MOUNTAIN MUSINGS

Fridays are Golden

2012-01-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

January 21 was "Squirrel Appreciation Day." I don't know if that is one of those "Hallmark Holidays" or not. I didn't look for cards and didn't receive any in the mail. We don't celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day. Because I hate those beady-eyed little devils. I'm not at all sure why I have such a dislike for squirrels. Perhaps there was a childhood incident that made me feel this way. I'm not afraid of them. I simply do not like them.

The only way I ever liked squirrels was when my momma would cook them up. My daddy was a hunter and we ate the deer, squirrels, rabbits, pheasants and doves that he hunted. (Yes, in North Carolina there is a legal dove season and yes we do shoot them and yes we eat them.) My city-boy husband was absolutely amazed to hear that I had actually eaten squirrels. Not only had I eaten them...I LOVED them. I haven't had any squirrel since I was a child but my momma's stew was such a treat. Momma even cooked and served the head in the stew and one lucky person would get the head to crack open and eat the brains. That's DEFINITELY not a good idea now given the possibility of contracting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Enough about squirrels...how about the Golden Girls? I began this post with squirrels because our dogs are excellent squirrel dogs. (Forget about hunting dogs that will tree a squirrel for you. They hunt by observation.) They do their hunting from inside the house. And occasionally out on the deck.

The girls look out at the rain. They are actually looking at a squirrel.

They don't seem very excited.

In fact, they are lying down on the job.

But their eyes are still on the squirrel and they are at the ready.

Why so nonchalant about the squirrel?

He's running in the tree. He's not on the deck or railing.

A squirrel on the deck is another story!

As you can see in this terrible photogaph, this squirrel is VERY frightened at the dogs.

Honestly, I think if he had fingers he would salute them or thumb his nose.

To their credit, the girls do at least stand when stalking a squirrel that is on the deck.

And if we open the door they chase the squirrel off and prance around proudly.

And so we have reached the last Friday in January. Many a New Year's resolution has fallen by the wayside. While I never make New Year's resolutions, I do try to think of things I can improve on. In this past week I have seen a great deal of anger on many levels. Too often we let anger continue to fester and just cannot seem to learn when to let it go.

So I leave you with a quote from Buddha:

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

Good luck to those of you in Florida as you take your turn at watching the mud-slinging. As for everyone?

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Glad It's Not Our Turn

2012-01-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

Go, Florida. It's your turn to hear the rhetoric and see the endless attack ads. Now that the South Carolina Republican Primary is over, the money speaks in Florida for a while. Unfortunately, none of us will get a break from the never-ending politics. "News" networks have twenty-four hours to fill after all.

Most of the campaign speeches are regurgitations of previous orations. There seems to be little that is new. On the other hand, I have in fact learned a new word. I heard it for the first time yesterday. I'm not at all sure how often I might be able to use it, but I'm always happy to learn a new word.

The word is "prebuttal." Prebuttal is a term used to describe an already-prepared response to an anticipated criticism. Last evening the President of the United States gave the annual State of the Union Address to Congress and to the American people. Prior to the speech, dozens of members of the opposing party gave prebuttals against what they thought the President might say. Afterwards, many of the same people gave rebuttals. So we had prebuttals before the speech and rebuttals following the speech. (Would it have been a "buttal" if )someone made a response DURING the speech?"

The airwaves are flooded with misinformation and false accusations as they are in each election year. They always seem to get worse every election but that might be a perception. It becomes harder and harder to glean the "half-truths" contained in the advertisements. (Actually, some of them don't have even half-truths.) One individual has contributed (legally, thanks to the Supreme Court) five MILLION dollars to a candidate and is prepared to contribute another five MILLION dollars. In spite of all the money, are these really the best candidates money can buy?

Enough ranting. Let me just say that the political process has become very much like a sign we see on a trailhead in DuPont State Forest. I will share it with you:

It pretty much sums up my feelings about politics in America today. In truth, I am curious as to how the bin gets filled with horse manure. And what happens to it afterwards? Smart as they are, I don't think the horses can be trained to use a horse toilet. I didn't see any shovels around to gather the manure. And I know for a fact that people don't have to pick up horse manure on the trails. While I must carry doggie poop bags, I have to walk around the much larger piles of horse manure on the multi-use trails. (I still don't understand why I can't simply use a stick to get my the doggie poop off the trail.)

So the issue of the horse manure bin remains a mystery. But I think I might be able to find the answer to that one. I'll never find an answer as to how so many people can be so swayed by a television advertisement. I want to shout to them to learn about the candidates, recognize the rhetoric, get informed, and stop letting the very rich buy our political process.

Rainy Monday

2012-01-23T10:22:00.001-05:00

Don't you just hate it when you have lots of errands to do and it is pouring rain? So you fortify yourself with a couple of cups of coffee and go out to run errands in the rain?

You know that sick feeling when you look at your car in the garage and a tire looks flat?

And the tires are less than six months old?

So you walk to the rear of the car thinking it might be just an illusion?
But it's not...and the tire is flat as a pancake?

And don't you just hate it when your mountain town is too small to have AAA service located in town? So the nearest service provider is in a neighboring county? So it's going to be a long wait?

And your husband asks you what you ran over, subtly insinuating it must be your fault? And he keeps reminding you that he has never had a flat tire?

DON'T YOU JUST HATE THAT???

YEAH, ME TOO!

Fridays are Golden

2012-01-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

January is flying past. Life always seems to quiet down a little in January. After the holiday rush we enjoy a slower pace.

The Golden Girls enjoy the crisp weather and especially seem to enjoy the high winds we have had this week. They run and run and then they sleep and sleep. When we are in the great room, the blue bed is favored by both dogs. (You may recall that this bed is next to my husband's chair. Thus there is often a hand reaching down to pet the dogs.)

Lucy settles in for a nap.

When Lucy is in the blue bed first she doesn't have to share. But if Ellie is in the blue bed Lucy will plop down regardless of whether or not there is any room.

Lucy, I think you are hogging the bed, pushing Ellie against the wall.

Your point being....?

Ellie was lying on the blue bed. Lucy squeezed in and gradually took over, pushing Ellie under the chair.

Lucy, you are taking all of the bed and Ellie is squished under the chair!

Your point being...?

Thank goodness the South Carolina primary will be over tomorrow night. Perhaps that will give us a respite from the continuous political advertisements. Our divisiveness is compounded by these ads most of which are erroneous and all of which are very negative.

We have a neighborhood knitting group that meets monthly. We usually talk about neighborhood gossip, knitting, grandchildren, books, and food. I was surprised when the conversations turned political. And I was REALLY surprised at the positions some of my neighbors took. For the first time some of the discussions were pretty heated. I learned a lot about some of my neighbors that Monday. I actually refrained from joining in for fear of what I might say. After all, it wasn't as if anything I might say would change any minds.

One of my favorite essayists is John Muir and I thought of his words as I listened to the rhetoric.

We all flow from one fountain Soul. All are expressions of one love.

I don't know if I will live to see the day that we can live as if we are from one fountain. At times it seems impossible with all the differences among us. All of us need to try to think of one eternal fountain. We are all tributaries of that fountain. And we must try to act like we are. Whatever affects one of us affects all of us. On that note:

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Now the Nation Knows Our Secret

2012-01-18T11:45:00.003-05:00

Transylvania County is home to miles and miles of biking trails. Bicyclists come from across the country to ride on our mountain roads or to ride off-road on our many trails. Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest together have more than 600 miles of trails designated for bicycles. Add the winding mountain roads, and back roads, the miles seem never ending. Most of the mountain trails rise quickly with spectacular descents. Bikers can ride on rocky mountain trails interspersed with sand and slickrock to make for a challenging ride. While most of the bikers are very experienced, novice bikers can find some easier trails to ride.

[LATE ENTRY: The original wording paraphrased from a news release indicated that there are "bicycle-only" trails. A wise reader (thanks Randy) indicated the trails were actually multi-use. My husband who does volunteer trail work in Pisgah confirms that there are no trails specifically for bicycles. Bikes are allowed on many of the trails, along with hikers and occasionally horses.]

One of our "Land of the Waterfalls" brochures features bikers with the promise that

"The only pressure out here is in your tires."

Yesterday the January/February issue of Bike Magazine went on sale. This highly-read issue includes their "bible of bike tests." Last October Brevard hosted the staff of Bike Magazine as they spent most of the month testing gears and bikes on our roads and mountain biking trails. The January/February issue features Brevard and surrounding county and proclaims on the cover "Transylvania County: America's best kept secret."

The cover from The Asheville Citizens-Times

Every business in town is eagerly awaiting the result of the spreading knowledge about our bicycle culture. It certainly will stir interest in those bikers who have never heard of our county and town. While Brevard citizens are already accustomed to seeing competitive cyclists in our town we are likely to see even more of them this spring.

I have only one little concern about the bikers. Most of them want to ride the trails in Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest. What's my concern? The road from Pisgah to Dupont goes straight up the nine-miles of steep mountain curves from downtown Brevard to my house. So when I'm going twenty miles/hour behind a bevy of bikers, I simply remind myself that I'm retired and should not be in any hurry. Going downhill is not usually much of a problem since the really experienced bikers will descend as fast as a car.

As the county business owners prepare for the increase in cyclists, I will prepare as well. I will try not to have to go downtown on weekends. I will take my special freezer packs to the grocery store so the foods will stay fresh on my longer drive back up the mountain. I will try to experience the beauty of the surrounding mountains while I drive at a much-reduced speed. And I will be part of the culture that welcomes these bikers. For the most part, the bikers are quite courteous, they do not litter, they respect the land and the trails, they ride single file on the highways. So I say a big "welcome" to bikers who come to enjoy our mountains.

[NOTE: The welcome does not extend to those who ride those super-fast and noisy high-speed motocycles, commonly known around here as "crotch rockets." They take the curves at dangerous speeds often leaning into the oncoming lane. They pass cars in an unsafe manner, make so much noise they disturb the quiet and drive so fast they never appreciate the beauty around them. We can do without them, thank you very much.]

The Sun Still Came Up This Morning

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-05:00

Thousands of very excited fans filled up legendary Lambeau Field for a playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the NY Giants.

This photograph and following photograph from Internet

Sunday before the game

Few people could have guessed what kind of game they were to watch. The Packers had a stellar season and home-field advantage. And when the home field is Lambeau, that is a real advantage. (Name another football town in which the people line up in freezing weather to help shovel snow from the seats and aisles preparing for the game.) Game tickets had sold out and scalpers were making a lot of money. Everything went well until the teams took to the field. Dropped balls, fumbles, inadequate defense, an offensive line that couldn't protect the quarterback...all these problems plagued the Packers. It was a painful experience for the team and for the fans.

A dejected Aaron Rodgers reflects the mood after the game.

And so a season ends. Bright with promise with so many early wins and brilliant plays. It's never fun to lose, but it is really awful to play so poorly. The Packers beat themselves while the Giants observed.

But you know what? It was a football game. A football game. And so we move on. Where better to go than to the higher mountains. (OK, Rocky Mountain readers...these are high mountains to us.) Winter in the mountains brings fewer visitors, especially to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). Much of the BRP near us is closed to traffic. For us that is a good thing. Closed to traffic means OPEN to pedestrians! If there is snow it means open to cross-country skiing or simply walking in the snow.

One of our favorite winter destinations is the Cold Mountain Overlook. The parking lot is kept open although the BRP is closed in both directions. I love the mountains in winter even without snow. The air seems so crisp and clear.

A mountain view seen while walking along on the road.

Cold Mountain itself. (Yes THAT Cold Mountain)

Elevation 6,030 feet

And looking in the opposite direction

You just stand and take in the view.

For some reason, the people walking on the BRP are the nicest folks around. All of them seem to love dogs and all the dogs seem to be friendly. Strangers stop and share their feelings about the beauty. No one seems irritated. No one seems rushed. And that is good. It makes me smile. The mountains will do that to you.

Fridays are Golden

2012-01-13T10:31:00.003-05:00

What an interesting week this has been. The unsettled weather has brought us sunny days and stormy days, highs above normal and highs below normal. Tornadoes in some parts of the state. Today is bright and cold and the dogs just love it! They do not like rain and especially do not like being dried off when they come in.

We can always depend on our Lucy for comedic relief from our concerns about almost anything. She has such a well-developed sense of humor that we often end up laughing at her antics. Ellie is typically more reserved although she has been known to crack us up. She often carries tennis balls around with her. She brings them upstairs and I immediately throw them back down. She knows full well that balls are for the den and when she brings them up she acts as if she doesn't even have one (or two in many cases). The other day she appeared with a tennis ball and a chew toy in her mouth. Her expression seemed to say, "What tennis ball? I don't see a chew toy!"

Goofy Ellie pretending she has not broken any rules.

Mom, why are you looking at me like that?
Because, dear Ellie, I have a feeling you will be drooling soon. That was one reason for getting Golden Retrievers...they aren't supposed to drool.

Goodness knows we need a little comedy now and then. We are fortunate enough to receive two networks on television stations that are in South Carolina. We are unfortunate enough to receive two network stations from SC. You see? SC is having a Republican Presidential Primary on Saturday. There is no air time available for purchase on either of these stations. Not one minute! The air time has been bought up by candidates and PACs and the ads are negative and non-stop.

We don't watch much network television, but we do like to check the noon "news" to get the weather conditions. Of course, every advertisement during the "news" is related to the Saturday primary. I can only hope the "MUTE" button survives this election. It surely is used quite a lot.

Presidential election years are always important, and never more so than this year. There are times when I think the problems of our country are so huge and complex that we will never be able to solve them. Times when I want to throw up my hands in disgust and draw into my own little community. After all, our retirement is secure...why worry about all the rest of the people in this country and around the world? Because like it or not, we are a part of the larger community. We must continue to do our part to preserve that which is important to us. Even when we are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems, we must do our own part. This was never more true than exercising our civic right (and responsibility) to become involved in politics.

