Smoky Mountain Living, April 2016

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING

WILDFLOWER GUIDE | POTTERY TRAIL | BIRDING | BLUE RIDGE, GEORGIA APRIL/MAY 2016

Celebrating Southern Appalachians THE

SPRING IN THE SMOKIES | PHOTOS | MOUNTAIN MEN | GEORGIA’S FACE JUG HERITAGE | RAMPS

RITES of

APRIL/MAY 2016 • VOL. 16 • NO. 2

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Ephemerals dot the forests and birds fill the sky, hikers take to the trails, and there are fresh recipes to try

A puppet maker, a banjo-playing judge, and a turkey hunter with a secret weapon

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Contents

FEATU RE STO RIES

BEYOND THE MARIONETTE Master craftsman Hobey Ford has built a life as one of a kind as the puppets he creates in the mountains of Western North Carolina. BY SUSANNA BARBEE

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PAGE

JUDGE FELIX E. ALLEY An ode to the 20th-century renaissance man behind the banjo ballad of “Kidder Cole,” from his sharp legal mind to his unceasing defense of mountain people.

BY JIM CASADA

PAGE

52

LARRY AND HIS TRUMPETS Tennessee sportsman Larry Proffitt finds harmony on the hunt with a trumpet call that cues turkeys with its symphony of sweet clucks and yelps. BY BRUCE INGRAM PAGE

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BLUE RIDGE, GEORGIA This Southern Appalachian mountain town is true blue: destination dining and breweries, art galleries and boutiques, endless outdoor pursuits all around—and laid-back charm that gets under your skin. BY SAM BOYKIN PAGE

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Contents

SWEET APPALACHIA

DEPA RTME N TS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Comforts for the mountain soul—from a DIY all-purpose cleaner and sweet potato gardening tips to fresh ways to eat collard greens and ramps.

Plus, check out a new mystery series set in Western North Carolina, and consider the dual dangers and delights of spring’s “white desire.”

MOUNTAIN EXPLORER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Here today, gone tomorrow—spring passes by in a flurry of colorful ephemerals and Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. In addition to those rites of spring, discover some new favorites this season: Find a bird sanctuary in Tennessee and nirvana in West Virginia, and explore a time-honored pottery trail in northern Georgia and an up-and-coming Main Street in Upstate South Carolina.

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

ON THE COVER Daffodils announce spring in the Smokies.

PHOTO BY JON & REGINA PHILLIPS OF J & G PHOTOS

CONNECT WITH US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CROSSWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 AT THE PARK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PHOTO ESSAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 STORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Good Living 4

Southern Appalachian Mountains Gallery Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Select Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR Community

Early summer, a couple of years ago, I arrived in these mountains. Typically the season VOL. 16 • NUMBER 2 Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . Scott McLeod scott@smliv.com General Manager . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd ads@smliv.com Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Hylah Birenbaum hylah@smliv.com Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . Katie Knorovsky editor@smliv.com Editor-at-Large . . . . . . . . Sarah E. Kucharski sarah@smliv.com Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Bumgardner travis@smliv.com Graphics . . . . . . . Micah McClure, Emily Moss Finance & Admin. . . . . . . Amanda Singletary Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd, Whitney Burton, Amanda Bradley Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Collier Contributing Writers. . . . . Susanna Barbee, Sam Boykin, Jim Casada, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, Ashley English, Mark Lynn Ferguson, Don Hendershot, Bruce Ingram, Holly Kays, Charli Kerns, M. Linda Lee, Jeff Minick Contributing Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Susanna Barbee, James Bice, Aaron Blum, Terri Campbell, Sheila Hansen, Jo Harris, Bruce Ingram, Holly Kays, Blaine Owens, Greg W. Passmore, Jon and Regina Phillips, Billy Potter, Meg Reilley, Bonnie Waigand, Kimberly Williams Contributing Illustrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mandy Newham-Cobb Smoky Mountain Living has made every effort to ensure listings and information are accurate and assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

For advertising information, contact Hylah Birenbaum at 866.452.2251 or hylah@smliv.com.

For editorial inquiries, contact Katie Knorovsky at katie@smliv.com.

