Carolina Mountain Life - Autumn 2022 by Carolina Mountain Life, Inc

cmlmagazine.onlineatonlineusread Savor Seasonthe.. . . . . a wonderful read for 25 years! AUTUMNABSOLUTELYPRICELESS!2022 MountainCarolinaLife TM

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6 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Celebrat g 10 ! The Perfect Weather for a Great Adventure—Guaranteed! Inside A Mountain OConstant 52 year-round • Guided tours • Explore our Gift Shop Visit our website for hours and recommended safety precautions Linville Caverns 19929 US 221 North, Marion, NC 28752 Between Linville & Marion, just 4 Miles South of the Blue Ridge Parkway 800-419-0540www.linvillecaverns.com

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 7 The 6,000+ Acre Backyard Comes Standard Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This information shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required. © 2022 Blowing Rock Resort Venture, LLC. Minutes from Blowing Rock & Boone • World-Class Amenities • 50+ Miles of UTV & Hiking Trails Four-Season Community • Visit & Discover BRMC Homes from $999k | Homesites from $175k Our homes are surrounded by panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. BRMC presents families with a lifestyle that can be customized to you—a perfect blend of adventure, recreation, and relaxation. And with 3 paths to ownership, a life well-lived is waiting for you. Come home to Blue Ridge Mountain Club. A PLACE WHERE EVERYTHING COMES INTO VIEW

“Mountain golf at its finest” –David H. “Best in the mountains” –Gary G. “I adore this golf course!” –Roger Y. The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the fitting backdrop to a unique and storied layout. Dramatic and challenging but still accessible to all players. Linville Land Harbor Golf Club is a true hidden gem that’s about to become your new favorite mountain golf course. linvillelandharborgolf.com (828) 733-8325 A MAGNIFICENT COURSE EVERYONE CAN ENJOY! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

By Kim S. Davis

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Big Picture Show with Elizabeth Baird Hardy....68

By Gail Greco Building on a Legacy

114

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61 ....

101

By Bricca Sweet .. Miracles in Montezuma

History on a Stick with Michael C. Hardy....93

By Steve York Historic Banner Elk School

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Local Tidbits....104

By Nancy Semones Knox Where the Music Is

Fishing with Andrew Corpening....83

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By Lynn Rees-Jones Hayes School of Music

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Wisdom and Ways with Jim Casada....91

Cover photography by Meagan Goheen

autumn!

Ounce of Prevention with Mike Teague....103

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By Steve York .. Sonny Sweet—A Life of Service

Cultural Calendar with Keith Martin....36

By Jacob Gragg Fire-Watching

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By CML Staff The Songcatcher of Avery County

Notes from Grandfather Mountain....73

Blue Ridge Explorers with Tamara S. Randolph....75 Birding with Curtis Smalling....79

Book Nook with Edwin Ansel....69

Local Community and Business News....107

Resource Circle with Tamara S. Randolph....126

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Trail Reports by CML Staff....85

By Conor Miz Adventures with Addy

By Karen Rieley Everyone’s Aunt Rachel

Recipes from the CML Kitchen with Meagan Goheen....127

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 9

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By LouAnn Morehouse Pathway to Art

Blue Ridge Parkway News with Rita Larkin....81

What’s Inside: Regional Happenings & Featured Events

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By Edwin Ansel Avery Farms

CML Staff Fall Festivals

Local Gifts to Go....124

CML Staff Roy Krege—The Man, the Myth, the Legend

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YFINDOURSELFCENTURY 21® Mountain Vistas Locally owned and operated for over 35 years in the High Country C21MV.com | 202 Southgate Dr. Suite 19 | Boone, NC | 828-264-9111 *each office is independently owned and operated IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS Search for your new home here

crossnore.org/weaving-room | (828) 733-4660 205 Johnson Lane | Crossnore, NC 28616 Discover. Purchase your wearables, table linens, and home decor today to help support the children of Crossnore.

Send check or money order to: Carolina Mountain Life, PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646

livingcarolina@bellsouth.netCMLmagazine.online828-737-0771

The Stories We Tell

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 13 MountainCarolinaLife TM

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

When this magazine started 25 years ago, so did the pursuit. In retrospect, we have not once wondered who we would feature or write about—they came out of the woodwork. We have been privileged to in terview thousands of people who have allowed their tales, their joys and heartaches—and, in the end their inspiration—to be displayed on our pages.

We hope this anniversary issue will land in your hands, on your coffee table, in your pile of reading material, and, perhaps, in your library for future reference.

cmlbabette@gmail.com

We average around fifty stories per issue and have published over 110 editions in our 25 years, totaling approximately 5,500 stories. Those collective works are the reasons I love this magazine. Looking back through a quarter century of magazines, I am struck by how many stories we haveStorytellingtold. has always been magical to me—from the time our children sat on hay bales listening to storyteller Ray Hicks spin his tales atop a mountain in Matney, NC, to our story about Dennis Garman, the most badly burned Vietnam vet in the United States to have survived, who later became a club pro at Beech Mountain Club.

Yes, my jeans say it all—GO APP! What a game against the Tar Heels on September 3. Over 40,000 in attendance and each has a story to tell about their time that memorable afternoon. For me the story winds back to being a student at Appalachian State back in 1977 and an early journalism class during which I realized my quest was to capture the stories of not only the magical places in this area, but the local people and their experiences.

Every day holds a story if we look closely enough, and we never know when sharing some of our experiences may alter someone else’s life in a positive way.

Charlie B. and Penny VonCanon came by our office the other day holding with care a folder of historic black and white images of the children playing around the Maypole in the front yard of the Historic Banner Elk School. They handed each image to me as if to say, “This is a piece of history; handle with care.” As I carefully scanned the tattered images, Charlie B. said, “Thanks for helping keep the history alive and telling the stories that our future genera tions will want to hear.” They treasure the memories from this old school and so by sharing their photographs, they, too, are telling the stories once again.

Sharing stories—isn’t that what binds us together?

That same night, I head to gather with friends to slice onions and peppers for the other great festival—the Valle Country Fair—in hopes that we will once again run out of sautéed peppers and onions as we sell out of brats at the sausage booth. I have noticed over the years that all the vendors at both events have stories of how their craft or food creations brought them to these festivals—and they are just happy to be in the High Country reveling in the crisp autumn air. They in turn take home stories of their time here in the mountains with anticipation of returning soon.

We hope you enjoy this issue and the stories we tell. Please let us hear from you!

Contributors:

Each year, on the Friday afternoon before the Woolly Worm Festival, the Woolly Worm Committee helps bring autumn and Christmas decor to the stage. After looking to see if the stage has enough pumpkins and that the Christmas trees and wreaths are set just right, I wander around and watch as the vendors set up in anticipation of the two big days of festiv ities, worm racing, and hopefully solid sales. When the Woolly Worm mascot, Merryweather, runs into me on the field, I grab my phone for a quick pic to remind me in years to come just how fun it is to be part of this event.

Edwin Ansel, Tom Bagley, Estelle Brewer, Jim Casada Trimella Chaney, Nan Chase, Andrew Corpening Kim S. Davis, Julie Farthing, Brennan Ford, Morgan Ford Mark Freed, Jacob Gragg, Gail Greco, Elizabeth Baird Hardy, Michael C. Hardy, Nancy Semones Knox, Rita Larkin,Suzanne Lasky-Gerard Tom McAuliffe, Conor Mize, LouAnn Morehouse, Rocky Parriott, Lynn Rees-Jones, Karen Rieley, Curtis Smalling, Bricca Sweet, Landis Taylor, Mike Teague Doug Winbon, and Steve York.

CML is published 4 times a year and is available by subscription for $35.00 a year (continental US)

Share us with a friend!

Babette McAuliffe, Publisher & Editor in Chief Deborah Mayhall-Bradshaw, Design Director Kathy Griewisch, Account Manager Meagan Goheen, Marketing Manager Tamara S. Randolph, Editor Keith Martin, Cultural Arts Editor

14 — CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 Nothing compares to the majestic Jack Nicklaus golf course, private airport, fly fishing, equestrian center, tennis and social events. But what makes Elk River truly special is the camaraderie the members enjoy with each other every day. Call 828.898.9773 | Visit ElkRiverClubNC.com | Located in Banner Elk, N.C. As a 501(c)(7) private, member-owned club, Elk River Club membership is limited and by invitation only. ELK RIVER CLUB DISCOVER EXCELLENCE ELEVATED. beechmtn.com cool | calm | captivating

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 29 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2021 — 15215 Boone Heights Dr., Boone • 960 Main Street, Blowing Rock bbandminteriors@gmail.com • www.thebeeandtheboxwood.com • 828.386.6212 HOME • GARDEN • GIFTS Southern Charm in the High Country BesuretovisitBOTHlocations!

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LIFE

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN

Opening in late June, the Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium is located just outside of Burnsville at the Mayland Earth to Sky Park. Experience the wonders of the night sky during daylight hours as you travel through the solar system or enjoy a live sky show and see skies from around the world. Additionally, other STEM education programs will be offered including journeys to the bottom of the ocean or through deserts.

Additional information can be found at mayland.edu/planetarium.

The Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel is a fifteen minute drive from the Mayland Earth to Sky Park and is the perfect location to stay after a night of stargazing. Hotel rooms, each named for an area destination, provide guests with a relaxing stay in a renovated 100-year old school house. Landscaping renovations are continuing through the summer to provide outdoor terraced seating to sit and enjoy the evening mountain air.

66 Energy Exchange Dr. Burnsville, NC

203 Pinebridge Ave. Spruce Pine, NC

poplar leaves, Flowing with the eastern breeze.

Of fantastic delight; Flitting, fluttering, floating...

Michael has a passion for history. He is the author of twenty-five books, hundreds of ar ticles, and over 1,200 blog posts. He is widely recognized for his local and state-wide histo ries and for his award-winning works pertain ing to the Civil War era. When not researching and writing, Michael volunteers as a historical interpreter at various historic sites in western North Carolina and east Tennessee. You can learn more about Michael at www.michael chardy.com or by visiting his blog at http:// michaelchardy.blogspot.com.

LouAnn Morehouse

TheFocusedFlitting,FreelyFleeting,falling,gliding;numeroustiger

canopies.

Michael C. Hardy

TheThroughoutAndWithinFlutterAndSoartulippoplar

Whirling dervishes

As a child, LouAnn’s favorite trips were to visit her Avery County grandparents on their farm just outside Banner Elk. It took more than 50 years to get here for good, but she finally made it when a hurricane named Katrina ran her and her husband out of New Orleans. Now happily settled deep in the woods, she gardens and reads and enjoys the finer things in life such as the Carolina Blue sky, the com pany of friends, and the companionship of wild things.

Frolicking in the tulip poplar tree canopy

swallowtail butterflies

Rocky Parriott, Ashe County, NC

Butters flying Flutters

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 17

Curtis has been sharing his passion for birds and birding with CML readers for sev eral years. Brought to birds by his grandfather, who loved Purple Martins, he spent most of his life growing up in Boone and chasing birds. Now the Director of Conservation for Audubon NC, Smalling has been a contributor to multiple books on birds and conservation, dozens of peer reviewed papers, and count less programs across the hemisphere and has led bird walks and trips with folks from all over the globe. He was formerly the general manager of the Horn in the West and Hickory Ridge Homestead, and he and his wife, Mary, are now enjoying their time with children and grandchildren in Wake County, NC.

AmongGleefullyGliding,Sashaying,Sweeping,floating,swaying,gyrating,thefluttering

Tiger swallowtail butterflies

Julie Farthing

Behind the Curtain: Meet Four of Our Writers!

MichaelSmallingCurtisC.

Curtis Smalling

Yellow and black fluttering In the green canopy, Seeking a mate With superior traits.

Julie has contributed more than 60 arti cles in her 20 years of writing for CML. A drama major at East Carolina University with a con centration in broadcasting and journalism, she started her career in radio before moving to the High Country to raise her children. Her love of writing grew as a member of the Friday Noon Poets Society at UNC Chapel Hill. Today she enjoys writing about the people and plac es of Appalachia that make this region so spe cial. A self-proclaimed foodie, she also enjoys theater, live music, and spending time on her century-old farm with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of animals.

Gaia gleefully observes from the top of a tulip poplar tree, Perched in the nest of an eastern towhee.

Hardy

Julie LouAnnFarthingMorehouse

18 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE L O V I N ’ F A L L I N T H E H I G H C O U N T R Y N O B O D Y K N O W S T H I S R E G I O N L I K E U S 10 Eaglewood Trail 5579 Eagle's Nest Trail 1044 Elk River Parkway $1,699,000 $1,600,000 The contrast of the changing seasons is more dramatic in the High Country than anywhere in the world, and fall here is the showstopper! In fact, High Country vacationers-turned-residents often report that the autumn colors, clear skies and cool air this time of year is what drew them to make their dream a reality. If mountain living is your dream,at Engel & Völkers Banner Elk, we have the local expertise and resources to make your transition as smooth as the changing of the seasons. CONTACT ENGEL & VÖLKERS BANNER ELK AND MAKE YOUR MOUNTAIN MOVE A REALITY. 610 Banner Elk Highway Banner Elk NC 28604 +1 828-898-3808 Learn more at bannerelk.evrealestate.com ©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. $2,695,000

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BRUSHY MOUNTAIN APPLE FESTIVAL

Sugar Mountain Resort’s Oktoberfest

On Saturday, October 8, and Sunday, October 9, grab your beer stein, put on your Lederhosen—or your dirndl—and head to Sugar Mountain Resort for their 32nd annual Oktoberfest celebration. Take in the beautiful fall foliage, cool, comfortable mountain temperatures, and a weekend full of festival activities from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. The celebration marches on wind or rain or shine or snow. Admission, parking, and shuttle service are free of charge.

Celebrations & Festivals

PolacekDianebyPhoto

BushToddbyPhoto

| REGIONAL

Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival – After a two-year hiatus, Carolina in the Fall, presented by Window World® and hosted by the Krüger Brothers, returns on September 23 and 24. The festival begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, and runs from noon-11 p.m. on Saturday. “As always, we focus on bringing bands from NC, as this festival is a celebration of our musical roots,” says Michelle Isom, Festival Director. Famous for an amazing selection of food trucks, Carolina in the Fall will have some of western NC’s best trucks to feed the audiences. This FREE festival is a production of Heart of Folk, LLC, along with the Town of Wilkesboro and The Krüger Brothers. Carolinainthefall.org

Live Bavarian music will be performed by the 15-piece Harbour Towne Fest Band, and German and American food will be plentiful. Plus, barrels and barrels of beverages flow lavishly. Local and regional artists and craftspeople bring their wares to the grounds of Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, so bring your gift list. The children’s fun center includes hayrides, corn hole, pumpkin bowling, water balloon tossing, play time with Sugar and Sweetie Bear, and an array of bounce houses.

Mountain Glory Festival – Celebrate small-town life in the mountains in smalltown Marion, NC. For 37 years, beautiful downtown Marion has hosted this popular celebration on the second Saturday in

Brushy Mountain Apple Festival – On Saturday, October 1, celebrate the season in downtown North Wilkesboro and pay tribute to the apples that are grown and harvested each fall by orchardists from northwestern NC. The streets of downtown North Wilkesboro will be filled with over 425 arts and crafts vendors, 100 food concessions, and four different music stages consisting of Blue Grass, Country, Folk, Gospel, and Appalachian Heritage. Cloggers, folk dancers, rope skippers, and square dancers provide additional entertainment for festival goers. Appalachian Heritage crafts will also be highlighted. The Brushy Mountain Apple Festival is one of the largest one-day arts and crafts festivals in the region, and a major fundraiser for the Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club. All proceeds are donated to the community. Over 100 civic, church and other non-profit organizations participate in the festival. And best of all, it’s FREE! Rain or shine. www.applefestival.net

20 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS HAPPENINGS

WOOLLY FESTIVALWORM

Valle Country Fair – The 44th Valle Country Fair will be held on Saturday, October 15, just up and over the mountain from the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk. Pack your car with friends and family and head to quaint Valle Crucis, NC, to experience food, crafts, mountain music, and loads of fun. Take home freshly prepared and canned foods, and don’t forget the homemade apple butter—made right there on site by the locally famous “Apple Butter Gang.” For more details, see our “Fall Festivals Forever” feature on page 28. www. vallecountryfair.orgFindoutmoreabout the live music at each of these festivals in our “Where the Music Is” listings elsewhere in this issue.

Fall is here, and the High Country has come alive with festivals and events that feature art, music, local featuredofmore!adventure,holiday-themedfood,andsomuchHerearejustsomethehappeningsandeventstoenjoy!

October. This year’s festival takes place Saturday, October 8, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Attendees will find locally made art and handicrafts, and enjoy food, local wine, and beer, plus two stages presenting Marion’s finest musicians. The kids will have fun in the “Children’s Arena” with hands-on activities, local entertainment, and the ever popular best-dressed pet contest. And don’t miss the annual Mountain Glory Quilt Show, inside the McDowell Arts Council. The quilt show is also the gallery’s featured October 2022 exhibit. For festival information call 828-652-2215 or visit mtngloryfestival.com. Admission is free.

For the best mountain views, visitors can glide from Sugar Mountain’s 4,100’ base to its 5,300’ peak through the forest and above the treetops aboard the Summit Express chairlift. Experience the thrill of cycling the bike park or partake in a Bavarian costume contest. Shop for cold-weather-wear at the Sugar Mountain Sports & Gift Shop and bring home a Bavarian memento from the Oktoberfest souvenir tent. Lodging specials are available Oktoberfest weekend. Call 828-898-4521 or visit www.skisugar.com/oktoberfest for all the details.

Woolly Worm Festival – On October 15 and 16, one of the region’s most popular festivals returns to downtown Banner Elk, NC. Join festival attendees from near and far for the 45th annual festival, hailed as the “official woolly worm festival of North Carolina.” You’ll enjoy two full days of caterpillar races (“Woolly Worm Waces”) and so much more. For more details, see our “Fall Festivals Forever” feature on page 29. www.woollyworm.com

SUGAR MOUNTAIN OKTOBERFEST

Spruce Pine Potters Market – The 16th Annual Spruce Pine Potters Market takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. After two years of being online, Spruce Pine Potters Market will return to its location at the historic Cross Street Commerce Center, 31 Cross Street, in Spruce Pine, NC. This annual event showcases 27 artists from Mitchell and Yancey counties who have established studios and made this area home. The ceramic work seen in this show represents a wide range of aesthetic and stylistic interpretations, ranging from functional to sculptural pieces, allowing many choices for Returningvisitors. potters include: Stan Anderson, Will Baker, Pam Brewer, Cynthia Bringle, Naomi Dalglish, Susan Feagin, Terry Gess, Michael Hunt, Lisa Joerling, Nick Joerling, Michael Kline, Suze Lindsay, Shaunna Lyons, Courtney Martin, Linda McFarling, Shane Mickey, Teresa Pietsch, David Ross, Ruth Rutkowsky, Michael Rutkowsky, Valerie Schnaufer, Galen Sedberry, Ken Sedberry, and Gay Smith. We are also pleased to announce the addition of three new members: Rickie Barnett, Jason Hartsoe and Lynn Hobaica. www.sprucepinepottersmarket.com

Here, we offer a partial list of some of our favorites in the area—and new venues are being added to the Trails regularly: Crossnore Weavers and Gallery in Crossnore; Pam Brewer’s studio in Newland; BE Artists Gallery at the Historic Banner Elk School Cultural Arts Center, the Art Cellar, and Maggie Black Pottery in Banner Elk; the Avery County

Make Your Own Gifts at Florence Thomas Art School – The mission of Florence Thomas Art School is to provide resources for instruction, exhibition and experience in the fine arts and heritage crafts for Ashe County and the region. This season, you can make many of your own unique gifts for the art lovers in your life. Florence Thomas Art School offers workshops—from three hours to four days—for artists of all ages and skill levels. Located in downtown West Jefferson, NC, the school is open to the public and has a gallery and art Also,supplies.don’tmiss the last Gallery Crawl of the season in West Jefferson. On the second Friday of October, Florence, along with the other galleries in and around downtown West Jefferson, keep their galleries open from 5-7:30 pm. It’s a great opportunity to explore the downtown scene. Additional seasonal events will be posted at www. florenceartschool.org

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 21 continued...

Mica, A Cooperative Gallery of Fine Art and Contemporary Craft – Mica showcases the work of its members and invited guests. During the fall of 2022, four artists will be highlighted, and in December, the gallery will feature holiday-themed work.

VICKI ESSIG OF MICA

Vicki Essig and David Ross will show new work at Mica in September, while October’s special exhibition features the work of Robbie Bell of Speckled Dog Pottery. November’s featured artist is woodturner Nathan Favors. Celebrating the holidays will be the focus of the month of December—handmade stocking stuffers, art-filled gift ideas, cards, ornaments, and more will be available to add to the festive spirit of the season.

CAROLINA IN THE

Arts and Crafts Events

Quilt Trail beginning at the Beech Mountain Visitor Center; Blue Ridge ArtSpace, Hands Gallery, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and Doe Ridge Pottery Gallery in Boone; the Blowing Rock and History Museum (BRAHM) in downtown Blowing Rock; the Florence Thomas Art School, the Ashe County Arts Council and arts Center in West Jefferson, and the Ashe County Studio Tour (throughout Ashe County); Lost Province Center for the Cultural Arts (LPCCA) in Lansing; Wilkes Art Gallery in North Wilkesboro; the Toe River Arts Gift Shop & Gallery, and Fire on the Mountain in Spruce Pine. Plan your trip at www. blueridgeheritage.com.

FALL FESTIVAL

SPRUCE PINE POTTERS MARKET

HAPPENINGS | REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

Mica is located at 37 Mitchell Avenue in Bakersville, NC. Mica is open daily, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. For more information call 828-688-6422 or visit micagallerync. com. Follow the gallery on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC or on Instagram at micagallerync.

ART IN THE PARK

Art in the Park – Outdoor art is at its best in downtown Blowing Rock. Don’t miss the final 2022 event on Saturday, October 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Enjoy arts and crafts from award-winning and acclaimed artisans, jury-selected each year. Pick up gifts for everyone on your list, and add works to your own personal collections, including functional beauties like furniture, cutlery, and wearable art. https://blowingrock.com/ artinthepark/

Blue Ridge Craft Trails – Hop in the car and drive toward an endless variety of arts and crafts on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails. Visit with artists in their studios, shop galleries full of local handmade artwork, and discover scenic treasures and cultural gems along the way. Throughout the CML region, there are dozens of stops that you’ll want to check out, so make a day of it!

Boone BOO! – Join the Town of Boone on Monday, October 31, from 5-7:30 p.m. for Boone BOO!, as the community and visitors are invited to stop by downtown Boone merchants for a safe, family-friendly trick-ortreating event. The stage will be set with a special Halloween music playlist streaming down King Street and larger-than-life Halloween inflatables lining the sidewalks. The central part of King Street will be closed (from Appalachian Street to Burrell Street) to accommodate trick-or-treaters and to make room for some surprise guests. For children with food allergy concerns, various businesses will also be handing out non-candy treats. Be sure to stop by the Jones House and the Watauga County Public Library for some additional silly and spooky fun! www. boone150.com or Joneshouse.org, 828-2686280

The Museum provides a look back at High Country history, showcasing 18th and 19th century cabins that reflect High Country heritage. Guests can roam form cabin to cabin and see how people lived, including Daniel Boone himself. The museum is open through mid-November for guided tours Tuesdays through Fridays at 10 a.m., with the last tour time at 3 p.m. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. On Saturdays the museum is open for self-guided tours at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Find out more details about these tours and

On Saturday, October 29, join Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation for tons of fun with a full afternoon of spooky activities. From downtown trick-or-treating to the famous Monster March, this is among the best Halloween events for kids of all ages. The fun begins at Memorial Park, located in the middle of downtown, and all activities are free. For more information and a complete schedule of festival events, visit blowingrock. com/halloween, or call 828-295-5222.

Western Youth Network’s Festival of Trees – The Western Youth Network (WYN) is taking the 2022 Festival of Trees out into the community! Designers will decorate and place trees in area businesses and retail locations,

Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro

ASHE COUNTY HOLIDAY PARADE

22 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

| REGIONAL

Ashe County Holiday Parade – Always a great time, this year’s annual parade will be held Saturday, November 19, from 3-5 p.m. in downtown West Jefferson, NC. Often deemed “The Christmas Tree capital of the

Holiday Events at Hickory Ridge History Museum – Celebrate several holidays this season at the Hickory Ridge History Museum, located at Daniel Boone Park in Boone, NC, including the Hickory Ridge “Candlelight Tours and Colonial Ghost Stories” event on October 14-15, and the “Veterans Day” event on November 5.

LIGHT

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS HAPPENINGS

The Blowing Rock Halloween Festival

Tweetsie Railroad Presents Ghost Train® All Aboard for Tweetsie Railroad’s FamilyFriendly Halloween Celebration, when the theme park transforms from the Wild West by day to a Ghost Train at night. This popular fall family tradition begins Friday, September 23, and continues every Friday and Saturday night through October 29. Younger children will love the dance parties, trick-or-treat stations, themed photo opportunities, and the all new Palace Spooktacular Show. Braver kids and adults will enjoy the scary night-time journey on the Ghost Train, walking through the hallowed halls of the Haunted House and exploring the murky Freaky Forest. And, everyone will love the park’s most popular amusement rides after dark in the Creepy Carnival. tweetsie.com

Holiday Events

UP DOWNTOWN NORTH WILKESBORO

WESTERN YOUTH NETWORK FESTIVAL OF TREES

and the public can bid on these magical trees. The 8th annual Festival of Trees takes place November 15 through December 1. This popular High Country fundraiser supports local kids through the Western Youth Network (WYN).Approximately 80 trees and wreaths will be displayed throughout the community. Bid online for these beautiful creations, many of which are loaded with gift certificates, goodies and gifts. The auction for the trees and other items will close at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 1. The Festival of Trees also includes a wreath making extravaganza on Monday, November 28 (registration required), and don’t miss the Hot Chocolate Social at the Watauga Recreation Center on Wednesday, November 30, from 4-6 p.m. A map to trees, along with auction and festival details can be found at http://bidpal.net/ wynfot2022.

special holiday events, and purchase tickets onsite at 591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone, NC 28607. www.horninthewest.com/museum

Light Up Downtown is an annual holiday lighting ceremony and street festival presented by the Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership, held the Friday before Thanksgiving. This year’s festival takes place on November 18 from 6-9 p.m. Visitors will enjoy crafts, food and gift vendors; plus, local shops throughout downtown will stay open late. Santa Claus, a marching band, dance troupes, live holiday music and so much more is offered at this family-friendly event. 832 Main Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, www.downtownnorthwilkesboro.com

HAPPENINGS | REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

C&J

n C & J Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze (Boone, NC) – Located in Boone near the Brookshire Park trails and picnic shelter, the C & J farm is open for the season on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until October 31. Hours are Friday, 4-10 p.m. Saturday, 12-10 p.m., and Sunday 1-6 p.m. Make your way through the corn maze, stroll through the pumpkin patch, and enjoy hayrides at the farm. A variety of pumpkins, mums, food, and drinks

n Also in Ashe County, check out the New River Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch (www.newrivercornmaze.com)

Create lasting memories during a special weekend filled with traditional holiday activities. This year’s “A Small Town Christmas” takes place in downtown Banner Elk, NC, the weekend of December 2-4, beginning Friday evening with the lighting of the town tree and a holiday play performed by Ensemble Stage at the Historic Banner Elk School. Saturday’s events begin early in the morning with a 5K run, breakfast with Santa, a book reading with Santa at the Fire Station, ornament making, an arts and crafts market, Christmas caroling with the choir, a Parade of Lights, Christmas films and music, train rides through the park, and a captivating light show. All activities are within easy walking distance in this one-stoplight resort town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On Sunday, visit one of many local choose & cut tree farms. Bannerelk.org, bannerelk.com, ensemblestage.com

BANNER ELK’S SMALLCHRISTMASTOWN PUMPKIN PATCH AND CORN MAZE

Fields, Farms and Orchards

will be available for sale. Also experience the Haunted Trail every Friday and Saturday night in October from 7 to 10 p.m. Address: 1999 Brookshire Road, Boone, NC 28607, 843-8330156 | C and J Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze is on Faceboo

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 23

Beech Mountain Holiday Market – On Saturday, November 26, deck the halls and skip the malls! From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., you can browse through locally made crafts, jewelry, food and art—find the perfect gift for those special people in your life, and have some fun at the same time. Enjoy live music from 12-3 p.m., as well as kids’ activities, visits with Mrs. Claus, and a Parade of Wreaths. Beech Mountain Parks & Rec hosts this annual indoor Holiday Market, located at the Fred & Margie Pfohl Buckeye Recreation Center on Beech Mountain at 1330 Pine Ridge Road. For additional details, call 828-387-3003.

Apple Hill Farm – Apple Hill Farm is a unique mountaintop alpaca farm, home to nine different kinds of animals on 10 acres of mountaintop land. Open year-round to the public, the farm hosts fun and educational animal experiences, while the farm store offers a variety of products made from alpaca fibers, along with local books, jams and jellies, and more. Meet the animals, and afterwards, shop the farm store for scarves, blankets and other locally made items, perfect for the colder months. In October, visitors will have an opportunity to view the continued...

n Ashe County Corn Maze (Jefferson, NC) – Explore at your own pace and take in the beautiful Ashe County scenery. The Ashe County Corn Maze has become a family tradition where you can pick and choose from a variety of decorative pumpkins, gourds, and sunflowers. 1332 NC Highway 16 Jefferson, NC, com.ashecountycornmazeandpumpkinfestival.

Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches – T’is the season for the ripening of fall pumpkins and corn! Our area farmers celebrate harvest time by welcoming families to pick out their own pumpkins and meander through mazes of corn stalks. Here are just a few of the offerings in our area:

Christmas in Blowing Rock – Don’t miss this always-special annual event, with carnival games, visits with Santa, live music, and a tree-lighting to kick off this special event on Friday, November 25. The Blowing Rock Christmas Parade starts up on Saturday, November 26, at 10 a.m. The Christmas Parade, complete with decorated floats, animals, and festive parade walkers, makes its way down Main Street. Enjoy additional free entertainment, including more music, games, crafts, hayrides, gingerbread house building, and visits with Santa. All events take place in Memorial Park, right on Main Street in downtown Blowing Rock. For more information on all of Blowing Rock’s autumn and winter happenings, including the annual Winterfest Celebration in early 2023, call 828295-5222, or visit www.blowingrock.com

n Harvest Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch (Valle Crucis, NC) – Harvest farm is located near the Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. The farm has a sevenacre corn maze, with limited weekend hours. harvestfarmwnc.com

APPLE HILL FARM

Banner Elk’s A Small Town Christmas

USA,” the parade and other related holiday events celebrate tree growers and our native Fraser firs. Enjoy a robust lineup of colorful and festive parade participants as they cruise through beautiful West Jefferson. Find out more details at ashechamber.com

24 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Free admission Changing exhibitions PietrantoniNicole Be sure to visit 828.295.7111 • Rock Road, B lo wing Rock NC • TheBlowingRock.com th Carolin a ’ s O l dest T r avel Attraction, Since 1933 “Enjoy the Legend” The Blowing RockTAKE YOUR VISIT TO THE NEXT LEVEL NORTH CAROLINA’S OLDEST TRAVEL ATTRACTION, SINCE 1933 432 The Rock Road, Blowing Rock, NC 28645 828.295.7111, TheBlowingRock.com “Enjoy the Legend”FRIENDLYCRITTER T h e c o o l e s t c o r n e r o f N o r t h C a r o l i n Ta h e c o o l e s t c o r n e r o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a Ashe ACounty she County FALL FINTO ALL INTO

Races for Runners – Throughout the High Country, you’ll find opportunities to run for a good cause. The High Country Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual 5K Fun Run/ Walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, at 9 a.m. in Blowing Rock. This special race continues to be the Foundation’s biggest annual event, generating donations through race registration and sponsorship. Learn more at hcbcf.org

Pick up your “North Carolina Choose & Cut Memories” guide at visitors’ centers and retail locations throughout western NC, or visit the NC Christmas Tree Association’s website for their online guide to local Choose & Cut Tree Farms at www.ncchristmastrees.com

Earth to Sky Park – The Bare Dark Sky Observatory and The Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium at Mayland Community College’s Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville, NC, offers outof-this-world opportunities to star gaze and learn about the universe beyond our planet.

Ashe County Cruise-In – Kool Nights and Hot Rods! If cruising in a hot rod, classic car or muscle car is your thing, cruise over to West Jefferson in Ashe County for their final Saturday cruise-in of the season on October 15. Car enthusiasts set up in downtown West Jefferson from 4 – 8 p.m. This event is sponsored by Blue Ridge Midnight Runners. Learn more at ashechamber.com.

On the Trails, Roads and Sidewalks

Orchard at Altapass – The Orchard at Altapass is one of the most visited locations on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Altapass aims to preserve the history, heritage and culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains; protect the underlying orchard land with its apples, wetlands, butterflies, and other natural features; and educate the public about the Appalachian experience. This fall, head to the orchards to pick your own heirloom apples. Take a “Heyride” through the orchard and travel back in time. You can also shop for locally made gifts in the general store, enjoy music and dancing in the pavilion, and much more. The Orchard at Altapass is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday through October 30. www.altapassorchard.org

shearing of Angora goats. The Farm’s annual Christmas celebration takes place November 18 – January 1, 2023; visitors can tour the farm decked out for the holidays, Wednesdays through Sundays (advance ticket purchase required). applehillfarmnc.com

Choose & Cut Tree Farms – Beginning in November of every year, families drive to the High Country to choose their favorite Fraser firs, white pines, and other varieties of evergreens for decorating their homes during the holiday season. You’ll find dozens of tree farms in Avery, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Burke, Mitchell and Yancey counties in NC, and bordering counties in TN and VA. Many of these farms offer hayrides, hot chocolate/ hot cider, live animals and visits with Santa.