Martin Luther King, Jr., once said words to the effect that faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. And that is what we as Americans must do. Take a step even if you cannot see the top. Educate yourself on the issues and the candidates and go ahead and take a step.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Our Next Holiday

2012-01-11T12:50:00.001-05:00

It wasn't until 1983 that Congress passed a bill to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Federal holiday. The bill was vociferously opposed by many Senators and Representatives, most notably and loudly by North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. President Ronald Reagan had threatened to veto the bill. He relented when the numbers approving passage would override his veto. He signed to bill into law.

Many states did not want to have another holiday in general and some of them did not want to honor King specifically. Various names were developed to avoid calling the holiday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. has been dead for more years than he lived on earth.

While I was too young to care much about the landmark 1954 civil rights case of Brown v. Board of Education I was an eager participant in marches promoting the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964.

I had quite an awakening when I realized how segregated my life had been. I grew up in a mountain town with a very small black population. I never attended school with a black person until I went to college. I assumed that the separation of people by race was everyone's preference.

My parents were basically good people, but they resented King, his marches, and the Freedom Riders. To them, northern agitators were stirring up problems in the south. After all, "our negroes" were quite happy with the way things were and would be uncomfortable going to school with whites. Despite the feelings of my parents, at an early age I was mesmerized by the speeches of Martin Luther King. I admired what he said and his words gave me more understanding of racial problems than any other single thing. Perhaps my sharpest and most painful memory was the sight of young children attacked by dogs and fierce flow from water hoses. When I watched it crying, my parents were not pleased and sent me to my room.

I have since read the three volumes of Taylor Branch's histories about the civil rights movement. I can highly recommend these books although they are very lengthy and in great detail. I can assure you that whether you lived through the movement, or read about it in school, these books will shed light on how things were and how they moved forward.

Parting the Waters chronicles the happenings between 1954 and 1963, and earned Branch the Pulitzer Prize for history.

Pillar of Fire covers the years 1963-1965.

At Canaan's Edge, the final book in the trilogy covers America between 1965 and 1968.

It will take you quite a while to read the entire trilogy, but it will definitely be time well spent. I am fascinated by the history of blacks in the south. [NOTE: I do not use the phrase "African-American." Most blacks are no more African than I am Irish. In general, we do not refer to people based on the home of their long-dead ancestors. I really hate it when I hear people talk about an African-American in the UK, a person who has never even visited the United States!) I especially love reading about the local Civil Rights Movement and our area's involvement in the Civil War.

Here in the mountains, there was little slavery and loyalties were divided house by house (and often within the same house) during the Civil War. The women left behind were more often threatened by the scalawags who remained than by the Union Army. There were slaves in western North Carolina, generally brought to the area to serve the wealthy plantation owners who came to the mountains for a respite from the hot summers in South Carolina and Georgia. With a few exceptions, slaves who might have died here were buried in separate, often unmarked graves. There were some cemeteries that allotted a portion to be used for blacks, but the graves were usually not marked by name. One of our local cemeteries contains a large area of graves marked by stones with no engraving at all. These stones mark the graves of the black slaves buried there.

This section of the cemetery is marked by a large stone with the following plaque:

If you wish to honor Dr. King, then make next Monday a day of doing service. And if you want a more comprehensive understanding of the Civil Rights Movement in America, start reading Branch's books.

Skunk Below the Deck

2012-01-09T10:41:00.004-05:00

Our bird feeders and water are mounted on our deck. Since we do not want to attract raccoons, bears, or flying squirrels we move all the feeders to the garage every evening. In winter we also dump the water out of the bird bath to prevent freezing.

Last week my husband was getting ready to dump the water when he looked down. He called me outside. What do you do when you see a skunk directly below you? Well, you surely do not dump a pan of water on him or startle him in any way. And if you have a blog, you grab the camera for a few photographs before the skunk ambles on his way.

The photographs are not especially good ones. I didn't take a lot of time to change the settings for a nightime picture. I both feared and wished the skunk would move on right away. I'm posting them anyway since I suspect you have not looked directly down at a skunk.

He stands near a drain to eat leftover bird seed. Thank goodness he is much too large to fit inside the drain.

He moves away from the drain.

NOTE to husband: Get the leaf blower out and blow those seeds into the woods.

The skunk family is made up of eleven species, most of them common throughout the United States. Known primarily for their lingering and noxious spray, they are also vectors of rabies. That is especially a problem here in the southeastern US.

Dog owners are always fearful that their dogs will encounter a skunk. A terrible skunk story came from my husband's co-worker. She was dressed and ready for work. She stepped outside to call the dog only to see the dog chasing a skunk right into the garage. The skunk released its spray directly under her car! Dog, car, garage and the woman reeked of the skunk odor. They never were able to completely rid the car of the odor.

We have been very fortunate so far, but we keep a skunk de-odor kit in a pail ready for immediate use. While there are several remedies, the one with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and mild liquid soap seems to work better than tomato juice, beer, or even commercially available products. You can find it here. We do take some precautions to avoid interaction with skunks. We close the garage door at dusk when we bring in the bird feeders. We never let the dogs off leash at night. We wear headlamps and scan the driveway and street before taking the dogs out at night.

When you choose to live in the woods, you have to expect encounters with the animals whose habitat you are invading. But we hope to continue to respect the skunks from afar and not up-close-and-personal.

Fridays are Golden

2012-01-06T10:09:00.001-05:00

We think our girls are very smart. So we decided to give them "educational" gifts this year. We picked up a couple of toys into which we put little treats. Both toys require that the dogs figure out a way to get to the treats. One toy is a hard plastic bottle. A rope is attached to the stopper so the dog has to push, not pull, the rope while turning the bottle slightly upward. If the bottle is turned completely upside-down the stopper again covers the opening. So there is a very fine margin between tilting the bottle enough to get the treats and tilting it so far that the stopper drops to cover the hole.

Both dogs were really interested.

Ellie decides to use the rope as a chew toy.

Ellie gave up on the bottle and Lucy checked it out. Neither of them ever figured how to get the treats out of the bottle. They had no further interest in it, so another wasted twenty bucks at the pet store.

Lucy worked with the other toy but didn't seem to grasp the idea.

In a quick minute Ellie figured out how to get to the treats.

Lucy immediately joined her and started snatching the treats as soon as Ellie got them out.

Bored with one toy empty of treats and the other toy which never gave up any of the treats, the girls went back to squirrel duty. One of their favorite activities is guarding the deck. They know how I hate those beady-eyed little monsters.

I am fairly certain I heard Lucy complain, "Next year they will probably give us clothes!"

The puzzles are designed to keep dogs busy especially when you are away. These two toys would not keep the girls occupied very long. Once they ate all the treats (in a matter of a few minutes) they had no further interest in one of the toys. They totally ignored the toy that had stumped them. They were not interested in it despite the visible and aromatic treats inside. Fortunately, our dogs have no separation anxiety at all. In fact, I think they rather like being in charge of the house. We often leave them all day and hire a dog walker to drop by the house and take them for a walk.

Here it is 2012! And so we begin a new year. Hal Borland, best known for his nature books and his editorials in the New York Times had an interesting take on the beginning of the year:

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

So friends, let's just keep on going on.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE, ON THIS FIRST WEEKEND OF THE NEW YEAR!

Decorations

2012-01-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Our house was a bustle of activity over the holidays. Our last guest left early yesterday morning and now the house seems quiet and empty...even more so as we take down the Christmas decorations.

We don't do a lot of outdoor decorating...just wreaths and bows here and there. But I do love to drive around and enjoy the outdoor decorations at other houses. I cannot believe the number of inflatable decorations that one can buy these days. When the stores open for after-Christmas sales, the inflatables are grabbed up quickly. We even saw one in which Santa was on a ladder and a little puppy had pulled down his pants as he climbed up. (Boxers for Santa, by the way.) But there are still people who put out lots of light displays and those are the ones I love best.

Our daughter loves the outdoor decorations as much as I do, so we drove around aimlessly looking at houses. One in particular drew our attention.

The gecko takes time off his regular job.

The yard was filled with figures and lights.

Elmo greeted us but we didn't tickle him.

And a pink pig dresses up with reindeer antlers.

We saw the display in daylight. Of course, we drove back that evening to see everything in lights.

We were not disappointed.

I love decorations that people have in their yards year round. I have seen cement figures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and all sorts of animals. The most popular around here seem to be the two frogs sitting beneath the umbrella, the little boy and girl kissing platonically, and a fair number of little boys peeing. While I might not want all of these things in my yard, I just love the fact that other people do. Art is truly in the eye of the beholder and people might look at the things we have in our yard and vow they would never put that in their own yards. I like that.

I wish we were all as tolerant of other people's beliefs as we are of their taste in art.

Fridays are Golden

2011-12-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

Here we are. It's almost Christmas at our house. The past two Christmases have been a bit muted to say the least. But all is well this year and we are so looking forward to the big day. We always do a lot of decorating which, by the way, is ever so much easier when you are retired and don't have to do it all in one weekend. One of my favorite decorations is a lovely Santa, complete with toys for good little girls and boys.

There is an interesting little story about this Santa. My husband bought it in Sarasota, FL where he was attending a conference. He asked the store owner to ship it to his office since it was a surprise for me. A few weeks later, a very large box arrived at his office. The package was actually two boxes taped together. When my husband pulled off the top box he was totally surprised to see that the bottom box was not as tall as the Santa. When he pulled it off foam peanuts flew all over his office and especially all over his wool suit. He called his adminstrative assistant to help and after she stopped laughing, they managed to gather up all the peanuts. The assistant loved to tell everyone this story about her boss.

I just love him.

He has such a kind face.

Lucy is reminding me that Fridays are supposed to be all about her. Well, and a little bit about Ellie.

Her Royal Highness!

When you are the Princess you can rest your head anywhere you wish.

This is Lucy's version of silent night.

I am having my children here for the holidays. So I will not be posting until after 2012. So whatever you are celebrating, or even if you are not celebrating anything except the coming of another year I hope you and your family and loved ones have a wonderful week.

STAY SAFE, HUG YOUR LOVED ONES, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE BEST NEW YEAR EVER!

Gratuitous Cards and Gifts

2011-12-21T10:07:00.003-05:00

I can understand when circumstances preclude sending Christmas cards. We sent none in 2009. And I suppose it would be fine to send ecards if a person is otherwise not able to mail cards. But this year I have received several ecards from people I know to be perfectly able to sign and address cards. They always get caught by my spam blocker and I simply hit "silently discard." Am I being unreasonable? Perhaps so. Except in rare circumstances I believe people should decide whether or not to send cards. And if they decide to send cards they should send real cards.

I feel much the same way about gratuitous gifts. Everyone has acquaintances with whom you have exchanged gifts. There comes a time when the relationship has changed, either by moving away or moving on. When that happens and the gifts are more of a burden, then it's time to stop the exchange. One of our relatives sent us Hickory Farms packages for several years. What's the problem with that? We lived in Wisconsin at the time, home of some of the best and freshest cheese around.

The best Christmas gifts are those that clearly indicate that the person knows you and has selected a gift that is right for you. So it is with one of my best friends. When she last visited us, she thoroughly enjoyed watching my husband suddenly rise from his seat and fly out the door to attack a squirrel with his super-duper water gun. Yes, my husband hates those beady-eyed little monsters as much as I do.

When her Christmas package arrived yesterday, she had included a perfect gift for my husband.

Perfect

Although my friend indicated that my husband need not wear it, he will. In fact, he will wear it to Wild Birds Unlimited to pick up another "squirrel proof" bird feeder. It gets pretty chilly running out on the deck in the midst of winter. And of course he cannot take time to close the door or the squirrel will be gone.

When will we learn to stop exchanging gifts when it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure? I can assure you with confidence that my friend had almost as much fun sending this gift as my husband did in receiving it. And that is how it should be.

[Totally unrelated note: If you are a fan of NPRs "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," or a fan of Neil Gaiman you need to turn to BBC America Friday night at 8:00 pm (EST). The show will be televised with Neil Gaiman as the special guest.]

Christmas Collection Part Three

2011-12-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

I may have mentioned that we have a lot of the Byers Carolers. Fortunately we have them spread over the house so they are not overwhelming.

These are the street vendors, including Molly Malone and her kitty. I think my favorite is the organ grinder with his little monkey holding a cup. My dear husband made a slip of the tongue one year and called him the "monkey grinder." In our family we remember things like that for a long time. Perhaps it is because he seldom makes such a misstatement so we have to rely on the few he does. Not a Christmas goes by without mention of the monkey grinder, usually more than once.

These are the villagers, including the lamplighter. The nurse figure was the first Caroler that we had, a gift from our son.

Once again I am posting a photograph that someone sent me and I cannot credit. But I think it does emphasize that Christmas is a time of peace, misinterpreted as piece.

Well dear readers, I wore my lucky Packer shirt. My son and his wife ate tacos at halftime for the fourteenth week in a row. But somebody dropped the ball and the Green Bay Packers lost their first game yesterday. Actually, more than one person dropped the ball. Unfortunately they were playing on the field and couldn't hold on to Aaron Rodgers passes that hit them in the numbers. So, Suz, you can relax. The shirt is in the dirty clothes. I'm hoping that washing it will restore the good luck for the next game.

Fridays are Golden

2011-12-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

Friday is here again. You hardly need a countdown, but in fifteen days we say goodbye to 2011.

Our Golden Girls hardly notice the time flying by. Life for them is so simple; eat, play, sleep. Because they run a lot, they also sleep a lot. And no matter where Ellie chooses to sleep, sooner or later Lucy will plop down and use Ellie for a pillow.

When it is gloomy outside;

Or in the bright sunshine,

Lucy finds creative ways to be more comfortable.

