Seagrove to Saxapahaw

We lied! Seagrove was just one of those places we didn't see and so after an efficient day of packing, we loaded up the kids in the van and went. It is the pottery center of NC. Highway 705 is officially "Pottery Highway" and there are over 70 potters along a few mile stretch. We stopped in on 3 or 4 of them and got some nice pieces.





At Latham Pottery, we picked up a baked brie dish and small pitcher. The kids got to go back and see Mr. Latham throw several pieces that he would put together into a birdhouse.



At Calicutt Pottery, we got a large red platter. Apparently, bright red dyes that aren't lead tainted are rather unique. Becket had a nice run in with this lady's dog as he got chased down.



Ray Pottery, off Cagle Road, had higher end pots with more intricate glazes. We picked up another brie dish as a gift and a nice leaf shaped appetizer dish. The whole place is cool and you could spend a few days seeing it all. Apparently their busiest time is in the fall and they have a festival just before Thanksgiving.

Afterward, we headed to Saxapahaw, a small, earthy town on the Haw river, west of Chapel Hill. They have free music and kids activities every Saturday during the summer, including a puppet parade and makeshift waterslide that ends in a mud hole if you don't slow down soon enough.









We are really going to miss NC. There is still a lot we never got to see.

Residente del Año!

Dear Andrea (Da Mama) and Jared Hanks-
Mat was chosen as Resident of the Year Saturday night by his staff and coworkers. He would never want this posted on the blog, but too late, go ahead and shout "That's my boy!" Well done, my lad.

Travel Bug

It seems like we've been traveling a lot lately--

Here's the explanation (like I need to explain myself):
When one moves you have to get all the lasts or always wanted to do's out of you.

Also, Mat had some vacation time left that we were supposed to use for moving, but that sounded so colorless, so instead, we opted to go on a road trip.

Lastly, you realize that you have secure trusting friends who are willing to tolerate your kids over night. I might not have these friends in West Virginia. EVER!

Here goes one of our last North Carolina adventures
Mat thought of this goal when we lived in Pennsylvania to hike all of the high points of each state. We've done 6 and we thought we'd grab the 3 mountains sitting in the southwest nook of NC (SC, GA, and TN). The trip was 15 hours of driving so to knock some of that driving off we drove down Sunday night. I was too cheap to book a hotel and suggested that we just sleep in our van (down by the river) at a church parking lot. It was a perfect plan, Mat's long toes even had room to sprawl out!

Until... our Mr. Police officer came by to spotlight us through the window. How did he even find us? We were tucked nicely between the large oak and the dumpster. He was a little leery about our intentions, but he let us go ahead with our crazy plan anyway.


Sassafras Mountain, SC
Very buggy and only a five minute walk to the top. We had to eat our granola swatting or pacing around the parking lot.



Brasstown Bald, GA
It's a breathtaking view and Mat proposed that we date longer. Side note, we totally had this other couple believing that we had just gotten engaged- Wha! Wha!


Clingman's Dome, TN
In the great Smokey Mountains. About a mile hike on a steep incline. Oh! The hike felt good on the car stricken legs!




Done. There you have it. We watched a few movies while driving home and now we're really going to start packing, REALLY!

Mayberry and more

We took a trip to Mount Airy, NC, Andy Griffith's hometown and the basis for Mayberry on the Andy Griffith show. It turns out to be a very quaint, vibrant town with a great main street and lots of neat buildings and culture.


Outside the Andy Griffith Theater with statue of Andy and Opie

We stopped in at Snappy Lunch and had a pork chop sandwich, the most expensive item on their menu at $4.00. The surgeon general recommends only one per person per year.





We added a milkshake on top of that at the malt shop down the street and finished up with some candy at Opie's Candy store next door.



There is a service station that offers patrol car rides in an old Ford Galaxie 500 just like the one on the show. Melvin, the guy in our picture, takes you on a half-hour tour of the town and gives you a history lesson.





We then headed out and visited Pilot Mountain State Park, which offered some impressive vistas.



We finished up at Hanging Rock state park, where the kids got soaked playing below a secluded waterfall.

The Wall

Gretchen always hits her wall at a mile when we we're out on the Tobacco trail. The frequent grunts of exhaustion and repetitive complaining always make exercising with her a delight.

3 Items of Business

1. Cats Cradle
It is Mat and I's new found treasure and our own personal fountain of youth. It makes us feel young to be with all of the couples with no kids. Also the drunks who are carefree and stupid are very entertaining. We took Dannielle to this small club to watch these independent bands play and absolutely loved it --minus our broken eardrums. Mat and I went back the next weekend to hear Josh Ritter. I can think of several friends who I would love to have accompany me next time. I know they would appreciate this as much as I do.

It is so past our bedtime:





2. Mat has been up to his inventions. The guy does not stop. He's very similar to Old Maurice in Beauty and the Beast with all of his head gadgets and set ups. I'll turn the corner and there he is with some invention. It makes me giggle with admiration.

Literally, a few hours after church this is what I run into


Results from his drip photography:





Explanation: "I've always wanted to do this!"

3. Lastly, we did sell our house. It's a done deal and we are actually at the moment renting our house (weird). I didn't want to say anything for fear that we would jinx it. I'm now just getting geared up to move. North Carolina's been good to us.

Soccer

Becket had his last soccer game on Saturday and the whole experience taught us a few things about him. #1-Athletes are likely born, not made, as he definitely wasn't born to play soccer.



#2-Athletes can be taught, if they feel like it that day. Somedays he felt like, some days he didn't.



#3-No matter how good or bad you are, if your parents get excited when you do something well, you'll be happy with the experience.