Jammin' with Paul

As some of you know, I took up the banjo again this Spring after many years of inactivity. 

In early July, Paul joined us in Todd and he and I got to jam a bit - a first for us together.  Although Paul had to do the leading, I had a lot of fun and we eventually started getting together on a few songs.

It has been some time since Paul and I had some low key time together and it was his birthday too.

A Three hour tour, a three hour tour .................



Elizabeth



Saturday the second of July was hot and it was Paul's birthday so after much deliberation, we decided to set aside the golf game and go on a three hour tube float down the New River in Todd. 

The New River in this area is slow, sedate and the prefect place to let your troubles wash away.  Rarely more than a few feet deep, our lazy river's riffles and runs are more likely to bump your bottom than to test your white water prowess.  So, armed with sunscreen, water and our sense of adventure; we 4 (Elizabeth, Paul, Mary and I)  began our adventure.

Elizabeth and Paul

Our friend Kelly at River Girl Fishing took us up the river to a launch point a mile or so above the high water bridge at Big Hill and River Roads.  Lesson one - placing one's posterior in a tube and plopping into the river is a chilling experience - the air was in the 80's but the water was considerably cooler.  Refreshing and eye opening, we were off!

Taming the roaring river!

Shortly into the journey, we lashed all 4 tubes together for safety and convenience and began figuring out how to navigate the raging torrent!  As you can see from the photo above, we were barely able to keep from being washed overboard.

Working Hard.

Mary was particularly stressed in keeping our vessel on course and had to regularly drag bottom to keep us on course.  Along our journey were a family of wood ducks, a great blue heron and numerous other attractions to calm the mind and soul.

Nearly 4 hours after our adventure began, we landed in Todd tired and famished.  A visit to Emily's bakery on the way home cured the hunger and a quiet evening on the deck eased the tired.

What a wonderful way to pass a lazy July afternoon.

Some time with Elizabeth

We hadn't seen Elizabeth in nearly 2 years so when her mother offered to meet us in Todd, we were overjoyed.

The hot July weekend was a perfect one for messing around in the creek in front of the farmhouse.  Elizabeth spent a lot of time checking out the river rock and selecting just the right ones for felting and for her personal collection.

Reading and games filled up the quiet times.  Mary and I can't get over how beautiful Elizabeth has become. She is tall and slim with just a hint of devilishness, smart as a whip and ready to jump into new adventures at a moments notice.

We can't let it be so long until we visit this precious child again! 

Cousins, cousins, everywhere cousins



Siblings, cousins and all the rest!

 Saturday the third of October was the annual McGuire homecoming in Todd, North Carolina .

Every year on the first Saturday in October, the clan gathers at the old homeplace for fun and food.  We had 49 people this year and enough food for 100. 

Betsy and John were our hosts and a geat time was had by all.

Haskell, Johnny,Mary, Tom, Estelle and Carolyn

Four of the six children of Raymond and Ruth McGuire are still living and attended the reunion (Estelle Smith, Tom McGuire, Haskell McGuire and Mary Norman).  They are pictured here with first cousins Johnny Williams and Carolyn Holbrook.  Start adding in all the children, grand children and spouses and the numbers climb rapidly.

If you were there, thanks for being a part of this celebration.  If not, please try to make it next year - the first Saturday in October at the homeplace.

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.