The following photograph has nothing to do with dogs. I cannot credit the photographer because it has become one of those viral pictures and someone sent it to me. She captioned it, "Something you didn't really want to see." I looked at the photograph and felt entirely different about it. My caption would be more like:

GO GIRLS! YOU ROCK!

The ladies are dancing the ballet "Swan Lake." It brings to mind an anonymous quote:

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, the ark was built by amateurs; professionals built the Titanic.

I will leave you this frantic Friday with a poem that I memorized as a young child. I can't remember a time when I didn't love poetry. Our third grade class learned this one. I was so proud of myself when the teacher asked me to recite it alone. Then she turned to the class and said, "See how Carolyn did it? You don't pause at the end of each line. You pause at the end of each sentence." I was so thrilled and I guess I still am because it has been many decades since third grade. And I am sitting here smiling to myself.

The poet is John Greenleaf Whittier.

Somehow, not only for Christmas

But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others

Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing

The poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart's possessing

Returns to you glad.

I hope joy comes back to you and your hearts are filled with gladness.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Christmas Collections Part Two

2011-12-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

Many years ago our son gave us one of the Byers' Carolers. She was a nurse like me. The following year he gave us a doctor like my husband. We like them so much that we started buying others ourselves and before long we had quite a collection.

We were delighted when Byers offered the Christmas Carol collection. We love the story and watch the DVD every Christmas Eve. We have several DVDs of the story, but our favorite is one that was originally a made-for-television movie. George C. Scott plays the role of Scrooge, and the film has the best Tiny Tim ever. He is so frail, so angelic. (The link is here)

The ghost of Jacob Marley visits Scrooge and foretells the three spirits.

The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to his past. They watch Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig dancing.

The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to the home of Bob Cratchett.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come silently shows Scrooge his own death and burial.

We haven't bought any of the Carolers for several years. We have them displayed in three areas of the house. Maybe we should look for more.

Christmas Collections

2011-12-12T13:56:00.001-05:00

Neither of us were born rich. There was no "grandaddy's trust fund" to inherit. We each brought to our marriage a car payment, outstanding student loans, and a strong work ethic. Throughout our married life, we never bought anything if we couldn't pay for it. The only loans we had were for cars and houses.

Both of us are fond of Hummel figurines and we knew we wanted to own a Hummel Nativity. Our first Christmas together, we bought the Holy Family because three pieces were all we could afford. Each subsequent Christmas we bought one figurine until the time came when we could afford to complete the set. We found a stable at an estate sale and purchased the palm trees from another collectable set. We have been lucky in that we managed to raise two children and four dogs and still have the intact set with no broken figures.

Our Hummel Nativity Collection

We bought a small and inexpensive hand-pinched clay Nativity for our future children even before we had any children. Over the years this set delighted our growing children. The excitement began each year as we brought out the box containing the figures. Our son and daughter alternated choosing one figure at a time. The biggest triumph was selecting the Christ Child. All during the Advent season, the children would rearrange the figures. The only rule about arranging the figures was that all of them had to remain on the table. So at a given time, one might find Baby Jesus anywhere.

This is the most common arrangement.

My husband bought this inexpensive Nativity in a fair trade shop. All items in the shop were handmade by women in South America who otherwise would not have meaningful work. I just love these fat little figures.

The Holy Family, an Angel, and some Lambs

We have other Nativity sets but we rarely display them. Perhaps the smallest one is also the oldest. It is one I purchased for my parents when I was ten. For years it was called "Carolyn's Little Manger Scene," by my Southern Baptist family. No photograph of it, since it's packed away.

I love bringing out Christmas decorations that we have used for years. Not the least of which are ornaments made by our children when they were small. Each one is treasured and my now grownup children still move them around on the Christmas Tree, making certain each ornament has a conspicuous spot on the tree.

Fridays are Golden

2011-12-09T10:06:00.000-05:00

How can it be Friday again so soon? The waning days of 2011 are just flying by. Our weather has been bipolar this week. Heavy rains, followed by a cold front. Fortunately the predicted snow did not appear and by week's end the sun burst out to brighten our lives (and show every little particle of dust and dander).

We often take the Golden Girls to places where they can run free. Sometimes we go to large cemeteries or our less popular community trails but most often we go to one of the four lakes within the community. The girls love racing up and down the steps leading to the various docks along the lake. And it is great exercise for them.

They always run in tandem starting up the stairs.

Still together as they race to the top.

You already know that they often lie in the same bed. Surprisingly enough, they also lie together on the hard floor. It is rare to find one dog without the other.

The holiday season is in full swing. Everyone is anxious and busy. Like children, we get so caught up in the mad rush that we never slow down. And because we have been so rushed and anxious, many of us suffer a post-holiday letdown. Stop. Take a deep breath. (just don't forget to exhale) Repeat often and remind yourself that this is a season of peace, not panic.

Seneca the Younger said it well:
Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow it loses today.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

AND SLOW DOWN TO ENJOY THE PRESENT

We Just Bought Some Stock

2011-12-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

We bought a new stock this week. It will never go up in value. It cannot be sold but can purchased as a gift for someone else. It does not pay dividends. Once you own the stock it can be transferred only within your family. It has not been available for the past fourteen years and will no longer be available after February 29, 2012.

So what does this stock do for us? Well, all modesty aside, we are now part owners of the Green Bay Packers. This team, in relatively small Green Bay, Wisconsin (population 105,000) is the only publicly owned team in the National Football League. We fell in love with the Packers when we moved to Wisconsin many years ago. A good friend with season tickets provided the opportunity to attend games at Lambeau every year. We loved seeing the outstanding quarterback Brett Favre before he ~~threw his adolescent temper tantrums, retiring and un-retiring and took his football and~~ moved on to play for two other teams.

Since Brett moved on, we have seen that a quarterback can be immensely talented, have a deep love for the game, be as enthusiastic as a teenager, and still be a grownup. Aaron Rodgers is unbelievably talented and after leading the team to win the Super Bowl last year, he has led them to an unbeaten season this year. (I was actually sort of wishing Eli Manning might have beaten him. I'd hate for their first loss to be during the playoffs!) Watching this team is so much fun. You will see Rodgers chatting with the opposing team. The players seem to be having fun as well.

The fans certainly enjoy the team, especially when they do the "Lambeau Leap" after a touchdown. Lambeau Field is outdoors and when there is snow during the season, local people vie for the opportunity to work with shovels clearing the stadium. Every summer the fans line up several persons deep at the fences surrounding the training field to watch the players in training camp. Little kids stand at the gate with their bicycles. Many of the linemen will take a kid's bike and ride it to the fieldhouse. What a wonderful sight...a three-hundred-pound player on a kid's bike. The excited kid runs alongside. More often than not the Packer riding the bike stops to autograph it for the kid before going into the locker room. And pose for a photograph if Dad or Mom brought the camera.

(Both photographs from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel)

Aaron Rodgers and his winning smile.

My two favorite players, Rodgers on the right and Donald Driver on the left.

So what will we get from our new stock? Although we are not likely to do so, we can attend the annual meetings that precede the training camp. We have voting rights. So why would we bother to purchase stock that will never appreciate in value and that we cannot trade or sell? Because the stock sale is to raise money for renovations at Lambeau Field. And, as I mentioned before, because technically speaking, the stock makes us team owners.

Next Packer game, I can more honestly say they are MY Packers. I will be glad when the season is over and I can wash my Packer shirt. (I don't dare wash it for fear it will jinx the team.) Of course I wear it only on game day.

Local Culture Cannot Trump the Constitution

2011-12-05T15:52:00.002-05:00

Here in the "Bible Belt" many schools do not follow the letter of the law. Over the holidays there are frequently religious Christmas themes in the work children do. Recently in a nearby county, the public elementary school participated in "Operation Christmas Child." This project is run by Samaritan's Purse, led by Franklin Graham (son of famous evangelist Billy Graham). Is that a problem? Probably not. The problem you see, was that each first and second grade child in this public school was given a little fill-in-the-blank questionaire to include in the box of little gifts. The questions in this project included the following:

I love Jesus because_____________________________________________

An employee of the school sent an email to a friend. The friend forwarded the email to everyone in his contact list. Can you see where this is going? Yes, the recipients and bloggers lit up the Internet with discussions about First Admendment rights. Of course the word eventually got to the members of the school board and the principal sent out an automated voice message to all parents. He indicated that the project was undertaken to give the students an opportunity to experience the joy of giving. He said that he did not receive a single complaint about the Jesus question from any parent. He did, however apologize and said the school will look more closely at documents to make certain they do not include any religious matter.

We had some First Ammendment problems here in Transylvania County two or three years ago. It seems the school board and the County Commisioners both included an opening prayer in their meetings. A concerned parent went to the school and county leaders stating that invoking the name of Jesus Christ to look upon the public meeting was not only offensive to non-Christians; it was also against the law. The man was "blown off" by both boards so he called the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). An ACLU attorney called the boards and explained that the practice of Christian prayer could not be part of a public meeting and indicated that the ACLU was prepared to bring legal action if necessary. So the boards reluctantly agreed to eliminate the prayers as part of the meetings. The Chairman of the school board made a statement to the press. She said that the prayers were not limited to one religion but that all religions were represented, including Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians. [Does that send a message to all us Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Agnostics, etc.?] One of the other members said something to the effect that if the ACLU was not going to permit the liberty of bringing Jesus Christ to the meetings then it did not support Americans or their liberties.

BTW: Generally speaking, the reason many folks in western NC do not always recognize Catholics among the Christians is their mistaken belief that we "worship Mary." My daughter was the only Catholic in her first grade class. Upon learning that we were Catholic, her teacher asked me if it was all right for her to join the other children in praying just before going to lunch. I told her that was fine with us and then bit my tongue to prevent me from adding, "But it's not all right with the Supreme Court." Until we moved to Wisconsin, my children participated in Christmas programs at public school, including Christmas carols and the Nativity. In Wisconsin, the program was "Winter Sing" and did not include any religious songs.

For the record, we do celebrate Advent and the religious meaning of Christmas. We do have several Nativity sets around our house. But our secular decorations far outweigh the religious ones. Because this is my house, we can do what we please. And I, for one, am glad that no public school first-grade child should feel uncomfortable because his or her parents are not of a particular religious (or non-religious) belief.

One of my favorite Santas, cradling some dolls he just made for the good little boys and girls.

There are folks who are surprised to find that I am Roman Catholic. It's especially hard for those who knew me in my younger years to be Southern Baptist. I think their surprise comes with the fact that I am vehemently pro-choice, I support birth control of all kinds, I strongly support marriage of same sex persons and I respect people of all faiths and non-believers as well. I am just as furious as you are that the Bishops of the Church who turned a blind eye to child molestation by some priests were never held accountable. I am definitely a cafeteria Catholic and pick and choose what I wish to believe. Is this being hypocritical? I think not. The only religious dogma I could support without question would be the Church of NCMountainwoman. Otherwise I can choose which parts of the church I will support and which parts I will cast aside. I did the same when I was a Southern Baptist.

Fridays are Golden

2011-12-02T10:07:00.002-05:00

This has been an amazing weather week here in Transylvania County. It began with pouring rain. We got more than eight inches of rain from late Sunday and through the day on Monday. The river basins overflowed into fields. Eight roads were closed because of flooding. Fences were underwater and the cows and horses had to find the highest spots in the pastures. A major logjam threatened to break loose causing further damage. All the rain was followed by snow during the night on Monday. At our house the snow was less than an inch but higher elevations received much more. The storms were called "twenty-five-year" storms. Statistics don't amount to much. This is the second consecutive year in which we have had the "twenty-five-year storm." The sun came out on Tuesday afternoon and we have had a very pleasant week since then.

Our Golden Girls hate the rain but they love the cooler weather, especially the high winds we have also had. On rainy days they go out as little as possible quickly completing their business and wanting to come straight back home. They follow us up and down the stairs, settling down whenever we do. We have several dog beds throughout the house but most of the time Lucy will come over to share (or take over) Ellie's resting place.

Lucy, that is too much even for you.

Well, Mom, she could move if she wanted to.

Ellie's head is actually shoved underneath the chair.

Lucy squished her way onto the bed, leaving no other place for Ellie's leg.

Finally, it is Lucy getting squished.

I must admit that I sometimes fear that the weight of Lucy on Ellie's shoulders or hips might cause a problem. In those cases, I just go get two little treats to give them. Most often Ellie will wait for Lucy to take a bed and she will then take the other one. And if she is lucky Lucy won't get up and move to Ellie's bed. Only the most devoted pet owner knows how much we love these two.

The quote for the week comes from Albert Schweitzer:

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

If someone has rekindled your light, think of them with gratitude. Then reach out and thank them once again. Tel them again how much they have meant to your life. And take every opportunity that comes your way to rekindle the spark in someone else.

Twenty-nine days left in 2011, folks.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Winter Flowers in the Snow

2011-11-30T11:26:00.001-05:00

All day Monday, the rain poured down in buckets. Inch after inch left runoffs, standing water in roads, and forced the rivers out of their banks. Eight roads in our county were closed because of the flooding.

Two Golden Retrievers went through a lot of towels, coming back inside after the rainy trips out. It was still raining when I went to bed on Monday night. Imagine my surprise to awaken Tuesday morning to see everything coated white.

Snow dusted one of our favorite winter-blooming plants. This mahonia is called "Winter Sun" or "Midnight Sun." Bright yellow blossoms fill the plant this year and we enjoy watching the flowers and then the berries on this lovely plant. The snow will not cause a problem because temperatures did not stay below freezing for very long.

These little yellow blossoms will turn into berries soon.

The snow clung to the trees with a light covering on the ground. Fortunately the snow did not affect the roadways for long and with rising temperatures the snow was gone by evening.

