How Old?

by   April 22, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of my 55th birthday. For those of you who struggle with math, I just turned sixty. I just went and looked in the mirror…the guy looking back at me doesn’t look sixty. When I was a kid, I thought sixty was old. I do not feel old.

            I understand that there is not as much hair on my head. When I was young I used to have really thick, full hair. My hair has been thin on the top for a long time. Yes, I know that my beard is mostly white, but it has been white for a long time now. I thought it looked distinguished.           Many people say that age is just a number. You are how you feel inside. Well, I feel like I am in my thirties. Those were good years. You are healthy; you are grown up and mature; you are figuring out life. Your debts are balanced and your income is good. Life cruises along…the only trouble was that life cruised along too fast.

            I didn’t think the forties were bad either. I was healthy and strong. I could work hard with an occasional rest. My finances were good and life still felt optimistic. The fifties began a season of changes. We both retired in our fifties which has an impact on our finances. My health offered a few hiccups but remained good overall. I noticed a drag on my endurance but still found that I could work hard.

            The question rattling around in my head as I enter this new decade is “What other changes are waiting for me?”  My doctor is helping me to see that pills will play an important part of the future. Isn’t that exciting! I imagine that there will be more rest breaks when working outside. I can also imagine that I will retire from my part-time job at some point. Beyond that, it is hard to imagine what the future will hold.

            When I consider the future, I am glad that I know the One who holds my future. The truth is, no one really knows what tomorrow will bring. We know that there will be some joyful moments and some that will be challenging and difficult. The latter requires faith in a loving Father. There is nothing coming my way that He won’t see me through.

            I guess if there is something that I have learned in sixty years is that having faith in God has made all the difference for me. We all know how to live through good times. It’s easy, just put life on auto-pilot and enjoy the scenery. The trouble comes when we are traveling through the difficulties in life. How does one navigate those times?

            The answer comes back to that one word: through. When we find ourselves in the middle of difficult times, God can reach down and pull us out. It might be a miracle or some unseen provision. He is a wonderful Father and provider. But often what I have learned is that God shows up at a critical moment in life, and instead of pulling me out of the difficult place He chooses to walk with me through the challenging time.

            God finds great pleasure in revealing Himself to us as the one we can depend upon as we go through the difficulties of life. He wants us to know Him as God our healer. God our provider. God our sustainer. God our defender. God our comforter. God our helper. God our friend. There are many more ways He wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants us to know Him and depend on Him in every circumstance.

            I am convinced of one thing…there is so much I do not know about God. While I consider Him my Savior and friend, His ways are mysterious to me. He is always full of surprises. He is always faithful. He is always there, especially when I fail Him. His love has never given up on me. He is always pursuing me.

            I want to encourage you to walk closer with God and find out who He wants to be for you. He loves you more than you will ever understand. He cares about you and the many challenges you face. He knows everything about you and wants you to know more about Him. No matter how old or young you are He wants to connect with you, walk with you, guide you, help you, and love you. Turn to Him, open your heart and spend the rest of your life getting to know Him better.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Light & Dark

by   April 21, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            My mother years ago told me about the little boy who at times would not be in his bed when she awoke. Searching for him, she would sometimes find him sitting on the small, front porch stoop of the house at 709 Applewood Street, and sometimes he would be in the large, cool, hand-dug, dirt cellar playing. Once, he was nowhere to be found and in a panic she looked up and down streets, then walked to a small knoll called Red Hill where she saw his tow-head peeking above the red clay. She described him as the only child of hers who would get out of bed to watch the sun rise or the morning to come or to take a walk in the first cool of the day.

