Fall Happens!

The higher up you get in elevation, the more color you see!

Here at the cabin in Wilkes County we are at an elevation of  about 2100 ft.

West Jefferson and Jefferson, in Ashe County sit somewhere about 3100 ft above sea level.

As we drove we could see lots of yellow and some orange happening – not much red, but we don’t have the sugar maples that the North East has --

Still, I love the woodsy, deep earthen smell of leaves turning and dropping in the fall.  The air is rich, and colors intense.  Things are changing with the seasons in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina.

Today we were on a mission.

Last time I was up at the cabin, I stumbled upon the West Jefferson Antiques Festival.

If I had known this was going on that weekend, I would have gone the day before!  Don’t you hate it when you feel like you must have missed THE BEST stuff because you were a day late?

I still had a great time, and there was one piece at an antique mall that called to me.  No, it’s not even a MACHINE!  I wanted a china cabinet for the dining area at the cabin.  And even if I had found one that past weekend, it was only Sadie and myself who were up here…there would have been no help to load or unload.  So, I put it toward the back of my mind.

This morning The Hubster asked what I wanted to do --- and I knew right off.  The trick was ---would he be game to go to the antique mall with me?  You know how guys are on their days off, sometimes asking them to drive 30 minutes to town to look at old stuff is just not on the agenda.  But he said yes! 

We loaded up Sadie and off we went.

There were a couple of cabinets that would have done the job….so we wandered around looking at them all again, just to see what we both liked.

I think he was amazed when I stumbled up on THIS and didn’t bring it home:

Beautiful cabinet!

When you open the lid, the machine raises on pulleys, and the front panel swings out of the way.  A pretty amazing mechanism if you ask me!

The machine is badged Betsy Ross, and is actually a National.

See the round medallion-shaped access door on the pillar?  That is a big clue indeed that it IS a National.

Check out the ingenious bobbin winder:

Here it is swung out of the way from the treadle belt ---

To wind a bobbin, simply swivel it back into position with the belt up against the wheel.

Honestly – I was drooling.  SERIOUSLY!  But I don’t really have anywhere to put it.  I have a treadle machine at the cabin.  One is sufficient.  Okay…truth be told there are FOUR machines at the cabin, but only one treadle.

This little one was sweet – it says Sew Mistress!

Cute little toy –no room for toys either.  Have I reached saturation level?

We did find our cabinet, loaded it up and headed back to the cabin.

I tried to catch images of color on the drive home – it would have been so much more brilliant if the sky was blue and clear – instead of overcast with clouds hanging low.

But every once in a while a big ball of orange would come into view ---and it was just WOW!

Beautiful!

This is the cabinet I bought for the corner of the very small dining area, circa 1930s

This 1930s dining table and chairs go well with it –and I love the delicate feel of the chair backs.  We were lucky in that many of the furnishings came with the cabin when we bought it.

On the other side of the dining room is the small living room, also furnished in 1930s style.  The floral upholstery adds a feminine touch to a very woodsy pine walled rustic room dominated by the stone fireplace with two story chimney.

The divan has the same Duncan Pfyfe style legs found on the dining room table.

Most of the living in the cabin is done downstairs in the basement where the TV, two couches, computer corner, and sewing area are –but I appreciate a bit of feminine furnishings here in the upstairs.  Let’s face it.  I am one woman surrounded by males –hubby, and two sons and their friends.  Here at the cabin I’ve found a place to be ME!

Next up on the “must find for cabin”  I want a couple of silk flower arrangements—one for the top of the new china hutch, and maybe a centerpiece for the dining table.  Nothing fancy, just a finishing touch.

I’m getting excited about Thanksgiving up here ---next trip, I’ll move my china from down home on up into this cabinet in anticipation of family dinners around this table in this beautiful place.

The sweetest place on earth!

With Love from  Buck Mountain,

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