This is just a marvelous program – North Carolina Wildlife Resources has a Mountain Heritage Trout Waters program that makes it a piece o’ cake for you to fish for trout while you’re staying with us! Three miles of hatchery-supported trout stream in Maggie Valley have been designated for fishing within this program, and $5 gets you a three-day license.
No rod & reel? No problem! They have loaners. And every registrant receives a first-time gift of a mini-tackle box with assorted lures.
The first of the Casa Blancas has bloomed – I always hold my breath, waiting for these regal beauties. There’s nothing quite like the pure white blooms, so much larger than any other flower I’ve grown. And the scent is divine!
I took the photo below this morning, unretouched, and the white of the lily set the blue sky so deep it’s surreal.
And this – well. This is another angle that just rocked my little world….
I’m trying to figure out this whole word-press blog, thing, so bear with me… but I’mpretty sure that you can click the images for a larger version. We’ll see…
And while this one may have been overshadowed by the arrival of the Casa Blanca, it’s still every bit as welcome. Say hello to the Gold Band Lily.
Palest Yellow Lilies
I don’t know the name of these exquisite beauties…
But I know this: if you could be in charge of painting all the lilies, and
you had a pure white lily and a bit of gold and cadmium yellow paints,
this would be your masterpiece.
It’s time for lilies!
The first day of summer brings us oodles of the beautiful red Monte Negro asiatic lily…
Over the years, I’ve probably planted a thousand lilies at Timberwolf Creek,
and the red ones just blow me away – none more than the Monte Negro. Enjoy!
And here she is, with all her pretty little friends…
Red flowers are such show-offs. “Look at me!”
I don’t mind obliging.
We are, according to the USGS (United States Geological Survey, the official mapping service of the federal government) in both the Appalachian mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are part of the Appalachians.
The Great Smoky Mountains is a national park. While we are not physically in the park, we are colloquially in the Smoky Mountains. (USGS actually refers to our area as the Appalachian Blue Ridge.) For instance, Dolly Parton is ‘from the Smoky Mountains’ and sings ‘Smoky Mountain music’ and has an album called ‘A Smoky Mountain Christmas’. None of these refer to the national park, but rather this particular region of the Appalachian Blue Ridge, which is in immediate proximity to the borders of that which Roosevelt declared a national park.
We are, legitimately, in: the Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains, simultaneously.
This also gives credence to why the Appalachian Trail passes by us, from Georgia on its way north, and also the Blue Ridge Parkway’s immediate presence.
So, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Mountains… it all comes together for you here at Timberwolf Creek.
I love my brides. You all know that I do. Grooms are pretty ok, too.
And they’re always saying, once the wedding ceremony’s done and they’re heading back home, “We’re definitely coming back for our anniversary!” I’ve taken to responding, “You don’t have to wait a year. You can come back on your 3-month anniversary.”
Today, Mary (who keeps my own house neat and tidy, and calls herself my Mary Maid), suggested folks celebrate their quarterly anniversary. Brilliant! And it even has a word: it’s a Quarterversary.
So, y’all know my life is filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and zany stuff. There are lists of “appropriate” and “traditional” wedding gifts for wedding anniversaries. But none exist for the quarterversary! I felt duty-bound to create such a list, as I am, after all, the Wedding Fairygodmother.
Without further ado, then, I present to you, the Quarterversary Gift List (Traditional)
Year
Anniversary Gift
Quarter
Quarterversary Gift
1st
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
2nd
Ditto
3rd
2nd Honeymoon (at Timberwolf Creek)
1st
Paper
4th
Paper… gift certificate for Timberwolf Creek – surprise!
5th
Girlfriend Getaway to Timberwolf Creek
6th
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
7th
Guys Golf & Fishing Getaway at Timberwolf Creek
2nd
Cotton
8th
Cotton… Timberwolf Creek bathrobes
9th
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
10th
Lords a leapin’ (sorry, couldn’t resist)
11th
11 ounce handcrafted Timberwolf Creek mugs
3rd
Leather
12th
Leather… new suitcase – to take, guess where!
13th
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
14th
Special Dinner Out -to plan your next Maggie Valley getaway
15th
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
4th
Linen, silk
16th
Linen or silk… pajamas… for your trip… to Timberwolf Creek
17th
Do something extra special for the babysitter/dogsitter…
18th
Weekend Getaway (at Timberwolf Creek)
19th
Time to sit down and plan the Big Trip – to renew your vows!
5th
Wood
20th
Wood… picture frame… for your 5th Anniverary portrait
taken, naturally, at Timberwolf Creek -where else?
The air is fresh and cool after a good rain. The only sound is coming from the creek. It’s hard to describe how serene it is. You have to just see it for yourself. —Larry
Buttermilk Pancakes – light as air and lots tastier
The whole entire secret to making good pancakes -really excellent pancakes- is eggs. You can use a recipe, you can use a mix. But if you use a mix, you have to ignore the part where it doesn’t call for eggs. Separate a couple of eggs, and beat the egg whites – you want them pretty stiff, like a meringue. I sprinkle in a bit of sugar toward the end because I’m impatient and it makes them peak faster. (‘Peak’ as in, when you lift the beater out of the egg whites, it leaves a nice peak.) Now, set these aside and mix up your regular pancake batter, and fold in that meringue. I’ve used lots of recipes, but none of them make better tasting pancakes than Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix. Now, I do add Mexican vanilla and the eggs to that mix. If you’re a purist who wants a recipe, here’s mine: 2 eggs, 3 C flour, 2 T baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 T sugar, 1 T brown sugar, 2 C buttermilk, 1 T Mexican vanilla, plus whole milk as necessary. Whip egg whites, adding 1 T sugar to help them hold their peaks. Set aside. Mix everything else, including egg yolks. Add milk in small amounts until you have the consistency of very heavy paint. And then fold in the egg whites. They don’t need to be blended in completely. Cook on a preheated 350 griddle.
The reason for the first tablespoon of sugar is to make the meringue. The second is to sweeten the batter. The brown sugar adds depth. The meringue makes the pancakes say, “Poof!” when they hit the griddle, and puffs them up light as air, while the sugars combine to make them brown so prettily.
The reason for the Mexican vanilla is two-fold. First, it’s really good vanilla. The second is that, when I’m out of vanilla, Larry has to take me back to Mexico. If you are tempted, now, to tell Larry where I can find Mexican vanilla closer to home, I’m going to have to do something about you. So… don’t… Ok?
If you just really don’t like to cook, that’s ok. I’ve got this one. Come on down, and I’ll make you up a mess o’ pancakes.
us! Three miles of hatchery-supported trout stream in Maggie Valley have been designated for fishing within this program, and $5 gets you a three-day license. 
