Rutherford Weekly

Page 16 - Rutherford Weekly 828-248-1408 www.rutherfordweekly.com Thursday, September 23-September 29, 2021 293 S Broadway St., Forest City 828-245-0434 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm Sat 8:30am-2pm Not Just Oil, Pennzoil FAST FAST FAST FAST WAY WAY WAY WAY LET US DO YOUR DIRTY WORK! KIDS' CORNER BROUGHT TO YOU BY: DEADLINE FOR COMMUNITY DEADLINE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS MONDAYS: 10AM EVENTS MONDAYS: 10AM September 23 What: Second Harvest Mobile Food Truck When: September 23 Where: Concord Baptist Church, 720 Old US Hwy. 74, Bostic More Info: First Come, First served. Must be a Rutherford county resident and meet low-income requirements. 828-247-0096. September 28 What: Free, Flowering Bridge class, "Composting 101" When: September 28, 10-11am Where: Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Compost Center, near parking lot More Info: LLFB Garden Co-Chair Debbie Clark will demystify the environmentally beneficial practice of composting. 828-625-2540 October 2 What: Outdoor Tent Event When: Saturday, October 2; 8:00am-12:00 Where: Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Ellenboro More Info: Crafts, Gift Baskets, Seasonal Items, Home-canned Goods, Bake Sale, Treasures from the Past. Biscuits and drinks to go. $1 donation quilt tickets. Please observe safety precautions. October 11- October 14 What: Christmas Cheer Applications When: October 11th- October 14th Time: 9AM to 12PM, 1PM to 3PM Where: 256 W Main Street, Forest City More Info: Bring the following: Photo ID, Proof of income AND proof of expenses, Identification for all household members, such as: photo ID, passport, Medicaid card, government ID, or birth certifi- cate, Legal guardians: please bring proof of custody. One applicant per family. Masks are required. October 16 What: 2nd Annual Tractor Show Fundraiser When: October 16th- 10am-3pm Where: South Mountain Christian Camp More Info: Featuring variety of tractors, farm equipment, & antique cars. Vote for favorites with cash donations. All funds go to South Mountain Christian Camp. If you have a vehicle or equipment to enter, or if you'd like to volunteer to help with this event, call 828- 245-3322 What: McDowell Moves 2021 When: October 16; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Where: Hike a trail, walk downtown, or just down the block, any- where in McDowell County More Info: It's not a race, but it is FREE, FUN, and EASY, com- munity-building activity. Visit www.mcdowelltrails.org for more information and to sign up today! •Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com •Mail: 157 West Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Just like that the Summer of 2021 is history. Autumn arrived yesterday, Sept. 22 at 3:21 p.m The last weekend of summer for me was spent with three of my favorite people in the word — my two sisters and a brother-in- law — at Myrtle Beach. My two sisters and I had not spent time together since last year due to various restrictions, schedules, and health challenges that came with 2020. Knowing we were going to have three short days together we opted to spend our time together wisely, taking in the sun and fun at Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington State Park — where we enjoyed extended beach walks, had fun in the sun and ate terrifi c seafood. Our parents taught us the joys of eating seafood when we were children. For a few years we went to Oliver's Seafood near Garden City. It's no longer a restaurant but the building still stands and is in good condition at Murrells Inlet to this day. We drove through the parking lot last weekend and wondered how in the world our parents could afford to take a family of six to such a high-end restaurant back in the day. There were also times our family of six would take a day trip from our overheated campsite at Lakewood Campground — living in a large canvas tent for a week — to Calabash where we'd feast on the best seafood in the world while watching the shrimp and fi sh boats dock outside the restaurants. The atmosphere was the best. Last Friday night we took the 40 minute ride from Mary and Keith's home in Socastee north to Little River and then to Calabash. Our visit to the restaurants during summer vacations as children was our only meal eaten out while on vacation. All other meals were eaten around the campsite cooked on a grill or camp stove and yes, supper was a full course meal. We talked about those days while sitting outdoors at Captain Nance's where we enjoyed shrimp, crab, scallops, clam strips and fl ounder last Friday. Unfortunately there were no oysters left when we arrived that evening — a personal favorite of our family. We enjoyed oysters the night before dining at Driftwoods near Garden City. We even had our picture taken outside the restaurant in front of one of the deep sea fi shing boats. I fell in love with that scene as a child and dreamed of living near an inlet or on a fi shing boat when I grew up. It seemed glamorous to a 10-year-old girl. Honestly, some of it is still appealing to this senior. Our night out was just what my sisters and I needed. Refl ecting on the days when there were six in our immediate family, our summer vacations brought us all together. On Saturday morning, Martha and Mary and I went to Huntington State Park. It is among my favorite places to visit while with Mary. In addition to a near-empty beach when we arrived at 9 a.m. that day, to the nature center, and hikes to the marshes, it was a good day. While on the beach, we watched as four men surf fi shed and then joined a bunch of other adults acting like children as we rushed over to watch one man try to land a 3 foot shark. As it neared shore, the shark broke the line and made the journey back into the sea. That's what my sisters said later that day when they got in the ocean. We walked out the marsh boardwalks looking for alligators near the nature center and the presence of oyster shells took us back to the childhood days of digging oysters. We'd take sacks full of oysters home where we'd have an oyster roast from our kitchen oven. That was a long time ago when it was still a thing to do. On Friday morning while walking on the State Park pier we saw another fi sherman hook a bird at the end of the State Park pier. You should have seen all the people rush to the end of the pier to help rescue the bird. The bird was rescued and fl ew on its way. We talked about the times as children when we'd go pier fi shing. We didn't have enough money for all six of us to get an ocean rig so we shared. I caught a load of small white fi sh one day dropping a hand line off the side of the pier. No joke. My sisters and I enjoyed the last weekend of summer together. T h e weekend was a reminder that we don't have the promise of another day. We are here for the moment and we'll take those moments, days, long weekends and seasons as gifts from God. R e g a r d l e s s of our daily limitations, it's good to get out of the house. Go outdoors, take a journey on paths less taken while enjoying God's good earth — whatever the season. Goodbye summer. Welcome Autumn. We'll address all the glories of this brand new season on another day. In the meantime, I'll begin reading this month's issue of "Our State" magazine — the annual mountain issue featuring another favorite childhood place — The Blue Ridge Parkway. Contact Jean at: gordonjean211@ gmail.com GOOD-BYE SUMMER; A REFLECTIVE WEEKEND AT THE BEACH By: Jean Gordon This is us — and my dream fi shing boat.

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