#travel2013 - Waynesville, NC

Wedding season is officially upon on.  This weekend I was thrilled to attend the wedding of two of my Clemson friends.  Weddings bring together families of all kinds, and this wedding brought together my Backstreets family.  I don't think it could have been a more perfect weekend.  (If you haven't heard me talk about Backstreets, its a bar in Clemson where I was a regular, then Artist in Residence.  It is so much more than a bar though, it is family.)

The wedding was in Waynesville, NC, a place I had never been.   From Chattanooga, it was a gorgeous 3 hour drive through the mountains.

The drive took me along the Ocoee and Nantahalla rivers.  The water was up some, and the paddlers were taking advantage.  It reminded me just how long its been I've been rafting...something that I need to fix this summer.

It was such a beautiful drive.

When I arrived in Waynesville, I was greeted by friends at the hotel, and we took a little walk through the town.  And by town, I mean about 2 blocks of shops and cafes.

What we learned about Waynesville is they love their sweets, specifically chocolate.  There was more fudge & truffles than just about anything else.  And they love a good chocolate alcohol mix.  There were wine truffles, Grand Marnier truffles, champagne truffles, bourbon truffles....and the list goes on and on.  It was all amazing, and I appreciated the fact that our hotel was in walking distance from everything.

The wedding was great, and it really was wonderful to catch up with my Backstreets family.  Even though I shouldn't have been, I was pleasantly surprised how many people made the trip.  Catching up with everyone was a highlight for sure.

 

After the Saturday wedding, I drove to Clemson to spend Sunday & Monday.  There is no place like Clemson in the summer.  It's beautiful, and the pace slows to a crawl. I spent almost no time indoors, and got some much needed sun as a result.  The food and the company were fantastic.  It was the perfect mix of putt-sing around working on stained glass, and just hanging out catching up.  I was sad to leave, but I know that I will be back.

And I really do wish that a few people would take me up on my offer to show them around Chattanooga.  Cough, cough, hint hint, wink wink PeteLisaBrandyTravisRickyJoshJaredCiaraAngelaAnnaJimRobert etc etc. :)

Next up: New Kent, Virginia (this coming weekend) for wedding #2 of the season.

emily vs ivy

It never ends. That's all there is to it.

Just when I thought I had the ivy under control, and away from my house, I realized how HUGE my property feels, and that the ivy has doubled down in areas I didn't even know had ivy problems.

I don't even want to talk about my side yard

Recently, my dad and I were walking around my house, and he started pointing out how the ivy has killed all, or parts, of some trees.  This progressed to pointing out which of the larger trees are in danger of being overtaken by the ivy.  He's right, of course, and so after he left I decided to cut the ivy off one of the larger trees he mentioned was a good candidate for saving.  I've been focused on the front yard, and this tree was in the back.  (I don't think of my self as having a back yard, just a small stretch of woods.)

This is my back yard,  it's THAT bad.

As soon as I got to this tree, I saw that all of the trees in the back are huge, and they are all covered with ivy.  Old ivy, with thick hairy roots...talk about overwhelming.  But, my trusty saw tooth bow knife works like a charm, so I methodically got to work.  Here's how it goes:

• First I whack off the leaves on the bottom 3'-4' of the trunk so I can actually see the vines. 
• Then I work my way around the base, severing each of the vines, and pulling down what I can. I cut out a minimum of 6", but try to cut our pull a full 3'to 4' all the way around the tree.   This will kill the ivy farther up in the trees as it heats up this summer. 

before

after

close up of hairy ivy

It looks like I will be repeating this process literally hundreds of times this summer.  Then the next step will be pulling the ivy back from around the trees, or trying to pull it out entirely.  There is so much ivy in these woods that I'm worried I will have a problem with soil erosion if I'm not careful. There is a lot of vinca minor in parts of this area, and I wouldn't mind leaving that as a ground cover, ONLY because it doesn't climb.

Sooooo, if anyone wants to go all Rambo in the woods anytime soon, let me know! I've got a couple extra knives, and a vendetta against the ivy.  I pay in food and beverages!

(Re)Discover Chattanooga - Flying Squirrel Bar

Today marks one week since Flying Squirrel Bar opened their doors in Chattanooga's Southside neighborhood.  I have a feeling it's been quite a week for them.  I couldn't resist a bar named Flying Squirrel, so last Saturday I went with friends to check it out.  We went for after dinner drinks, and we had a blast.

When we walked up to the Flying Squirrel, the first thing we noticed was all the people milling about.  People were coming in from all directions, congregating at The Flying Squirrel.  All of the bike racks were full, as were the seats on the outside section of the bar.  When I was growing up, this was one of the areas of town where I was told "lock your doors."  The atmosphere has changed though, and it really felt like a neighborhood.

We took a quick tour of the inside, and there is no other word to describe it other than beautiful...ok maybe classy.  It's full of locally hand crafted wood (much of it reclaimed or scrap), and large, modern, glass windows.  There are LED pendent lights, and an array of seating options.  There is an upstairs lounge with couches and chairs, and the main section downstairs has semi private booths, as well as floating bistro height bars for those who like to stand and mingle.  Outside, there are garage style doors that open up to reveal that the bar is actually shaped like U, as well as tables, and a retaining wall that doubles as bench seating.  Even the bathrooms are cool, with neat sinks and european style hand dryers.

Our waiter confirmed that the opening weekend had, as we suspected, been nuts, and that the after dinner crowd was actually a lull for them.  Our table ordered a mix of craft beers and mixed drinks, and I have to say that I really enjoyed my Watermelon Old Fashioned made with Chattanooga Whiskey.  I'll also say that I am not a gin drinker, but the Rare Form (a gin martini with rosemary syrup) was really good.