THE ORCHARD AT ALTAPASSU-PICK THE GLENN AND CAROL ARTHUR PLANETARIUM ASHE COUNTY CRUISE IN BANNER SELF-GUIDEDELK TOUR

Another. popular 5K this season is the annual High Country Turkey Trot, held during the Thanksgiving holiday to benefit the Hospitality House of Northwest NC. Hospitality House, a regional nonprofit homeless services agency, works in seven rural North Carolina counties (Watauga, Wilkes, Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Mitchell, Yancey) providing housing, shelter, hunger relief, homeless prevention, street outreach, counseling and crisis assistance. For details about this year’s event, and more on Hospitality House, visit www.hosphouse.org/ turkeytrot

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS | REGIONAL

Banner Elk Self-Guided Walking Tour Walk along the path of history surrounded by the fall colors as you learn about some of Banner Elk’s most prominent historic buildings and their roles in the community. You will be surprised what you’ll learn! The Banner House Museum welcomes you to enjoy the sites of Old Banner Elk at your own pace, any time of year, using the Pocket Sights Tour Application for your cellphone. For instructions and additional information, visit their website at bannerhousemuseum.org

At the Observatory, visitors will be able to view the moon, planets, and stars through the observatory’s 34” diameter mirror on a custom-built Newtonian telescope, as well as a smaller 14” mirror Meade planetary telescope. With the assistance of two observatory Managers, visitors can spend two hours viewing and learning about the night sky. The autumn and winter night sky is rich with incredible celestial objects not otherwise visible during the summer months. Inside the new Arthur Planetarium, audiences can enjoy astronomy shows underneath a 36-ft. projection dome. Comprised of 60 seats beneath the dome, the planetarium is a multi-use destination for visitors, residents, school children, and Mayland students. Several special productions are offered through October. Learn more at mayland.edu/ planetarium.

Have an event for us to consider listing in a future issue of CML? Email your press release to CML’s editor at tamara@ seymourcc.net.

In the Skies

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 25

26 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Play at public tennis courts meticulously maintained of fast-dry, Har-tru clay Men’s, women’s, and mixed play “friendlys’’ every day, along with lessons from tennis pro. SeeSugar.com/tennis | 828-898-6746 Sugar Mountain Tennis Club Voted the #2 Short Course in the USA, this 18-hole public golf course features an immaculate putting surface that maximizes every mountain view. Pro shop and café. SeeSugar.com/golf | 828-898-6464 Sugar Mountain Golf Club Play Golf & Tennis through October (closing date TBA)

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 27 Every Third Weekend in October 10/16 The Official Woolly Worm Festival of NC 9am-4pm9am-5pmSaturdaySundayCraftsLiveEntertainment45th Annual WoollyFestivalWormWoolly Worm October15-16 www.WoollyWorm.com Avery County Chamber of Commerce | 828-898-5605 www.AveryCounty.com Downtown Banner Elk, NC All proceeds are given back to our community to enhance our schools and children’s programs, and to promote businesses and tourism in Avery County. ® NOPleasePETSExcept for Woolly Worms,of Course!

Who: The Valle Country Fair is spon sored by Holy Cross Episcopal Church, in cooperation with The Valle Crucis Conference Center

Courtesy of Valle Country Fair

What: An old-fashioned familyfriendly festival, with juried fine art and crafts booths, savory mountain foods, such as homemade brunswick stew, chili, barbe cue and fresh baked desserts, along with all the homemade apple butter, jams and jel lies you can eat. Enjoy the sounds of local bluegrass and country bands.

Fall Festivals Forever

In autumn, festivals are a popular pas time for visitors and residents alike, as noted in our Regional Happenings section. Two enduring festivals, the Valle Country Fair and the Woolly Worm Festival, have taken place every year since the late 1970s, and not only give festival goers a special weekend of memory making, they provide meaningful contributions to High Country charitable organizations through festival proceeds. In fact, last year alone, the two festivals contributed $150,000 to organizations that do vital work here in our community.Wehope

By CML Staff

Admission is free with $10 parking per vehicle adjacent to the field. No pets, please. For more information, visit www.vallecountryfair.org or contact Holy Cross Church at 828-963-4609.

28 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

VCF Spinning Demonstration Photo by Scott Sharpe

Where: NC Highway 194 between Valle Crucis and Banner Elk, across from Holy Cross Church at 122 Skiles Way, Banner Elk 28604

Pumpkin Bowling

VCF Fresh Apple Butter - Photo by Scott Sharpe VCF Tuxedo Alpaca - Photo by Ann Gerber

you’ll join us here in the High Country October 15 and October 16 to make some long lasting memories of your own. Take note of each festival’s “5Ws” and enjoy some choice photo memories from recent years’ festivities.

THE 44TH VALLE COUNTRY FAIR

When: The 44th Annual Valle Country Fair will be held on Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Why: Last year, 13,000 people attend ed the festivities and enjoyed all that Valle Country Fair has to offer. Youngsters enter tained themselves throughout the day, with pumpkin carving, pumpkin bowling, and face painting among the highlights. Many of the dollars generated through organizers and vendors support numerous community organizations, including: The Children’s Council, Girls on the Run, High Country Caregivers, Jason Project, LIFE House, Meditation and Restorative Justice Center, Mountain Alliance, Reaching Avery Ministries, Spirit Ride, Watauga County Schools, Extended Learning Centers.

What: As “The Official Woolly Worm Festival of NC,” attendees enjoy the most unique sport of racing woolly worm cat erpillars for cash prizes and other honors. The Woolly Worm races begin around 10 a.m. each day. The winning worm on Saturday is declared the official winter forecasting agent. More than 160 vendors offer a variety of food and wares, and live entertainment and children’s activities take place all weekend.

Nancy Owen, Corporate Race Winner Photo courtesy of Avery Chamber of Commerce

THE 45TH WOOLLY WORM FESTIVAL

Who: The Woolly Worm Festival is cosponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce.

When: The 45th Annual Woolly Worm Festival will be held Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, October 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (always the third weekend in October).

“Carolina” on a string

Why: Who doesn’t love a good cater pillar race? Each year, this legendary event draws nearly 20,000 people, 160 vendors, 1,000 worm trainers, and national media crews to the town of Banner Elk. The prof its from the Woolly Worm Festival support county-wide projects as well as the chil dren of Avery County as set forth by the Kiwanis Club charter. There are many local organizations that benefit from the dollars earned at the Woolly Worm Festival.

CML’s worm competes in corporate raceChildren cheer on their woolly

Where: Located on the front lawn of the Historic Banner Elk School in down town Banner Elk, NC | 185 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, 28604

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 29

Master of Ceremonies Shawn Stricklen

Admission: Adults $6.00 Cash/$7.00 Credit Card; Children (Ages 6-12) $4.00 Cash/$5.00 Credit Card; Children Ages (0-5) Free. No pets, please (except for woolly worms, of course). For more information, visit www.woollyworm.com or call the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at 828-898-5605.

30 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Award Winning Craft Beer brewed in Downtown Boone, NC with water from the headwaters of the New River 1ostprovince.com Visit our 2nd location Lost Province at Hardin Creek Brewery & Taproom Now Open THE FINEST COLLECTION OF HANDMADE POTTERY FROM 14 LOCAL HIGH COUNTRY www.DoeRidgePotteryShop.comwww.DoeRidgePottery.com585828.264.1127ARTISTSWestKingSt.BooneNC28607 44th yearMEIERBOBHemlock Inn A Blowing Rock Tradition – Open Year Round –Walk to shoppingdowntown&dining Easy driving to many area attractions 18 uniquely designed rooms 828-295-7987 | HemlockInn.net 134 Morris Street 920 Shawneehaw Avenue | Banner Elk, NC 28604 HARDINJEWELRY@GMAIL.COM | 828-898-4653 GABRIEL OFIESH Sept 22 through Sept 24 Thursday 1-5, Friday 10-5 Saturday 10-5

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 31 Continued on next page

It is not an exaggeration to say that Roy has become world-famous as Mr. Woolly Worm. Dressed in his signature outfit, Roy’s smiling face has been beamed across the globe. As Lees-McRae’s Presi dent, Lee King, once said, “Roy is the only guy I know who can rock a pair of pink pants, an orange shirt, a yellow tie, and a yellow blazer covered with woolly worms and somehow make it all look good!” Roy’s dedication to making sure everyone who attends the Woolly Worm Festival has a great time is legendary. Who else would be able to convince a child (or grown-up) that racing a woolly worm up a string is one of life’s great opportunities? Even when a worm lost its race, its owner would be consoled by Roy and encouraged to hold out hope for next year. Adam Binder, now serving as Mr. Woolly Worm II, tells of going into a restaurant in Hickory, NC, with Roy and hearing, “Oh, man, that is Mr. Woolly Worm!” He also shared that Roy, wearing his hat and suit, took more photos with fans at a minor-league baseball game than did the team’s mascot. Roy spreads happi ness wherever he goes!

Anyone who shares Roy’s journey, even for a short time, gets caught up in his en thusiasm for life. Just as Roy says “yes” to almost every request for his help, he in spires people to follow his lead and say “yes” without even knowing the question. If Roy is involved, it is almost certainly going to be fun and for a good cause. The projects and programs Roy has started and facilitated over his lifetime are too nu merous to mention, but here are several: Lees-McRae’s Alumni Frolic, Elderhostel, Alumni Arts and Crafts Fair, FORUM, Presbyterian Family Week, Banner Elk’s Concerts in the Park, the Woolly Worm Festival, Fourth of July Parade and Festivi ties, art shows for scholarships… and the list continues. Roy has supported the angel tree program, Reaching Avery Ministries, Yellow Mountain Enterprises, Grandfa ther Mountain Highland Games, and has answered the call of every school, church, and organization who needed a hand. As the longest-serving member of the Banner Elk Kiwanis Club, Roy has helped with every Club project and swept others along for the ride! Even in retirement, Roy and Marion continue to serve others through

By Nancy Semones Knox

Roy’s service to others extended far beyond the boundaries of Lees-McRae and Grandfather Home for Children. His servant-leadership was put into practice across the High Country. It would be dif ficult to find an organization, chamber or tourism board that hasn’t benefited from the presence and service of Roy Krege. In addition to his more formal commitments, he has always been in high demand as an emcee, an auctioneer, and a speaker. Hun dreds of thousands of dollars have been

The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Roy and Marion Krege

With the Woolly Worm Festival sea son upon us, it seems like the per fect time to revisit the legacy of Mr. Woolly Worm, Roy Krege. Over the years, Roy’s other titles have included Mr. Banner Elk, Mr. Avery County, Mr. Lees-McRae, Friend, Husband, Dad, and Pop!

Roy Krege

raised over the years for charitable causes at the drop of Roy’s auctioneer hammer!

From selling cakes to raise funds for Ban ner Elk Elementary School, pies for the fire department, or a Cadillac for the LeesMcRae scholarship fund, Roy’s excitement encouraged supporters to give generously.

His life’s work would not have been possible without the support and involve ment of Marion and his children, Kim, Dewayne and Michelle. With the hours Roy put in, it is a good thing that Marion and the kids liked to be involved in LMC life on so many levels! This same commit ment has swept up a new generation of the six Krege grandchildren.

Not long after Dr. H.C. Evans became President of Lees-McRae College (LMC), he brought Roy on board. In talking about Roy’s service, long-time friend and col league Jim Stonesifer said that Roy went above and beyond the call of duty and mas tered every job he was given. From starting summer programs at the college to bring ing it into the computer age, there was no task too daunting. Roy and Stonesifer were instrumental in helping LMC transition to a four-year college. When Reverend Ed gar Tufts founded the college, his vision was for it to be “In the Mountains, Of the Mountains, For the Mountains.” Roy up held that vision in every way.

set. It was at Carson-Newman that their paths crossed with Dr. H.C. Evans, Jr. Dr. Evans taught both of them in classes and included them for several summers as staff at Buck Hill Falls Camp in Pennsylvania.

After 26 years at Lees-McRae, Roy’s journey took him to Grandfather Home for Children. While there, Roy created one of the state’s first charter schools and served as its first principal. Jim Swinkola, retired CEO of Grandfather Home, said Roy’s job was to love and care for the chil dren there, to educate them and to help them know God’s love.

Roy’s life of service began as a child with the influence of his family and his faith guiding him. His family moved from New York to Florida when he was a young boy. By the time he and his wife, Mar ion, were married and became fixtures at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee, the foundation for their life together was

Regardless of what title Roy might hold or which hat he might wear, his com mitment to making a difference in the lives of others has been his life’s work and is his legacy. As noted by many who know him, Roy was a servant-leader long before the term was coined. In every position he’s held and in every organization he’s served, Roy has put others first.

“Roy and Marion have always been my second set of parents. I was their practice child.”

In a gathering to celebrate his 80th birthday earlier this year, here’s what a few people had to say about Roy Krege:

“We can always count on each other.”

—Robin and Gary Long, lifelong friends (Robin was Roy’s first date - a hay ride in 9th grade. Gary and Roy served as each other’s best man at their weddings.)

Roy has been a featured speaker at countless banquets, church services, and programs. One of the favorite things he’s shared over the years is a song called NO CHARGE. The song, written by Harlan Howard and first recorded by Melba Montgomery, tells the story of a little boy who brings his mother a list of what he is owed for each chore and accomplishment. After his mother reads his list, she makes her own list of concrete examples of how she has loved her son through the years. She adds it all up and says that the cost of her love is “no Throughoutcharge.”Roy’s life, he has given us his very best—his love, his expertise, his humor, his service, his leadership— at NO CHARGE. And the value to all who’ve been a part of Roy’s journey? PRICELESS!

people to square dance or do the bunny hop and hokey pokey, spreading love through baked goods, or coming to a full stop to sit with someone who just needs a bit of undivided attention, Roy has al ways had a gift for making people feel like a part of his family, the college fam ily, the human Throughoutfamily.hislife,

“The college seal at Carson-Newman features a torch that provided the spark in Roy‘s career that burst into a blaze when he and Marion moved their family to Banner Elk. We believe in divine intervention, and this is one of the best examples we will ever find.”

“All I know I learnt from [Roy] Krege!”

“Grandma and Grandpa instilled a tremendous work ethic [in their children]. Roy is good people!” — James Krege, nephew

community activities, including LMC’s Summer Theatre.

Roy and Marion’s belief that God calls us all to serve has also been put into action for decades at Mount Cal vary Baptist Church. From church sup pers and after-prom breakfasts to youth groups and holiday celebrations, they have brought people together in faith andOverfellowship.theyears, many people have thought Roy was mayor of Banner Elk. Described as affable, indefatigable and ubiquitous, Roy was everywhere—pick ing up litter, posting signs, smiling a wel come. Roy has always created a sense of home wherever he is and welcomes ev eryone. Whether entertaining people for a meal in his home, teaching a group of

“Psalm 100:2 says, ‘Serve the Lord with gladness.’ Our motto at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church is paraphrased, ‘ Love God, love people, and do something about it!’ As a servant-leader, this is how Daddy has lived his life.”

— Mark Evans, son of Barbara and Dr. H.C. Evans, Jr.

—Doug Moody, classmate and lifelong friend

32 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE GetYourAweBack.com

—Dr. Janet Barton Speer and Jarrett Koski-Kohler, friends and colleagues, from a song and dance tribute inspired by MATILDA’S “Telly”

Roy and Merryweather

—Dewayne Krege, son

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 33 “A Small Town Celebration” October 8, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Main Street, Marion, North Carolina Local entertainment & 125 crafts and food vendors Children’s Activities & Best Dressed Pet Contest Local Beers, Mead & Taps www.mountaingloryfestival.com info@mtngloryfestival.com FREE ADMISSION! The most Incredible Toy Store in the High Country! Open 7 Days a Week Hwy 321 South Between Boone and Blowing Rock www.incredibletoycompany.com8282641422 Jan. 26-29, 2023 FOR CALENDARINFORMATIONOFEVENTS: www.BlowingRockWinterFest.com877-295-7801828-295-7851 25th Annual

outdoor goods to this great community is so important to us. We are honored to pick up the torch and carry Footsloggers into its next 50 years,” says Wayne Miller. In addition, under their new lead ership, another retail location has opened in West Jefferson, allowing Footsloggers to reach a wider range of outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of Footsloggersleisure. not only provides qual ity products and knowledgeable service to local customers and visitors to the High Country, but they have always given back to the community. They are involved in active partnerships with the Blue Ridge Conservancy, Middle Fork Greenway, Western Youth Network, Friends of High Country State Parks, and the Appalachian Theatre. “Especially as a long standing business in the High Country, we believe it is so important to give back to our com munity and be an active part in why this is such a wonderful place to call home,” says Young. Additionally, many of the staff volunteer locally and are influential in the recreational sporting community.

For more than half a century, Footsloggers has been the foundational source for outdoor and technical gear and apparel in the High Country. Featuring some of the most highly regarded brands in the industry, and backed by a vastly knowledgeable and accommodating staff, Footsloggers is able to clothe and equip all levels of outdoor enthusiasts including campers, hikers, backpackers, paddlers, rock climbers, and lovers of travel and leisure. Footsloggers was introduced in the early 1970s as a compact storefront located in a small shopping center. The found ers Hanes Boren and Sam Houston rec ognized a need for high quality gear and equipment for adventurous residents and guests who embraced the natural beauty and outdoor recreational activities avail able in the area. As the ski industry explod ed and more people chose to “Get High

Equipped to “Get High on a Mountain” for Decades

As CML Celebrates 25 Years, We Extend Our

on a Mountain” in a variety of ways, the partners went in different directions. Boren developed an independent alpine skiing apparel and equipment store, allowing Footsloggers and Houston to focus on hik ing, backpacking, paddling, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

KeepingFootsloggers:region.Customers

34 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

By Kim S. Davis

For the next decade, the two stores complemented each other and after Footsloggers briefly closed, Boren pur chased a building on King Street in down town Boone and reopened Footsloggers at that location. The business met a unique niche and continued to thrive and grow, creating a need for expansion. Fortunately, Footsloggers had an opportunity to buy a larger space within the Downtown Boone shopping district and purchased the loca tion on Depot Street where it remains today. Aswith most deep-rooted retail es tablishments, Footsloggers evolved with the needs and interests of their customer base. Once in the larger space, they add ed an annex devoted to paddling gear, expanded their choices of products and built a climbing tower. Footsloggers also expanded externally, opening a new retail store in downtown Blowing Rock, enter ing the twenty-first century with multiple locations. About ten years ago, Hanes Boren chose to retire to enjoy more time traveling and exploring the outdoors, like so many of his customers have done. After Boren’s re tirement Wayne and Jenny Miller took the helm along with General Manager, Thea Young. “Continuing the long standing tradition of supplying durable, sustainable

As Boren states, “What makes this such a wonderful business to be in is the culture of the region, and the culture of the staff and customers.” It is because of the dynamic way of life in the High Country that Footsloggers is the lead sponsor of one of the most beneficial and popular events, the Banff Mountain Film Festival. As Boren observes, “Boone is the third larg est venue for the festival in North America behind San Francisco and Salt Lake City,” and when you consider the size of these lo cales, it indicates how the culture of Boone

Ads shown here appeared in earlier issues of CML

For the past twenty-five years, CML has remained true to our vision of providing an “absolutely priceless” publication. Because of our dependable local advertisers, we have been able to offer a valuable resource to our region that is both without price and beyond price. In this issue, we are showcasing two valuable, deep-rooted partners who proffer unique products and services to enhance the quality of life in our

Other long-term tenants include Amy Brown, CPA, The Dande Lion, Creative Interiors by Darlene Parker, and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce. Wotell attributes the consistent and enduring occupancy to the fact that the Shoppes of Tynecastle are not a corporate leasing group. They are a locally held company whose owners love the land and commu nity and strive to build relationships to maintain longevity among their occupants.

• https://footsloggersnc.com/

Enduring Gratitude...

Robert Schwebke was a visionary, so once tenants began to occupy the center, he calculated a way to meet the needs of the community. As an example, for one of the first occupants, Nick’s Deli, Schwebke acquired a narrow five foot section of land known as a “shoestring annexation” from the top of Seven Devils down to Tynecastle. The creative appropriation al lowed Nick’s to sell beer and wine to High Country locals and guests; it was one of the first establishments for miles around to be able to do so.

inspiration of the property, hence they re named the development Tynecastle.

While valuable new occupants have been added and a few have moved along, the majority of changes at the Shoppes of Tynecastle occur as current tenants move to more appropriate spaces within the de velopment, or they are bought by other en tities. The mergers and transfers often re sult in business names being changed, but the services and products remain constant. For example, after the ABC Store moved to its new location, BB&T Bank came into that building. After a merger, BB&T is now Truist Bank. Likewise Eckerd Drugs

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 35

became Rite Aid and is now Walgreens, and the former Nick’s Restaurant and Pub is today Highlander’s Grill & Tavern. Additionally, after an expansion of the old-world buildings doubled the size, Peak Real Estate moved to a larger location, opening up space for current tenants to ex pand their spaces as well.

While remaining true to the area, the Shoppes of Tynecastle continue to ensure residents and visitors are able to find both essentials and luxuries in one location. As with CML and the many enduring sup porters of our publication, when you love where you are and what you do, and under stand the needs of your customers, you will continue to flourish.

The Shoppes of Tynecastle’s manage ment partners with their occupants to as sist the community through advertising and donations to local fundraising endeav ors. They have been particularly involved with supporting the Avery Humane Soci ety. The Shoppes are deeply rooted in this beautiful community so they want what is best for where they live and work, not fo cusing on profit margins and bottom lines. As an example, the newly expanded Tower Building remains vacant, but not because interest is lacking. As Wotell reflects, “It is our goal to fill the Tower Building, but we want the right fit. We want to include a business that is right for the spot, some thing beneficial for the whole community.”

At the intersection of Highways 105 and 184 sits a beautiful example of stone craftsmanship that was inspired by an oldworld Scottish village. The stone tower is a landmark and centerpiece for the shopping center known for almost forty years as the Shoppes of Tynecastle. Built in the mid20th century using local stone, the tower and stone outbuildings attracted Robert and Judith Schwebke, and they purchased the property with a vision for a retail space that would offer access to shopping, dining andMr.services.Schwebke, a military veteran and surveyor, possessed the great ability to look at a piece of land and determine what needed to go where. According to his daughter and the property manager/ family spokesperson, Samantha Wotell, Schwebke “examined the existing roads and knew something needed to be there and he wanted it to be convenient for everything.”TheBanner Elk area was undergoing tremendous growth during the mid-1980s and the shopping center broke ground around the same time that Food Lion was under construction. It was the goal of the Schwebkes to offer accessible modern amenities while honoring the Scottish

• Schedule a day to visit the shops, restaurants, and service organizations located in this unique and acces sible center of commerce. For leasing information, call 828-898-6246.

The Shoppes of Tynecastle: “Come Spend the Day!”

exceptionally embraces arts and outdoor recreation. When you have a business like Footsloggers that is an active participant in the community’s culture, it is evident that it will continue to endure.

Watauga Arts Council / Buskerfest

See you at the theatre!

The ASHE COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL has a full slate of offerings this fall starting on Sep tember 13 with singer/storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston breathing new life into tradi tional and contemporary stories from African and African American oral and cultural tradi tions. Master musicians Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves appear on September 30, demonstrating their belief that “traditional banjo and fiddle music are a way to interpret our uncertain times.” October 15 brings the innovative original bluegrass and klezmer music of Zoe & Cloyd with their confluence of the rich traditions and complementary styles of fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Cloyd Miller. On November 5, Blue Ridge Mu sic Hall of Fame member Jeff Little brings his trio to the Ashe Civic Center for an evening of Americana and Appalachian music. For tickets and information, visit AsheCountyArts.org

Complement Fall Foliage with Colorful Offerings

It’s A Wonderful Life

Over in Sparta, NC, the ALLEGHANY COMMUNITY THEATRE is producing Lizzie Borden of Fall River, a drama by the prolific Tim Kelly, author of more than 300 comedies, dramas, one-acts, mysteries, melodramas, children’s shows and musicals. The Lizzie Bor den case is without parallel in the criminal history of America, and it divided public opin ion as no murder trial had ever done. Did the strong-willed, intelligent Lizzie dispatch her father and stepmother with an axe one fate ful August morning, or was she the innocent victim of circumstance? Performances are October 14 through 16 with info available at alleghanycommunitytheatre.org

October 25, and Ghostbusters on October 27. November brings a month of beloved west erns with classic holiday movies slated for December.Concert-wise, the Mast Store Americana Music Series on the Doc Watson Stage of the App Theatre continues on September 29 with bluegrass singer-songwriter, mandolin ist, and guitarist Sierra Hull. Popular guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, C.G.P. will per form on October 7, with “Folk Music’s Rustic Renaissance Man” John McCutcheon taking centerstage at the historic venue on October 21, and four-time International Bluegrass Mu sic Award winner Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway on November 13. Looking ahead to the many holiday events is Christmas with Elvis: Matt Lewis and the Long Live The King Orchestra on Tuesday, December 20. New events are being announced weekly with in formation available at AppTheatre.org.

THEATRE in Boone continues to celebrate their 10th sea son by reviving the show that first brought co-

36 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE CALENDARCULTURAL

The APPALACHIAN THEATRE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY (ATHC) returns to its 1938 cinematic roots with its Classic Movie Musical series, with Singing in the Rain on September 20 and Grease on September 26 to celebrate the birthday of Olivia Newton-John. Their Sci-Fi Film series begins with Hocus Pocus on September 27 (the night before its sequel is released nationwide) followed by Little Shop of Horrors on October 4, Invasion of the Body Snatchers on October 11, The Bride of Frankenstein on October 18, The Thing on

By Keith Martin

Autumn: Teeming with Cultural Programming

“The State Theatre of Virginia” kicks off the holiday season on November 12 when Barter opens a world premiere adaptation of It’s A Wonderful Life by playwright-in-resi dence Catherine Bush. Ten quick-changing actors bring to life the world of Bedford Falls and its most famous resident in this beloved holiday classic for the whole family. Begin ning November 19, Joe DiPietro’s Over the River and Through the Woods follows Nick as he crosses the river to New Jersey to have dinner with both sets of his Italian-American grandparents. When Nick receives the per fect job offer from the west coast, it begins a series of shameless schemes and hilarious shenanigans that demonstrate the wonderful zaniness that is family. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Barter’s website at

BarterTheatre.comBEANSTALKCOMMUNITY

Performing Arts Groups

A Banner Elk Christmas

Barter Theatre

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” That opin ion is shared by the many arts organizations whose offerings this autumn are equal parts enticing and irresistible.

The following is an overview of current offerings on the schedule from now through mid-December, with events by our local col leges and universities, and at CoMMA, listed separately. PLEASE NOTE that all performanc es, dates and times are subject to change; you are strongly encouraged to contact the box office for the most current information.

Across the NC border in Abingdon, Virgin ia, the BARTER THEATRE continues perfor mances of three different plays through Sat urday, November 5. Mystery legend Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express stars company member Michael Poisson as Her cule Poirot in comic writer Ken Ludwig’s ad aptation of the classic murder mystery. David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord is a high-stakes com edy about two women locked in a no-holdsbarred battle of one-upmanship that reveals the tenacity of these worthy opponents, as well as the adventures that await us at any age, if only we will leap. The Royale, by Marco Ramirez, chronicles Jay “The Sport” Jackson’s dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion. However, it’s 1905 and in the racial ly-segregated world of boxing, his chances are virtually nonexistent, until he climbs into the ring with destiny.

Ensemble Stage

AppTheatre.orgBENTONHALL

Wilkes Playmakers Beanstalk

the back of your neck stand up and a chill run down your spine as the characters and crea tures of the night come to life via the old-time radio show format,” complete with all the mu sic and sound effects being performed live on stage.One of Avery County’s newest but most anticipated holiday traditions is Ensemble Stage’s annual A Banner Elk Christmas. The fourth edition of this original musical variety show is patterned after the Andy Williams and Bing Crosby television Christmas specials of the ‘60s and ‘70s. With all or parts of nearly forty songs performed in just over an hour, it is a fast paced musical and visual experience full of singing and dancing (and lots of cos tume changes). Director Gary Smith always retains some of the High County’s top talent for the two-week run with performances from December 2 through 18 in the Historic Banner Elk School. For ticket info for either of these productions, visit EnsembleStage.com or call 828-414-1844.Last,butnot

ATHC / John McCutcheon in his music studio Photo by Eric Peterson

aware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. Ticket information for all three productions is available at www. WilkesPlaymakers.com. Their number is 336838-PLAY (7529).

Elf, the Musical, based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema movie, runs Decem ber 2 through 11 and features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Produc ers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). It’s the story of a young orphan named Buddy who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised un

founders Amy Beane and Andrea McDonough together, Twinderella: The Musical. This mu sical send-up by Charlie Lovett and Bill Fran coeur tells the story of Cinderella and her long lost twin brother living in the same kingdom with his own wicked stepfamily. Performances take place at the Appalachian Theatre from November 3 through 5. For more info, visit www.BeanStalkNC.com, and for tickets, go to

Barter Theatre Murder on the Orient Express

COMMUNITY ARTS CEN

TER in North Wilkesboro, home to the ambi tious Wilkes Playmakers, has three events on the schedule from October 7 through 16, with Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Nora and Delia Ephron, based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues about women’s relationships and wardrobes and, at times, the interaction of the two, using the fe male wardrobe as a time capsule of a woman’s life. On October 28, the “First Annual” Interac tive Movie Night will feature the iconic cult classic film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with a cosplay contest for those dressed up as their favorite character from the film. Audience participation is highly en couraged, and the Playmakers will have “prop bucks” available for purchase so attendees may get the full RHPS experience.

BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY THEATRE will mark Halloween weekend with a re-creation of the radio production of Dracula, based on the well-known story by Bram Stoker about the curse of the undead, forever driven for blood, and the trail of victims he leaves be hind. In 1938, the Mercury Theater players, led by Orson Welles, broadcast a series of 11 radio shows based on timeless classics. Dracula was the first production, written and directed by Welles himself. The version will be directed by David Shows and performed live from the Cof fey Cabin at Hickory Ridge Homestead from October 29 through 31.

ATHC / Sierra Hull

Ashe Arts Zoe & Cloyd

Over in Banner Elk on October 28 and 29, ENSEMBLE STAGE is producing The Hitchcock Radio Hour, featuring “two tales of horror and suspense to set the mood for your Halloween fears to fester.” Both The Shadow People and The Undead are performed as 1930s live, staged radio plays, and the com pany promises that, “You’ll feel the hairs on

The holiday season at BRCT will showcase Julie A. Richardson’s take on The Best Christ mas Pageant Ever, developed for the stage from the book of the same name by Barbara Robinson. It is the story of the “unchurched” Herdmans who, due to the appeal of the re freshments offered, stumble into participat ing in a Christmas pageant. This fun and poi gnant play is an exploration of the true result of holiday programs, and takes place in the Blowing Rock Elementary School Auditorium on December 17 and 18. For details, visit blu eridgecommunitytheatrenc.com

ATHC / Tommy Emmanuel Barter Theatre Ripcord

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 37 CALENDARCULTURAL

least, the WATAUGA ARTS COUNCIL, in partnership with the Down town Boone Development Association and the Jones House, is sponsoring the Second Annual Buskers Fest. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. during the October 7 First Friday event, with street artists lining downtown Boone along King Street from the Turchin Center to Random Pub, as well as up and down Depot Street. The merriment includes performers, visual artists, and craft demonstrations that celebrate our eclectic creative community! If you have an outside-of-the-box idea, this is a good place to try it out… just let the arts council know what you have in mind. More details are available at watauga-arts.org

The DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE AT APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY has announced five major offerings produced in various indoor and outdoor venues on their Boone campus. Female directors, choreographers, designers, and playwrights are very much in evidence with no fewer than 12 different women leading various productions. The box office numbers are 828-262-4046 or 800-8412787 and their website may be found at www.theatreanddance. appstate.edu.

Coordinated by Laurie Atkins and Emily Daughtridge

The PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT AT LEES-MCRAE

December 1 - 4 in the I.G. Greer Studio Theatre

The academic year nicely compliments seasonal offerings by our vital community and professional companies, with exceptional cultural programs being produced and presented at both Appalachian State University and Lees-McRae College. These on-campus events welcome community audiences and visitors to the High Country with plays, musicals, dance, and innovative programming that enriches the quality of life in our region. Four different groups recently announced their fall 2022 seasons with a total of 14 productions from September through mid-December. The following is a brief overview of what to expect in the upcoming months. For more information, visit the websites listed at the end of each section.

• As part of a Stage Directing Techniques course, junior and senior class students stage two evenings of short plays. These works are funny, eccentric, thought-provoking, and moving—it’s a grab bag of stories each night designed to showcase the talents of students in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

November 16 - 20 in the Valborg Theatre

First Year Showcase

The Moors by Jen Silverman

September 29 to October 1-2 at various outdoor locations on campus.

Directed by Dr. Paulette Marty October 26 - 30 and November 2 – 4 in the I.G. Greer Studio Theatre.

• This popular concert features Appalachian faculty and students showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. Dance Studies faculty members creating original works for the program include Laurie Atkins, Emily Daughtridge, and Kevin Warner with guest alumni Beth De Leon and EC Fajardo.

• In a world inhabited only by children, “The Trolleys” are a gang of six living just outside the city. They need their light jars to survive—but the lights have started fading and no one knows why. Savage Kim and her gang head towards the city and the unknown, following a mysterious song. Will they find more light before their jars go out and they become Dusters? Commissioned in 2015 by the Australian Theatre for Young People, The Trolleys asks the question: “What happens if you inherit a world that isn’t safe?”

