When Sharon’s traveling I end up with Kitty Cane Cat (Aiden) and Alex Dane Dog (Alex). Sharon selected their parenthetical names; I invented their real ones, much to her chagrin. But we have fun and they add depth to our lives. And although they’re both females, is it any wonder that the smaller one’s in charge!
Yesterday we decided to put some good privacy screen up at matts house in Blowing Rock, NC. We chose Leyland Cypress as a good natural barrier. These are the dark green plants you see every 10 feet in the foreground. Sharon and I planted these 5 years ago at her mom’s house and they are 20 feet tall now. I love planting flowers bushes and trees in the mountains. Isn’t it always such a pleasure to watch things grow!
Welcome Ansley Alison to Earth! Aren’t you precious! Sharon got a call Sunday night around two in the morning that the baby was coming and twenty minutes later was in the car on a six hour drive to Atlanta. Fifteen minutes after arriving Ansley was born 5 lbs 5 ozs! Don’t we have someone to spoil now!
Surprise! It was my 28 year old son, Matt’s idea to surprise his sister, Page who lives in Boston. So last Friday he, Sara, Sharon and I flew to Boston to do so. You could have stopped time with the look on her face when she walked into the restaurant and saw us! The entire weekend was priceless. How many times does your daughter turn 30 and you get the chance to honor her for who she is! (L to R, Ray, Page, me, Sharon, Matt and Sara)
Matt and I went to see the Carolina Hurricanes play hockey last night in Raleigh. It was a great time to get away with your son enjoy a 1 night out on the town. The truth is though it was even better to come back to the high country this morning.
It’s cold and it’s snowing but it’s beautiful. this is where I live and I love it so much it’s were I’ll always stay.
Cutting Firewood with Dad
Here we are at Sharon’s farm in Virginia cutting firewood to get ready for old man winter. It’s fun to get outside in the elements and work on the farm. Fresh air, hard work and something to show for it at the end of the day! We cut and split a few cords of wood for my new wood stove insert. I’m installing the insert in my house on Fox Den Rd in Blowing Rock, NC. I looking forward to saving some money on propane this year!
We’re thankful to be in business!
Happy Thanksgiving! At Boone Real Estate we’re thankful to have such great clients to work with! We like you all so much that we’re happy to get a little work even when we’re the only car in the parking lot 
As always, we’ll be available if you would like to see property over the holiday weekend. Cheers!
Happy Halloween to all of you! If you’re going trick or treatin’ tonight you better bundle up! Have a spooky good evening.
Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble. - Shakespeare, “Macbeth”
It all came out on 1 kart. Sharon and I are out here in Sacramento to marry my brother Mitch. Let’s hope the third time is the charm. Every once in awhile is good to do something besides selling real estate in Boone NC.
Here’s a short little time-lapse I took on Friday evening at Sharon’s Farm. Sara and I went over to Virginia to eat dinner (Surf n Turf!) and spend some time with my dad and his girlfriend, Sharon. Here’s a peek at the beautiful mountains of southwest Virginia. These mountains are almost as pretty as North Carolina 
Biking on Railroad Grade Road in Todd, NC
It’s looking like great weekend full of sunshine with highs in the upper 70′s! If you’re looking for something to do that’s fun, active and beautiful I suggest you go biking out in Todd, NC. If you don’t have a bike or don’t feel like hauling it with, no need to panic – you can rent bikes in Todd. Railroad Grade Rd is a popular road to ride because it’s flat and scenic. Follow the New River for the entire ride and forget about that stressful week at work. Todd may be a rural community but I assure you there’s plenty to do! Watch the tubers float by or stop by the Todd General Store for a cold drink and tasty sandwich.
Also, if it gets too hot outside and you need to take a dip in cool, refreshing mountain water, check out our blog post on The Top 10 Swimming Holes around Boone, NC. Have a great weekend y’all.
