GEORGIA IS ON MY MIND

That Georgia says the seetest things....from her IPHONE....trendette and glamour puss that she is. We miss you Ms. G

"had a great time at ponder cove! thanks. love, Georgia"

LAZY DOGS

We used to have the DOG OF THE MONTH...but with all of our fab guests and these amazing photos coming in....it looks like we are going to have to have the DOG OF THE DAY! Check out these two on such a lazy day.

Little Pearls

When first coming to North Carolina Gary and I were fortunate to attend our first fund raiser supporting a wonderful non-profit organization called LITTLE PEARLS. We were so impressed with the quality of these tiny films with so much impact that we sent copies to lots of friends in an effort to support this organization. One of their new "Little Pearls" centers on what precious canines can teach us. Enjoy and read more about Little Pearls and meet Katie and Gracie .http://www.littlepearls.org/katieandmitch.html

FREE MARS HILL COLLEGE EVENT

September 9, 6:30pm

Dr. Anne Rogers, Anthropology Instructor at Western Carolina University, will be the guest lecturer for the evening and will be presenting a program on, "Native Americans and Their
Use of the Environment." This lecture is part of the Ramsey Center's Fall Event and Lecture Series.

SABA and DEER on YOU TUBE

Well, don't say we don't get our share of celebrities. You won't even believe this video. This is the infamous Saba who has caused quite a stir on YOU TUBE....Click here and you will know why.

FALL FOLIAGE EARLY DRIVES

As we have said before there is no bad time to come in this direction. Due to the variances in elevation there is something going on everywhere, a change of color, a sprinkling of leaves falling, the crispness of the new fall air. In the early fall, the best scenic drives are at the highest elevations. Here is a list of great fall scenic drives for late September and early October.

Grandfather Mountain

Visit Grandfather Mountain to view native animal habitats, enjoy hiking and picnicking and test your courage on the mile high swinging bridge which also provides a great vantage point for viewing autumn’s rich colors.

US Highway 19

From Ponder Cove, follow US 19/23 north from downtown, taking US 19E to Burnsville. Continue your drive along 19E to the town of Spruce Pine, stopping along the way to take in the spectacular views of the Black Mountains and Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern U.S. at 6,684 feet.

Pisgah National Forest/Cold Mountain

Take the Blue Ridge Parkway south from Asheville toward Mount Pisgah, where you will find picnic areas, hiking trails and a restaurant. Travel north on US 276 through the magnificent Pisgah National Forest, which affords a spectacular view of Cold Mountain, made famous by the novel and motion picture of the same name. Continue on US 276 into Waynesville. Take US 23 north to US 19/23/74 east, which will return you to Asheville.

BLUE EYED BABES

Meet Alex and Maya...two local lovelies hailing from Yancey County. Their proud owners Steve and Jose can't get enough of these two and I just had to share this pic as they stare lovingly into their Pops camera.

WOW! WHAT A REVIEW

A Little Visit with the “Shoeless Cabinetmaker” of Ponder Cove

Gary Van Rawlins is a fine furniture maker and a great teacher! I say he is a “fine” furniture maker because I have very limited experience in designing and hard crafting really unique and beautiful furniture. The furniture I saw at Ponder Cove created by Gary is really something to admire – subtle curves, incredible details, wood full of wonder, and impeccable craftsmanship.

I say he is a “great” teacher because I have studied, watched, and hopefully, helped develop teachers most of my adult life. I spent three days with Gary in August of 2008 at his workshop in Ponder Cove. It was a great learning experience. Gary’s style of teaching incorporates many of the design principles of “great instruction”:
o Clear and compelling quality standards,
o Presentation and use of truly remarkable exemplars,
o Instruction designed to enhance the student’s level of understanding of the principles of furniture craftsmanship;
o Product orientation,
o Practical skill development,
o Protection from the adverse effects of initial failure;
o Student Choice,
o Affiliation, and
o Affirmation.
I would heartily recommend to anyone who aspires to create beautiful things that he or she spend some time with Gary.

The old adage is that there are those who can do and those who can’t do and those who can’t teach. Gary is living proof that the old adage is sometimes wrong. He creates truly beautiful furniture and provides meaningful learning. His work and his teaching are a result of his principled practice, his patience, his perseverance, and his willingness to seek perfection. I am really glad I took the time to meet him and, I suspect, his teacher, James Krenov, would be proud of him for both reasons.

