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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Finally Taking my NONAGENARIAN up the Blue Ridge Parkway

Guess, over the years we've come across the Blue Ridge Parkway at least some 6 times.
When our foster-daughter Anita was staying with us, we tried to drive a segment of it and I ended up driving with my head sticking out of the window due to heavy fog so we left it first opportunity.
We did drive a segment again with my sister Diny and her significant other and then the times we went back and forth to Pennsylvania to move, for visits back to Georgia and visits back to our Jewish friends in Delaware.
On October 28, we'd planned to depart early after breakfast, from our Log Cabin in Tennessee.
BUT again, it was way too foggy for driving through the mountains!
So here we are, after all those years, again waiting till the sun came to chase away the dense fog.
Around noon time we'd reached the beginning of BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Sunshine as you can see!
This was around 12:38 and look at that blue sky - we got SO lucky and the fall colors were spectacular.
View Haw Creek Valley at an elevation of 2100 feet (640 m) and from where we stood it was 2720 feet (829 m) at MP 380 (MP = Mile Post)
Taken at the same spot, just giving an overview of what we saw.
My Pieter is color blind but he's red/green disturbed and luckily the colors were mainly yellow and golden so he too could fully enjoy this!
Only 10 minutes later view of Bull Creek Valley
At 13:01 we view Black Mountain, North Carolina with the view of LANE PINNACLE where the elevation is 5230 feet (1594 m) and from where we stood 3890 feet (1186 m) at MP 372.1
It was named for Charles Lane, who owned the land in the early 1800s.
Such a golden 'autumn carpet'...
Here we are at Craggy Gardens near Barnardsville, North Carolina at 13:20 and MP 364.2
You fail to drink it all in!
MP 364 Craggy Gardens
Nature's garden flourishes on these high slopes. Rhododendrons blanket the mountains in pink in early summer. Wildflowers bloom along hiking trails.
Incredible views all the time and no doubt in May those Rhododendrons make a fabulous color show!

Pisgah National Forest, Burnsville, North Carolina at 13:54 with RIDGE JUNCTION OVERLOOK elevation 5160 feet (1573 m) at MP 355.3
A view of the Black Mountains and into South Toe Valley...
Pisgah National Forest, Burnsville, North Carolina at 14:05 at GREEN KNOB OVERLOOK elevation 4760 feet (1451 m) at MP 350.4 with on the left Mount Mitchell 6684 ft or 2037 m (highest point east of the Mississippi River) see map below
Pisgah National Forest near Burnsville, North Carolina just to give you an idea of how this Blue Ridge Parkway looked with its golden fall colors.
We also got to see deer, both does and a buck with antlers.
And a group of wild turkeys paraded in front of us, crossing 'their' territory!
In order to make some progress we had to quit stopping at every overlook...
This is Blue Ridge Parkway at Linn Cove Viaduct from boulder viewpoint just click and click through
MP 304 Linn Cove Viaduct
Looming above the viaduct, Grandfather Mountain is home to more rare plant and animal species than any mountain east of the Rockies.
The viaduct was engineered to protect this beautiful but fragile area.
Stop at the visitor center to learn how this engineering marvel was built.

With Pieter's heart condition there was no hiking involved, we only walked a short trail near the Craggy Gardens overlook.
You can spend weeks on end here if you are in for hiking and visiting more!
We did see lots of motorcycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the narrow road, that must be an excellent way for traveling.
Riding The Blue Ridge Parkway just click and click through...
My short Relive video: The Blue Ridge Parkway's Visitor Center's address on the website was not accurate so I had to make a detour in order to get to Entering Blue Ridge Parkway
Total of 684.9 km or 425.6 mi for the entire day.
Starting out from our Log Cabin in Tennessee on Highway and also Interstate, hence the high(er) speed!
You find the first photo from Entering Blue Ridge Parkway. Last section is also not on Blue Ridge but we went to our Hyatt Place in Roanoke, Virginia for the night.
Relive is doing the same as most  pre-set GPS systems in cars; not showing true compass direction 🧭
We traveled all day to the north and NOT to the south!

