BACKROOMS, OBSESSION, and WHAM!

Once in a while, Brugger and I both feel a hankering to go to the drive-in theater in Eden, about a half-hour down the way, and last night was one of those times. Over the years, we've had some lovely experiences there as well as some that were anything but up to snuff. Happily, last night was a winner...well, until the trip home.

The Eden Drive-In has two screens—the original, full-size screen and a more recent, pint-size screen with a correspondingly smaller parking area. The Mandalorian & Grogu played last weekend and was still on for this weekend, so we decided to check it out, since we both loved the series. However, once we arrived at the theater—about an hour and a half early—we learned it was playing on the small screen (it had played on the main screen last week), and that smaller lot was already damn-near full. On the big screen, they had Backrooms and Obsession, so we figured, well, fuggit, let's check them out. I'd heard good things about both from friends and fellow writers who'd seen them, and... hey... horror movies and drive-in theaters naturally go together. Huzzah!

 

It was a beautiful evening, and as it got darker, the breeze turned chillier... and chillier. We'd had the foresight to bring layers, so... hey, we felt happier than happy to get a break from the recent once-unseasonal heat. As the sun set, the sky turned all kinds of colors, and come full-on dusk, a bright full moon hung overhead. The perfect setting for us.

 

Backrooms was, to me, utterly brilliant — rather Lynchian, I thought, as if it sprang from the darkest heart of the Black Lodge. It's kind of the inverse of real life: a nightmare film, in which conventional reality occasionally asserts itself. Obsession similarly hit a level of intensity that I found disconcerting.in the extreme. Ms. B. preferred Obsession, while I preferred Backrooms, but that was all a matter of degree. We both loved both.

 

The only tragic part of all this was that, heading home on the rural backroads, I ended up hitting a deer. We'd seen loads of them along the way, so I was driving pretty slowly, but nevertheless, one came bounding out across the road at full tilt, and that was all she wrote. So, sadly...one dead deer. The damage to my car was minimal, but it's still going to require some body work, which is an expense we can ill-afford at the moment.

 

I hate hitting animals. Almost ironically, back in 2015, Kimberly hit a deer on the way home from that very same drive-in (see "Deer Damage"). In her case, the accident caused extensive damage to her car. Perhaps ironically, we'd been talking about that incident while we were waiting for the movies to start. Alas. Anyway, I feel horrible for the deer, and despite the pain the ass, pretty lucky that the accident wasn't any worse.

 

We had such a lovely evening, we decided that it was going to be our takeaway from it. Now, we're really looking forward to another drive-in movie night.

 

Peace out.

Eden's Ember Bookshop Grand Opening — A Sizzling Success

Photo by Eugene Smith

In my years of experience as a writer (which is a pretty big number because I am not so young), I've found book signings to be hit or miss. I've participated in some that, by all rights, should have been resounding successes but flopped, and others that seemed doomed to disappoint, yet doubled and tripled my most optimistic expectations. I felt pretty good about today's grand opening event at Eden’s Ember Bookshop in nearby Eden, NC; because, although Eden is a small town in a fairly rural county, from the beginning, owners Stephanie Lynn and her husband, Shawn, as well as several dedicated helpers, went all out to organize and promote both the event and the store itself. Plus, this region is home to an impressive number of successful writers. So, going in, it felt like all the building blocks for a decent day were in place. Authors Delphine McClelland, Val Neiman, and Al Sirois and I were set to sign books on the first shift (12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), with another four — Maddy Butler, Ellen Ceely, Olivia Piervincenti, and Britta Threshie — at 3:00 p.m.

And...oh, yeah. From the moment the doors opened, a steady flow of patrons came in, and many — or maybe even most — took advantage of the opportunity to check out us local folks, conveniently set up in the vestibule in front of the main entrance. I sold out of my copies of The House at Black Tooth Pond and Blue Devil Island, and I diminished my stock of all the other books I had on hand. So, yes, I'd say this one more than met my expectations, and I hope this bodes well for the store in general.

 

The bookshop is located in the basement of Kings Mill Coffee Shop, and before the signing started, I paid them a visit to have breakfast. I killed a wonderfully spicy western omelette, and I can safely say this was one of the best omelettes I've ever had — bacon, sausage, onion, jalapenos, and habanero ghost jack cheese. And their coffee is great.