• The First Year Showcase is the annual season opener for the Department of Theatre and Dance. It is open to all first-year students who are interested in majoring or minoring in any of the six different degree concentrations within the department. This is an inclusive production incorporating anyone who wants to be involved. Appalachian students are responsible for the creation and performance of the show, which this year will utilize outdoor campus spaces to create site specific performance works.

Fall Short Play Festival

October 5 – 9 in the Valborg Theatre

• Two sisters and a dog live out their lives on the bleak English moors, dreaming of love and power. The arrival of a sweet-faced governess and an anxious bird set them all on a strange and dangerous path. The Moors is a dark comedy about love, desperation, and savagery. “Truly clever and intelligent. You really ought to see this.” - The New York Times

Diverse Line-Up Includes Classics to Contemporary Arts and New Works

38 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

14 Fall Productions Set at Area Colleges and Universities:

COLLEGE, housed in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Education, has scheduled a two-show fall theatre season that promises, “to bring new perspectives to classic stories.” This includes a new musical based on a classic Hasbro board game, and an iconic play by a multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Performances are given in the Broyhill Theatre of Hayes Auditorium on their idyllic campus in Banner Elk, NC. The box office phone number is 828-898-8709 and their website is www.lmc.edu/theatreshows.

Coordinated by Dr. Paulette Marty

Fall Appalachian Dance Ensemble (FADE) 2022

Directed by Dr. Gina Grandi

Coordinated by Marianne Adams and Derek Gagnier

CALENDARCULTURAL

By Keith Martin

The Trolleys by Sara West

Complexions Contemporary Ballet in STAR DUST: From Bach to David Bowie Thursday, October 6 in the Schaefer Center

Directed by Michael Hannah

Yola Friday, September 16 in the Schaefer Center

• Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, armed with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of 18 spectacular dancers, have re-envisioned ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess, and sheer passion. Their blockbuster hit, STAR DUST: From Bach to David Bowie, honoring two musical icons, has rocked the dance world and will make your spirits soar.

• In this play based on Williams’ own life experiences, narrator Tom Wingfield recounts his memories of 1937, when he shared a small St. Louis apartment with his mother, Amanda, and his sister, Laura. Former Southern debutante Amanda longs for the days when she was admired by many suitors, and frets over the future of her daughter, who is as mentally fragile as the glass menagerie she cherishes. Tom feels trapped by his responsibility to his family and the banality of daily life, seeking refuge in nightly trips to the movies.

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy A Celtic Family Christmas

Complexions Dance - Star Dust Photo by Sharen Bradford

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas Thursday, December 1 in the Schaefer Center

September 29 - October 2 in the Broyhill Theatre

Directed by Josh Yoder

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 39 CALENDARCULTURAL

• OACP says, “Yola’s inimitable vocals share nuanced stories of allyship, black feminine strength through vulnerability, collective awakening and loving connection from the sexual to the social. Yola declares that it is only when we stand for ourselves, and acknowledge our complexity, that we can be truly alive. For Yola, living is more than merely surviving.”

The SCHAEFER CENTER PRESENTS performing arts series, presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs (OACP), offers students, faculty, staff and the community a diverse array of music, theatre and dance designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding area. This season features a veritable “Who’s Who” of artists, a lineup of both rising stars and living legends who will entertain audiences at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The box office numbers are 828-2624046 or 800-841-2787 with additional information available online at http://theschaefercenter.org.

• Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth (the butler), Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up.

• The holidays truly become a family affair when married duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy—two of the globe’s best and brightest fiddle players—invite their children onstage for an unforgettable evening of holiday fun.

Clue, based on the Jonathan Lynn screenplay, written by Sandy Rustin, Hunter Foster and Eric Price

FADE

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

November 9 - 12 in the Broyhill Theatre

APPlause! K-12 Series at Appalachian State University presents affordable music, dance, film, and theatre events to students and their teachers from K-12 classrooms across the region. Students experience everything from high-energy acrobatics and Appalachian music to international dance and literary classics brought to life through theatrical productions. In recent seasons, more than 8,000 students across our region have attended APPlause Series events. For a complete listing of all five school performances this fall, visit their website at TheSchaeferCenter.org/applause.

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 41 AUTUMN GROUP EXHIBITION: Exuberate Your Soul – Landscapes Peak October 8 thru November 15 | Opening Reception October 8, 11-5pm HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE November 25 and 26 | 11-5pm WINTER GROUP AND SMALL WORKS EXHIBITION: November 26 thru April 30 A GALLERY FILLED WITH EXQUISITE GIFTS www.CarltonGallery.com | 10 miles south of Boone Grandfather Mtn.Community 10360 Hwy 105 S., Banner Elk, NC 28604 | 828.963.4288 | Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5 CARRCARLTONANTONACCIO BRAITMAN CarltonGallery ARTIST STUDIO GALLERY Sally Nooney Fine Art Paintings Glass Creations & Heirloom Jewelry Scenic Hwy 194 South Midway between Valle Crucis & Banner Elk Tuesday thru Saturday 10-5 828-963-7347 • Commissionssallynooney.comNooney@skybest.comInvited! Frank Nooney Furniture Restoration, and Antiques at the Gallery, next door

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By Keith Martin

On November 5, She The People - Girl friends’ Guide to Doing It for Themselves promises a high-octane show entirely cre ated, designed, and performed by the fear lessly funny women of world-famous comedy mecca, The Second City. “It’s a mimosas-andmadness-fueled foray that proudly roasts the patriarchy in a mashup of sketches and songs that reclaims comedy!”

And they couldn’t possibly make it easier or more affordable to take advantage of their program offerings. Full season tickets reduce the cost to $25 per show, a “Girls Night Out” package of select events is cleverly promoted, and single admission seats are available to all events.

Other events that are worth considering include America’s Got Talent finalists Sons of Serendip on November 17, and the Decem ber 5 holiday show Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular presenting traditions and cus toms that people in Mexico celebrate during the Christmas season.

Sons of Serendip

On September 22, Masters of Soul celebrates the legendary songs and performers that defined Motown and soul music. This 90-minute show features stylishly costumed, fully choreographed performances of both male and female groups backed by a live band, creating the ultimate stroll down memory lane.

CALENDARCULTURAL

This is the first opportunity that we’ve had to introduce CML readers to Sharon Jablonski, the first director of the newly-formed Depart ment of Cultural and Creative Development. Sharon’s name is familiar to many, having served as Morganton’s Main Street Director for nearly 30 Organizationally,years. this new entity brings the City’s Main Street Office, CoMMA, and Community House event venue into, “a power house of artistic and cultural offerings for our community,” according to City Manager Sally Sandy. “This was an excellent way to combine three departments that already work very closely together into one cohesive unit that will offer a richer, fuller cultural experience.”

CoMMA has established a reputation for bringing Broadway and worldwide touring shows to our region at reasonable prices, sav ing audience goers multiple trips to Charlotte, New York, or other major cities for their music, theatre, and dance enjoyment.

Jablonski said, “While the department is new, these employees are not. All of them are seasoned professionals who are excellent at what they do, and I am very excited to have them on my team as we enter this new era for the City of Morganton.”

It’s been three years since CML has fea tured the City of Morganton Municipal Au ditorium (CoMMA), and we’re long overdue to check in with this gem of the Unifour area consisting of Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties, including the vibrant communities of Hickory, Lenoir, and Morganton. In the in terest of full disclosure, this is my hometown region where my family dates back to 1710, and I am, as you can imagine, quite partial to this neck of the woods.

The entire slate of offerings is listed in the CoMMA ad near this article, but there are sev eral upcoming fall events worth highlighting.

Box office hours are from noon until 5 p.m. weekdays and one hour prior to all events. For additional information, or to request a season brochure, please call 828-433-SHOW or 800-939-SHOW, or visit their website at www.commaonline.org.

Since 1986, CoMMA has presented live en tertainment and cultural events to the delight of local and regional audiences. An impressive number of 17 major events have just been announced for the 37th season of MainStage Morganton, all of which take place in the 1,000 seat, state of the arts facility. For those of us who reside in the High Country region, it is the closest venue in which to experience national tours of Broadway shows, along with a balanced slate of music, dance, holiday, and community-based events. For their 2022-23 season running from August through May, CoMMA has programmed something to ap peal to every possible taste in entertainment.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 43

guitar. With multiple melodies and rhythms and special playing techniques, Luca has transformed his instrumentals into a solo art form all his own.

Luca Stricagnoli: Italy’s Guitar Prodigy takes the stage on October 6 for a show that features high-energy renditions of rock songs played on a variety of custom acoustic instru ments, including his own triple neck acoustic

The award-winning band Lonestar per forms on October 27 with a fresh look at all 10 of their chart-topping country songs, from the rock-edged “No News,” to the band’s qua druple-platinum 1999 album Lonely Grill that spawned four No. 1 hits (including the be loved “Amazed”) and established Lonestar as music’s preeminent pop-country band.

17 Shows Highlight the 37th Year at CoMMA

Over 600 Adult & Family Puzzles (in addition to our games & novelty departments) Celebrating our 30th Year! • Open Year-round, Seven Days a Week • SouthMarke, 1179 Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC (Across from Town Tavern) 828.295.4438 44 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE 37 N. MITCHELL AVE. • BAKERSVILLE, NC 28705 828-688-6422 mon-satmicagallerync.com10-5andsun12-5 Gertrude Graham Smith micagallerync ummWhen it matters... MOUNTAIN JEWELERS SINCE 1985 Between the 2 stoplights in Newland NC Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10am until 6pm 828.733.0186 || MountainJewelersNC.com

Old Hampton Barbecue and The Tavern at the Old Hampton Store – Live outdoor music on select Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays at noon and 6 p.m. Go to Old Hampton Store Facebook page for the latest updates, additions, and changes. | 77 Ruffin Street in Linville, 828-733-5213

Linville Falls Winery – Located near Linville Falls and the spectacular Linville Gorge, the steepest gorge east of the Mississippi River, Linville Falls Winery hosts music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons beginning at 3 p.m. | 9557 Linville Falls Hwy (Hwy 221) Linville Falls, NC Blue Ridge Parkway Mile 317, 828-765-1400, linvillefallswinery.com

Villa Nove Vineyard – is nestled in the Appalachian High Country with vineyard-laced hills giving way to breathtaking 360-degree views. Enjoy live music Sunday 2-5 p.m. | 1877 Dry Hill Rd, Butler, TN, 423-768-0345, villanovevineyards.com

At the Wineries & Vineyards

Watauga Lake Winery – Johnson County, Tennessee’s first winery will host musical lineups on Saturdays starting at 5 p.m. 6952 Big Dry Run Rd., Butler, TN, 423-768-0345

Wheelies Refresher – Live music on select Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. and Sundays 12-3 p.m. | 8960 Valley Blvd., Blowing Rock, 828-414-9990, facebook.com/wheeliesrefresher or wheeliesrefresher.com

Music on the Lawn at The Inn at Ragged Gardens – Friday evenings through October, 5:30-8:30 p.m., weather permitting. Bring your own seating; outdoor bar and lawn menu available. Sorry, no coolers, pets, or outside food or beverages. | 203 Sunset Dr., Blowing Rock, 828-295-9703, ragged-gardens.com

Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Mountain Glory Festival

GrandfatherVineyard&Winery

Music is made in our area all year long by skilled and talented musicians. They’re picking and jamming on the stages, in the meadows, on front porches, and fireside. Here are some of our favorite venues…

Live Music at Lost Province Brewery – Every Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 7 p.m. | 130 N. Depot Street, Boone, 828-265-3506, lostprovince.com

Banner Elk Winery – High Country’s original winery is just minutes from downtown Banner Elk and hosts music on Saturdays starting at noon, Sundays 1-5 p.m. and most Fridays 1-5 p.m. 60 Deer Run Lane, Banner Elk, NC, 828-898-9090, bannerelkwinery.com

Highlanders Grill & Tavern – Check for dates and lineup on their Facebook page at facebook.com/highlandersbannerelk 4527 Tynecastle Hwy., Banner Elk, 828-898-9613

Blowing Rock Brewing and Ale House – Enjoy live music Sunday afternoons starting at 3 p.m. | 152 Sunset Dr., Blowing Rock, 828-414-9600, blowingrockbrewing.com or facebook.com/BRbrewingCo

Music on the Veranda at Green Park Inn – Sundays, 5-8 p.m. Bring your own chairs. | 9239 Valley Blvd., Blowing Rock, 828-414-9230, GreenParkInn.com

At Restaurants & Bars

Timberlake’s Restaurant – at the Chetola Resort features live music in the Pub, on the Patio or by the Bonfire, depending on weather and special events, Wednesday through Saturday 6-9 p.m. 185 Chetola Lake Dr., Blowing Rock, 828-295-5505, chetola.com/dining/

Chef’s Table – Live Wednesday night jazz with Shane Chalke at 7 p.m. Additional live music on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 6:30 p.m. | 140 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, 828-898-5214, bannerelkvillage.com

Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria – Live music every Friday 5:30-8:45 p.m. 402 Beech Mountain Parkway, Beech Mountain, 828-387-4000, famousbrickoven.com

Grandfather Vineyard and Winery – Music in the vineyard hosts a season full of live music on Wednesday through Saturday starting at 2 p.m., and Sunday afternoons starting at 1 p.m. Food truck available Friday through Sunday. | 225 Vineyard Lane, off NC 105 between Boone and Banner Elk, 828-963-2400, grandfathervineyard.com

Barra Sports Bar – Karaoke Friday nights starting at 9 p.m. 140 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, 828-898-5214, bannerelkvillage.com

Casa Rustica – Live music on Thursday evenings with Todd Wright and Andy Page | 1348 NC Hwy. 105 S., Boone, 828-262-5128, casarustica1981.com

Blind Elk Tap Room – Grab a lawn chair and plan to hang out for some incredible artists who are sure to tickle your eardrums. While you’re at it, enjoy a cold beverage from one of the 15 rotating taps. Check out their social media pages for dates and times. | 397 Shawneehaw Ave. S., Banner Elk, 828-898-2420, blindelk.com or facebook.com/BlindElk

At Inns & Resorts

theWhereMusic Is .

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 45CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 45 Continued on next page

Live Bands at Banner Elk Café – Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year, 6-10 p.m. | 324 Shawneehaw Ave. S. Banner Elk, 828-898-4040, bannerelkcafe.com

The Schaefer Center Presents – Offering a diverse array of music, dance, and theatre programming for audiences of all ages September through April. Musical events range from symphony orchestra and chamber music performances to jazz, blues, folk, popular and international artists. | Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers St., Boone, 828-262- 4046, theschaefercenter@appstate.edu

Crossnore Jam – Free live jam sessions. Bring an instrument if you would like to join in! Town Meeting House on the first Friday of the month at 10:30 a.m. and every Tuesday at 1 p.m. | Crossnore Drive, Crossnore, 828-733-0360

The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country – is an historic landmark for the town of Boone. Today the theatre is host to live acts, film screenings with panelist discussions, and movie nights. To learn more about upcoming events and the fascinating history of the Theatre, visit their website. | 559 West King Street, Boone, 828-865-3000, apptheatre.org

Woolly Worm Festival – The quirky and light-hearted Woolly Worm Festival is an event that you won’t see anywhere else! Enjoy crafts, plenty of food vendors, and live music, plus the Woolly Worm Wace. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children five years of age and younger. It costs $5 to race a worm. Proceeds go to support children’s charities, small business, and tourism. October 15 – 16; Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | 185 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, NC, 828-898-5605, woollyworm.com

Orchard at Altapass

At Parks

High Country Jazz Society Concert – takes place on October 9, the 2nd Sunday of the month from 5-7 p.m. at the Meadowbrook Inn. Please call for reservations one week prior to the concert. 711 Main St., Blowing Rock, 828-264-6860, highcountryjazzsociety. wordpress.com

The Jones House – The music moves to the Mazie Jones Gallery for the Indoor Concerts at the Jones House late September through early December; acts cover numerous genres, including old-time and bluegrass, traditional fiddle tunes, saxophone-infused love songs, Scotch-Irish folk music, and a blend of original songs by NC singersongwriters. Tickets are $20 and require advance reservation. | 604 W King St, Boone, NC 28607, 828-268-6280 Joneshouse.org

Concerts in the Park, Blowing Rock – Six Sundays May through October, 3-5 p.m. following Art in The Park. | Memorial Park, 1036 Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC, 828-295-7851, blowingrock.com/ concertinthepark/

October 15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | 122 Skiles Way, Banner Elk, NC, 828-963-4609, vallecountryfair.org

Concerts on the Deck – Bring a chair and your dancing shoes to the Yadkin Valley Marketplace the third Saturday of each month, now through October, starting at 6 p.m. | 842 CBD Loop, North Wilkesboro, 336-667-7129, downtownnorthwilkesboro.com

Sugar Mountain Oktoberfest – Sugar Mountain’s annual Oktoberfest invites you to bring your lederhosen or dirndl and have fun! Parking, shuttle service, and admission are free for this two-day event. The Harbour Towne Fest Band will provide entertainment, food and crafts will be available for purchase, as well as traditional Spaten beer.

The Hayes School of Music – at Appalachian State University is nestled at the base of Howard’s Knob in downtown Boone. These programs are supported by more than 50 faculty, numerous performance ensembles, and modern academic and performance facilities. | Hayes School of Music, Broyhill Music Center, 813 Rivers St., Boone, music.appstate.edu/performances/performance-calendar828-262-3020,

The Orchard at Altapass – Free live music in the outdoor pavilion through October on Saturday and Sunday, 3-4:30 p.m. | 1025 Orchard Rd., Spruce Pine, 828-765-9531, altapassorchard.org

October 8 and 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sugar Mountain Resort, 1009 Sugar Mountain Dr., Sugar Mountain, NC, 828-898-4521, oktoberfest.skisugar.com

Old-Time Acoustic Jams at the Jones House – Join local and visiting musicians every Thursday at 7 p.m. for an old-time jam. Bring an instrument and join in or just enjoy the music. | 604 West King St., Boone, 828-268-6280, joneshouse.org

And Everywhere Else

The Pineola Live Music Weekends – Live music Friday and Saturday nights from 7-10 p.m. | 3085 Linville Falls Hwy., Pineola, 828-733-4979, thepineola.com

Red, White, and Bluegrass Jams – at the American Legion in Blowing Rock on the first and third Tuesday of the month from April to November. Come to listen or bring your instrument and join right in. 333 Wallingford St, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5222, facebook.com/rwbj. boone.nc

Mountain Glory Festival – Visitors will find original crafts, food, local wine, and beer, plus two stages presenting Marion’s finest musicians. Free admission. October 8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Main Street, Marion, NC, 828-652-2215, mtngloryfestival.com

46 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE46— Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Valle Country Fair – The annual Valle Country Fair is a sure favorite among locals and visitors. Crafts, food, and toe tapping music, traditional dancing, and classic tales by a master storyteller. Admission is free, and parking costs $10 per car, $25 for a small bus or van and $50 for a motorcoach. Across from Holy Cross Episcopal Church.

Before you head out, be sure to check with each venue or search online for any changes to dates, times, locations, and restrictions.

Brushy Mountain Apple Festival – This free one-day arts and crafts festival on October 1, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in downtown Wilkesboro, has four music stages, hundreds of arts and crafts vendors and food. On the Friday night before the festival, Sept 30, gather at the corner of 10th and Main Streets in downtown North Wilkesboro for Apple Jam, a live music event starting at 6 p.m. The proceeds go to the Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club, a group that supports nonprofit organizations and families in need. | Downtown Wilkesboro, 336-921-3499, applefestival.net

Festivals

Fully fluent in the worlds of classical, folk, popular, alternative and experimental genres of music, Derek has always been equally intrigued by pure “sounds”—the sounds of nature, the unique sounds of the untrained, unsophisticated human voice— and how these elements may be woven to gether with limited, select instrumentation into original music compositions.

William Ritter performing with Derek in Ashe Civic Center

“My grandmother, Dorothy Augusta Crofut, was born in 1919,” recalled Piotr. “In 2008, when I was 17 and she was 89, I used my first mobile phone to record a brief clip of her. Then, in 2010, she called our house phone. It went to voicemail and I picked up. Struck by the idea that I could record conversations and those moments with her, I slowly began recording her co vertly when I would visit with her, making a few recordings on my mobile phone. She never knew about this, and actually never

The Songcatcher of Avery County

After John passed away, Olive went on to not only complete the work of her late husband and found the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, but to continue collecting songs; in 1917 she published English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, a collaboration with English folk song collector, Cecil Sharp.

By Steve York In 1909 Olive Dame Campbell began collecting local folk ballads while living with her missionary schoolteacher hus band, John Campbell, amongst the peoples of the southern Appalachian mountains. In the process, she soon discovered how much those songs and melodies had obvious ties to and deep roots within age-old Scottish, Irish and English ballads.

A singer since age three, a professional musician since age 20 and, more recently, a dedicated folklorist, Derek hails from

So, what drew Piotr to settle in Elk Park? “Initially I was guided by recordings made for the Works Progress Administra tion in 1939 of Lena Bare Turbyfill,” Piotr noted. “Lena was recorded by Dr. Herbert Halpert as part of his Southern Folklife Expedition. Only two of Lena’s perfor mances had been made commercially available before I came along. So, I made it my mission to excavate her and her family’s entire repertoire to curate and release these recordings. I also began working with Le na’s living descendants, mainly her grand children and, in particular, her last living daughter, Nicola ‘Aunt Nicky’ Pritchard.

West Redding, Connecticut. His excava tions to dig up original folk music have carried him up and down the mid-Atlan tic states as well as across the Atlantic to North Yorkshire, England, and, most re cently, to Avery County.

Olive and John had recently moved to the area on a grant John had received to study the area’s social and cultural condi tions. The grant was intended to help John’s missionary organization better understand and address the needs of remote Appala chian people who typically lived under very difficult conditions, far removed from even the simplest of modern amenities.

That same spirit and passion is very much alive and well today in the folksong and ballad archiving of folklorist Derek Piotr. And his most recent fieldwork has taken up permanent residence right here in the small, historic community of Elk Park.

Derek & Aunt “Nicky” listening to a recording of TurbyfillLena

Mrs. Lena Bare Turbyfill

It was this work that ultimately in spired the 2000 film entitled Songcatcher. Although a fictionalized version of Olive’s life, the film does capture the spirit of her music archiving and her passionate appre ciation for the authentic folk ballads and culture of Appalachia.

He also seems to have had a long fas cination with ethnomusicology, a fancy word for the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. In particular he’s been drawn to the oral traditions of older stories and story-songs, especially the hauntingly beautiful and poignant songs born of struggle, hardship and longing, sung in raw authenticity by unpolished voices (“non-singers,” as Derek emphasizes) and free from modern instru mentation or recording technology. And, as he recalls, this fascination—and soon to become a life calling—began early on and within his own family.

“Those recordings spanned from 2008 to January 1, 2018. She passed away two months later at the age of 99. I had never thought I would use them and kept them mostly as a loose sort of journal for my self. But the moment she passed away I knew I had to memorialize her within my Avia album. It features only a few of these recordings, set to organ, string quartet, saxophone, and other sort of ‘chamber’ en semble backdrops.”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 47 Continued on next page

“I first recorded her in Elk Park in July of 2020,” added Piotr. “Meeting Nicky in person was a magical experience. And being able to hear a version of an ancient Scottish ballad that had been remembered through pure oral tradition…now being sung in the 21st century in a little living room…next to iPhones and laptops…was a wonderment. My meetings with Aunt Nicky spurred on my fieldwork in a huge way, and Lena’s family eventually ended up ‘claiming me as their own’ due to the emotional nature of my work with them,” he recalled.

heard any of my recordings,” he explained.

SONGCATCHER: continued Park

Much like Olive Campbell, Piotr also found that many of the songs he’s dis covered were also derived—in whole or in part—from ancient Scottish, Irish and English ballads. But, as Piotr will note, the art of capturing these recordings takes a special sensitivity for the “very real” people who open up to share story-songs.

When you peruse some of Piotr’s re cordings, you may hear a combination of spoken word-stories with a music back ground; unaccompanied a cappella ballads with multiple verses; and old tunes accom panied by guitar, banjo, fiddle or dulcimer. Beyond that, Piotr has recently announced the publishing of his Fieldwork-Archive. com collections, which are added to his website’s other recordings.

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Derek Piotr field recording with Shirley and Charlie Glenn in Banner Elk, NC

As he notes, they aren’t professional singers or storytellers, and they don’t typi cally perform publicly, except maybe at church or family gatherings. So, Piotr is careful to tread lightly and with respect in approaching his subjects, knowing that these age-old ballads and stories carry more than words and melodies. They also carry a personal history with deep roots in cherished family memories and cultural traditions.

from previous page 4393 Elk

Since 2020, Piotr’s archiving and pub lished recordings have grown considerably with a variety of singers, story-tellers and musicians. His latest solo album entitled The Devil Knows How, culled primarily from the repertoire of Lena Bare Turbyfill and her kin, features narratives about the family’s singing tradition, with a variety of musical pieces, including contributions from locals Brandon J. Johnson, Ian Kirk patrick, and William Ritter. Collections have also included Charlie and Shirley Glenn, Bobby McMillon and others.

Highway Elk Park, NC info@offroadmountainwarriors.com28622

Previous recordings from those meet ings have been incorporated into Piotr’s albums entitled Last Wisps of the Old Ways: North Carolina Mountain Singing, and Ever Since We’ve Known It: More North Carolina Mountain Singing; both expand on the songs and stories of Lena Turbyfill and her daughter, “Aunt Nicky” Pritchard.

The historical value of Piotr’s work will long endure in the world of folklorists far and wide. But the heartfelt personal lega cies of those “real people with real stories” captured through age-old oral traditions

are and always will be priceless. If you’ve yet to come across Piotr or his works, you can check them out at www.derekpiotr. com. Or, catch Piotr live—he has recently performed at the Avery Heritage Festival in Newland, at the Revolve in Asheville, and on the air at Boone Area Commu nity Radio. Either way, looks like Piotr has taken up the mantle as Avery County’s own folklorist and “Songcatcher.” And, if you, your friends or relatives have a story, song, fragment, recipe, memory, or adage to share, you can reach out to him at d@ derekpiotr.com.

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That grassy field has hosted many a visitor to the town’s famous Woolly Worm Festival every October for 45 years, and more recently, to the arts festivals and farmers’ market that take place in sum mer. Throughout all those festivities, the school has been a handsome backdrop. Its front yard served the public, but the school served the children. And it served them well, from opening day in 1939 until it was replaced by a new school in 2011.

1954

Situated at one end of a little valley pre sided over by majestic Grandfather Mountain, with beautiful Beech Mountain sheltering it from the north, the village of Banner Elk has a well justified reputation as an especially pretty mountain town. The fine old stone and timber facades of LeesMcRae College (circa 1900) enhance that image nicely, as does the classic rock-built schoolhouse building (circa 1938) that an chors the view from across its wide green lawn at the center of town.

and fondly as “Charlie B,” is a descendant of early Banner Elk settlers and a devoted advocate of the town. He recalls his first year at the school, in 1945, and his awe and pride at the building’s modern features. He remembers the weekly programs every Wednesday when each class in turn pre sented programs of interest to the rest of the school. Travel writer and native daugh ter Carol Timblin, who attended first through eighth grade in the ‘40s and ‘50s, describes the school as the literal “center of the community,” and her teachers as devot ed role models who were “all in the business of bringing up the children.” My own Dad, who grew up just outside of town and, with his sister and brothers, was among the first children to attend the school; at 93 years of age he can still lovingly recall which class room belonged to each of his teachers. My cousin, Christy Smart, who was a student in the ‘70s and whose daughters attended in the ‘90s, says that as a child, walking into the school made her feel “enveloped in a loving atmosphere.” It’s the people who taught and nurtured them that alumni speak of, but they also remark fondly on the school itself, the memory-stirring scent of wood floors and books that still perme ate the old building.

An Old School With a New Purpose

Back in 2011, as county administra tors pondered how best to dispose of the property, developers offered visions of new business enterprises but townspeople and other like- minded citizens raised objec tions. It was unthinkable that the former school would be turned into a commercial space, they said. The school was and had always been a place for the community.

Even if the children weren’t there anymore, it belonged to the community.

Student body,

May Pole

VonCannon, known locally

It took some time to get things worked out, but eventually the town and the coun ty came to terms. After seventy-one years of serving children, the old school would serve the town of Banner Elk, and its friends, neighbors and visitors, as a com munity center. In 2014, the town entered into an agreement with the county to pur chase the school for $1 million dollars at zero percent interest, payable over twelve years. Town Council agreed from the start that there were to be no tax dollars ex pended on the property, which meant that fundraising was an essential part of the plan. Council members and civic-minded individuals pitched in with their expertise and vision. There was plenty to be done; the structure was solid, but in serious need of refurbishment, and the groundwork had to be laid for a donor base to support the annual mortgage payment. It was a tall or der for a little town, but without any inter est in personal gain, people came forward to help.Then-council member Allen Bolick led the way. Inspired by what he and oth ers saw as an opportunity to repurpose the building to benefit the whole town and generations to come, Bolick started shar ing his vision with everyone who expressed an interest in the old school. There were quite a few of them, and they were gener ous with their time, expertise, and money. Bolick founded the “Team of 83,” a group of donors who pledged an annual contri bution towards the yearly loan payment of $83,000.

When the school board decommis sioned the old Banner Elk Elementary School, there was considerable concern among the locals as to what would become of the property. There it sat, a visible re minder of happy schooldays to practically every man, woman and child in the town and surrounding area. Generations of Av ery County youth had been educated there; schoolchildren had become the parents, then grandparents, and great-grandparents of Banner Elk School students. Indeed, ask a local about their time spent at the Banner Elk School and the memories come flood ing Charlesback.

By LouAnn Morehouse

direct access from the school to town hall and Tate-Evans Park, a popular venue for walkers, and the site of summer concerts. Plans for more improvements to the fa cility include in-ground electrical services added to the front yard for the benefit of vendors at the various outdoor events, as well as new sidewalks and street lighting.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 53

And then the fun began: deciding what to do with all that room! First off, the school library was an ideal setting for, what else, a library and reading room. Bolick tapped the school’s most recent librarian, Donna Dicks, to guide the process. Dicks and her committee developed a novel con cept, a book exchange, that provided the public with a place to trade books they had read for new ones without the formality of an organized, lending structure. It could be staffed by volunteers, and relied almost entirely on book donations to stock the shelves.The Book Exchange opened in late 2014, exceeding the committee’s expecta tions right from the start. The site of the old school library had been beautifully restored thanks to a generous donor, and the space was comfortable and welcoming. Book donations poured in: quality hard covers and paperbacks, for adults as well as children. Volunteers signed up to host, and the first community service of the Historic Banner Elk School, as it was known, got underway.Notlong after, Mayland Community College signed on to the project by rent ing space for leisure and lifestyle classes. As more people began using the building, awareness of its potential grew and more donors came forward with support. The hallways were restored, internet access im proved, and more former classrooms were renovated.Inthe ensuing years, much has hap pened to this grassroots effort. Between hands-on support and many instances of generous donors, grant funds and patron

The building itself, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Works Prog ress Administration (WPA) in 1938, has long been admired for its rockwork quar ried from the surrounding mountains. In recognition, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

There’s still more to come. Town man ager Rick Owen says there are some spaces left that offer possibilities for community use. The former cafeteria located in the rear annex of the main building is one, along with classroom space, and a beautifully landscaped back courtyard. An expanded parking area has been added, and a new side road nears completion; it provides

The Book Exchange has been joined by other culturally-minded enterprises: Ensemble Stage Professional Theatre, a repertory company presenting professional and community actors in performances throughout the year; and BE Artists Gal lery, an artist-owned co-operative sell ing the work of more than 35 artists and craftspeople from the area. One former classroom houses editorial and business staff of our very own Carolina Mountain Life magazine. Another classroom is the peaceful, meditative confines of the Avery Community Yoga Studio. These innova tive small businesses of the Banner Elk Cultural Arts Center have been attracting visitors and locals for some time, and were recently listed as a choice place to visit on the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Blue Ridge Craft Trail.

Photos courtesy of Charlie B. and Penny VonCannon

age, the old school is settling into its new role as the Banner Elk Cultural Arts Cen ter, a 501(c)3 non profit.

Just five more mortgage payments are left, and then the building will be paid for. What comes next? More opportuni ties await! But one thing is certain: that schoolhouse aura—the scent of books and paper, wood floors, warm memories and happy voices—is sure to linger. And that’s a good thing.

It’s been an eventful and productive eight years since the Town of Banner Elk took on the transformation of its fine old school building into a much needed com munity center. Owen says in that time more than one million dollars have been raised, with $583,000 in mortgage payments and more than $300,000 in improvements among the expenses met. He notes with satisfaction that, as decided from the out set, no taxpayer dollars have been expended for the project. Funds from the dedicated support of the Team of 83 donors, from revenues earned from the four Art on the Greene festivals, and from the annual ben efit Golf Tournament (which alternates between Beech Mountain and Elk River clubs) underwrite the effort. Additional support continues to come from individu als and foundations that recognize the value of such a community asset.

be Unbroken consists of two beautiful wood benches connected by overhead circles that embrace the benches and form a moon gate. The circle is a uni versal symbol utilized by most religions and cultures and is symbolic of vitality, wholeness, completion and perfection— a symbol of infinity, having no begin ning, no ending. This beautifully pati naed intimate seating area invites one to rest, reflect and connect.

Moon gates, a winged horse, and a large pair of vibrant red lips are just a few of the unique elements that recently showed up on the campus of Appalachian State University, in time for the students to return for fall semes ter. While this combination of elements might appear puzzling, they are in fact part of a long-planned Campus Arts Corridor that will visually define the path between the two main arts hubs on the campus of App State: The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The corridor also weaves together other significant arts related buildings that lie between the two: Valborg Theater, home to the University Theatre Mainstage; Chappell Wilson Hall, which houses the Department of Theatre and Dance; the Broyhill Music Center, home of the

toPathwayART

Hayes School of Music; and Wey Hall, which houses the Department of Art.