Correct Address for GPS: Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center near Asheville, N.C.
Time in previous image includes also the non-driving time with all stops for gas. visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway's Visitor Center for maps and brochures, lunch stop etc.
At one overlook stop I made a wrong turn also... it is very hard to stay focussed on this route as the Mile Posts are hardly noticeable and there is NO other sign! Would be great if each parking at an overlook had at least North and South signs... At least there were plenty of Restrooms!

Stay tuned for the next part.

Wishing those in the Far East and Down Under a Happy New Year coming their way soon!
Good Health for ALL 


Related link:
Our 2nd Cabin Stay at the Hill on Cherokee Lake | previous post by me
SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me
Our Cabin Stay at The Hill by Cherokee Lake in Tennessee | previous post by me

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas and My Previous High Tea

Merry Christmas to All of You Worldwide! 🌲💝
Sharing with you our High Tea from December 20, 1997 that we donated to our Rotary Club's auction.
Offering a High Tea for 12 and this was all done in the Christmas spirit...
We donated our time and love... Worked till 2:30 in the morning for baking and preparing it for the afternoon's presentation and use.
Everything done in Christmas style and using our Egyptian cotton damask Cottimaryanne Firenze tablecloth from Italy.
Our hand made silver coffee set that we bought while living in Indonesia, it took six men to hammer and decorate it in six weeks!
That's me checking the final details... Coffee Cups to the right.
Did use the Tea Glasses with silver plated holders instead of Tea Cups.
Also in the kitchen I'd placed edibles to savor with tea or coffee...
Table runner on red tablecloth used is our Portuguese Guimarães white work, we bought in Coimbra in 1994 while on tour through Spain Portugal for 19 days.
Our Rotary Club of Dublin, Georgia USA sponsors always a foreign student for one full year of college education.
For 1997 it was Kaisa Jogi (probably Jögi) from Latvia, she did her presentation to the Rotary Club, 3 days after this High Tea.
Kaisa was in such good humor for tasting the European culture again at our Dutch home in the USA and for touring it. 
Just like to show you this very short video of our High Tea Table
The talking is in Dutch as we always did so for my Parents to let them share in our life here across the Ocean.

Thanks for your visit and comment

Related link:
{Have YOU Ever Seen the Making of Silver in Kotagede, Indonesia?} | previous post by me showing you the silver works

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Our 2nd Cabin Stay at The Hill on Cherokee Lake

Finally writing my travel posts...
About time as the year is racing towards the end with Christmas coming our way SOON!
May you find cozy days with your loved ones.
~
Yep, we came back for our 2nd Cabin Stay and this time at the NEW! Log Cabin w/Fire Pit & Deck on Cherokee Lake!
NEW! Log Cabin w/Fire Pit & Deck on Cherokee Lake! click it and click through...
On Friday, October 25 we drove to this NEW! Log Cabin, final hours in heavy rain but we got there safe.
This photo is taken on Sunday, October 27 around 17:40
Our Nissan Murano parked near the stairs up onto the deck.
Fire Pit is visible to the right and is burning here...
We had enjoyed some great home cooking by Donna!
The weather was such that we could still sit outside on the deck - just perfect.
Perfect also, because of the view over Cherokee Lake.
Trees still had all their leaves on, it was so lovely to walk around near the lake.
We even sat around the Fire Pit for great story telling!
No matter how lovely your stay, there comes an END to it...
Had to capture this quote by writer Josh Parham.
Yes, the owners, Mother and son ARE writers too!
In the related link below this post from my previous writing about them, you find all their writing info...
On Monday after breakfast I did write this in their special guest book...
Favorite thing about this stay:
Attending a wedding in nearby Tazewell, this was a perfect choice. No other hotel will offer the beauty and peace you find here.
Places I would recommend (Restaurants, Shopping, Entertainment, Etc.):
Stay at home and use their complete kitchen. For perfect relaxation and full benefits for your well-being nothing from outside will do.
Favorite memory from your stay:
Always a joy to be greeted by Josh and Donna (the owners)
Other Notes:
Arriving at the driveway is like coming home!
There can no nicer hosts be found!!!
Perfect privacy within the comfort of a cozy cabin.
Donna's treat to some of her excellent home cooking adds to the feeling at home.
Josh's philosophy is a special experience too.
Hope guests will find out that both are also excellent writers!
Our last evening together near the fire pit outside with some story telling was the exclamation mark for this stay!
Thanks dearest Donna & Josh - till next time!!
Left this on their website only click on the BOLD TITLE, not on the general link for EVOLVE...

