Friday, October 19, 2012

October!!!



A street near my house

Fall has definitely arrived in Asheville!  Obviously you can’t miss the spectacular fall colors, but if you have your eyes closed, there’s a crispness in the air that screams – colder weather is coming.  I haven’t heard that scream in decades - except for last October which was my first visit to Asheville when I fell in love with this town.

A view off my deck

The maples are a brilliant red – though my camera has a hard time capturing that color.  It turns out a bit brown.  The yellows are blazing on the oaks, and depending on where you are, the greens change little by little each day, putting on their autumn paints.


Hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains

I had planned to start working on the garden – getting rid of the grass and putting in perennials and habitat plants, but the inside of the house has kept me busy.  Finally got new appliances in the kitchen.  The guest room is almost done, but the studio is still a work-in-progress.  I’ll have to do a whole blog on that one!

 New appliances in the kitchen

I have managed to get a quilting class into my busy schedule of working on the house, writing classes, dancing, and endless other fun things like bookclub, hiking and finding my way around!  The class was on free-motion machine quilting, which I’ve done a little of in the past and have been terrified of it, but after practicing on a dozen 9x12 quilt sandwiches, I’m not frightened anymore!  I can’t say that I’m good at it (in fact, I’ll say that I’m still pretty bad at it!) but practice will improve it and I plan to use it as much as I can – once the studio is finished and I actually have time to start quilting again.

 
Baby steps learning free-motion machine quilting

Dancing continues to be my greatest source of fun, dancing east coast swing at least three nights a week.  I have yet to try contra, but I will be diving into country western for the first time this weekend.  How amazing to have dancing to live music seven nights a week!  I love this town!!!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

AUGUST

My! how time flies when you're having fun!  It has been over a month since I last posted - because I have been crazy busy with unpacking, painting, dancing, hiking, socializing and just basically getting into life in Asheville.


The living room and dining room are done!  They are painted a wonderful golden yellow.  The existing wall color, off-white, looked like they were hanging around in their underwear.  Now they have clothes on.  And accessories too!

 
Too bad the photo hanging over the buffet in the dining room does show better in this picture.  It's a spectacular panorama of Green Lake in the high Sierra of California, a gift/going away present from the photographer, a dance partner/friend.  You can check it out here:

http://cookseytalbottgallery.com/thumbs_panorama3.php?gaPageNumber=1&gaGallery=APPDEV_GALLERY_highsierrapano

But, alas, the studio still looks like this:



but probably not for much longer.  Yesterday I drove a friend to the airport in Charlotte (she had to use Charlotte instead of Asheville because she needed to take her cat on the plane and Charlotte airport flies bigger planes), and since I was all the way there ( a two-hour drive)  I made the pilgrimage to Ikea, and bought some furniture that will go into the studio.  So that will be the next project AFTER I paint the bedroom a deep velvety blue.  She is still in her underwear.

The office is in pretty good shape. It looks out onto this gorgeous crepe myrtle:


But I don't spend as much time in there as I should because I'm so busy having fun.  Last week I went hiking at Black Balsam in the Blue Ridge mountains.


The views were pretty spectacular, though not like the high Sierra, still pretty darn good.


And now I know why they're called the Blue Ridge.

I've joined a writing group, and classes at the University start in a few weeks - I signed up for three, so even after the room painting is done, the crazy busy will continue.  Ah, life is good!








Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My New Neighborhood

Although I'm not actually in my house yet, still staying with a friend down the street, I'm already diving in to life in Asheville.  Besides my initial steps joining Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, I'm been to my first Spanish Conversation group, my first Quilt Guild meeting, and my first Swing Dance since arriving here in July.  I'm sure I'll have lots to say about all those topics as the weeks and months go on, but first, I want to start with my new neighborhood.


The Norwood Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The following is adapted from the website Living Places by The Gombach Group.  The original online article can be found at:  http://www.livingplaces.com/NC/Buncombe_County/Asheville_City/Norwood_Park_Historic_District.html

The Norwood Park Historic District, located north of downtown, forms an intact representation of Asheville's boom time in the first three decades of the twentieth century, along with some additional building which took place in the late 1930s through the 1950s. The Norwood Park Historic District has retained a high degree of historic architectural integrity. 

