MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Thursday.  We leave Mt Airy Saturday, July 1st, for an RV park east of Asheville, NC.  Too much of this month was taken up with poor weather, but the last few days have been mostly clear, but much hotter.  Another surprise this year has been smoke from Canadian fires that has been drifting down here in the past couple days.  Hopefully that will clear up before we travel up there in September.

Yesterday we drove to Seagrove, NC.  The town has the reputation of being the pottery capital of America.  Actually, it is one of many small towns in several surrounding counties with small cottages producing and selling pottery of different kinds along Route 705 (The Pottery Highway).

As we entered Seagrove from the north, we stopped at the Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery, which announced Pottery Information on its sign out front.  We mistook it for a visitors center and stopped in.

Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery

Inside the gallery one looks side to side to see a large variety of goods for sale.  

CLICK ON ANY ITEM TO ENLARGE

View Down One Aisle

Below are samples of the large variety of goods for sale.  Some items sell for a surprisingly low price, given the time, materials, and equipment skillfully employed to produce them.  Likewise, there are larger more complex items that sell for hundreds of dollars.

Bird Houses for $25

Below are shown examples of pottery that I found interesting.  As we attempted to visit those three potters, two were closed on Wednesdays and the other was much too far away from Seagrove to visit before they closed at 5 pm.  

Prices range from $5 to Well Over $100

Examples from Another Potter Closed for the Day

Examples from Another Potter Closed for the Day

The white objects shown below were some of Betty's favorites.

White Objects Above Among Betty's Favorites

As we found in Mt Airy, the Christian presence here can also be found.  See below.

Example of Humorous Items at the Gallery

Not Much Going on in Seagrove Today

We asked the woman running this gallery where we could find a nice place to eat in Seagrove, and among them was the Mona Lisa II Italian Restaurant.  Not too bad but typical small town eatery.

The Mona Lisa II

After lunch we followed the official Seagrove Chamber of Commerce map to seek out other galleries.  This was complicated by the fact that the map was designed to be a work of art rather than a reliable map.  Nothing was to scale or as it appeared on the map.  

After finding that two of my choices were closed Wednesday through Saturday, we visited one of Betty's choices.  Like almost all of the galleries, it was a really old house bought, and with minor renovations, set up as a pottery gallery.  

It was not the most welcoming place, in that there were many signs outside designed to scare away solicitors.  This also created an unwelcoming atmosphere for anyone.  An example of one sign on the entry door that was particularly interesting is shown below.

This Pretty Well Summarizes Their Sentiments

Some examples of items to be found at this gallery are shown below.

Flower-like Objects Rise from Center

More Examples

More Examples

Pottery by Frank Neef was another potter Betty liked, especially for its items that embed crystals into the pottery. These are very expensive works. 

Note the Embedded Crystals

Frank recommended that we visit the shop and gallery of Eck McCanless, who will happily demonstrate how he does his work.  He was finishing up work on a bowl as we entered.  All items on the shelf are drying in preparation for the kiln.

Eck Putting Last Touches on Bowl

Ready to Dry Before Entering Kiln

Closeup of Bowl

Eck demonstrated the process of turning a lump of muti-colored clay into a pottery drinking glass.  Click this link: Making Multi-colored Drinking Vessel  He then demonstrated how he creates octagonal sides on the sides.  Click this link: Creating Octagonal Sides

Below are images of the pottery drinking glasses after coming out of the kiln, ready for sale.

MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Saturday.  Yesterday I went into Mt Airy to get a haircut at Floyd's Barbershop.  Yes, the one that was on the Andy Griffith Show years ago.  The son of the actor who played Floyd is usually there, but had to leave early due to illness.  I had talked to him on the phone earlier that day.  The barber handed me a photo of Floyd's son so that I could take a snapshot of it (see below).  The licensed barber who cut my hair gave me one of the best haircuts I have ever gotten.  Really!

Photo of Floyd's Son with a Child in a Small Barber's Chair

While I waited my turn, one of the locals was getting a haircut when a Barney Fife impersonator came in to "arrest him for being a chicken thief."  I got a shot of that (see below).

Barney Arrests a "Chicken Thief"

Several local senior citizens were on their way out after their haircuts, having been brought in by their children for Fathers Day.  They were brought from a nearby retirement home in wheelchairs.  

As I waited for my turn, I walked around the barbershop looking at all the photos on the wall.  Local tourists who were in town also kept walking in to take photos.  It was that kind of place.  Very patient with people and slow paced.  Took a while to get a haircut as the barber regaled you with stories of residents over the year upon whom Andy Griffith based the characters in his show.  Some of them moved to Mt Airy from California to get away from the crime over there.  

Barber Upon Whom Andy Griffith Based Floyd Character

The Christian presence in Mt Airy is amazing.  Bible verses on the wall in the businesses everywhere.  The barber shared that his favorite book of the Bible is the book of Luke.  And on it goes.

Panorama of Inside the Barbershop

Sample Shot of Barbershop Wall

Another Sample Shot

Yours Truly Getting His Hair Cut

After I got my haircut, we went next door to The Snappy Lunch, where they serve the famous pork chop sandwich.  We each ordered one of those pork chop sandwiches, with a little trepidation, since ever since pork chops were forced to be "healthy," they have lost all flavor and are tough as a doormat.  To our amazement and great pleasure, the sandwiches were great!

