That's Not a Chimney!

You don't have to travel far out of middle class suburbia to be in the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere in North Carolina is a 4 lane highway, trees as far as the eye can see and the occasional horror house dotted along the roads. These old (not always deserted) houses are horror classics. - Amityville style! Actually - given that the real Amityville House of horror, where 6 family members were shot dead in their beds, went on sale in May 2010 for $1.15m perhaps I'm thinking more 'Monster house' - more knackered (there's a word Americans don't know!). What does the Amityville price tag say to those desperate folk in negative equity...?

Travel further into the Forest and you are into log cabin country- those cabins that also feature in American horror movies like 'The Vanishing.' I had the absolute joy of staying in such a cabin in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest. It was like a scene from 'The Evil Dead' without any of the Zombie devil bits (although there was a particularly vicious pull out sofa bed that has scarred my sister for life). It truly was in the middle of the forest - with lions and tigers and bears! Oh my! It was beautiful. Front and back porch with rockers, most of the furniture made from rustic branches and a claw foot bath tub but with all mod cons.

If ever you get the chance to see the fall in America (Autumn as we know it) then do so! It is truly spectacular. I thought the brochure photos I had seen were camera trickery - I know Jez, the camera never lies but colour filters can result in disappointment when you see the reality! I thought the red trees in the pictures has been super imposed. The reality was amazing. The mad combination of reds, oranges, yellows and greens across the Appalachian Mountain range are like nothing I have ever seen before (although I did grow up in Kings Norton so I only have the Lickey Hills to compare!).

In this blog I have been harping on a bit about the strange things I find in America. Well sometimes stranger things are closer to home.  As a result of one strange thing here, I discovered that there is a whole new language used in Britain that I don't know or understand. We went to Chimney Rock Park and went to the top of Chimney Rock - in an elevator! This is America! Later, viewing the rock from a distance I pointed out that it wasn't really shaped like a Chimney at all. My 17 year old niece agreed. "No, it is more like a Chode than a Chimney."

Now there was a new word for my repertoire. I didn't know what it meant either but the picture of Chimney Rock gives the perfect definition. If not - ask someone younger for the definition!