Mary meets her mama & other folks.



Mrs. McGuire

 "Hello, I'm Mrs. McGuire and my husband runs this garage." 

Imagine Mary's suprise in meeting her 20 year old mother in a scene from a 1926 Todd reenactment called Timbertown.  There were historic Todd folks dressed in period costume and appearing at most of the historic locations in town.  Annie & Walter Cook, Ruth McGuire, Eleanor Moretz and Leona Worley were just some of the roles played by future elementary school teachers from ASU.  At each station - Depot, garage, post office, bank, general store, bakery and more; a student actor played the part of a local figure and presented a bit of the rich history of Todd as it was in 1926.



Actors and tour guides



Paddlin' on the New



Quiet trip down river.

 Todd wouldn't be Todd without the South fork of the New River.  It kisses the edge of town at its junction with Elk Creek before heading East to Fleetwood and beyond.

On Friday, Mary & I picked up our newly acquired kayaks from the River Girl Fishing Company and headed upriver about 3 miles for our inaugural voyage.  No fishing tackle this trip just a laid back trip on a very low river.  The normally 2 hour trip took almost 3 due to slow current and multiple "Walking" places without enough water to move a kayak along.  Funny how it floated fine when either of us got out - must be a cosmic thing.


Mary enjoying the trip.


Floating slowly downstream reminded us how important it is to just slow down and enjoy the journey.  All too often we get caught in the rush to get to a destination rather than taking time to enjoy the sites along the way.  We saw a heron, numerous other birds and lots of fish.  We were bombed by falling buckeyes and pushed along by gentle breezes.  It was easy to believe, if only for a few hours, that we were travelling far from civilization in a long ago time.

Todd Vacation & Reunion 2010



Tree at Walter & Annie Cook
Memorial Park

 Late September is our time of year to travel to Todd, North Carolina for Mary's family homecoming the first Saturday in October and for some relief from the oppressive heat of the valley. 

Heron on the river

Her family has been holding the reunion on the same weekend since 1974 and every year 50 to over 100 family members show up around noon for food and fellowship.  We learn of all the births, deaths, marriages and other everyday things that make up our lives.  There is rarely and "Big" news, just the regular stuff that seems to get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind.  A new car, a move to a new place, painting the house and taking a vacation are the most common topics around the homeplace that same Saturday in October.  The older folks show up to remember and the children to learn about what and who were here before they were born. 

It is about a family sharing common ancestors and common experiences in a beautiful place that moves a bit slower than the rest of the world.