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.