Nothing veterinary related

My best friend from vet school and her (new) fiance are visiting for the weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday at my uncle's cabin in Morganton, NC. It was a stunning weekend in western NC. We spent some of the first day touring the area in the Mule, as I showed my friends around my uncle's property. Dinner was prepared by the fiance, and he is a gifted chef (he used to work as one professionally). I have rarely had food such as he made (filet mignon with brandy mushroom sauce, asparagus, and purple potatoes). We rounded out the night by watching the stars for a few hours (no light pollution in the middle of nowhere) and then with Top Gun on the projector screen.

The temperature today was in the mid-70s, and the humidity was very low. It was absolutely gorgeous. We hiked up Table Rock today (visible from my uncle's land) and got a breathtaking view of the Linville Gorge and the Amphitheater (much of where The Last of the Mohicans was filmed). It was a great 2 mile hike, and Heidi did wonderfully. We also drove onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked along the road a bit to savor the panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains. How I miss home! How I miss the mountains! I once read about a famous photographer that said that the Smoky Mountains are the hardest to photograph. After attempting to do so myself several times, I agree. Nothing captures that absolute silence and vastness of some of the views along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They are dizzyingly gorgeous. If you've never visited, it is a definite must-see.

We're home again and tired...they leave tomorrow, and it's back to work for me. I'm worn out! My parents have been here, my best friend, I'm bottle raising 3 kittens, one of which is doing poorly and needs subcutaneous fluids and occasional dextrose...I don't feel like I've caught up on my sleep at all. Alas, I probably should do so before Wednesday!

(P.S. - That picture of the grey rectangle with greenery in the center is through an aqueduct hole in the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can see straight down for about 50 feet. My whole foot could fit in that hole. Made me kinda nauseous but made for a great picture!)

(Oh and P.S.S. - Doesn't Heidi look wonderful? She's been running with my husband, and we try to take her wherever we go that she can be outside running. She's building up muscle and has gained weight, up from 55# to 68#!)