The corridor originates at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, which is lo cated on King Street at the crossroads of campus and community and provides a link to the public art initiatives of the Town of Boone. The iconic Transit Candy stair mural located on the grand staircase adjacent to the main entrance of the Turchin Center serves as the start ing point for the corridor. Painted in the summer of 2020 by Baltimore artists Jessie Underhalter and Katey Truhn, the mural takes it cues from regional textiles. The vibrant, geometric design runs from the top of the 36-step grand staircase, flows to the bottom of the steps and ter minates with a fringed edge as might be found on a rug.

The sculpture crafted by Mike Roig consists of an undulating stainless steel main section topped by a cast iron winged female figure who is emerging from a chrysalis that protects and em braces her, just as a chrysalis protects an emerging butterfly. It symbolizes her reemergence and transformation, which is enhanced by the kinetic aspect of the sculpture which pirouettes smoothly on its axis. The sculpture is aptly named Chrysalis.

Kevin Vanek Loud!

54 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

The vibrant colors of the painted steel structure of Carl Billingsley’s Double

The arts corridor builds on more than three decades of outdoor sculpture programming at Appalachian State and provides a vibrant and dynamic arts and cultural destination for campus residents and visitors. The sculptors represented in the arts corridor all reside in North Car olina and what unites their works is that the pieces embrace re-emergence and transformation as a result of the pan demic; social unity, connection and com munity building; or hopes and dreams for a more equitable world.

Jonathan Pellitteri Balancing at New Heights

Mike Roig Chrysalis

Adjacent to the stair mural and next to the entrance to the Turchin Center lecture hall, Beau Lyday’s Will the Circle

By Lynn Rees-Jones

The sculpture Sounds of the Elements by Hanna Jubran from Grimesland, NC, is a striking stainless steel, bronze and aluminum sculpture which visually leads people into campus. The work is part of a series of sculptures that reflect the four elements, Earth, Water, Fire and Wind in our universe on the micro to the mac ro level. Representative of wind, Sounds of the Elements creates delicate chimes when activated by the wind.

The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is the largest facility of its kind in the region and fulfills Appalachian State University’s long-held mission of providing a home for world-class visual arts programming. The TCVA is located at 423 West King St. in Boone. Hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Tues. - Thurs. and Saturday, and Noon - 8 p.m., Friday. Admission is always free, although do nations are gratefully accepted. For more information call 828-262-3017 or visit tcva.org. You can also follow the Turchin on Facebook and Instagram.

Carl Billingsley Double Wedge

Hanna Jubran Sounds of the Elements

ture, visit tcva.org, or stop by the Turchin Center for a sculpture guide.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 55

Wedge creates an eye-popping sculpture that is an interplay of simple geometric shapes. At first glance, the halves seem separate and precariously balanced, but in fact are quite sturdy due to a support ive connection between the two halves and are symbolic of the need to strike a balance in our cultural relationships. Nestled against the library building, the sculpture of Jonathan Pellitteri, Bal ancing at New Heights, is petite in stature but large in concept. The two tapering concrete staircases are punctuated with empty chairs on the top tread and act as a cue for viewers to project themselves into the work. The sculpture is an alle gory for two people seeking achievement while following different life paths. The position of the chairs facing each other emphasizes the need for dialogue among those who are on opposing paths, which in times of heated community and na tional tensions is more important than ever. Set in an open lawn area is Jessica Bradsher’s sculpture, Pegasus Landing. This winged horse, made of tubular steel, is light and airy and feels like it may have just flown down from the surrounding mountain tops. Created when the artist was producing her thesis on the topic of empathy, she believes that outdoor sculpture work is an integral part of the re-emergence and transformation of our country and world.

Kevin Vanek’s vibrant sculpture, LOUD! is meant to be a fun attention grabber while also being a literal mouth piece for unheard voices, including the LGBTQIA+ community, Black and Brown folks, fems in male dominated spaces, poor people, disabled individu als, young, old, and any other disenfran chised or marginalized voice. The artist believes that through their art, they can give voice to those who are often un heard in the art world.

Beau Lyday Will the Circle be Unbroken

These seven sculptures will be on campus for two years. For more informa tion, visitors are invited to scan the QR code on the signage next to each sculp

Jessica Bradsher Pegasus Landing

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For more information on upcoming concerts and other events, the public can visit music.appstate.edu for a complete calendar and schedule.

The Appalachian Opera Theatre and Appalachian Symphony Orchestra perform Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land at the Appalachian Theatre in Spring 2022. Photo by Chase Reynolds/Appalachian State University.

The School also encourages entrepre neurship in its students, many of whom seek to perform around Watauga County. Students of the music program have played at weddings and in churches, and have formed rock, jazz, and even Appalachian music ensembles. These students work in dependently of the school, and the High Country community is invited to seek out such talent in order to give aspiring musi cians resume-building and talent-honing experiences that only playing in a profes sional setting can provide. Through gener ous support from the community, dedica tion from instructors, and passion from students, Hayes School of Music continues to promote and produce professional and talented musicians.

Lisl Doughton, M.M. Performance alum and Director of the Community Music School at App State, performs at the Reeves Theatre in Elkin, NC with Summit Strings. Photo courtesy of Summit Strings.

Hayes School of Music offers around 200 free concerts every year, including both student and faculty solo and ensemble per formances in choir, jazz, opera, and more.

Among the many academic units of Appalachian State University, the Hayes School of Music sets itself apart as one of the most widely recognized music programs in the nation. Careers in music are often multi-faceted and can take many forms. The Hayes School of Music offers a wide variety of opportunities for students to flourish and to pursue their passions, echoing their motto, “We transform your passion for music into a profession for life.”

The Hayes School of Music has ben efited from the philanthropic efforts of a number of donors, including Mariam Cannon Hayes, Arnold and Muriel Rosen, and Satie Broyhill. The School of Music also has a long history of generous support from the Boone community.

By Conor Mize

generous donations open doors for the students that make education in music ac cessible. Our students are fortunate to have the support of many donors who share the passion and support for their career paths.”

The School of Music is named af ter Mariam Cannon Hayes, daughter of Charles A. Cannon, a benefactor of the Cannon Music Camp. The Hayes School of Music offers a Bachelor of Music degree in a range of disciplines, including Mu sic Education, Music Therapy, and Music Performance, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry Studies, all for aspiring musicians, educators, clinicians, and even those seeking careers in other fields, such as medicine, law, and psychology (just to name a few). Each of these undergraduate programs offers a plethora of opportunities and experiences needed to pursue a profes sional career in music, including solo and ensemble studies in jazz, choir, orchestra, band, and more. Because these are presti gious professional degrees from a nation ally recognized and respected university, they plant the seeds for future musicians entering into the professional field and provide them with a platform for express ing and honing their talents, delivered through dedicated and skilled instructors who guide and mentor them.

Prospective students are required to audition and apply to the University be fore they can be placed in the program. The enrollment of the school and the fo cus on undergraduate education ensures that all students receive the opportunity to perform as a soloist and in ensembles, while maintaining some degree of com petition for the first seats. Participation and experience are vital to music training, which makes the hands-on experiences offered all the more important. Paths fol lowing graduation are multifaceted. Some students will seek K-12 teaching positions, others will begin their internship for music therapy, while others will enter the mu sic industry. Undergraduates in the area of performance, upon receiving their de gree, will then proceed to graduate school. While the Hayes School of Music encour ages alumni to enroll in graduate study in music therapy and music performance, its graduate programs typically feature small er numbers. The School of Music seeks to provide ample opportunities to each of its students in order to better prepare them for a professional career in music.

Dean James Douthit D.M.A., begin ning his sixth year as the leader of the school, states, “Scholarships and other

The students of the Appalachian Brass Ensemble perform at each App State Commencement ceremony. Photo © Appalachian State University.

Hayes School of Music

The Steely Pan Steel Band® consists of 22 performers and 41 steel drums, including drumset and percussion. The ensemble, conducted by Dr. Diana Loomer, performs at universities, art festivals, and all types of schools throughout the south.

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“I remember the day when I was five years old that our family piano came into our home,” he said. “It was a 1965 Stroud upright with a mirror stretching across the front.” He even recalled the price tag of $250.00. “I would come home from church and sit down and play from heart the hymns that were sung that day.” His par ents decided on piano lessons that cost him three quarters for a half hour. He was proud to hand over those coins to his teacher each week.Douthit went on to say, “People at tach themselves to pianos. They become the sound vocabulary for the day—whether it is party music or hymns.” He noted that dur ing the pandemic, Hayes School of Music was silent. “It was eerily surreal—like the life had been sucked out of the building.”

It had traveled from New York City, where it was carefully crafted, to her child hood home in Wyoming (it was her birth day gift as a seven-year-old). When she got married, it moved to their starter home in Casper. Sing-a-longs and parties were a tradition in our home, and I can vividly remember Dad singing Unchained Melody while mom’s fingers danced on the keys. When our family moved to Ohio and then on to Charlotte, the piano was carefully packed and shipped, and I can only assume that tunes kept Melody company over the miles of Whentravel.itcame time to find Melody’s fi nal home, it was without question that she should live in Boone at The Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. I visited Melody on campus back in Au gust and got to hear a few tunes she had in store for me. James Douthit, D.M.A., Dean of the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music at App State, played Chopin and Beethoven for me, and Emil Schlee, who has played a vital role in her restoration, played some jazz on the newly restored keys.They gave me a tour of where she will reside—in the Broyhill Music Center Opera Rehearsal space that has a flexible setup and can be used for small informal concerts, rehearsals, and studio classes. The next stop was the room where all the magic of restoration occurs. I was able to see the shiny, new golden strings, the hammers,

James Douthit and Emil Schlee

Schlee was eager to show me the new strings, dampers, hammers and newly re placed keys (as ivory is no longer viable) and how important every integral part (over 8,000+) must work in harmony for the piano’s performance.

The satisfaction with this story is that mom and I can continue to visit Melody, but more importantly my mom has a deep gratification to her parents for the wonder ful gift 80 years ago and that their reason for giving will be fulfilled for years to come. For music is to be played and enjoyed! Thanks to the team at the Hayes School of Music for welcoming Melody to their mu sical team. For a full line-up of their con certs visit www.music.appstate.edu.

Ijust recently discovered that measuring the life of a musical instrument is fasci nating. Back in 2020, after my father passed and the furniture and possessions from 62 years of my parents’ marriage had to be packed and moved, Mom’s favorite posses sion, her Steinway baby grand, “Melody,” was one of the last pieces to go.

Play It Again

Douthit noted that you can usually guess what the life of a piano is like in someone’s home, just by looking at it. Sheet music opened and recently played, versus a piano that is mere furniture with a beautiful vase of flowers set atop.

piano. Melody just turned 80 on June 6 and is having a total makeover that will engage students, faculty, and staff for years to come. I think my IPod, filled with hundreds of tunes, died an early death with some elec tronic malfunction, and yet Melody will live on for years to come.

Story and Photography by Babette McAuliffe

and the new set of revitalized keys. I experi enced flashbacks to my childhood, and even to the times I stood near Melody when dad was practicing The Holy City to sing at my wedding. Oh, the times we had as a family and with friends around that magnificent instrument!Isatdown with Douthit to talk about his background in music, his passion for playing the piano and how his love for mu sic has been woven into the fabric of the Hayes School of Music. Douthit’s office is like walking into a comfortable living room, with his teaching/practice piano that was donated by the Olan Mills Family as the focal point.

We talked about an IPod’s lifespan compared to that of a skillfully constructed

“The beauty of these instruments, if not abused or dried out, is that they can have at least another 50- 100 years of play,” said Schlee. As for his comment on Melody, “I was surprised at the size of the sound for the size of the S model.”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 63

Inside Melody

Douthit filled me in on Melody’s be ginnings in Queens and how Steinway prided themselves on creating artforms with their pianos. As a result, Melody has the structure for receiving a full scope res toration. Former Dean of the Hayes School of Music, Bill Pelto, saw the value in hiring a full-time technician to not only keep the in-house instruments in tune, but to restore incoming instruments. Emil Schlee has been at the job of restoring for seven-plus years now, and after visiting with him, I could sense this is a passion that runs deep.

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Now she has donated two more pieces, “I’m Red for You,” and “Enlightenment,” for an auction that was held Aug. 13 to benefit the Temple of the High Country as the temple celebrated its first 10 years. The auction was part of the temple’s Denim and Sparkle gala fundraiser.

“Eternal youth” has a nice ring about it, and that phrase clearly describes local artist Amy Reshefsky, whose vibrancy and talent have only grown with the years. A sense of joy and wonder suffuses her colorful art works, making them delightful in any setting.

As a television personality she hosts “Let’s Talk Art” on Brooklyn TV, sharing insider tips about business and art as she interviews other experts.

Amy Reshefsky

A third work, “Tree of Life,” is a gift to the Temple of the High Country itself, and will be installed there.

In the High Country, Reshefsky’s gal lery is the Amy Reshefsky Studio in Seven Devils. She also has a presence in New York City, at the Brooklyn Cafe Art Gal lery. And she hits the airwaves, thanks to a collaboration with Amp Media Produc tions in Boca Raton, Florida.

Special to CML

Reshefsky has already donated a suite of big, beautiful works that hang at the Rosen Concert Hall, the principal per forming area of Appalachian State Univer sity’s Hayes School of Music.

Her themed collections include an especially eye-catching selection for chil dren, called “I Won’t Grow Up.”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 65

Rosen Concert Hall Lobby

The range of Reshefsky’s artistic ex pression touches on personal apparel— painted silk scarves—as well as art glass installations, metal assemblies, paintings on canvas and “mosaic tapestry” creations.

Tree of Life

The look is bright and bold, always, and interior designers find her fusion of craftsmanship and imagination perfect for bringing rooms to life…and life to rooms. No matter what the backdrop, Reshefsky approaches art as she does life: with energy, excitement and a determination to share her passion.

I’m Red for You

Fortunate indeed is the artist who not only can sell her work, but who has the standing—and the following—to donate so much of it for public enjoyment and for causes that help others. Reshefsky has the kind of international artist stature that opens doors to such opportunities.

withArtista Heart

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Make the trek to the Boone & Blowing Rock area in Watauga County to hand pick your family Christmas tree. Many farms offer hayrides, farm animals, cookies and cocoa, and even Christmas Shops where wreaths and roping are also available. Visit the Choose and Cut Capital this season, and start your own family tradition.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 67

To find a farm,

Narrated by Mary Call Luther (Julie Gholson), fourteen years old and secretly fostering hopes of being a writer, Where the Lilies Bloom follows the Luther family as they struggle in the wake of their father’s death. Relying upon the knowledge he has passed on to them, Mary Call, her brother, and her two sisters become adept wildcrafters whose sales to the local pharmacist support them even as they keep their fa ther’s death a secret and try to keep their family together, fulfilling the promises Roy Luther extracted from Mary Call before his death. A third promise—that Mary Call keep her older sister, Devola (Jan Smithers), from marrying neighbor Kiser Pease (Harry Dean Stanton), who pur chased the Luther land for back taxes—proves harder to keep, as Mary Call realizes that people are not always what they seem, and that no one, even her beloved father, is perfect.

Locally Filmed and Worth a (Re)Visit

By Elizabeth Baird Hardy

68— Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE SHOWPICTUREBIG

Where the Lilies Bloom also holds up well as a film. Although uplift ing, it is not trite or maudlin, and the Luther children, while charming, are realistic, facing their challenges with grit, but also with their fair share of fear and frustration with life and with each other. In addition, while the Luthers are clearly struggling, the film depicts Appalachian people and places with dignity, rather than demeaning them, and also features the many valuable and useful plants that are part of our ecosystem, foodways, medical practices, and culture. The young actors give impressive performances, leading to a Golden Globe nomination for Gholson as best newcomer. In addition to the Hollywood cast, the film features numerous locals who portray townsfolk, schoolchildren, and friends. One local resident was Karen “Junnie” Moody Sluder, who, along with many of her classmates at Elk Park School, was contacted in the summer of 1972: “Our principal wanted to see if we wanted to

The Big Picture Show Where the Lilies Bloom:

participate,” she recalls. Early in the filming, Sluder was given a small speaking part as “second girl,” earning a spot in the credits and creating fondAlongmemories.withothers who were part of the production, Sluder helped celebrate the movie this past June with a special screening at Boone’s restored Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Along with perform ers like Helen Harmon, who played the youngest Luther, Ima Dean, lo cal residents who helped with the film were on hand for the screening, which also included memorabilia.

Although the movie does not include the razzle and dazzle many modern viewers might expect from current films, it is charming without being saccharine, and its production values are solid. With Earl Hamner, Jr., best known for The Waltons, as screenwriter, the story is unsurpris ingly both funny and beautiful. The music includes Earl Scruggs’s score and two haunting original songs written and performed by Barbara Mauritz, providing a nice element as well.

Until recently, the film was not available on DVD, but its recent DVD release, as well as its inclusion on Amazon Prime, means that it is now available to a whole new generation of viewers who can enjoy the story, as well as the experience of seeing a fifty-year-old snapshot of our region.

As the Luther children go to school, to town, or to the woods, they visit numerous sites in the High Country, from breathtaking overlooks to familiar locations like the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis and the Elk Park School. While some of these set locations in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties have changed drastically over the past five de cades, others are easily recognizable, as the film serves as a time cap sule of the High Country.

However, only one major motion picture has been filmed entirely in the High Country. In 1972, the production of Where the Lilies Bloom brought film crews to the area and recruited local citizens to bring to life the adaptation of Bill and Vera Cleaver’s novel about an orphaned Appalachian family striving to keep together, keep their home, and keep the daunting expectations of their beloved father, whose death they conceal in order to stay out of the social services system. Released in 1974, Where the Lilies Bloom is a lovely film that nicely showcases the people and places of our region while also telling a beautiful story of family, determination, and learning to see beyond our assumptions.

“It really was a special thing for our little community,” says Sluder, who recalls the original film premiere as a big event in Boone.

Our beautiful High Country has been used by numerous filmmak ers over the years. Forrest Gump ran around Grandfather Mountain, British Troops were ambushed at Linville Falls for The Last of the Mohi cans, and much of the film adaptation of John Ehle’s novel The Winter People was filmed in Avery County.

Food evokes memory. Especially childhood memory. Especially if your mom and your grandmother were both good country cooks. Who hasn’t been carried away by the smell of cornbread fresh out of the oven, so simple and also so specific to a kitchen, a cook and her recipe?Jim

Jim Casada, —ReviewedAuthorbyEdwin Ansel

Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 69CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 69 NOOKBOOK

Casada’s latest dish is entitled “Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir,” and it is precisely that. The book looks like a cookbook, and it’s organized like one, but it is truly a memoir more than a how-to. Casada does offer recipes, and in a way that I appreciate—he assumes you already know how to cook, and doesn’t march you through a hundred little steps to accomplish simple things. But for many of the recipes, like “Squirrel and Dumplings,” or “Kilt Ramps Salad,” or “Pawpaw Pudding,” you, or somebody in your house, will need to have considerably greater woodsman’s skills than even a veteran cook. You’d also need to have a pretty fine garden to really enjoy the many things he does with tomatoes. The recipes are generously seasoned with stories from Casada’s childhood in the Smokies, helping tend the gardens and orchards around the house, feeding the hogs and chickens, roaming the woods hunt ing for those squirrels.

One thing that distinguishes this memoir from many a foodie book is that it’s sim ply more fun. There’s a quiz in the Introduction that will either invite you to savor those food memories, or show you what you’ve missed (so far). And then there’s the language. Casada is an academic; he can sling those twenty-five cent words with the best, and he often begins a passage in a high tone. But so often, as he gets into an anecdote, another voice comes through, the words and rhythms of small-town Ap palachia, because deep down there’s a storyteller in there, and he will speak out. Read this food book and you will learn also some new, and appealing, words.

at the Historic Banner Elk www.bannerelkbookexchange.comSchool We offer books to swap, magazines, WiFi, puzzles, book discussion groups, music jams, and children’s programs throughout the year. Stop by and see us this season! Open All Year Tuesday-Friday 10-4 Saturday 1-4 (May - October) Bring a Book, Take a Book For a full schedule of events, visit: Small Animal Medicine Surgical Services CO2 Surgical Laser Purina Pro Plan & Prescription Diets In-house Laboratory Therapy Laser Treatments Dr. Brent 351828-733-9810JewellW.Mitchell Street Newland, NC 28657 Avery Animal Hospital

As with any good book, this one offers treasures hidden away in the corners, like that quiz in the Introduction. Deep in that corner, in the Acknowledgments, Casada gives a nod to his cousin, Tipper Pressley. She is an accomplished mountain cook, and she is also skilled in social media. Casada refers to her website, “Blind Pig and the Acorn.” Do not fail to explore this excellent blog—and Casada’s excellent book—about Appa lachian people and their ways. www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com, blindpigandtheacorn.com

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 71

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72 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive planthopper that was first detected in the North Carolina in 2022. SLF is a nuisance pest and threat to agriculture. SLF feeds on the sap of over 100 plant species with tree-of-heaven as its preferred host. The sticky sweet honeydew they produce causes sooty mold to grow on people’s homes and attracts stinging insects. This pest threatens multi billion dollar industries including grapes, hops and even tourism. Spotted lanternfly is a hitchhiker and can easily be moved long distances through human assisted movement. Early detection by North Carolinians like you can help us battle this bug! If you see a suspected SLF, please take a photo and visit www.ncagr.gov/SLF to report this pest! contact North Carolina

If you think you have seen Spotted Lanternfly please contact the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services at: www.ncagr.gov/SLF  1-800-206-9333 Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture Spotted Lanternfly Life Stages Egg Mass (Sept.-June) Early Nymph (April-June) Late Nymph (June-September) Adult (July-December) Actual Size: ~1” Actual Size: ¼” Actual Size: ½” Actual Size: ~1”SeeBarringer,LawrencebyphotosSLF It Snap It Report It

Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services at: www.ncagr.gov/SLF  1-800-206-9333 Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture Spotted Lanternfly Life Stages Egg Mass (Sept. June) Early Nymph (April June) Late Nymph (June September) Adult (July December) Actual Size: ~1” Actual Size: ¼” Actual Size: ½” Actual Size: ~1”SeeBarringer,LawrencebyphotosSLF It Snap It Report It

BAD BUG ALERT!

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive planthopper that was first detected in the North Carolina in 2022. SLF is a nuisance pest and threat to agriculture. SLF feeds on the sap of over 100 plant species with tree of heaven as its preferred host. The sticky sweet honeydew they produce causes sooty mold to grow on people’s homes and attracts stinging insects. This pest threatens multi billion dollar industries including grapes, hops and even tourism. Spotted lanternfly is a hitchhiker and can easily be moved long distances through human assisted movement. Early detection by North Carolinians like you can help us battle this bug! If you see a suspected SLF, please take a photo and visit www.ncagr.gov/SLF to report this pest!

If you think you have seen Spotted Lanternfly please

the

BAD BUG ALERT!

• All-Day Fall Color Ramble | October 15

Weather and Climate

BearWatching MileHighSwingingBridge

Open to the public since late June, the Wilson Center nearly doubles the size of the original museum’s public space with 10,000 square feet of new education space, including state-of-the-art muse um exhibits, three classrooms, an ADAaccessible theater (coming soon!) and expanded capacity for hosting events and programs. New exhibits include a 3-D interactive map of the mountain, flora and fauna walls with field guide touch screens, a fun (for all ages) handson demonstration of wind speeds and other exhibits focusing on the mountain’s natural history and geology. (Check out the largest amethyst ever found in North America via spin-able turntable and see minerals that glow in the Mineral Cavern!) Outside the center, guests will enjoy new learning spaces, including an amphithe ater with terraced seating and a pavilion, as well as a new botanical garden. Exhibit

...notes from the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

• Hawk Watch | September 1-30

NOTESGRANDFATHER

This unique experience includes a guided visit behind the scenes to the bear habitat. Participants pick their color choices from a selection of non-toxic paint and then watch as one of Grandfa ther Mountain’s black bears create a work of art with its paws. The experience takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m., May through October. This is sure to be a popular new experience so booking in advance is recommended. Behind-theScenes Tours and Meet-the-Bears Tours are additional special habitat experiences offered.

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. www.grandfather.com.

Looking for a fall adventure with the family? Visit the brand new Wilson Cen ter for Nature Discovery at Grandfather Mountain and enjoy a list of new pro grams and events perfect for all genera tions. The Linville, N.C., nature preserve, operated by the nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is known for its Mile High Swinging Bridge, Animal Habitats, 360-degree views and immersive programming meant to in spire exploration and conservation of the natural world. Find out more at www. grandfather.com/families.Herearefournewexperiences for families, plus the mountain’s fall calendar of events:

A Beary Warm Welcome for Fanny May Grandfather Mountain has welcomed a new member to its family of beloved animals in the Mildred the Bear Animal Habitats: Fanny May, a five-year-old black bear with a big personality. Fanny May ar rived in the spring of 2021 after the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) approached the nonprofit na ture preserve about a bear that needed placement. Fanny has spent the last year getting acclimated to her new home and diet and showing a fun fascination for the toys and enrichments the habitat cura tors share with her. Fanny is slowly being introduced to guests and will be placed in the on-display habitats sporadically throughout the year.

• Girl Scout Day | September 24

New for the Smallest Naturalists

• Beary Scary Halloween | October 29

Get Hands-on in the NEW Wilson Cen ter for Nature Discovery

• 70th Anniversary of the Mile High Swinging Bridge | September 2

Grandfather’s revamped Junior Natu ralist program kicked off summer 2022 with an updated activity book that invites children to explore the mountain, new wooden collectible badges and a sea sonal e-newsletter for participants. Park Naturalists also offer an 11:30 a.m. Junior Naturalist activity (weekends in the fall) geared toward five to ten-year-olds. “Ran dom Acts of Science,” a new daily pro gram, is also great for kids and families, and focuses on native plants and animals; using weather instruments to record data; and investigating minerals, skulls or other organisms under a microscope.

Paint with a Bear

• Fall Color Ramble | October 1-10

Fall 2022 Events

Autumn notes

• Creatures of the Night & Bonfire Delight October 1

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 73

• Junior Naturalist Day | September 10

Five new reasons to visit the Linville, N.C., nature preserve

New for Families at Grandfather Mountain

74 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE SHOPPES AT FARMERS • DOWNTOWN BOONE, NC • 828-264-8801 the dd Wildflower Cottage Experience the rich history, lush mountain setting, farm atmosphere, and countless family-friendly activities—away from it all, yet close to one of North Carolina’s favorite mountain towns: Banner Elk. Virtual Tour at: historicbannerelkrental.com The Wildflower Cottage Banner Elk, NC. Vrbo.com/2568769 The Whitehead Historic Farmhouse Banner Elk, NC. Vrbo.com/2809030 828.387.7711

Spruce-fir forest atop Mt. Mitchell

Each acre of Christmas

According to a popular account of the venture, Mr. Michaux at some point during the expedition became somewhat annoyed by Mr. Fraser’s talkative nature. One night while camping in the NC mountains, the two men’s horses reportedly roamed away from camp. Eager to part from his travel companion, Mi chaux decided to go out on his own to look for his horse and insisted that Fraser go ahead without him. It was shortly after the two went their separate ways that Fraser stumbled upon the unidentified fir tree.

In the Forest Fraser firs, together with red spruces, form the foundation of a special type of for est ecosystem, the spruce-fir forest. These rare and fragmented forest communities occur at higher elevations in our region, from around 4,500 feet to the summit of Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet. Spruce-fir forests provide essential habitat for a variety of plant and animal spe cies that are not found anywhere else in our region—in some cases, nowhere else in the world.Unfortunately, our natural Fraser fir stands have been severely damaged over the years by a non-native insect, the balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae). Other pests and pathogens, in addition to air pollution, have led to a continuous decline in naturally oc curring populations of the tree. Over a period of 60 to 70 years, the vast majority of mature Fraser fir trees have been lost. In the wild, Fra ser firs are considered by some sources to be a threatened species, and have in the past been listed as “endangered” by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Choose & Cut farms abound through out Avery, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Burke, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. And currently the demand for Fraser firs—considered by

Tamara S. Randolph, CML’s editor, is a N.C. Certified Environmental Educator and Blue Ridge Naturalist. You can reach Tamara at tamara@seymourcc.net.

Whether or not the tale of Fraser and Mi chaux is accurate, it was Fraser’s field reports that detailed the conifer’s unique character istics, and therefore he was credited with its

Finding the perfect Fraser fir can be a fun endeavor for the whole family. In addition to the “tree hunt,” many farms offer hayrides, hot beverages, petting zoos and visits with Santa Claus. If you’re ready to begin a choose and cut tradition but aren’t sure where to start, pick up your “North Carolina Choose & Cut Memories” guide at visitors’ centers and retail locations throughout western NC. You can also visit the NC Christmas Tree Association’s website at www.ncchristmastrees.com.

“discovery.” The tree was named Abies fraseri after Mr. Fraser and today is most commonly known as the Fraser fir.

The Fraser Fir: More than a Perfect Christmas Tree

provides the dailyoxygen requirementsof18people.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 75 EXPLORERSRIDGEBLUE

Finding the Fraser Fir Fraser firs grow naturally on mountain tops—places like Roan Mountain, Grand father Mountain, Mt. Mitchell, the Balsam mountains, and peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains. It was on one of these high moun tain tops that this uncommon conifer was first “discovered,” meaning it was first documented by anJohnexplorer.Fraser, a Scottish botanist and nurs eryman, traveled to North America in the late 1700s to research the flora of the southern Ap palachian Mountains. Fraser’s travel compan ion at the time was André Michaux, a famous French botanist. Michaux was on a mission to search American forests for new species of trees to help France rebuild its forests follow ing years of destructive war.

Blue Ridge Explorers

coneCircle C

Fraserfirseedling trees

many to be the perfect Christmas tree—is in credibly strong. But perfection requires a lot of dedication, and workers must tend to the trees year round. They test the soil and fertil ize accordingly, remove cones (to stimulate growth to the branches), manage a variety of weeds and pests, shear most trees at least twice a year for shape, measure and grade trees, harvest trees in a short period of time, find buyers for the harvested trees, and clean the fields after harvest. In the spring, they must plant new seedlings to replace the trees they harvested the previous fall—and the cy cle resumes. To put it into perspective, the av erage six- to seven-ft. Fraser fir Christmas tree has been visited by the grower an estimated 100 times before you take it home.

By Tamara S. Randolph

While naturally occurring populations have waned since the 1950s, tree farms in the High Country have been steadily growing Fra ser firs—and the Christmas tree industry. Be ginning in November each year, thousands of families make a traditional trek to our moun tains to choose their favorite Christmas trees, usually Fraser firs or white pines native to our mountain region, although many growers now offer non-native live trees, including blue spruce, Canaan fir and Turkish fir.

In addition to dedication, perfection takes time. Looking for a seven- to eight-footer this year? That size of tree likely started out 12 years ago as a seed, which was planted in a seedling bed and nurtured for nearly three years. In year four, that seedling was moved to a transplant bed, where it grew for anoth er two years. In year six, the mini transplant, about two-feet tall at that point, was planted in a tree field where it grew approximately one foot each year to present. Knowing a bit about the lifecycle of your chosen tree can certainly lead to greater appreciation of it.

On the Farm

Abies fraseri Tree Farm in Boone, NC

Mountain residents take great pride in our well-known native conifer, the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri). While we have an abundance of Fra ser fir tree farms throughout the CML region, the Fraser fir’s natural range is limited to the southern Appalachian Mountains, including the higher elevations of western North Caro lina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern VA. In fact, many of the trees on our local Christ mas tree farms were originally sourced from these natural Fraser fir stands.

Down the Trail

The Climb Out

After a stop at a nearby gift shop, Addy couldn’t wait to check out the view at Chestoa Overlook with her new binoculars she had just purchased. As we arrived, the thunder started to rumble in the distance and the sky grew dark. From the overlook, Addy watched through the glass as clouds gathered and the storm rolled in across Table Rock, creeping in our direction. Wit nessing such a powerful yet beautiful scene of nature in the mountains is surreal. Being able to share it with my daughter, though, is truly a blessing.

One rule of hiking with my little adven ture partner is ninety-nine percent of the time she is the leader. Even a half step in front of her will get the quick remark, “No Dada, I’m the leader!!” There is so much joy and fun I take from watching her stop and calculate each turn in the trail as well as how to climb each and every root and rock

Watching the Storm Roll In

Addy’s Fairy Tale

One spring morning Addy and I set off to Rough Ridge Trail as the fog lay on the mountains. The serenity and scenery of the trail was amazing. The surrounding floral

Marching Down the Trail

Photography by Jacob Gragg

CML is active on social media, and we often come across posts on Facebook and Instagram that inspire stories about local people and places. When we happened upon Jacob Gragg’s posts from hiking adventures he has shared with three-year-old daughter Adaleigh, we couldn’t resist reaching out to him and asking him to share some of his photographs—and the heartfelt stories behind these images—with CML

The Climb Out

One thing I love about hiking with Ada leigh is seeing her perseverance. The drive to keep going when the trail gets a little rough or rocky. The push to see just what awaits over the next hill. On a hike out of Blue Hole Falls in east Tennessee, I watched that determination kick in to climb up a root-covered incline. The hill must have looked like a mountain to such a small girl. Without issue or struggle Addy made the climb out. With that attitude and drive my little girl is bound to accomplish great things and conquer any mountains she may face in life.

Marchingreaders.

as she leads us to our destination. A recent trip to Linville Falls was no different. My Little Guide was determined to take us to the falls. As she led the way I couldn’t help but snap a picture of her marching down the trail!

