December 1, 1996
Coonwatch
Buck & Debbie really enjoyed their stay at Leatherwood. They
stayed at Grandview Lodge on Elk Ridge [Meda and Dan Cobb’s
home]. It was early fall, and they decided to spend much of
the afternoon sunning on the big deck facing the west and
Grandfather Mountain. Debbie removed her bracelets and watch
so she would get an even tan. She fastened the watch band
through the bracelets so they wouldn’t get lost and put them
on the railing of the deck beside her. Later, they went
inside and fixed supper, and after supper, when it was dark,
they heard a commotion just outside, and looked to see two
raccoons wrestling on the deck just outside the windows. The
next morning, Debbie remembered she had left her watch and
bracelets on the railing and went out to get them. There, on
the deck, were her bracelets, but the watch, which had been
fastened through them, was nowhere to be found. Debbie’s
sure that that raccoon is somewhere wearing her watch on its
head!
Bear sighted
Last week, Raymond Hansmann [one of our best reporters] was
passing the Keys Cabin where a local contractor, who shall
remain nameless for his own protection, and a man helping
him were loading up their equipment after finishing a job
they had done. One of Raymond’s dogs, Trooper, was with
Raymond and when one of the men saw the dog. The man said to
Raymond, "I saw that dog, not more than fifteen minutes ago,
chasing a bear through the woods up where we just came
from!"
Raymond said, "Well, I’ve got another dog that’s named Bear
who’s got a big coat of black hair, but he’s not near as big
as a bear. I guess you’re talking about a real bear?"
The man said, "Yeah, it was a real bear." Then, just as the
man turned to get back to his work, he looked up toward the
far side of the Keys Cabin and said "GOSH, THERE IT IS!"
Raymond looked up and saw his hairy black dog "Bear"
strolling up toward the group.
Bear sunglasses
A couple left something outside on the porch of their cabin
one evening after a long trail ride at Leatherwood, some
sort of food. Later in the evening, they heard something out
on the porch and they looked and saw a black bear rummaging
around. The bear picked up a pair of sunglasses and set them
down on the railing and then made off with the food.
Let's play "Chicken"
Raymond Hansmann [retired NC highway patrolman, driver of
the tractor that smooths the gravel on Leatherwood roads,
and husband of Sylvia] was motoring down the meadow in the
direction of the Welcome Center when he noticed that the car
that was approaching him was driving on his side of the
road. As they got closer and closer [neither one was going
terribly fast, so imagine a looong period of time passes
right about now] They were still headed right toward Raymond
and the tractor. Raymond thought they were one of his good
friends he hadn’t recognized yet who was joking with him.
When they were pretty close, and they were still on
Raymond’s side of the road, Raymond moved to his right into
the grass to give in to these folks. Then he saw them
clearly and realized that he didn’t know who those people
were in that car, nor why they would be playing with him
like that. Then they passed, with Raymond all the way off
the road in the grass, and he drove on to the Welcome Center
and asked who that was staying in the Mulberry Creek house
that was driving so oddly.
"Why, it’s a couple from England," was the answer.
Nearby spots of interest
Laura Foster’s grave
Directions: from Eller’s store go about 2 miles west on 268
to the Grandin Road on your left, then keep on going west on
268 around a 90° left turn. About 3/10 mile farther
you’ll come to a pasture on the left with a little white
fence out in the pasture on the bank of the river. The fence
surrounds Laura Foster’s grave. There is a permanent marker
with description just a little farther in a turnaround on
the right side of 268.
Whipporwhill Academy
Directions: from Eller’s store go 2 miles east on 268 to
downtown Ferguson, then keep on going east on 268 about one
more mile to the top of the first hill. The driveway to
Edith Carter’s place is on the left, where she has a
collection of local art and craft most every Sunday
afternoon, along with an old log cabin and a restored old
school house "Whipporwhill Academy."
September 25, 1996
Holly’s fleet-footed chicken
One of Holly Masucco’s chickens had a harrowing adventure a
few days ago. Holly and Dave and family are responsible for
the beautiful and interesting garden that grew this summer
behind the Welcome Center. We’ve all enjoyed watching the
pumpkins get big. Anyway, back to the story: Holly and Dave
have chickens, not to be eaten (they’re vegetarians—Holly
and Dave that is, but I guess the chickens are, too), but to
eat the bugs out of their garden. Their chickens are named
Hannah and Rudy.
Holly went to town the day of the big flood to go to the
laundromat. After she got her clothes started, she then went
to Walmart and later went back to the laundromat. When she
came out of the laundromat, there was Hannah, her chicken,
strolling around her car. How did Hannah get there? She
wouldn’t tell. Some folks believe that she somehow hung onto
something underneath Holly’s car for the 22 mile trip into
town, and then to Walmart and back. But, I think that Hannah
has been following Holly on her long marathon jogs, and got
into real good shape. I think that speedy chicken ran into
town on its own.
Update on Holly’s chickens
Holly’s chicken, Libby [I think it was the one who went to
town] has been renamed. Early one morning, the Massuccos
(Holly, Dave, Maria, and Jesse) were wakened by a terrible
noise downstairs. It sounded like a chicken choking very
LOUDLY. Maria, Holly’s daughter was very alarmed. "What's
that, Mommy?" Holly didn't know what it was, but they soon
found out. Libby is NOT a hen. Libby is a ROOSTER, and Libby
was learning how to crow, early in the morning, at sunrise.
So, now, Libby isn't Libby anymore. Libby is now "Larry".
Skinny dipping
We all had a lot of fun at the barbecue dinner celebration
of Leatherwood's 10th birthday in May. Well, most of us did,
anyway. While the band was taking a break, a guy came up to
me and asked, "Could you do me a favor?" and I was feeling
pretty good that night and I said "Shuuure." So he said "Are
your going to be making any announcements?" and I said
"Yeah." So he says, "Listen, you see that table over there
with those three women and two men?" and I said "Yeah." He
says, "Yesterday those three girls went riding together over
on Chestnut Mountain and they found the big waterfall over
there, and while they were there, one of `em said, `Hey, why
don't we go swimming' in that pool at the bottom of the
falls' and another one said `But somebody might see us' and
the first one said `Oh, no, not `way back here.' So they
went skinny dipping in the creek. Well, when they got back
they told us about it. What I want you to do is tell it like
you were over there in the woods yesterday ..." So I said,
"OK, I'll do it."
About five minutes later, I got up to do my announcements
and at the end, I said "Oh, by the way, yesterday I was
hiking over there up on Chestnut Mountain," and I paused,
and then I said "and I went over to Laytown falls" and I
paused, and then I said "and guess what I saw. There were
three good-looking girls skinny dipping in the pool at the
bottom of the falls." Well, when I said that, there came a
big loud whoop from that table of folks so that everybody
there turned around to see what it was.
Later, one of the ladies asked me did I really see them, and
me not wanting to spoil the fun, I said yes I did. Still
later, the guy that asked me to do it came up and said it
was the best fun they'd had in years. I thought so, too.
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