Our travel will continue; stay tuned!

Thanks for your visit and comment.


Related link:

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Patio Azalea Blooming in December

What a joy to view from our bay window area at breakfast time a pot plant on our patio with  blooming azaleas!
So Pieter clipped off some branches to bring inside and I put it in a tiny vase on a silver platter.
For better light on December 3, I had to get outside on the tiled patio behind our Rose Suite.
As soon as I placed it on the table there, our Spooky boy jumped on the table too.
You see his front legs to the left... photo bombing my azaleas!
Here the azaleas are without Spooky behind them...
A view over the lawn with these lovely pink azaleas up close.
Pot plant with remainder of azaleas on patio next to bay window area.
Oh, we have tons of leaves on the lawn and everywhere, the wind is shaking them all off.
 But still this photo is from December 7, and that is not bad for having blooms!

Thanks for your visit and comment and do you have something blooming? That is, if you also live in the Northern Hemisphere...

Friday, December 13, 2019

Video Capture - Mega Task DONE with Multi-System and Hi8 VCR

Yay, on November 29, I completed my video conversion from analog to digital for uploading it onto YouTube ore else.
Great feeling and oh so happy!
Archiving is quite a mega task...
Action with the Elgato Video Capture...
Such an easy hardware to use!
Seen on the screen is our beloved Mamita, the mama cat that mysteriously disappeared on November 4, 2007
Other end is connected directly to the U.S. VCR...
~
Husband Pieter got already lots of viewing hours out of his new iPad Pro 12.9" that gives also excellent color display and clarity - pure JOY and Kudos to Apple!
Have to confess that I'd ordered the above from Amazon on January 31, 2017 so it sat on my desk unboxed for quite a while! But such is life, things get in-between and time is passing way too fast for doing it all.
Doing this is SO EASY!
You just go to their website for downloading the software for either Windows click and click through again.
Or, like I had to do, for my Mac and even for the Newest updated Mac! So very easy do do click and click through again.
Did most with our regular US VCR, moved it just into my office, close to my Mac on the 2nd adjacent desk.
Am thrilled for even having been able to capture the Dutch PAL system video from Mom & Dad's 50th wedding anniversary!
Also my youngest brother's wedding etc.
That RARE SHARP VC-VH990WH 6-HEAD HI-FI MULTI-SYSTEM VCR for PAL/MESECAM/NTSC in BOX I've used for doing so, is now available on eBay for others to use it likewise, just click and click through the link here.
Even works for MESECAM = Middle Eastern SECAM system and France has the SECAM system.
Easy task for doing this with the Sharp Multi-System VCR direct to your PC...
WHY is the world still so complicated and divided? Making it oh so hard for immigrants to hold on to their memories?!
SORRY SOLD...
Also for those that still have some 8 or Hi8 tapes from loved ones they want to digitalize, that too can be easily done with the Elgato Video Capture and I've also offered our Sony EV-C200 Video Hi8 VCR in ORIGINAL BOX to DIGITIZE your old VIDEOS! for sale on eBay, just click and click through again.
SORRY SOLD...
With the Elgato Video Capture hardware this is such an easy job...
So happy for having tackled this!
Fond family memories now safe and ready for reliving over and over.
Guess now is the perfect time for tackling such projects when daylight is short and evenings kind of long...

Good luck to anyone wanting to finish such a family archiving task!

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Monday, December 9, 2019

Langermannia gigantea or Giant puffball

It seems like mushrooms will be following us our entire life...
This one popped up on our front lawn and was rather huge with about 10 inches diameter or 25 cm.
Photo got taken of this 'Langermannia gigantea' or Giant puffball on November 24.
Looking kind of pleated... Similar though to the one from hidden forest in New Zealand, click on the name to see its picture and scroll to the bottom.
The same one now on November 30... Darker brown and even more pleated.
December 6, still darker and now measuring its diameter.
Almost 10 inches or 25 cm in diameter!
Maybe someone can tell its name with more certainty...

Thanks for your visit and comment!


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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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