The Swannanoa Valley History Museum

It's a sunny August day, but the vacation camps in Ridgecrest or Montreat give people Wed. afternoon free, so there are a lot of tourists in Black Mountain.

I arrive at 1:20 in time for my docent volunteer shift from 1:30-5:00 pm.

But can't just sit down.  Talk with docent from this morning, talk with the director and meet the treasurer.  Then visitors come in, and I welcome them...more than I expected, 2 groups of 3 at once.  Then someone comes in to renew her family membership, and we get to talking.

A new book by our director, Anne Chesky Smith...I'm going to enjoy looking at the Then and Now photos of Black Mountain.

I love looking for various sites I've been to on the topographic map...that's the town of Black Mountain as the amorphous white area with a pin in it...and I live somewhere around Highway 70 looking toward High Windy Mountain in the foreground. (A visitor asked a good question, "Is there a real Black Mountain somewhere?"
"No not in these woods." I looked it up and one is in Maine, one in Vermont, and one in Kentucky.

Finally I walk about taking some outdoor photos.  This is the first sunny day that I've volunteered here.  However, within 2 hours, a summer afternoon thunderstorm hit!  It was more trouble for the 12 people who were dropping in (most of them under 12 years old) and had to wait till someone went for their cars, then dashed out in the rain to get into cars that stopped in the main roadway.

 The renovation 2 years ago meant putting replica doors in the style of the old fire house, which now houses the museum.

This is the entrance through which all visitors pass.

This is where I sit, behind the guest book.

 Me being a docent in front of an old quilt depicting a historic Swannanoa Valley. (It's the only quilt here, sigh, made by Stephanie Wilds.)

Old jail cells that used to be in the basement of the then court house, which now is the Black Mountain Center for the Arts next door.

Upstairs are the old artifacts, a.k.a. antiques.

Downstairs is a temporary exhibit about Black Mountain College.

 It includes a video...

 And a faux geodesic dome...

But a picture of a real one (not at Black Mountain College, but someplace similar)

The first geodesic form was attempted to be constructed at Black Mountain College with Buckminster Fuller, but the material of venetian blind slats proved to be unsuitable.  However the design was good, and the right materials have sure been built a lot since then.

My own post script from today's volunteering was that I now have permission from the director to use photographs the museum has in stock for sharing here on my blog!  She even offered me digital ones scanned from originals.  Whoo-hoo! What pleasure that will be to share with y'all.

Another pitcher

Mayco Stroke N Coat "Jaded" on exterior, inside with Satin White studio glaze, and rim with Plum studio glaze.

Does it pour?

 This is a bad pour - dribble down the side...

After the first inch has poured, then the water flows over the edge without a dribble.  Bt it's not as good a pour as the last one I made.  Another learning experience.

Today's Quote:

Small to medium poppy bowls

A couple of four pound bowls (that means 4 pounds of clay to throw, then trim off about 1/4 pound, then bisque and glaze)...which end up being medium size...great for mixing a side salad for 4, or a nice big one for 2.

These have clear matt glaze on the outside, with Mayco Stroke N Coat glaze hand-painted flowers on the inside.

But don't believe how big they are until you see them next to the small ones...

Sorry the color is yellowed.  I'll try to remember to get a natural lighted shot before I post this!

But it rained, so all the light was green tinted off the trees!  Sorry about that.

Poppy bowl with petal folds

Inside glazed with Mayco Stroke N Coat, outside unglazed vitrified clay...food safe.

Today's quote:

Whether you choose to give a gift or share your friendship remember that it is the intention behind the thought that is most important.  Madisyn Taylor

Giant flower

All during church we looked at this highly sexual hibiscus.

Funny, I don't think they even reproduce with that pollen which fell over on the petal at left.  If they make seeds, I hope this giant plant replicates plenty!

Flat Creek becomes a playground in Montreat NC

 Several bridges cross over Flat Creek which usually is nice and well behaved.  In May it was not and flooded the area, and dropped some trees and changed the shape of some people's creek-front property.  But it is controlled somewhat by the dam up in Montreat at Lake Susan, except when there's just too much water in too little time.

 It even comes under a parking lot, or at least some of it does.

 There are some buildings by the creek, which provide the daytime activities for the camping experience for children during the summer.  There were lots of little signs saying the playground was closed (bright pink here).

 Looking at the creek below the rhododendrons, below.

 I walked down this ramp past the little sign, to find many families were enjoying the park.

 Big smelly white bags are the remains from cleanup, but the water itself was clean.

 Children continue to have birthday parties.  And the park is actually open to the public, except for areas that are fenced off.

The climbing equipment is still useable.

 This is a nice big park, with lots of places kids can go wading and play in a natural stream.

 This area is still being repaired, and the plastic orange fencing shows the damage to the rubber matt walkways, which used to end in a bridge over the creek.

Quote for today:

My brain is only a receiver; in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength, and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.

Nikola Tesla