THE LAST RESORT

Mom dropped by in early August to see the '97 progress on the cabin tucked into the woodlands along the Tuckaseegee River ... "Tuck-a-cabin" ???

So in those late days of summer, we brought her out the little dirt road ... over the hills and through the woods ... and along the river, to get her approval.

Joyce and Mom check out the front porch view.

Bob listens while Mom describes possible improvements!
"Sure Mom, just as soon as I finish my beer."



And so we next find Bob atop the steep red roof, bracing up the chimney to finish this year's construction efforts.

Looks better now! We can quit worrying about the wind and weather out there.


Well, it was a big 3-day weekend out there. We toured the area and saw some dramatic natural waterfalls. We had good food at Lulu's. We painted chairs or worked atop the roof. We cleared a new canoe access trail to the river. And we made it down to riverside to watch the paddlers float by ...


Wait a minute. Something looks familiar about that paddler. Doesn't that look like a lady with white hair out there?

Let's catch up with her at those rapids and see just who this kayak paddler might be.

Oh oh. I think that Lady from 18012 might have gotten down to the river without us. "Has anyone seen Maxine lately? Does anyone know where she is?"


It really does look like Maxine out there!

Well, we can tell that she is enjoying herself.

Yes, Mom played in the river every bit as much as any of the rest of us. Bob once jumped in the river with his faithful Dr. Bronner's soap to clean up after working on the roof. And later Joyce simply shook off her outerwear and dived in the water upriver from the cabin. She then floated down to our cabin trail as a quicker (and more enjoyable) way to get back to the camp.


Indeed we had beautiful weather out there. Low of 55 in the morning, high of 85 in the afternoon. All facilities were in good order and seemed to work well ... inhouse as well as outhouse. A newly found mantle-type (not just wick-type) lamp gave us much improved lighting at night. A campfire in the cool evening allowed toasted marshmallows as well as overnight coal-fired baked potatoes. We ended the weekend by seriously discussing whether there might be some way to avoid the workaday world and stay on a while longer.



So ... make your plans. You, too, could spend some late summer, early fall (or even wood-stove-warmed winter) days at this place of "last resort".


.... to be continued .....


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