I cannot complain about the weather here in northwestern North Carolina on this autumn day. The rain, light as it is, is desperately needed. But it sure puts a “damp-er” on the quest for pictographs.

Of course any trip to this area by the Boyd’s means a stop at the original Mast Store.

To look at the photo you would think just a couple of crazy Texans were visiting the store. You would be wrong. While the customers did not number like the crowds of summer, it wasn’t a case of being in a ghost store (though the Halloween items were being discounted…heavily). As usual, I left Sherry to her shopping for gifts and wandered outside to take some photos…

Again, as in the past visits the old barn behind the Mast drew my interest for a few trial shots. Then I wandered around the building and spotted the big red barn beside the store. Seems it’s being used to cure burley tobacco…

Marie Freeman over at her Blue Ridge Blog says if you haven’t smelled curing burley you need to add it to your to-do list. Well, I still haven’t gotten close enough to catch the smell, I have now seen the sight…

For all of the years we have been coming to Valle Crucis, I have been trying to catch a decent shot of old mill dam on the Watauga River downstream of the town. This years try isn’t too bad…

Tomorrow begins the journey towards home…See y’all down the road.