Fort Defiance

I visited Hoy and Bertha Moretz Saturday and traveled with them to Fort Defiance, a home dating from the Revolutionary War. Fort Defiance was holding a living history day and Bertha was going to churn butter. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed taking pictures and talking to everyone. I met a lot of people I hope to photograph at their homes in the near future. I had not talked to Nathan Roark in 10 years. He runs the Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center which teaches guests traditional survival skills. He is a really cool guy.
The highlight of the day was talking to Rick Ward. Old time banjo picking has been passed down for many generations in his family. After talking with Rick I discovered that he is related to most of my subjects that I have photographed including The Hicks on Beech Mountain, Arlie Presnell, Jack Guy, and Charlie Glenn. I enjoyed looking through his collection of old photos and hearing his stories that remind me of Ray and Orville. Rick told me he was also an expert in Kung-fu. I found this sort of odd but I did some research about him later. In summary, he is a grandmaster in Kung-fu, a police officer, and a folklorist. He is a man of many trades and a very interesting person. I can't wait to sit down and talk with him again.
Rick walked me to what is believed to be the oldest Beech tree in the United States. It is over 200 years old.