Eden's Ember Bookshop and Kings Mill Coffee Shop are located at 729 South Van Buren, Eden, NC. If you're in the area, I highly recommend paying them a visit. 

Eden's Ember Bookshop Grand Opening — Saturday, April 4

Next weekend — Saturday, April 4 — is the grand opening of Eden’s Ember Bookshop in Eden, NC, starting at noon, with several local authors — including me! — on hand to sell and sign books. The store will be carrying Blue Devil Island, Fugue Devil Resurgence, and The House at Black Tooth Pond, but I'll have a larger selection at my table, including The Lebo Coven, The Nightmare Frontier, Gods of Moab, and several of my Ameri-Scares series titles.

Eden's Ember Bookshop is located at 729 South Van Buren Rd., Eden, NC 27288 (see map below), in the basement of the Kings Mill Coffee building. (Note that parking and the entrance are at the back of the building.)

 

I'd love to see you at Eden's Ember's grand opening. If you're within traveling distance, please stop in, so I won't have to hurl a bunch of insults at you. I will, you know.

Author Updates Interview

On April 4, a new bookshop, called Eden's Ember, is set to open in nearby Eden, North Carolina. Along with several other authors, I'll be there for the grand opening event, with plenty of books to sell and sign (see "The Creeps Are Back, Eden's Ember, and More," Friday, March 13, 2026). To promote local authors, writer and podcaster Eugene Smith has launched a new podcast called Author Updates, and yesterday, he was kind enough to interview me about my books, stories, and writing in general. It was a very enjoyable conversation, so give it a look. It runs about 25 minutes.

Eden's Ember Bookshop is located at 729 South Van Buren Rd., Eden, NC 27288, in the basement of the Kings Mill Coffee building. The grand opening event is from 12 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (I'll be signing between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.).

The Creeps Are Back, Eden's Ember Bookshop, and More

When a traveler takes one of the winding back roads between Martinsville, VA, and Eden, NC, he may come upon a lonely and curious little community called Sandy Level. There, for many years, at least one forbidding-looking but otherwise jovial figure occupied a singular space along the roadside, leering and waving at the passersby. I called him the Sandy Level Creep (or Creeps, when there was more than one; you may read about them here), but a few years ago, all the Creeps mysteriously vanished. Happily, as I discovered recently, a new corps of Creeps has settled in the old ones' place. That's them in the photo above, in case there's any question.

 

I had an appointment in Eden this morning, so I opted to take the back roads rather than the main highway. Since I'd noticed the Creeps' return some time ago, I decided to stop and take a photo today. Notice how overjoyed they appear,

 

My trip to Eden was to deliver a few books to Eden's Ember Bookshop, which is set to open on Saturday, April 4. There will be a grand opening event from 12 noon to 4 p.m., with several local authors—including me!—on hand to sell and sign their books. The store will be carrying Blue Devil Island, Fugue Devil Resurgence, and The House at Black Tooth Pond, but I'll have a larger selection at my table, including The Lebo Coven, The Nightmare Frontier, Gods of Moab, and several of my Ameri-Scares series titles.

Eden's Ember Bookshop is located at 729 South Van Buren Rd., Eden, NC 27288 (see map below), in the basement of the Kings Mill Coffee building. (Note that parking and the entrance are at the back of the building.)

 

I'll throw in a personal plug for Kings Mill Coffee, as I had lunch there today—a gigantic BLT and a jumbo mug of coffee. The sandwich includes bacon, lettuce, and tomato, of course, but also prosciutto, arugula, avocado, and garlic aioli, all on toasted sourdough bread. It comes with fries. Yeah, I recommend this highly.

 

After lunch, I headed to several relatively new geocaches north of Reidsville. I even got first-to-find honors on one of them, which was fun.

 

I'd love to see you at Eden's Ember's grand opening. If you're within traveling distance, please stop in, so I won't have to hurl a bunch of insults at you. I will, you know.

When It Rains...

Old Rodan at the Old Leaksville Cotton Mill Dam in Eden, NC

Well, you know the old adage. An interesting weekend, to say the least. I had intended to make my customary weekly trip to Pleasant Hill in Martinsville on Friday, but friends Joe & Suzy invited us to dinner, so I decided to push Martinsville back a day. It was definitely worthwhile — Suzy made pasta é fagioli, which we found incredible. There were Campari spritzes, Negronis, Ouzo, and plenty of vino (not all at once, or anything, haha). In remembrance of David Crosby, we rocked out to lots of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & (sometimes) Young. A lovely evening with good friends.

