Home Again

We left home on June 30th and returned on November 8th – 20 weeks and what a trip that was.

Our goal this year was to stay put because of $4/gal gas prices and that we did. For a while in North Carolina gas wasn’t available to buy. This blog has chronicled a very interesting time for both Lois and me while we lived in Georgia and North Carolina.

As we were proceeding down the mountain from the Cradle of Forestry, Lois said, “I don’t have any regrets about what we did this summer.”

We both agree on that.

The weather here in Florida is great. We are glad to be home. All we have to do now is figure out what we are going to do next year.

EIU Takes North Carolina 42-0

This is how grandaughter Chase Cain looks when she is not on the Rugby field. She is a psych major with a goal of getting a master's so she can practice in the real world.

Playing with 12 other team members [the normal complement in rugby is 15], Chase and her team struggled against the University of North Carolina at the same Clemson field where they played Clemson three days ago. Chase and her team seem to have the fundamentals down, especially the single-wing formation where the players pass the ball back as they run toward the opposing goal [dropping the ball really messes it up].

The basic rules of rugby are not difficult. Just google "rugby rules" and you'll get a pile of responses. Rugby is 185 years old as a sport and is now played in 120 countries around the world.

So this ends a perfect season of 10 wins and 0 losses for Chase and her team. The 42-0 win over North Carolina was accomplished by 8 tries [grounding the ball in the opposing end zone for 5 points] and one good kick after [two points]. The kick after is not that easy, especially if the try is made toward the edge of the field [the place kick is always positioned out from the position of the scoring try, which becomes more difficult near the edges of the field].

We understand that only three of the EIU players are seniors, so Chase and 11 other players will be back next year. With all that experience at winning, next year's season should be looking good.

Army Corps of Engineers - Twin Lakes

We are at Clemson SC where Chase Cain is playing rugby for her school. Twin Lakes is only four miles from the Clemson campus, which is beautiful.

Twin Lakes is on the shore of Lake Hartwell which was created by the Corps of Engineers. It has 102 RV sites and we are in No. 5 which we obtained for $11, thanks to our Park Service Senior Pass. From the photo it is easy to see that the water level of Lake Hartwell is at least 10’ below where it should be.

This summer we have seen the same conditions at Lake Lanier in Georgia and Lake Fontana in North Carolina all of which are man-made bodies of water.

EIU Clobbers Clemson 72-0

Chase Cain greets Grandma Lois after the game.


A scrum in progress with the ref presiding. Ref makes sure no player is moving the ball with their hand.

The Eastern Illinois University lady Panthers maintained their winning rugby season [9 - 0] last night by clobbering the lady Tigers of Clemson 72 to zero, in spite of two serious scoring threats by Clemson. This was only the second time this season that Clemson lost, the first time being to Penn State last week.

EIU paid heavily for this win -- a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder and ankle sprains. For ten minutes of the second half EIU played with two less team mates.

Rugby players do not wear protective gear. They play two 40-minute halves and the clock is only stopped for injuries. Only lateral or backward passes are allowed, but forward kicking can be used to advance the ball as long as the kicker recovers. Most of the kicks we saw went out of bounds and the referee requires the teams to reset for an in-play maneuver.

A goal is 5 points and the subsequent kick through the goal posts is worth 2 points. A field goal is 3 points if the ball makes it between the goal posts and over the crossbar.

EIU’s last game of the season is against North Carolina University in a few days. The lady Panthers are hoping for a perfect season, according to our granddaughter, Chase Cain, captain of the team. Look for our report on this final game as well.

Gustavademecum #3

Out of a dozen or so candidate-restaurants where we did lunch in Brevard, Lois and I have discussed and agreed that Number 3 of our favorites is Dugans Pub , 106 E Main St. [828-862-6527 ]. What brought us back several times was the Rueben sandwich (which we split) and a pint of Guiness’ Harp lager on tap. Lois opted for Maker’s Mark which was unusual in a place where the suds were flowing.

We noticed that Dugan’s has it’s regulars who were there every time we happened to be there. We also noticed these regulars preferred a liquid lunch and a lot of talk.

Dugan’s in Brevard reminded us of the John Barleycorn pubs in Manhattan -- so typical of the Irish pubs but not at all typical of the pubs in the Emerald Isle. There’s lots to see on the walls and lots of accumulated dust on the ceiling and walls which adds something to the environment. The main bar is a smoking zone and the banners and flags on the ceiling have collected these pollutants over the years. The best place to eat and enjoy is the enclosed patio which is a non-smoking area.

The corned-beef in the Reuben is consistently top quality. The sauerkraut is also among the best we have ever eaten. Service from the wait staff is very good.

Sometime in 2009 Dugan’s Pub will be relocated to the new French Broad Building and the everything will be new, cleaned up and spic and span. Hopefully the food quality will remain high.

Gustavademecum #2

Square Root is a close second of our favorite places to eat, located at 10 Times Arcade Street, in Brevard [828- 884-6171]. Times Arcade Street is actually an alley between Main St. (Hwy 276) and Jordan St. where the Transylvania Times used to be published.

This old printing plant provides the perfect place to enjoy a meal. There are so many interesting features, e.g. the 6,000+ 4x4 wood blocks which forms the floor. You can read more about the decorative features of the place in the menu all of which adds interest.

We ate here more often that we visited our first choice. The salads, the soups and the sandwiches were all very well done and very tasty. Guiness Harp is served on tap. The total tab, including drinks, was in the $30 - $35 range.

The wait staff is all female, young and quite pleasant. They try to make a campy fashion statement, but the eye candy doesn’t make up for excellent service. They have the potential for improvement in that regard.

Having said that, we’d go back to the Square Root any time without hesitation.

Gustavademecum #1

This sign advertised a taxi service to speakeasies during the prohibition. The table next to the sign sits in an old alley during those days and we commend the owner for preserving this little piece of history.

Without a doubt our #1 choice for a restaurant in Brevard NC is The Falls Landing, 18 E Main St, [828-884-2835‎]. We don’t do dinners, as a rule, preferring a lunch which costs at least half of what a dinner does.

The Falls Landing is the longest standing restaurant in town; that speaks volumes. It’s a store-front place and we like the tasteful way it was redecorated. One noteworthy thing they did was preserve a sign from the days of prohibition, shown above.

What about the food? The fish -- trout and flounder -- is the best. We usually went with the luncheon specials and were never disappointed.

The wait staff is experienced and very friendly. For a twosome of foursome, this is our recommendation for a wonderful meal at reasonable prices.