Carolina Blue - June 14th to 19th

We had an interesting drive to NC.  In leaving Atlanta, there's a set of roads called "Spaghetti Junction".  Normally, large interchanges like this only stack four roads. This is a five-level stack interchange and the first one called Spaghetti Junction.  Other cities have tried to use the name, but let's face it - they're not Atlanta.  In addition to the ramps for I-285 and I-85, it has additional ramps for three side roads. The GA DOT estimates about 300,000 vehicles cross this junction each day. It has 14 bridges, the highest rising 90 feet - what a mess!!!!

We had to drive through SC to get to NC.  And of course, we all had to take breaks along the way.  SC has a lot of lakes. A big one that separates GA from SC is called Lake Hartwell.  It has many fingers and coves that come off the main body of water.  One of the rest areas is by the water, so we stopped there to play.  This is really different from Lake Havasu. There are lots of trees.  There's also red clay. It gets into EVERYTHING!!!!

Daddy said "smile", so I did. 

Down on the banks of Lake Hartwell, you can see private boat docks across the cove.  People have homes & boat docks right on the water.  Mommy wouldn't let me play in the mud.

See how tall the pine trees are?  Lots of places to lift a leg.  There's not a lot of underbrush or smaller trees because of how the pine trees and pine needles change the pH level of the soil.  If you look across the cove, you can see how dense the woods are when there are a lot of hardwood trees.

In the midst of the dense forest, a Mimosa tree juts out with real purty pink flowers.  Mommy said most people think a Mimosa is a mixture of champagne & orange juice. It's really a tree that grows wild in the Carolinas and Georgia. The Mimosa tree also is known as a silky acacia, but I like the word "Mimosa."

 In Gafney, SC, peaches grow this big!  As it turns out, it's not a real peach (could have fooled me - oh yeah, it did).  It's a water tower in the middle of a peach tree orchard. The people in Gaffney call it a "Peachoid"  (BTW - the suffix "-oid" means to resemble). Words are grrr...reat, aren't they? The "Big Peach" is a landmark for Gaffney, kinda like the "Big Chicken" in Marietta, GA.   Hmmm, suddenly I'm in the mood for some big chicken back in Atlanta now.

"Baby Love . . My Baby Love . . . I need you . . . Oh How I Need You . . ."

This is "Biscuitville".  What is it about the South and biscuits?  I don't get it.

Tuesday night I met more family. Here are my cousins Bentley & Panda.



This is Mommy's brother, Uncle Eubie Isenhour. He's Panda's Daddy.  He spoils her.



This is my cousin, Rachel Isenhour, sitting with my cousin, Bentley.  Rachel only has two legs.  She goes to ASU (no, not Arizona State - the OTHER one - Appalachian State in Boone, NC).  Rachel will be a Senior this year.  She's got a purty smile.



Humidity is making my hair all SORTS of curly. Everyone still thinks I'm cute!

 

Here's cousin Rachel holding Panda.  This is about the ONLY time Panda was still.  You wouldn't believe how FAST Panda is. She runs and flips and rolls over. Panda chases me and Bentley. 



More Southern curls!

 

This is my Uncle Skip Isenhour.  He's Rachel's and Bentley's Daddy. He also has a cat, Tucker. But Tucker is smart and kinda hiding from all of us. 



Aunt Tina Isenhour is playing with Bentley.  Aunt Tina is Rachel's and Bentley's Mommy.



KYOTEE was hungry again, so Daddy fed him in Hickory. Gasoline was $3.49 per gallon but cheaper than riding a Camel.

 

Since we're staying in the land of NASCAR and around the corner from the Hickory Speedway, I'm trying to get my timing faster.  But my pit crew is the pits. "Run, Mommy, Run!!!!"

Here's a photo of the entrance to Hickory Motor Speedway.  It started in 1951 and is known as a famous "short-track" and the birthplace of many NASCAR's famous drivers.



Aunt Tina and Uncle Skip have a big pool and a big back yard, So on Wednesday, we sat around and just enjoyed the weather before dinner.



Thursday morning, I decided Daddy needed exercise.  So we chased She-pup. 




I got to meet Auntie Mary Beth Turner on Thursday.  Mommy & Auntie Mary Beth have known each other since they were less than one puppy year old.  About six people years.  They had a 3+ hour lunch. Seems they had a lot to catch up on.  Then the funniest thing happened - we ran into them at dinner, also.  Auntie Mary Beth and Uncle Don are flying to Las Vegas at the end of June.



When Mommy got back from lunch, we went to Uncle Skip's & Aunt Tina's.  Daddy & I cooled off in the pool.

See how BIG Uncle Skip's & Aunt Tina's yard is? There's even a horse farm in the back.

   

After dinner, we sat on the back porch, chased the tennis ball, and waited for lightning bugs. Still haven't seen a lightning bug, but Panda said she liked to chase them.  Uncle Skip, Aunt Tina, Uncle Eubie, Daddy & Mommy built this big deck on a July 4th weekend many years ago.

Bentley & I enjoyed playing lawn tennis.  It helped that Daddy taught me the game in Atlanta.

Bentley had home court advantage, but I have experience.

 

Bentley and I taught Panda how to chase the tennis ball.  She runs and rolls so fast that she's a blur. The ball is really big for her, but she finally got hold of it and pranced around to show everyone.

The tennis ball is really big for Panda, but she was a real trooper and found a way to pick it up.

The horse farm is really a beautiful sight to see.  The horses came to the fence to watch us.


One of the horses was really nosey!

So Mommy held me up to meet the horsey.



This is Mommy's Auntie Joyce Huffman.  Auntie Joyce has always been a part of Mommy's life, and she loves her dearly.



Daddy took this photo of a Magnolia tree for Mommy. Look how BIG the leaves and bloom are. They're really, really big.

The leaves and blooms are SO big, I can hide behind them.  Much easier than hiding behind a cactus!



For my time in North Carolina, I learned that the sky is Carolina Blue and the State is called the "Tar Heel" State. Because of all the pine trees, pine tar and turpentine has always been a big export for NC.  It's also a term that goes back to the Civil War that reflects how loyal soldiers were to their ranks - stuck like tar to a heel.  Tar Heel is also the nickname for UNC.

The language is different.  If you want to describe something as really pretty, you say, "real purty."
If you want to tell someone you love them, you say, "I love you to Reeses Pieces."
If you want to express empathy, "Bless your heart" would be an appropriate phrase.
If you want to tell someone not to get upset, you say, "Don't get your panties in a wad."
A lady's purse is a pocketbook.
A cart of ANY kind is a buggy.
I've been practicing Southern-speak in my blog since GA. Have you noticed?

We still need a photo of a plant called Kudzu and of the Waffle House.