Re-con-FIG-uration!

 We have four Brown Turkey figs around our house.  One of them, the smallest one, produces very well.  The other three do not.  They just get bigger and bigger and, no matter how much we prune and care for them, their output is disappointing.

This year at the Fig Festival we went to a presentation given by Chester Lynn, the Ocracoke native fig expert.  After the presentation we stayed to talk with Chester about our particular fig problem.  His first question was, “Where is your septic field?”  Then we were on to something.

As Chester explained things, while figs do need to be fed, they do not produce figs unless they are threatened and think they need to reproduce for the future of the species. This means producing figs.  If they are over fed, they just keep on happily growing without any concern about reproduction, so, no figs!

The three problem fig trees just happen to be on the edges of the septic field.  So, this week, we had Chris from Wooden Sea Tree Service come and take out those three trees.  When the trees were cut, we were amazed at how much the limbs filled the yard.  And, all this was one year’s growth.

Once all cleaned up and chipped, we now have a very bare back yard.

The plan now is to weigh down some lower limbs of the remaining Brown Turkey and cover them with dirt to see if we get some new trees rooted.  Then we may add another variety from Chester.  We will set out these trees in the front of the house where the only food they get if what we give them.  Then…we hope for production!

Banana Surprise!

 Once Trish and I got home, one of the first things we did was walk all around the yard to see what had changed since we left six weeks ago.  Our biggest surprise was what we saw with one of our big banana tree clusters.  

First of all, the trees had more than doubled in size almost covering the steps to one of the porches.  In addition to growth, there are several more baby sprouts coming up out of the ground getting ready for next year.

Then the biggest surprise…

In an almost hidden place, one of the plants is in full bloom.  It is great that the bloom is in a very protected place.  This might give it a chance to actually mature instead of succumbing to cold weather as the year goes on.

We will be watching and hoping as the weather cools down.

Home Again!

 After leaving Newkirk, we drove to Nashville on Sunday.  On Monday we came on to Durham where we stopped for the night in order to have the car serviced the following morning.  Yes, we have driven 10,000 miles in the past six weeks.  When the work was done, Trish and I headed to the Raleigh Farmers’ Market and then on to get the 4:30 pm ferry.

Once on the ferry, we feel that we are back home even though the ride from Swan Quarter is nearly three hours.  We are free from the telephone, the internet, and all sorts of other intrusions into peacefulness.  More than this, this time of year we get a sunset near the end of the trip.

I had been napping in the car when suddenly Trish said, “Look!”  Here is the scene as we watched from the car.

The sun shown brilliantly above the slick calm water.  It was a welcome home for sure.

As we watched the sun sink toward the water, knowing that we would watch it all the way down, suddenly some little clouds organized themselves out of nowhere.  Rather than ruining the scene, they actually gave us a different and beautiful ending to the day as they crept up to meet the sun before it reached the water.  A perfect end to a long drive home!

Newkirk, Oklahoma

 Earlier in the year, Kelle Cross, from Newkirk, Oklahoma, contacted me.  She wanted to tell me about the new Amphitheatre that had been built in Newkirk and to find out whether there was a time when I might come to perform there.  She, and other community members, had heard me tell at the old Wintertales Festival in Oklahoma City many years ago.

Since Trish and I were driving out to Timpanogos in Utah, we would be driving back also and could plan our route to come through Newkirk.  So…it happened!

The new Amphitheatre is on the Court House property right in the center of Newkirk. No one can miss seeing it and knowing where it is.  There are some permanent seats but most people brought their more comfortable chairs from home.

We had a nice gathering for this, their first storytelling event.  As the evening progressed, darkness arrived and the lights came on.  This is a very sweet setting for sharing stories.  I will surely do this again.

Train Ride Scenery

 There was so much non-stop scenery on our train ride yesterday. As I looked back at some of the photos, it seemed a good idea to share a bit more of our journey.

Several times there were sets of long sweeping curves designed to gain or lose altitude gradually over a longer distance than going straight up or down.  Since we were the last car, to was easy to see much of the front of the train on these curves.  Here we have dropped the second engine as this part of the trip was all downhill.

There were forests and forests of beautiful aspen trees.  These remarkable trees share a single root system, which makes them, in fact, one tree with thousands of outgrowths.  The understory of these aspen growths was very clear and made you want to walk through the groves.

We were in the First Class Parlor Car. We had comfortable seats that directly faced the large windows.  This gave us total views of the world outside.  I had planned our tickets so that we were on one side of the car for half the trip and then switched to the other side after lunch.  This gave us the best of the views. 

We crossed several trestles on the trip, some of which were more than a hundred feet high. When on the trestle you found not see the track, so, it felt like you were suspended in the air while looking out.    We loved every mile of this trip!

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

 From Monument Valley Trish and I drove over into New Mexico to a little town called Chama.  Located at an elevation of 7,800 feet, Chama is one terminus point of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.  We had tickets to ride the entire 64 mile route.

As we left the little cottage where we were staying, we were greeted by a lovely double rainbow.  This marked the beginning of a beautiful day. 

Down at the station we boarded our Parlor Car.  Our seats were at the very tail end of the car, right by the door to the rear observation platform; a great place for taking pictures.

We had double-header steam engines for the first part of the trip when we needed their extra power to pull up to a crest that was 10,015  in elevation.

At this trestle, the front engine had to unhook and cross on its own.  Then the second engine pulled the train across after which they hooked up again.  The weight of both engines at the same time was too much for the trestle.

As the day progressed the scenery was breathtaking.  We saw multiple versions of rock formations and gentle valleys far below.  It was a relaxing ride.

After a  lunch stop at a tiny place called Osier, we went on for the afternoon.  There was never a time of dullness as the landscape continued to change for the afternoon.

It was a totally enjoyable day. We ended our trip in Antonito and were taken by bus back to Chama for the night.

Monument Valley

 When the Timpanogos Festival was all over, Trish and I drove down to southern Utah where I had a performance in the little town of Torrey.  From Torrey we drove the next day through Capitol Reef National Park on south to Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation.

This is the land where John Ford and others produced and directed many Western movies.  The landscape is start and spectacular. You almost expect to see John Wayne ride up at any moment.

Several years ago I spent a full week at the elementary school here telling stories and working with children in their own stories.  Each day, as they look out their schoolroom windows, this is the scenery that is constant.  I always hoped they appreciated its grandeur.

Trish and I drove off-road on a very rough tour into the rock formations.  It was a trip well worth taking.

Unusually we had a hard rain that night and the next morning dawn was colored differently with the humidity of the downpour.  This was a most memorable visit.