By MONTE DUTTON

I’m slowly getting used to my mountain home.

Brevard is about the same population as Clinton and Laurens but seems a tad larger. Already I’ve seen one of those goofy Tesla “trucks” on a street for the first time. It should be called the Geometry GT. I can’t imagine why anyone would want one. This one was a funky black, alternating glossy with matte finishes. I just saw it pass by when I was stopped at a red light. It made me mildly disgusted. Maybe it is the truck of the future. The future remains distant.

At a place called the Cardinal Drive In – I don’t know why because Brevard College is the Tornados and Brevard High School is the Blue Devils – the majority of the patrons wore bushy tails. Some were carrying big furry heads. It looked like they were getting ready for a mascot contest. I asked one young man why the get-up, and he said he was in a club in which all the members wore furry outfits.

Kids.

I ordered a two-chili-dog plate and was delighted to learn that chili dogs at the Cardinal are also topped with slaw, as with the slaw dogs at Whiteford’s in Clinton. I don’t actually consume many hot dogs, but I think the quality of the hot dog is a solid measure of a local dive.

The Cardinal is cash only. Each booth has a telephone. The customer picks up the phone and waits for someone to answer. He makes his order. A little while later a lady brings out the food, and that’s when he pays. I went through this process twice because I decided to try a banana shake. The slaw dogs were fine, but the shake was fantastic.

Today marked a visit to the Brevard Diner for a club-sandwich plate. I noticed the menu also considered chili dogs to include slaw. Hot dogs change as much as barbecue. South Carolina is the only state to my knowledge where a hot dog automatically has chili. In Brevard, a hot dog doesn’t have chili, but a chili dog also has slaw. I’m good with that.

At various places, hot dogs have peppers and onions, sauerkraut and several varieties of mustard. They’re big. On split Kaiser rolls. Bratwurst. Knockwurst. Smoked. One’s plenty.

The folks at the Brevard Diner are friendly, and they work hard.

I’m trying to learn the area. The move was not without its mishaps and aberrations. I’ve got a lot of little duties to perform. I want to set off on a photography binge. I want to read the local paper. I’ve got a hankering to see the Asheville Tourists play.

I’m going to get active in something. I’m not a solitary being. I’m looking for a whole new set of friends. I’m liable to try to infiltrate the writers and musicians.

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Most of my books are available at Amazon. Two of my novels, Cowboys Come Home and Lightning in a Bottle, are available in audio versions.