Joyful Noise

A Joyful Noise: Musings from a southern perspective

By Joyce Judd, Contributing Columnist:

School has begun again, the Dogwood trees are sporting the occasional rust/yellow leaf, and my Bob turned 65. Wow! What do you do when someone hits that magical age? You know, the one that makes you a card-carrying member of the Medicare Club.

Well, while we were in Minnesota with the kids/grandkids, they surprised him with an ice cream cake, which of course tickled him silly. The little ones got such a kick out of it, because they were talking about his birthday and he kept saying: “it’s not til the end of the month”, or, “no, it’s not my birthday yet”. However, they knew their mom had a cake in the kitchen. She was lighting the candles and he was still saying “no”. When he finally saw the cake and we started singing, the kids were laughing! They put one over on Papa!

When we were back at home on the weekend that was his birthday, the local kids/grandkids put together a surprise as well. His birthday was on a Sunday, so Saturday evening they had us over for a cookout. His favorite food is hamburger, and once again, Papa was surprised.

But what was I to do with this man of my life? Hmm. Well, we do enjoy riding through the countryside and of course we like to eat, so I decided to offer him the choice of destination for his birthday dinner. (That’s noontime for transplants to the south). The choices were: the Pisgah Inn, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 14 miles above Hendersonville; the Applewood Restaurant at the Apple Barn in Sevierville, Tenn.; or the Old Mill Restaurant on Highway 441 in Sevierville.

His choice: the Pisgah Inn, partly because it’s on the Blue Ridge Parkway, partly because we haven’t been there, and partly because the North Carolina Arboretum is right where Highway 191 joins the parkway, and he wanted to go there too.

The Pisgah Inn is about 1.5 hours from us and is best known for its mountain trout. So I told him if we go there, he had to get the trout and he needed to have it “dressed” at the table (something they offer if you ask for it). Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal, but it was fun.

We also were there early enough that we were able to sit at the window overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were up with the hawks and eagles, and it was wonderful. The Pisgah Inn is attached to the Pisgah Lodge, so if you’re casting about for a place to go for a meal, they’re open breakfast, lunch and supper, I believe, 7 days a week. They do close between meals so they can prepare for the next sitting, and if you want a table by the windows, arrive about 30 minutes early (lunch service begins at 11:30, and yes, they are busy on Mondays!). There’s a lovely deck with rocking chairs to wait, and the gift shop is fun to browse through as well.

On the way back, we did stop at the Arboretum. What a great place! Admission is free, but the parking is $8.00. However, if you decide to become a member, the $8 fee is deducted from the cost. You can also come and go during the same day for the same parking fee.

There is a half-mile drive from the gates up to the information building, which contains exhibits, the gift shop and a few other displays. There also is a hot house out the upstairs back door, and that’s where we found the ‘touch-me-nots’ and the pitcher plants, among others.

Continuing on out the hot house back door, we were into some beautiful gardens, including the quilt garden, which when viewed from above does in fact resemble a quilt. One of the gardeners’ sheds had a grass/moss roof; and there was a line of trees which had a basket-weave border to them that made them look as if they were in one pot…about 10 feet long. Fun ideas to see.

Bob had seen the information about the greenhouses being ‘up the road’, and so of course, we had to go. We enjoyed the greenhouses much more than we enjoyed the ‘formal displays’. At the greenhouses, folks were working, and we were allowed to simply poke into corners and wander around to see what might be in the next room. Outside there were 2 Quonset-hut style greenhouses, one of which held only bonsai plants. Bob has always loved bonsai, but he never took the time to play with doing bonsai, so he was thrilled to see the different types of plants they were working with.

We went into another greenhouse and discovered my favorite flower, the bird of paradise, blooming. And then we saw two plants we had never seen before: the African Mask plant, which resembles the elephant ear plant, and the escargot begonia, which, sure enough, looks like a snails shell. We were both having just the best time…dreaming about…maybe we could just get rid of all our furniture and turn the house into a plant haven. But no, we’ll simply continue to visit places like the Arboretum and dream on.

As we were heading home, we drove into an area where the Asplundh workers were cutting trees back along the roadside, getting ready for winter. Trees, power lines and ice are never a good mix, and these workers were cutting back the bigger limbs. It looked like the man in the bucket was 100’ in the air…and he may well have been.