Saturday, I hit the road early to hunt a passel of new geocaches in Eden, which is right on my way to Martinsville. I got in a good bit of hiking — about three miles — and found all the caches. A very satisfying start to the day. However, Allison had forewarned me there was a plumbing issue at Pleasant Hill: the kitchen sink was totally stopped up. I gave it a couple of treatments with Drano, to no avail. So, being that plumbing work and I are not good friends, I feared a call to our regular plumbers in Martinsville was inevitable.

As it was, I had made plans for a late lunch with old friends Bob & Yvonne at Forest Park Country Club, so I decided that I’d call the plumbers when we were done. Allison and I met them at the grille and enjoyed an excellent lunch. Back in my old golfing/swimming days in Martinsville, I spent uncountable hours at Forest Park, so it was mighty pleasant to visit again. During our conversation, I mentioned our little plumbing issue, whereupon Bob indicated that he was skilled in the plumbing trade, thanks to his father. So, being true heroes of the day, Bob & Yvonne took it upon themselves to set our problem to right, which they did. They also invited us to spend the evening at their place for drinks and light hors d’oeuvres.

Those aren’t saplings that toppled
into the yard.

However, going back to the title of this blog entry, after lunch, upon our arrival at Pleasant Hill, I discovered that all our recent rain had taken a toll on a couple of trees on the wooded hillside behind the house. Boom! Two huge trees had just fallen into the yard, one fully uprooted. Thankfully, they missed the house, but there are now two big trees lying more or less horizontally in the yard, as opposed to standing vertically in the woods where they belong. I have been planning to buy a chainsaw, as in relatively recent days, there have been several situations where one would have come in handy. Well, now’s the time because I’d rather just get the chainsaw and cut those fuckers down to size than pay someone else an arm and a leg to do the job. It’ll take considerable work, but I would say both Allison and I can use the exercise. Again, we were truly fortunate that the trees did not hit the house. That could have been very, very bad news.

Anyway, for the evening, Allison and I enjoyed refreshments of many varieties at Casa di Bob & Yvonne — and, once again, lots of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & (sometimes) Young filled the evening. Plenty of other great tunes as well. Much like our old next-door neighbors Paul & Jamie, Bob & Yvonne are masters of the magically refilling drink glass. One could not look away for a minute or so to find that, upon turning around, one’s glass was again completely full. And Yvonne’s guacamole is probably the best I’ve ever tasted anywhere. That’s not hyperbole.

So, another lovely evening with friends. At least our plumbing problem was solved, and without having to engage expensive plumbers. So many many thanks to Bob & Yvonne. I hope I can return the favor in some fashion.

I did have considerable difficulty getting out of bed this morning, courtesy of Allison’s little terror, Cannoli. He had me pinned for a good hour or more after I woke up. Then, during a spell of zoomies, he knocked off a whole shelf full of items in the den. And then had the audacity to gaze sweetly at me so I wouldn’t fuss at him.

I reckon the next order of business is getting that chainsaw. What a job I’ll have coming up soon...

A view of the bar in Bob & Yvonne’s basement. A thing of beauty, I would say.

 A lovely spread

Why getting out of bed at Pleasant Hill is problematic

Abandon Hope All Ye... and Such

With all due acknowledgement to Dante, “Abandon Hope All Ye...” is a geocache I placed in Eden, NC, over ten years ago, at a long-abandoned bridge over the Dan River (the cache is limited to premium members only, so if you’re not one, I’m afraid you won’t be able to view the cache listing). I had happened upon the bridge while hunting another cache back in 2009, and the location struck my fancy. In 2011, the cache located there was archived, so I took advantage of the opportunity to place one of my own. A decade and some change later, mine is still active.

The bridge is narrow and well-worn, though it doesn’t appear to be unsafe for foot traffic. To access the cache, however, one must negotiate some treacherous terrain. It’s only gotten more rugged over time, as erosion has taken its toll at either end of the bridge. The cache has ended up missing a handful of times during the past decade, but since I am so fond of the location, I have always gone back and replaced it rather than archive it. Two weeks ago, I went by to check it out after a cacher who was unable to find it suspected it had gone missing; indeed it had... again. This evening, on my way to Martinsville, I stopped by with a replacement container on hand, which I put very securely in place. I hope this one will stay put for a while.

