Vacation, part 4

Monday we ate lunch at Mission BBQ, and I got a big surprise.  I ordered a pulled pork sandwich.  On the table was a little carton with six bottles of different sauces, so I decided to add a little Memphis Belle sauce to the dry pork.  I squirted a bit on the meat, replaced the top of the bun, and took a bite, maybe two.  Suddenly my throat felt like it was closing up.  I could breathe OK and talk, but it was a strange and scary sensation.  I ate some French fries, drank some sweet tea, and assured Randy and Liz that the sensation was passing.  I don't remember ever experiencing anything like that before.  Randy thought perhaps it was a response to whatever was used to give the sauce a smoky flavor.  So I took off the top of the bun with the meat stuck to it by the sauce and cautiously ate the rest, with no further consequences.  The whole thing was probably way less than five minutes, but it felt much longer.  A lot of soldiers were lunching at this restaurant, located near Fort Bragg.

After we ate we drove a few minutes to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, where we strolled along dirt paths enjoying the various types of trees along the Cape Fear River.  Some plants were blooming, but mostly it was a green walk.  While in the shade I didn't mind the heat, but out in direct sun I was quite warm.  The coolest thing we saw was the Patrick Dougherty Stickwork Sculpture.  "Maple and sweet gum saplings were cut, collected by the truckloads and stripped of their leaves, then woven together to create this amazing addition to the Garden.  With doors, windows, skylights and curving passageways, you're encouraged to get inside this monumental artwork and explore."

Liz made fish tacos for supper, then we watched "The Rocket," a film about a young Laotian boy who entered a rocket building contest.  The movie provided a poignant look at the society and culture of this poor area.

Tuesday we flew home via Nashville,  E picked us up at the airport, then we went out to supper with E, K, e, K's brother and girlfriend.  And now we're home again.