76 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Adventures with Addy

Addy Pumpkin Pickin’

You, too, can follow Jacob Gragg and his adventures with daughter Addy, and view some of his photography on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jacob.gragg.790 and on Instagram at jgraggphotography.

Addy Pumpkin Pickin’

The photographer with daughter Addy

Addy Showing Off The Gorge

and greenery popped against the white background. The wooden bridge glistened from the morning rain. Of all the pictures I have taken of Addy on our adventures, this is my favorite. The magical setting with such a special little girl made this photograph look truly like a scene out of a fairy tale.

October has always been my favorite month. Now that I have a little pumpkin picker to spend it with it’s even more excit ing. Last year we took a road trip all the way to Darnell Farms in Bryson City just to find the perfect pumpkins to bring back home. Helping her sort through the huge display to find the candidates was a blast. Looking back I’m already excited for this October. I wonder where we will wind up this year in pursuit of the perfect pumpkin? Does an other road trip await, or will we find a win ner right here in the High Country?

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 77

through the lens

LENSTHETHROUGH

Addy Showing Off The Gorge

Watching the Storm Roll In

Addy’s Fairy Tale

There’s not a place I can think of that I’d rather be than Linville Gorge. The beauty of this rugged area is second to none and I find it so fortunate to be able to share its beauty with my daughter as well as other members of my family. On a hike to Wise man’s View my nephew Ethan got to tag along with me and Addy for the day. Side by side Addy and Ethan explored until they finally found a spot to sit and take in the clouds and mountains before them.

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Look for behavioral clues, too; some sparrows are super skulky, rarely popping up for good looks (Lincoln’s, LeConte’s, and others) while others love to feed out in the short grass or along the edge of gravel parking lots, making them easier to see and study (think Song, Vesper, Savannah, Chipping Sparrows). Some species seem pretty solitary, while others are usually seen with others of their kind (White-throated and Chipping Sparrows, for example). If you see a mixed flock feeding at the edge of a road or parking area, pay attention to where they go if flushed. Some species invariably dive for close cover while others fly up into trees or powerlines. You can often find the less common species in the flock by following the odd bird from its companions.

Savannah Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Lincoln’s Sparrow

PHOTO NOTES AND CREDITS (left to right):

Of course, some readily come to and seek out feeders in fall and winter, which can make observation easier. Most are seed eaters and so will find those abun dant food sources; check the ground carefully around sunflower fields, feed ing stations, or other high seed envi ronments. Weedy fields often host ten species or more during September and October, and try wetland areas, as well, which often host a different set of species than the drier sites. Some excellent spar row spots in the High Country include the Boone Greenway (riparian weedy zones and wetlands), Brookshire Park, Valle Crucis Community Park, and other open areas—all can yield great variety and di versity.While a challenging group for new birders, the effort is rewarded by the beauty of these delicate birds with a maddening array of shades of brown and gray. It wouldn’t be nearly as fun if it were easy! So in between leaf looking and football and the rest of our fall traditions, plan to spend a little time with our little brown birds. You will grow to love them!

Field Sparrow - note the unstreaked chest, pink bill and white eye ring on this cute little bird. Photo by Ste ven Bullock

Birding: Sparrow Time!

By Curtis Smalling

It is always fun in the High Country to live through our pronounced sea sons. Watching winter turn to spring and woods go colorful in fall are two of the greatest joys of our area and our scenic beauty. These times bring changes in the animals and plants, as well, and tuning in to those annual cycles can bring many rewards to the observer. Most folks who have birded with me in the fall know that I love sparrow time! Every September and October, we get a big influx of diversity of these “LBJs,” or little brown jobs. And while they can be a challenging group to identify, there are some tips and tricks that can Timinghelp.also helps; learning the hand ful of species that nest with us all summer can get you prepared for the migrants that peak in late September into October and through the winter months. We re ally only have about six nesting species of sparrow (not counting other sparrow family birds like towhees and juncos). For us, Song and Chipping Sparrows are the most plentiful and common sparrows you will find across most habitats (ex cept deep woods) and elevations in the High Country. Also fairly common in the right habitats is the Field Sparrow. Then we have some specialists that like large chunks of grassy habitats and include Sa vannah, Grasshopper, and, at high eleva tions, Vesper Sparrows.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 79 BIRDING

dropped on a table, the songs can give you quick confirmation of the birds you are looking Migrationfor.in fall brings many oth ers, including Lincoln’s, Swamp, Whitecrowned, White-throated, and Fox, and rarely some like Henslow’s, Clay-colored, American Tree, Nelson’s, and LeConte’s Sparrows.Visual cues are helpful as well, includ ing deciding if the bird has an unstreaked breast (Chipping, Field, White-throated, White-crowned, etc.) or streaked (Song, Savannah, Vesper, etc.). In addition, tak ing careful note of the head pattern and coloration can narrow the field signifi cantly. Be aware that sex and age differ ences, as well as stage of molt, can affect the overall appearance, and sometimes these are not reflected in the pictures in your apps and field guides. But that is what makes it fun!

Savannah Sparrow - note the streaked breast and yellow lore (in front of the eye). Photo by Don Mullaney

With sparrows, habitat helps with ID and learning their distinctive songs is a huge help. From the Song Sparrow’s lively “Maid, maid, put on your tea kettleettle,” to the Chipping Sparrow’s dry trill, to the Field Sparrow’s rapidly accelerat ing trill that sounds like a ping pong ball

Lincoln’s Sparrow - note the beautiful subtle colors on this uncommon but regular fall migrant in wet areas of the High Country. Photo by Don Mullaney

80 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE “From Classic Traditional To Unique Eclectic ... And Everything In Between...” 66 Pershing St, Newland, NC / Wednesdaytheconsignmentcottagewarehouse.com828-733-8148/shannonseiz@gmail.com-Saturday10-5,YearRound ConsignmentTheWarehouseCottage 8599 NC Hwy 105, Boone, NC 28607 Please contact for store hours. Closed Sat. and Sun. 828-264-1395 • www.appblinds.com *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made September 10, 2022–December 5, 2022 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes HDOrigins® and Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a Virtual Reward Card emailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim approval. Subject to applicable law, a $3.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 12 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. See complete terms distributed with Virtual Reward Card. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2022 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. Sun: Closed (828) www.appblinds.com264-1395 SPECIALSAUTUMNCLOSET SILHOUETTE® WINDOW SHADINGS REBATES STARTING AT $100* ON QUALIFYING PURCHASES From glare to glow. For less. Save now on Hunter Douglas window fashions. Light-diffusing window fashions from Hunter Douglas let you design with soft light Enjoy generous rebates on qualifying purchases April 14 June 25, 2018 *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 4/14/18–6/25/18 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes HDOrigins™ and Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 4 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 6 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2018 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 18Q2MAGSC2 Appalachian Blind & Closet Co. 1852 Highway 105 Ste 3 Boone, NC M-F: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: By Appointment Sun: Closed Askwww.appblinds.com828-264-1395usaboutspecial savings on select Hunter Douglas operating systems. Invest in the beauty and comfort of home this holiday season with Hunter Douglas shades.

Since 1997, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has provided more than $20 million in support for the Blue Ridge Parkway. A portion of that funding is made possible by sales of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation specialty license plate in North Carolina. To order yours, visit GetThePlate.org.

BuckSpringsLodge,Kitchen-diningroomMilepost407.5/August,01,1961EarlW.Estes,GarrettA.Smathers

4. What was the first restaurant to open on the Blue Ridge Parkway? __The Bluffs Coffee Shop __Peaks of Otter Lodge __Pisgah Inn Restaurant __Crabtree Falls Cafe

5. What animal has returned to the Parkway after a long absence? __Bobcat__Coyote__Elk__Moose

11. How many visitors did the Blue Ridge Parkway welcome in 2021? __1.6 million __4.8 million __9.7 __15.9millionmillion

Blue Ridge Parkway News

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 81

3. What was the name of George Vanderbilt's lodge (pictured above) along what would become the Blue Ridge Parkway? __Shut-in __Buck__Pisgah__Cornelia’sChaletCottageLodgeSpringLodge

Take a Parkway Pop Quiz!

This year, the National Park Service is celebrating its 106th anniversary, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating 87 years since construction first began to construct the scenic route connecting Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. As the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation celebrates 25 years of support for the national park, we hope you’ll enjoy this quiz to test your Parkway knowledge.

About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

7. In addition to apples, Moses H. Cone planted many other varieties of fruits on his estate near Blowing Rock. This includ ed how many varieties of peaches? __80__33__7__11

1. At what milepost is the state line be tween Virginia and North Carolina? __Milepost 86 __Milepost 153 __Milepost 217 __Milepost 294

Cumberland Knob

9. What birthday is the Blue Ridge Parkway celebrating in September this year? __87__77__65__56

PARKWAYRIDGEBLUE

Cumberlalnd Knob Picnic Area

2. How many miles of trails are within the Blue Ridge Parkway national park? __469__369__212__72

8. What was the first recreation area to open on the Parkway?

Answers: - Milepost 217 / 2 - 369 / 3 - Buck Spring Lodge - Bluffs Coffee Shop / 5 - El k / 6 - Uwharrie National Forest 7 - 33 varieties of peaches / 8 - Cumberland Knob / 9 - 87 10 - Camp Catawba / 11 - 15.9 million

Doughton Park

Julian Price Memorial Park

6. Which National Forest does not border the Blue Ridge Parkway? __Pisgah National Forest __Nantahala National Forest __Uwharrie National Forest __George Washington National Forest

Camp Catawba Mainhouse Photo by Jeremias Lewin

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

10. What famous camp for boys became part of the Blue Ridge Parkway? __Camp Tanawha __Camp Catawba __Buck __CampSpringsRockyKnob

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Hunting season also means fewer people on the streams. Since many fishermen, and women, are also hunters, many have traded their fishing equipment for a bow or gun. Hunting consumes people in much the same way fly-fishing does so more hunting means less stream pressure.

FISHING

Harvest streams in October and November. Delayed Harvest streams are designated catch and release, and only single hook, artificial lures are allowed. The Delayed Harvest season runs from October 1 to the first Saturday in June. From the first Saturday in June to Octo ber 1, Hatchery Supported rules apply. There are several Delayed Harvest streams in the High Country. The Watauga River in Watauga County has two sections designated Delayed Harvest. The first is in Valle Crucis from S.R. 1114, Dewitt Barnett Rd., to the lower bound ary of the Valle Crucis Community Park. The second section is from the S.R. 1103 bridge to the confluence with Laurel Creek.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 83 FISHING

As we go into September and October the days get shorter and the temperatures cooler. This means that the area streams and rivers get cooler also. As the water tempera ture goes down, trout, a cold water species, get more active. The fish are much more likely to move to take a fly than in the warm days of late July and August.

is warmer and they are naturally most active. Also, terrestrial, or land based, insects are still active this time of year so don’t hesitate to use beetle, inchworm, black ant, and grasshopper patterns.AsOctober goes into November, terres trial activity will slow and stop and the aquatic insects will get smaller and darker. Size 18 to 20 Grey Midges, Blue Winged Olives, and Adams are good flies to use during the after noons. But remember, the trout are becoming more opportunistic feeders, so attractor flies, such as Stimulators, Humpys, and Caddis, can also work well. This is particularly true in faster water when the trout have less time to see the fly.

A final reason that fall fishing is great has nothing to do with catching fish. What better way to enjoy the splendor of the fall foliage in the High Country than on a beautiful moun tain stream. Even though the fallen leaves floating down the stream can make it a little more difficult to follow your fly and cause you to have to remove hooked leaves, the beauty surrounding you is well worth it. So get out and make time to enjoy the fishing before the rivers ice up.

Lots of fishermen think of fishing as a spring and summer activity only. This idea is only partly correct. True, trout fishing in the spring is great. The fish are active and insect hatches are abundant. However, as the sum mer progresses and the streams heat up, trout become less active and harder to catch. The truth is that the two best seasons for trout fishing are the spring and fall.

Since autumn means so many different things to different people, this also helps make the fishing better. With many people watching their favorite college team (Go Mountaineers!) in person or on the TV, there are fewer people fishing. This means less pres sure on the streams. The same applies on Sun day when fans are pulling for their favorite NFL team (Go Panthers!).

Autumn tends to be a busy time of year for many people. For hunters, fall means hunt ing season, not fishing season. They put away their rods and get out their guns. Fall also sees many festivals and fairs such as the High Country’s Woolly Worm Festival, Oktoberfest, and Valle Country Fair.

Then there is football. Whether cheering on your favorite team, collegiate or pro, from the stadium or couch, football takes up most Saturdays and Sundays. Autumn also sees numerous holidays. Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas activities all take time during the fall. All of these things take time away from fishing, but if you don’t make time to fish you are missing the boat.

In September and early October, some good flies to use are size 16 to 18 Light Cahills, size 12 Dun Variants, and size 20 to 24 black and brown flying ants. The Light Cahills work best usually at dusk and the Dun Variant can work, sporadically, all day. The ants are most effective during the middle of the day when it

By Andrew Corpening

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) also contributes to great fall fishing. Even though the Commis sion stops their stocking program in the middle of the summer, they stock the Delayed

Ashe County has several good Delayed Harvest streams. The first is Helton Creek from 900 yards upstream of the S.R. 1372 bridge to the North Fork New River. Also in Ashe County is Big Horse Creek from the S.R. 1324 bridge to the North Fork New River. Finally, consider the South Fork New River from the upstream end of Todd Island to the S.R. 1351 bridge. This river also flows into Watauga County with the sameDelayedregulations.Harvest streams in Mitchell Coun ty include Cane Creek from the N.C. Hwy. 226 bridge to the S.R. 1189 bridge, and the North Toe River from the U.S. Hwy 19E bridge to the N.C. Hwy. 226 bridge. Even though technically not part of the High Country, Caldwell County has a stretch of Delayed Harvest. It is on Wil son Creek from the game land portion below Lost Cove Creek to Phillips Branch Creek.

On a serious note, if you are fishing during hunting season, be cautious. This is especially true if you are fishing wild trout streams in the Pisgah National Forest or any large tract of land where hunting is allowed. Even though it is normally recommended that you wear subdued colors when fishing small, wild trout streams, during hunting season it would be a good idea to have on something brightly col ored, such as a blaze orange cap. You do not want to be mistaken for a deer.

Another reason that fall fishing is great is that winter is coming. Trout seem to know that soon there will be fewer insects to eat and they start to stock up on fat to hold them through the lean winter months. This makes them more opportunistic feeders. In other words, if it looks like food, they will try it. This makes it easier for the angler to fool them.

Make Time

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Brady continued, “These funds will help accelerate our plans to prepare our land on Paddy Mountain for public access, including a trailhead for the Northern Peaks State Trail.”

“The impact on conservation in North Carolina cannot be understated,” said BRC Ex ecutive Director Charlie Brady. “This increase in funding will support local conservation and public access projects throughout the state. We are grateful the Governor and Legislature are committed to supporting the important work of the trust funds.”

While out on the trail this season, be sure to share your photos on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags: #MSTbirthday #MST45Mile.

Eric Hiegl

Learn more about the many land conservation, farmland preservation, and public access projects in progress at https://blueridgeconservancy.org.

• Participate in a Volunteer Workday – check out the Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail website at https://mountainstoseatrail.org/ events/ to view their event calendar.

From ecologically significant mountains to working farms in the valleys, Eric Hiegl loves exploring North Carolina’s diverse land scapes. His commitment to conserving the state’s natural resources guides him in his role at Blue Ridge Conservancy.

“It is a distinct honor to work with Eric Hiegl,” said BRC Executive Director Charlie Brady. “The achievements realized over his twenty-year career are substantial and have earned him the respect of others in this field. He possesses immense knowledge of the technical requirements necessary to acquire land and conservation easements.” Brady add ed, “He earns the trust of landowners because he conveys genuine honesty and concern for their interests. No one is more deserving to re ceive the Governor’s Award for Land Conser vation than Eric.”

Earlier this year, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law the newest state budget. The budget contained exceptional news for the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). Both will now receive $24.2 million annually, essentially doubling their annual appropriation. Boone, NC-based Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) will receive a $950,000 appropriation for the Middle Fork Greenway (MFG) to develop the Boone Gorge Park, and $100,000 for the development of Paddy Mountain Park in Ashe County, a cooperative project of BRC, the Town of West Jefferson, and Ashe County.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 85 REPORTSTRAIL

MFG Director Wendy Patoprsty added, “This appropriation is a huge step forward in the development of the next section of [the Middle Fork Greenway] trail, assisting with the parking area and ecological enhancements needed at the new Boone Gorge Park.”

North Carolina Wildlife Federation re cently announced the winners of its 58th An nual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. Honorees for 2022 included agency professionals, elected officials, volunteers and organizations committed to North Carolina’s wildlife, habitat and natural resources. Eric Hiegl, Blue Ridge Conservancy’s Director of Land Protection and Stewardship, was named the 2022 Land Conservationist of the Year.

• Watch the Mountains-To-Sea Trail miniseries, “I Am The MST,” written and produced by Julie Gayheart and Austin DuFresne.

• Give or fundraise to support the MST –give a special $45 birthday gift to the trail and receive an MST and Friends of the MST button.

Paddy Mountain sunsetMountains-to-Sea Trail

By CML Staff

• Pick up the official guide to hikes along the MST – This comprehensive guide, available from Friends of the Mountains-toSea Trail at https://mountainstoseatrail.org/, showcases single-day trips that highlight the features and diversity of this 1,175-mile des tination trail, which crosses the entire state of North Carolina, from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the Tennessee line, to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks.

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail Turns 45 The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) has come a long way, literally and figuratively, since Howard Lee first proposed a trail con necting the mountains to the sea 45 years ago in Lake Junaluska, NC. Lee was then the secretary of the NC Department of Natural Re sources and Community Development, and proposed “establishing a state trail between the mountains and the seashore in North Carolina.”Withmuch, but not all, of the Trail com pleted, the MST will eventually be a continu ous footpath that passes through 37 counties, four national parks, three national forests, two national wildlife refuges, ten state parks, four state game lands, one state forest, one state historic site, and numerous local parks and protected areas. Here in the High Country, the MST offers more than 90 miles of trail, from Beacon Heights to Devils Garden Overlook. In addition to enjoying this special trail on foot, you can celebrate and support the MST in a variety of ways:

Blue Ridge Conservancy Receives Important Funding in State Budget

Hiegl’s deep knowledge of the High Coun try, strong relationships with landowners, and passion for protecting critical tracts have led to numerous land protection successes. Grandfather Mountain, Elk Knob, Three Top Mountain and Pond Mountain are among North Carolina’s treasures known for their spectacular views. Hiegl was instrumental in protecting these significant natural resourc es—and dozens of tracts along the Blue Ridge Parkway—through land acquisitions and easements.Hisseven-year pursuit and purchase of Paddy Mountain in Ashe County was filled with twists and turns but ended in conserving 152 acres. Hiegl also played a pivotal role in creating the Middle Fork Greenway, a multiuse trail that connects Boone and Blowing Rock. Trail Reports Autumn 2022

Eric LandHiegl:Conservationist of the Year

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I’ve also become an excellent transla tor of sports language. I can interpret most any statement. For example: “This will be a rebuilding year for us.” Translation: We didn’t get a very good recruiting class and we are going to stink. Please don’t fire me at the end of the season.”

I enjoy a rousing game of football, es pecially college football with all the tradi tional perks: tailgating, seeing friends, the beautiful fall weather, the food....especially the food. But I must tell you that I am married to a real “student” of the game. Translation: football nut! Ok, not a nut, but a connoisseur of the game.

For the Newer Photo: Appalachian State vs. Michigan, Sept. 1, 2007. Derrick S. of flickr, dsiao/1297783878/andhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/WikimediaCommons

On a beautiful fall morning, we plan everything around the game: when we should eat, when we should depart for the game, what we should take, what we should wear, when we listen to the pregame predictions, and most of all, which games we should record for viewing later. The real indication of his commitment to the game is that he records the game we are going to see for further study when we return.As a cheerleader in another life, I re ally appreciate the excitement of America’s pastime. I love seeing friends and enjoy ing a beautiful afternoon together. If close friends are not with us on a particular after noon, I find it is a great time for planning in my head the upcoming meals for the week. That is, I do not try to engage my de voted husband in conversation while he is intent on how the play is developing. Don’t think he is not attentive and thoughtful. At halftime, he always asks how I am doing and what I would like from the concession stand, but at that point I am too busy cri tiquing the halftime show.

Sometimes I feel like I could script the coaches’ answers to the often-idiotic questions posed by uninventive report ers as to why the team is losing. “They are not playing well, but they are playing hard. We have to get something going in the next half. We’re just going to have to get more points on the board.” Really? I think the poor coach is saving all his descriptive words for the locker room rant to come.

The absolute best interview statement in my memory is one from long ago when then-sportscaster O.J. Simpson was inter viewing a young Archie Manning whose team was behind. At the half, O.J., mic in hand, leans into the quarterback and asks, “Archie, you are down by three touch downs, what are you going to do when you get back in?”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 87

As the fabulous day winds down, he then turns to ESPN to hear the experts’ evaluation of the game AND.....to hear the all-important predictions for next week’s game, which will no doubt be repeated many times during the upcoming week.

Enjoy your fall. Go Team!

By Estelle Brewer

Yes! It is that much-anticipated, muchawaited time of the year....Football Season! It’s finally here!!

Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2013645852/>.

1920s

“Our team showed a lot of character and heart.” Translation: “We lost because they were so much better than we were, but we finished the game anyway.”

After many years of marriage, we have our routine in place. As we depart the stadium, we listen to the post-game wrap up. When we return home, we settle in to make a very difficult choice: do we review the game we just saw or do we view anoth er one we recorded? Either way, I enjoy the tasty pizza we picked up on the way home.

Please don’t think of me as a jaded football wife. Quite the contrary! I have in vented a wonderful game for football Sat urdays. I enjoy discovering the new inven tive words the practitioners of football use to describe the game and its participants. For example, value-tivity. I heard a wellknown sports voice say, “His value-tivity to the program is undeniable.” Another favorite is “re-retrieved.” Yes, that was used and a sports-adoring public understood just what that meant. How creative!

For the Old Photo: Football Game. [Between 1920 and 1930?]

And pass the pizza!

CourtesyfootballLibrary of Congress

Yes, it is football season again. And we are ready for the victories and the heart breaks of the human condition as expressed in America’s game.

Fall Football Fun!

To which Archie, in his rich Southern accent replies, “I reckon we’re going to try to catch up.” That needs no translation.

Michigan/Appalachian State line of scrimmage

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Masonry firepit

Fire-Watching

Courtesy Dianne Davant and Associates

Continued on next page

surface. For example, Shae Jones, owner of Ground Effects and All Seasons Land scaping Supply and Garden Center, built the firepits at Blue Ridge Mountain Club on patio surfaces. Charming outdoor rock ers flank the main pit there, where mem bers of this large community, located be tween Boone and Blowing Rock, can bond in a unique way.

Fire Table

Suzette Faith Foster, vision holder and spiritual coach for Guiding Star Light Center in Boone, adds that fire-watching brings clarity and hope. “The peace and camaraderie of sitting around a fire affects everyone differently. Fire in this setting is non-judgmental, calling us to deprogram any limited beliefs that no longer serve us,

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 89

In the 2021 film French Exit, actress Michelle Pfeiffer casts a wry grin at a surly cafe waiter as she flicks her ciga rette lighter, torching the table’s flowerpot centerpiece. Mother and son (actor Lucas Hedges) smugly perceive a victory. But by the next scene, things have changed. The flames have won—won them over. The tee ny fire has drawn them in big-time. They are transfixed and transformed, smiling with a Onlyreckoning.arestaurateur safely plays with fire at a diner’s table, flambéing fruit, blaz ing stir-fries, or kindling cake candles. Al though the movie succeeds in highlighting the power of a softly glowing fire, we in the High Country are the better keepers of the flame, the ultimate fire-watchers, and for good reasons.

For one thing, fire-watching is a form of meditation known to reduce stress and blood pressure, and boost brain function. “Gazing into the flames goes right to our very soul. Our time with others’ becomes more enjoyable and meaningful,” advises Boone, NC, holistic healer and chiroprac tor Dr. Stuart Y. Kaplan.

Today, a firepit is not only a ring of stone around a wood-burning bonfire. The word firepit has come to mean a fixed circle of safety (often fueled by gas) with unlim ited styles of free-standing pits, fire tables, and other vessels as small as that Holly wood jardiniere, and just as sensual.

Striking the Right Match

Various styles of firepits have their own safety tips, but one universal tenet is to mount them on a level, hard (not grassy)

Also to prevent any itinerant flames, Sheila Gentry, owner of The Cabin Store Outdoor in West Jefferson, suggests add ing mesh domes atop portable firepits. The shop carries them in various sizes and some come with the screening top, includ ing the cool-looking burnished copper pit that Gentry describes as maintenance-free and “so heavy that it won’t budge in our mountain winds. People want to be out doors more than ever, and firepits extend that outdoor living time.”

“They’re called firepots,” demonstrates Roger Robertson, owner of the home lifestyles shop The Last Straw in Blow ing Rock, NC. He illuminates a smoke less, bio-gel fuel canister atop a foot-tall, iridescent glass, chiminea-shaped jug called Mosaic Magnum. It’s one in a line of other earthenware firepots—some only five inches tall—used anywhere, includ ing indoors on the dinner table, and when not in use they’re a decorative accent or flower vase. As Magnum’s flame rises and whimpers a crackle, I see it’s a little firepit that could! I’m mesmerized and beckon the shopkeeper, “Please don’t use the firepot’s snuffer to put out the light just yet.”

The Little Firepit That Could

transmuting them into the fire for cleans ing,” she guides. “Fire’s raw power can de stroy, but I honor its gentle strength and opportunity for grace.” Author of the 2015 book Calling Back Your Power, she also en courages, “Look behind the light...always available is the sense of the divine.”

Skewering s’mores is serious firepit cul ture. But if you’re into serving more than the meltingly iconic chocolate marshmal low sandwiches, then another popular op tion is a firepit table. These have a built-in

Let the flames of fall flirt with your desires!

Traditional grounded pits are the larg est type of firepit, “and a highly desirable amenity in our mountain area, since we can gather outdoors three out of four seasons,” notes Pam McKay, ASID interior designer for Dianne Davant & Associates in Ban ner Elk. “When building a new home, it’s often at the top of the wish-list for comfort and to encourage and enrich family time.”

All the Light There Is to See

By Gail Greco / Photos by Tom Bagley

If there’s no firepit at your house or community, you can enjoy the experience at public firepits, including the one at the festive Village of Banner Elk emporium on Azalea Circle. Here, you’re invited to just sit a spell and enjoy the warmth between shopping; checking on a game at the sports bar; relaxing after a friendly duel in the ar cade; or dining at Sorrento’s Italian Bistro or the Chef’s Table.

90 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Over on Beech Mountain, the resort village is the perfect place to relax by one of their many firepits—recent renovations have transformed the alpine village at the base of the slopes into a park-like plaza, with a pavilion and social area that in cludes multiple firepits and outdoor seat ing. And over in Blowing Rock, Chetola Resort welcomes locals, visitors, and guests to enjoy their amenities, including a spa cious firepit by the lake, where families can gather ‘round a bonfire and share s’mores on many weekends.

Firepit Essentials

Other Ways to Light Your Fire

countertop (such as tile or granite) around the fire bowl for food and drinks.

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No matter what the fire, or where it’s burning, it’s Kaplan’s inkling that “we have fire-watched since Paleo times and we will always seek this comfort.” So grab some fire-watching essentials—a blanket and a beer. I’m opening a can now, Cloud Rise from Blowing Rock Brewing Company. A fitting choice, considering the flame ris ing now from my own firepit. I think that if nothing else, during this, our endear ing season of the harvest moon, a warm blaze on a cool night will keep fanning the flames of my desires! And yours? Ridge Mountain Club

large measure of gumption. All got you out of doors, necessitated considerable expenditure of energy, and were flat out fun.

Another food-related activity involved ap ples. Since my family had a tiny orchard, that may have been of greater significance to me than a lot of others, but in the High Country, autumn and apples go together like coun try ham and redeye gravy. The whole pro cess of picking, sorting, peeling to can “fruit” (we used that term rather than apple sauce or canned apples, and Momma was never satis fied until she had a hundred quarter jars lin ing basement shelves), slicing thin and drying, and the weekly chore of going through stor age bins to remove apples that were going bad, was labor intensive yet welcome. When you lived in a home where apples featured on the menu two or three times every day, where fried apple pies and apple cobblers were standard desserts, and where the ultimate of ferings for the sweet tooth were applesauce cakes and stack cakes, understanding and appreciation of everything associated with apples was a given.

One of those simple pleasures was broom sedge “sledding.” As summer morphed into autumn, hillside pastures, worn out crop land, and indeed most any open area that wasn’t being carefully cultivated would be overgrown with sedge. Once that wild grass matured and dried in late September and Oc tober, on any sunny day such terrain would be, by mid-afternoon, a wonderful place to board the cheapest of all sleds in the form of a large section of cardboard. Any old box that had been flattened out was quite suitable. It lacked a steering mechanism but once you jumped aboard and headed down a sedgeladen hillside, you immediately understood the simile, “slick as greased lightning.” Zip ping over a golden carpet, the cardboard car ried you downhill at breakneck speed. There was no means of braking other than roll ing off, hanging on until the ground leveled out, or tumbling into an obstacle such as a briar patch. It was grand fun and carried just enough of an element of uncertainty and dan ger to satisfy daredevil youngsters.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 91 Continued on next page WAYSANDWISDOM

Although dramatically different, another seasonal pursuit was just equally enjoyable and offered the added benefit of meaning ful returns as opposed to the bangs, bruises, and scratches regularly accumulated from broom sedge sledding. This was gathering black walnuts. The process was a multi-part one that involved appreciable effort. It began with picking up baskets or tow sacks full of the nuts soon after they fell. They would then be spread out in a sunny spot for the hulls to dry.

Hulling black walnuts

Shelled walnuts

Wisdom and Ways: Simple Autumn Joys from Yesteryear

By Jim Casada

As this material is being written there’s an elusive but nonetheless tangible hint of autumn at dawn and again at dusk; or, as my beloved Grandpa Joe used to put it, “You can feel fall in the air.” Those harbingers of my fa vorite time of year are largely sensory in na ture. Slightly lower temperatures and reduced humidity provide at least a glimmering of what is to come, and that’s particularly true at dawn and dusk. Take a walk in the gloam ing anywhere you get away from asphalt and the ear-assaulting noise of nearby traffic and you enjoy a majestic insect orchestra at full volume. Katydids and crickets give voice with a degree of exuberance that sounds like date night in the Tower of Babel. At mid-day delicate aromas from fall flowers such as wild asters, golden rod, and Joe Pye weed drift through the air while grasshoppers saw away on their built-in fiddles. Dust devils dance across sere fields where crops have been made and laid by. Early coloration on sumac, black gum, and those sentinels of fall, hickory trees, serve as harbingers of October’s palette and leaf peeper delight.

Once that was achieved, the nuts could be easily (and stainlessly) removed. Then came the two most tedious aspects of the nutting process—cracking and shelling the walnuts to obtain the delicious meats. It required care, a watchful eye to avoid getting bits of hard shell in the delectable goodness, and lots of time. Yet the complex operation, from begin ning to end, was one an entire family could enjoy, and the end results, in forms such as oatmeal/walnut cookies, black walnut cakes, or maybe even a hand-cranked churn of wal nut ice cream, were sheer culinary bliss.

All of these signs and sensations, among a myriad of others, take me joyfully back to simple pleasures of a mountain boyhood and fall pursuits during adolescent seasons in the sun. Perhaps a longing look back to that world we have largely lost will resurrect similar sen sations in others or, better still, serve as an incentive to participate in them. All the activi ties described below share certain things in common, and that’s a reflection of the decid edly modest economic circumstances I knew as an adolescent. They cost little, needed min imal if any equipment, and mostly required a

Then there were the joys, ones I fear are all too seldom enjoyed today, of squirrel hunting. Once the season opened in October, my daily routine was a straightforward one of rushing home from school, changing school clothes for my Duxbak attire, grabbing my gun and a couple of cold fried pies or maybe a big chunk of cornbread and a raw onion or turnip, and heading for some bushytail-holding patch of woods lying within walking distance. From then until light faded to night and it was time to head home, I was in veritable hillbilly heaven.Those days in the quest for bushytails served me well in many ways over the course of my evolution as a hunter and in life. I learned patience, persistence, how to read signs, stealth, marksmanship, a degree of selfsufficiency, and the ways of the natural world.

Jim Casada is a full-time freelance writer who grew up in the N.C. High Country. His latest of many books, several of which have won national awards, is Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir. Signed copies are available from him through his website, www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com or stan dard Internet sources.

BatRollyPlaying

92— Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE WISDOM: Continued from previous page 1710 Linville Falls Hwy Newland, NC 28646 Meetings by appointment. Please call www.classicstoneworksinc.com828.737.0040

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Photo by Tipper Pressley

Joe Pye Weed Photo by Gary Peeples, USFWS

to a meal featuring fresh tenderloin fired to a perfect turn and flanked by a big plate of cathead biscuits. Gathering the various win ter squash; eating pumpkins, candy roasters, acorn squash, and cushaws; and storing them beneath shocks of corn or carefully nestled against the cold in protective layers of straw. Making “’lasses” (sorghum syrup) and know ing you’d have long sweetening, as it was once known, to enjoy all through the winter.

Those offer a slender sampling of a time when mountain life involved simpler days and simpler ways. Folks lived close to the good earth, found much of their fun and suste nance in pursuits where there was no clear di viding line between work and play, and knew in intimate fashion the verities of the timeless adage suggesting that the key to a joyous life was to “make do with what you’ve got.” For me, at least, “making do” was a never-ending time of wonder. I can only hope that at least some readers are blessed by having known similar jubilation.