            Each of us has an internal rhythm clock. I’ve had friends who would not sleep past seven in a morning if they could and others who never saw a sunrise unless during an emergency. Some people sleep behind heavy curtains during daylight and some are asleep by the darkening of day. Of course, some of us are forced to adjust our internal clocks by our work. While technology has altered the hours we can profitably work, many occupations, such as agriculture, are still mostly controlled by daylight hours and what can be accomplished during that time. Yet, since Thomas Edison, our work hours have been expanded and productivity can be had continuously, if the machines function properly. While in college, I worked summer jobs in Cannon Mills, in weave rooms three or five.  One summer I worked the 2nd shift, 3-11 P.M., and for two summers I worked the 3rd shift, from 11 P.M.-7 A.M., all from the benefit of Thomas Edison and the refinements of his invention. I recall my angst I felt because of the hours of that 2nd shift when I washed long, florescent bulbs from weave room 3 with Ron, a newly graduated classmate of mine. The pain from the 3-11 shift was caused because the work forced me to miss the night activities of my small town. I was missing time to hang-out at the What-A-Burger # 5 and possibly see the then-flame of my life, Elaine. The man-forced hours on day’s activities continued to interfere with my internal rhythm when I went to college and was assigned an 8 A.M. English class three days a week.  Gasp! However, the professor, Mrs. Lewis, who we affectionally called “The Blond Bomber”, would send a classmate for me when I overslept. But, any early morning class for the next three years I viewed as unfair, as only the immature can reason.  My roommate and best friend from those days, Charlie, convinced me that any sleep after first sleep, was a waste of time that could be better spent in other activities, but I can’t remember him attending any early morning classes.

            In At Day’s Close, A. Roger Ekirch, examines “the history of nighttime in Western society before the advent of the  Industrial Revolution.” He keenly shows how the coming of lights, from lanterns to gas lights to vast electric bulbs changed our activities. Ekrich quotes Edison’s dictum, “Put an undeveloped human being into an environment where there is artificial light and he will improve.” We have put most of the human race in an environment of artificial light, and in so many ways that has been an improvement. One advantage I am aware of is illustrated by my friend Jay. When he was a young, single and struggling father of two small boys, he took advantage of the local Food Lion grocery story being open twenty-four hours a day. Because of the store’s schedule, he could grocery shop at 3 or 4 A.M. while his boys slept in their secured home. Colleges offer courses through long-distance learning (an oxymoron for sure) so a student may work at her or his own preferred schedule, which can be a great advantage for full-time workers or busy parents. And, of course, Edison’s dictum is in ways supported by our improved quality of life and productivity.

            However, is it all good? Is the culture produced by artificial light beneficial? We now live in a time when the Milky Way in all its grandeur can’t be seen by one-third of America’s children. We now live in a culture that proudly exclaims “24/7” announcing that our activities are no longer controlled by the cycle of light and dark. We now live in a society that has altered the age-old patterns of night-time migrating birds. We now live in a mind-set that tells us we now are above the words, “darkness was upon the face of the deep… And God said, let there be light.” One does not need to be a Christian to realize that if we lose our natural rhythms, we lose part of ourselves, our being. The dark is a time for rest from the labors of the light. We need both. We are in danger of losing, as Marilynne Robinson writes, our “spangled heavens” because we can seldom see them in all their glory.

            The young boy my mother told me about has now re-cycled to his old rhythm of being an “early bird,” who then was described by a relative as going to bed with the chickens and getting up with the rooster.  I know because he is I.

Special Olympics

by   April 20, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

On Tuesday, our running club worked one of my favorite events. For years, we have timed the running events at Special Olympics and we have a certain group of volunteers who doesn’t want to miss this very special morning. Tuesday’s competition was for high school students and adults. Catawba College hosted the event and Rowan County Parks and Recreation organized it. Edward Hailey from county parks and rec is the event director.

On Thursday, April 20, elementary and middle school Special Olympics athletes will have their own morning of competition. Athletes at both venues are escorted by student buddies from county high schools and local colleges.

Each athlete gets to choose one track event and one field event to compete in. Also, athletes who aren’t able to compete in an event can register and complete developmental activities. Track events are the 100- and 50-meter runs along with the 50-meter walk and 25-meter wheelchair race. The field events on Tuesday included a softball throw and the mini javelin throw. At West Rowan, the younger athletes can compete in the standing and running long jumps.

Tuesday’s schedule included a welcoming ceremony complete with an Olympics torch, recognition of the schools and other organizations who brought athletes and an athlete’s prayer.

Hailey said, “This event provides athletes an opportunity to compete with their peers. It also provides a supportive and social event where buddies and athletes can interact in a positive way. On Tuesday, we had 110 athletes competing and on the 20th we should have around 120 including some less than 8 years old and elementary and middle school ages.”

In the past, many of the athletes trained for state competitions, but Hailey said, “We currently are not able to field a state athletics delegation. For competition at the state level, athletes must train for a minimum of eight weeks to be eligible. At present, we do not have a coach for athletes to run the required trainings.”

