Friday, December 17, 2021

December Hiking at Sanford's San-Lee Park

When a warmer-than-usual December affords an
opportunity to spend time outdoors, Judy and I jump
at the chance. Maybe we don't jump so high, any more.
Anyway, a sunny, mild Thursday led us to Sanford's
San-Lee Park, where we had been a couple of times, 
but several years ago. The park's message board displayed
a wide range of activities, including a summer camp,
boat rentals (in season), two hiking trails around two
magnificent ponds, and an 11 or 12 mile mountain bike
trail. There's also a brand new nature center with an
impressive display of North Carolina snakes and more.
The original nature center had been housed in Lee County's
old water treatment plant, but it burned a few years ago.
Let's start our tour.


Judy and Ken on the long bridge between the two large ponds.

This North Carolina beaver is stuffed, mounted, and masked.

Here's some info about the park's bike trail.


View of the upper pond or lake.



Across the lake, a different view.

Here are a couple of tree huggers. So to speak.

But it turns out one of these trees is dead!
The dogwood trunk is hollow and can only stand
with the support of its neighbor.
What a tragic end to this romance.

We stuck to the hiking trails, but were near the biking
trails at many points. There were far more bikers
than hikers this day.

There were several rustic foot bridges along our route.

One plant that thrives year round is Christmas fern.
There were abundant specimens all along our path.

Our trail was a maze of tree roots, and at times I 
wished we had brought our hiking poles. But we had
no falls. We wondered what the bike trails were like.

At the headwaters of the stream-fed lake.

What was lacking in color was made up for with
interesting specimens like this fungus.

We saw numerous colonies of Wild Ginger all along
the way. They no longer had the "pignut" flowers
that are present in early spring.

Now we saw that tons of red clay had been brought
in for the bike trails. That solved the problem of
roots and stones that were on the hiking trail.

We saw bikers zooming and hooting and hollering
on these parallel trails.

We saw several bikers near here, as our trail turned
back toward our starting point.

As we followed the lake's shore, we were treated to
this lovely family of ducks on an outing of their own.

We hiked parts of both of these trails.

This is a place where bikers can cross, but we didn't
see any attempt it.

As we neared the park's playground, we saw this
nice man-made waterfall below the much larger dam
of the old reservoir.

You might find this sound soothing. Try it out.

We thought we'd finished our sight-seeing, but
Judy spotted this late autumn Carolina Anole (sometimes
called a chameleon, but not the same thing). A chemical
change transforms them from brown to green and back again
for protective camouflage.

If you have FOUR seconds, you can watch him disappear.

Judy and I heartily recommend that you take advantage
of any suitable late fall or winter days to take an outing
of your own. There are marvelous parks and trails all
over our state, with more all the time. It's good for the
body and the spirit. Let me know about your next adventure!





 

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Ken Loyd's Sixth 100 Song Posts (Facebook)

 As has been my custom for the past two years, I'm posting a list of the most recent 100 songs I've shared on my daily Facebook posts. You can browse my videos on my Facebook page or you can search for an individual song by title or date.  I'm happy to report that I've continued recording "ahead," and I already have enough songs to go through May 2, 2022. I have a few others that I'm working on, but this won't go on forever. When I finally run dry, I hope to re-post some favorites that go together thematically or some of my most requested. Anyway, I'm already retired, so I won't be retiring from music any time soon. In fact, God has blessed me by improving my arthritis during these two years, and I've practiced more than any time in my life. Thank you for listening, whether it's daily or occasionally. I quickly get bored doing music just for myself. Sharing it is "where the action is."


#501 July 28, 2021 “Goober Peas”

#502 July 29, 2021 “I Will,” “Good Night” The Beatles

#503 July 30, 2021 “Red Sails in the Sunset,” “Among My Souvenirs”

#504 July 31, 2021 “Fur Elise” by Beethoven.

#505 Aug. 1, 2021 “I’m Standing on the Solid Rock”

#506 Aug. 2, 2021 “Never My Love”

#507 Aug. 3, 2021 “Doctor Jazz,” “Sugar Babe,” “Sugar Foot Stomp.”