There were other pursuits aplenty. Games of rolly bat as the World Series approached and engendered one last fling with ball and bat before they were put away for another season. Gathering persimmons for that most delectable of desserts, a properly made per simmon pudding. Picking up ripe pawpaws for a field snack or enjoying the sweet/sour succulence of the inside of mature maypop fruit beginning to wither and yellow from ripeness. The dawn to dusk and beyond labor of hog-killing time, with every bit of the work being forgotten the moment you sat down

Mind you, the end results of successful hunt ing in the form of squirrel and dumplings on the family table—or maybe fried squirrel with biscuits, gravy, and sweet potatoes—was cu linary delight of the kind no four-star restau rant can ever hope to match.

Traditional apple stack cake from Appalachia

History on a Stick: Dr. Elisha Mitchell

were challenged in 1855 by Thomas L. Clingman, a former student and mem ber of Congress. Clingman claimed that he had measured a different peak at 6,941’, over two hundred feet higher than Mitchell’s. Much of the debate was waged publicly in various newspapers. Professor Mitchell returned to the Black Mountains in June 1857 to verify which peak he had previously climbed and to confirm his measurements. On June 27, Mitchell, traveling alone, was caught in a thunderstorm. He evidently tripped and fell into the pool of a waterfall, where it appears he Mitchelldrowned.wasfirst buried in Asheville, but a year later, his remains were moved to the highest peak on the mountain. The U.S. Geological Survey upheld Mitchell’s measure of the highest peak in 18811882, and officially named the peak Mount Mitchell. The current official mea surement of Mount Mitchell is 6,684 feet, strikingly close to Mitchell’s original 1835 measurement of 6,672 feet. In 1915, a bill was introduced in the General Assembly establishing the Mount Mitchell State Park, the first state park in North Carolina. Today, there is a visitor center, museum, hiking trails, and an observation tower. The North Carolina Highway Historical marker was erected in 1988.

in the western part of North Carolina to improve economic access to the area. Mitchell was also a slave owner, acquiring slaves at some point after he moved to NorthBeginningCarolina.in the late 1820s, Doctor Mitchell began working on a state-wide geological and mineralogical survey commissioned by the General Assembly. He spent summers surveying the coast al plain and piedmont regions before heading west. In July 1828, he visited Grandfather Mountain. Beyond collect ing plants and rocks, Mitchell was inter ested in the question of which mountain east of the Mississippi was the tallest. Mount Washington in New Hampshire was believed to be the tallest mountain. Mitchell (and several others) believed that a peak in western North Carolina was taller, and over the next two decades he surveyed numerous peaks in the area, including Grandfather, the Roan, and the BlackAsMountains.earlyas1828, Mitchell believed that a peak in the Black Mountains, bordering Yancey, McDowell and Buncombe coun ties, boasted the highest point. He was in the area measuring in 1835, 1838, and 1844. During the latter trip, he measured a peak at 6,708 feet, 250 feet higher than Mount Washington. His observations

By Michael C. Hardy

North Carolina is well known for blaz ing trails and setting records: the first colony to declare independence; the first to instruct its delegates to vote for in dependence from the British; the first in flight; the highest incorporated town in the eastern United States; and the high est peak east of the Mississippi River. This last peak is named for a remarkable man in the early history of the state of North Carolina.Elisha

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 93 STICKAONHISTORY

Mitchell was born in Washington, Connecticut, in August 1793. In 1813, he graduated from Yale University, and in 1817, he was licensed to preach by the Congregational Western Association. Mitchell taught at a number of New England schools before accepting a position as professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of North Carolina. In 1825, Mitchell became professor of chemistry, geol ogy, and mineralogy. Besides teaching, Mitchell officiated at chapel services on campus.Mitchell was ahead of his time in some aspects. He disliked Jacksonian democ racy, supported progress, wanted a taxsupported system of common schools, believed in the education of women, supported temperance and temperance societies, and advocated for better roads

picnic shelters, play areas and a bath house.

Rev. Edgar Tufts gathered a small group of young girls in his parlor 122 years ago to supplement the local school that only met in the summer. That represent ed the beginning of what is today LeesMcRae College, a four-year college that offers 25 majors and eight minors on its main campus in Banner Elk, NC, to nearly 700 students from 35 states and 24 coun tries. Now it aims to not only continue, but also top its long list of accomplishments in the next 100 years.

Banner Elk and Lees-McRae College: Building on a Legacy Together

Two recent announcements and other plans for the future portend major growth for Lees-McRae and the greater Ban ner Elk community. The purchase of the Grandfather Home property next to the college more than doubles its land hold ings, from 460 to 940 acres, and the award of a $30 million Community Facilities Direct Loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development agency to renovate and construct buildings on the campus will allow the student body to grow from 700 to 1,000.

The historic Mill Pond, where Shawneehaw Creek and Elk River join

“We also want to preserve the ridge along the south side of Hickory Nut Gap Road for the study of wildlife and our out door recreation programs,” Hansen added.

“We’ll continue to make the lake avail able to the community while using it for our students to conduct research studies on aquatic health in the High Country,” said Blaine Hansen, Lees-McRae’s vice presi dent for planning and external relations.

The college’s legacy intertwines with that of the Town of Banner Elk in fore casting a vibrant, bustling and yet tran quil small-town community for residents, Lees-McRae College students, visitors and those people living in the surrounding communities.“Colleges that thrive have a unique market niche, are surrounded by a sup portive community and consistently look toward the future with a strategic eye— Lees-McRae is thriving because all of these elements are in place,” said Dr. Her bert L. King Jr., president of Lees-McRae College.“We share with Lees-McRae a long history of working together to support a community that is welcoming of others and a place to not just be visited or attend school, but also for many to call home,” said Rick Owen, Banner Elk’s town manager. “While the college has provided the edu cational opportunity and an unmatched

94 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

The college recently began dredging the historic Mill Pond located off High way 184 (Tynecastle Highway) to return it to its original depth. The pond, which is located where the Shawneehaw Creek and Elk River join, is one of the first sights visitors notice as they drive into the down town. Residents, students and visitors alike enjoy feeding the ducks, picnicking, fish ing, and viewing the waterfall that is a short walk back from the main road.

Mill Pond

“Few colleges have the opportunity to literally double their real estate footprint overnight,” said King. “This acquisition of our new South Campus at Grandfather Home allows us ready-to-use space to con tinue to grow. It gives us the ability to stra tegically plan without limit as we position the college for a century-long trajectory of continued academic and student life excel lence.”The growth will benefit Banner Elk as well. The Grandfather Home purchase includes Wildcat Lake, a premier commu nity asset and resource known as the local “swimming hole,” located on Hickory Nut Gap Road about one mile from Highway 184. The 13-acre lake boasts a beach, two

By Karen Rieley

The Grandfather Home property will also provide affordable housing for college employees. That, in turn, reduces the over all need for housing in the High Country.

learning setting, the town has provided the needed infrastructure for the community to grow outside of the campus and a com munity that students and families can feel connected to.”

“The dredging will not only help the health of the pond in Banner Elk, but also

“The pending sale of the Grandfather Home property brought so many questions about the future of Banner Elk,” Owen re marked. “The property being purchased by the college returned an unknown future to the foundation of its past and another op portunity for ties to our history.”

“Our goal is to partner with the Town of Banner Elk to improve bicycle safety and expand our connection with the Gre enway Trail for the whole community,” HansenBannersaid.Elk has approximately 1.1 miles of greenway trails. The trail that loops onethird of a mile around the grounds begins at Tate-Evans Park downtown.

of the North Carolina Building

Elizabeth McRae Institute. Next, he added a boys boarding school named for Susanna P. Lees, who had been a generous benefac tor. The Lees-McRae Institute was char tered by the state in 1907.

The ‘Tennessee’ and ‘Virginia’ resident halls will be completely renovated inside with the newest technology and private baths, as well as safety and ADA code updates, while maintaining the original stonework.Living out its motto, “In the Moun tains, Of the Mountains, For the Moun tains,” Lees-McRae focuses on health,

The ‘North Carolina’ building will house administrative and admissions offic es, meeting and conference space, a fitness center and the campus “living room” avail able for the community as well as visitors to the college. The campus’s original dining hall, The Pinnacle Room, will be reimag ined with updated bathrooms and kitchen so that it becomes a new gathering place, along with The Summit, both of which are open to the community as dining options.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 95

Photos courtesy of Lees-McRae College.

Edgar Tufts was also the founder of Banner Elk Presbyterian Church, Cannon Memorial Hospital and Grandfather Home for Children and was instrumental in the beginnings of Avery County (once part of Watauga). He helped to establish a bank and even brought electricity to the village. Tufts’ vision for a progressive com munity—one that provides young people with vast educational options and residents with an elevated quality of life—extends today, with support from college and com munity leaders and the many people who call these mountains “home.”

HistoricdamImage

wellness and conservation. The League of American Bicyclists, which advocates for better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, gave Lees-McRae College a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University award to recognize the institu tion’s achievements in promoting and en abling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.

Looking toward the future with a stra tegic eye certainly characterized Rev. Ed gar Tufts, Lees-McRae College’s founder.

From educating a small group of girls, known as Lees-McRae’s Class of 1900, Tufts founded a boarding school for the girls of the mountain region, called The

Lees-McRae Institute became LeesMcRae College in 1931, an accredited, coeducational junior college. In 1990, the Commission on Colleges of the South ern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Lees-McRae status as a senior (four-year) college.

Elk River downstream,” Hansen explained.

Wildcat Lake

The North Carolina Building Today

The greenway trails head in two direc tions from the park. The lower portion goes southward, loops around just outside the park and continues along Shawneehaw Creek and the eastern edge of Lees-McRae College. Just past the Mill Pond, a foot bridge leads pedestrians across Elk River. The upper portion of the greenway follows the Shawneehaw Creek north from TateEvans Park and runs parallel with Main Street until ending at Dogwood Road.

The Waterfall at Mill Pond

The Elk River is a tributary to the Watauga River and begins on the north western slope of Peak Mountain in Avery County. It flows west/northwest through the towns of Banner Elk and Elk Park, and just before the river crosses into Tennessee, it drops 40 feet over Big Falls (also known as ElkPreservingFalls). the college’s architecture is important as well. Three of the old est buildings on campus built in the early 1920s are included in the renovation and restoration project funded in part by the USDA loan.

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Joel went on to emphasize the unique ness of the Lovill House Inn. “From the ground up we looked at how we could take a luxury property and make it more sustainable but at the same time more comfortable, and that’s the project we em barked on here. We talk about sustainabili ty but the truth is that there are few houses in Boone that have sustained themselves since 1875. The whole property is a symbol of resilience and sustainability just in the fact that it’s still here. But now we’ve added these features that expose our guests to a higher level of comfort and luxury while showing them sustainability in things they can do when they go home, as well.”

By Julie Farthing

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 97

withCarportsolar panels

Outside guests can cozy up to the fire pit, or have a moment of zen in the medita tion garden. The original barn is also being renovated for extra event space in addition to areas on the grounds that are perfect for smallPlansweddings.arein the making to rebuild the chicken house and plant fresh herb gardens along with the flowers. Ann and two other of the Inn’s current employees just finished the Master Gardner program. “The previ ous owners were avid gardeners and there must be over 75 different varieties of Dahl ias on the property. I envision an English garden look with texture variations. That’s the artist in me,” she adds.

“When there is so much sun that it powers more than what the property takes, [the system] dumps power into six tesla batteries that are totally quiet,” says Joel. “At nighttime, the batteries provide enough electricity—they’re still running off solar, but it’s stored solar,” he adds. The batteries also supply energy for electric ve hicles that can be parked under the carport.

Lovill House Inn: Building a Sustainable Future While Honoring Its Past

For more information on booking rooms and special events such as onsite weddings, cooking classes and weekend packages visit lovilhouseinn.com or call (828) 270-0831

Speaking of art, Lovill House recently hosted The Watauga County Arts Council and ‘Plein Air’ artists for breakfast and a day of painting. The Inn also doubles as an art gallery, as paintings in the common ar eas and guest rooms are for sale.

Less than a mile from the bustle of King Street in downtown Boone, NC, an historic inn with eleven acres of sloping gardens, a waterfall, and even a bear cave hides behind a stand of evergreens. Be tween these trees, a white swinging door opens up into a peaceful property that could easily pass as a scene from Currier and Ives. The Lovill House Inn, built in 1875 by Captain E.F. Lovill, is an oasis of luxury, sustainability and history. It was where the original state charter for what is now Appalachian State University was typed by William Lovill, under the direc tion of his father, Capt. E.F. Lovill, and the Dougherty brothers.

Farm-to-TableBreakfast

solar panels comes in as DC electricity, is changed by the inverters to AC electricity, and then used on the entire property.

In 2021, the Inn was purchased by Joel and Tonje Olsen after a year of sitting va cant. The Olsens renovated the two story farmhouse from floor to roof to become a model of sustainable efficiency while pay ing homage to its 150 year history. I re cently sat down with innkeeper Ann Alex ander inside the dining room where guests enjoy breakfast, coffee and tea. Ann, also a graphic designer and chef, practices sus tainability in the kitchen. Lovill House of fers a farm-to-table, organic breakfast ev ery morning. The daily menu may include a variety of locally grown produce, sweet or savory baked goods, a variety of egg dishes, and fresh cooked breakfast meats.

The Inn utilizes the High Country Food Hub, a mere half block down the road. The Hub offers the freshest produce, meats, eggs, breads, and dairy products from over 90 farms in the High Coun try. “I tell our guests the Food Hub is a great asset to us so that I don’t have to run around to all the farms,” says Ann. “The freshest produce and meats are right there in one place.”

Lovill House Inn is the first luxury commercial property in Boone that is able to operate independently from the electric grid (off-grid) using solar, batteries, energy efficiency and even micro-hydro power. The Inn has received the highest rating from the North Carolina Green Travel As sociation and was awarded the Sustainable Energy Project of the Year from the NC Sustainable Energy Association.

Each guest room features stylish mod ern farmhouse decor with amenities such as glass water bottles instead of plastic, and local chocolates. The bathrooms have re fillable shampoo, conditioner and soap dis pensers that are vegan and non-toxic from a company in Durham, NC.

The Inn’s owner, Joel Olsen, intro duced me to the power house, where the energy from the carport and guest cabin

During the pandemic, Rowell became interested in exploring the solitude humans were experiencing and what it means to be alone. “I encountered solitude as I’ve never done before,” he explains. One of his latest projects includes 14 photographic compo sitions examining what he finds to be the most interesting species, people. The in spired work is now on display as a part of PhotoVille in Brooklyn, New York. Rowell entered the contest with nine submissions

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planet together. Working from Boone as his home base, he plans to create some work in collaboration with the North Carolina Zoo to study the relationship between the wildlife of the Appalachian Mountains and localComingpeople.from a theatre background and armed with a degree from the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts, Rowell is skilled in many art forms and he enjoys using a full range of creativity to express his message of man’s relationship and respon sibility to the planet and its many inhabit ants. His work should be not only viewed and applauded, but considered important information for building a better future.

Where Are They Now?

View Thomas Rowell’s work at brothermountain.com/alalanyc/exhibition/alone-together/,https://photoville.andwww. Revisiting a Visual Storyteller

By Trimella Chaney

Speaking with this passionate young artist, one can readily see his commitment to the human condition and the current problematic state of the environment. Row ell maintains that his wildlife work is all re lated to people and how we coexist on the

The process for Rowell’s inspiring work was to meet each individual in their own space, set up a camera to work automatical ly, and walk away. The camera could remain in place for 30 minutes or three days. Row ell liked the idea of his subjects being alone with the camera—he did not choose the shots that were taken. Later he retrieved the camera, sifted through the photos to see what happened in front of the camera and created a unique visual poem.

Thomas Rowell setting wildlife camera trap

from which the judges could choose. He was thrilled when all nine photos were se lected initially, and ecstatic when they later chose to print all 14 finished compositions from the growing body of work for display.

In an earlier issue, Valle Crucis native and wildlife filmmaker and photographer Thomas Rowell was featured as his work with Wildlife SOS of India was in progress. Since that time, Rowell’s focus has shifted a bit to include the “human animal” as well. His visual storytelling is one way he asks the hard questions; his goal is to reshape the dominant (and destructive) narrative into a more just and equitable story to help man’s survival and to protect the planet.

98 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE NOW?THEYAREWHERE

Continued on next page

the years, describing Rachel as “a force of nature.” Without a doubt, this charac terization was more than well-deserved. Beyond that—and more in terms of her intentions and accomplishments—Rachel was truly a force for Good.

There have been many other stories written about Rachel’s childhood, family, marriage, professional and public service life through the years. There have been many wonderful tributes offered for her countless good works. And it would be naïve to think that this writer could even approach their eloquence. Her record of

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 99

Rachel and late husband, Ken Deal

By Steve York

Before going any further…I have to own up to the fact that the title of this little tribute to Rachel Deal was inspired by a comment from local author, former Av ery Journal-Times and All About Women publisher and community leader, Nancy Morrison. As Morrison warmly recalled, “She was everyone’s Aunt Rachel!” Few people knew Rachel any bet ter than Nancy. After all, they shared lo cal Sloop family cousins, were life-long friends and close co-conspirators in cham pioning many worthy community causes; especially the funding and completion of the Avery Humane Society’s facilities on New Vale Road behind Ingles in Newland. And, when I say “co-conspirators,” it’s not like Morrison actually had a choice in the matter. All she had to do was ask, “How can I help?” and Rachel put her to work. Then there was another possible title that came from Rachel’s niece and Cross nore native, Margaret “Maggie” Palmer Lauterer, who described Rachel as “A Force of One.” To Maggie, “Rachel seemed more like my big sister than aunt. She was the youngest of five siblings born to Theron and Lena Sloop Dellinger, so our ages were muchFromcloser.”childhood on, Maggie and her Aunt Rachel were close souls, and both shared the same love for singing. They also shared the same love of animals, a love that led to their (and Morrison’s) rescuing and sheltering of dozens of stray dogs and cats at their homes. This was well before there was a county animal shelter.

But she was even more loving and compassionate than she was tough. And, though she never had children of her own, she managed to embrace her entire com munity as family. You always knew that Rachel was coming from a place of exu berance for life and a commitment to, as her niece, Maggie, put it, “do God’s work.” And, if she came to know you well enough to become your Aunt Rachel, well…it’s likely she first adopted you in spirit and then recruited you as part of Rachel’s Un stoppable Army of Volunteers.

Some Personal Reflections

Yes…Rachel could be tough and un yielding. She was also fiercely independent and determined to live life in her own way and on her own terms, including her insis tence on driving herself around in her own car despite her age and failing health.

“Everyone’s Aunt Rachel”…

Not surprisingly, many have echoed Maggie’s “Force of One” sentiments over

Rachel in her iconic “Force of One” blue blazer

Before I forget…there was also a third possible title for this story, “You Simply Can’t Say NO to Rachel.” Those very words marked comments by Rachel’s dear friend and Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Board of Directors member, Catherine Morton, during her tribute at Rachel’s memorial services. And, if you ask around Avery County, you’re likely to hear those same words again and again from al most anyone who knew her.

By all accounts, the word “No” was rarely acceptable to Rachel when it came to recruiting you for one of her pet projects, seeking a charitable donation or selling goodies at one of her famous fundraising bake sales. Before you could even consider a reason to turn her down, you were already on board. She could charm you, coax you or simply give you that look. And, if you got that look…you’d better pony-up, or carry the weight of the world around on your conscience.NancyMorrison recalled one bake sale when a close friend and strong supporter handed Rachel a whopping $35 for a mere three homemade cookies and two brown ies. When Rachel gave her that look, the friend immediately ran out to her car to grab another $10. That’s $45 for a small handful of cookies and brownies. $45!!! The Girl Scouts cookie drive could have taken a lesson from Rachel!

Rachel taking photos of Grandfather Mountain from her Dellinger family property in Crossnore

For most folks, the basic rule for grace fully aging into one’s senior years is that one is allowed to gradually slow down and cut back on former commitments and responsibilities. Apparently, Rachel had never heard of that rule. And, even if she had, she would have defied it as surely and as confidently as she defied most obstacles that stood in her way.

love

Rachel apparently had a stroke and lost control of her car while returning from her favorite Sunday pilgrimage to embrace the awe-inspiring view of her long-beloved Grandfather Mountain. She considered Grandfather Mountain the most wondrous mountain peak in all of Avery County and would often venture out alone and in si lence to, as she would say, “commune with the Grandfather.” A couple days later she was to commune again—in a special sa cred silence—with another Father atop the most wondrous mountain peak to which any human spirit may ever ascend.

Writer Steve York was introduced to Rachel Deal in the 1960s, and in 2013 authored his first article about Rachel, “The Real Deal,” in CML Magazine.

Rachel with Tommy Burleson at a Tribute ceremony. The long & short of communityservice.

RACHEL: continued from previous page

100— Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

My encounters with Rachel were few, though deeply meaningful. To me, she seemed like someone I’d always known and with whom there must be some connection yet to be discovered. So, you can imagine how completely amazed I was to recently learn that her niece, Maggie, had once been a dear friend from my late 1960s days in Sparta, NC. I helped run a small radio station there at the time and Maggie lived with her family a short walk from both the radio station and my apartment. I was a constant “fixture” at their home, and they were of immeasurable inspiration in my life. Providence has a way of coming full circle…especially when Rachel is involved.

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charitable deeds and community contri butions almost staggers the imagination. Her number of awards and letters of rec ognition could easily fill up an entire wall. Her voice and her influence reached from Avery County officials to the state Capitol in Raleigh to the halls of the US Congress and even the White House.

June 14, 2022. She was 92. Though, to me and many others, her energy and produc tivity would suggest just the reverse age of 29. Somehow, her spirit seems as alive as ever. Certainly her impact on the lives and well-being of both people and animals across Avery County and beyond is still very much alive and at work. No doubt she was recruited by a higher “Force of One” to help run things up there!

Everyone’s Aunt Rachel of Crossnore, North Carolina, moved on from this earthly realm shortly after midnight on

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 101

My Sonny made his military service a firm foundation for a life of community contributions when we moved to the High Country in 1995. As Director of Watauga County’s Red Cross Chapter, he quickly worked to help the Chapter become a re spected community non-profit. I was still on Active Duty in California when he came to Boone in February, and the kids and I came out over spring break to look for a house. We met Sonny at his court house office to walk to lunch at Boone Drug. It took forever, as Sonny stopped

Sonny truly lived to serve others—to help them grow into their own full po tential, to assist them through tough times, and to enhance their capacity to joyfully live life to its fullest. His own sheer exhila ration showed in almost every moment of his waking hours, and it enveloped those around him. I’ve often wondered if he took his own dad’s calling as a preacher to heart as a guidepost for the light of love and hope that he shone on others. He was fierce, pas sionate about his beliefs, tough, and often a bit rough around the edges. His intense sense of justice drove him to inspire others to have a fair shot at a full life.

Sonny’s last words to you would be “to help one another, be kind, and enjoy every moment.” Through my tears, what else can I say?

By Bricca Sweet

Babette asked me to write about my darling Sonny, who died in June from the cancer that he had held at bay for nearly nine years. It’s an honor to once more pay tribute to my life’s most unforgettable character.

and talked with what seemed like every person on the street! It was his goal to meet two new people every day, a goal that he surpassed daily. When Sonny talked with people, they left feeling better about them selves than they had a few minutes before.

A Life of Service, and Still Helping…

Sonny absolutely loved Watauga Coun ty, the High Country, and mountain peo ple. His dad had been a preacher in Ashe County and an App State student when Sonny was a little boy (Worth Senior was even Mr. Appalachian!), and Sonny had wanted to return to these mountains all his life. Whether it was his calling to give back to the community or the recognition others had for his innate leadership skills, Sonny took part in numerous local orga nizations. He participated in leadership committees with Henson Chapel United Methodist Church in Vilas, labored at the Mountaineer Ruritans Fish Fry events, led and served with the Boone Kiwanis, helped found the High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and participated in several area committees. He worked with the Town of Boone to start the Fourth of July parades, helped develop MOAA’s Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day celebrations, and helped begin the Blood, Sweat, and Gears bicycle ride.Sonny engaged in numerous individual endeavors of which so many people are es sentially unaware. For example, he encour aged a very “senior” citizen as a Red Cross volunteer and helped him through his fi nal years. Sonny also helped a local story teller with all of his final affairs—financial, medical, and personal—as disease took Jim’s life. Sonny became a personal friend of several Hurricane Katrina evacuees who sought refuge in the High Country and helped them re-start their lives. He fully appreciated that extreme disaster takes so

much more from us than shelter. Sonny also worked closely with the courts to take on those sentenced with community-ser vice and did his best to help them (mostly students) find a positive path forward. He loved having high school and college in terns, several of whom credit their later life success to Sonny’s influence. Sonny was a service member who also lived a life of service.Sonny was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in 2013—we had no idea that he was even sick. Sonny quickly became physically limited, but he wanted to keep helping others while he was sick, as well as beyond his death. After a lot of reflection and consideration, we worked with Western Youth Network (WYN) to establish a scholarship fund to help those kids who most needed extra help. Sonny felt that WYN reached kids in a way that school sometimes didn’t, that it helped them find a sense of purpose, selfconfidence, and concern for others. He especially saw that WYN helped youth see, through real-world activities, mentor ing, and adventure-learning, that school success might have something to do with their own lives. Thus, WYN’s Sonny Sweet Scholarship Fund has helped kids, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to do so, attend WYN’s summer programs every year since 2016. Sonny was incredibly proud of this scholarship, and he hoped that it would continue to assist WYN in helping kids long after he was gone. We would love your donation to WYN’s Sonny Sweet Scholar ship Fund—please go to https://donorbox. org/wyn_online_donation to contribute.

Director of Watauga County’s Red Cross Chapter

Bricca and Sonny Sweet at the New River Gorge, October 2021

Sweet:Sonny

Sonny was drafted into the Army in 1961 and found his calling in serving his nation and his soldiers. He became an in telligence officer and commanded at every level through brigade. His innovations in training became Army-wide models, and I still hear from soldiers who feel that he changed their lives. Sonny totally believed in “Be All You Can Be” long before the Army adopted the motto. He loved giv ing all soldiers the chance to make more of their lives than they’d imagined possible. He was pretty quick to declare “nonsense” (using other words!) when policymakers proposed practices or regulations that were unfair to soldiers.

Lieutenant Sweet, 1965

102 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE ULTIMATEKITCHENDESIGN We Make Beautiful Kitchens Affordable! 828-260-2592 ultimatekitchendesign.com www.famousbrickoven.combrickoven@yahoo.com.828-387-4209FreshIngredients|HandcraftedDough~#1CatererintheHighCountry~ 40 Years of Service Serving the High Country for all electrical Needs Sales, Installation & Sevice for all Generators avery,8742GlenDavisElectric.com828-963-6997NC-105,Boone,NC28607watauga,andashecounties

Joe Donadio is Appalachian Ski Moun tain’s long standing ski patrol director. Joe sees that increased helmet use on the ski slopes has greatly decreased the risk of expe riencing a TBI. Additionally, he feels the risk for facial cuts, bruises and other head injuries

One Simple Step

has been reduced. “The ski industry has seen the chance to reduce risk (with helmet use) so much that many resorts now require em ployees, such as instructors, terrain staff and ski patrol who are working on the snow, to wear a helmet,” says Donadio. He adds that he would like to see more people consider wear ing a helmet when on the slopes. “Accidents are unpredictable. It’s always more fun to be safe than to suffer from something that could have been prevented.”

Riding the Middle Fork PhotoGreenwaycourtesy Magic Cycles, Boone, NC

In a 2016 article in the The American Jour nal of Surgery, a group of highly qualified doc tors studied 6,267 patients with intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding inside the skull) after bicycle-related accidents. What this group of doctors found was that wearing a helmet pro vides protection against severe TBI, reduces facial fractures and saves lives. Of the patients in this study, only 25 percent were wearing a helmet! The study found those who were wearing a helmet during the bicycle accident reduced their odds of a severe TBI by 51 per cent and the odds of dying by 44 percent.

Many people express they believe a hel met is needed only if you are extreme trail riding, long distance cycling, or skiing steep terrain. The truth is that it takes only a simple fall from any bike or a minor slip on a ski slope

to put one in danger of a TBI. The CDC/CPSC findings seem to highlight this position. As we age we tend to not take our sports to the extreme levels. While there may have been some 70-plus-year-olds that were extreme on a mountain bike in the CDC/CPSC data, I per sonally doubt they accounted for all of the 39 percent increase in TBIS.

Mike Boone, owner of Magic Cycles in Boone, agrees with this concern. “You never know what is going to happen. It doesn’t take a lot to cause an accident and cause someone to go over the handle bars. Wearing a hel met protects you from the unexpected.” Mike Boone goes on to say that he has had many customers come into his shop and tell him or his staff how happy they were that they were wearing a helmet during a recent bike wreck. “As an avid cyclist myself,” he adds, “I experienced a bike crash in Blowing Rock in 2005. During the crash I hit my head on the pavement, breaking my helmet. Thankfully, I only suffered cuts and scrapes in the accident, but I am certain the helmet prevented a TBI at most, or at least a concussion and/or facial injuries.”The snow ski industry has seen a much better response in helmet usage over the past decade. The National Ski Area Association (NSAA) is reporting that nearly 90 percent of skiers wore a helmet during the 2021/2022 ski season. This number is remarkable, but there is still room to improve. According to Statista, an organization that tracks ski resorts throughout the country, there were almost 15 million skiers in the U.S. in 2017. The numbers would indicate that while the ski industry has made a big step in skier safety, we still have nearly 1.5 million skiers not wearing helmets in the U.S. each year!

Each and every day thousands are injured in biking or skiing accidents in the United States. While many of the injuries are minor in nature, there is one type of injury that is concerning. Head injuries, or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). TBIs can be prevented or re duced by adding one item to your attire: an approved and appropriate helmet.

By Mike Teague

PREVENTIONOFOUNCE Continued on page 112

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released data in May 2021 that indicat ed there has been an increase of TBIs in older adults. During March through September of 2020, TBIs increased by 21 percent for adults 40 years of age and older. During the same time period adults over 70 saw an increase in TBIs of 39 percent.

Ounce of Prevention:

Snowsports AppalachianatMountain

Why are many still not wearing helmets while participating in these sports? If you look at some of the excuses given for not wearing a cycling helmet, they relate more to vanity than anything else. Many people don’t want their hair messed up by the helmet. Others indicate the helmet doesn’t fit right. Addition ally, people say the helmets are too hot, which makes them uncomfortable to wear. While the messed up hair might be a tough one to fix, think about what could happen to your hair in a Mostcrash!new helmets when they are properly fitted are lightweight, provide for good venti lation and are, yes, comfortable to wear. Mike Boone believes helmet usage has improved in our area and in the cycling community spe cifically, noting, “It is rare to find an avid cyclist not wearing a helmet.” In Boone’s opinion, “If you were raised around cycling and bikes, you know what to do. Those who bought their bikes at a big box store or haven’t been around bikes in the past just haven’t been exposed to the true need for helmet use. The question shouldn’t be ‘why aren’t you wear ing a helmet,’ it should be ‘why wouldn’t you wear a helmet?’” Boone goes on to say, “Thou sands of dollars, a hospital visit and long term injuries can easily be prevented by wearing a properly fitted helmet.”

Photo courtesy Magic Cycles, Boone, NC

Photo by Todd Bush

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 103

So where do we go from here? I would hope that you read this article, immediately

When I was a child it wasn’t considered common practice to wear a helmet while riding a bike or skiing on the slopes. While I would say it is more common today to see people wearing helmets when enjoying the High Country on a bike or while on the slopes of one of our beautiful ski resorts, helmet us age isn’t where it needs to be. Over the past 40+ years there has been much research and many improvements to help prevent TBIs that result from crashes in these sports.

Photo courtesy Magic Cycles, Boone, NC

Lost Province Center for Cultural Arts (LPCCA) is holding a special fundraising event on Thursday, September 22. All LPCCA supporters, friends, artist partners and families are invited to attend! You can support Lost Province while sipping on a glass of locally crafted wine from Old Barn Winery and listening to live music performed by local musicians! Pro ceeds from ticket sales will help continue to build the financial support needed to restore and preserve the historic Lansing School building in Lansing, NC. Learn more at lostprovincearts.org.

Mast General Store’s Autumn Coat Drive

The Watauga County Public Library is hosting a community reading program featuring the “Books of Boone.” This series includes book discussions, author talks, and special events. Put your read ing glasses on and discover Boone anew through the lens of history and storytell ing! The next featured book is The Last Entry, by Dr. Jim Hamilton, on Thursday, November 10 at 6 p.m. Stop by the library or visit www.arlibrary.org/watau ga for copies of books or more informa tion. Find other events that celebrate the 150th anniversary of Boone, NC, at boone150.com.

100 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE104 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

The Avery County Riverwalk Quilt Guild

2022 Veterans Day Commemoration

From 1-3 p.m. on September 26, cake will be served in honor of all donors, volun teers and clients to celebrate Hunger & Health Coalition’s 40 years of feeding, loving and empowering our community! Learn more about the important work of the organization at www.hungerand healthcoalition.com.

The Riverwalk Quilt Guild is a community group that aims to preserve our moun tain heritage of quilting; to be a source of education and inspiration for quilters; to provide fellowship to people with a common interest; and to be of service to the community. For their 2022 Service Project, Guild members are making and donating at least 10 twin-size quilts to Crossnore Communities. “Often when kids arrive at Crossnore they only have the clothes on their backs. The staff al low each child to pick a quilt—one that speaks to them—with the hope that it provides comfort and begins the healing process.” The Avery County Riverwalk Quilt Guild meets the second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Newland Christian Church, located at 2800 Miller’s Gap Hwy in Newland, NC. Visitors are welcome! Learn more at walkquiltguild.godaddysites.comhttps://river or on their facebook page.