Now THAT is the kind of winter snow we expect here during our mild winters. Definitely not the 10-12-inch snows like the ones we have had during the past two winters.

Staying on the Learning Curve

2011-11-28T11:20:00.001-05:00

Had you asked me anything about John Brown last month, I could have given the answer quickly:

He was an abolishionist
He led a raid on Harpers Ferry before the Civil War
He was hanged
His body lies a'mouldering in the grave

That extensive level of knowledge comes from one of the few times I ever gave John Brown a thought. The information is recalled from my high school American History class. Our textbook devoted two whole paragraphs to John Brown and the raid on Harpers Ferry. It was accompanied by a sketch of the armory at Harpers Ferry. We studied little about the raid and its real implications and did not touch at all on the man himself.

So what have I learned about John Brown since last month? Tons. For instance:

The Harpers Ferry raid was not the first incident in which John Brown killed innocent people. He already had a long history of violent acts in Kansas. He was a zealot who believed that any actions taken to free the slaves was justified by God. He met with escaped slave, orator and writer Frederick Douglass but Douglass refused to participate in his activities.
Robert E. Lee, then a Colonel in the U.S. Army, led the sucessful attack on the armory where John Brown, his men, and his hostages were sequestered. His second in command was Lt. J.E.B. Stuart. Major Thomas Jackson was among the soldiers fighting John Brown. Major Jackson would later be known as "Stonewall" Jackson.
John Brown sustained significant injury during the attack but survived. He orated eloquently at his trial and many people had great respect for his bravery during his confinement in jail, his trial, and most especially during his hanging.
Henry David Thoreau gave an oration on Brown's behalf, It was later published as "A Plea for Captain John Brown."
Louisa May Alcott wrote of John Brown, "Living he made life beautiful - Dying, made death devine."
Herman Melville, on the other hand, called John Brown "The Meteor of War."
John Wilkes Booth stood among the citizens watching the hanging of John Brown.

How did I come to know all this (and MUCH more) about John Brown? I read Midnight Rising, written by Tony Horwitz. I am a lover of history so I might be a bit prejudiced but I truly enjoyed this book. Thoroughly researched and annotated, the book flows as easily as a novel.

I have listed only a few points but unless you are a history professor or buff it is a certainty that you will learn a great deal about the Harpers Ferry raid and what it meant and how it affected our nation's history.

I have often repeated that one of the very best things about retirement is having the time to read. At a given time I usually have three books in process; a novel, a biography, and a non-fiction book. When I started reading Midnight Rising I did not read anything from the other two books in process.

Next up? In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. My husband enjoyed this story about the American Ambassador to Hitler's Germany in 1933. And on the shelf waiting a turn is LOST IN SHANGRI-LA BY Mitchell Zuckoff. Another true story about WWII, this book details an amazing rescue mission in the Pacific.

I hope you can find some time to read something that expands your knowledge about our country. I think it was Mahatma Gandhi who said, "Live as if you will die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Fridays are Golden

2011-11-25T09:58:00.001-05:00

"Best turkey I ever ate," said my husband. And these words cannot be taken lightly since there are few people on our planet who love turkey more than he does. Several readers were interested in the outcome of my first brined turkey. By his statement you already know that my husband thought it was most delicious.

He has a wonderfully short memory of the Desi/Lucy circumstances the day before. Typical for us, we had a few miss-steps along the way. The first thing I did was to allow my husband to order and pick up the turkey. Remember I told you how much he loves turkey. He came home with a sixteen-pound bird. For the two of us.

It all started out so well. I made the brine and then put the turkey inside a special brining bag. I got out the roasting pan. I'm usually a very perceptive person, but it never once occurred to me that the turkey/brine-filled bag would not exactly fit in the roasting pan. So I'm standing there with six inches of fluid hanging over all sides of the roaster. Fearing that the bag might break, I called my husband to help. "Get out the pasta pot," I said, "we can't use the roaster because it isn't deep enough to hold it all." (I don't know if it's really a pasta pot, but it's that large pot you use to make tons of soup or to boil pasta.) Just a quick eyeballing of the pot next to the now mammoth bag informed us the turkey was not going to fit. And that is the biggest deep pot we have. What to do? In order to shorten this episode, I will tell you that we finally found success with a utility pail.

The pail has never been used except to hold the instructions and supplies needed to de-skunk dogs. For many reasons I was glad we had not needed to use any. So we decided that we would put the turkey in the pail. Now, we did not come to his conclusion quickly. We took turns holding the bag that was overflowing the sides of the roaster. I would go through the house trying to find something useful. Then I would come back to turkey sentry duty while my husband searched for something useful. I'm not sure which one of us finally came up with the utility pail. We both thought it weird putting the Thanksgiving turkey in a utility pail. But, we reasoned, it was clean and had not been used. So we took out the peroxide, soap, and other de-skunking supplies and washed the pail. Regardless of our feelings about the pail, we had no other options.

We plopped the brining bag filled with solution and turkey into the clean 12-liter (3.17 gallon) pail. Perfect! Then we looked at each other and laughed. We both said it at the same time. "How are we going to get this thing in the fridge?" After removing and re-arranging some shelves, we put the pail in the fridge and were actually able to close the door.

The Golden Girls were quite confused despite the fact that they are familiar with our Desi/Lucy predicaments. They didn't know whether to stay by the one guarding the turkey or to run up and down the stairs with the one trying to find a suitable receptacle. They were quite happy when the turkey was finally in the fridge and the kitchen was back to normal.

The Thanksgiving Bird in a Bucket.

I've already told you my husband's reaction to the finished product. As for me? We always have a fresh turkey and I always put herbed butter between the skin and the meat. So our turkeys are always quite moist and tender. I have to admit that this one was more tender and wonderfully flavorful. But I have to wonder just how tender the turkey needs to be. Isn't a nine almost as good as a ten?

Will we do it again? ABSOLUTELY! After we went through that big learning curve, we aren't about to make this a one-shot deal. Truthfully, we will purchase all the supplies we need. The next time won't be nearly as funny, but will run quite smoothly. Like so many other things, once you know how it is easy. I hope.

You no doubt came to this post to see the Golden Girls. They did not get any special treatment on Thanksgiving Day. No turkey, no dressing, no gravy or potatoes. Just the constant attention to which they feel entitled.

You can't blame tryptophan for this nap.

Lucy still using Ellie for a pillow.

And two dogs stretched out on one bed.

I do hope Thanksgiving Day went smoothly for everyone. And that you have leftovers to enjoy. The weather here has been perfect these past few days and now we are looking forward to the Christmas season. Which will be here about the time we finish eating the rest of the turkey.

Our quote today comes from John Fitzgerald Kennedy:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

We're Tacky at Thanksgiving As Well

2011-11-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

You already know that we have some tacky Halloween decorations. Actually I don't think there is such a thing as a Halloween decoration that isn't tacky. We are a bit more tasteful at Thanksgiving but we still have plenty of tacky. Now if only I could find a fiber optic turkey...

Our very large Tacky Turkey greets guests in the foyer.

Our flag looks as if it came from a child's coloring book. It will surely wave furiously today and tomorrow since we are having some really strong wind.

On the other hand, I don't think our Thanksgiving wreath is tacky at all.

I am brining the turkey this year. I had no idea it was this time-consuming. Mix the brine, boil it, let it cool then refrigerate. When it's cold add ice water and apple juice and pour over the fresh turkey and let it brine for 24-36 hours. We'll have the usual side dishes and dessert. I'm looking forward to finding out for myself if the brined turkey is better.

Whatever you are doing and wherever you are going:

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!

Another Short Trip

2011-11-21T19:31:00.000-05:00

There are many places in and around our county that call us to visit often. One such place is the North Carolina Arboretum in nearby Buncombe County. Well known throughout western NC, the Arboretum is home to a wonderful display of Bonsai trees. During our most recent visit we saw that most of the deciduous trees had already lost their leaves. My favorite Bonsai displays are the ones that mimic the flora in various places in the mountains.

This one represents the trees on Mount Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Rocky Mountains.

This is a Trident Maple. A few colored leaves remain but the little tree is mostly bare.

In the summer, this Roan Mountain Bonsai is filled with gorgeous rhododendron blossoms.

We lamented the fact that it was so late in the fall that none of the bonsai exhibits were in bloom. The day was absolutely gorgeous with bright sunshine and streams of clouds in the blue sky. (Yes, Carolina blue sky.) It was so nice that we passed on the greenhouse, preferring to be out in the wonderful weather. The day following our trip, the Asheville newspaper had an article about all the bonsai that were in full bloom in the greenhouse.

Art work and water features are all along the paths at the Arboretum. There is one sculpture that pulls me toward it like a magnet every time we visit. The bronze is more than twelve feet tall and I love every inch of it. I have taken dozens of photographs of this lovely piece of art.

Wonderfully titled, "Oh Great Spirit"

A closer look at the face. You might notice that behind the sculpture on this side the trees have leaves. On the other side the trees were bare. It's about the sunshine.

Much ado is made in mountain counties about whether or not one is "native" or a "transplant," the latter being a rather derogatory term for someone who doesn't understand mountain ways. There are even automobile tags that read NATIVE. I am always tempted to carry a photograph of this sculpture and show it to the next person who feel compelled to tell me he or she is native. I will show him or her this photograph and say, "Goodness, you don't LOOK Cherokee!"

I grew up in Watauga County in higher mountains than Transylvania with more rugged country roads and harsh winters. But since I moved to Transylvania County five years ago the residents do not consider me a native.

Author Vicki Lane (here) wrote spot-on about how the locals view newcomers. She included the anecdote in one of her Elizabeth Goodweather books. (here) She has lived in a nearby mountain county for many years. Her son was born here. Someone once mentioned that Vicki was not a native and she replied that her son was born here so at least he is a native. The response she got was, "Cat might have kittens in the oven but it don't make'em biscuits."

One of my friends has a typical New York accent. We were having lunch and someone asked her, "You ain't from around here are you?" My friend replied, "Well I wasn't born here but I got here as quick as I could."

Very near the Arboretum is the Asheville Farmer's Market. Several warehouse buildings chock full of fresh produce, jams and jellies, nuts, etc. It's almost a requirement that you visit there if you are in the vicinity.

Fridays are Golden

2011-11-18T11:31:00.004-05:00

We've had a great week around here. The weather has been quite variable, as it often is in late autumn in the mountains. We have had some sunny days and we always take advantage of them. In fact, one of our primary reasons for retiring here had to do with the weather.

Ellie runs free on a recent outing.

Our Lucy is a very "needy" dog. She will often lie on the wood floor and thwock her tail for attention. And yes, she wants you to come to her rather than for her to get up and come to you. If the tail thwock does not get results, she comes over to my husband's chair and puts her sweet head on the arm of the chair. That works every time.

It's pretty hard to ignore that pleading face.

Lucy prefers to play on her own terms. She often signals that by picking up an old rubber tug the girls love so much. She brings the tug to you and quickly runs away when you reach out your hand. She thinks that is a great game.

Come on, Dad. Try to catch me!

When Lucy tires of the game she takes the tug with her, usually to her bed.

If I don't bring this with me they might just throw it again.

Time is flying, isn't it? Thanksgiving is next week. After that the Christmas season will really ramp up. I love Christmas in a big city. So exciting, so much fun, and so many things to enjoy. But I have to admit, I now prefer Christmas in a small town.

Regular readers know how much I love our small town newspaper. We eagerly wait for the publication on Mondays and Thursdays. The paper does not have comics, but our "Letters to the Editor" section rivals any comic pages for giving me a laugh. The sports pages cover only the local college, high school and elementary school sports. (For instance you would never know that the Green Bay Packers are still undefeated if you relied on our local paper.)

Small towns in the North Carolina mountains still have Christmas parades. They are not Holiday parades. Only the larger towns have Holiday Parades. Nearby Asheville has a Holiday Tree. A photograph in their newspaper today gives the caption that the man is stringing the Christmas lights on the Holiday Tree. You figure.

Our neighoring town of Rosman (smaller even than Brevard) had a newspaper article about their upcoming parade. I found it amusing. Here it is:

The Rosman Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday, December 4, at 2:00 p.m. Line-up and registration will begin at 1:15 at Rosman Elementary School. Parade rules are the same as previous years:

1.) No ATVs

2.) No one dressed in a Santa Suit

3.) Candy must be thrown out of the roadway for the safety of everyone.

I love the simplicity of the parade rules. Why add all the political rhetoric? Just keep it simple and easy to understand. I think we all should look at our own lives and try to simplify things this holiday season. As someone said, "In a hundred years it won't matter. It hardly matters now."

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

When you Stop to Think, Don't Forget to Start Again

2011-11-16T09:06:00.002-05:00

Sometimes your thoughts are so random and disorderly you have to pause to collect them. That is fine although if you are a candidate for President of the United States it may be perceived quite differently, especially if you ramble after the pause.

I have no idea where I got this. I don't even know how it relates to this post.

Today my mind is swirling.

I got an email from a legal team (or a spammer) telling me I was eligible to join a class action lawsuit against Netflix and Wal-Mart. The email contained inclusive dates of my Netflix subscription. [Yes, I was one of those who canceled.] I know that my address is traded in data base sales, but I have to wonder who had my email address? And how did the "lawyers are us" firm know the exact dates of my Netflix subscription?

I got an email (again) from Newsweek offering me a 90% discount if I would just come back. You see? They miss me! A fifteen-year subscriber to the magazine, I canceled my subscription the instant I heard they were hiring Karl Rove to write columns for them during the election. That was several years ago and my email address has changed at least four times since then. So how did Newsweek get my email address?