Smoky Mountain Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Queries should be sent to Katie Knorovsky at katie@smliv.com.

of fresh starts, spring was to close out my first year here. I ended up traveling much of March, and, upon my return to Asheville, the fullness of April washed over me like our region’s downpours—with sudden, wild fury.

Driving on the highway, I’d blink and squint, sure my eyes were playing tricks on me, unbelieving that the forests could actually be so green in real life. I kept trying to find the filter, to turn down the saturation, like an over-doctored photo.

Run-of-the-mill neighborhood walks inspired feverish, poetic musings.

Then again, I strolled those streets with a secret. Like the flora sprouting all around me, a tiny new life grew within me. As my hormones roiled and churned through the early weeks of pregnancy, the surrounding landscape rendered itself ever more Technicolor. It was as if the world was reflecting my emotions back to me—reassuring me that though things would never again be the same, my future was also more vibrant than I could fathom.

When you live in a place so deeply connected to the landscape, as we do here in Southern Appalachia, life tends to shift with the moving of the Earth. The changing of the seasons often mark personal evolutions. Last spring, the trees in my backyard weren’t actually glowing, but my perception of them did so, the scene mirroring my outlook.

Likewise, during the first sleepless weeks after my son was born late last fall, the outside world seemed to be reduced only to light and dark. Some days, my postpartum moods rose and fell with the sun; the intense joys of the daytime gave way to the deep fear of the night. And then, suddenly, the days started stretching out, as they always do. Our new family found a rhythm. Every day seemed to get brighter. There were gray days, too, of course, but we felt hope inside and out: Spring was coming.

When life is hectic or overwhelms us, months can slip by with barely a passing notice. But in those instances when the seasons of our life align with the seasons of the Earth, the resulting clarity can be unparalleled.

It feels appropriate that my son, no longer a newborn, seems to discover more of his surroundings at the same time that the world is opening up—bit by bit, day by day. Soon he won’t sleep through our hikes and drives. The white-noise smartphone app that soothes him will be replaced by birdsong and rushing waters. And he won’t be able to believe how green it all is.

No matter where you find yourself on life’s journey, here’s hoping you take a moment this spring to stop, marvel at its wonder, and feel new again.

— Katie Knorovsky, managing editor

In those instances when the

seasons of our life align with the seasons of the Earth, the resulting clarity can be unparalleled.

CORRECTION: In the

©2016. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without the express, written consent of the publisher.

Crossword answers

Smoky Mountain Living is published bimonthly (Dec/Jan, Feb/Mar, Apr/May, Jun/Jul, Aug/Sep, Oct/Nov) by SM Living, LLC, 144 Montgomery Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. Periodical Postage paid at Waynesville, N.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: please send address changes to Smoky Mountain Living, PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786.

Puzzle is on page 9.

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February/March 2016 issue, we failed to credit photographer Rick Robinson for his photo of a Sacred Fire Gathering in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which accompanied Laura Armour’s article “Gather ’Round the Flame.” We regret the omission.

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CONNECT WITH US Community

Expect big talent and big crowds at MerleFest. BILLY POTTER PHOTO

Get On the List

Save the Date

Each month, the Smoky Mountain Living e-newsletter delivers a digital dose of the Smokies—photos, news, upcoming events, and articles—to subscriber’s inboxes.

Sign up for free at smliv.com (click “newsletter” in the upper right corner of the homepage).

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING GETS AROUND. LOOK FOR US AT THESE GREAT EVENTS AND FESTIVALS THIS SPRING.

Even More

Need a Smoky Mountain Living fix between issues? Sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter at smliv.com. Get daily updates and connect with our community at facebook.com/smliv, twitter.com/smokymtnliving, and instagram/smokymtnliving.

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y On April 9 at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Wine Fest celebrates more than 18 wineries from across Tennessee. Attendees sample wine paired with small dishes prepared by top restaurants of the region.

Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. y On April 26, Highland Brewing in Asheville will host the second annual Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest, featuring hands-on activities for kids and adults, cheese and artisan food samples, and opportunities to connect with the cheese makers of the WNC Cheese Trail. Tickets $12; kids under 12 free. mountaincheesefest.com. y From April 28 through May 1, some 80,000 music lovers will come together at North Carolina's Wilkes Community College to celebrate the "traditional plus" music of MerleFest. Headliners include Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Dave Rawlings Machine, Steep Canyon Rangers, Alison Brown, and more. Ticket prices vary. merlefest.org. y Formerly held in January, Pigeon Forge’s Wilderness Wildlife Week returns May 18 to 22 for the debut spring edition of the popular event. The more things change, the more they stay the same: Talks, activities, and guided hikes round out a free, open-to-the-public lineup that takes place from around 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily in (or leaving from) the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN Crossword

1 Home to Furman University and the northern terminus of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, two words 10 Acted 11 Animal that provides bacon 12 The Hare Krishna center in Marshall County, West Virginia, has an awardwinning garden featuring this flower 13 Mite with quite a bite 15 Wild swine or biker?

17 ____ ____'s Lace, an edible seasoning, aka wild carrot, two words 19 S.C. is in the __ of the U.S.A. 20 Kipling title character 21 ___ Islands State Birding Park in Tennessee 23 Asheville's state 25 Colorful spring flowers from bulbs 26 Spend the night under the stars 28 Abbreviation for carbohydrate 29 Park in 1 Across attracting mountain bikers of all ages 32 Fertility-clinic stock 33 Find for an archaeologist 35 Ephemeral spring flower seen on the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail, ______'s breeches 36 Fueled up, so to speak

CREATIVE COMMONS

Across

Down 1 Person who traverses trails and passes along 2 Promotional efforts 3 Was a contender 4 Singer, __ Sheeran 5 And so on, abbreviation 6 Process of making fibers into thread 7 Fix, in a way 8 Easter object 9 South Carolina's State Game Bird, the Wild ___ 14 Block of ice 16 Association supporting the Smokies National Park, abbreviation 18 River crossed by the Appalachian Trail at Wesser, N.C. 21 Polite address to a customer 22 _____ssoise soup 24 ____ fir forests of the Smokies 26 Inlet used by pirates 27 Group of musicians or bird identifier 28 Squirrel ____, early wildflower that appears in Chimneys Picnic area of the Smokies 30 Wolf down 31 Large spreading tree in the Smokies 34 Stephen King novel Answers can be found on page 7. BY MYLES MELLOR • ILOVECROSSWORDS.COM

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AT THE PARK Community

The Two Sides of Popularity

B

eing careful about the where and when of choosing a hike in the Smokies is nothing new to Terry Maddox, who recently retired from 26 years as executive director of the Great Smoky Mountains Association. Upon arriving in 1990, he learned quickly which trails to avoid to keep from having “a hiking experience that was almost like going to the mall.”

Over the last few years, that skill has proven even more valuable, as the park has broken record after record for visitation. Attracting an estimated 10,712,675 people in 2015, the year clocked in as the all-time high for visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That’s almost half a million more visits than 1999, the previous high-water mark, and 600,000 more than 2014.

The national parks are currently celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service’s existence, leading everyone to predict that 2016 will be another banner year for park visitation.

OTTER SPOTTERS WANTED Happen upon a river or pond in the park at the right moment, and you might find yourself locking eyes with the reigning cutie of the animal world—the river otter.

A new citizen science project wants to get the scoop on such encounters, asking volunteers to record and submit all otter sightings and observations. It’s part of an effort to document the state of the otter population, which completely disappeared from the park in the 1900s due to habitat destruction and uncontrolled fur trapping. Between 1986 and 1994, a reintroduction program released 137 otters into the park, but no long-term monitoring program has been following the otters’ continued progress.

That’s where the Otter Spotter program, facilitated by the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Maryville College, comes in.

To record otter sightings and submit photos, select “join this

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But high visitation is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, having more people come means that the park service is fulfilling its mission of connecting people to the wild places that sit at the soul of America.

