Fox & Fiddle, Ashville, NC

Last weekend we had a chance to stay at a B&B en route from Stoughton, WI to Raleigh, NC. We picked up Friday night and could not deliver till Mon morning. There is a B&B outside of Asheville, NC which we had been wanting to visit, but were waiting for our routing to cooperate as it did this past weekend. The ‘Fox & Fiddle’ is located 2.5 miles SW of I-40 exit 44 on SR 19 & 23, then a couple blocks to the south at Pallet Road. Right at the head of Pallet Road, before the railroad tracks is where we were able to park our truck & trailer. I had called ahead to the WNC Pallet Company to ask permission to park on their property. They were extremely friendly and willing to help. James & Joan, owners of the B&B, came out in the van to shuttle us to the house. They had moved here less than a year ago from Colorado Springs. They bought this big, old house and a few acres along a river, including a big, sturdy barn, which has an apartment built into it, and a small tool shed / chicken coup. This is the original farm house of a large dairy farm. Now most of the fields are subdivided into lots, so there are many homes next to the B&B property, but the most scenic part is still right around the B&B. Just google 'Fox & Fiddle, Asheville, NC.' James & Joan were very accommodating of our 2 little dogs, but they are not allowed in the house. They tried the barn but were barking too much, so were moved to the enclosed porch and were still barking too much. At 6:15 a.m. I took them for a walk and left them in the truck. Saturday night we had gotten in about 8:00. I went up to the room and immediately took a shower. When I came down the whole family and Peggy had popcorn and were just starting a movie – “Into the Wild.” Each B&B is unique. If you’re looking for an elaborately decorated house full of awesome antiques, you’d better keep looking. This is not that place. It is very neat, clean, comfy and nicely decorated. The 3 guest rooms are upstairs with a spacious bathroom at the end of the hall. According to Joan, they are going for the affordable B&B market. Prices are $55, $65 & $75. They seem famous already for providing a wholesome, family oriented, hospitable atmosphere. (Did they pick this up at ‘Focus on the Family’ where James worked for many years, or is this just the way they are?) Besides B&B guests there are usually church friends and musicians hanging out here. James plays keyboards and his kids all play piano plus other instruments – cello, violin, mandolin, penny whistle, accordion, ‘squeeze box’... I very much enjoyed fiddling along on Bluegrass and Celtic tunes on Sunday afternoon out on the porch while about 10 young people were clogging on the lawn, or building a tree house, or trying to walk across a cord stretched between two trees. We went to church with Joan that morning, but James had to stay home to help work on a VW Bug that their eldest daughter had just bought, which, when we got back home, was running. We spent the whole day with James & Joan, their kids and a group of young adults who hang out at the house every Sunday afternoon. There is, however, a profound reason that we chose this place. We would not normally spend so much extra time with B&B hosts. James is the youngest son of Waldo & Ruth Werning, and Waldo had mentioned in his Christmas letter about James & Joan’s move to NC; then I found them on the internet. When we called to make a reservation, I didn’t reveal my last name but just told Joan we are Ken & Peggy, truck drivers. We secured our reservation with a business credit card – still not revealing my name. After the Friday night movie – “Into the Wild,” I finally, nervously, told James, “I need to tell you who I am. I was married to your sister for 10 years.” He turned and said, “Ken! I’m shocked.” -or something like that, and we hugged. So this visit was about restoration. I hadn’t seen James & Joan since their wedding in 1983 in California, in which I was a groomsman. Divorced from Charlotte in ’87 but separated in ’85, it was the toughest time in my life. I couldn’t figure out what went wrong, and suddenly I was outcast and alone. Of course there were many signs before that, but I didn’t think I’d ever be divorced. Anyway, years later I have had no contact with anyone of that family except exchanging Christmas letters with Waldo & Ruth. Being married to Peggy has been a restoration for both of us. She is my true soul mate. I am so thankful for this marriage and for Peggy’s character and godliness that constrain her to love me with all my faults according to Biblical principles. But I had a close relationship with the whole Werning family – wonderful people, whom I respect and admire. So finally God has led me to reestablish contact with the youngest and most free-spirited of the clan – James. I don’t know if this will go any further, but at least it was healing just to be accepted and welcomed by this family, whom I had been a part of on their wedding day.