Topography varies widely. Some lots, such as those along parts of Woodward and Woodley Avenues are nearly level, unlike the steep hillsides and siting of houses high above the street on Murdock Street. Most lots have gently sloping topography, dropping slightly to the rear, often allowing for a full above-ground basement level. Lots are typically small, with houses lining both sides of the streets built close together in a steady rhythm of setback.

The District consists of 154 contributing buildings and outbuildings that are at least fifty years old, and retain a high degree of architectural integrity. The twenty-six acre residential district contains an intact collection of Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Minimal Traditional, Tudor Revival, and Dutch Colonial Revival style buildings dating from the late 1910s and 1920s.

While earlier neighborhoods such as Montford and Chestnut Hills were laid out in a grid pattern, later neighborhoods such as Albemarle Park, and later Grove Park, designed by Biltmore Estate landscape architect Chauncey Beadle, utilized the "suburb beautiful" concept. This movement consisted of a design philosophy which included a curvilinear system of street design that paid close attention to the natural topography and incorporated within its boundaries amenities such as large lots, sidewalks, tree-lined streets, open spaces, and elaborate high-style houses following the latest architectural trends of the day. 

The development of Norwood Park was very much in keeping with the 1910s to 1920s trend in Asheville, and the nation, to develop more suburban, park-like neighborhoods located farther from downtown. In contrast to the neighborhoods mentioned above, however, Norwood Park was designed with smaller lots, and a higher density of buildings and while incorporating many of the concepts of the "suburb beautiful" movement in its curvilinear street patterns, uniform setbacks, close attention to the natural topography, sidewalks, and tree-lined streets, the District was smaller in land area and was designed to appeal to the middle class homeowner.

Bungalows typically found in Norwood Park were generally less elaborate, typically in the Craftsman style, and no land was left undeveloped for a public park.

Norwood Park filled an important need in Asheville for more middle class housing, meeting a continuing desire of the population of Asheville to move farther from the center of town, made possible by the street car lines and the ease of access by automobile. Norwood Park, in its heyday of development in the 1910s to 1920s, provided housing for the middle class and formed the northern edge of residential communities available within the city limits of Asheville.

A May 1915 newspaper article noted that "choice lots" were for sale in Norwood Park, although they were generally smaller than those found in the adjoining Grove Park neighborhood. Over $14,000 had been invested by the developers in improving the Norwood Park property, however, including the grading of streets, concrete sidewalks, city water, electric lights, telephones, and link-up to the city sewage system. The article also pointed out the proximity to the existing street car system, making the neighborhood "one of the most desirable residential sections in or near Asheville." The lots were all to be sold with a specified building line to give the property a "uniform park-like appearance and not to obstruct the view from any lot."
Residents of Norwood Park historically were a mix of socio-economic levels. 

In addition to residents who worked for Asheville businesses, there were many business owners and other professionals who lived in the neighborhood, including physicians, dentists, accountants, lawyers, traveling salesmen, retired army personnel, insurance agents, postal workers, and U.S. and State Forest Service workers.

The Craftsman style is the type most commonly found in Norwood Park Historic District. Craftsman Bungalows, nationally popular from 1905 to 1930, typically are one to one-and-one-half stories, with either front or side-gable roofs, with porches often including details such as battered posts on piers, solid balustrades, and an irregular floor plan. They make use of natural materials such as brick and stone, and Norwood Park is no exception to this stylistic feature.

The second most popular style built in the neighborhood is the Colonial Revival (1880-1955), including several examples of the Foursquare form, which typically is two rooms tall and two rooms deep in massing, with either a gable or hip roof and a full-width porch.

The Colonial Revival covers a wide range of building forms, but all typically include two stories, symmetrical massing, and often side-gable roofs with end or central chimneys. This popular style can also be seen at a larger scale with a central portico, hip roofs and a full-width porch. The Dutch Colonial Revival has symmetrical massing, central brick chimney, front entry stoop with a pedimented roof supported by square posts, German siding and gambrel roof. 