But on the other, more people means more demand for programs and services and more need for resource protection, law enforcement, and facilities maintenance. The park isn’t a business: More visitation doesn’t mean more revenue, especially because the Smokies is one of the few parks that doesn’t charge an entrance fee. It’s not legally allowed to, a fact that stems from an agreement formed when the park began. If it did collect a fee comparable to what other national parks its size bring in, the Smokies would find itself with some $80 million more a year. By comparison, the federal allocation has wavered between $17 and $21 million over the past decade.

But thanks to nonprofits like the GSMA and Friends of the Smokies, which have grown up to support the Smokies, the park isn’t completely left hanging.

“The upshot of increased visitation for us historically means there is increased support for the park,” says Holly Demuth, North Carolina director for Friends of the Smokies. That support comes in monetary form—through cash dropped into donation boxes or given during fundraising events or, for the GSMA, through sales at the booksstores it runs in and around the park.

It also comes in the form of volunteer hours. In 1995, the park had 653 volunteers performing 51,960 hours of work, increasing to a high in 2012 of 161,835 hours by 3,016 volunteers. Last year, the park reported 2,601 volunteers working 113,730 hours. Those figures don’t include volunteers working with Friends of the Smokies or out of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Park lovers are looking forward to another century of tranquillity and adventure in the country’s national parks. For the Smokies, that goal isn’t without its challenges, but the flow of visitors isn’t likely to slow anytime soon. Ultimately, park supporters agree, that’s a good thing.

“A picture is beautiful, but it’s nothing like standing there and experiencing it,” Maddox says. “We want the next generation to understand the importance and relevance of the national parks we’re all trying to preserve and protect.”

—By Holly Kays

project” at inaturalist.org/projects/otter-spotter-in-great-smokymountains-national-park or download the iNaturalist app and search “Otter Spotter in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

GO WILD FOR WILDFLOWERS A five-day welcome to wildflower season in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will return to Gatlinburg with the 2016 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, slated for April 19 to 23.

The itinerary will consist of a variety of walks exploring the flowers, wildlife, and natural history of the park, as well as motorcades, photo tours, art classes, and seminars. Most programs are held outdoors—inside the park—while indoor events will be held at various venues.

Register online or on-site at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at the Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg. springwildflowerpilgrimage.org.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS Community

Thomas Head

L

ike many Southerners, Thomas Head grew up on greens, field peas, corn—what he calls the “whole panoply of southern vegetable dishes.” Unlike most Southerners, the writer grew up to compose a book dedicated solely to greens, complete with 53 recipes ranging from classic “potlikker” styles to fresh globally inspired takes. “I like to think of greens as a point where my own north Louisiana background touches the cultures of people around the world who ate very well from the foods that were available to them,” explains Head, who lives and writes these days in Washington, D.C. On page 22, he shares a favorite weekday recipe.

Ever the good Southern son, though, he says his favorite way to eat greens in the spring is the way his mother cooked them: “Wash them thoroughly, simmer them with a smoked ham hock for an hour or more until they are tender, and eat them liberally sprinkled with pepper vinegar and accompanied by corn bread.”

Head is coeditor of The Happy Table of Eugene Walter: Southern Spirits in Food and Drink. Learn more at thomashead.com.

Don Hendershot

W

hether stalking salamanders in his backyard stream with his daughters, leading wildflower hikes during the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or surveying the woods for the U.S. Forest Service, Don Hendershot explores the great outdoors with the devotion of a man in love. In fact, he fell for Southern Appalachia at first sight, unable to resist the “rich and diverse flora and fauna” he found after arriving in Western North Carolina in 1986.

Drawing on a degree in wildlife conservation from Louisiana Tech University as well as graduate coursework in botany, Hendershot writes the Field Guide column in each issue of Smoky Mountain Living, where he has covered everything from songbirds to spring ephemerals (see page 32). His column, “The Naturalist’s Corner,” has appeared in Waynesville’s Smoky Mountain News since 1999.

“The diversity in this region is mind-boggling if you just slow down long enough to see it,” he says. “It’s everywhere—in your yard, on the greenway, in the forests, in the national park. My favorite wildflower is the trillium I just saw and my favorite fauna is the winter wren singing 100 feet in front of me—my favorite is wherever I am at the moment.”

