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Just back from a nice weekend in Ashe County.

Margaret and I stayed at the River House inn a few miles outside Jefferson and did some canoeing on the North Fork of the New River.

It's been a hot, dry summer even in the mountains, and the river is low. Twice during our four-mile paddle this morning, I had to get out and pull us off the bottom into deeper water.

Still, it was a lovely time. Although the river winds past quite a few homes -- as well as stretches that are still undeveloped -- we had the water entirely to ourselves.

Well, not quite true. There were many ducks floating peacefully near the banks and a pair of great blue herons flying just ahead of us, setting down, then taking off again every time we approached.

It was considerably cooler up there, and we enjoyed a refreshing breeze every so often. But some good rains are needed to raise the river level and speed up the current. It was so gentle, we actually had to do a little paddling once in a while to keep moving. That wasn't the idea!

A more serious gripe is about slobs who throw beer cans or other trash into the river. The river edges are clean. I'm guessing they're policed regularly by people who care about preserving the river's beauty. But the river bottom is littered in places by flattened cans. They're not only unsightly but potentially dangerous if you're wading barefoot. What's so darn hard about properly disposing of your empties?

Other highlights of the short weekend getaway:

The town of West Jefferson, where we ate last night. It's very pretty, with several artsy places -- inexplicably closed on Saturday evening, however.

And artist George Kosinksi, who has a studio on the River House grounds. No relation to the High Point wood carver of the same name, this George Kosinski is a Brit who lived in the Middle East many years and has some fantastic desert paintings. We purchased a print of the River House itself seen from across the river -- a perfect memento of a fun weekend.