Scenes from Iron Station, North Carolina

Friday the 10th already here in Iron Station. Hardly seems possible. This change of pace, and change of scenery, while visiting with Dad, has made the time go far too quickly.

Thanks to all for the notes on the last Iron Station post. Yes, it’s a delightful place to live, and to visit. These posts hardly do it justice. Much more here to see and enjoy than I can describe.

[Click photos for larger images]

A couple of you expressed concern over the fate of the raccoon in the previous post, and asked for another photo. Well, here he is in all his glory! A fairly young specimen, most unhappy with his fate at the moment.

No need to worry about him, though. Not long after this photo was taken, his capturer took him to another animal-loving neighbor, who drove him a few miles into the country. To a less populated area, for release into the woods. He’ll be safer there. And it’s unlikely he’ll ever again venture into any wire contraption, no matter how tempting the bait.

Raccoons, of course, aren’t the only interesting wild life here in Iron Station. On a walk during an earlier visit I came across this beautiful little turtle preparing to cross the road.

Well! That might have been reasonable behavior in the time of this turtle’s grandparents or great-grandparents. But now, the smooth and curvy blacktop of Vesuvius Furnace Road tempts drivers to excessive speeds. No need to worry about the dust! Speeds far beyond that at which they’d be likely to notice such a small turtle in their path.

So, following Tamia Nelson’s admonition, I picked this turtle up carefully and deposited him on the other side of the road, in the general direction he seemed to be traveling.

On the way back, after a half-hour or so, I found the turtle exactly where I had placed him. Head and all four feet tucked securely under his shell. Awaiting further indignities, I guess. He had disappeared, though, several hours later when I went back to check.

Not all animals here in Iron Station are wild, of course. The photo above shows how to “walk” your dog if you’ve reached the age at which you’re a little unsteady on your pins. Well, and if your dog is smart enough to maintain tension on the leash while moving along.

Dad’s new dog, Dixie [they’ve all been named Dixie for as long as I can remember], certainly is smart enough to keep the leash tight, and enjoys the trips immensely. As you see in the photo above, he also seems to enjoy music. As dad plays a tune on his ever-present harmonica.

Now, a few skeptics have speculated that Dixie begs to go for walks in order to get away from that harmonica music. But that seems most unlikely!

Next post, if there’s time and a solid internet connection, I hope to consider the 18th and 19th century iron industry that gave this area its name. The photo above is of the Lincoln County Cultural Center and Museum of History. A fascinating place to visit, with abundant information on the history of iron manufacture in this region.