The Tudor Revival (1890-1940) house, of which there are a few examples in Norwood Park Historic District, typically is asymmetrical in massing, is built of masonry construction, with steeply pitched multi-gable roofs, casement windows, and an entry stoop. It can include applied half-timbering on the walls and there may be brick surrounds at doors and windows

As is the case with most historic neighborhoods, there have been some architectural changes made since Norwood Park was first laid out in 1914. In most instances, these are minor alterations that do not significantly interfere with the architectural integrity of the houses. These include replacement doors and windows, artificial siding, and small additions that do not overwhelm the original building in mass and scale. Some architectural changes within the neighborhood that have changed building integrity, include full porch enclosures, large additions, major changes to entries, and complete re-designing of prominent front porches. However, despite these changes, Norwood Park Historic District retains a high degree of architectural integrity in its presentation of architectural styles, setback, massing, materials, and street layout, retaining its sense of place and setting.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue



Although I'm not quite settled in Asheville because I'm staying with a friend since I don't get into my house until the end of next week, I'm doing my best to become part of the community as soon as I can.  So today I attended the volunteer orientation at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.  www.bwar.org


BWAR is a no-kill shelter/rescue organization like the many in the Bay Area that rescues dogs and cats from county shelters to save them from euthanasia and works to find them new homes.

Although this non-profit has permanent staff, the lives of the animals in their care are greatly enriched by the volunteers who help socialize, exercise, train and provide the necessary human interaction that makes and keeps these animals adoptable.

Since the shelter/rescue work and fostering I did in the Bay Area was so rewarding, I plan to continue with these efforts in Asheville - and it looks like Brother Wolf will be a great organization to allow me to do that.  So here I am, one foot farther into my new life!



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

To Asheville

Driving cross-country is not only a lesson in the ethnic diversity of the country, it also gives the obvious lesson in geography.  The rolling golden hills of California leading to the desert; the mesas in Arizona leading to the pine-covered mountains; the vast, flat expanse of arid western Texas leading to the great contrast of the temperate eastern half.

The plains surrounding Amarillo are parched and flat.  As I traveled in eastern Texas, I noticed how the climate had changed dramatically to green, rolling, and watered.  I began noticing the abundance of trees as soon as I left Denton, driving past reservoirs where dammed creeks led to submerged drainages with the skeletons of trees poking out of the waters.  The difference between western Texas and eastern Texas marks the difference between west and east in the whole US!

But the drama of the change really hit me as I drove through Little Rock, Arkansas, where the Arkansas River nudges the city, with its broad banks and deep waters.  A real midwestern river!!  The kind I haven't see in years!  Growing up in Illinois, I remember the murky waters of silent, strong currents that carry boats and anything else light enough to float downriver with no hope of returning unaided.  Here, in Little Rock, I caught a quick glance of such a river - broad, murky, on its way to wherever it was going and nothing was going to stop it.  Vastly different from the fast-running, white-water, then dammed rivers of California. 

I grew excited, knowing that soon I would cross the mighty Mississippi (yes, I know that sounds like a cliche, but it's true!).  At Memphis, it did not disappoint.  I knew it had come down from Illinois, and it would continue on its way, all the way to Louisiana and the gulf, the romance of it still intact.

Continuing eastward through Tennessee, the rivers kept flowing, with names like Loosahatchie,  Piney, Pigeon, and, my favorite, French Broad, because that's the river in Asheville.  Crossing the French Broad in eastern Tennessee with its sandy banks and islands in the middle, I made a mental note to do a float trip on that river while the summer is still hot.

But here's the thing I forgot:  to have all these wonderful rivers requires a lot of rainfall, and my drive east was witness to a whole heck of a lot of it. 

When a huge, black cloud menaced on the interstate, parts of it appearing to reach down to the earth, I stopped in a Visitors' Center to ask if there were tornado warnings, remembering the tragedies of last spring in Joplin Missouri, but the answer was no, just thunderstorms.  So I continued on.  And yes, there were thunderstorms booming around me, with rain at times dumping so hard I could hardly see, but trusting that if I kept the car between the two white lines of my lane, I'd get there in one piece.

And soon I did, arriving in Asheville tired, hungry and eternally grateful that the drive was over, but appreciating the beauty of the Appalachian mountains that I had just driven through and vowing that exploration of these new-to-me mountains (but the oldest on the continent) would be in my future too.


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Dog is my Co-pilot

Driving cross country is a very interesting way to really let the Big Change set into your psyche.  As the miles go by, with the vast distances I realize the vast changes that are about to occur in my life.  And the drive is a wonderful reminder of the enormous diversity we have in this country. 

It took an entire day to get out of California.  Starting in the fog in the Bay Area, I drove past the parched hills along I-5 - where they're putting in vineyards!! and posting signs about how Congress is creating the next "dust bowl" with their water policy.  Over the never-ending Tehachapi Pass, with its windmills looking just like the Altamont Pass, I headed towards Barstow to pick up I-40.  But first, a well-deserved date shake at the California Fruit Depot off Hwy 58.

www.calfruitdepot.com

After crossing the Mojave desert and pressing on in the dark to Kingman AZ for the night, I was exhausted but happy for the progress.