It’s been one of those weeks with all kinds of goings-on, so I haven’t managed to fit in any blogging. I got the Christmas decorations up at the house, wrapped up one major writing project (more news on that later), and made considerable headway on another. Last night we had company — our regular supper club gang, the Nelsons and the Albaneses — for a little Christmas dinner. And tomorrow, we’ve got some more socializing to do at the Nelsons’ place. Hopefully, the weather on Sunday will be conducive to a caching outing.

And that, as they say, is that. Be good to yourselves, and be good to Buffalo (or wherever you hail from). Ciao!

Almost dusk — the view of the Dan River north of the bridge

Dan River south of the bridge

View of the sky from the front porch in Martinsville, 9:30-ish in the p.m.

Casa di Rodan with a few Christmas decorations up

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Yes, that tunnel you see right there. That was the No-Dead-Weight Irregulars' primary target on last Sunday's geocaching outing because, yes, there is a geocache in there. The team had a pretty full complement — Diefenbaker (a.k.a. Scott), Fishdownthestair (a.k.a. Natalie), NCBiscuit (a.k.a. Linda, but just for this one cache), Old Rob (a.k.a. Old Rob), and this old dude. As far as tunnels go, it wasn't a particularly lengthy one, but it did present a physical challenge or two to conquer before one could access the cache. And there was, quite literally, a light at the end. Scott turned out to be our wade-the-waist-deep-pool-and-scale-the-ladder-to-grab-the-cache man, and he did admirably — until he dropped the cache in the above referenced pool, which required him to come back down, retrieve the cache, and climb back up. I'm sure it was all as much fun for him as it looked, and we each earned a smiley in the deal.

 

Diefenbaker signing the logsheet, moments
before he dropped it into the water below

After we emerged from the not-so-daunting darkness, Ms. NCBiscuit left us for different pastures, and the rest of us meandered Chapel Hill way, where we grabbed a quite a few more caches, most of them of high quality. A fine day of it overall, akin to the days of old, when the full gang could spend the better portion of the day hunting all varieties of caches, fit in all kinds of decent exercise, and lay waste to a passel of decent vittles. This time around, we found a fine feast at Casa Maria Latino Restaurant on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. We've been there numerous times, and it's always quite good, though for whatever reason, they weren't serving alcohol — a bummer because some of us had been craving margaritas. Don't know whether they lost their ABC license or what, but I hope it's not a permanent situation. More often than not around here, a restaurant loses is liquor license, and the next thing you know, the restaurant has ceased to exist.

On last Friday, after an early workday, I met friend Skyhawk63 (a.k.a. Tom) over in Pilot Mountain to hunt a newish Adventure Lab. It was enjoyable enough, and we completed it readily. I snagged a few additional hides afterward on my way to the old homestead in Martinsville. I hadn't been into Pilot Mountain in ages, and I did discover that, like Eden, NC, they also have their very own Bigfoot. It's a very flat Bigfoot — a piece of sheet metal on the side of a building in the middle of town — but I always do get a kick out of seeing him around as much as I do. To think so many people live their lifetimes never seeing Bigfoot and consequently not believing in him. Well, I've seen, and I believe.

Mount Pilot's very own Bigfoot

Apart from the geocaching, I've done precious little these past couple of weeks other than work like the dickens on a story for a new anthology. Due to so much happening on the homefront, I had missed the official deadline, but I still had a small window to get the story in. I trust it will please the editor. I found it, in the end, a most gratifying tale to write.

And I'll be back hard at the writing in the coming days, for I need to get back on the Georgia book for the Ameri-Scares series. I had started into it a while back but had to put it aside for a time while the wedding, the home renovation, estate business, and the regular day job ate up every hour of every day. I like to keep busy, but I really hope things don't build up to that beyond-intense pace for a long, long time... if ever.

Today, of all things, I did something I've not done in over a decade: I went out and played golf. Friend Terry invited me to go along, and I decided to do it. Years and years ago, I was quite the avid golfer, but these past few decades, it really hasn't been in my repertoire. Today, I scored about as well as one might expect after ten-plus years away from it. But I managed to nail a few beautiful shots, and I really did have a great time. I don't know that I'm going to become a habitual offender again on the golf course, but then... stranger things have happened.

