Inn.
Click HERE to see more pictures of John and Ginny's Wedding
July 24th (Saturday)
The big event of the day was our Second Annual Rice Road Picnic and Folk Fest.

We bagan with a barbeque picnic from 5:00 to 7:00 followed by entertainment until about 10:00.  Some of us hung around the fire pit until after midninght enjoying the full moon.

Tom Rogers (harmonica and vocals) and Carrie Arrowhed (piano and vocals) provided the entertainment from 7:00 to about 10:00. 
They were great!!
I will be adding a separate link with more pictures soon.
July 23rd (Friday)
Alec, Alice, Seth, Wade, Shannon, Austin, Weston, and Bailey went on a hike to Linville Falls.
Diana took the puppies to the vet to stay for the weekend and did some wedding preparations.
I led the Martin Family from Plantation, Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale) on a mine tour for Rock Mine Tours .
From left to right: Chris, Julie, Christian, with Sarah in front.

We all went to our friend's (Bill and Sandy Hartwell) house in Little Switzerland for dinner where we met Anita Dais and John and Ginny who are staying at the Hartwell's for the wedding. A great time was had by all. Wade tok lots of pictures. If he sends me some, I'll put a few on the blog.
July 22nd (Thursday)
Diana's son Wade Groover, his wife Shannon, and their children; Austin, Weston, and Bailey arrived from Thomasville today.  They are staying next door at our neighbor's (Kenny and Daisey Hoilman) house. We enjoyed a dinner of burgers, corn and 'jesty' jalapano poppers and an evening of cathing up.
July 20th (Tuesday)
Happy Birthday Lindsay (25)
Alec, Alice, and Seth Hickox arrive at the cabin from Jacksonville, Florida
 I went to the Chalk Mountain Feldspar Quarry to get some white gravel as part of one of the wedding decorations.
It is unusual to get access to this place so I was pleased to get a chance to take a look.
Here are a couple of pictures.

View of a part of the quarry

View of part of the processing facilities
July 19th (Monday)
 Happy Birthday to Julia (14) and to Stacy (thirty something; think of Jack Benny for you older folks)
July 17th (Saturday)
 On Saturday, July 17th, Diana and I went to the Farmer's Market in Asheville to get some flowers for the cabin and ferns for Ginny's wedding.
On the way back, we chose to return to the cabin from I 40, then 226N off Exit 86, then left on Route 70 (past the Loes and Walmart), then Route 80N to 19E. Diana and I looked at some RV/campers and I showed her the Carson House as a possible trip for her and Alice or Naomi. On Route 80N, we passed this beautiful quartz seam (intrustion) on the right side of the road.
July 16th (Friday)- Puppy Shots (morning)
 Puppies on their way to their final series of shots ( Bordatella, Parvo, and Rabbies). Left to right; Chou-Lin, Little Bear(back), King Tut(front), Ginger, and Valentino.
I just had to include this picture of this 57 Chevy golf cart at the Grassy Creek Golf and Country Club.
July 16th (afternoon)- Rock Mine Tour
 I took the Scheirer family; Aaron (17 year old son), Cindy, and Jim on a tour of Lud Leiner's mine as part of Lud's Rock Mine Tours. The Scheirers are from Kissimmee, Florida and also have a cabin east of Spruce Pine in Avery County.
July 14th (Wednesday)- Schmink's Party
We recently met Bonnie and Bill Schmink. Bill is in our bridge group. Bonnie has been active in promoting our Shih Tzus. Bonnnie's brother, Daniel, purchased Chow Mein (now Chou-Lin). Bonnie and Bill hosted a party at their beautiful home on the Grassy Creek Golf and Country Club featuring a buffet dinner and music provided by the attendees. That's Bonnie playing the guitar and singing in the photo above. Bill is seated playing guitar in the lower right corner. The guy playing the keyboards is Dean Gates, one of our pottery instructors. It was a great party with lots of interesting people!
July 12th- Happy Birthday Austin Wright- (14 years old)
July 9th-July 11th
 July 9th-11th- I drove  to Raleigh to visit my daughter Stacy, her husband Jed, and my grandson Oliver. Check out the "five daughters" link for more pictures and details of the visit.
July 8th (Thursday)
 July 8th- We had some unexpected visitors in our back yard area. Some horses from down the way got free of their electrified fence to check out some better pasture and our neighbor's apple tree.
July 6th (Tuesday)
 July 6th- We began taking pottery classes.  We are scheduled to spend Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6-8 .m. or so and whatever studio time we can to make hand formed poterry take a shot at "throwing pots".Michael, our instructor with over 30 years experience, is demonstrating techniques for hand making a cylindrcal shape. 
July 4th (Sunday)
 July 4th- We spent our 4th with our traditional visit to the "Apple Orchard" for a picnic and music and dancing. We also made contact with Linda Stevens and her granddaughter Halley about purchasing China Doll' They eventually came to the cabin to meet China Doll'. They picked uo China Doll the next day. See the "Bella's Shih Tzu Puppies For Sale" link above for pictures and more information.

July 1st, 2010
 July 1st- I went mining with two of my mining buddies,  Don Wyatt (left) and Lud Leiner.  Don is the caretaker for our cabin in the winter and comes from a mining family. Lud has a "Rock Mine Tours" business, a Boxwood and Christmas Tree business, and has some mines located on his property. In this picture, we are examining the tailings from one of these mines. I help out Lud as a tour guide for his "Rock Mine Tours" business when asked.
July 2010
 Diana and I have been very busy planting and watering plants since we've come up to the cabin. We added a flame bush (right) and a wild azalea (has orange hunnysuckle like flowers in the spring) to the boxwood (left) which managed to survive the harsh winter.  On the far left, next to the front porch post, we added a flowering vine. We gathered the white rocks from the Pine Mountain  Feldspar area.We also planted day lillies in the front and a 7' Norwegian Spruce in the back.
Diana and I play duplicate bridge on Mondays. We have a class at 10:00, lunch at 11:00, and play from noon to about 4:00. Bridge is held in Spruce Pine at DT's Cafe in the late fall, winter, and early spring and then moves to the Little Switzerland Inn in the late spring, summer, and early fall. We have met some great friends in our bridge group!

June 2010
June 30th- Happy Birthday Oliver Gant (1 year old)

June 22nd- Happy Birthday Deanna (11 years old)
June 21st- Diana and I drove up from Jacksonville with eight dogs; our three older "doggies" and five Shih Tzu puppies. We have decided that I would keep one of the puppies, King Tut. That's Tut with me the picture at the top of the page.