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Ruralite Cafe: Published 6/22/00By Lynn HotalingVisit to Round Mountain stirs old memories |
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When I think of my late friend Tim, I remember him in the kitchen of the old house on Round Mountain, lounging in his faded easy chair as he presided over the evening's culinary experiment.
Whatever Tim prepared got the benefit of slow - really slow - cooking. A relatively simple-looking casserole often needed 2 to 3 hours to bake. We'd sit there starving, while Tim remained unperturbed. Occasionally he would add another stick of wood to the fire in his cookstove, but mostly he'd just sit patiently. When we finally got to eat, it seemed like the best food ever. It's hard to say whether it was due to the long wait or some special skill on his part. Tim and his friends Hugh and Chuck were the mountain's main residents, but 15 or 20 more might be present on any given day. Maybe Tim was slow with dinner so he could count how many would be eating that night. Hugh's grandmother owned the old mountain farm where the guys lived when I knew them. Hugh met Tim and Chuck while all three were students at Brevard College. We went by Round Mountain last Sunday while out for a drive. The fields are grown up, and there's a housing development where the road turns up toward the old tower. The house where I enjoyed so many wonderful meals was either being remodeled or torn down, it was hard to say which, and the remains of Tim's cookstove sat lifeless on the porch. Round Mountain is a beautiful place, but I don't think I'll be going back. I'd rather see it the way I remember it. I was living on Jamie Clarke's place at Rock Bridge back then and met the guys while working on Tommy Beutell's Christmas tree farm. They certainly added a different dimension to life in the backwoods. A few examples: - Tim, Hugh and Chuck changed their dog's name from "Woody" to "Howard" because they thought the dog was possessed by the spirit of Howard Hughes. - While others of their generation were chanting "Hare Krishna," the Round Mountain Boys chanted "Harry Reasoner" (and a few Walter Cronkites) out in their garden to produce bigger vegetables. - Tim once climbed the power pole and banged on the transformer in an attempt to restore his electricity so he could watch "Hogan's Heroes." He succeeded, but we don't recommend trying this at home. - For one entire summer, Tim and Chuck waited for the Symbionese Liberation Army to arrive. They thought the SLA had heard about Round Mountain and planned to hide Patty Hearst there. - One visitor, known to me only as "Dr. Bob," attached the patches to his blue jeans with nuts and bolts. Dr. Bob couldn't sew, Tim explained. Round Mountain and its various inhabitants were a primary topic of discussion at nearby Phillips' Grocery. From the patches on their overalls to their gardening methods, the boys were grist for an endless supply of afternoon conversation. It was generally agreed that when it came to hippies, the Round Mountain Boys were the genuine article. Despite their difference in age and upbringing, I always thought Tim had a lot in common with storekeeper Jim Phillips, who died in 1986. Both could sit for hours, content with their own company, and both were good storytellers. They had a knack for picking up where they left off. It didn't matter if you'd seen them last week or last year, they'd spin out the thread of some previous conversation. And they learned from each other. Tim and his crowd from across the U.S.A. opened Jim's eyes to the world outside Jackson County. And Jim taught Tim his customary farewell. "Stay with us," Jim said when anyone was considering leaving the store. Tim adopted it as his own, and those exiting the Round Mountain house always left to the echoes of Tim's "Stay with us." What has stayed with me is the friendliness and peacefulness of that time in Canada. Tim and Jim may be gone, but they certainly are not forgotten. |
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