Hailey wanted to thank Catawba College and West Rowan High School for hosting the events. He also recognized The Civitan Club of Salisbury for assisting with ribbons for awards, the Salisbury Rowan Runners who help with the running events, the Rowan Salisbury Schools EC Department that is key to helping register and bringing student athletes, the Lions Clubs of both Cleveland and Salisbury and Rowan County Parks and Recreation staff. Special thanks go to the Special Olympics Rowan County Steering Committee who plans, coordinates and runs the event.

Both events are open to the public and are very well attended and often super competitive. For more information contact Hailey at Edward.hailey@rowancountync.gov

The next race ahead for Rowan County is a familiar one with a new name. The One In 5K and Fun Run is managed by the Family Crisis Council and the name replaces the Stomp Out Sexual Abuse 5K. The race will be held on April 22 at Knox Middle School. The 5K starts at 9 a.m. and the half-mile fun run will begin on the track at approximately 9:45 a.m. Lots of quality awards, refreshments and a commemorative T-shirt are included in registration fees. Go to www.runsignup.com to register or print off a form at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Race Director Christina Rary, also the FCC executive director, heads the One In 5K. She said, “Race proceeds will go to support Family Crisis Council of Rowan. April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. One in five women and one in 13 men experience sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other historically marginalized communities experience sexual assault at drastically higher rates. Run, walk or stroll with us to provide essential resources for survivors in our community!”

Since 1978, Family Crisis Council of Rowan has provided services such as emergency shelter, hospital accompaniment, court advocacy, case management and counseling to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, incest and human trafficking in Rowan County.

For other events on the local running calendar, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Count on Him

by   April 19, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

  • Not swerving – being swayed by circumstances and negative reports.
  • We hold onto the hope that comes from God that is unchanging.
  • For certain, He is faithful and He has made His promise, He will keep His word. 

Prayer:  Lord I do count on You today and I focus on the hope that I know is real in You that You are faithful and all Your promises.  Help me to be a testimony and a witness to others and to share today Your goodness with someone.  Amen.


Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Beautiful Joe’s

by   April 18, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

What could he do? It came down to a couple different options. He could break their engagement and tell everybody she’d been unfaithful. Or he could handle things quietly in order to protect her. Being a nice guy he chose option ‘B.’ He would cancel the wedding plans and somehow move on without her.

Suddenly an option was presented to him that he’d never considered.

He could marry her and raise the baby as his own. It would include taking a hit to his reputation and trusting a woman with a very questionable story but…

Matthew 1:19 tells us that Joseph was a good man. Even a good man would struggle with option ‘C.’

Isn’t it remarkable that the King of the universe chose to come to earth as a man so that God’s beautiful plan to buy us back to Himself could be realized? To me it’s interesting that He started and ended with a couple of regular Joes.

The first was just a hardworking, tax paying guy looking forward to having sons of his own and building the family carpenter business. He found himself being the adopted dad of a little boy Who would be revealed as the Son of God. But Joseph willingly gave up reputation and whatever it took to protect this child. When it meant believing a far-fetched story about his fiancée, he was willing. When it meant taking off to a foreign country with his brand new family in tow, he was God’s man.

Good, faithful, hard-working, steady Joe; not much by social standards, but chosen by God.

Fast forward to the end of Jesus’ life.

Another Joe steps up. This time it’s a rich man with great social status. But he refused to accept the verdict of his fellow religious leaders who had wrongly convicted Jesus. With wisdom he stepped out from the Jewish high counsel and made a decision. He would personally take the body of Christ and bury it in his own tomb… the one he just paid good money to have carved out for himself. This rich man with great social standing did not ask servants to do the difficult task. He made his request to Pilate, then took the body of Jesus and carefully wrapped it in fine linen, placing it in his own tomb. What courage! He could’ve lost everything by associating himself with Jesus.

Instead, he is forever chronicled in Scripture as Joseph from Arimathea, a good and righteous man.

Two Joes: One poor, without clout; the other rich, with high social standing. Each faithful, steady and strong in character, just doing life as the Lord guided.

In my life, the people who have influenced and encouraged me most have not been dynamic, flashy, or extremely talented. They have been beautiful though, because faithfulness is a beautiful thing.

Don’t you love how God uses us regular Joes for His most important tasks?

PS: You can read more about Joseph the step-dad in Luke 2:1-24 & Matthew 1:18-2:23; and Joseph of Arimathea in Luke 23:50-56 & Matthew 27:57-61.