At a rest stop in Arizona.

The next morning revealed the red rocks and mesas of Arizona - what a dramatic difference from the rolling hills and flat desert of California.  Then into the mountains around Flagstaff - starting with juniper-covered hills, then at higher elevations, the pines started, reminding me of the Sierra.  Back down into desert with sandy washes and sagebrush, I started seeing signs for "Indian Trading Posts."  I suddenly realized that this would probably be my last opportunity to buy "Indian" jewelry.

In January, my house in Oakland was burglarized;  they took the TV and all my jewelry, some of which was handmade southwestern turquoise, coral and mother of pearl I had acquired on my various trips to the southwest.  Here was my chance to buy a few things to replace them.  Of course nothing could replace the memories of my Navaho neighbor in Magdalena, making my silver and turquoise bracelet in his garage workshop, but a nice pair of handcrafted earrings would be a start.

So I bought these, made by Calvin Begay, at Ortega's Navajo Trading Plaza, outside of Gallup.

After the night in Tucumcari NM, I drove onward (what else was there to do?) past Amarillo TX, and left the Interstate to US 287 that travels southeast below the Texas-Oklahoma border.  I had set the navigation to Wichita Falls to make sure I didn't miss the turnoff in Amarillo, but once I passed WF, Navi kept telling me to "Exit the Highway and Turn Left!" because she thought I had passed my destination and I didn't know how to turn her off.  So I exited the highway, reset the destination to Denton TX, but as luck would have it, the road I exited on didn't have an on-ramp to get back on.  She sent me down a small road that took me to an unsignaled railroad crossing - where I found lumbering along the super long BNSF train with car after car loaded with coal that I had been tracking along the highway!  I sat there, in 104 degree heat, and lost count of how many cars passed before the tracks were empty and I could cross and in a mile or so, got back on the highway.

As I said, it was 104 in Wichita Falls.  Forty miles later, it was 81 degrees.  Texas doesn't have micro-climates like California.  What it has instead is violent weather!  But much to my surprise, this violence wasn't a thunderstorm - it was wind!!  Wind so strong I had trouble keeping the car on the road, so strong I had trouble getting the car door open when I stopped to buy gas.  So strong, that on the news that night I learned that it had toppled a crane in Dallas and killed two people.  I was lucky.

Finally, safely in Denton, I visited my 97-year-old mother.   ah, but that's another story . . .



Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Empty House

The movers came yesterday, and after ten hours of inventorying, blanket wrapping, and hauling to the driveway, they stuffed all my possessions onto a big orange truck and drove away.


I'm sitting in a hollow-sounding empty house, on a fold-up chair borrowed from neighbor, with my laptop perched on a pulled-out kitchen drawer.  Last night sleeping on an air mattress in my empty bedroom was comfy, but the pre-4th fireworks kept me up till 1 a.m.  At least they weren't gun shots.

There were a few moments of "freak-out" yesterday - OMG, what have I done!  But nothing stays the same in life, and there are times when life "does it" to you and then there are times when you "do it" to life;  this is one of the latter.  

My "winter" visit  to Asheville in February deepened my affection for the town.  Of course, like the rest of the country, Asheville didn't have a winter this year.  The temps were in the 60's, mostly beautiful and sunny, with only one day of drizzle and 50 degree temps.  That was the day it was supposed to snow.  Obviously, it didn't.

With a real estate agent, I toured some of the neighborhoods, getting a feel for house types and price ranges.  I saw some things I liked and some that I didn't.  The housing market in Asheville is tight.  It is, of course, a much smaller population center than the Bay Area, MUCH smaller, and with that size differential, the choices go down.  Also, because it's such a popular place and a big university town, the prices aren't what one would expect in North Carolina or "the South."  Granted they aren't at the insane levels of California, but Asheville is not the place for bargain real estate.  My house hunt would continue with my next visit.

Today, my final day in the Bay Area, I will go to a brunch in Alameda with a ring-side seat for the 4th of July parade, maybe a dance in late afternoon, and hopefully no fog for the fireworks tonight.  Then up and on the road early in the morning tomorrow for the cross-country drive to North Carolina. 

The adventure continues . . .