22 June 2017
It did not rain and I didn’t have to pack a wet tent. I’ll need to air it out upon my return home, but I lucked out. I woke up around 5:30 am and after coffee, was packed and ready to go by 7:15. My GPS routed me along NC 221 and then interstate to Asheville. I finally got a cellular signal about 45 minutes outside Asheville and was able to call Joyce and Alfred Hiller to let them know I was coming.
The last time I saw Joyce and Alfred was when they were in Fort Lauderdale, I think for a cruise. That was many years ago and it was a treat to see them again. We all commiserated with each other about health issues and caught up with each other’s lives.
When I met Joyce, I was stationed at USCG Communications Station in New Orleans. I wanted to volunteer in the Boy Scouts and met her then husband Fred through a troop led by Glen Buck. Fred insisted I come over for dinner one night where I met Joyce and their son Reed. Joyce and Fred pretty much adopted me while I was stationed there . I was constantly eating at their place. The friendship lasted. Fred died after I came to Broward and Joyce married Alfred. I got to know him the first time when they came to Fort Lauderdale. He’s a very interesting guy and devoted to Joyce, Reed, and Reed’s family.
It was so good to visit. Unfortunately, I was on a tight schedule to get to FDR State Park at Pine Mountain, GA and had to leave after a couple of hours. Although it has been years since I saw Alfred and Joyce, we picked up like it was only a few days instead of years. Good friends are like that.
I wasn’t able to visit with Reed, Sandra and the twins. I thought they were out of town and didn’t notify them and they had plans for today.
Just as I was approaching the park, Sirius went crazy with a tornado warning. Twice. Then one time, the radio just started beeping. I kept looking around for funnel clouds but thankfully none showed.
The cabin is great. They modernized an old CCC cabin, refinished the floors, redid the bathroom and still kept the quaint features. I have two fireplaces. I’m tempted to drop the air conditioner just to have a fire a la Nixon but will not.
Considering I haven’t had a shower in three days, I lingered a little tonight in the hot water. I enjoyed my stay at Linville Falls and will miss the nightly firefly show. Maybe FDR will provide them here.
