Ducks must be really hardy birds. The outside temperature today as I drove alongside the Tuckasegee River was about 31 degrees. I don't even want to think was the water temperature was. Tunnel Mountain Road runs beside the river and just before heading up the mountain towards the farmhouse, there is a little campground. I glanced toward the river and noticed this little group of Mallards paddling around in the water. The wind was fierce enough that the water was swirling about the birds. What caught my eye was the iridescent green heads of the males.
We haven't seen a lot of ducks around here lately. One of the merchants in town mentioned that there had been a fox several months back hanging out around the river and all he could guess was that ducks aren't crazy about foxy neighbors. I guess the ducks felt pretty safe out in the middle of a frigid river.
Until a few minutes ago when I transferred this photo from the camera to the computer, I didn't realize that I'd caught the wreck of the train from the movie, "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford. Not pictured but just to the right of this train wreck is also the wrecked bus that was used to transport the prisoners. Maybe I pass this scene so often that I don't notice it much but it's a popular sight for travelers here. Parts of the movie was filmed in Dillsboro, Sylva and Robbinsville, NC in January in 1993. At the time, Leslie and I owned a camping and backpacking store called Venture Out. Typically, Januarys were always very slow retail months...except for January of 1993! It was one of the coldest months on record. Harrison Ford was filmed IN the Tuckasegee River while temperatures ranged from 10-17 degrees. The film crew never expected weather in NC to be so incredibly cold and coming from sunny California they were woefully unprepared for the cold. Venture Out carried a great inventory of Patagonia, The North Face and Mountain Hardwear thermal underwear. We had some of the best sales ever...ahhhh, good times, lol.
Tonight's post was a nice little trip down Memory Lane for me but what's really interesting? I can't believe I didn't notice that train in the photo when I snapped it!
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