Since I told you I was rambling, I want to ask a question related to the recent allegations of sex abuse against a prominent former defensive coach in Pennsylvania. I have listened to far more rhetoric than I wanted. I have listened to former jocks tell me I just don't understand the relationship between a coach and his players; that I don't know that"what goes on in the locker room, STAYS in the locker room." I have listened to alumni explain that the head coach did what he was legally obligated to do. I've been told that the eye-witness was a grad student coach and had a close relationship with the abuser. I've been told that there is no way I could predict what might have happened were I the witness to such an incident. I have listened to it all. I freely admit that there are facts that have not been given to us.

Oh, I promised a question after this ramble. Here it is:
However you may feel about this entire incident and the circumstances around it, would you feel any different had the victim been a ten-year-old little GIRL???

Another question: Do you think it would have been handled differently by the parties involved had the victim been a ten-year-old little GIRL???

We Honor Their Memories

2011-11-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Once again I will reprise this story about two marvelous people. There is some new information at the conclusion.

They met on a blind date and took an instant liking to each other. Much of their courtship consisted of hiking in the mountains of western North Carolina. She was three years his senior, a fact that brought many laughs in years to come. They were married in 1949.

He became a lawyer. A lover of animal, she became a veterinarian, rather unusual for her time. Her continued quest for knowledge led her to take courses in forestry, icythyology, and she loved and studied all things living. She would later give up her veterninary practice to take college-level science courses full time.

The lived in Montana and in New York, but their passion was for western North Carolina where they always intended to retire. The couple were true lovers of the outdoors. When their children grew up they traveled extensively, hiking some of the most rugged mountains in the world. They always stayed in hostels or inexpensive lodging because, as he said, "You meet so many more interesting people that way."

When they were in their 50s he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. She joined him for parts of the hike and they celebrated with champagne at the end of the trail. Other hikers were delighted with her ability to identify every tree, every bush, and every flower along the trail.

In 1990 they moved to the North Carolina mountains they loved so much.

Both photographs from the Transylvania Times

She was an avid gardener and an award-winning quilter. Their passion was hiking, especially the lesser known trails in Pisgah National Forest. They were stewards of the land, purchasing land in their community and donating it to be a nature preserve.

After 58 years of marriage they were deeply committed to one another. The continued to hike together...she in her 80s and he almost 80. They hiked at least once a week. If the sun came up, they went hiking.

Their last Christas card.

On October 21, 2007 they went for a hike in Pisgah National Forest. Their son who lived out of State was concerned when he didn't hear from them. He contacted neighbors who also were concerned that they had not returned. The son called the local police.

The car was found near a trail head here in Transylvania County. On November 9, 2007, her body was found near the trail. Telephone records showed that she had made a "911" call from her cell phone on October 21 but the signal was insufficient to relay beyond the tower. Their bank card was used in nearby Tennessee.

Irene Bryant had died of blunt force trauma to the head. Her husband John was still missing.

In February 2008 the remains of John Bryant were discovered near a forest service road in upstate Georgia. He had been shot in the head.

Evidence links the senseless killing of this wonderful and devoted couple to Gary Michael Hilton. Hilton pleaded guilty to an equally senseless murder of 24-year-old Meredith Emerson in Georgia. Under the terms of a plea bargain he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years. He was tried in Florida for the murder of Cheryl Dunlap, a 46-year-old nurse. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

[Update: Hilton was extradited to Federal court in Asheville, NC last summer and charged with murder, robbery, and kidnapping in the cases of John and Irene Bryant. He entered pleas of "not guilty" on all counts and will be tried for these crimes in early 2012.]

But this post is not about Gary Michael Hilton. It's not even about justice. There is no justice here. There can be no justice for such heinous actions. This post is about two of my heroes...John and Irene Bryant.

They left behind a legacy of love. Love for each other, their children, their fellow man, and the future. Love of nature, love of the outdoors, and love of these wonderful North Carolina mountains. They are together once again and after four years we still grieve for them. They left the world better than they found it. Let's all take a lesson from John and Irene Bryant. Live your life to the fullest and give back to nature and to humankind.

Fridays are Golden

2011-11-11T10:55:00.001-05:00

It was a sunny, windy and brisk day. Perfect weather for Golden Retrievers to run free, so off to the lake we went. Our community has four lakes so we always have new adventures. The dogs run and run, smiling all the while.

The wind is blowing Lucy's hair and she loves it. Ellie prefers to have the wind in her face.

Even the hair on Ellie's ears is blowing in the wind.

Lucy abruptly heads down to the water. She knows she is not allowed to jump in so she puts her paws as close to the water's edge as she dares. What has caught her attention?

Canada Geese! Every time one of them honks, Lucy becomes stiff as a board, raising her tail higher each time. You can see the ripples on this usually calm lake. It was that windy.

So what do they do afterwards? Once again Lucy uses Ellie for a pillow. She gazes out as if recalling the fun day at the lake. Or perhaps she is admiring her reflection in the glass.

"The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" brought the signing of the Armistice that marked the end of World War I in 1918.

So today (which is the eleventh year as well), we honor our veterans of all wars. No matter what you believe or how you feel about the wars we are fighting today, you must honor the ones both living and dead who have fought in our armed forces.

In case you are wondering: there are fifty days remaining in 2011. If that doesn't motivate you I don't know what will.

HAVE A MOST WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

These Turkeys are Already Thankful

2011-11-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

Wild turkeys live amongst us in our community. And this year seems to have been a very successful breeding year for them. In the late summer we saw large flocks of hens and poults together wandering through our woods. Now that the poults have grown up, we see fewer large flocks but still a lot of turkeys. They are pretty much indifferent to our cars and it is not uncommon to find a car stopped in the road waiting for the turkeys to cross.

One of the turkeys prepares to cross the road in front of us.

The other one soon follows.

This one does a turkey trot on the way.

These turkeys will not be Thanksgiving dinner for anyone and I think they are already thankful for that. A vegan friend visited us and remarked on the beautiful turkeys we saw. I knew she was silently thinking, "How can she eat such a beautiful intelligent bird?" I have a confession to make. I have been in the midst of Thanksgiving dinner only to look out and see a wild turkey or two. I was doubly thankful for the turkey in the yard and the one on my table. We buy a fresh organic turkey every year, from a local farmer who raises them with compassion. They live a comfortable life. (Well, up until the time they are slaughtered.) Thanksgiving dinner is without a doubt my favorite meal of the year. And I am thankful for the turkey that makes it possible.

Can you stand another couple of photographs of the Bass Pond? The day was so calm and beautiful that the pond was like a mirror reflecting the opposite shore.

A Visit to the Bass Pond

2011-11-07T11:19:00.001-05:00

Regular readers know that we often visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Because we go often, we usually focus on one area. For our visit last week, we decided to take the easy hike (more like a stroll) down to the Bass Pond. Of course, we had to stop in the garden to see the mums so beautifully planted.

A glimpse through the gate gives a hint of what's in store.

A profusion of mums in all different colors.

The cypress knees look like a scene from a Tolkien novel.

The water is calm and lovely.

Some trees are bare but some color remains.

Even the spillway is a work of art.

The arched bridge is also a work of art.

There were dozens of places one could have stopped and just sat, drinking in the color and the beauty of this magnificent and peaceful place. We are indeed fortunate to have access to this wonderful place in all seasons.

Every visit to the estate brings the question of where we will have lunch. In spite of the really great places to eat, we always wind up at the same location every time. Where is that? The Dairy Bar, of course. Fresh ice cream made on the grounds. It hardly gets any better than that.

Just a note about football and the Green Bay Packers. They remain undefeated although Sunday's game gave us a bit of a fright. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw touchdown passes to four different receivers and completed 21 of 26 passes during the game. Right now there is not a better quarterback in the NFL. We have nearly forgotten the previous Packer quarterback...Brett something or other. [A note to Brett: We're just fine if you go into the Football Hall of Fame with your #4 Viking jersey.]

Fridays are Golden

2011-11-04T11:48:00.000-04:00

This has been a rather strange week here. On several days we woke up to clouds, fog, and frost only to have the sun shining brightly and warming things up for the afternoon. The leaves are stripped bare around here. In Asheville at the arboretum on Thursday we saw plenty of color remaining. That is a wonderful feature about our mountains. A change in elevation and a change in sun exposure can make for very different surroundings. And we love it all.

Ellie and Lucy lead rather normal lives that don't vary a lot from day to day. A good romp, plenty of attention, regular feeding, and plenty of sleep make for good days for them.

Two dogs running lickedy split.

Ellie checking out the sights.

Lucy checking out the smells.

Ellie checking out for a nap.

Lucy checking out for a nap.

Our Friday quote comes from Marcus Aurelius:

We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.

So make it a habit to try to do good to others for no reason other than it is the right thing to do.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, EVERYONE

Pumpkin People and Mountain Moonshine Update

2011-11-02T09:46:00.001-04:00

They usually appear much sooner. Last year they were vandalized. So I feared the Pumpkin People would not make their presence known this year. Fortunately I was wrong. They are back, still waving at folks passing by on US 276.

A never-ending smile must be difficult to maintain.

Not to mention a hand held in a perpetual wave.

Brevard is the county seat of Transylvania County. Last week's District Court session included an appearance by "Uncle Buck," charged with selling non-tax-paid alcohol (called moonshine, or 'shine around these parts). Some of the charges against Uncle Buck were dismissed. He pleaded guilty to three counts of posessing and selling non-tax-paid alcohol, possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession of marijuana.

The judge ordered a suspended sentence of thirty days and Uncle Buck was ordered to serve unsupervised probation for a year. Most of the citizens of our county breathed a sigh of relief. Hardly anyone wanted the judge to be harsh with Uncle Buck. We are happy to see him carving his bears with a chain saw and chatting with people who drop by his place.

One of Uncle Buck's bears provides a welcome sign to visitors.

Halloween in Transylvania

2011-10-31T15:04:00.001-04:00

When your county is Transylvania you expect Halloween to be a big celebration. And so it is. The Halloween Festival brings vendors to our town in large numbers. There are many activities for the youngsters and plenty of good food.

Saturday was the day of the festival this year. Mother Nature did not cooperate. The day was unseasonably cool and periodically the wind gusted to a miserable index. Many of the vendors stationed volunteers to hold the tent poles when they took the tents down. Scarves and other knitted or quilted items were removed from the displays before they blew away. There were few children when we arrived and some of the vendors were deciding the sales would not be sufficient in this weather so they were packing up to leave.

The shops went all out with decorating and most of the shopkeepers were in costume.

This is Jailhouse Hill. Later in the day the children would roll pumpkins down the hill. Most children brought their own pumpkins although some were available for purchase.

Looking east on Main Street. The crowds were sparse.

The lanes were empty at the pumpkin bowling area.

Looking west on Main Street. Several vendors had already packed up to leave.

We did not purchase anything from the vendors this year. We were sorry so many of our favorites were not there. We were even sorrier that the children's fun was cut short by the wind and chilly weather.

It could have been a lot worse, though. At least we did not have the paralyzing snowstorm that hit so much of the mid-Atlantic states.

Fridays are Golden

2011-10-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

Our Ellie frequently walks around with two tennis balls in her mouth. Lucy tries and tries to grab two of them at once. She is never able to manage it. Her head and mouth just aren't suited for carrying two tennis balls at once. But that doesn't stop her from trying.

Ellie came upstairs with two balls and Lucy took them. I could tell from the expression on her face that she was going to try once again so I grabbed the camera.

Watch this, Mom. I'm gonna do it this time!

Lucy gets one of the balls in her mouth without much difficulty.

OK I got one of them. Now for the other one.

This is the tricky one but I think I can do it.

Take the picture quickly, Mom. I'm already about to drop one of them! Hurry!

As soon as I took the photograph, Lucy dropped one of the balls. She held the two of them for no longer than 10 seconds. But by golly, she did indeed hold two at one time.

That wasn't too bad, Lucy. But you really need to work on your form. The balls should be held so that both of them are centered. Like this!

Here we are near the end of October. Sixty-four days remain in 2011 and then it will be gone. But there is a lot of fun to be had before then.

We love Halloween around our house and we have plenty of tacky decorations. One of my favorites is a fiber-optic scarecrow. We've had it for years and each October we wonder if the filaments will light up for another year. So far so good.

From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night,

GOOD LORD DELIVER US!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!

Finding Color in the Mountains

2011-10-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

From a family of nine, my mother's sister is the sole surviving sibling. This aunt and I had planned a mountain trip for last week. Rain, wind and much cooler weather dictated otherwise so we chose to go this week on Monday. We were happy enough to be out riding together in the mountains although we suspected the leaf color might well be past peak. Fortunately, we found plenty of gorgeous color along the way.

The skies were clear with sunshine all day.

The color in many areas was still breath-taking.

This photograph was taken at an overlook on NC 181. The Brown Mountain ridge is in the distance. Mysterious lights shine at various intervals on this ridge. Not surprisingly, the lights are called The Brown Mountain Lights.

Cherokee lore suggests the Brown Mountain Lights have been seen since the 1200s. The first white man to explore this area wrote in his diary about "nitrous vapors" carried by the wind. A reporter for the Charlotte, NC newspaper documented the lights in 1913.

The lights appear as bright orbs, moving in varying directions along the ridge. No one has been able to explain the lights although they have been studied by the US Weather Service, The US Geological Survey, and the Smithsonian Institution among others. The unpredictable lights appear and disappear in no specific pattern but are more commonly seen in the late summer and fall.

The source of the lights remains unexplained. What is known is that the lights are definitely visible and they have been videotaped often. You can find more information about them here or here.

My aunt was delighted by the awesome color. Around each curve, with every mountain or gorge, we saw the splendor of the autumn color in the mountains.

I was thrilled to see my aunt take such joy in the outing. As I left her at her apartment, she said it was the best day she had had in such a long time. Both of us had a very nice day.

When I got home, my husband told me my neighbor wanted me to call her when it was convenient. He said he had told her I was visiting my aunt and she asked him, "Oh, is that her elderly aunt?" My very clever husband told her, "Charlotte, when you get to be our age any aunt you have is elderly."