Wine & Cheese Fundraiser

Boone Reads Together

Each year on Veterans Day (November 11, 2022), the High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America holds a small ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in downtown Boone, NC. The Watauga Community Band will perform and those who have served will be honored at the ceremony. The event will be held at 11 a.m. by the Memorial on King Street in Boone (next to Town Hall). www.hccmoaa.org

This fall, the Hunger & Health Coalition celebrates 40 years of helping to relieve poverty and hunger in a compassionate manner for families and individuals who are experiencing economic hardship and food shortages. This assistance may include food, medicine, wood and refer rals to other community resources. Join the organization for a day of celebration!

Each fall, the Mast General Store, in partnership with Columbia Sportswear, sponsors a “Share the Warmth” coat drive. Each store has carefully chosen a local organization that is well connected in the community to find new homes for each donated jacket. Please take a look in your closets and storage bins for clean, gentlyworn coats and jackets that may find a greater purpose in someone else’s closet. They can be dropped off at any Mast Store the entire month of December. Find out where you can drop off your toasty clothes at www.mastgeneralstore.com.

Hunger & Health Coalition Turns 40

After a lifetime of serving the people and animals of Avery County, Rachel Deal passed away earlier this year. She was a huge advocate for trying to bring Animal Control Services to the County, and served on the Board of Directors of the Avery Humane Society for over 40 years. In her honor and memory, the Society has created the Rachel Deal Fund for the Stray Animals in Avery County. Consider making a gift to help care for stray ani mals in our community—all gifts to this

High Country Caregivers’ Christmas Angels

A Very Special Bear at Grandfather Mountain Artist Kent Paulette, known for his color ful, largescale paintings, recently donated a 10-ft. wide, 7.5-ft. tall bear painting to Grandfather Mountain. It now hangs per manently on the wall above the entrance to the newly redesigned Nature Museum at The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery.

Helping Stray Animals in Honor of Rachel Deal

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 101CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 105

Continued...

Lace up your running shoes (and bring your antlers)! On Saturday, December 3, from 9 a.m. -12 p.m., you can participate in the annual Reindeer Run in Banner Elk. The event begins at Tate Evans Park in downtown Banner Elk and is open to everyone—bring the whole family! Feel free to run, jog or walk the course. Reg istration opens in late October. Please visit the Williams YMCA Membership Desk to register or go to www.ymcaavery. com. A Race Day T-Shirt is included in the cost of registration. All proceeds will go towards the Y-Access program, a subsidy program that ensures that everyone can participate in YMCA programs and memberships. For questions, please contact Erin Spear or Erica Shingleton at 828-737-5500.

Help make this Christmas merry and bright for the boys and girls of High Country Caregivers. The organization is seeking sponsorships for their children this Christmas. For $250, you can give a child a magical Christmas this year. If you would like to sponsor a child or send a donation, call or email Kinship Naviga tor Caroline Johnson at 828-434-6693 or caroline@highcountrycaregivers.com

The Adam Davis Galleher Memorial Fund began in January of 2013 after the sud den passing of a loving son, brother, and friend who touched many lives in his 26 years on the Earth. Nine years later, SmileOn ADG has awarded over $151,592 in grants, scholarships, and charitable gifts in areas that Adam was passionate about. SmileOn ADG will once again be partnering with DEWEY’S Bakery Holiday Store in Blowing Rock for this year’s fun draiser. Look for the red & white DEWEY’S signs in mid-November at Tanger Outlets in Blowing Rock and shop in-store or online every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Last year’s fundraiser raised over $23,000 for SmileOn ADG, thanks to community support. Learn more about this special fundraising effort or make a donation online at www.smileonadg.org. Visit their Facebook page at deweyholidaystoreSmileon/www.facebook.com/ .

Annual Reindeer Run

fund will be used for food, shelter, medi cal care and support for the hundreds of stray animals brought to the shelter each year. Visit averyhumane.org, and read CML’s article on Rachel Deal else where in this issue.

New Children’s Books at the Banner Elk Book Exchange!

“Grandfather Mountain is such a special place to me,” said Paulette. “This painting was inspired by my visits to the wildlife habitats and seeing the bears there. I col lected water from a waterfall at Grand father Mountain and mixed the water directly with paint to stain the canvas…” You can view more of his artwork at www.KentPaulette.com.

Thanks to the generous funding by the High Country Charitable Foundation, the Banner Elk Book Exchange has purchased over 120 NEW books for their collection. The focus was on Caldecott and Newbery Award winners for young readers. These books will be added to their children and young adult collections, which always need extra books. The Book Exchange has also added to their regional collec tion—books written by regional authors or about regional subjects. Visit the Book Exchange and “exchange” some books this season! Learn more at BannerElkBookEx change.com.

SmileOn ADG Partners with Dewey’s Bakery Holiday Store

Nexsen Ringers Present Holiday Concert Nexsen Ringers Community Handbell Choir presents Holiday Bells on Saturday, December 17 at 4 p.m. in the Sanctu ary of Boone United Methodist Church. Boone UMC proudly hosts this talented group of musicians as they help the High Country “ring in the season” with seasonal favorites and popular tunes! For more in formation, contact Dana Davis at dana@ booneumc.org or call 828-264-6090.

Photo: www.plasticfreewnc.com

Most people in the High Country have heard of Reba Moretz, known by many as the matriarch of the Appalachian Ski Mtn. family. As co-owner of Appalachian Ski Mtn. with late husband Grady Moretz, she spent most of her life growing the family business and promoting the regional ski industry. She has also played a key role in shaping High Country tourism, supporting Appalachian State and the arts (she is a founding member of An Appalachian Summer Festival), and advocating for the High Country medical community.

Celebrating 40 years of Protecting the Places We Share 2022 marks MountainTrue’s 40th anni versary! One important function of the group is to test the water quality through out western NC. In recent tests, the data concluded that microplastic pollution is widespread throughout the Watauga River Basin and other Western North Carolina waterways. MountainTrue is collaborating with communities to stop plastic pollution at its source, and working to implement a single-use plastic ban in the Town of Boone (an effort that has been successful in many communities nationwide).

Bailey, Bleecker, and Banjo North Carolina writers Tonja and Emily Smith have been visiting various venues in the High Country and beyond to talk about and sign their latest book, Adven tures of Bailey, Bleecker, and Banjo—Lin ville Gorge. Visual artist Tonja illustrated and co-authored the book with her daughter, Emily. Adventures, the first in upcoming derring-do tales of Bailey, Bleecker, and Banjo, take the three on an outdoor escapade into the rugged yet scenic Linville Gorge. Book available at local bookstores, gift shops and online.

From atop Grandfather Mountain, visi tors can grab a front-row seat to one of nature’s most stunning spectacles— thousands of raptors migrating over the mountains and heading south toward their wintering grounds. Guests can ob serve the raptors during the annual Hawk Watch, in which official counters and volunteers note the number of passersby in the sky throughout the entire month of September. Counts will be conducted every day the weather permits on Linville Peak and Half-Moon Overlook and will be posted daily at HawkCount.org. For more information visit grandfather.com. Photo courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Steward ship Foundation.

106 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

September is Hawk Watch!

You can help by learning more about the problem, using less single-use plastic in your household (plastic bags, cutlery, etc.), and letting your voice be heard by town, city, county and state lead ers. Learn more at the Plastic-Free WNC website at www.plasticfreewnc.com and visit mountaintrue.org to read about the organization’s collaborative history, mon umental successes, and the important folks who helped shape the Mountain True organization into what it is today.

In addition, Reba is known as an accom plished musician, having earned a master’s degree in music and music education from Appalachian State Teacher’s College (predating The Hayes School of Music). Earlier in her career, she taught music at NC schools, includ ing App State, and she has served for more than 50 years as organist at the historic All Saints Episcopal Mission in Linville, NC. Reba recently retired as the church’s organist—just a few months in advance of her 90th birthday, which she will celebrate later this fall. On this occasion, the All Saints community, and all who have been fortunate enough to hear her play over the years, pay tribute to Reba and her many decades of making beautiful music.

Watauga County Hazardous Waste Day

A Tribute to Reba Moretz

Several times each year, the various counties in our region provide special collection days for household hazardous waste (HHW). The proper disposal of HHW and the recycling of approved materials saves landfill space, money, natural resources and energy. The next Hazardous Waste Collection Day for Watauga residents takes place Thursday, October 13, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Learn more at www.wataugacounty.org.

Find out more about this unique effort on the organization’s Facebook page, Flowers for Friends—Know you are Special and Loved. Or, call 828-898-5557 or email brent@brentatwater. com.

be accepting only potted plants this year).

...endless delights

or contact Kerri McFalls, VP of community engagement at kmcfalls@amoremsupport.org.

Special Gift Goes to An Appalachian Summer Festival

An Appalachian Summer Festival has long held the dream of establishing a $5 million programming endowment—and this year, the dream has been realized, thanks to a recent gift by Barbara Freiman, along with her children and grandchildren, in memory of Barbara’s husband, Larry Freiman, who passed away in 2021. Added to the commitments by Neil and Nancy Schaffel, Chris Petti and a number of Continued on next page

Your donated plant is prepped to enjoy a long and healthy life, and delivered to a special recipient. Youcan even track your donation—Flowers for Friends will photograph your plants to show you where they go! A card that reads “You are Special & Loved” is placed in every delivery.

In 1996, Elk River resident Brent Atwater was visiting a friend in a nursing home. That visit inspired her to start Flowers for Friends.

Atwater and her team will schedule a pick up time for your plants or have you drop them off at a designated area.

For years Atwater watched gorgeous summer plants all over the High Country get discarded at season’s end and wondered how they could be repurposed to bring joy to others. Today, Flowers for Friends has grown their vision, and continues to inspire others in the community to help in this effort to repurpose plants so that others can enjoy them.

If you are involved in an organization that would like to receive plants and flowers, please make arrangements to get on the Flowers for Friends schedule as soon as possible. The num ber of plants donated determines their delivery capacity. Andif you’re interested in helping with this worthy cause, volunteers are needed in the various High Country communities to fa cilitate donation awareness, collection and distribution. “We would love for you, your sum mer community and organizations to help us brighten the lives of others,” adds Atwater.

Local Community& Business News

AMOREM: Bringing Hospice Inpatient Care to the High Country

The organization’s $8 million ‘Quality. Compassion. Support.’ campaign launched in September of 2021. The campaign will support the construction of a 9,000 sq. ft., seven-bed inpatient facility for hospice patients who have pain and symptoms that cannot be managed in the home or who have need for respite care.

symptoms, locally. A patient care unit in the High Country would allow our patients to re ceive the care they need in a comfortable, homelike setting without travelling down the mountain or facing a hospital admission.”

The patient care unit will be built in Boone beside AMOREM’s Palliative Care Center, and will serve residents of Watauga, Ashe and AverySupportersCounties. of the campaign, including SECU Foundation, the High Country Charitable Foundation, ECRS, Watauga and Ashe Counties, and many private donors, have given or pledged over $3.3 million in the first year of fundraising.“Weareembarking on a project to enhance the lives of High Country residents,” said AnneMarie Yates, campaign co-chair. “Community support is crucial in our next phase of fundraising.”Sinceexpanding services to the High Country in 2014, AMOREM has provided hos pice care and palliative medicine for more than 1,500 seriously and terminally ill High Country residents and their families. While most hos pice care is provided in the patient’s home, needs often arise that require a higher level of care that should be provided at a patient care unit.Currently, the only option for inpatient hos pice care for High Country residents is to travel to one of AMOREM’s three patient care units in Burke and Caldwell counties.

AMOREM, a nonprofit hospice organi zation, was formed from the integration of Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care and Burke Hospice and Palliative Care in May 2021.

To find more information about the cam paign and AMOREM’s services, visit: paignsupport.org/donate/high-country-capital-camamorem

Donate Your Summer Plants to “Flowers for Friends”

“We redistribute plants to local and select hospitals, rehab centers, retirement commu nities, nursing homes, and to folks who have no one,” says Atwater. “For example, Meals on Wheels recipients who need their day bright ened.” Her concept has really caught on in the community, attracting individuals and organi zations to volunteer for the cause. One year, for example, Bradley Dunn, head coach of the Lees-McRae men’s lacrosse team, recruited many of his players to help pick up and deliver these repurposed plants.

Call 828-898-5557 or email brent@brentat water.com and provide the date of your depar ture from the High Country (note that they will

Carol Smith, vice president of High Country services at AMOREM, is certain the project will improve quality of care for High Country hos pice“Wepatients.strive to deliver the best possible care for our patients and support to their fami lies,” Smith said. “Our team has seen the need for a higher level of care to manage pain and

Want to donate your plants? It’s a simple and convenient process:

If you’re having a wedding, party, or other event this season, Flowers for Friends will collect all unwanted flowers at the event site after it’s over.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 107

This is not just a backyard—it is 2 ½ acres, down 130 stairs from Solomon’s house to a wonderland of adventure and pure fun. Here you’ll find basketball, badminton, horseshoes, and volleyball, along with soccer balls, swings, a gazebo, hammock and the piece de resis tance—the Watauga River running along the property. The children—all participants in the Western Youth Network (WYN) program— swam, snorkeled, fished and did what children do best… laughed. Rabbi Alty, as he likes to be called, came prepared with percussion instru ments, one for each child. He led them in creat ing music and in laughing games. The Rabbi’s wife, Elizabeth, an artist herself, came prepared to paint their faces in any character they chose. Sandi Finci Solomon served a delicious, nu tritious meal, topped off with cupcakes and cookies. It was an experience of a lifetime for the WYN Growingchildren.upis never easy, but for some it’s extremely difficult. The Western Youth Network is an organization that helps children—all na tionalities, all ethnicities, and at all stages of growing up. WYN provides mentors to teach children the ways of the world, to help with their homework, to overcome any problems at home and with getting along with people.

In 2019, the Freimans were inducted into An Appalachian Summer Festival’s Founders Society, which recognizes “the people whose vision, generosity and hard work helped build An Appalachian Summer Festival,” Ringler said. Barbara is also a former member of An Appalachian Summer Festival’s Advisory Board.

Local Community& Business News

“Barbara is a deeply admired member of the arts community and a long-standing sup porter of An Appalachian Summer Festival, as was Larry before his passing,” said Denise Ringler, App State’s director of arts engage ment and cultural resources. “These gifts rep resent the family’s desire to ensure arts access and quality of life for our entire region, and we are incredibly grateful for their generosity.”

High Country, and the Western Youth Network. - Contributed by Suzanne Lasky-Gerard, photo by Bill Liebman

108 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

This summer, seventeen children rang ing from five to twenty-three years old, of all religions, ethnicities and economic stations, were joined by Rabbi Alty Weinreb and wife Elizabeth from Boone’s Temple of the High

The Freimans have long been involved with the arts in Western North Carolina. Larry, a life long violinist, played in the Western Piedmont Symphony in Hickory, and An Appalachian Summer Festival’s 2021 Broyhill Chamber Series was dedicated in his memory. Barbara served as president of The Community Music Club in Lenoir and as a board member of the Western Piedmont Symphony. Photo: The Frieman Family

They provide after school activities and summer camps when school is on summer break. They introduce children to new expe riences that might not have been available to them before WYN, such as learning to fish, sports, hiking—in short, learning how to suc ceed in anything they tackle.

Sandi Finci Solomon’s annual summer event at her park, in addition to her tak ing youth to see live theater at Lees-McRae College, and dancing in their talent show, is a labor of love. Ask her and she’ll tell you that nothing gives her more pleasure than seeing children smiling and enjoying each day.

The App State Hickory Campus is one of several major construction projects underway at Appalachian State University to enhance the App State Experience. Last fall, App State closed on the purchase of the former Corning Optical Communications building, located at 800 17th St. NW in Hickory, and an adjoining 15.7 acres. The property, currently under reno vation, will house the future App State Hickory Campus, with a target date of fall 2023 to begin holding classes in the building.

The Freiman family has donated more than $2 million to Appalachian State University in support of An Appalachian Summer Festival and the University Libraries.

Summer Fun in Support of the Western Youth Network

WYN is just one of the many charities and programs Solomon supports. Others include the App State Youth Film Festival and the Advisory Board for Theater and Dance, and the Lees-McRae Summer Theater Advisory Board, where the stage is named after her. But she says this annual event at her park is different; it brings together the two organizations closest to her heart, her Synagogue, the Temple of the

A note from WYN Staff: “Our Alleghany County kiddos would like to give a huge shout out and thank you to Sandi Solomon for opening Sandi’s Park to us again this year! Our students had a blast playing in Sandi’s backyard and en joying a tasty lunch. Swinging, swimming, fish ing, and volleyball were all huge hits! We’d like to extend our thank you to Alty and Elizabeth Weinreb for having musical activities and face painting for us, and to all of Sandi’s friends who joined us! Special thanks to Bill Liebman for cap turing these sweet and special moments.” Learn about the ways in which you can support the Western Youth Network at www.westernyouth network.org.

other generous endowment donors, this criti cal milestone in the festival’s growth and devel opment has now been attained.

Updates from App State

“We are moving forward with plans for opening the Hickory Campus to students in fall 2023,” said Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts. “The City of Hickory has been incredibly welcoming to App State. Signage has been going up on the building in recent weeks… You might also notice how much brighter the building looks than [last] fall when we bought it—the City of Hickory cleaned the exterior of the building for us a few months

Country at a magnificent children’s park on the grounds of Sandi Finci Solomon’s home.

“The Freimans have been treasured friends and ardent supporters of App State for more than 30 years,” said Chancellor Sheri Everts. “Their passion for the arts and lifelong learning has enriched our university and the surround ing communities, and their legacy will continue to uplift and engage many future generations.”

Chancellorago!” Everts added, “Partnerships with the City of Hickory and other local govern ment, education, civic and business leaders in the area will be key to meeting the educational needs of the region. Common themes that have emerged include innovation, arts and culture, recreation, child care, student support

Previously, she served as theatre and music chair for Tampa’s Patel Conservatory, theatre/ choral director at The First Academy in Orlando, and fine arts coordinator at the Geneva Academy in SuzanneDeland.andher family relocated to NC during the pandemic, where she has been employed by the Watauga County Schools as a K-8 music educator at Bethel and Valle Crucis Schools. She fell in love with the region in the 1990s when she was a featured soloist at The Farm House in Blowing Rock while pursuing her undergraduate musical theatre degree at Stetson University in Florida. Livesay also holds a Master of Education degree from Belhaven University in Mississippi.

Grandfather Mountain Celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Mile High Swinging Bridge

Contributed by Keith Martin

A New Lodging Experience: The Inn at Shady Lawn

Graphic by Jim Fleri

Former North Carolina Tourism Director Charles J. Parker coined the name “Mile High Swinging Bridge” at the bridge’s dedication in 1952, a nod to the structure’s elevation above sea level. The bridge is 228 feet long and spans an 80-foot chasm at more than a mile high. Meanwhile, the term “swinging” refers to the fact that suspension bridges are free to sway. The bridge provides easy access to Linville peak, along with dramatic 360-degree pan oramic views of the surrounding mountains that spill over into Tennessee and Virginia.

and academic areas that include business, education, health care, engineering, design and building sciences. There are also numer ous possibilities for the Hickory area to engage with the university’s sustainability initiatives.”

In 1999, the bridge was rebuilt using the original towers. The cables, floorboards and side rails were all replaced using galvanized steel. To learn more about the Mile High Swinging Bridge, visit visit/things-to-do/mile-high-swinging-bridgewww.grandfather.com/ .

“Welcome to The Inn at Shady Lawn!” That greeting, spoken with genuine warmth and sincerity by new owner/operators Suzannah and Nathan Gittner, along with manager Becka Buchannan, is truly a welcoming sound to the many guests who’ve come to visit the High Country and enjoy the hospitality of this Continued on next page

The Appalachian Theatre in Boone announced that vet eran arts professional Suzanne Livesay has been named executive director of the vener able landmark. Bill Pelto, who led the national search, said, “Suzanne brings to us the verve of an educator, the expertise of a manager, and the instinct of an artist. I look forward to seeing her energies dedicated to enhancing the qual ity of the arts here in the High Country.”

“The bridge is a testament to my father’s vision,” Catherine Morton, Hugh Morton’s youngest daughter and board member of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, said. “There were not many eco nomic drivers in the mountains of Western North Carolina at the time, and he perceived tourism as a growing industry that could create jobs for the people in the mountains.”

Grandfather Mountain founder Hugh Morton had the bridge built in 1952, which marked the establishment of the park as it is known today. The construction of the bridge and the paved road to the top had been a dream of Morton’s during his life and made the mountain’s sweeping views and natural beauty accessible to everyone.

“Suzanneshowplace.”hasthe right background and personality for the job,” said David Jackson, president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “She is someone who can trum pet the mission of the Appalachian Theatre well, while also thinking about how the or ganization can be a benefit to others in our community. The seeds are there for this to be a signature moment in the theatre’s history.”

She said that as the University prepares to open the new Hickory Campus, they will use the information coming out of these discus sions with the community to make sure the School’s program offerings “will be strategic, thoughtful and collaborative.”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 109

Photo: Far Tower Being Constructed in 1952, Photo by Hugh Morton, Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Suzanne TheatreofExecutiveAppointedLivesayDirectorAppalachian

“I genuinely appreciate the warm welcome and support I’ve received from our amazing High Country community and businesses,” said Livesay. “Everyday folks share memories and stories from their past audience experiences and are excited about creating new memories here. We’re ramping up our offerings with films, concerts, theatre, and more, helping everyone celebrate the Appalachian Theatre as the High Country’s

–

In early September, the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain, the not-forprofit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, reached a major milestone. One of the most iconic desti nations in North Carolina turned 70 years old!

“The Mile High Swinging Bridge is the crown jewel of Grandfather Mountain,” Jesse Pope, president and executive direc tor of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, said. “For 70 years, the bridge has provided a wonderful and exciting experience for all our guests and has put Grandfather Mountain on the map as one of North Carolina’s top Fordestinations.”decades,the bridge has also provided a dramatic backdrop for Grandfather’s array of important educational programming, in which park naturalists and educators share the won ders of the mountain with guests.

The Sugar Grove resident was formerly vice president of education and community engagement at the Straz Center in Tampa, the nation’s sixth largest performing arts cen ter, where Livesay supervised 31 full-time and 50+ adjunct faculty and staff members while administering an annual $5,500,000 budget.

Local public relations and advertising firm G&T Communications has been helping clients tell their stories, educate consumers and in form them about new services for 26 years, and recently received recognition for its efforts. The Telly Awards for video and television content across all screens announced the agency as winner of five international silver awards and two international bronze awards for TV and online commercials, including animation and video produced for social and digital outlets.

This summer, Lees-McRae kicked off a new cultural and continuing education series for the college, the town of Banner Elk, and the wider community. The High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series brings renowned speakers and award-winning outdoor-related films to the Lees-McRae campus throughout the 2022–23 academic year.

...endless delights

Local Community& Business News

Formerly known as The Shady Lawn Motel & Lodge—a Newland landmark since open ing in 1955 by the Sam Ray family—The Inn at Shady Lawn was acquired by the Gittners in the summer of 2021. After temporarily closing to invest in classic upgrades to furnishings, fixtures and decor, they reopened this past summer just in time for the rush of seasonal tourists as well as people exploring the area for a second home or permanent move to the HighNathan—aCountry.

“Everywhere you look on campus, there’s something that speaks to our love for the out doors,” said Katie Wall, series organizer and program coordinator for Outdoor Recreation Management and Wilderness Medicine and Rescue. “I think the more films and speakers we can bring in to give us different perspectives on all the things that make the outdoors and living in the High Country so special and valuable, will really bring meaning to not just the Lees-McRae community, but the Avery County and Banner Elk communities as well.”

Conveniently located in the center of downtown Newland, local shopping, dining and community amenities are an easy stroll or short drive from the inn. Area recreation and tourist attractions are all nearby and The Inn at Shady Lawn has some exciting plans for the future. Full details at www.theinnatshadylawn. com. – Contributed by Steve York

This event is raising funds for the Ski and Snowboard Team and the Ski Industry Business and Instruction academic program.

110 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

“All Bikes Welcome, Pedal to the People” Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m. at the Lees-McRae College Outdoor Amphitheater, Help fund local youth programming through the C.R.A.N.K. Crew Club and the Cycling Studies academic program.

Local Agency Receives Seven International Awards for Advertising

newly renovated inn in the heart of down town Newland, NC.

• Teton Gravity Research Ski and Snowboard Film | “Mountain Revelations”

• Outdoor Ally Speaker Series: Rachel Olzer

Fall events include:

Lees-McRae High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series Brings Outdoor Recreation Entertainment to the Community

financial consultant and former Aerospace engineer—and his wife, Suzannah—previously in Human Resources and recruiting—had bought a home in Mountain Glenn and moved in on Memorial Day, 2015. They initially planned this to be a second home. But both fell in love with the area. It was Suzannah who ultimately said, “I really love it here. You travel all the time in your business…so why don’t we just move here permanently?” With that, the Gittners be came fulltime residents, got acquainted with local public and business leaders and began exploring possible business opportunities.

Fascinated with the idea of running a hos pitality business, the inn property seemed ideal. “Suzannah is a natural for this and a perfect hostess,” noted Nathan. “She’s a real pro and genuinely loves meeting new people and dealing with the public in this type of setting…and she especially enjoys creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for our guests. With Becka as manager, a dedicated staff, and our recent upgrades, we’ve been able to offer our guests a modern hospitality lodging ex perience, yet within all the coziness of an inti mate Inn environment. And the local commu nity has been greatly supportive,” he added.

In addition to being a fun and enriching event for the community, ticket sales for each event in the series will raise funds for academic and extracurricular programs at Lees-McRae. This will be a great opportunity for community members to learn more about the world around them and support the college at the same time.

• Reel Rock Climbing Film Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m., Lees-McRae College Outdoor Amphitheater, South Campus at Grandfather Home Support the Lees-McRae Climbing Team and the construction of the Adventure Learning Lab.

“We serve some of the best clients in the nation, including three energy utilities who fin ished 2021 in J.D. Power’s top 12 among elec tric cooperatives,” said Maggie G. Tilley, presi dent and founder. “We help our clients achieve their goals with excellence, expertise and ef ficiency. But it takes a village,” she continued. “From voice talents to video production, we work with some of the most talented people in the business, in addition to our clients working with us every step of the way.”

This series is supported by local busi nesses Beech Mountain Resort, High Country Guide Service, Wittman Sports Group, Foscoe Fishing Company, Sotheby’s International Realty, Sustainable Lawn and Landscape, Headquarters Bike and Outdoor, Mountain Alliance, West Fork Anglers, and River Girl Fishing Company. Buy tickets and learn more about these fall events, as well as the 2023 lineup of events, at munity/high-country-adventure.htm.https://www.lmc.edu/com

Saturday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m., Beech Mountain Resort

More than 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents competed for a coveted

Blue Ridge Energy posts information dur ing major outages on its social media, includ ing www.facebook.com/blueridgeenergy, www.

• NOAA Weather Radio (or, sign up for notifications from emergency and weather services on your smart phone or table)

• Flashlights with extra batteries

Fifth Anniversary for the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation

• By using the Blue Ridge Energy mobile app

The cooperative also wants to share some safety precautions you can take before a storm hits, including creating an emergency supply kit with the following:

As the colder months ensue, we should all start thinking about preparing our homes and property for potential storms. Blue Ridge Energy prepares for the storm season and pos sible power outages by making sure line tech nicians and all staff are prepared to respond.

G&T Communications has a long list of awards on behalf of its clients, including a PRSA Silver Anvil finalist slot, 22 Telly awards for TV and animation ads and five utility campaigns honored with the coveted Edgar F. Chesnutt Award. The Chesnutt recognizes the “best of the best” in public relations and advertising programs among the nearly 900 electric coop eratives across the nation. The firm has offices in Boone and Asheville, NC. For more informa tion, visit GoToPublicRelations.com

• Never touch a downed power line. Warn others to stay away and call Blue Ridge Energy or 911.

• Extra water for drinking and cooking

The Foundation continues to grow and ex pand its outreach through all seven counties it covers. Anyone living in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes or Yancey County is eligible. To donate, request assistance, register for events or volunteer, visit hcbcf.org.

• Never leave a fireplace unless its embers are completely extinguished. Also consider using a glass or metal fire screen to catch sparks and rolling logs, and never store flammable liquids near sources of heat.

• Know how to use your generator. Generators should be placed in an open and ventilated area. They should never be operated inside a home—including spaces like the basement and garage—due to the danger of inhaling carbon monoxide fumes.

Blue Ridge Electric serves some 78,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, and parts of Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties. Its propane and fuels subsidiary serves customers in the coopera tive’s service area as well as Burke, Catawba, and Grayson County, Va. Learn more at www. BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 111

• Manual can opener

• Nonperishable food items

Irene Sawyer, HCBCF founder and presi dent, is an eleven-year breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with the very aggressive tri ple-negative form of the disease in December of 2010. She began the road to recovery after multiple surgeries and 18 months of chemo therapy. One of the things that helped her dur ing her journey was the support she received from her community. When Irene moved to the High Country, she noticed many businesses and members of the public were eager to show their support during October—Breast Cancer Awareness month. Her dream was to bring to gether all who felt a calling to support breast cancer awareness under one “umbrella,” a unit ed front for our community.

• Call 1-800-448-2383

Irene’s dream came true in 2017 when she started HCBCF as a local non-profit, with an allvolunteer board dedicated to helping breast cancer patients, survivors and their families exclusively in the North Carolina High Country. The Foundation is the link between those who can give and those who need that gift. Irene pays all of the Foundation’s expenses with the earnings from her personal real estate busi ness. This means every penny of every dollar donated goes to work for local breast cancer patients and their families. The Foundation has paid patients’ rent, has contributed to college funds, automobile expenses, food trains, etc., and now covers the cost of a remarkable new treatment that prevents hair loss due to che motherapy, the Paxman Scalp Cooling System.

• View the cooperative’s online outage map at https://bremco.maps.sienatech.com/ or on their mobile app.

Be Prepared for Storm Season: Tips from Blue Ridge Energy

• First aid kit, including prescription medications

• Keep cell phones charged and have fully charged battery backups

• Extra blankets They also recommend following the tips below to stay safe and comfortable in the event of outages:

• Help prevent your pipes from freezing by turning your faucets on just enough so they can drip, especially if temperatures approach 20 degrees F.

Check outage status at any time:

Report Outages in the following ways:

instagram.com/blueridgeenergy, and www.twit ter.com/blueridgeemc.

The High Country Breast Cancer Foundation (HCBCF) is celebrating its fifth anniversary by giving thanks publicly to the many generous and caring people in the High Country who support its cause. The 5K Walk/ Run continues to be the Foundation’s biggest annual event, generating donations through race registration and sponsorship. Race par ticipation has grown dramatically since the first event in October of 2017. The 2019 race had over 600 entrants. In 2020 and 2021, the race was held virtually due to Covid restrictions. The Foundation is excited to welcome back “inperson” walkers and runners on October 22, at 9 a.m. in Blowing Rock.

win during the annual event. Entrants were judged by an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, pro duction companies, and major television net works, reflective of the multiscreen industry.

In case of an outage in your area, Blue Ridge Energy members are advised to be pre pared with the cooperative’s outage reporting options and tips below:

• By text when signed up for outage texting

• If using a space heater or heat lamp, be sure to place it on a solid surface at least three feet away from anything combu tible. Always turn off space heaters before leaving the room or going to sleep.

112 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

A weekend getaway, corporate retreat, family vacation, engagements, elopements, rehearsal dinners, or special events...it’s the perfect place to relax, re-inspire, and rejuvenate – both inside and out. • Weddings • Special Events • Corporate Retreats • Family Reunions 135 Deer Run Lane, Banner Elk, NC 28604 www.BannerElkWinery.com828.260.1790

change your habits and begin wearing a helmet when cycling or skiing if you don’t already. As our local industry experts have in dicated, accidents are unpredictable and can have life changing outcomes. If you are cur rently wearing a helmet during these sports, or have just decided to reduce your risk by wearing one, it is important to wear the hel met every time you hit the slopes or ride the bike. Let’s make it a beneficial habit!

If you are looking to purchase a helmet for either or both of these awesome sports, I encourage you to reach out to one of our lo cal ski or bike shops and their experts. Mike Boone and his staff will be more than happy to take the time needed to get you wearing the perfect helmet. These folks are trained and very knowledgeable in many different styles of helmets and will help you get the right hel met with the right fit. I hope to you see you on the slopes or the Greenway exercising, having fun and wearing your helmet!

Banner Elk Winery & Villa

BannerElkWVSep/Oct2012.indd 1 8/14/12 10:56 AM

PREVENTION: continued from page 103

References:

So where do we go from here? I would hope that you read this article, immediately change your habits and begin wearing a helmet when cycling or skiing if you don’t already. As our local industry experts have in dicated, accidents are unpredictable and can have life changing outcomes. If you are cur rently wearing a helmet during these sports, or have just decided to reduce your risk by wearing one, it is important to wear the hel met every time you hit the slopes or ride the bike. Let’s make it a beneficial habit!

Savor award-winning wine and pamper yourself at The Villa, luxury B&B. Spend your days exploring local golfing, fishing, and skiing. Or recharge with spa treatment and a glass of wine in front of the magnificent stone fireplace.