And that's all for now, so sayonara and peace.

Godzilla vs. Kong

It took three attempts, but I finally stayed awake through Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong. To be fair, these days, it doesn’t take much to put me out, given the degree of fatigue with which I regularly end far too many of my days.

Attempt number one: as soon as G vs. K came available on HBOMax, I opened an account and cranked up the movie. A long day it had been, and though I really wanted to soldier through it, the endeavor was doomed from the start. Attempt number two: easily the most fun of the three, this one took place at the Eden Drive-In Theater. I must say, Godzilla and drive-ins have gone hand-in-hand since I was just a wee little kaiju nerd, and this experience proved largely delightful. Largely, I say, though not wholly. Constant rain ended up marring the viewing, as did — again — a willing spirit but desperately tired flesh. However... finally... on attempt number three (again on HBOMax), mind and body managed to remain focused.

Spoilers here, there may be.

As with its predecessor, Godzilla - King of the Monsters, G vs. K eschews anything like engaging storyline and characters in favor of CGI spectacle. While one could hardly expect anything different these days, the endlessly-cynical-yet-ever-hopeful movie buff in me still feels a tad slighted. “But it’s a giant monster movie,” I hear you cry. “You go to see monsters, monsters, monsters, and it’s ridiculous to expect anything more.” Well, no, it isn’t, any more than it’s ridiculous to expect more than a CGI extravaganza in any movie, be it superhero, action-adventure, science-fiction/fantasy/horror, comedy, or pure drama. But movies play to their perceived audience, and the perception is clearly that a monster movie needs little more than a big-ass budget, a few recognizable names, and a houseful of kitchen sinks to hit the mark.

So be it. On those terms, G vs. K isn’t exactly a waste of time. Legendary’s version of Godzilla turns in a more entertaining performance than he did in either of his previous two films, and he even boasts a marginally better design. Now, our big guy is still a weirdly proportioned walking mountain, with a tiny head and bloated physique; however, this go-round, his proportions appear a tad better balanced, and his posture and movements convey a distinctly reptilian menace. Not since Shin Godzilla has an incarnation of Big G emitted more high-powered light rays and fried more shit from exceptional distances. I do love the fact that this film treats us to an honest-to-Godzilla rampage that reduces a lot of city-shaped pixels to rubble-shaped pixels. I suppose I could even go so far as to credit many of the Godzilla scenes with keeping me awake longer than I might have otherwise managed, even if the story had been more engaging.

Kong, who looks pretty much like he did in Kong: Skull Island, only bigger, spends a lot of time airborne. Leaping, flying, floating, and — in a worthy nod to Toho’s original King Kong vs. Godzilla — traveling by way of a balloon airlift. Another (slightly) pleasant surprise is that Kong’s interactions with young Jia, a deaf-mute girl who is able to communicate with him via sign language, take up a relatively tiny portion of the film’s running time. From the trailers I had seen, I had feared this potentially saccharine trope might overwhelm the film’s other, slightly less saccharine tropes. It did not. Jia, who is played by deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, is treated respectfully, and of all the kids ever to appear in a giant monster movie, I might categorize Jia as the least annoying ever. I suppose that is something.

Hallo, how are you, nice day.

Boom!

Boom!

Eiza Gonzalez as Maia Simmonds

The human cast? Ah, the human cast. Not much happening here. Not due to lack of talent, just a lack of material. Alexander Skarsgaard plays the boyishly charming Dr. Nathan Lind, who leads an expedition into the hollow Earth (established in the previous film) to find a nebulous power source that exists there as well as to take Kong “home.” He has to take Kong home because, if he doesn’t, Godzilla, as a rival apex predator, will be duty-bound to whoop up on him. Rebecca Hall plays Kong expert Ilene Andrews, whose primary job — apart from being Jia’s mother — is to remind us every few minutes that Kong bows to no one (“no one” meaning Godzilla). Naturally, Millie Bobby Brown returns as Madison Russell to spout conspiracy theories, offer the occasional snarky line, and walk everywhere with a rapid, purposeful stride. For our requisite lovable, conspiracy theory–driven protagonist, we have Bernie Hayes, played by Brian Tyree Henry. On his own, Henry comes across as engaging enough, though he is unable to conjure up an ounce of chemistry with any of the other players — a criticism that could be leveled at the entire cast, actually. Young Julian Dennison, as nerdy Josh Valentine, rounds out our eccentric group of do-gooders.

