Mirkwood's Likeness, and a Crafted Story

Today, we hiked Carver's Gap trail and what gorgeous sights did we see! Muriel was designated backpack carrier so she got to carry the water bottles, snacks, and miscellaneous paraphernalia. As the rain misted, I felt my eyes gaze upward and I could see that this mountain hike would be fraught with mud, moss, and murk. Speaking of murk, all three of us bookworms saw this thicket of peculiar trees and immediately mentioned that it felt as though we were entering Mirkwood.

  

As we crept into the deep forest, we followed a path marked by ancient stones covered in lichen. Where we spied a small stream, the hillside loomed.

To our back, a staggering bluff dared our steps to falter.

But, soon, we escaped the deep shadowed place, and our journey continued up the mountain.

Where We Rented

The house we rented is 2 floors and a loft. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and gas fireplaces in every bedroom. The kitchen is awesome, the livingroom great, the bedrooms decorated perfectly. (And all for an incredibly affordable price (literally cannot believe it still). Thank you AirBnB!

Also to note, the house is SO high up the mountain, there is no one around us, there is a moderately loud stream that runs by, rhododendrons gone wild, songbirds at every corner and a beautiful view of the mountains. (If it looks tilted...it wasn't. Don't worry)

  

  

  

  

The two pictures with me are demonstrating the super steep hills that are the intersection of the "driveway." It was, to say the least, an adventure getting into the driveway for the first time. Down the bluff in the last 2 pictures is a healthy, full stream that bubbled by. Very pleasant sound.

And I'm on the second floor porch where I'll be writing most of my posts!