Today we are burying Great-Aunt Pearl for the third time.

She literally will not die.

She was definitely dead the first time in 1996, but a few days after lying in the ground, that emergency alarm she had installed in her coffin the year prior starts going off, and what do you know, she's in her coffin telling us how much of a genius she is for thinking of that alarm.

She was most definitely dead that second time in 2008, but one measly month after her funeral, an emaciated Great-Aunt Pearl is standing on my doorstep, berating me for not including snacks in her coffin, and she's just so tired from having to reverse-dig herself out of her grave, and haven't I any manners or is she supposed to stand outside forever?

She is absolutely, most definitely dead this time. Deader than dead. I think Great-Uncle Jimmy poisoned her so he could finally get some peace, but I'm no tattletale. I'm not sure what's happened to her, but her knack for dying and reviving is really starting to get on some people's nerves by now. Hardly anyone is at her funeral this time, not that I could blame them. For all I know, there'll be another funeral for her in a few years. Sheesh. Some people are so stubborn.

I tried talking to her, you know? Like, "Great-Aunt Pearl, why do you keep coming back to life? It's creepy and we've already mourned for you. We can't grieve forever. It's okay to pass on, really. Think about it, okay? Thanks." I mean, she's not getting any younger. The doctors don't know anything either, but DNA evidence proves that she's been Great-Aunt Pearl this whole time.

We're burying her under the same gravestone we've used the past two times. We keep scratching off the date of death, and it looks pretty bad, but hey, dying is expensive, and Great-Aunt Pearl has a thing for it. Great-Uncle Jimmy shelled out for some iron bars this time, so I guess this really is the last time. I packed a box of Cheez-Its with her just in case, but I'm starting to have my doubts. She looked really awful at the service.

I give the ground one last hard pat with my shovel.

"Congrats, Great-Uncle Jimmy," I say. "You're free."

He looks grim.

I don't think he believes me.

Love Valley is a small town located in a remote valley in the Brushy Mountains of northwestern North Carolina. Its creation in 1954 marked the fulfillment of a dream for founder Andy Barker. Barker developed two visions as a young man—he wanted to build a Christian community, and he wanted to be a cowboy. In 1954 he combined those visions to create an Old West-style village in the hills of northwestern Iredell County. The town was chartered in 1963.

Modeled after the Old West towns seen in countless Hollywood films, Love Valley boasts a saloon, general store, hitching posts, and rodeos. Automobiles are not allowed (there is a parking area where you can leave you vehicle) inside the town limits; people still use horses and horse-drawn vehicles to travel in the town. A small, nondenominational Christian church sits on a hill overlooking the town, thus emphasizing Barker's vision of a Christian utopia.

The town garnered its share of controversy in the 1960s and 1970s, including around the "Love Valley Rock Festival", which local farmers complained brought drug addicts and other "troublemakers" to the area. However, over the last two decades the town has settled down considerably and is now known as a popular gathering spot for horse-lovers and horseback riding. There are miles of horseback riding trails in the surrounding Brushy Mountains.

To read about the Love Valley Rock Festival and who performed there:

https://www.statesville.com/news/years-ago-this-weekend-love-valley-hosted-its-version-of/article_5fa95a36-695f-11e7-8de2-ab37751ac63f.html

Love Valley is located in northwestern Iredell County. It is 16 miles north of Statesville, the Iredell County seat, and 23 miles southeast of Wilkesboro by road through the Brushy Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.62 square miles, of which 5,366 square metres (1.3 acres), or 0.33%, are water. The town's area drains southwest to Snow Creek, part of the South Yadkin River watershed.

As of the census of 2010, there were 90 people (though estimates as of 2016 say 104 people), 17 households, and 9 families residing in the town. The population density was 450.0 people per square mile. There were 31 housing units at an average density of 154.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 100% White.

There were 17 households out of which 11.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 41.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.76 and the average family size was 2.20. (When I see numbers like this, I ask myself what happened to the .24% .80% of the person(s).)

In the town, the population was spread out with 6.7% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 36.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. (The same question applies here as well.)

The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $25,313. Males had a median income of $0 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,848. There were 15.4% of families and 31.0% of the population living below the poverty line, including 50.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

They have several campgrounds to choose from, cabins for rent and host a variety of events throughout the year. They have parades, rodeos, a chili-fest cook-off, and a Chuck-Wagon ride like the old days of the west. Dozens of horse trails to choose from.

It's like stepping back in time. It definitely ain't New York City! Check out the video. If you are looking for a destination for a different kind of vacation, this would be the place to have an experience.

Andy Barker passed away in the summer of 2011. Even so, the vision he saw and created lives on today.

In Love Valley, love is everywhere the eye can see.

https://youtu.be/7yFdzuiVtyI

a fresh

cool sensation,

deserving of a deep breath

and hands outstretched

as the green invites you

to its swaying fields.

flitter of leaves

like wings of a hummingbird

in the blue-black of night

you only lay awake

and listen to the palm tree outside your window

california breeze

softy purring

tiny smile

spotted belly

without guile

baby paws

with razor nails

striped perfection

crooked tail

trees moan against

the blowing wind

wet drops fall on heated skin

clothes soaked

heart still bare

then I think of her

tasting like salty dreams

and summer rain

Summer sounds like the growl of my 1990 Honda Civic hatch; like the strong gust that pushes in through the “oven” window, cause although we’ve got AC, it ain’t worth the price of fixin’. Nostalgically we can almost lick the freedom of the open road; that hot blacktop that permeates the air. We are...smitten...with the stereo on. That’s when we’re driving, cause when we’re home, there is only the symphony of frogs and crickets and yapping neighbors; the humid flavor of the night and whispers of the mosquito netting.... with the constant panting of the ceiling fan above.

#DogDaysofSummer #Challenge

The sounds of the timpani echoed through the grand hall. Each vibration of the sound moved like thunder through the ear drums.

Every voice of the choir rose in the atmosphere, all the voices swaying with such gentle movements. Soon, a soft flutter of the flute came in...as if it were a bird chirping gleefully, while beating it’s majestic wings.

Strings were strung a short while later. Plucked as though they were fruits ripe for the picking. O, can music be savored too? Such a glorious ensemble all playing for all to hear.

And the whole group beamed with joy, as the final anthem moved steadily to the closing bar line.

When the final phrase is heard. The instruments now silent. Audience rise. Ready to cheer, & applaud the execution of the sound of the very belle musique.

#BelleMusique.