Neighborhood Color and First-born's Birthday

2011-10-24T18:56:00.001-04:00

While the color is pretty much gone in the higher elevations of the NC mountains, beautiful color remains at elevations of 3,000 feet or lower and in the foothills. Today, I drove my aunt from her home in Morganton, NC up the mountains to Boone so that she could enjoy the colors. We found some brilliant color. We had a lovely drive up and stumbled upon a very nice restaurant for lunch. Then we returned to Morganton via another route, down the side of other mountains. When we dropped by her apartment, my aunt began to tear up. She was that grateful that I drove to Morganton so that I could spend a day with her driving in the mountains.

The following two photographs are not from today's outing but were taken in our community last week. As you can see, we are still enjoying the colors of this season.

So what does this yawning little baby have to do with autumn joy? She just happens to be the most joyful thing about autumn. We first saw her on October 24 a bunch of years ago. This is our daughter the day she and I came home from the hospital. She was a delightful, easy going beautiful baby. Now she is a delightful and easy going beautiful woman.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR DAUGHTER!

Fridays are Golden

2011-10-21T15:37:00.000-04:00

Lake Wanteska is the second largest lake within our community. It has a lovely earthen dam and is one of Ellie's and Lucy's favorite running places. As soon as we are out of the SUV they run at breakneck speed across the dam. Then they turn and come running back to us.

Running free is such a treat!

This is the only dam in which the girls can actually run up and down the dam itself. They love it. And we love it because they get such good exercise and spend a really quiet afternoon.

Ellie loves to sniff the wind and smell those wonderful autumn smells.

The fall color at the lake is past peak but beautiful nonetheless.

And how was the color on parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday? White. It was all white around Craggy Gardens. Rime ice covered the forest. (Rime ice is ice that forms on the trees or roads from water droplets in the fog.) In the mountains you always hope that you will see the ice on the trees before you feel your car slide in the invisible (black ice) rime ice on the road.

Above photograph from the Asheville Citizen-Times taken by Bill Sanders.

Our quote for the week comes from Pulitzer Prize winner Edwin Way Teale:

Change is a measure of time, and in the autumn time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change.

Someone said that our time here is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Make the most of it. Now.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE. FULL OF LIFE AND LOVE

In Only One Week

2011-10-19T09:41:00.000-04:00

I cannot recall the color ever bursting forth as quickly as it did this year. Last week the Blue Ridge Parkway viewing areas gave us the beginning of color in the mountains. When we went back up this week most of the yellows were gone from the higher elevations and the reds dominated the color.

The color in the higher elevations is still lovely with mostly reds and a bit of yellow.

A treat for the eyes no matter the season.

Looking Glass Rock, so named because the water on the rock face freezes in winter and the sun makes the mountain shine like a mirror.

At slightly lower elevations, there is more color including the yellows and oranges.

At a drop of a thousand feet the color is more pronounced. At John Rock the color is gorgeous.

Davidson River delights the trout fishermen and women. They dot the river all along its way.

We will be making trips up to the Parkway until it closes for the winter. When our children were younger we used to take them to the Cold Mountain Overlook where the gates keep automobile traffic from entering. During winter it is such a treat to walk the Parkway in the snow. Perhaps we will take the dogs up there this year.

Not on a Clothesline Art Show

2011-10-17T16:32:00.001-04:00

The annual "Clothesline Art Show" in our community is held every Autumn. It began as an exhibit for water colors, sketches and other drawings. These works of art were attached to clotheslines and people would walk past them to look and to buy.

There are so many artists living here that the show expanded to include artisans of any medium. So the clothesline is no longer used and the artists display their works on tables or easels. But it seems everyone liked the name so the event is still called "Clothesline Art Show."

Last Saturday artists living within our community set up their works.

All of these are oil paintings.

These watercolors were spread out on easels.

This artist specializes in painting or drawing animals.

Hand knits are always good sellers. A gourd artist is in the back.

My neighbors exhibited and sold some of her pottery.

Still more art to enjoy.

It was a great way to spend the morning. They even had a food vendor with sandwiches, hot dogs and beverages. We enoyed looking at all the art work even if we didn't find anthing to purchase. Saturday was a weather perfect day and being out there was great.

Fridays are Golden

2011-10-14T11:53:00.002-04:00

We don't give our dogs as many treats as most dog owners do. Since they don't often get them, they really are special. There are three things they consider treats which they get consistently. Whenever anyone gets ice from the fridge, the girls are right there each expecting an ice cube. I make green salads almost every day. The girls just love carrots, so I give them a few slices of carrot. And each evening they each get a treat when they get into their crates for the night.

They are anxiously watching and waiting for their carrot pennies. And yes, it might have been a little cruel of me to take the time for a picture rather than pay attention to cutting the carrots. But can you blame me for wanting to capture those beautiful faces?

My husband and I tend to keep tiny treats in our pockets. Every so often, we will call the dogs. They come rather quickly and sit down to await the treat. We do this at different times and in different situations. The girls always come quickly when called...not because they are so obedient, but because we might have a treat for them.

My husband has called the girls and they sit next to his chair. (We tend to take off our shoes a lot and you can see my husband's shoes next to the girls.) They expect a treat but sometimes the treat is petting them. Since they are never sure whether a treat will be given, they come quickly just in case. And they don't seem to be disappointed if the treat is just getting some petting and hugs.

How is the color in the NC mountains? It has burst forth rapidly. Rain and high winds around here have muted the color a bit, but it is still gorgeous. The color at our elevation (3,000 ft) is not yet at peak. The color above 4,000 ft is very near peak, and the color at 2,000ft and below is just beginning. So if you are in the mountains, you can easily drive to a different elevation and you will find beautiful color.

I shot this photograph from our deck this morning.

Then I walked to the mailbox and aimed down our street.

As we look at the Autumn spendor we also enjoy some of our "winter" vegetables. Squashes, pumpkins, and other vegetables taste so wonderful in this chilly season. The quote this week comes from Bertie Forbes, who started Forbes Magazine.

Believe in yourself, your neighbors, your work, your ultimate attainment of more complete happiness. It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring who reaps a harvest in Autumn.

So work on believing all through the year. But believing by itself will not bring a harvest. You must also take action and plant your seeds in order to reap the harvest.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!

Obese Bird

2011-10-12T10:37:00.003-04:00

We are having rain and strong winds around here. That is not a good thing for autumn color. Hopefully it will stop soon and sunshine will brighten up the mountains again.

Remember the very homely Cardinal? (here) The bird continued to follow the parents long after he was able to feed himself. We often saw him at the feeder alone, stuffing his beak. If either parent came by, he would hop to them and beg for more food. I am sorry to report that he has joined the legions of the obese. He is not fluffing up his feathers like a sick bird. He is alert, has no problem swallowing, no problem flying, and shows no sign of illness.

Maybe not quite so homely, but really really large.

He still has a rather goofy look that makes him easy to identify.

This shot of the feeder compares the large cardinal to the chickadee. Note how the feeder is leaning under the cardinal's weight. I assure you he has no idea the chickadee is there. If he did, he would chase it away immediately.

The cardinal is often the first bird to the feeders when we put them out in the morning. And he and his parents are almost always the last ones to grab a bite before we bring them in.

Unusual Sightings Around Here

2011-10-10T14:44:00.000-04:00

I was cleaning up some of my photographs, deleting some and transferring others to a back-up hard drive. I realized that we have been treated to some rather unusual animals and birds right here at the house. You may have seen some of these before.

A white version of the gray squirrel (not albino) is seen fairly often in downtown Brevard. They breed with the gray squirrels and now make up about a third of the squirrels in the downtown area. It is very rare to see them more than nine miles away from town, but we had a visit from one. (I still maintain they are beadie-eyed little monsters.)

Transylvania County's Famous White Squirrel

We finally prevented the pesky flying squirrels from getting into the vent. This one decided to try the umbrella on the deck.

Flying Squirrel climbing up the umbrella on the deck.

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is occasionally found at higher elevations in the NC mountains. They are a rare sight in our county.

Black-throated Blue Warbler Note the "pocket hankerchief" on his wing.

The Worm-eating Warbler is not a common sight around here and certainly not often observed on a deck.

The Black-and-white Warbler is a summer guest in our mountains. But they usually stay out of sight in damp woodlands. This one was creeping up and down the screen outside the kitchen window. At first I thought the bird was caught in the screen, so I grabbed a glove intending to help him get loose. When I opened the door, the bird flew away with ease.

Purple Finches are common around our house in spring. This bird is a leucistic female. She is much lighter in color than a typical Purple Finch. We were pleased to see her being fed by a lovely male Purple Finch so it appears she may be attractive despite her strange coloring.

Very early one morning my husband called me from the garage. A bobcat was walking down our driveway! I grabbed the camera as he moved from our driveway to the woods beside the house. What a thrilling sight. We had seen evidence of bobcats in the area, but we had never seen the lovely feline until this one morning. We have not seen one since although they are still around.

We see evidence of visitors in our woods all the time. Many mornings we can still smell the skunks who drifted by. We have seen the place where a black bear had dug out a yellow jacket nest at the foot of a tree stump. We have a three-legged coyote that we see fairly often. We've had a 'possum in our garage. We see raccoons almost daily. And the deer have a trail in our backyard giving them easy access to our plants.

Living here is such a treat!

Fridays are Golden

2011-10-07T10:07:00.003-04:00

I see no reason to vacuum dog hairs from every room in the house. So the Golden Girls are not permitted in the guest suite or the master suite. They sleep very comfortably in their own beds. In fact, they have a room of their own.

The girls know and respect the boundaries. Here they are looking inside at me, clearly wanting me to come out of there. Often they will lie on the floor just outside the open bedroom door.

One boundary Lucy does not respect is the imaginary division in the dog beds. (Remember the imaginary line you established with your sibling in the backseat of the car? "Mom, she put her hand on MY side!") She decides to take her half of the bed in the very center, leaving Ellie pushed under the chair.

Why do the dogs prefer this particular bed when there are so many others around? Simple answer to that. This chair is my husband's and when he is sitting in it his left hand is down patting a dog or two.

Really, Ellie are you comfortable?

Well, Mom. Not so much.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma---which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Steve Jobs

1955-2011

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Celebrating the Forest

2011-10-03T13:11:00.002-04:00

In the late 1880s, George Vanderbilt purchased unbelievably expansive tracts of land in western North Carolina. Some of the land was denuded by excessive clearing of the trees and poor maintenance of farm land. When Vanderbilt began construction of his mansion (here), he hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design the landscaping and Gifford Pinchot as forest manager. Pinchot and later Carl Schenck developed plans for restoring and maintaining the surrounding forests. They founded the first school of forestry in what is now part of Pisgah National Forest. Today the Cradle of Forestry (here) provides a closer look at the forestry school begun by Schenck. Easy trails wind around the various buildings where volunteers perform duties in the same manner as the people did in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Women make corn husk dolls, spin, weave, cook, wash clothes, etc., while the men whittle, make wood carvings, black-smithing, and work in the garden.

There are many activities held at the Cradle of Forestry and one of our personal favorites is the Forest Festival Day during which students at several universities compete in old lumberjack activities. The competition this year was held Saturday, October 1 with five schools competing.

Women weave, demonstrate hearth cooking, spin and perform other domestic duties in the Ranger's Dwelling.

(You may want to click and enlarge the photographs.)

The Ranger's Dwelling

It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and a nice breeze. My husband and I laughed as we drove through the entrance and saw so many people with caps, gloves, and heavy coats. "Must be tourists," my husband quipped. We stopped laughing shortly after we got out of the car. We surely should have known better. After all, the Cradle of Forestry is at a higher elevation than our house and is always cooler. Large trees keep the trails shaded. And we really under-estimated the strength of the constant wind. My husband was wearing a long-sleeved tee shirt. I was wearing a tee shirt and a very light-weight denim jacket. I think each of us was hoping that the other would suggest that we venture to the gift shop and buy a couple of heavy sweatshirts. But I wasn't about to be the one labeled "wuss" for the rest of the day. And apparently my husband wasn't going to do that either. I gave a thought to suggesting we get a souvenir at the gift shop (and mine would be something in fleece) but that really would have been a bit obvious. So we traipsed along the trail our noses and fingers turning blue. We went through a tunnel under the highway and now we know exactly what a wind tunnel feels like!

Some of the spectators, dressed more appropriately for the weather than we were.

In the log-rolling event, the students must move a large log from one end of the field to the other, turning the log around at the center and rolling it through two markers.

I took a lot of pictures of the blacksmith. Why? Because the heat from his fire felt wonderful. I had to move away, though. The only way I could get a photograph was to ask someone to move for a minute. And the guy clearly wanted his place back so I had to move on.

I bought a cup of coffee despite having already consumed my quota for the day. I didn't drink any of it, but held on to the warm cup until it got cold. My hands said "thank you very much."

For once, the mascot for Haywood Community College welcomed the warmth of his costume. He is waving to a little girl about three. She smiled, but when the mascot took a step towards her she jumped into her mother's arms.

It was a grand day despite the fact that we were not prepared for the chilly weather. You would have thought that the frost at our house that morning might have given us a clue. Oh well, live and learn.

Fridays are Golden

2011-09-30T11:34:00.000-04:00

A hummingbird struck the side of our house and fell to the deck. It sat there upright but a little stunned.

Lucy immediately ran to the window to see the bird. She sat there watching it until it flew away. Every time the bird moved, Lucy would wag her tail as if she were cheering it on.

Ellie joined Lucy for a look-see. Then she walked away, apparently less concerned about the outcome.

Pardon the lousy photograph. I took it through the door since I didn't want to disturb the hummingbird and make it try to fly before it was ready.