The do-gooders are trying to find out what Godzilla has against technological giant Apex Industries, run by smarmy Walter Simmonds, played by Demián Bichir. I give nothing away by saying he’s not a good guy. Nor is his daughter, Maia, played by Eiza Gonzalez, whose specialty is slinging insults fast and hard. Move over, Boris and Natasha.

Alexander Skarsgaard as Dr. Nathan Lind, Rebecca Hall as Ilene Andrews, Kaylee Hottle as Jia Andrews

Julian Dennison as Josh Valentine, Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell, Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes

Demián Bichir as Walter Simmonds

The reward for sitting through the occasional character interaction is to finally witness what Apex Industries hath wrought. At first, I can’t say I was much taken with it, but it does actually seem to be growing on me. At worst, it offers an effective visual reminiscent of the scene of Lt. Goro Gondo’s demise in Toho’s Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). If that description means anything to you, my hat comes off.

I am giving G vs. K three out of five Damned Rodan’s Dirty Firetinis, and leaving it at that. Thank you.

Hallo, how are you, nice day.

Darrell, the Bigfoot of Eden

Behind me. THAT is Darrell the Bigfoot. I do not have the big feetz. Nor am I so two-dimensional. Well, that’s what I say, anyway.

Darrell resides in the town of Eden, the outskirts of which I pass through regularly when traveling between Greensboro and Martinsville.. I rarely go into Eden’s downtown (it actually has three, but that’s whole ’nuther story), but geocaching led me there today. A recently published Adventure Lab cache sends hunters to five separate locations in Eden that feature noteworthy works by local artists. Last night, I had to head to the old hometown for an appointment this morning, so on my way up — despite a torrential rainstorm — I stopped at three of the cache’s five stages (yes, I got wet; yes, I had fun). The weather turned out considerably better this morning, so on my way back home, I stopped at Darrell’s place — a shop called Sophisticated Rubbish — to make his acquaintance.

Previous caches have drawn me to this location, but those were prior to Darrell taking up residence. He is, indeed, flat — a near-life-size piece of sheet metal attached to a mural on the side of the shop building. This little corner of Eden has really undergone an agreeable transition, with numerous shops and places to dine. The pandemic certainly does not have impacted local businesses too negatively.

Any town that welcomes Bigfoot as a resident is all right by me. Thanks, Eden.

Just across the way from Darrell’s residence, you will find a little park with a mural promoting the town. There have been a handful of different caches placed here over the years.  An earlier mural here, called “River Boat Men: Dan River Trading, 1792–1892,” depicted black men rowing batteaux on the Dan River. It was changed in 2020, when some members of the community objected to it for glorifying of a part of history they felt best relegated to the past.

At the End of the Rainbow, There Is...a Deadpool?

Ms. Brugger was heard singing "Somewhere Over the Drive-in..."

Ms. Brugger and I had the fun night at the Eden Drive-in. Burgers! Fries! Wine! Solo! Deadpool 2! Plus a bit of water from the sky, a nice rainbow, and a gorgeous sunset. Happily, it did not rain during the movies. Sadly, the drive-in now runs 20 bloody minutes of commercials before the movie starts, which taxes my patience and makes the already late finishing time very late — as in 2:30 in the a.m. late. Regardless, going to the drive-in remains a treat, and we both really enjoyed the movies. I just don't get the hate for Solo. It's damn good fun and fits comfortably in the Star Wars canon. It is fucking entertainment, for chrissakes. Its worst moments are 10,000 times better than the best moments of The Phantom Menace, and more flat-out fun than most of the more recent Star Wars films.

Deadpool 2 was a hoot, mostly living up to its predecessor, which I also quite like. It's definitely not a kids' film, though that did not stop a score or so of the locals from bringing their young ones.

All things considered, especially considering the dearth of drive-in theaters these days, I'm mighty glad to have one reasonably nearby, and whatever its pitfalls, I'll suffer them for the overall joy of the experience.

