Remembering wonderful times at the Mountain House with family and friends…
July 2013
We SOLD the house in North Carolina.
March 1 marked the end of an era for the Smith family. It all began with the New Smyrna Beach condominium. Many wonderful years were spent on that beach, in that pool, on those golf courses, fishing, boating and sailing those waters. Then Mom and Dad sold the beach place and bought a house in Holly Forrest near Cashiers, North Carolina. Within a year they decided to build a house up there. They got an architect (Allen Brown) who helped to design a home that would accommodate the whole family. It had four bathrooms and bedrooms with essentially five sleeping areas if you include the basement that had two sleeping sofas. They had already found a lot. The lot had it’s own creek and it overlooked the second green of Sapphire Country Club. Several of the friends from The Country Club of Orlando had purchased lots. Some were building homes. They loved the place. Soon their home was under construction.
They had found their place. It would evolve into spending seven or eight months in North Carolina and three or four in Florida. There were a few occasions when both Debbie’s family and ours came to see them at the same time. Having visitors was their ultimate pleasure. Mom especially looked forward to ‘having company.’ Eventually Mom and Dad were entertaining their Great Grandchildren. In 2006 they both passed away here in Florida. Both sides of the family continued to use the house which I am sure would have made them happy.
Our family began to make regular trips to the house from the beginning. For us it was a welcome change from sub tropical Florida to the cool mountains. After Mom and Dad’s passing and our retirements, Jan and I began to spend more time between April and November up there. Amy and Erin’s families met us there as often as they could. Debbie’s kids also made good use of the house. Here are some of our highlights over the years.
The Fourth of July celebration at Lake Fairfield on the grassy banks of the lake watching spectacular fireworks with a symphony orchestra playing patriotic music. We brought our blankets, snacks and drinks, found a spot and waited for sundown. Then there were countless hikes to waterfalls that are so numerous in this part of North Carolina (supposedly more waterfall here than anywhere in the eastern US). These hikes were rock throwing opportunities for the kids. There were annual golf trips with David’s buddies which began with Mom and Dad as hosts and continued after they were gone. Then there were trips to the Cashiers Playground with the grandkids, lunches at the Cornucopia with family and friends. Of course there was antiquing in Highlands, Cashiers and Brevard. Back at the house there were fires in the fireplace which was a real treat for Floridians. Down at our creek the kids searched for rubies, sapphires and other gems. Golf cart rides all around the development was a hit with the kids. Skye (our golden retriever) loved to get in the cart and go to the river to fetch the ball from the cool water. Of course each year ended with a “leafing trip” in October to enjoy the spectacular colors which we Floridians don’t otherwise see. Then we closed the house for the winter to be taken care of by our friend Bruce Hutchinson.
For me it was an opportunity to fly fish which I had begun when we lived in Atlanta while I attended Emory. My love of fly fishing intensified when we lived in New Mexico where I had the opportunity to fish most of our western states. At the house on Staircase Falls Road I was a short five minute golf cart ride to be fishing the Horsepasture River. Or in just a few minutes in the car I could be fishing other western North Caroline creeks and rivers. I was hooked. Danny soon was hooked also. By the end most of the grandkids got a taste of the joys of fishing.
It became a place for reunions, visits and even a wedding since Erin and Danny were married there. SO many wonderful memories. It is a bitter sweet passing of an era. We were Blessed. I am Grateful.
WaterFalls…
There were so many waterfalls close to the House. That part of North Carolina is where the Blue Ridge Escarpment creates tremendous numbers of waterfalls as the mountain terrain drops into South Carolina. In a few minutes drive with a short hike you can see some spectacular falls. We visited most of them over the years…enJOY this video I made a few years ago!