A Birthday in Burnsvile (NC)

My mom turned 80! I flew to NC for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. She and my dad (almost 83) spend much of the Summer in the mountains of NC. They remain independent and active in spite of the toll that age has taken -- both of them suffer from arthritis and have had multiple joint replacements; my father has recently developed bulging discs.

It was a great weekend. We had a few nice meals, watched some Olympics, played some scrabble, and visited the mountain in Burnsvile.

My mom has always been a strong proponent for biking. Part of this was that, with six kids, she needed us to be independent, and by 1st grade, I was riding my bike the mile to school. In the 60's she convinced Coral Gables to build a bike path down Old Cutler Road and into Matheson Hammock. This was quite an accomplishment, long before the dawning of activists groups such as Critical Mass, and during a time when people really did believe that what was good for GM was good for America.

On Sunday, my parents and I drove up to the "Mountain" outside of Burnsville. This is a piece of property that my father bought 25 years ago that backs up to the Tennessee border and the Appalachian Trail. My brother Steve has recently built a beautiful four season home on part of the property. Nothing quite compares with the rustic charm of the original log cabin.

The weather was warm and dry, perfect for a short hike. The only other times I had been to the Mountain was with my kids when they were just about 10 and 12, so hiking was limited to strolls along the road and through the meadows. I decided it was time to try to climb up. Up I went.

I made it to the top of the ridge, but wasn't able to find the Appalachian Trail. On the way back, I did get off course a tad, which required a rather steep climb!