Sometimes Beautiful Joes are named Dennis, David, Randy and Tom

The Tomb was Empty!

by   April 17, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

  • Anguish — What must it have been like for Jesus to anguish in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane? Going a little farther? Falling on His face? His sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground? Praying and asking His Father to remove the cup from Him?
  • What happened when Jesus prayed? An angel appeared from heaven and gave Him strength. When we pray, we too, can be given strength by angels from heaven.
  • Acceptance — On three separate occasions during the time of the trial of Jesus, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. Peter had denied knowing Jesus, but Jesus did not deny knowing Peter.
  • Accusation — Jesus was falsely accused. Pilate could find no fault in Him and chose to wash his hands of the situation as the crowd cried, “Crucify Him!” The crowd also cried for Barabbas, a prisoner, to be set free. Pilate did not set Barabbas free. The crowd did not set Barabbas free. Jesus set Barabbas free!
  • Agony — Jesus was scourged, which involved using a whip with balls of lead tied to leather thongs to tear into His body. A crown of thorns was driven into His scalp. Five- to 7-inch spikes were driven into His hands and feet. On the cross, His body pulled down on His outstretched arms and shoulders, intensifying the pain. While in agony, Jesus willingly carried the weight of the cross — and the weight of the world — on His shoulders, as He bore all our past, present and future sins.
  • Assurance — As He was placed on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” As the thief on the cross beside Jesus was dying, he said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” to which Jesus responded, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Blessed assurance! Jesus is ours! We are forgiven! He will remember us! As we leave this world, we will be with Jesus forever.
  • Arisen — Mary Magdalene and Mary went to the tomb and found it empty. The stone had been rolled away! Jesus was not there, He was risen! These are just a few words from God’s Word and from my heart to remind us of the greatest event in the history of the world. Jesus went to the cross, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again so that we can live forever.
  • The tomb was empty!
  • Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

A Daughter’s Gift

by   April 16, 2023 with No Comments

Parents are supposed to take care of their children. Sometimes the tables turn and children get the opportunity to take care of their parents. This story reminds me of what Jesus did for us… He gave everything… How do you say thank you?

Easter’s Renewal

by   April 15, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Did it rain at your house last weekend? I was beginning to think we needed to build an ark. We had over five inches of rain. I thought we were going to have a rainy Easter Sunday, too. Thankfully, the clouds pushed away, granting us a beautiful day to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

            After church on Sunday, I headed to my brother’s house, where my family gathered to share a delicious meal. I am not sure how many people gathered but the crowd included people from a one-year-old through several in their nineties. There were four generations gathered together and we all had a great time.

            After we ate, one of my nephews initiated a huge Easter egg hunt. It took a whole bunch of us to “hide” all the eggs. The eggs were so plentiful that there wasn’t much hiding going on. Eggs were scattered everywhere.

            Each person was given a container to collect eggs. When the littlest children could wait no longer, the signal came and we all started to collect the eggs. The plastic eggs contained candy and play money. All the play money could be taken to the “store” and exchanged for prizes. The laughter and excitement filled the air as young and old hustled to collect eggs.

            I have to tell you there is something special about watching people in their nineties collecting Easter eggs. The parents were clicking pictures of their little children as they discovered the fun of collecting eggs. I thought later that I should have taken pictures of the ninety-plus-year-olds collecting eggs. That will be a memory that I will treasure forever.

            As things were winding down, I walked with my Dad as he collected the last couple of eggs that were out of reach of the little children. That is another special memory I will treasure. Then we all sat down and looked through our eggs to discover how much money and candy we found. When I turned in my money for prizes I bumped into my mother, who was having a grand time picking out some special treasures of her own. The joy and excitement dancing in her eyes is another treasured memory.

            The little children, my great nieces and nephews, came around showing off their special treasures. The laughter and excitement could not be contained. Everyone went home with bellies full of great food, a bag of candy, a collection of prizes, and hearts and minds refreshed from a great time of fellowship.

            I can easily imagine Jesus coming and joining our family gathering on Easter Sunday. In fact, I think it would fill his heart with joy to know that families around the world came together to share fellowship, love, laughter, and great food.

            I think it is no mistake that Easter is in spring, a time of renewal. Nature reminds us of God’s renewal promises each spring. God sent His Son to heal and restore the relationship He intended from the start of mankind. We break our relationship with God through our wrong choices, but Jesus came to offer us a renewed chance at a relationship with God.

