Ok, ok, so its been a "few" months since I've updated my blog, but when it comes to this blog, I get discouraged pretty easily.  Thanks to Barb who encouraged me to write whether people are reading it or not and Audrey, who told me a while ago that she had noticed I hadn't updated it in a while - your wisdom and encouragement is why I love you both so much!

One of my last posts was about our family trip up to Clyde, NC last Summer, so I want to finish up that "series" before I get to the current events!  Since its been such a long time since I've posted, here's a link to "The Beautiful Mountains of North Carolina" the first of the series, and then there was "Caldwell Place".

I must also pointed out that looking back over my last several posts, I realize that I have learned so much about photography since then.  There's so much to know about cameras and editing that I never anticipated, so I have to say these pictures aren't exactly what I pride myself on now.  Nevertheless, they show where I've come from, and I'm proud of my endurance in learning so much more than I thought I could.

The next stop after Caldwell Place was Beech Grove school in Cataloochee Valley - where all the kids in the area attended.

Here it is: tiny, but definitely what I think of when I think of early 20th century school houses.

This is what I love about history: a little over 100 years ago, children sat in these very desks where I was standing that day.  To be there and see what they saw is such a abstract yet tangible idea for me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a history lover of any sort, but this was a great experience.

The river flowed right behind and to the side of the school house.  Talk about a beautiful distraction from a student's perspective!

Well, this is it!  My first post in a while and hopefully I can keep it up, but as always, no promises!  

Tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to heading to the beach with the hubs and spending a couple of days with my parents!  Hopefully, I'll get some good shots there!