Here’s a map so you can see a popular 7 mile (roundtrip) ride.
View Railroad Grade Biking Route in a larger map
It’s a gorgeous weekend up in Boone, NC. This weather is perfect for walking around with the whole family. If you’ve never been in the original Mast General Store it’s definitely worth the trip. The Mast General Store is a trip into 19th century America. It’s a trip back to an era where people took time – time to talk to each other, to get to know their neighbors, to appreciate and savor the importance of mere moments in time. Time slows down the moment you walk in. You can’t stroll through the Mast General Store without recognizing how life must have been a hundred years ago before all the newfangled inventions of the modern era like automobiles and airplanes. The building itself is the first harbinger of things gone by. The floors have an honest creak and have been here so long that you’ll find plenty of tin floor patches where the knots have given way. Nothing is automated or over-packaged. You’ll find goods in stacks and barrels. You’ll find folks standing around shooting the breeze. The staff are unhurried almost like there’s nothing more important they have to do than serve and maybe even get to know you. Winter days you’ll find old-timers sitting around the pot-bellied stove radiating warmth and winter cheer. At some of the general stores you’ll stumble into a group of blue grass players hitting the banjo. What you’ll discover most of all is how time slows down when you walk in and that you’ll walk out feeling a little healthier and fresher for having stopped by. Next time you pass by the Mast General Store in Boone, NC or Valle Crucis, stop in and say hi. You’ll be glad you did.
I grew up in Todd, North Carolina and I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the high country. We used to put our tubes in the New River and float all the way down to the Todd General Store. The New River is great for canoeing, kayaking or tubing. It’s very relaxing to drift downstream while enjoying the sunshine and taking in the pastoral views. In recent years a great addition has been constructed in Todd, NC – the Green Valley Park. Their mission was to establish a multipurpose community park. The Green Valley Park has tons of recreational and educational opportunities including a park, walking & hiking trails, a canoe ramp, park benches/tables and an athletic field. It’s a perfect spot to take the family for a picnic or to put a couple canoes in and have a day on the New River. It’s great to see the community come together and create such a beautiful park while maintaining and protecting the natural beauty and the ecological health. The weather is looking great this week and weekend! Stop by the Green Valley Park to find out just how awesome it is.
To find out more information about the Green Valley Park, check out their website: GreenValleyPark.org
My Son Matt Joins the Firm...
I’ve been trekking the beautiful mountains of the high country around Boone for almost twenty years and have always felt grateful for the privilege of living in such a beautiful place. Shortly after arriving in the high country I started a real estate business because it felt so natural to represent buyers looking for homes in an area I loved so much. Now almost twenty years later with my 27-year-old son, Matt joining me in the business it is almost inexpressibly fulfilling to see him following in my footsteps. It is a daily touch of grace in my life that I get to mentor him in the art of looking out for our clients’ interests but especially to simply savor the extra time with my son in my life. I’m well aware that not every father is awarded such an opportunity. It’s a blessing for which I’m grateful every day. What could be better than spending time with your son, working hand in hand in the most beautiful spot in the country, working with great clients and helping him establish a sustainable livelihood in the high country. It’s on days like today that you truly taste the meaning of success.
Now that’s a good, hard-working son right there! Ever time I look around that lad’s improving sumpin! A Dads gotta be lucky to have his son working with him!
From left to right – me, Mitch (Don), Donna Lyn, Rock and Joan. Our first in many years and was in Chicago in October before son, Matt helped me get my blog back up. Now planning another in Tahoe in Sept for Mitch’s wedding.
Sharon & Alex on a cold morning on Foxfire Ridge at her beautiful farm in southwestern Virginia..
Frosty Morning in Boone, NC with Aiden, the Cat…
Having lunch with my sons ( L to R) Matt & Mike at one of our favorite Boone restaurants – Our Daily Bread….
Jamming at a Boone bar last night with my son Matt (right) and his friend Les…
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