Learn more at thenaturalistscorner.com.

M. Linda Lee

O

n page 36, writer M. Linda Lee explores the Folk Potters Trail of Northeast Georgia, in particular chronicling the local tradition of face jugs.

Meeting the folk potters of the region—and learning about their laborious processes— made a strong impression.

“Most of these potters make their own kilns, which is no easy feat,” Lee says. “The patience pottery takes is remarkable. If the temperature in the kiln is not regulated just right, a potter’s work can literally blow up.”

The rewards that come from creating something tangible, Lee says, keeps these artists going, as well as a strong dedication to heritage. “All of the potters I met recognize the importance of keeping their folkpottery tradition alive,” she says. “Their love for their craft shines through. I loved the way several of them referred to their craft as ‘playing in the mud.’”

A food and travel writer based in Greenville, South Carolina, Lee has previously written about hard cider in North Carolina and Stumphouse Tunnel in South Carolina for Smoky Mountain Living. Learn more at mlindalee.com.

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PHOTO ESSAY Community

Spring in the Smokies is a spectacle all its own.

Our readers share their views of what makes this season special.

Blaine Owens • phototrekusa.com Spring in Cade’s Cove

Kimberly Williams Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, Tenn.

Greg W. Passmore Bryson City, N.C.

Sheila Hansen Sevierville, Tenn.

The tarantula, the adder, and the asp will also never change. Pain and death will always be the same. But under the pavements trembling like a pulse, under the buildings trembling like a cry, under the waste of time, under the hoof of the beast above the broken bones of cities, there will be something growing like a flower, something bursting from the earth again, forever deathless, faithful, coming into life again like April.

— Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again

Jon and Regina Phillips • J & G Photos

PHOTO ESSAY Community

Terri Campbell Carter Shields Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Bonnie Waigand Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jo Harris Kodak, Tenn.

Kimberly Williams North Carolina Arboretum

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ach issue of Smoky Mountain Living features photographs taken by our readers. The June/July 2016 issue will highlight secrets of the Smokies. Send us your best photos showing your own favorite hidden gems, whether a trail less trodden or little-known overlook.

Email photos to editor@smliv.com by April 15; include information on where the photo was taken and by whom.

Reader-submitted photos are unpaid but may be rewarded with publication in our nationally distributed magazine.

Connect with us at smliv.com, facebook.com/smliv, and on Twitter and Instagram @SmokyMtnLiving.

James Bice Roadside Bouquet, Waynesville, N.C.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

SWEET APPALACHIA COMFORTS FOR THE MOUNTAIN SOUL

REEL LIFE In this 1930s shot by Joseph Hall, Clementine Enloe brandishes a cane pole and pail of worms as she heads out for a day of fishing in the Smokies.

According to Mike Aday, the librarian-archivist for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the bulge in Enloe’s blouse betrays one reason she paused to pose: a box of snuff Hall would have given her in exchange for the opportunity to take this photo. “While fishing was another means of putting food on the table and was probably a more serious activity for her than for many of us, I still look at this and think that an afternoon spent drowning a few worms down at the creek must have been a welcome break from her other daily chores,” Aday says. “I'm sure too, that armed with her ‘primitive’ equipment she would have been more than a match for today's graphite-rigged anglers.”

NPS, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK PHOTO

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THE VIEW FROM HERE Sweet Appalachia

The Clean Gene

BY ASHLEY ENGLISH

MEG REILLEY PHOTO

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

I

have never been a messy person. As a child, I curated and organized my bedroom so deliberately and dutifully that, upon returning home from school, I was able to immediately discern if anyone had set foot in it while I was away.

In my early 20s, when some friends were discussing the piles of clothes grouped around their rooms, each designating a different level of cleanliness, one turned to me and said, “You have no idea what we’re talking about, do you? You probably put away your clothes as soon as you remove them.” I nodded my head, confirming their suspicions. As an adult, as soon as my family and I arrive in a hotel room, if our stay should exceed one night, I immediately unpack all of our belongings, hanging up garments and tucking shoes away in the closet.

