QUARANTINE BLOG # 388

April 22, 2021

Yesterday we went to Chimney Rock State Park, about 45 minutes away from the cabin.  Once we got off the interstate the drive was over some two lane roads and the scenery was great – the trees are not completely out and the leaves are many shades of green.  When we up drove into the park, we were on a very narrow three mile long two lane road.  My traveling companion was extremely uncomfortable, but she held on and was a trooper.  Again, absolutely a beautiful drive.  I wish I had some kind of dash cam to capture the views.

In 1902, Dr. Lucius B. Morse purchased 64 acres at Chimney Rock Mountain, including the Chimney and cliffs. Morse and his family owned and operated “Chimney Rock Park” as a privately managed park from 1902 to 2007, expanding the park over the years to 996 acres.  In 2006 the land was put up for sale, and the state of North Carolina and the Morse family completed a purchase agreement in early 2007 after the NC General Assembly authorized the development of the state park.

The most notable feature is a 315-foot granite monolith named Chimney Rock, which is accessible by elevator and provides views of the park.  The elevator is reached through a 196 foot long tunnel drilled out of the rock, and the elevator goes up 26 stories.

Once at the top, the views are incredible.  The first picture is “store bought” – it was too windy to put the American flag up.  The other views are as we saw them.

The second car from the left is the Silver Bullet.

After spending some time at Chimney Rock we walked down 173 steps (I counted them) to the level where the trail begins leading to Hickory Nut Falls.  The brochure describes it as “gently rolling but with several moderate uphill sections.”  My hiking buddy discounted that blurb with several exclamation points, but the hike was worth it.

Some scenes from the movie The Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day Lewis, were filmed here.

I took a couple of videos of the falls, and I’ll include them in a blog next week.

👉  SpaceX was to have launched Crew-2 with four astronauts to the International Space Station today, but together with NASA they have delayed the launch to Friday due to unfavorable weather conditions along the flight path.  Liftoff is set for 5:49 a.m. EDT.  The weather looked great at Cape Canaveral but downrange the wind and wave heights in case of an abort after launch was threatening, tomorrow is projected to be nominal.  This is SpaceX’s second launch of astronauts, giving the United States the option of no longer renting seats on a Russian rocket.

👉  We’re still battling COVID-19, and the next thing is here already – Nile Virus  Type C.  It appears to target those who were born between 1930 & 1970. 

Symptoms: 

1. Causes you to send the same message twice. 

2. Causes you to send a blank message 

3. Causes you to send a message to the wrong person. 

4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you. 

5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment. 

6. Causes you to hit SEND before you’ve finished. 

7. Causes you to hit DELETE instead of SEND. 

8. Causes you to SEND when you should DELETE. 

It is called the C-NILE virus!  And if you can’t admit to having those symptoms, you’ve obviously caught the mutated strain – The D-NILE virus. 

👉  A trio of panels just for grins:

👉  Today’s close, “Matured by Trials,” is by Tony Evans.

You have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith . . . may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Adverse circumstances are designed to help us develop spiritually.  Every time we face a trial we have an opportunity to move to another level of spiritual growth.  James 1:12 pronounces persevering through a trial as a blessing.  To be blessed is to be spiritually satisfied with the results of something.  A blessed person does not quit or throw in the towel during a tough time; rather they persevere because they know  one day they will receive the crown of life.

Temptations are circumstances designed to defeat you while trials are circumstances designed to develop you.

Hang in there.  Remember, greater is He who is with you than He who is against you!

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