Qaulity Time, or Getting My Kicks on Route 54.

I was headed back for a cold drink and hot meal and cruising well, until two pickup trucks took out a tractor trailer which took out five more cars and managed to close I-40 in both directions. One death, and a big fire to boot. North Carolina's answer to the Viking Funeral. This happens quite bit actually, but not on this big a scale this often. I bailed out at Miami Boulevard once again and headed down Rte 54, which looked like this after quite a few people had gotten the same idea.Basically, anyone who was heading eastbound on four lanes on the interstate wound up on one lane on Rte 54. Yep, you guessed it, more quality time and a fresh charge on my camera. Not even traffic lights to stare at for a free light show. The sign was hopelessly optimistic. We were creeping along at two miles an hour.

Eventually, I bailed out and paralleled down Church street through Morrisville. Unfortunately quite a few people had the same idea, and some of them wanted to turn left back into the mess. Not a great loss. I found this gem of a small house right next to me.At first glance, it looks unprepossessing, but that's only on the surface. No one has tried to remuddle or update the place. It's all original. Nice massing. Mostly vernacular Greek Revival with a nice Carpenter Gothic attic vent window and a vaguely Italianate chimney. The windows were made on the spot with some barn sash. Not too hard to do, having done it myself. Looking at the eaves, instead of molding, just tapered down strips of wood. It comes off pretty well. Take a look at the door, something that is to me a Morrisville signature, horizontal panels below the window. I'd love to swap my townhouse for this little house.

Here's a picture of another building in Morrisville from some days ago.Note the same horizontal panels in the door. Also, the ceilings are pretty high too, as seen by the transom above. A possible late forties or early fifties building, cinder block, and not very fancy but sturdy. This is of the old main drag and was probably part of the commercial district of pre-boom Morrisville. Being a barber shop, this is where the up to date news of the town would be found, and more accurate then what was printed in the newspaper.

Well, back to crawling home along with everyone else.All those people behind me, though of more concern were those people in front of me. High House Road in Cary near Cary Parkway. Speed....zero. So I played with the camera once again. Not even rush hour yet too..... Bet that sucked.