            When we take communion, we are remembering His death until He comes again. His blood paid the full price for all our sins and wrong choices. When we receive it we are forgiven for all our sins and wrong choices. His body was broken to bring us healing. His broken body heals our body, mind, and spirit. Jesus took the whipping, the crown on His head, and the nails in His hands and feet to pay for our healing. After dying for us, He rose again on Easter morning. He is the only God who rose from the dead. It’s our ticket to an eternity with Him in heaven. Our relationship with Jesus offers us healing, forgiveness, and an eternity with Him in heaven.

            I want to encourage you to receive Jesus, who rose from the dead on Easter. It is a gift you cannot buy or earn. It is one you have to receive. God knew you couldn’t fix all you have done wrong so He sent His Son to fix it. He paid for everything and offers you an Easter basket filled with hope, joy, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and a renewed life here on earth, and one day with Him in heaven. These gifts are available for you if you will receive them. They are free and available to you no matter how old or young, and especially no matter what you have done in your life. Come and receive your renewal.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

One Small Bird

by   April 14, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Going out our front door, my wife encountered the rat snake on our stoop, at the hinge side of our entrance. She, being an admirer of snakes, quietly closed the door and came to share his presence with me. Every muscle under its black skin was tense from her presence, and there seemed to be a bulge in his middle that suggested a recent meal. We watch it move across our threshold and climb a corner of our house.

Next to the front door in a corner is a plant stand holding a bright red geranium. It is such a well-tended and full plant that a pair of Carolina wrens have taken residency of it. But the presence of the rat snake brought them out immediately and a Savannah sparrow helped as it held a position near the plant like a Kestrel hunting over a field. One of the wrens held a morsel in its beak and darted near the nest then out of reach. The other flew in circles above the scene, and the snake held its ground in the corner of our house. My wife and I, believers in the rules of nature, left the scene, knowing that “Nature’s beautiful way” would prevail. But as I  went inside our house, I was hopeful for the wrens and that the rat snake was just passing through.

As much as my wife and I  enjoy our garden, many pine trees, and the birds and other animals that share them with us, we accept death as part of this life. We realize that we will sometimes find a fledgling that has fallen from its nest high in one of our pine trees—especially after a storm. Some plants that we hope to see bloom do not do well and die or just limp along like the clematis planted two years ago. The bright and cheerful winter pansies will wilt under the June sun. But no matter of all the lessons I have learned in the garden, I wanted the wrens’ nest to remain intact.

For the remainder of the day after the snake appeared, I would wander out to the front door area. I stayed far away but best positioned myself to see if the snake was in the plant. I did not see or hear the birds, nor did I see the snake in the plant or anywhere in our yard. Because of the lack of animals, I assumed that the nest had been violated, the snake and wrens leaving it to compost and feed the geranium; another death/life cycle in a garden. Our front entrance held the silence of a grave.

Gardens can be plotted on paper or in the brain, with the location of various plants thought out for a variety of reasons. Plants can be planted, nourished, and even pampered. Most will thrive, some will not. However, the outcome of the planned garden’s flowering will offer a home to a variety of animals. Most, like the birds, will be seen and heard. Some, like the snakes, will not be seen often. But all will be present and contributors to their local ecology.

This morning when I went to the front yard to ride my stationary handcycle, I was thinking of other things as I turned the corner from our back garden. But regardless of my other thoughts, the notes of the Carolina wren sitting on the back of a garden chair near our front door cheered my spirits. The pair were here. The loud notes announced their territorial presence.

I did not venture toward our front door area, but paused and listened to the morning concert of one small bird telling the world that this morning it was here like its ancestors and for the moment, what else mattered?

Heading West…

by   April 13, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I planned on traveling along N.C. 150 toward Lincolnton and points west on cloudy and rainy Sunday, March 26. I arrived in Lincolnton, county seat of Lincoln County, about 9 a.m. and the same time that a heavy downpour hit the area. I had a new FroggToggs rain jacket and put it to work. Chartered in 1813, Lincolnton was founded on the 1780 Revolutionary War Ramsour’s Mill battle site, a small battle won by the independence forces.

Expecting not much activity, I was pleasantly surprised to find good things happening. The courthouse dominates the historic downtown, with lots of other historic buildings and churches within a few blocks. Several of the churches had services going on, one from a storefront. A farm market store was serving breakfast food as was the Sweet Side Bakery and Café, where I got two of the biggest donuts I’ve seen. One was a blackberry crumble, which really hit the spot. Hailee Jarry, owner, was very welcoming, as I visited my 13th county seat.

