Posted by Jo on June 19, 1999 at 19:02:25:
In Reply to: Re: Hi Marie!! & Anecdotes posted by MMMMarcia on June 19, 1999 at 14:22:08:
: Hi, Rebecca!
: : Anything will do..:) Although I'd like to hear more about the gathering....
: It's really funny, Rebecca...we laughed tons and tons at the Gathering, but right now when I look back on it, it's the beauty of it all that's foremost in my mind. I don't know when I've seen anything so lovely as those tall, ghostly trees rising out of the swirling mist as we walked the George Road, and drove the long road up to Table Rock. It was almost surreal. I was sorry the weather didn't cooperate with a splendid view for everyone, but it was incredibly beautiful, just the same. We were walking through the clouds, surrounded by great billowing heaps of pale pink mountain laurel! Incredible! And the River Walk falls were beyond belief! So beautiful. I have a great picture of Emily sternly telling Jo, "I ain't your scout, and I sure ain't in no militia!" right at the appropriate place on the riverbank. It'll be on my website soon.
: I know I'll think of some funny things later, but right now the only one that comes to my mind is a real humbling senior moment I had. We were gathered in a parking lot at the Dupont plant, awaiting those who were in need of the "facilities" there. I was talking to several other Gatherers as we leaned on one of the vehicles, and having a good time visiting, when I decided it was time for me to go get back in Eric's truck. So I trudged all the way down to the bottom of the stupid hilly parking lot to a truck parked there, only to find out it was not one of ours. I'm standing there like a big dummy, looking around (with a coddled eggs a la Alice expression on my face, no doubt) for the RIGHT truck...and whaddya think? It was the truck I had been leaning on before I hiked down the blasted hill! Being a quick-thinker, I pretended I knew it all along & walked down there on purpose, just for the exercise! I sauntered nonchalently back to where I started from, being blase and whistling unconcernedly, as though I hadn't a care in the world. I'm pretty sure they bought my act, and it was something else entirely they were hooting & laughing at! I cannot imagine they would make fun of their Mohican Mama, can you?
: Oh, and if you come next year, Rebecca, and you meet Darla & her gang...DO NOT listen to them if they tell you they are afraid they can't handle the climbs up the trails!! I assured Darla I would walk slowly & stay with her & help her along. "You can do it, Darla!" says I, in my most sincerely encouraging manner. Imagine my surprise when that selfsame Darla left me in the dust, bounding along ahead of me like a gazelle, faster than a speeding Huron, leaping tall rocks in a single bound! She had done the whole first half of the trail, had her lunch, and headed down again before I drug my weary carcass to The Sacred Rock of Uncas! The noive!! Tsk.
: And then there's always the challenge of a full-figured gal trying to squeeze through the Wildcat Trap without scraping off essential bits of her person! I'm always afraid I'll get stuck in there like Pooh in the honey jar...Park Rangers pushing from one end, and fellow Gatherers pulling from the other! Yikes!!
: Just you wait until you get there! You'll be creating anecDOPES of your own everywhere you turn!
: And Miss Marcia & Sassy are due back next week. I'm sure they'll have a tale or two to share...especially since Miss Paddletale was riding behind Sassy on that purple carpet of hers. Squawks galore!!
: MMMMarcia
__________
OH, Marcia,
Too funny for words; about the car in the parking lot....I must confess I must have tried "unlocking" many a trunk on our trek as I could never figure out which "generic" rental car was ours...and here we are in North Carolina with Georgia license plates...took a day or too to figure that one out!
Rebecca,
I also have a few stories; but no way can they top Marcia's!!!
My sisters and I had parked our car on Saturday morning along the great 74-A hi-way in Chimney Rock waiting for the 38 car car-pool to the DuPont grounds (last one honk, ok, Donna??). In whips this red 4-wheel drive behind us; out jumps the driver: he hopes he isn't blocking us in as he's leaving soon! So are we; we tell him; the driver proceeds to tell us he's with a Mohican Group....; we say; you've come to the right place! I take Jack and his daughter Stacia up to meet and greet everyone; Marcia takes care of the introductions; funny thing is; Jack states to me that his daughter (all of 13) is the big movie buff and loves the movie!!!That's why they are attending! Yeh, right, Jack, the smile on your face that weekend was only equal to Ayesha's (the winner in the smile camp), or Donna's or Jeff's or ....a whole lot of people...and Stacia...hope she had a good time! (She was a good sport!)
2nd little story: again, we are at the Old Rock Cafe, courtesy of the Chimney Rock people for our breakfast on Sunday morning...(thank you Marcia for all of your work in dealing with these great people!) enjoying the outdoor view of the rock cliffs of Chimney Rock when a group approached us and one lady asked us what was going on???? Funny she should ask my sisters and I; we must have been very loud...seems this lady was about to start a paper on James F. Cooper - I refrained from telling her: "throw that book against the wall" but introduced her to our resisdent Cooper expert: Gayle. Talk about the right place at the right time! Both were thrilled!
Two little stories about the gathering; next year be there!
Jo