The Kids in Spring

Connemara, the Carl Sandburg home is one of our favorite local trips.  The grounds are lovely in all seasons and there are great hiking trails and points of interest.  But in Spring it's all about the kids.  That is what draws us there in April.  This year we were not disappointed.

Carl Sandburg's wife was an award-winning goat breeder, and generations of offspring from her original herd still live at Connemara.  You can read more about the Sandburgs and the home which is now a National Park here.

One of the new kids on the block

 Still nursing, but the kids already nibble on grass

 The farm cat doing what farm cats do

 The little kids huddle together despite the warm weather.

Their mothers were in the meadow right then.

 The males are kept separate from the females.  The brown one seems to be the alpha.

He re-directed this one for no apparent reason other than that he could.

It is humbling to stand in places where the Pulitzer Prize winning author walked and lived and wrote.  He lived at Connemara for 22 years and died there in 1967.  His wife Lilian was determined that his home in Flat Rock should be preserved in perpetuity and the site officially opened as a National Park in 1974.

The Golden Girls loved the trails at Connemara even though they could not be off lead.  Here they are taking a rest in April of  2012.  Princess Lucy is, of course on top of the stump.

Glad It's Not Our Turn

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.

Fridays are Golden

It's been such a long time since we were out on our local trails. Sheltered from the sun, they have been covered with ice and snow since early December. Fortunately, we have a couple of short trails on our property and the dogs can run and run in our back yard.

Regular readers are familiar with Lucy's wont to share Ellie's space, often using Ellie for a pillow. In this rare instance, it is Ellie who put her head on Lucy's back. I don't think she liked it much because she very quickly stretched out.

Our dogs (like most others) spend a lot of the day snoozing. The only way Ellie can rest by herself is for her to wait for Lucy to fall asleep and then move. If she moves while Lucy is still awake, Lucy will follow her to the new space.

Sometimes the dogs will whimper, move their legs, and make funny faces when they are sleeping. We always assume they are dreaming. If that's true, I suspect they are dreaming of the sunny days when the trails were dry and we could go lickety split at full speed, laughing all the way.

Our dogs do indeed laugh and smile. Here is a smiling Ellie running on the Ticoa during a late summer day.

And Lucy's happy smile the same day.

Our weekend will be rainy and foggy but far from dreary. The Tar Heels lost their "play-in" game for the ACC Tournament. They will not be invited to the NCAA Tournament and may not even get a bid to the NIT. Actually, we'd be happy not to have to watch any more of their games. Never has such talent with such a great coach not been able to get together and play great basketball. So we are all smiles that Coach Williams may have a respite from his frustration. We are all smiles at the milder temperatures and lack of snow. And, like the Golden Girls, we are eagerly looking forward to the day when our injured player casts aside his cane and we can all romp on the trails once again.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Remember it's not the weather that makes or breaks your weekend fun. It's your own attitude. Have some fun.

A New Community Trail

Our community has many miles of hiking trails. Some of them are steep and fairly strenuous, although none of them are as strenuous as many of the ones in nearby Pisgah National Forest. Most of our community trails would be categorized as "easy" and a few as "moderate."

We have a community Trails Group that maintains our trails, clearing branches and clearing up wash areas. They also cut new trails through the common areas. When a new trail is complete, all neighbors are invited to a "grand opening" with a guided tour. Such was the case on September 5, when the Salola Trail was officially opened.

The flyer gave some good advice for hikers: "Bring plenty of water, wear sturdy hiking boots, and a hiking stick." In this case it was a bit of overkill. The new trail is barely a mile long with a total elevation of only 170 feet. And the notice said refreshments would be served at the trail's end, along with transportation back to the car for people who preferred not to hike the trail in the opposite direction.

This is the trail's head. The group did a fine job of building steps and providing hand rails in many spots.

The trail crossed a small stream that is likely not running in dry weather. There was very little water (and lots of muck) in spite of recent rain.

The trail winds through laurel thickets and deep green forest.

The sun shines on the path in many areas.

This is the opposite end of the trail. Several people are already gathered at the trail's end.

And refreshments? How can you have a grand opening with Champaign? There were also soft drinks, water, brownies, cookies, etc.

This was an easy trail, more a walk in the woods than a hike. Yet I was surprised at the large numbers of people who took the shuttle back to their cars. Perhaps they had plans for the morning and needed to get back home.

We love hiking the trails in our community, although we won't likely use this one. It's too far from our house and is not well-suited for the dogs. The mucky creek bed along the trail would definitely be a deterrent. But the new trail tour made for an interesting morning. It's always nice to get out and meet neighbors you didn't know. And, more importantly, to support those people who get out and work for the good of the community.

Fridays are Golden

Many hiking trails ramble through our community. Some provide wonderful mountain views and others provide waterfalls and streams. Our favorite trail provides a wonderful walk in the woods. Because there is no "draw" ticket like a view or waterfall, the Okanowa Trail is not well traveled, making it perfect for letting the dogs run up and down the mountain. [The roads and trails in our community take their names from the Cherokee Nation. According to a key, okanowa means, "warm, or south."]


Here they sit...smiles all around, waiting for the "release" that will send them running.


Lucy grins for the camera.

Ellie is deciding which way she will run when she is free.

Ellie is a scent hound. She smells every little thing.

Lucy is a sight hound. She can see every bird or squirrel in the trees.

When Ellie gets too far ahead, she patiently waits for us to catch up.

Both dogs wait. Lucy is always a bit impatient.

Sometimes they run so hard they are forced to take a break. Once again, Lucy is a bit impatient.

The romp in the woods completed, the Golden Girls head back up the trail. It was a good day.

All of the photographs were taken by my husband.

The days are dwindling for trail runs. We have too many Copperheads to take to the trails in summer. We are fearful of having them bitten so far from the house. Fortunately we have trails and a creek on our property where the girls can run. Should one of them get a snakebite, we will be close to the Benadryl and rest, or medical attention if necessary.

• Can you believe it is Memorial Day Weekend already? What happened to make the time pass so quickly? I hope it was because you were having some fun in your life!

Have a wonderful weekend. Remember those who have gone before you and those who will follow after you and cherish them all.

A Hike to Moore's Cove Falls

After several days of welcome rain the sun came out and gave us a marvelous spring day. A perfect opportunity for hiking to another waterfall. We decided upon Moore's Cove Falls, a relatively easy hike in Pisgah National Forest. Moores Cove is a recessed rock cliff and the water free falls with a drop of fifty feet. A shallow cave behind the falls allows people to walk behind the falls.

The falls are fed by a small creek and the flow is variable. In very dry spells, the flow is a mere trickle. Recent rains provided a very good flow.

The recessed area continues in the rocks to the right of the falls.

The water at the top of the falls glistens in the sun.

The trail to Moore's Cove follows the creek that created the falls above.

Huge rocks are found throughout the forest. This one is totally covered in moss and has a small bush growing from the top.

Bushes grow in the limited soil on top of this outcropping.

I love this formation. At the base is a cave large enough for several people.

The weekend weather was perfect for being outdoors after several days of rain. Today, like most of the country, we are expecting a major change with a cold front threatening to bring a hard freeze. We have our fingers crossed that the sub-freezing temperatures are not sufficiently low and sustained to damage the fruit trees. And it seems the TarHeels will be having SNOW for their game tonight! Hasn't this been a wonderful tournament? I can't wait for the game which promises to be a great one regardless of the outcome. Of course, I will sleep better if the 'Heels win.