I cannot understand why the hummingbirds remain so territorial, guarding the feeders passionately and challenging any other hummingbird that comes around. They have such a long and strenuous path to travel. One would think it in their best interest to conserve the energy they expend fighting. I often wonder if any of them gets much nectar. This particular bird was in a duel with another when it struck the side of the house. The bird recovered very quickly so perhaps he will live to fight another day.

Autumn is upon us at last. Our Jewish friends are observing the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah. We are putting away the summer things and preparing for the cooler days ahead. Only ninety-two days remain in the year 2011, so you might need to review and/or revise the list of things you set out to accomplish this year.

When your life feels too complicated and busy, think on this:

The most important things in life are not things.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERY ONE!

A Glimpse of Things to Come

2011-09-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

This morning we went hiking on one of the trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The air was crisp and the view spectacular. It was amazing to note the differences in the amount of color as we rounded one curve after another. You may want to click to enlarge the photographs.

Not a lot of color in the distance, but beautiful anyway.

The area near Graveyard Fields always seems to have the earliest color.

We stopped by the Pisgah Inn for lunch after our hike. We left just in time to see two busloads of tourists stopping. (Note to self: You got lucky this time. Don't have lunch there during leaf season. Breakfast is a better time to stop.)

A Pretty Complete Education

2011-09-26T11:23:00.005-04:00

My name is Carolyn and I am a book lover. I last bought a book less than a week ago. I love not only the contents but also the look and feel of books. (Yes, I have a Kindle. And yes, I do download and read books on it but it will never replace a real book for me.) Not surprisingly, we own a lot of books. We have a small library, and we have more books than the library can handle. We recycle books periodically to make room for more. A stack of books is always waiting to exit to friends or organizations.

Given my love for books, it is no wonder that I especially love collections. There is one collection that I especially enjoy not only for the contents but also for the history behind the collection. The Harvard Classics was published in fifty-one volumes in 1909. With more than twenty-three thousand pages it is a very comprehensive collection.

Our own set of Harvard Classics

Some say the collection is fifty books. The additional book is an anthology of lectures that completes the set of fifty one.

My paternal grandmother introduced me to the Harvard Classics when I was a small child. Grandma was a school teacher and a book lover and she valued her set of Harvard Classics above all books except for the Holy Bible and her dictionary. She managed to have nine children and still teach school.  On occasion she taught in a neighboring county. She took the school-aged children with her to board for the week and attend her one-room school and employed a live-in housekeeper to care for the house and the smaller children. She and the children would come home on Friday afternoon and return to the boarding house Sunday night. Grandma wasn't much for cooking and cleaning and she treasured her years as a teacher and a life-long learner.

Grandma allowed me to read some of the books, but only when I was the only grandchild around. She didn't want her books damaged.  When I was a teen, she started receiving the "Reader's Digest" Condensed Books. She had always said I should not read condensed versions of anything because the editors did not always know what parts should be eliminated in the process. When I mentioned that to Grandma she said, "Well, I'm getting pretty old and I may not have time to read all the things I want to read. Reading a condensed version is better than not reading the book at all."

I regret that I did not get to have Grandma's set of Harvard Classics, but I always think of her when I pull one of ours from the shelf. Like many others, Grandma bought the Harvard Classics from a traveling salesman. It was common in the early 1900s for peddlars to visit rural areas to sell their wares.  Grandma saved a little money every week in order to purchase the next book in the collection. I'm not sure how long it took for her to complete the set.

You will find the contents of the Harvard Classics absolutely mind-boggling. Here is a quick summary. Edited by Charles William Eliot, the collection was also known as "Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf." His stated desire was that the collection would be "all things to all men." (Remember the time here folks. Gender neutrality wasn't even a dream back then.)

Who knows how many young men and women enhanced their educations and broadened their thinking with the Harvard Classics? The collection is amazing more than a century after it was published. Wonder why no one has come up with an anthology like this for the twentieth century?

Fridays are Golden

2011-09-23T10:19:00.002-04:00

Autumn has officially arrived! Subtle signs are everywhere. The leaves have lost their glossy shine and the sourwood trees are turning red. I do so look forward to the changing seasons. The Golden Girls are happiest in fall and winter when they can romp in the crisp air and when there aren't so many people on the hiking trails.

Ellie in her Rin Tin Tin mode.

Lucy giving her most innocent look.

Lucy is getting ready to nap on her favorite pillow.

Yes, the favorite pillow is Ellie.

When Ellie decided to get up, Lucy barked at her. THE NERVE!

I hope you are planning a good weekend. We have had a lot of rain, getting more than three-and-a-half inches just last night. More is predicted for today. Every now and then the sun comes out and when it does we always look for a rainbow. We don't always find one, but we are reminded of one of our favorite sentences from Maya Angelou:

Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.

So as you go about your life, try to seek out others who might be having a difficult time and living under a cloud. Try to be a rainbow for that person.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AND CELEBRATE AUTUMN!

Just Passing Through

2011-09-21T09:53:00.001-04:00

No matter how big our problems seem to be, watching the birds is a balm for what ails us. We truly enjoy our resident birds who hang out with us all year long. The migrants we see for only a short while are as welcome as the ripe apples in the fall. One of our earliest migrants is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. My husband and I always want to be the first to see one.

I saw the camera on the table when I came home from shopping. The smug look on my husband's face told me he had seen something good. I checked the camera and knew he had won this fall. The first sighting of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Arriving in mid to late September, the males arrive first. The plumage is not as brilliant as their spring adornments, but they are beautiful just the same. The males will stay around for a week or so and then be joined by the females. The males will take leave and the females will be here for another week or so and they too will leave us. We envy those of you who live in the nesting area. It must be a treat to see these birds all summer long.

Photographs taken by my husband. Thanks, dear.

First spotted in the tree, the grosbeak is much larger than most of our visitors.

As he peeked from behind the feeder there is no mistaking the first grosbeak of the autumn season.

Yes, he is gorgeous even with his muted coloring.

And thus life moves forward. These birds will winter hundreds of mile away and it will be spring before we see another.

You are likely aware that convicted prisoner Troy Davis has lost his final appeal in Georgia. Options for his getting clemency are pretty much gone and he will almost surely be executed this evening at 7:00 EDT. (Click here for the link) Please spend a few moments around that time to reflect on your feelings about the death penalty. Keep thoughts for the family of Troy Davis this evening. Thoughts also for the family members of the slain police officer who are convinced that justice will be served with the execution of Troy Davis.

Don't Kill This Man

2011-09-19T11:56:00.004-04:00

Update September 20: After hearing testimony of defense attorneys and the officer's family, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles ruled in favor of the prosecution and determined that the execution will proceed tomorrow.

There was no forensic evidence in the case. Eyewitness testimony alone convinced the jury in 1991 that Troy Davis was guilty in the 1989 slaying of a Georgia police officer, Mark MacPhail. He was sentenced to execution. Multiple appeals have not changed that fact. For the past twenty years, execution dates have been set and then appealed.

I do not know for certain whether or not Troy Davis is guilty. I do know for certain there is enough reasonable doubt to warrant a new trial. Seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted their testimony, all saying they were coerced or threatened into the erroneous identifications. Of the two remaining eyewitnesses, one has been said to have admitted to several other people that he, not Troy Davis killed the police officer.

At the present time, Davis is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, September 21. (Yes, day after tomorrow.)

Amnesty International has led efforts to obtain a new trial for Troy Davis. (You can access the Website here.) Read the information about Troy Davis and if you are so inclined, sign the petition. If you are not inclined to sign the petition, please keep positive energy that Troy Davis will not die Wednesday evening.

Photograph from Internet

Protest marches for Troy Davis.

Also, please think of the slain officer's family. They are convinced that Troy Davis is guilty and truly believe the only thing that will give them closure is his execution. It is a very sad time for all concerned.

Fridays are Golden

2011-09-16T16:11:00.004-04:00

We try to take the Golden Girls to places where they can run, uninhibited by leashes or forest. One of their favorite places is around a lake and over the dam. Several times during these off-leash frolics, we call them back to us. We hold both hands in the air as a visual cue. Often we have little treats for them; other times the treat is only praise. The purpose of doing the recalls at unexpected intervals is to reinforce to the dogs that coming when they are called is a good and necessary thing.

Here you see the laughing girls in the shadow of my huband. He is holding two little treats and they are waiting patiently, not yet sure but hoping there is a treat involved.

The girls really do get excited about these tiny treats. We use them for practicing commands and during grooming because they are small with few calories.

We take water and a collapsing bowl for the girls. One water dish is fine when we are traveling since they would both use the same one even if we had two.

Tuesday morning we put the girls in the car. They thought we were going for a fun outing. Well, we were indeed going for an outing. But not the outing the girls expected. Lucy, our drama queen, always whines in delight as we go down to the main road. She suddenly became silent. I know she was thinking, "That's where we are supposed to turn! Dad! Pay Attention. You forgot to turn. Oh dear, this may not be good." There was not a sound from either dog for quite a while. Then Lucy started to whine again; not the happy whining like before, but mournful whining as if she were heading to her doom.

Close, but in reality it was simply a trip to their veterinarian for their annual physical exams and innoculations. We select our veterinarian with the same care with which we selected pediatricians when the children were small. Dr. B is wonderful, kind and patient with our dogs and we are so lucky to have him. He pronounced both dogs very healthy.

Dr. B has a dog of his own. He trained the dog to respond to the word "dead" by dropping down on the ground, all four feet stuck straight up in the air. He selects a sports team (for my husband he would choose "Carolina Tarheels.") He would then ask the dog, "Would you rather be a Carolina Tarheel fan or would you rather be dead?" You can figure out how the game works.

Whether from the excitement of the exam, or a side effect from the injections, both dogs were rather lethargic that afternoon and into the evening. I practically had to prod them to get them to come for their bedtime business duty outside.

This is Ellie's pitiful look, guaranteed to get someone down on the floor with her.

This is Lucy's zombie, ready-to-sleep-don't-bother-me look.

Fortunately both girls were in fine shape the next morning. All of us, human and canine, are enjoying some cooler weather with new signs of autumn appearing every day.

We are trying to rise above the constant, often stupid political rhetoric we cannot seem to avoid. North Carolina, like many (if not most) other states is having huge problems with the state's budget. We have heavy unemployment. More than 15% of our population go to bed hungry every night and awaken to hunger during the day. The numbers of people visiting the food pantries are at an all-time high. Neglected repairs of aging infrastructure are certain to cause problems in the near as well as distant future. Simply put, we are in a crisis mode.

So what does our first-time-in-150-years-Republican-majority-in-both-houses government tackle as its most pressing agenda item? It goes something like this: "It threatens the sanctity of marriage.
What are we going to do with those gay and lesbian couples who think they should be treated like everyone else? It's already against the law for them to marry, but we must amend our State Constitution to make it harder to change."

[NOTE: I apologize for lumping all Republicans together. There are many Republicans who do support the same civil rights to all citizens. But I can tell you that the previous Democrat-led State Congress struck down this proposal each time its ugly head reared.]

So this week, the words "tolerance" and "courage" are running through my mind. I cannot recall who said it, but I think it rings true:

The true test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The true test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE. AND WHETHER YOU ARE IN THE MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY, PRACTICE COURAGE AND TOLERANCE.

Not all Babies are Beautiful

2011-09-14T10:39:00.001-04:00

We love seeing the fledglings and juvenile birds that grow up in our woods. We often can tell them apart. We have one juvenile cardinal that looks rather strange. I'm not sure what it is about the bird, but it is goofy-looking. Clearly able to feed itself, the parents of this large baby are still feeding it. Perhaps it looks weird because the bird is so much bigger than either parent.

I wish the bird had turned around. The frontal view is the one that makes it look weird.

My husband calls this bird a "special needs cardinal."

I do hope your weather is as good as ours. Beautiful sunny days and crisp cool mornings.

Mountain Moonshine

2011-09-12T10:27:00.001-04:00

He came to Transylvania County from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A self-proclaimed mountain man and chainsaw artist, Uncle Buck opened a place of business on US 276 just outside our community. He called the business "Uncle Buck;s Rustic Treasures" and utilized space on both sides of the road.

Hearing that Uncle Buck got busted for selling moonshine, I drove over to his business for a look-see.

I ignored the sign and parked there even though I am NOT a redneck.

An old shed has been converted into a workshop and display building.

While he makes other figures, Uncle Buck's bears are his most popular items. Behind this very large bear you can see a small pond. You can rent a paddle boat if you wish.

Some more of Uncle Buck's bears. He will make custom signs for the bears while you wait.

This is the barn which got Uncle Buck in trouble with the law.

You see, Uncle Buck has a working moonshine still inside the barn. The local sheriff's office received several complaints from citizens alledging that they saw Uncle Buck selling some of the 'shine (no doubt to tourists). A sheriff's deputy made a visit and found two quart jars full of liquid. He questioned Uncle Buck as to the contents and Uncle Buck admitted it was moonshine from his still in the barn. The deputy informed Uncle Buck that it was against the law to sell the liquor.

The sheriff called the Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agent. Yep, Uncle Buck was reported to the revenuers. The ALE and the sheriff's department worked together investigating Uncle Buck and his 'shine. On three separate occasions, Uncle Buck sold the illegal moonshine to undercover ALE agents.

The authorities conducted a search of Uncle Buck's property. In addition to the moonshine, they found a marijuana plant, a pipe with marijuana residue, and a Ziploc bag of marijuana. Uncle Buck was arrested and charged with three felony counts of selling non-tax paid liquor, a felony count of growing marijuana, and a misdemeanor count for possession of marijuana. Uncle Buck was released on a two-hundred dollar secured bond.

Thinking this might be a story of interest, I decided to drive down to Uncle Buck's and see what I could find. I asked my dear husband if he wanted to go with me and he politely declined. I must admit I was a bit reluctant and already had several stories to explain why I was there taking photographs. I am really not a good liar, so I had practiced all three explanations beforehand and planned to use the most appropriate one for my confrontation with Uncle Buck.

