Blue Ridge Parkway

If there is anyone out there who wants to buy a farm? I know a nice woman who has been trying to sell two in Virginia. One is based around a log cabin moved from the Cumberland mountains in northern Virginia and is perched half way up the Blue Ridge mountains. Its in 6 acres with a barn and is priced at $70,000. Its even got a shotgun slot to fight off the Indians. That's about the price of the cheapest mid terraced house in the Rhondda valley... The other is in 10 Acres with 6 bedrooms and barns and outhouses, used to have the village post office in the grounds and is now a B&B. And that one is $270,000...

Darnel Pratt (for that is her name) was singing to the Friday night customers in the Tuggle Gap restaurant (just three wagon wheels off the Parkway) http://www.tugglesgap.biz/. There weren't many of us as its really early in the season. I was the only person staying in the motel.

I am so grateful to Cheri, the proprietor. She very kindly gave me access to her computer and telephone so that I could sort out my charger problem. Booked a hotel in Nashville and arranged for a delivery there on Monday. We did try Radio Shack in two cities but they were unable to help (or even understand in one case!).

I decided this morning to take a risk with the weather as there was no sign of the promised thunder storms. So I had a great time running along the Blue Ridge Parkway http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/maps.htm. Let me try to explain what this road is like.... Imagine the Rhinefield in the New Forest or some of the pretty wooded areas in the Lake District. Now run a road through it in slow sweeping curves with no junctions that require you to stop. Now run that road non stop from Edinburgh to London. Finally raise it to 3000 feet with spectacular views switching sides the entire way. Oh, and one final final points, imagine it with almost no traffic in either direction. I ran for one section for over 20 miles without seeing a single vehicle....

Before I hit the Parkway I first went to find the Natural bridge and the Indian village.

The thunder storms never did arrive but the promised wind did. I was very glad to get in out of the cold.....