Snappy Lunch Shop Next Door

Can't Argue with the Prices

The Sandwich

Doesn't Even Look Like a Pork Chop

After One Bite You Are Won Over

Served With a Drink and a Bag of Chips.  Only $5

They run the boneless pork chops through a tenderizer, much like hammering them.  We plan to hammer our next pork chops to see how it goes.

While we were at the Snappy Lunch, we sang Happy Birthday to a lady who was celebrating her 103rd birthday.  Her children brought her here as her choice of a place to celebrate it.

After our sandwich we headed for dessert at the local Whit's.

And Now for Dessert at Whit's

Note above the reference to "His Mercies Are New Every Morning," and below it is "Put on the FULL ARMOR OF GOD."

After dessert, we headed for the Mt Airy Museum of Regional History.  This is aptly named, since once you leave the first floor, the items are mostly of interest to locals.  The following were on the first floor.

Historic Frontier Cabin in Poor Light

Frontier Barter Rates

Daniel Boone lived in this area in the 18th century braving the elements, hunting, building cabins, etc.  Someone once asked him if he had ever gotten lost.  He replied, "No, I can't say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days."  I have been so bewildered myself a few times, but thankfully not for three days.

 MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Saturday.  On Wednesday we drove to Winston-Salem, two cities that have merged.  Winston is known for tobacco processing, with a cigarette brand named after them a few years ago.

Salem is far more interesting, with its old village preserved in Old Salem.  It is much like Williamsburg, with reenactors plying trades in old shops with period tools.  The best part is that it was founded by Moravians, early Protestant Christians who fled their native Moravia or Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) to find freedom from religious persecution, especially after the end of the 17th century Thirty Years War.  They originally were called Hussites, since they were followers of Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for teaching the views of John Wycliffe.  Wycliffe wrote many works, including a new translation of the Bible into English.  This area of North Carolina has streets named after Jan Hus due to his great influence.  The Hussites eventually became known as Moravians, named after their place of origin.  They also settled in other areas of America, including Pennsylvania, where they still have a strong presence in Nazareth and Bethlehem, where its college and seminary are located.  They were instrumental in the conversion of John and Charles Wesley, leading some historians to quip that they were English Moravians, though they strongly parted ways with them later on theological grounds. 

Moravian history is closely linked with Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a German nobleman of great faith and devotion to Christ, who possessed land in Saxony adjacent to its border with Moravia.  He allowed the Moravians to build a settlement on his land, which they named Herrnhut, meaning "The Lord's Watch."  From there they tirelessly launched missionary efforts worldwide, including to America.  

We began our exploration of Old Salem at the Visitor Center, which has a covered bridge leading to the village.  Inside the bridge hangs the Moravian Star (Herrnhuter Stern), a symbol commemorating Advent, Christmas, or Epiphany.

It was much easier and quicker to travel by car, which we did.

Betty Explores the Covered Bridge

Inside the Bridge Hangs the Moravian Star

For lunch, we visited the only place for a meal in Old Salem, the Muddy Creek Cafe, which was well hidden from view on the main road.  We walked a while and found the entrance tucked around behind an old building (see below).  

Entry to Muddy Creek Cafe

We placed our order at the entrance and went inside to await our food.  Betty noticed a couple reenactors inside across the room.

Betty Approaches Reenactors

We met the reenactor on the left later in several places of the village.  The reenactor on the right works in the pottery shop.

Two Reenactors

The college in Old Salem is part of several more buildings of this college in Winston-Salem.  It was founded as a college for women, part of the modern thinking of the Moravians.  Today the college allows men, but the women to men ratio is 96% to 4%.  If I were a Moravian man looking for a college today, this would sound like pretty good odds.

Salem College

The Old Salem Moravian Church is still in use today by Moravians.

Moravian Church Still in Use Today

When we got there, the church building was locked for the day by 1:30 pm.  A dear lady next door at the church office was there alone and could not leave the office to give us a quick tour of the church.

Church Office on the Left

We walked around Old Salem, looking at the old building architecture.  Seems a lot like Williamsburg. The gardens are experiments to determine what modern plants were likely growing in the 18th century.

Sample Buildings with Gardens

Garden Examples

Betty Explores Garden

Period Homes and Gardens

The most impressive part of Old Salem for us was their ancient cemetery, which continues in use for present day Moravians.

Cemetery Entrance from Church Road

One of Many Arched Entrances/Exits

One of the key differences between Old Salem and Williamsburg is the constant references to the Scriptures.

First Archway We Approached

Very nice to visit a place of graves where survivors placed their loved ones' remains knowingly to await the resurrection.

Step Inside to See How Vast the Area Is

Far to the Left Are More Recent Gravesites

Every Gravestone Has a Bible Verse

Cemetery is Divided by Gender and Marital Status

Singles Above, Marrieds Below

There remains a vast area for more graves, and there is a grassy area reserved for the worldwide homecoming of Moravians who gather every Easter for a worship service where their ancestors will rise again.  See below.

Over time the trees have sometimes crowded their way into gravesites.  Note below the timeless sense of this place, as a tree shares company with the deceased.

We Exited Through the Archway Above

There Is a Sense of Hush as You Leave