#508 Aug. 4, 2021 “Down in the Valley,” “Shenandoah”

#509 Aug. 5, 2021 “Laura”

#510 Aug. 6, 2021 “Without You”

#511 Aug. 7, 2021 “The Great Historical Bum”

#512 Aug. 8, 2021 “My Love” (“His Love,” the Christian version)

#513 Aug. 9, 2021 “Daydream Believer”

#514 Aug. 10, 2021 “Crocodile Rock”

#515 Aug. 11, 2021 “I Will Follow Him”

#516 Aug. 12, 2021 “The Day Columbus Landed”

#517 Aug. 13, 2021 “Henry the VIII”

#518 Aug. 14, 2021 “Love Will Keep Us Together”

#519 Aug. 15, 2021 “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”

#520 Aug. 16, 2021 “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “That Old Gang of Mine”

#521 Aug. 17, 2021 “American Pie”

#522 Aug. 18, 2021 “Dem Dry Bones”

#523 Aug. 19, 2021 “We’re in the Money”

#524 Aug. 20, 2021 “Shuffle Off to Buffalo”

#525 Aug. 21, 2021 “Loch Lomond,” “Santa Lucia”

#526 Aug. 22, 2021 “This Little Light of Mine,” “Thy Word is a Lamp”

#527 Aug. 23, 2021 “Young at Heart,” “Too Young,” “Hello Young Lovers”

#528 Aug. 24, 2021 “When the Work’s All Done This Fall”

#529 Aug. 25, 2021 “The Erie Canal,” “The E-ri-e”

#530 Aug. 26, 2021 “All My Trials”

#531 Aug. 27, 2021 “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love”

#532 Aug. 28, 2021 “Gigi”

#533 Aug. 29, 2021 “Hey, I’m a Believer Now,” “I Believe in Jesus”




#534 Aug. 30, 2021 “Brian’s Song”

#535 Aug. 31, 2021 “When I Fall in Love”

#536 Sept. 1, 2021 “True Love,” “One Hand, One Heart”

#537 Sept. 2, 2021 “Bidin’ My Time”

#538 Sept. 3, 2021 “It’s Three O’clock in the Morning”

#539 Sept. 4, 2021 “Serenade in Blue”

#540 Sept. 5, 2021 “Victory Today is Mine”

#541 Sept. 6, 2021 “If I Loved You”

#542 Sept. 7, 2021 “The Gambler”

#543 Sept. 8, 2021 “Lucille”

#544 Sept. 9, 2021 “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” “Who’s Sorry Now?”

#545 Sept. 10, 2021 “The Streets of Laredo”

#546 Sept. 11, 2021 “Another Done Somebody Wrong Song”

#547 Sept. 12, 2021 “A New Name in Glory”

#548 Sept. 13, 2021 “And the Angels Sing”

#549 Sept. 14, 2021 “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”

#550 Sept. 15, 2021 “Secret Love”

#551 Sept. 16, 2021 “With a Song in My Heart”

#552 Sept. 17, 2021 “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo”

#553 Sept. 18, 2021 “My Darling Clementine”

#554 Sept. 19, 2021 “God Leads Us Along”

#555 Sept. 20, 2021 “Deep in the Heart of Texas”, “California, Here I Come”

#556 Sept. 21, 2021 “Are You For Independence” and (separate video) “There Was a Man”

#557 Sept. 22, 2021 “Goin’ West” “An Empty Jug and a Musical Saw”

#558 Sept. 23, 2021 “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”, “The Desperado”

#559 Sept.24, 2021 “Any Time,” “Heartaches”

#560 Sept. 25, 2021 “Heartaches by the Number”

#561 Sept. 26, 2021 “Jesus is the Answer”

#562 Sept. 27, 2021 “The Gal I Left Behind Me”, “Don’t Fence Me In”

#563 Sept. 28, 2021 “April Love”

#564 Sept. 29, 2021 “When Your Hair Has Turned to Silver”

#565 Sept. 30, 2021 “Getting to Know You”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”




#566 Oct. 1, 2021 “I Whistle a Happy Tune”

#567 Oct. 2, 2021 “If Ever I Would Leave You”

#568 Oct. 3, 2021 “The Old Country Church”

#569 Oct. 4, 2021 “Theme from Patton”, “Garry Owen” (Custer’s March from “Little Big Man”), “Col. Bogey” from “Bridge on the River Kwai”

#570 Oct. 5, 2021 “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”

#571 Oct. 6, 2021 “Louise”, “I’m Just Breezin’ Along with the Breeze”

