Where are you now and what are you doing?
We are in Edenton, NC, on the Albemarle Sound. Edenton is listed as one of the prettiest small towns in America. I’ve been here several times because it’s close to Elizabeth City where I’ve given presentations and signed books at the wonderful Museum of the Albemarle. I would go home and rave about this pretty town. I guess Dave thought I might like to live here. He rented a place for three weeks to give it a trial run. No. We are not on a house-hunting trip. We are not. Though we do have an appointment with a realtor to see some of the available houses. We are not. But let me tell you about Edenton.
We are renting a cotton mill house in the Cotton Mill Historic District. About two blocks in all directions, the district is protected. The homes are tiny. And mostly, they are just alike. You walk in the front door and walk straight through to the back door. The walk-through is not a center hall. It’s a narrow path on one side. The other side is a series of 3-sided cubicles which are the rooms. It is so tiny Buddy backs out of the bedroom; he can’t negotiate a turn! The exteriors of the houses are either shingle or board and all have metal roofs, which they say allows the wind to pass through without tearing off shingles. Lots of greenspace between, around, and behind, gives the district kind of park ambiance. The three streets all dead end at The Cotton Mill, about four blocks long, and now converted into modern condos that maintain the look of the historic mill. Fascinating how they’ve preserved all that. My guess is that all this green-space was once planted in cotton. The country side around Edenton, still is. I love cotton fields in bloom.
At the end of our street, the factoring office, is now the museum of the Cotton Mill Historic District. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays, so after Mass yesterday we walked over there and advanced our education.
Later, we took Buddy for a walk to The Battery Historical District and the Albemarle Sound. Beautifully preserved homes 1700s, 1800s, 1900s, with small yards, big trees, and interesting gardens. I’d really love to peak into some of those.
It’s raining today, and Dave has some work to do for real estate back home, but when the rain stops we plan to walk Buddy downtown. He hasn’t figured out sidewalks. He’s used to walking on the left side of roads. On the sidewalks he weaves back and forth checking out grass on both sides! Sidewalk walking is a brand-new skill for our mountain dog. For all of us. It’s a pretty place. Three weeks.