Michael Short
Atlanta Georgia

PARKWAY PLAYHOUSE BURNSVILLE

BURNSVILLE, NC: "The Game is afoot!" Opening in August 28 at The Parkway Playhouse is thriller, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz. The production is running through September 6 with performances scheduled Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and a 2:30pm matinée on Sunday August 31. Tickets for the August 28 performance are $12.50 Tickets for the remaining performances range from $18-$23 with discounts available for students, groups, and active military. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Parkway Playhouse box office at 828-682-4285 between 1-5pm Tuesday through Saturday or by visiting the Parkway Playhouse website at www.parkwayplayhouse.com

BILTMORE SURPRISE

Visit the Biltmore on Friday, August 29, for the newest extravaganza- Flower Carpet! Come see the vivid, living carpet on the South Terrace at Biltmore House. Over a ¼ of an acre will be devoted to more than 144,000 brightly colored flowers to form the live tapestry.

The Flower Carpet is a larger-than life combination of natural beauty blended with creative inspiration. The intricate pattern of colorful plants is drawn from architectural elements of Biltmore House, and interpreted in a grand size and style. Click on the following link to see a video about Flower Carpet!

http://www.biltmore.com/visit/calendar/flower_carpet.asp

SAVANNAH TO PONDER COVE

LOOK WHO'S IN TOWN....Ms. Georgia ....all the way from Savannah. She is one of those beautiful blonde babes you only find in the deep south and that drawl of hers is to swoon over. Welcome Georgia.

WOODWORKING SUCCESS

Michael Short was a very happy camper at Ponder Cove....not to mention a very happy woodworker. Michael spent three intense days with Gary learning the basics of tuning equipment, cutting, sanding, polishing, dove-tailing and 'gluing up' and left here with a beautiful maple box to prove it. I keep telling you girls. This is the perfect present for the boys. Remember all PC guests get Gary for 30% off.

THIS IS A MUST!

Tastes of Summer
Asheville City Market!
Thursday, August 28
6-9pm
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) and the Asheville City Market
Enjoy live music and shop local goods at the special evening market.
All proceeds go to ASAP and the City Market’s community healthy-living programs.

The market is at the corner of Eagle and South Charlotte Streets in downtown Asheville. Tickets are $20 with RSVP or $25 at the door and include food by The Market Place, microbrew beer from Catawba Valley Brewery, and wine. There will be a raffle of locally-produced items with winners drawn at 8:30pm. To RSVP contact Mike McCreary at mike@asapconnections.org.

CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA and JASON

How lucky for us to witness the renewal of vows by Jason and Melissa Berry. It was an honor to share in their rededication to each other. Melissa, I am sure was just as pretty as the day she took Jason to be her husband 19 years ago and Jason was as proud to take her as his wife once again.

We can only thank them for sharing it with us. Good luck you two. Your are very special people and we feel lucky to have made your acquaintance. hugs,m

FALL FOLIAGE AROUND THE CORNER

TAKEN ON ONE OF OUR FAVORITE DRIVES LAST YEAR
Of course we'll share our secret spots with PC guests

To quote Dr. Gary Walker who specializes in Cliff-Face Ecology and Plant Population Genetics at Appalachian State University.......

"The environmental conditions leading into autumn are the best we've seen in years here in WNC, possibly setting the stage for the brightest leaf color show in recent history. Comparatively, the high country has had a wet summer and now temperatures are beginning to cool. Dry cool weather from here on out and, ideally, an early frost in September would produce intense, widespread fall color at all elevations."
YOUR KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS A FALL FANTASTIC TIME AT PONDER COVE!!!!

HOW DAWGS DO TRAVEL

Meet Mulligan, Tyler and Sage....all packed up and ready to go. But heh you guys...get out of the car. You're not due to Ponder Cove until October. See you then. In the meantime enjoy a nice Fall in NYC.

MASTIFFS RULE

Speaking of big dawgs....Check out these little dudes. The baby is a mere 6 months old. SUPER DUDE weighs about 160 lb. I love the rules in hotels about only small dogs. These guys blow that theory out the door. They were the BEST guests ever in the Bungalow. You boys are welcome back anytime you want. We love you. m

CARPOOL TO PONDER COVE

Thank you Ian, Cathy, Carol and Bob. You graced us with an absolutely wonderful visit. You are an entertaining foursome and we sooooo enjoyed meeting you. And heh...how about that smart carpooling idea of yours. You jumped in the car together reminding us that every little bit helps. You definitely are the best. Happy carpooling to you too.

DOGSTER.COM

Ponder Cove is featured on the main Dogster.com FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS Blog. Join today and you just might win another opportunity to scoop up a couple of free nights at the Cove. Well, your dog might win and if you behave I bet they will bring you along..."Sit owner...fetch owner....Feed me owner...take me to Ponder Cove owner". Good luck.

MARS HILL, NC IS A SHAKIN'

A good time was had by all last night at El Dorado. Steve Alley and Constance Jackson, the dynamic duo known as TWO OF A KIND, rocked the house. These two have been together off and on for 15 years and trust me they were ON last night. It was a full house and by the time we left everyone was on their feet DANCIN' in the aisles. For those of you not native to these mountains you will find it hard to believe but this was an earth shattering event. So, Keep on truckin' Mars Hill. We are on the move.