Mike Teague is the Assistant Fire Chief of the Boone Fire Department. Feel to reach out to him at mike.teague@ townofboone.net or by phone at (828) 268-6180 with questions or topic requests.

the

American Journal of Surgery @ winter-sports/#dossierContents__outerWrapperStatistaaspx?hkey=1e6c9416-77ce-4e62-97ee-8364565e9bfeNSAA/Safety/Helmet%20Safety/NSAA/Safety/helmets.Nationalit-Highlights-the-Importance-of-Helmets?language=viAre-Dying-from-Bicycle-Related-Accidents-CPSC-Says-Releases/2021/New-CDC-Report-Finds-More-Adults-CDC/CPSC9610(16)30366-X/fulltextamericanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-https://www.@https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-SkiAreaAssociation@https://www.nsaa.org/@https://www.statista.com/topics/1770/

Experience Luxury in the High Country’s Original & Most Acclaimed Winery

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 113 Lunch: 11 AM to 3 PM. | Dinner: 5 PM to 10 PM. Sunday Brunch: 11 AM to 3 PM. 143 Wonderland Trail, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 bistroroca.com / 828-295-4008 INTELLIGENT CHOICES FOR THE COMMON CRAVING 10 wonderfully comfortable bedrooms with evening turndown service Serving Dinner Tuesday - Saturday from 5:30pm - 8pm Reservations Required Dining & Cocktails Alfresco and the view... 202 Gideon Ridge Road, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605 gideonridge.com / 828-295-3644 Gideon Ridge Inn AFTER ALL, LIFE IS SHORT AND TIME REALLY DOES FLY

Miracles in Montezuma

heritage

114 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

“We’d started clearing trees and brush up on the hill, and we could see that it had been farmed,” says Elizabeth Trott, who is Billy Trott’s partner in this project and also his daughter. “There were old fences and piles of rocks from walls, and one of the men who was helping said he had found some old apple trees, and ‘did we want to save them?’ I said, Yes.”

and the mower, and all the things that will destroy a seedling, it becomes an apple tree.

But there was a problem, not a big one, just the nagging sort. “The trees are too close together, and my father wanted the trees to be all spaced out and lined up, to get the best yield,” Elizabeth explains. “We could see that the middle one is a seedling tree, so he wanted to take it out, but I just can’t cut down an apple tree. I said, ‘Why don’t we wait and see?’ And there was so much other work to do, we just moved on, but every now and then he’d bring up the tree—I just kept saying, ‘let’s wait and see.’” Elizabeth lives at the Montezuma farm these days. “I always knew I wanted to live in these mountains. I enjoyed being in Chapel Hill, for school, but I always knew I’d live in the mountains.” In addition to being orchardist-in-residence, she is a Naturalist on the staff at the Grandfather Mountain attraction and an EMT with the Linville Central Volunteer Rescue Squad. I asked whether the apples had influenced her decisions. “I had been driving up every week for years, and when we started restor ing the orchard I just came to love it more

The Hundley Montezuma apple

They say lightning never strikes twice. Not true! Seen it. Touched it.

Let me take you there.

Vintage Apple Press, Still in Use Today

The Trotts’ New Apple Barn at Montezuma

First, let’s go back about a hundred years. Mr. Webb Braswell farmed a parcel over in Montezuma, between Newland and Linville, NC. He kept bees, cows and a pig. And he planted apple trees. Everybody did. Braswell’s orchard included a popular apple called the “York,” a tart apple often made into sauce or cider, and also a tree of uncertain pedigree that produces sweet, yellow fruit for eating out of the hand.

and more. So, yes, the apples were a draw… I studied history in college, and then hor ticulture in community college; there’s so much history in apples, so much written about them… there are my two interests coming together—the history of apples is justLet’sromantic!”step back one last time, just a couple of years. For a major miracle. Clear ing had been completed. That seedling tree, stunted, bent, too close to its neighbors, out of line, a middle tree, had for the first time in its life, perhaps, enjoyed full sun. It responded by producing apples. What’s more, it produced an apple for Doug Hundley.Doug was the NC Cooperative Exten sion Service agent in this area, and he is celebrated in the region for his work sup porting apple orchards and orchardists. For example, in Crossnore he has created a small orchard of heirloom apple trees where you can see the trees, learn about them, and even eat the apples. You can also see and learn about the grafting of apple trees (more on that below). Anyway, Doug was visiting the Trott orchard and, seeing fruit on a seedling tree, he sampled it. “He said it was pretty good,” recounts Eliza beth, “that it would be a good cider apple.” A miracle. A major miracle. Right then and there.Here’s why. When you’re holding that delicious Pink Lady apple in your hand, you’re actually holding two very different things. The flesh of that apple is the prod

“When Mr. Braswell died none of his heirs were interested in working the farm, and eventually my father bought it, in the 1960s—he loved this farm, and after he retired, this is where he wanted to be.” So says Billy Trott, who has succeeded his father as orchardist. “We’re restoring the farm now, in his memory.” The restoration includes reviving the orchard by nurturing the established trees, some of them now a hundred years old, and by planting new trees and new varieties. “We saw that cider is making a comeback, and with a market for cider apples, the idea is for the new or chard to produce an income to help sustain the Nowfarm.”let’s step back again, about fifty years, and witness a minor miracle. An apple falls to the ground. From this apple, one of so many, a seed finds the soil. Es caping ants, mold, mice, all the things that might destroy it, the seed puts down a root. A seedling rises up and, escaping the deer,

Story and Photography By Edwin Ansel

Billy has since confirmed, using DNA testing, that his tree is indeed a “seedling tree” not previously known to exist. And that it is likely a hybrid of that York tree and the yellow apple tree from the origi nal Braswell orchard. Since it’s on his farm, Billy has naming rights. “We had been calling it just the “Middle Mystery Seedling,” but when it came time to have a real name, I decided to call it the Hundley Montezuma, in honor of our good friend and this good place.”

The Molley Chomper ‘Pub’

Not long after, Tim and Kate Arscott were in the neighborhood and Elizabeth invited them to drop by. The Arscotts make cider, which they bottle under the “Mol ley Chomper” label and also serve on tap at their excellent pub in Lansing, NC. They, too, found that the apples from that par ticular tree are good, and suggested that they would want them for cider.

Father/Daughter orchardists Billy and Elizabeth Trott, with their antique apple press

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 115

uct of the tree, and every season that tree produces Pink Lady apples. The seeds in that apple, however, are hybrids of that tree and some other apple tree. A seed from the Pink Lady apple will not produce a Pink Lady tree, but a hybrid, a “seedling tree.” The problem is, hybrid trees rarely produce delicious apples. Mother Nature doesn’t care what apples taste like. And neither do the bears. Only people care what the apples taste like, and we are picky. Only one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, maybe one in a million “seedling trees” will produce a fruit that people really enjoy. Those other 999,999 seedling trees produce fruit called “spitters,” and that’s just what it sounds like.When that one seed five decades ago sprouted and against long odds became an apple tree, that was a stroke of lightning. When, against impossible odds, Doug Hundley tasted the fruit and found that it was good, well, there it is again. Lightning. Right here in Avery County.

Well, now it’s serious. Doug recom mended that the tree be pruned, with a chainsaw. “It was terrifying,” says Billy. “I

The Molley Chomper Mascot

thought, My tree!” Elizabeth adds, “They did cut a lot off the top. It looked kind of small, after.” But pruning did the trick. The tree responded by producing lush new growth. From this new growth, Doug took fresh green shoots to graft onto existing apple root stock. As we know, the seeds from the tree won’t produce more of the same tree. But by taking cuttings from the tree itself, you can reproduce it, over and over again. By now there are about two dozen young trees, all of which will pro duce good apples, waiting to be transplant ed in the Trott orchard.

Mural MolleyatChomper

After several years of success as a choose-and-cut and wholesale Christmas tree farm, Avery Farms wanted some thing fresh to keep them at the forefront of agricultural diversification. That is when Waightstill Avery, Jr., who is always devel oping creative ideas, had an inspirational experience. After a friend brought him an Omaha steak, Avery pondered how a steak

By Kim S. Davis

Agriculture is a major industry in our country with over two million farms encompassing close to a billion acres of land across America. Approximately nine ty-eight percent of these farms are oper ated by families, whose hard work provides access to safe, affordable and abundant food products. Currently, a major focus for farmers is sustainable agriculture, which addresses meeting society’s present-day agricultural needs without limiting the ca pacity of future generations to meet their needs.Avery Farms, located in Plumtree, NC, has evolved over multiple generations, en during over two hundred years of both nat ural and man-made challenges to become the embodiment of sustainable farming practices. Overseen by Waightstill Avery, Jr., his wife Linda, and their children and grandchildren, the Avery family’s love for the land and their mountain born deter mination allow them to not only surmount challenges, but tenaciously improve, in novate, and advocate for all farmers in the High Country. Initially a cattle farm, and then home to a lucrative mica mine, Av ery Farms has continually diversified and is now a major Fraser fir producer, fruit and vegetable farm, and agritourism destina tion.In the late eighteenth century, the first Waightstill Avery served as the attorney general for King Charles, and after the revolution he became the first attorney general for North Carolina. Because of this role, he was a recipient of the first land

116 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

grants in the state, initially receiving over forty-thousand acres in what is now Avery County and fifty-thousand acres in Bun combe County. Since he resided in nearby Morganton, he used the Avery County land to raise cattle, along with some hogs and turkeys. The ancestors of today’s farm ers would drive the cattle from Plumtree to Charleston, SC, and sell some of the herd along the way, with the remainder being sold at market in Charleston.

Almost a century later, the farm initi ated its first major diversification with the addition of a mica mine. For decades, Av ery Farms continued to produce livestock, although mica was a bigger source of in come. During World War II, Waightstill’s father was exempt from serving in the military because mica was such a valuable commodity; his expertise in mining was needed at home. The value of the mica lo cated on the Avery Farms land was so ben eficial to the United States during the War, the mine had to be guarded by soldiers against threats from the enemy.

hold onto it forever.” So when he returned as an N.C. State Agricultural Extension Agent in 1970, he put his mind and skills to figuring out how to continue with the unceasing heritage of farming life.

Avery Farms

However, as the need for mica waned and the jobs dried up in the 1960s, Avery County’s economy declined. Many local young people had to move to larger cities like Detroit and Baltimore to find work. That is when current patriarch, Waightstill Avery, Jr., having recently graduated from North Carolina State University, vowed to figure out a way to keep both his family’s land and the surrounding county viable. As Mr. Avery puts it, “Being raised on this land, it is forever a part of you. You hope to

Avery’s determination to successfully farm his family land is a significant reason that Fraser Fir trees are now synonymous with Avery County farming and are con sidered by many the “Cadillac of Christ mas Trees.” While trying to find a new crop that would thrive in the environment and provide income for the farmers, he decided to research and experiment with Fraser firs, which grow naturally in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Real izing the value of these trees as a source for farm income, he hosted a meeting to inform and encourage local farmers to add the firs to their crops. At the first meeting, only nine people showed up. But after see ing the economic benefits over time, 750 farmers attended a meeting ten years later to hear Avery’s ideas on tree production. This introduction and advocacy of Fraser firs was good for the local economy and the local residents, providing jobs and income to retain young people.

Avery Farms Wreaths at the Woolly Worm Festival Berry variety at Avery Farms

Pioneers of Innovative and Sustainable Agriculture in WNC

CommerceofChamberAveryofcourtesyPhoto

The tree business wasn’t always profit able for the Averys, or for the High Coun try in general. As with many good things, tree farming became too popular, and “ev erybody wanted to plant them all over,” leading to an oversupply and a decline in profits. Mr. Avery remembers how difficult it was for him at that time to have to sacri fice some trees to allow other trees to con tinue growing until times got better. That is when he came up with his next innovation to help compensate during the rough years.

from Nebraska could still be fresh after shipping halfway across the country. He re alized that if a steak could remain pristine after shipping, so could a Christmas tree. That is when he developed the process for shipping individual mail order trees. His idea has evolved and today Avery Farms ships Christmas trees, garland, wreathes and other Fraser fir products to all fifty states. The mail order business became so lucrative that Avery Farms and their mail order entity, Trinity Trees, now ships not only directly but through partnerships with Williams Sonoma and Hammacher Schlemmer, two of the largest catalogue companies in the U.S.

After conducting more research and visiting farms off the mountain, the ever entrepreneurial Avery felt that the black berry market would be a good fit, and be cause no one locally was growing raspber ries, he added them as well. Not only did the berries grow well at Avery Farms, they thrived, resulting in an overabundance of fruit. To maximize this unique challenge,

Waightstill approached an acquaintance who processes ciders and syrups and asked if he would be willing to process some of his berries. That was the beginning of the Avery Farms artisan foods business. Consumers can now purchase a variety of ciders made from apples, spiced apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and muscadine and scuppernong grapes. The farm also offers syrups, jams, jellies, vinai grette dressings, pickled items, salsas and honey, all made with the fruits and veg etables produced on the farm.

Visit Avery Farms in Plumtree, NC, where you can choose and cut your own Fraser fir beginning this November. You’ll also find them at the Woolly Worm Festival on October 15-16, the Avery County Farmers Market in Banner Elk through October, and online yearround at www.averychristmastrees.com.

innovative CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 117

Avery County has emerged from the leaner days thanks to both agricultural in novation and tourism, and Avery Farms has aligned the two for yet another lucra tive diversification: agritourism. The farm was recently designated as a Bicentennial Farm by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to honor its two-hundredand thirty-two years of continuous farm ing. In addition to choose-and-cut Christ mas trees in the late fall, the farm also pro vides a U-Pick berry opportunity during the summer months.

Avery Farms also draws in local school groups, allowing students to learn more about where their food comes from and the importance of mining to this area. In addition, barbecue cookouts and weddings bring in guests to the venue. The farm has recently added llamas and horses and Mr. Avery is amazed that people driving by will stop in just to see the llamas. For river enthusiasts, Avery Farms offers fish ing in the Plumtree River and a launch

TheMountain.Averysrecognize the importance of the farm on the surrounding communi ty, which is why they give back when they can. Those who are unable to make it out to the farm can find their products at the Avery County Farmers Market, bid on the products they contribute to many commu nity groups for fundraisers and auctions, and view examples of the magnificent greenery they donate to the Woolly Worm Festival each year, including an amazing 48-inchAverywreath!Farms is essential to the Avery family and it is Waightstill Avery’s wish that it will remain in the family forever. He says he truly enjoys the work and will never quit farming. And thankfully, that means he will continue to implement innovations that will not only sustain the farm, but will inspire new generations of farmers in our region. Farmers or not, we can all benefit from Mr. Avery’s advice: “Life is interest ing if you let it be. It can be a lot of fun if you don’t worry yourself about everything and enjoy what you do.”

site for river tubing. For hikers and history buffs, the Overmountain Victory Trail cuts across Avery Farms, tracing the route taken by the patriot militia during the Battle of Kings

Waightstill and Linda Avery

118 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Fri-Sat, 10am-6pm, year-round 19456 US 221 North (.5 miles south of Linville Caverns) Marion, NC 28752

...where everyday is a Farmer’s Market! Fall Apples • Boiled Peanuts locally Baked Goods Moravian Pies • Local Meats Quiches • Cheese & Crackers Pumpkins & Gourds Artisan Crafts & Unique Gifts Christmas Wreaths Open Daily 10am-6pm – Yummy Weekly Specials –828.963.8254 Hwy 105 South, Foscoe NC owned & operated by LETT-US PRODUCE Wholesale Supplier of Fine Produce Est. 1993 • Boone NC Locally Brewed, Owned, and Blowingwww.BlowingRockBrewing.comOperated!RockAle House & Brewery BLOWING ROCK, NC Blowing Rock Draft House & Brewery HICKORY, NC Spices - Seasonings - Teas - Infused Salts and Sugars - Gourmet Gifts The Spice and Tea Exchange Downtown Blowing Rock Downtown West Jefferson 828-372-7070 336-846-8327

Our 6th generation family farm makes farm- fresh cheese on site from our own happy dairy cows. Our farm store also offers other local 828-756-8166goods!

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 119 And Now “Pedalin’ Pig at Woodlands” Blowing Rock EMU VENISON ELK MOUNTAIN TROUT BOAR DUCK HANGING BISONTENDERLOIN AN ADVENTURE IN FINE DINING 3005 SHULLS MILL ROAD BETWEEN BOONE & BLOWING ROCK | (828) 963-7400 ADVANCE RESERVATIONS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED gamekeeper-nc.com 8 2 8 4 1 4 9 9 9 0 8 9 6 0 V a l l e y B o u l e v a r d B l o w i n g R o c k 2 8 6 0 5 w w w w h e e l i e s r e f r e s h e r c o m N O W O P E N N! O W O P E N ! D r o p i n t o W h e e l i e s t o e n j o y f u n , f o o d a n d c o m m u n i t y w i t h a m a z i n g v i e w s !

120 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE 828-898-5550 344 Shawneehaw Ave. South, Banner Elk stonewallsrestaurant.com 2 0 2 2 Avery County’s Dining Catering • Dinner nightly from 5pm • Offering both indoor and outdoor dining • Live music Friday & Saturday nights • Private room available • Locally owned and operated • “Avery County Chamber Business of the Year” The High Country’s Premier Steak & Seafood Restaurant The High Country’s Best Choice for Event Catering 2 0 2 2 • Creativity, passion and culinary excellence • Parties of all sizes • In-home catering • Fully insured and licensed • Largest mobile kitchen in the High Country 828-898-5550 344 Shawneehaw Ave. South, Banner Elk stonewallsrestaurant.com

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 121 Best DINING | CATERING LODGING | EVENT VENUE Lodging Event Venue The High Country’s Best Vacation Rentals The High Country’s Best Space for Gatherings 2 0 2 2 2 0 2 2 • One main lodge and three cabins with mountain views • 1-4 bedrooms available • Event barn, outdoor pavilion, open field, meandering streams, and ponds all onsite • Located in the heart of Sugar and Beech Mountains, with proximity to all High Country attractions • Pet-friendly • Vacations, weddings, family reunions, church events, and business retreats • Newly built barn with 1,700 sq. ft., and 18-ft. high ceilings • Barn equipped with a complete catering kitchen • Climate controlled barn • 1,750 sq. ft. outdoor pavilion with fire pit • Lodge and cabin rentals • Fields, streams, and ponds 828-898-3115 64 Cornerstone Cir, Banner Elk cornerstonerentals.com 828-898-3115 64 Cornerstone Cir, Banner thebarnatcornerstone.comElk

122 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Live Music Sundays 2-5pm Live Music Saturdays 5-8pm wood fired pizzas | charcuterie boards | desserts | and more learn more at facebook.com/WataugaLakeWinery

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 123 Beside Mountain Grounds Coffee & Tea, Grandfather Center, Tynecastle 3990 NC Hwy 10 5 S. Suite 9, Banner Elk, NC 28604 • 828.898.9633 design@design105.com • DistinctiveCabinetryDesign.com We specialize in extraordinary kitchens! For extraordinary people ...like you. elegant living... TIMELESS VALUE See the beauty. Taste the tradition. Feel at home. SUNSET DRIVE • BLOWING ROCK (One Block Off Main Street) Restaurant: 828-295-3466 Serving Dinner Inn: 828-295-9703 Music on the Lawn Fridays May–October Ragged-Gardens.com Tuesday-Saturday Dine-In: 4pm - Close | TOGO: 4pm - 8pm 161 Howard Street, Boone 828-386-1201 | www.cobosushi.com SUSHIANDBISTROBAR

Apple Hill Farm Survival Sock will keep your feet warm and comfortable year round. Made in North Carolina from USA grown alpaca fiber. Available at Apple Hill Farm and online.

10360 Hwy 105 S, Banner Elk, NC 28604 https://www.carltongallery.com/828-963-4288

https://shoppesatfarmers.com/828-264-880128607

HANDMADE GIFTS UNDER $50

n BE Artists Gallery

585 W King Street, Boone, NC 28607

2918 Broadstone Rd., Banner Elk, NC 28604 (located in the heart of Valle Crucis) 630828-963-6511WKingSt. , Boone, NC 28607

www.beartistsgallery.com

Apple Hill Farm

https://applehillfarmnc.com/store/828-963-1662

Sturdy and beautifully hand-crafted in scenic Valle Crucis, North Carolina, this cutting board will transform your kitchen with heirloom quality.

7137 NC-194, Banner Elk, NC 28604

n Apple Hill Farm Store

“Fall Tree of Life,” fused glass with copper inclusion - $45.

From rope baskets and paper journals, to wooden jewelry and colorful wall art, BE Artists has a locally created work of art or functional craft for everyone on your list.

n Doe Ridge Pottery

Doe Ridge Pottery

Locally Crafted 124 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

n Sally Nooney Gallery

Locally crafted from fallen timber by Fall Creek Woods, Purlear, NC - $20 and up.

661 W King St Boone, NC

Local jeweler Don Haywood designs, cuts, and polishes gemstones, such as jasper, turquoise, lapis, amethyst, larimar, chrysocolla, and labradorite, set in sterling silver, exhibited at Carlton Gallery.

n Carlton Gallery

http://www.sallynooney.com/828-963-7347

Mast General Store

MUGs, MUGs, MUGs! Doe Ridge Pottery Gallery carries a wide variety of locally crafted mugs ranging from $30-$45.

https://www.mastgeneralstore.com/828-262-0000

atShoppesFarmers

Sally Nooney Gallery GalleryCarlton

n The Shoppes at Farmers

http://doeridgepottery.homestead.com/828-264-1127

185 Azalea Cir SE, Banner Elk, NC 28604

n Mast General Store

400 Apple Hill Rd., Banner Elk, NC 28604

http://servesyourightblowingrock.com/828-295-4438

“For

n Maw’s Produce 7918 NC-105, Boone, NC 28607

BE Artists Gallery

https://www.facebook.com/maws.produce.1828-963-8254

https://www.thetwistedtwigantiques.com/619-964-0038

Visit the shops and galleries in this guide for affordable art, crafts, and specialty food items. Share a piece of the High Country this season!

Colorful, versatile glass plates by Fyreglas Studio are 3”x3.”

Looking for some gift ideas?

we receive.”

The Twisted

n The Twisted Twig Antiques & Accents 100 High Country Square Banner Elk, NC 28604

giving

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 125

New besom brooms, large and small, are in and decorated for every season.

n Serves You Right 1179 Main St #107, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

n Fred’s General Mercantile 501 Beech Mountain Parkway Beech Mountain, NC 28604

Maw’s Produce

MICA it is in that

Right

Heritage 1000-piece puzzle of the “Sleeping Giant.”

https://fredsgeneral.com/828-387-4838

https://www.micagallerync.com/828-688-6422

Fred’s General Mercantile

ApothekaryAppalachian

n Mica Gallery 37 N Mitchell Ave, Bakersville, NC 28705

The Twisted Twig features special local artist, Cheryl Long, with her unique, tiny 3 1/2”x 4 1/2” one-of-a-kind watercolor scenes from Banner Elk.

whittonanne2001https://www.facebook.com/828-963-8327

A magical blend of fresh tomatoes, basil, and a blend of cheeses locally made by Boone Appetit.

Delicious goodness—from just down the road in Hudson!

n Appalachian Apothekary 10543 NC-105, Banner Elk, NC 28604

Twig Antiques & Accents

Serves You

— Francis of Assisi

Resource Circle The Gift of Food

Repurpose Leftovers and Scraps—Think of leftovers, food scraps and aging foods as an opportunity for creativity. For example, stale bread, with minimal effort, can become croutons or breadcrumbs. Peelings and green parts of vegetables that are usually discarded can be brewed to make vegetable stock. Fall is the season for soups and stews, so craft your own “Chef’s Surprise” by combining home made vegetable stock with leftover rice, pas ta, beans, vegetables, and meats for a hearty meal.When eating out, order smaller portions, or take your leftovers to go. You can even bring your own airtight containers, keeping to-go items fresher and ready to store with out having to transfer them from a disposable takeout container. If promptly refrigerated, you generally have up to four days to safely eat your leftovers, according to the USDA. Or, if you don’t want to eat them within that time frame, simply freeze them for a quick meal down the road.

Once frozen, casseroles, soups, stews, and cooked meat should be eaten within 2-3 months for the best quality, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Cooked poultry can be frozen for four months, and fruits and blanched vegetables can be kept for a year. Baked goods keep well in the freezer for many months, too. Note that these are guidelines only—most properly frozen foods are perfectly safe to eat indefinitely, you just risk losing some of the quality.

Employ Your Fridge/Freezer—The big box in your kitchen is your “BFF” when it comes to preserving food. Use your refrigerator to store perishable items and increase their shelf-life. Apples, potatoes, onions, ripe bananas and many other fruits and vegetables will keep longer in the fridge than on the countertop. You can also freeze aging raw fruits and veg etables before they go bad. Most raw veg etables should be blanched before freezing— simply dip them in boiling water or steam them for a short time, then cool before freez ing. Use durable containers or wrap to freeze foods—air-tight, vapor-resistant containers are best. Write the date on containers—I use masking tape for my labels, which are easy to remove and replace. And be sure to maintain the right storage temperatures: 34-40 degrees (F) in the refrigerator and 0 degrees in the freezer. Maintaining these temperatures can significantly extend a food’s storage life.

HOW TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

THE ORIGINS OF FOOD WASTE

Make a Plan – Before your next visit to the market, “shop” from your kitchen first. Most people forget what they have stored away, so before a shopping trip, take a quick look at what’s in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Cook and eat what you already have at home before buying more, or make purchases that complement the items you have. Be sure to write a list before you go shopping and buy only the items on your list. Plan menus that intentionally use leftovers; for example, have grilled chicken one night, and Chicken Alfredo later in the week. When you have a food plan, you can prevent food waste from the very start.This season, as we prioritize gathering to gether around the dinner table, consider the many natural resources and people that play a part in the meals your family eats. And try some of these solutions to reduce food waste in your own household.

CIRCLERESOURCE

By Tamara S. Randolph

Learn more at: waste-research.consumers,usda.gov/,food-resource-waste-recovery/,https://localfood.ces.ncsu.edu/local-https://www.fsis.https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/https://www.epa.gov/land-research/food-Abovephotocourtesyoffoodsafety.gov

As we sit down to “break bread” with fam ily and friends this season, let us think in a new way about the feast before us. When we “say grace” prior to each meal, consider nature: the sun, the soil, the water, the pollinators, and the many other animals that contribute to the nourishment of our bodies. Add in an appreci ation for the human efforts: the physical labor, the management of time, the financial com mitments, the technological breakthroughs, and the logistics of getting food from farm to table.Many of us have a tendency to take food for granted. The easy access and seemingly endless bounty have us overlooking a goliath problem: food waste. According to a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re port, in the U.S. alone an estimated 103 mil lion tons of wasted food is generated annually in the industrial, residential, commercial, and institutional sectors. And data show that food makes up nearly a quarter of the total munici pal solid waste (MSW) that goes to our land fills (U.S. EPA, 2020a). In addition, millions of tons of food are burned or composted every year.

126 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFEE

The truth is, throwing away unwanted edibles is easier than saving them. But pre serving food doesn’t have to be overly dif ficult or time-consuming. Once you change your mindset, reducing household food waste becomes routine. Consider these simple solu tions:

Understand the Dates—Despite miscon ceptions, much of the food we think is no lon ger edible is, in most cases, perfectly good. A farmer’s or manufacturer’s freshness date is meant to inform consumers how long a food will be at its prime quality. After the “best by” or “sell by” date, most perishable products can still be enjoyed (or frozen) a week or more later—canned and boxed foods are good for even longer. However, in the case of an “expi ration date,” try to consume or freeze the food before that date.

The bulk of wasted food is generated by households, food manufacturers, numerous commercial establishments, such as restau rants and grocery stores, and various public institutions (e.g., schools and correctional fa cilities). According to the EPA, “When food is wasted, it also wastes resources—such as the land, water, energy and labor—that go into growing, storing, processing, distributing, and preparing that food.” Consider this statistic: approximately 21 percent of our country’s fresh water supply and nearly 300 million bar rels of oil are used to produce food that goes to wasteThecomplex problem of food waste is dif ficult to solve. But we as individual consumers of food can at least contribute to the solution. When we look at the fact that each person in the U.S. wastes an average of 4.25 pounds of food each week, and that each year, the aver age American family of four loses $1,500 to uneaten food, we realize there is an opportu nity to do better at conserving food resources at home—and to save money in the process.

1 egg, + 1 TBSP water, for egg wash

n Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown or until crust is golden and filling starts to bubble through the lattice.

½ cup granulated sugar

½ TBSP sugar

n Roll second crust into a 11-inch round and cut into 10 even thickness strips. Arrange strips in a woven lat tice pattern over the top.

n Add ice water and cold vodka and pulse just until moist clumps of dough form. If needed, add more ice water 1 tsp at a time.

n Let cool before serving.

½ tsp salt

4 TBSP ice cold water

3 TBSP ice cold vodka

n Transfer dough to a clean work surface and gather into a ball. Do not knead, but divide in half and flatten into 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.

DIRECTIONS:

n Peel, remove cores and thinly slice apples and place them in a large bowl. Zest and juice lemon over the apples.

n Pour sauce over the apples and stir to coat the slices.

PIEINGREDIENTSFILLING

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 TBSP all purpose flour.

½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, diced

A Classic Apple Pie KitchenCML’sFrom

DIRECTIONS:

¼ cup water

n Prepare the pie crust and chill.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (more for dusting)

n Add COLD diced butter and pulse until coarse crumbs and pea sized pieces form.

n Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out bottom pie crust to a 12-inch diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding in the center.

n Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1 double pie crust – recipe below (or you can use store bought)

PIE CRUST

n Beat together 1 egg and 1 TBSP water and brush the top with egg mixture.

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cardamom

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 127 RECIPES

¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated is best)

n Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, spices, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, whisking frequently, then remove from heat.

1 TBSP vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

11 medium granny smith apples (about 3 ½ lbs), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

8 TBSP unsalted butter

n In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt.

With recipes and photos by Meagan Goheen

½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

128 — Autumn 2022 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Gather for a Good Time! The Banner Elk Cafe and The Lodge Espresso Bar & Eatery Are Under One Roof!Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Daily Drink & Food Specials Expansive Menu Indoor & Outdoor Dining Large Bar with Comfortable Seating ...and a Warm Fireplace! Trivia | Karaoke | Live Music 828-898-4040 Schedule & Specials: Facebook, Instagram and at www.bannerelkcafe.com Located in the Heart of Banner Elk Mon-Sat 10:30am - 9pm, Sun 11pmCateringcarolinabbqnewland.com828-737-07006pmfor50to1200 Voted Best BBQ in the High Country 16 years running! 2020 Best Chicken Award in the High Country! In Downtown Newland “ The ChickenBestTendersHandsDown!“ Boone’s CommunityDonate-What-You-CanCafe “Where Everybody Eats” 617 W. King Street Across from Mast Store Lunch Mon-Fri, 11-2 farmcafe.org Mon.-Sat. 9-7:30, and Sun. 12-6 273 Boone Heights Drive, Boone, NC 28607 Across from the Wellness Center 828-262-5592 • www.benaturalmarket.com Your LOCAL source for Organic & Fresh Foods, Bulk, Produce, Supplements and so much more! Let Us Shop ForWebsiteYou!CurbsidePickupMondaythruSaturday “Just Be” The ofTomatoFamousBasilPietheHighCountry Find us: Maw’s Produce - Foscoe Abode Home - Banner Elk booneappetitnc@gmail.com Your Source for Fresh Handcrafted Food To Go! New Art at the Historic Banner Elk School Downtown Banner www.BEartistsgallery.comElk The Colors of Autumn...

1 honey crisp apple, julienned

1 tsp kosher salt

4 cups chicken broth

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple INGREDIENTSSoup

1 lb ground pork

1 TBSP lime juice tsp salt

½ tsp smoked paprika

Lime

n Serve pork and slaw in warm tortillas and garnish as you wish.

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

n Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground pork, chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to skillet. Cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

FOR SERVING: flour tortillas (warmed), Sliced green onions, Chopped cilantro wedges

1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, deseeded, and cubed into 1-inch pieces

n Stir in cream or coconut milk, shredded cheese, and apple cider vinegar; add salt and pepper if needed.

n In a stock pot add diced bacon on low and cook until crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

APPLEINGREDIENTSSLAW

4 cups slaw mix

n Serve with bacon on top, with sliced apple and green onion if desired.

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

CHIPOTLE GROUND PORK

1 large vidalia onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

n Blend with an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender until smooth.

½ tsp kosher salt

KitchenCML’sFromMore

1 granny smith apple, julienned

½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

6-8

¼ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

DIRECTIONS:

3 TBSP Mayonnaise

n While the pork is cooking, prepare the apple slaw; in a medium size bowl combine slaw mix, cilantro, green onions, honey crisp apple and granny smith apple. In a small bowl mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, salt and pep per and pour over slaw. Fold together to combine.

1 tsp garlic powder

Chipotle Ground Pork Tacos with Apple Slaw

n On a large, rimmed baking sheet add butternut squash, onion, and apple. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat.

8 oz bacon, diced

n Roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through.

n Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup cilantro, chopped green onions, sliced

1 tsp chipotle powder

n To the stock pot add roasted squash, apple and onion, and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.

By Meagan Goheen

1 tsp cumin

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2022 — 129 RECIPES

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup of heavy cream or 1 14 oz can of coconut milk

½ tsp onion powder

7 oz shredded aged white cheddar

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Folks come to Grandfather Mountain for all sorts of reasons — to get close to nature or simply get away from it all. But after a day on the mountain, and in the new interactive Wilson Center For Nature Discovery, everyone leaves inspired. grandfather.com Get away from it all. Get Inspired. Wonders Never Cease GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN ® NEW Wilson Center for Nature Discovery OPENING EARLY SUMMER 2022

Carolina Mountain Life - Autumn 2022

Articles inside

Sonny Sweet—A Life of Service

Miracles in Montezuma

Everyone’s Aunt Rachel

Adventures with Addy

The Songcatcher of Avery County

Fire-Watching

Where the Music Is

Roy Krege—The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Building on a Legacy

Fall Festivals

Historic Banner Elk School