Katie and I are in Asheville taking care of Edie and Orin for the weekend. So far it has been quite an adventure to get here. We were supposed to leave on Thursday to fly down but we were hit by a rather substantial snow storm and at one point the road was closed that would take us to the airport. We decided to not risk it and moved our flights to Friday. Not as convenient flights but we arrived about the same time.

We flew through DC which was rather emotional as it turned out. First since the air line accident still so very recent everyone was very quiet as we came in over the Potomac to land. When we were getting ready to depart there was quite a commotion at the gate next to ours. As it turned out, the body of the pilot on the American flight was being transported home. There were crowds – very quietly – watching from the windows in the lounge and there were many, many crew and support folks lined up outside in a ceremonial role. Six captains acted as pall bearers as the AA flag draped casket was loaded onto the plane.

The ceremonial part didn’t end there however. We were loaded onto our plane and backed out from the gate where we were held for almost an hour as the other plane was backed out and escorted out to the tarmac after a water cannon salute. It was all very moving. Not everyone on the plane knew what was happening and the pilot didn’t say anything. I wondered about that but came to the conclusion that it probably wasn’t the best thing to remind all the passengers about the recent accident. We arrived safely just about an hour late but we made it.

Saturday was a very quiet day as neither child was feeling all that great. We finally indulged in a movie which kept everyone pretty happy. However, it was a beautiful day so we had all the doors open and Katie, Orin and I spent most of it outside either on the deck or walking around the circle. Edie just stayed quiet.

Sunday everyone felt better so off we went to the Biltmore. To my surprise there were baby animals. I thought we might be too early for the babies but I was wrong. Edie loves the little lambs and kids as well as the piglets. Orin was just not too sure about it all. There were three sheep in a pen with 9 lambs as each of the sheep had given birth to triplets. They were adorable, all of them. The little kids were also adorable and kept wanting to jump up on each other. They are all named after hurricanes!!!

We then went to lunch at our favorite place on the estate, Cedric’s Tavern. Since Orin has some pretty severe allergies we asked the waiter to make sure none of the allergens were in his food. He could not have been more accommodating and checked with the Executive Chef a couple of times regarding ingredients and cooking methods. I was very impressed by their care and concern. A plain hamburger cooked in its own pan and some fruit worked great. And someone got her favorite Shirley Temple drink with a fancy straw. It was a good day and a fun one for all of us. We were in bed by 8:30pm!!!

So we head home tomorrow after a good break here. The best part has been the weather. Two days of 65+ and sunshine and even today, as I write this, it is 50 with a mix of sun and clouds. I was able to get both children to their respective schools and now we don’t quite know what to do with ourselves. It is very quiet here.

Have a great week, love from Asheville, Lou