As the night went on, we saw the crowd shift to a younger dynamic.  Being somewhere between 'young professional' and 'older than I actually feel', I liked the wide range of people who were checking out this new neighborhood bar.  Everyone seemed laid back, even if you could tell they were ready for a night out.  I can see Flying Squirrel as a place I would be comfortable just about any time of day, and I wish there were something like it on my street!

The only thing I can't praise Flying Squirrel for is the food, and that's only because I haven't tried it...yet.  (I'll let you know when I do.  Word on the street is that the garlic fries are on point.)  The staff was knowledgeable and attentive, and the drink menu was comprehensive without being so ambitious that it couldn't be executed well.  The atmosphere is great, and it didn't feel like a place that had only been open a few days.  Everything is finished and in place, and no one was rushing around trying to get used to the setup.  The guys from the Crash Pad do a good job, and The Flying Squirrel is no exception.  I definitely encourage you to check it out the next time you're on the Southside!

Flying Squirrel Bar
55 Johnson Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37408
Tues-Sat: 5pm-3am
Sun: 10:30am-2pm  5pm-1am (limited menu)
Closed Monday
Website | facebook | @squirrelbar | Instagram

may bloom day 2013

For someone whose middle name is rose, it pretty surprising that this is my very first bloom day post with ROSES!!

I was so excited that when I moved into my great grandmother's house and I found two roses.  One is a small bush rose, and the other is a rambler.  Both had been severely cut back before I moved in, both had problems with their foliage last year, and neither bloomed.  Thanks to an ID from Connie at Hartwood Roses, I was able to confirm Rose Slugs as the culprit munching on the leaves.  I didn't catch it early enough to prevent all of the damage, but I was able to contain it enough that the tea (?) rose has 4 blooms.

Ignore the house about to be painted in the background.

The rambler is doing much better than the tea (?) rose, and I'm seeing a lot of strong healthy new growth.  The new canes are about 3 times as thick as the rest of the plant.  I'm not sure if it's the weather, the compost & mulch from last year, or a combination of both, but I'm really happy how this rose is doing.  My first bud is getting ready to bloom, and more are forming.  The next step will be documenting the blooms, and trying to identify the rose.

 

 

Also doing much better this year is my rhododendron.  Last year it had some new growth but only one bloom.  It has been fertilized and mulched with pine nettles, and this year it is covered in new growth and about 10 beautiful blooms like this one:

One of the surprises in my yard last year were blackberries bushes!  There is a row of blackberries in my yard that the previous renters had mowed down each year.  I have let them grow, and this year the plants are covered in blooms!

My Mock Orange is in full bloom right now, and it smells amazing. It's about 6.5 feet tall, and a perfect fit off the corner of my porch.  If there was one plant in my yard that I would try to propogate through cuttings, this would be it.

Something new I have found this year are wildflowers called Little Brown Jugs. (information form the University of TN Institute of Agriculture ) They have heart shaped, waxy leaves, and the petal-less flowers are underneath.  The flowers really do look like little brown jugs. 

Also blooming in my yard are a few wildflowers, or weeds as some people like to call them.  My hellebores and pansies are hanging in there too, but I'm not sure they'll still have their petals by this time next month.

I hope you've enjoyed your walk around my yard.  If you'd like to see what else is blooming around the world today visit Carol over at May Dreams Gardens.  She hosts a blog party of sorts on the 15th of each month, where people around the world share what is blooming in their yards.

(Re)Discover Chattanooga - The Terminal Brewhouse

I've been back in Chattanooga 2 years now, and it's only when people stop and say "you've never been to insert any number of cool places" that it becomes evident that I really was gone for a decade.  I promise I am not as old as that makes me sound.

One of the places people are shocked that I'd never been is The Terminal Brewhouse. A few weeks ago, I was with friends on the Southside, and they decided this was a problem that needed to be fixed.  So we walked from the First Tennessee Pavilion over to The Terminal.

One of the reasons The Terminal has been on my unofficial list of places to go in Chattanooga is their rooftop patio and garden.  It's picnic table seating, with panels for shade, and herbs, flowers, and has vines growing all over.  It's not a surprise that I love an urban garden.  So, we sat outside and ordered drinks and an appetizer.

I'm not qualified to talk about the house brewed beer, (I'm allergic to hops) but I know that it is made on site, and it has a good reputation around town.  I am qualified to talk about the appetizer, and our 'Festo' - feta, basil, olive oil spread - was great.  It's simple, served with pita bread, and addictive... you've been warned.

As much as the Terminal is known for their beer, they are also known for their burgers.  The Bison Burger is known by some as the best in town.  The menu is pretty simple, and you can tell what The Terminal does, they do really well.  I had to be different and ordered the "Macho Man" sandwich.  Randy Savage would be proud.  The menu says "An 8oz cajun dusted chicken breast topped with hot sausage, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and cajun mayo."  It was amazing.  I ordered mine with a side of bacon grits, and yeah, it was good.  Really good.  It was also huge, so it took a while to eat, which was OK, because it was prom season, and we enjoyed another round of drinks while we watched people bring in their prom dates.  Yes, The Terminal is a burger place that is prom date worthy.

The other completely unrelated, but fun, thing about our trip to The Terminal was that the Chattanooga Whiskey 'Whiskey Truck' was parked outside.  Great minds think alike, right?

The Terminal
No. 6 14th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37408
423.752.8090

Website | Menu