Sunset over the drive-in

From Ferrum to Saxapahaw

Some nice Geocaching buddies near Ferrum, VA

Closing in on 10,000 geocache finds, I am. Picked up an even dozen this weekend, bringing my total find count to 9,921. I am hoping to make the 10K find... whenever and whatever it might be... something memorable, so I need to start doing my research. It would be great if it involves kayaking and is close to a winery, in which case Ms. Brugger would be inclined to join the fun.

After spending Friday and Saturday looking after my mom in Martinsville, I set out after a few caches before heading home. Three new ones had come out around Ferrum, VA, where I went to college back in the darkest of dark ages, so I decided to target them. They had been published several days earlier, but, surprisingly, no one had logged finds on them. Fortuitously, I managed to claim FTF on all three by an hour or so, as longtime geocachers (and forest rangers) TracksAll & Will Ketchum apparently came along soon after me. I almost feel bad for beating them to the punch, since they don't get to cache nearly as much as they used to. But hey, a smiley is a smiley, and an FTF is a damn near empty honorific, at best.

From there, the Rodan Mobile conveyed me to Fairy Stone Park, where I have spent many happy times and found numerous caches over the years. There was a relatively new one there, which did not appear to involve significant hiking... until I opted to depart the trail and make a beeline for the cache. Making a beeline for the cache turned out to be more like hauling one's self up and over one majestic incline after another, and reaching the cache involved a rather precarious change in elevation just above a creek. On my egress, I decided to keep to the trail, which proved less rigorous but also involved no little altering of altitude.

Hanging out with funky little Tiki Dude

Then it was on to Eden, NC. Here, there were several more to find (two of which I sadly did not), including a wondrous, beastly little hide amid a massive network of roots in a deep, dank ravine, which I found to be a pure joy in the driving rain that had begun to fall. You may think I speak facetiously, but I do not speak facetiously, for I had a grand time of it making this find (admittedly with a modicum of help from friend Night-Hawk (a.k.a. Tom).

Drenched and exhausted, I eventually made it home. Then, this morning, friend Robgso (a.k.a. Rob) and I made another fine day of it, first at Hagan Stone Park in southern Guilford County, then at Cedar Rock Park in Alamance County, and then in Saxapahaw, on a scenic trail along the Haw River. Lunch at the Saxapahaw General Store was, hardly unexpectedly, among the day's highlights. Ms. B. and I have had some mighty good meals at this place over the years, and today the goat burger was the item of choice, and a fine one at that. Caching-wise, we found a couple of particularly enjoyable hides, including a rat in a tree and a funky little coconut Tiki dude. We finished our hunt—successfully—at the edge of the Buckhorn Gamelands, where we have cached on many previous occasions, and then we came home, where I fell over and went boom.

Rodan's Roots?

View of Philpott Lake from the Lake Shore Trail

View of the Haw River

Found along the Haw River Trail

Old, crumbling dam on a Haw River tributary

Above and Below

As is often the case with photographs, the image above fails to convey the sense of scale of the setting. When I came upon it, I would not have been surprised to see King Kong at one end, a Styracosaurus at the other, and a bunch of ill-fated sailors trapped on the log between them. That is, if King Kong, Styracosaurus, and a bunch of sailors happened to be hanging around near the Smith River Greenway in Eden, NC.

The view from above

At first, my GPS led me past the log, but the pointer eventually swung around and pointed me back toward it. Then my ground zero coordinates appeared to across the stream. Well, so be it. The first thing I did was make sure I could get solid footing on the thing, which proved to be no problem because that fallen tree is big. Big, I tell you. Then, when I got to about the center of the log, coordinates zeroed out. So, I knew I was close. But as you may be able to deduce from the picture, there are only about a half million places along that log where one could conceal a very small geocache.

I'll not spoil the hide for others by spelling out where I found the container, but I'll suffice it to say that I went high, I went low, I went everywhere in between, and—most fortuitously—I managed to spy the cache quickly. I made getting to it considerably more treacherous than was actually necessary, but that was half the fun of this particular hide. If you're a geocacher in the area, I'm sure you'll figure out its identity and location soon enough....

The view from below

All this physically challenging stuff aside, it's rather an overwhelming time right now, for reasons that are better not divulged as yet. My daughter is in town for not altogether happy reasons, so any positive energy you can manage to send our way, it's most appreciated. Mini tanks, and all that.