I need not have worried. I walked all over both sides of the road and didn't see a single soul. I did note with amusement the new sign on one of the bears.

You just have to smile, don't you?

Stay tuned for more about Uncle Buck. I think he wants to make a name for himself.

Fridays are Golden

2011-09-09T10:20:00.001-04:00

This has been a beautiful week here in the mountains. Finally we have seasonal temperatures with significant cooling in the evenings and crisp sunny mornings. The Golden Girls love this kind of weather and are much more active.

After a long walk or extended playtime outdoors, the girls love to curl up and snooze. And they are often sharing one bed despite the number of beds we have around the house.

Lucy lies down and Ellie must share the bed. Here she is deciding whether or not to move.

Deciding not to move, Ellie snoozes while Lucy watches the birds outside.

Lucy lays her head on Ellie and Ellie puts her paw on Lucy.

Lucy thinks Ellie makes the best pillow ever.

Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of a day that changed our country far beyond the expectations of the perpetrators. You remember how our Nation came together on that day. How can it be that we have become so divisive in ten short years? It is frightening indeed to hear the negative comments from our leaders in Congress.

George William Curtis, nineteenth century writer and public speaker said it well:
A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.

On this weekend of rememberance, let's all focus on the principles on which our country is laid. We must all strive to come together, work together, and respect each other.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE.

Sailing in Cardboard Ships

2011-09-07T19:40:00.001-04:00

Give a group of club members five large sheets of heavy cardboard, a very large roll of plastic, a large roll of masking tape, six bolts and nuts and what happens? Whether high school teens or somewhat older adults, those items scream for a home-built boat and a Cardboard Regatta. Our community regatta involves more than building and launching a boat. Entrants also write and perform skits to entertain everyone beforehand. (It is always better to do any activity PRIOR to setting out in the boats. Some of them are surely going under.)

The largest of our four lakes is the scene for the Cardboard Regatta. Teams are made up of the many clubs within the community. There are two primary categories; single sailor and two sailor. There is also a contest for the largest number of sailors to go down in one ship.

The fire chief leads everyone down through the park to the water's edge.

The crowd gathers by the lake.

These sailors made it high and dry.

These sailors did not...but they surely had just as much fun.

Trophies are awarded and everyone moves to the pavillion for hot dogs and hamburgers.

Community spirit abounds here in our community. There is always something to do. We have a club for almost every activity you can imagine. And if we don't have a club for it...you can get a bunch of people together and start one. We recently added a Pickle Ball club. (I must admit I had never even heard of pickle ball before the club was organized.)

While everyone enjoys being a club member, not all the clubs are designed for sports or fun. We have a "Good Neighbors" club that provides meals when someone is not well, whose members will drive others to appointments, pick up medicines, etc. They organize cookie bakes for a nearby prison. The cookies are sent so the incarcerated parents can share homemade cookies with their children when they visit. Perhaps best of all they maintain two large lending closets. They have accumulated a large amount of therapy supplies, wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, lift chairs, and even hospital beds that residents can borrow if necessary. In response to the number of grandparents living here, they also maintain a large inventory of cribs, playpens, strollers, etc. that residents can borrow when little grandchildren visit.

Life is good around here.

Celebrating 150 Years

2011-09-05T11:32:00.002-04:00

It is very likely that Fernando de Soto walked the hills of Transylvania County in 1540. Cherokee Indians populated the land and made trade routes around and through the mountains. In the early 1700s pioneers began to settle in the area, living peacefully with the native Indians.

In 1838 United States Government policy mandated removal of the Cherokee from many areas, the western North Carolina mountains included. The Cherokee were forced to march to lands in what is now Oklahoma. Some Cherokee escaped deep into the mountains to avoid the "Trail of Tears." Those Indians and their descendants were later recognized as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Most of them settled on lands that became known as the Cherokee Reservation.

The North Carolina Assembly passed an act on February 15, 1861 establishing Transylvania County. With origin in 1861, Transylvania County is celebrating its sesquicentennial all year long. This Labor Day Weekend included a big celebration for the 150 years of Transylvania County.
[NOTE: I did not attend the celebration and all photographs are from Online newspapers.

The official logo for the 150th Anniversary

A big cardboard cake.

A big REAL birthday cake made by a local bakery. The cake included the Transylvania Courthouse and was made to feed two thousand people.

These flags have lined the city streets most of the year.

Little farmers get some practice driving tractors.

The children got free balloons.

The day concluded with a concert and fireworks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY!

Fridays are Golden

2011-09-02T15:03:00.001-04:00

Before we go to the dogs, I want to tell you about a free book you might find of interest. I don't often mention books I haven't read, but this one is free so you have nothing to lose.

Bob Edwards was for many years the voice of NPR's "Morning Edition." His abrupt termination a few years ago left many NPR listeners (including me) very angry. He moved on to another successful career in radio and we moved on with our anger and returned to listening to "Morning Edition" because it was better than most alternatives. But please don't mention that to NPR. They think I am still boycotting "Morning Edition."

Bob Edwards has written a memoir called A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio which will be published on September 21. This book is available right now as a free download to your Kindle or Nook, or other electronic reading devices and you can read it prior to the book release. How cool is that?

Being cool brings us back to golden Friday. Sometime ago we purchased canvas beds for the dogs to use when we were out on the porch. I must say, they were not exactly a big hit with the girls. This spring we had our decks stained again and the newly-stained boards can get quite hot in the bright sunshine. We decided to move the beds up to the deck so the dogs wouldn't have to lie under the table for comfort.

Lucy is in love with the beds.

She will lie out on the deck even when the rest of us go inside.

Ellie does not seem to be especially fond of the beds.

She will lie on them when it is hot and sunny, but prefers the deck floor when it is cooler.

Dinnertime finds both dogs lying under the table next to the person most likely to accidentally drop something. (Hint: Those are NOT my legs.) I'm just sayin'.

And here we are in September, although it doesn't feel much like it around here. So many people in our nation and in other countries across the globe are struggling and in pain. Think of them this holiday weekend. And stay safe.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!

Addled Her Brain

2011-08-31T10:44:00.003-04:00

My earliest memories are of books and reading. My parents were avid readers and took us to the library every week. I also owned a lot of those "Little Golden" books. I remember the "reading book" used in each of my elementary school classes. Divided into reading groups, we always knew which group was faster and which one was slower. The teacher gave the groups names such as redbirds/bluebirds or whatever but we always knew. When I was in elementary school, reading was emphasized more than any other subject. We really did learn the three Rs; reading (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. There was no mandate that diverted attention from the basics. We even got grades for "citizenship." [And yes, that was always my lowest grade and was always followed by a comment about my talking too much with my friends.]

When I was working full time (about 60 hours/week) I had little time to read for pleasure. Now I usually have at least three books in process at all times; a novel, a non-fiction, and a biography. Time for reading is one of the best things about retirement.

This usually hangs in the window of our library. Given by a friend, she says, "She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain."

When we retired to the North Carolina mountains I set out to read more and more books by NC authors or set in North Carolina. Our local bookstore assists me in my quest for NC books. They recommended mystery books by Vicki Lane who lives in nearby Marshall (thanks Carol). (You can find Vicki's blog here. The blog connects to more information about her books.)

I started reading the mysteries and quickly became friends with Elizabeth Goodweather, her family and mountain friends. There were four books in the "Elizabeth Goodweather Mysteries" and I read all four of them one after the other. Here are the titles in order of publication: Signs in the Blood, Art's Blood, Old Wounds, In a Dark Season. Vicki Lane elaborated on the life of an endearing character from the Goodweather books and wrote The Day of Small Things.

Like Vicki's other readers, I have been looking forward to the latest Goodweather book due for publication in October of this year. A couple of weeks ago, Vicki's blog post announced a drawing for the remaining galley proofs of her new book, Under the Skin. Called the "Full Circle Farm Mystery" series by the publisher, this is the fifth book in the Goodweather mysteries. Imagine my surprise when my name was one of the ones drawn! The next week, the mail brought the new book to my home.

And here it is. Personalized and signed by the author herself.

I won't give away any of the plot, but it is brings a fitting closure to the stories of Elizabeth Goodweather. While each of the books can surely stand alone, I much preferred reading them in sequence. I do so enjoy reading a series of books and greeting old friends once again in the latest book.

I was so excited about winning the novel that I went right out and bought a lottery ticket. Believe me, the book is way more a sure thing.

Incoming College Class

2011-08-29T10:13:00.000-04:00

Each year Beloit College in Wisconsin prepares a snapshot of the incoming class (this year the Class of 2015). The purpose of the list is to remind professors to review and revise their notes and references to make certain they are not outdated. The list is always surprising and fun to read. You can see the complete list here.

Here are some of the mindset items in no particular order.

THE MINDSET LIST FOR THE CLASS OF 2015

- Ferris Bueller could have been their father

- The only significant labor disputes in their lifetimes have been in major league sports

- "Don't touch that dial" they ask "what dial?"

- Say "Amazon" and the first thing they think of is not the river in South America

- Life has always been like a box of chocolates

- OJ Simpson has always been looking for the killers of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman

- Music has always been available via free downloads

- "Yadda, yadda, yadda" has always come in handy to make long stories short

- There have always been altar girls

- Refugees and prisoners have always been housed at Guantanamo

- They were 3 when Tickle Me Elmo was the hottest toy around and their parents might have battled for one

- The school's "blackboards" have never been black.

- Women have always been from Venus; men from Mars

Fridays are Golden

2011-08-26T15:38:00.000-04:00

We love old cemeteries and there are plenty of them around here. This is a very old community cemetery not far from our home. This is a photograph of the older section. Some of the graves are marked simply with a stone. Others have crude carvings in the rock.

We love to wander through the cemetery but the dogs are much more interested in the open grassy hill. It is a perfect place to romp and play.

The play often begins with a little wrestling match. These matches are very short-lived. The open grass is too big a temptation.

As usual, Lucy starts out like a rocket.

And this time Ellie also runs at break-neck speed. Running on grass feels just great.

Ellie stops for a moment and enjoys the light breeze.

They are very tired by evening. In this rare instance it appears that Ellie is actually using Lucy for a pillow for a change. In truth, Ellie was there first and when Lucy plopped down she had no choice but to put her head and paw on Lucy.

Hundreds of thousands of our fellow inhabitants of this planet are in peril this weekend. Natural disasters and man-made disasters threaten them. Regardless of the reason, these people are in harm's way. Spend a bit of time being thankful that you are safe and send positive thoughts to those who are not.

Hold on to your loved ones this weekend!!!

The Bare Facts

2011-08-22T10:31:00.000-04:00

The gawkers outnumbered the protest participants by a huge margin. The topless protest in Asheville drew an estimated two thousand people to downtown's Pack Square Park. A relatively small number of topless women marched to the square along with a dozen or so men wearing bras or bikini tops. They were not protesting to have laws changed, since neither Asheville nor North Carolina prohibits women from being topless in public. The protest was re-designed to make women aware that they can go topless if they so desire and should feel comfortable doing so. I did not go to Asheville for the protest but the local paper had some interesting photographs in its Online version. The following photographs were taken from their Internet site.

The weather was obligingly warm.

Men and women joined together. Many of the men wore bras.

I highly suspect that these young men strongly support women going topless.

Young and old alike participated.

I think this photograph explains exactly why so many people were gathered.

The event went without incident. A few frustrated tourists were angry that the large crowd forced a closing of some of the downtown streets.

There was an interesting email to one of the newspaper's columnists. A man who described himself as elderly, said he planned to attend the gathering. As he said, it will be like a flower show...some will be budding, some will be in full blossom, and some will be hanging baskets.

I have no idea whether or not this protest will change the minds of many women. On a personal note, I have no problem with people going topless unless they are preparing and serving my food. (I know that might not make sense, but that's how I feel.) But I can assure you that I will not be going topless, given that I am more closely aligned with the hanging baskets than the others.

Fridays are Golden

2011-08-19T16:58:00.002-04:00

Finally. We are having seasonal weather! For us that means cooling down to the low 60s or even 50s during the evenings. Awakening to a temperature of 64 is a vast improvement. Everyone seems more active and that is certainly true of the Golden Girls. We try to take them to places where they can run off leash through open areas.

We are all in the car and eager to go.

Invariably my husband opens the door and remembers one more thing he needs to do.

Mom, can't you make him hurry up?

As usual, Lucy hits the ground running the instant her leash is removed.

Ellie lopes along, having just as much fun without exhausting herself.

My husband and I typically stand about a hundred yards apart. The dogs will run between us several times, just glad to be outside with us. Then they lose interest in that and take off on their own.

We often enforce a "sit/stay" so Lucy can catch her breath. She seems a bit bored by it all.

Lucy decides that if she is to remain still she might just as well lie down.

Faces full of smiles, the girls head back to the car.

UK female activists have infiltrated the minds of women in nearby Asheville. On Sunday the participating women plan to show up at Asheville's Pack Square Park and bare their breasts, protesting the inequality that allows men to go topless while women are not allowed to do so. According to the protest organizer, women might be uncomfortable doing this, "and that's part of the issue."

Interestingly enough, Asheville has no laws prohibiting bare-breasted women from appearing in public. The statutes governing indecent exposure ban only the "external organs of sex or excretion." According to an Asheville police spokesman that means only body parts below the waist. The mammary glands would not be considered sex organs and thus the women will not be arrested. To quote the spokesperson, "They can breast away. It's not a crime." Sort of takes away from the protest, doesn't it? I will wait in ~~breastless~~ breathless anticipation to see what happens on Sunday afternoon.

WHATEVER YOU PLAN FOR THIS WEEKEND, ENJOY IT AND STAY SAFE!!!