Please remember as you’re traveling through areas where workers are working along the roadside to pay attention. Typically, there’s a patrol car with lights flashing a bit ahead of where workers are, but not always. And when officers are out directing traffic, there is nothing between them and your vehicle except your attention.

A Joyful Noise is written by Joyce Judd, owner of Joyful Creations Salon in Travelers Rest, SC. You may contact her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or you may phone her at: 864-834-7150. You may also drop by the salon anytime for a chat.

A Joyful Noise: Musings from a southern perspective

By Joyce Judd, contributing columnist:

Is there anything more fun than watching kids play baseball for the first time? Our youngest Greer-grandson began playing recently, and the little ones are just so cute. The first time at bat they have the poses, but the bats are too long for their arms and a little heavy, so many times the tips of the bats dip into the dirt when they swing. But when they connect with the ball, the excitement – both on the field and in the stands – becomes something else!

The fielding team members all run after the ball like chickens to a bug. The batter watches the ball, runs a little bit, then stops and looks at the ball again. The coaches are flinging their arms in the air, motioning for the batter to RUN! And the parents are just as mixed up, with half of the stands yelling “get the ball! Throw it home!” and the other half yelling “RUN…touch the bag…RUN!!”

The umpires just try to stay out of the way, and when the play is ended, we’re all just exhausted! That is, until the next bat connects with the ball. If you need something to do on Saturdays – or any spring night during the week – just stop by your local ball field and have some fun.

Our grandsons play their games at Century Park in Greer, and on Opening Day Saturday, the youngest one was in the game when the train whistle started blowing. Sure enough, as the train passed by the field in full view, every little back was turned to watch the train. The game stopped. Even the batter was watching the train. When the coaches realized what was going on, they started turning the kids around, calling them to “get back in the game”. Of course, no one was at all upset! We were all just tickled at watching the kids.

A friend and I recently took the time – or, made the time – to meet and visit on a Monday afternoon. We both are working women, and we just decided we needed the time to unwind. So, we met by the Middle Tyger River over in Duncan, beside the Spartanburg County Library.

There’s a lovely little spot with a few picnic tables and walking trail. We had intended to walk, putting exercise with visiting, but the trail was very short. It took us down by the river, and as we were walking, there was a tree right in the middle of the path, ending the trail.

When I looked down, I noticed movement and told my friend: “Oh, the trail ends here; and look, there’s a snake.” At that point, she immediately turned around and began moving rapidly away from me. It was just a black snake (one of the good ones, if there is such a thing), but I discovered just how quickly short people can move when motivated!

Have you noticed the signs around Travelers Rest and the ads on the Tribune advertising the Elements Festival? This weekend, we’ll host a festival celebrating the elements in nature: earth (dirt), wind, fire and water. The point is to celebrate all the opportunites nature provides for us to get outside and play. Scott Buckhiester with DunBurks Premier Events is coordinating the whole thing. You may not know Scott, but he’s a local boy who has come home and is now working in the area.

This festival is an inaugural annual event hosted by our city and sponsored by North Greenville Hospital and Borklund Insurance Agency. It is going to be a great time in our town! What a great way to kick off our summer in Travelers Rest!

Our community is growing. There's no way not to realize that. The weather is heating up, and with the warmer months comes wonderful activities, but also the opportunity for bad things to happen. Remember, we are no longer a “sleepy little town” where everyone knows everyone else. Lock your car when you’re out and about. Pay attention as you cross the street....and hey – are you aware there are crosswalks with buttons to change the lights for you to cross safely at intersections?

It’s too hot to leave pets in the car while you shop, and children should never be left alone in a vehicle. We have new businesses coming, and that is not a bad thing; however, with the new businesses come new people. I’m not being a fear-monger, just reminding you to pay attention.

And – as always – keep our local heroes in your prayers. Our police department is dealing with a lot more traffic, events, and other challenges. They handle them all with professionalism as well as integrity. But unlike most of us, when they go to work, they never know the risks they will face. And our fire fighters also have more frequent calls to respond to medical situations, to car incidents, to house fires. They too could use your prayers.