Going walkabout in Asheville

Yesterday was a busy day as we began our workshop experience.  After covering the structure of the workshop, we convoyed off to The Screen Door in downtown Asheville first thing.  This place was phenomenal.  I had a hard time actually getting inside as there was so much cool stuff outside.

 

Inside the world exploded.  

This is detail from one of three velveteen pumpkins crafted with real stems just inside the door.

And this is a photo of "retired" yarn or thread spools from some of the old closed mills that used to populate the area.  All of this work is now done overseas.

As I've noticed in the past, some of the items are odd if not down right disturbing in some instances.

We had a wonderful late lunch at a restaurant named Tupelo Honey Cafe.   The menu was really loaded with wonderful sounding options and they even had gluten free items.  Here are Chris and Andrew waiting at the restaurant.  We had an hour wait, this place is that popular...and we got there at 1 o'clock.

While we waited I took pictures in the little triangular park, tucked in between three intersecting streets as the buses, trolleys and ambulances whizzed by.

During lunch it seems like the temperature had dropped even further and with the wind chill factored in, it was bordering on uncomfortably cold.  We walked through town and dropped into a wonderful little bookstore called Malaprops and also a little cafe, The Chocolate Lounge, where we drank coffee, hot cocoa or wine depending on our individual whim.  They also had some very nice looking chocolates from which I abstained - although I’m not sure why I did.  They looked and sounded really tasty as I listened to the exclamations all around the table.  

We also visited the Chevron Trading Post & Bead Co. where I spent my time trying to get the fish to pose nicely in front of the interesting corals in the salt water aquarium.

Before leaving the downtown area, we stopped into a lovely little store called the Funky Mutt with the express purpose to meet this cute little kitty in the window.   Her name was Fancy and our timing couldn't have been better.  Susan, the owner, provides a foster home in the store to pets like Fancy until they are adopted.  This photo was taken just moments before Fancy left the Funky Mutt for her "forever home" with her new owner.  What a neat concept.  (It kind of looks like she's watching the fish...)

Back at the house, Andrew’s sister Cynthia and her husband Greg came by and brought us dinner which was a very tasty vegetarian chili.  One of Kate’s old friends Ken Thomas, a photographer, also dropped in.  It was another evening of convivial conversation and laughter and a late bedtime for most of us as it took a while to wind down afterwards.