Other interesting finds included the Cloninger Rail Trail, 1.7 miles for running, walking and cycling on an asphalt surface. It’s part of the Carolina Thread Trail and passes right under main street, just as the train used to do. Beautiful murals are everywhere, and large pottery is displayed through shopping area. Lincolnton was the site of the first textile mill in the south, and notable buildings include the Lincoln Cultural Center and Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Back on 150, the next stop was Shelby, seat of Cleveland County. The city was chartered in 1843 and was named for Revolutionary War Hero Isaac Shelby. Considered a textile boom town, Shelby mills paid among the highest wages in the south.

Among the famous locals were singer Don Gibson, bluegrass banjo picker Earl Scruggs and NFL star Bobby Bell. Gibson has an active musical theatre and Scruggs has an ongoing exhibit located in another magnificent and restored courthouse, the centerpiece of Shelby that was built in 1907. Court activities are now held in the Law Enforcement Building, while the restored courthouse also houses a museum.

The next most dominating building is the Charles Hotel, first built in the 1890s. It caught fire in 1928, just ahead of the depression but was able to reopen in 1929. Not currently a hotel, a study is currently underway to possibly restore it again.

Washington Street is a sort of mini-Fulton Street with magnificent older homes, the most famous being Webbley, built in 1852 and once home to NC Governor O. Max Gardner. The city is also home to the American Legion World Series each summer.

Next stop was Columbus, a first time visit for me, and the county seat for Polk County. There’s a historic Columbus and the modern one next to Interstate 26. The courthouse was built in 1855, still in use, and amazingly had open bathrooms on a midday Sunday. In this area, the Civil War divided neighbors as there was some residents remaining loyal to the Union. Four Confederate Companies were formed at the courthouse. Hardships of the war fostered resentment, causing draft evaders and deserters to find refuge in the mountains from where they formed gangs, raided farms and communities. Hard feelings lingered for years.

The town was named after Dr. Columbus J. Mills, considered the “Father of Polk County.” The other major building in town is the former Stearns School building, built in 1917 and used through 1988 with first through 12th grades. The grounds are decorated with library art and a walking trail that follows the pages of the book “Snowmen at Night,” a 2004 children’s book. The historic part of town also has the House of Flags Museum, the only one in the United States, plus a thriving Mexican restaurant and an unlocked foyer of the visitor’s center.

Next came Hendersonville, the county seat of Henderson County. Just a quick drive north on Interstate 26 from Columbus put me on Main Street. Chartered in 1847, the town’s Main Street is well preserved with lots of old buildings that now house restaurants, trendy shopping, boutiques and antique stores.

The Henderson County Courthouse, built in 1905 and completely renovated in 2008, dominates the downtown area and is still in use for some services since the new courthouse was completed in 1995.

Several things I found interesting included many ceramic bear statues along Main Street. I read that the bears mysteriously disappear near the New Year and are replaced by new ones. One building now called the Charleston Inn was built in 1906 with two stories, but a third story was added about 10 years later. Throughout its history, the building had about a half dozen names. The Mast General Store has a Main Street location.

My final destination for the day was Rutherfordton, county seat of Rutherford County. Founded in 1787, it is one of the oldest towns in western North Carolina. Rutherfordton is the site of the first gold mint in the U.S., called the Bechtler mint. Christopher Bechtler made his first gold dollar in 1832, 17 years before the U.S. mint. The Bechtler Mint closed in 1849. Gold dollar replicas are pressed into the downtown sidewalk at various intervals.

Named for Revolutionary War General Griffith Rutherford, Rutherfordton’s Main Street is loaded with historic sites, including another wonderful courthouse, this one built in 1925/26. It has a 75-foot tall Christmas tree, already decorated with lights and a star on top. Same as my windmill. The 1847 St. John’s Episcopal Church looks ready for a small congregation. Two historic houses side by side are called the Carrier Houses and are bed and breakfast locations, one built in 1835 and the other in 1879.

The 13.5-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail connects Ruth, Rutherfordton, Spindale and Forest City, and is used for walking, running and cycling.

All these towns were active on a Sunday that started rainy and ended sunny. I had 7.95 miles on my feet and 242 on my truck. Seventeen counties down, 83 to go. See you soon with more!

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