#572 Oct. 7, 2021 “New World in the Morning”

#573 Oct. 8, 2021 “Cherish”

#574 Oct. 9, 2021 “Buffalo Skinners”

#575 Oct. 10, 2021 “Reach Out to Jesus”

#576 Oct. 11, 2021 “June is Bustin’ Out All Over”

#577 Oct. 12, 2021 “Here Comes the Sun,” “Norwegian Wood,” “Waterloo Sunset”

#578 Oct. 13, 2021 “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

#579 Oct. 14, 2021 “The Windmills of Your Mind”

#580 Oct. 15, 2021 “Camelot”

#581 Oct. 16, 2021 “Almost Like Being in Love”

#582 Oct. 17, 2021 “Hallelujah Square”

#583 Oct. 18, 2021 “I Love Paris” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris”

#584 Oct. 19, 2021 “Mary’s a Grand Old Name,” “I’m Just Wild about Harry”

#585 Oct. 20, 2021 “Colour My World”

#586 Oct. 21, 2021 “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top” “Oklahoma”

#587 Oct. 22, 2021 “Tonight,” “Maria”

#588 Oct. 23, 2021 “Why Do I Love You?”

#589 Oct. 24, 2021 “The Solid Rock,” “I Shall Not Be Moved”

#590 Oct. 25, 2021 “Bill”

#591 Oct. 26, 2021 “Pistol-Packin’ Mama”

#592 Oct. 27, 2021 “Fiddler on the Roof,” “If I Were a Rich Man”, and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”

#593 Oct. 28, 2021 “Nola”

#594 Oct. 29, 2021 “Summertime”

#595 Oct. 30, 2021 “East Side, West Side” (Razzamatazz)

#596 Sunday, Oct. 31 “It Took a Miracle” and “Amazing Grace” medley.

 

#597 Monday, Nov. 1 “Greenland Whale Fisheries”

 

#598 Tuesday, Nov. 2 “When I First Came to This Land”

 

#599 Wednesday, Nov. 3 “A Little Help from My Friends”

 

#600 Thursday, Nov. 4 “Turn, Turn, Turn”



Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Town Creek Indian Mound and Mount Gilead, NC

In my last blog post I featured a relaxing Moore County spot,
Aberdeen Lake. There are also a number of nice day excursions
within an easy 60 to 90 minutes of Moore County. On a Friday
with fall-like low humidity Judy and I ventured off to Montgomery
County's Town Creek Indian Mound and the nearby town of Mount
Gilead. Neither of us had been to the Indian Mound in more than 30
years and we were pleasantly surprised. Let me show you why.


The plaque acknowledge the historic status of the site.

A display of typical native American crops, including
the "three sisters" of beans, squash, and Indian corn,
which were often grown together.

These fields, neatly mowed and manicured for several 
decades, have been restored to a more natural state, as
it would have been when the Pee Dee culture thrived
here from around 980 to 1150 A.D.

These palisades demonstrate a highly functional 
barrier which kept out enemies, since only one person
at a time could pass through the narrow entrance. Also,
Arrows could be fired at intruders from between the
sturdy posts.

Within this hut there is a presentation of a burial 
ceremony for a mother whose child had died.


This replica of a temple sits atop the small mound.
Though much larger Indian mounds exist, this one
yielded a wealth of valuable artifacts and information
to archaeologists from 1927 on. It was just amateurs
at first, but in 1937 the farmer who owned the land
donated one acre to the state and professionals began
to do serious excavation and document findings. Since
the Pee Dee culture had no written records, some 
fascinating detective work was involved to learn what
we now know of these people's lives.

Inside the temple. Perhaps a dance between good and evil?

Now school groups and other visitors gather here 
for informative tours. Our visit was self-guided, but
there was an excellent 18 minutes video program as
well as a museum in the site's office. Gift shop, too.

As we strolled the perimeter of the restored site we
found interesting displays.

The Little River runs alongside the site. Town Creek,
a tributary of the Little River, is not far away. 
Note: this Little River eventually empties into the Lumber
River. The Little River that Moore County residents are
familiar with flows into the Cape Fear River.

We saw no snakes this day, but I've seen all of these
except the coral snake in the wild over the years.