The fungus amungus

Deer Damage

One deer: dead (R.I.P., deer). One Mazda 3: a bit cracked up.

Helluva scare for Ms. B. late last night — or rather, in the wee hours this morning. Kimberly and I wanted to hit the Eden Drive-In this weekend, and as I've been in Martinsville helping look after Mum, we decided just to meet in Eden. Poltergeist and Mad Max: Fury Road were showing, which looked like a fun enough double bill. The former movie — hardly unexpectedly — was in dire need of a writer, a director, some actors... you know, movie stuff and all, and Mad Max was pretty decent, much on par with The Road Warrior. The burgers at the Eden Drive-In are to die for, by the way. (I know, I know; under the circumstances, that might not be the best use of hyperbole, but there it is.) Afterward, we departed in our respective vehicles, but it was only a few minutes later that I received a call from an understandably rattled Kimberly. Something — she knew not what — had slammed into her car and shattered the windshield. As I hurried back to meet her, some distance shy of where she was pulled off the road, I encountered a good-size dead deer: clearly, the cause of the upset. By the time I reached her, only a couple of minutes later, a pair of officers were already on the scene.

Now we got to take a good look at her vehicle, and the damage was far more extensive than it initially appeared. Shattered windshield. Broken rear-view mirror. Dented side panel. And crunched rear door. Thankfully, apart from her nerves, Kimberly was fine. The car is going to need some serious medical attention, but I reckon that's better than one of us needing it. Almost ironically, on our way to the theater, we had seen a deer bounding across the highway at top speed and remarked on it — at almost exactly the same location of her accident. Not out on a country road, mind you, but on the main highway through Eden.

As an aside, it was very refreshing, after seeing so much negative about the police lately, that the law enforcement officers who responded — the local sheriff and a deputy — were prompt, sympathetic, cordial as can be, and quick to provide an official report in case it's needed for Kimberly's insurance. My hat's off to those folks.

On my drive back to Martinsville, which did involve some lonely back roads, deer were everywhere, and no less than three darted out in front of my car. All of this is a stern reminder how fast the unexpected can happen, and how severe the damage can be from a single deer strike. It could have been much worse, too. The critters are out there, you know, and they might just have your number. Beware!

The Civil War Trail, Bigfoot, and More

Was that Bigfoot I heard back there?

Last night, I had to head up to Martinsville to help Mum with her taxes, but, fortuitously, this put me in the middle of some prime territory for new geocaches, including several in the recently published Civil War Trail series (see "Challenges, Stars, and Civil War Trails," March 8, 2015). My first stop was the Richard P. Gravely Nature Preserve, just east of town, where I have hidden several caches of my own. There was a new one there — GC5PR16 — which has yet to be found, and, unfortunately, I couldn't find the damned thing after a long and arduous search amid a massive forest of mountain laurel, on a hillside high and steep enough to potentially send me sliding, rolling, and/or hurtling a couple of hundred feet down to the Smith River. I didn't fall, though I did get bruised, beat up, and lacerated by the dense and overtly hostile foliage, and I'm thinking, from the mysterious sounds I heard, that some beastly, cryptozoological horror must have been watching me the entire two hours I was out there. No doubt I'll go back and torture myself again, and even if I don't find the cache, maybe this time I'll actually spot Bigfoot.

A wee spot of geocaching battle damage

Today's caching outing proved far more successful. I set my sights on Eden, NC, for several newer ones, including three in the Civil War Trail series. I've been quite enjoying these, as they take you to numerous historic areas around the state, and in the Piedmont Triad, many of them are quite scenic. Today I returned to the site of a couple of older, now-archived caches, the Leaksville Cotton Mill, originally built in 1839, of which all that remains is the stone foundation next to a small dam on the Smith River. Then I was off to the Wentworth Methodist Church graveyard, where many of the graves date back to the mid 1800s, with several prominent local figures from the Civil War buried there. Today, no DNFs, and some exceedingly pleasant hiking.

Soon, it will be wine time. Yes.

A view of the Smith River from the Gravely Nature Preserve

One of the many tunnels of mountain laurel along the Smith River at the Gravely Nature Preserve

Just above the dam on the Smith River at the Leaksville Cotton Mill in Eden, NC

A serene, picturesque graveyard behind the Wentworth Methodist Church on the Civil War Trail