Blowing Rock

I have several enduring memories from our recent trip to Blowing Rock in the North Carolina mountains (I'm not sure which mountains, because I have a horrible sense of geography). The first is the death grip we kept on Dominic as we stared in awe at the waterfalls cascading into the gorge at Linville Falls. The second is being out in the middle of a lake with the kids on a pedalboat as clouds gathered directly overhead. After the first strike of lightning Vincent said to me, "Mommy? Remember how you said lightning likes to strike water? Well, are we going to die now?"

We didn't, thankfully. In fact, we survived well enough to rescue the train at Tweetsie Railroad from train robbers and Indians the following day. And Dominic was not at all scared, thank you very much (Dominic was rather wide-eyed when a fully-painted Indian boarded the train, but he swore up and down -- much later -- that he was not scared and that he actually tried to kill the Indian with his gun).

Ah yes, the guns. Because we could not possibly leave a Wild West town without adding to our arsenal, we came away from Tweetsie with a cap gun for each child (Catherine's is pink) and a lifetime supply of caps that will last, oh, probably another week at the rate we're going.

My pack mule

"The waterfall is THIS high!"

Linville Falls

Bob Timberlake's car

Chetola Resort

Off to rescue the train!

Contemplating the robbery

Is your mama a llama?