Judy and I were interested in the bald cypress trees in 
the parking area. These long-lived trees are intriguing.
Though they bear cones, they are deciduous, losing
their leaves quite early in the fall. In fact, that is why
they are called "bald." Read more about them here:

After a very pleasant stroll through shaded woods on
a quarter-mile nature trail, we wrapped up our visit
and headed toward Mount Gilead for lunch.
The River Wild Restaurant is a few miles past Mount
Gilead, right on beautiful Lake Tillery.

We chose this restaurant for its good reviews and 
spacious outdoor dining. We dined early and enjoyed
a fabulous view on a gorgeous day.

River Wild exceeded our expectations in every way.

We didn't avail ourselves of this mini-golf, but I 
bet it would appeal to some of my readers.

Because they were out of onion rings I tried out
these fried macaroni bites. YUMMY! Ever had one?

My main course was a River Steak Sandwich, their
version of a Philly Cheese Steak. Excellent!

Judy had the equally scrumptious Fish Tacos and
asparagus. There were many other menu items that
were oh so tempting!

On this map, we would be near the lower end, at
the Lilly's Bridge access point. We are very familiar
with the upper end of the lake, which is where our
dear Morrow Mountain is located.

After lunch, we took a short stroll across the old
bridge and got a nice view up the lake. You can't
see the familiar bridge of Highway 24-27 from here,
but it's a few miles up the lake.

This view (including a vast spread of lilies) is from
the boat ramp across the lake, looking back toward
our restaurant. A short walk, but a nice leg-stretcher.

Our appetites satisfied, we headed back to Mount
Gilead to get to know this little town better.
It was September 10 and the flag was at half-mast
in memory of 9-11.

Kids were in school that Friday, but I was still 
surprised that not a single mom with pre-schoolers
was enjoying this town park. It looked very inviting.

We found a pleasant little walking loop downtown.

The Town Hall is now in the old theater building,
a great re-purposing. Note the marquee. It honors
9-11 while at the same time referencing the vintage
B movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Judy's dad
actually remembered going to a movie in this theater
when he did a flooring job in this area with his father
more than 70 years ago and had to stay overnight.

Here are several representative photos from the
downtown area.
Do you think "Guns and Roses" inspired this display?

Every small town needs a good old-fashioned hardware.
This town has TWO!

There were murals on just about every brick building.
These were some noted town fathers.

I didn't know anything about this gentleman before
I came home and looked him up. As a ground-breaking
civil rights attorney, he served North Carolina and its
citizens well over many decades. Read of him here:

This mural recalls tourism ads of the fifties for me.

The town had a tiny library with very limited hours,
but we were able to visit it after two o'clock. They
had a book sale, and together we found six books
that needed homes.

This bookmark was a valuable "freebie" at the library.
Great advice!


You've all seen the motorized Barbie Corvette's 
that some lucky kids get to cruise their yards in.
Well have you ever seen a TANK that a young
General Patton could terrorize the neighborhood in?
This little variety store had a TON of things I'd never
seen before. Didn't spend much, but browsed a good while.

A mural that depicts Main Street in the forties,
judging from the vehicles. The downtown is in the
National Register of Historic Places, and looks very
similar to this today-- except the cars.

The grocery is no longer there. I wonder where you
would find an RC?

You've got to admit you want find a specialty shop
like this in every town-- even cities.

The name Rankin on this historic building caught
our eyes. It's the same Dr. Rankin for whom the
Rankin Museum in nearby Ellerbe is named. That's 
another interesting side trip, but not for today. The
doc's old office is now a coffee shop.


Judy loved the outdoor seating beside the coffee shop.
But she only drinks coffee in the morning, so we moved on.

This mural publicizes the nearby Indian mound,
which probably brings a smattering of tourists
through this quiet but charming town.

This sign in front of the town's other hardware
store reminds us that no matter where you live,
a lot of people will pay to keep snakes out of their
yard. Even if you can't spell "sulfur." Which can
acceptably be spelled "sulphur" but NOT "sulfer."
But as long as it gets the job done, right?

This concludes my narrative of another satisfying,
relaxing, and refreshing day trip. My blog is full of
them if you care to search. Look for titles like
"Eno River," "Morrow Mountain," "Faith Rock,"
"Raven Rock," or "Bear Creek Trail" for starters.

The nicer weather that we foresee anticipates more
nice hikes and sight-seeing in the fall weeks ahead.
Happy Trails to all!