November In North Carolina, Part 6

   

 

Saturday, November 29

 

Father needed to pick up some engineering plans at Rebabco and I went along for the ride. Along the way we drove through the the Plaza Terrace Apartments... 35th St. at Murdock, in Charlotte. This is where my parents were living at the time of my birth and it was my first address...

 

       

 

Herrin Brothers Coal & Ice Co.  I remember going to this place as a lad with my grandfather...

 

Approaching Refabco, off of North Tryon Street... in a heavily industrial section of town...

 

       

 

Father worked at Refabco for 29 years, from 1954 until 1983 when he formed his own engineering company, Thompson & Associates. Father's boss for all those years was Mr. Thompson (no relation), and Mr. Thompson is still at the reins of Rebabco. Father's company takes on occasional contract jobs for Refabco and such was the nature of this visit...

       

 

This is the drafting table where Father detailed and the view from said table...

 

   

 

 

I walked down to the rail yard just east of the Rebabco property. Me and my little brother Brian used to love Saturday visits to Father's office... playing around the railroad tracks...

 

       

 

 

Saying goodbye to Mr. Thompson, the old boss...

 

 

Next we stopped in at the Old Hickory House Barbeque Restaurant. The barbeque style here is "western North Carolina"... pork, saucy, not with vinegar. I prefer the "eastern North Carolina" style, also know as "Lexington Style"... pork, with vinegar. Even so, we had an excellent luncheon...

 

     

 

 

 

Then we stopped in at Tom Johnson Camping Center, across from Lowe's Motor Speedway, to check the selection of RV's. The lineup of Class A rigs was most impressive... they even had a Class C based on the Ford E-750 chassis. But the fellow I talked with had never even heard of a Bigfoot...

 

 

Upon our return to Farmwood, Sister Jan, Will, and Firefighter Ryan were about.  Jan's longtime friend Jill Hamrick was also present. Firefighter Ryan was demonstrating his broncin' buck technique...

 

 

 

Sunday, November 30

 

Celebrating Brother Brian's birthday at the Azteca... a couple of days prior to the actual date...

 

       

 

     

 

 

The Bayou Kitchen in the late afternoon light...

 

Monday, December 1

 

       

 

We were watching Bonanza in the early afternoon prior to setting off for father's doctor appointment. We had to leave before the episode concluded... with Ben, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe in a terrible fix...

 

Tuesday, December 2

 

Uncle Fred, my Father's brother, paid a visit...  along with Aunt Lois and Cousin Danny. Uncle Fred brought along his old Gibson, and a picking session did ensue...

 

       

 

       

 

 

 

 

In the evening I accompanied my parents to Cap't Steve's Fish Camp, for to dine with their church group...

 

 

Wednesday, December 3

 

Morning coffee...

 

Our luncheon consisted of collard greens from Uncle Fred's garden, delivered fresh the day before...

 

My parent's preacher, Dr. Page, and the assistant preacher Michael Cummings stopped by for an afternoon visit...

 

 

Around the grounds at Thompson Manor, at Farmwood...

 

 

Thursday, December 4

 

My Father's parents, circa 1940...  a picture of a picture...

 

 

Parting moments at Thompson Manor before leaving for the Charlotte airport and the flight back to Seattle.  Pete stopped in and drove me to the airport...

 

       

 

 

Rainy Independence Blvd and Charlotte airport...

 

And so ended a bittersweet month in North Carolina...