It is easy to become complacent about the views around after living in one spot for awhile.  However, every time I am riding with someone from out of town, I am reminded again how lucky I am to live here in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.  This is certainly an amazing place to live.  Here are some pictures that I took during my recent travels helping someone find their new dream house in the mountains.   There are some incredible views taken from or near someone’s own back yard. 

Murphy NC is gearing up for another 5K run.  On Saturday May 9^th at 8:00 am runners and walkers will gather at the

Hiwassee Valley Pool and Wellness Center for Murphy Elementary School Running Club’s Who Let the Dogs Out 5K run.    Select students, grades 3-5 are training for this event for the ultimate goal of completing this race.

Come join and support these students by signing up to participate as either a runner or walker.  Early registration is going on now through April 23, 2015.

For more information, please contact Tristan Hamby at [email protected].

My dog Charley and I hope to see you there!

Looking for a lovely place to spend a lazy afternoon in the Mountains of Western North Carolina?   Fires Creek offers a lovely day get away.  Located off of HWY 64 between Murphy and Hayesville, Fires Creek offers picnic areas, hiking, fishing spots and even places to dip your toes in on a warm summer’s day.   There is even a beautiful waterfall that flows right into the base of the park.  Though it is hard to see the whole thing from the side of the creek, there are hiking trails that will lead you to some of the upper parts of the falls.  For the more adventurous, you can wade across the creek to see the lower part of the falls.  However, do be advised that some of the rocks are very slippery and may cause you to fall and get wet.  I suggest that you bring a change of dry cloths in case this happens.  The other day me and my dog Charley, scrambled down the other side of the creek where there are more picnic tables and walked along the edge to cross a short part of the creek, resulting in only my shoes and feet getting wet.  I also believe my sunglasses are still there somewhere near the waterfall, but it was a small price to pay to see this entire waterfall during our visit.  Also, when at the park, do watch for slithery critters that maybe along the side of the creek or on the trails on warmer days.  We did not see any this time, but I was looking just the same. So, if you want to spend a relaxing day, listening to the sounds of a lovely creek while you fish or picnic, come and check out Fires Creek.  You will be glad you did!