I’m fairly certain my penchant for tidiness is genetic. My father, the eldest son of seven siblings, is the most orderly person I know. Though he has eased up a bit since entering his 70s this past September, it is a rare sight to not view him with a vacuum, broom, scrub brush, or bottle of cleaner in hand, a kitchen towel casually tossed over his left shoulder. A natural nester, his time spent in the Navy further compounded an inclination towards an inner mantra of “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” His four other children, my siblings, have all followed in his footsteps as well. When my sister Theo spent a semester abroad in Rome during her junior year of college, she would Skype me messages about the general slovenliness of her fellow flatmates. She ended up taking on the role of den mother, cleaning up messes of Bacchanalian proportions the day after they’d been committed.

Two things happened to my sense of order and cleanliness when I met my husband. In succession, I amped up my fastidiousness, and then, several years later, I toned it down. We live in a 1930s Craftsman bungalow, nearly one mile down a dirt road in Candler, North Carolina. We share our space with two large dogs and two cats, as well as a massive wood stove that heats our home during colder weather. Initially, I attacked the resultant flurry of dirt, fur, and soot with a vengeance, sweeping and wiping down surfaces at every turn. Then, a few autumns ago, I had a baby. There is only so much due diligence one can devote to a perpetual state of tidying up when in the possession of an infant. I still wanted to keep a clean house, and one done so with natural cleaners, as every surface and object therein was subject to being crawled upon and gummed on by my boisterous, active child. I just needed to develop a routine that balanced the realities of our living space, residing as we do in the thick of an Appalachian forest, with my neat-nick tendencies (no small feat, I know).

These days, I’ve wised up. Yes, the broom and vacuum are out and about on the regular. Clothes are washed nearly daily—there is no “laundry day” around here. I don’t have “junk drawers” and my son picks up his toys when he’s done playing with them. That said, there are far more dust bunnies than there used to be. Fighting the wintertime buildup of ash and soot and dust that settles each and every time the wood stove is opened is an exercise in futility. Come springtime, though, I proudly let my clean flag fly. After the final coals cool, the windows are once again opened, and spring arrives in the Southern Appalachians, I go to town, giving the house a thorough seasonal cleaning.

For year-round, daily cleaning, I use the homemade all-purpose cleaner at right, thoroughly and effectively cleaning surfaces while leaving an upbeat, bright, citrus aroma in its wake. It takes nearly no time to whip up—a welcome change from the laborious, multi-step cleaners made by early mountain folk (goodbye, lye soap).

Whether springtime, or any time, homemade cleaners are an affordable, natural way to spruce up your domain. I think Dad would be proud.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Candler, N.C., homesteader Ashley English is the author of seven books. See smallmeasure.com.

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All-Purpose Cleaner YOU WILL NEED: 16-ounce glass spray bottle* 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup distilled or filtered water 10 drops lemon essential oil 10 drops orange essential oil * Note: A glass spray bottle is necessary, as the volatile oils in the essential oils will degrade the plastic over time. I re-purposed a bottle that once held blackstrap molasses.

TO MAKE: Combine all ingredients in the glass bottle. Shake vigorously.

Store in a cool, dark location, such as in a cabinet or pantry, out of direct sunlight. You’ll need to shake the bottle in between uses, to redistribute the essential oils.

After the final coals cool, the windows are once again opened, and spring arrives in the Southern Appalachians, I go to town, giving the house a thorough seasonal cleaning.

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ROOTS Sweet Appalachia

Gardener’s Corner

C

hris Smith, the community coordinator of Sow True Seed—an Asheville-based company that specializes in open-pollinated, heirloom, and organic seeds—answers common spring gardening questions in this new regular column for Smoky Mountain Living.

have enough time for these additional tubers to form, so the attempt is wasted energy. By cutting back the longer vines you focus more energy on the main tuber, control the sprawl, and harvest an edible summer green (sweet potato leaves taste great).

So, you can happily plant purple, orange, and white sweet potatoes without fear of being overrun.

I thought I wanted heirlooms, but I was told I really mean open-pollinated. If I want to save the seed, what do I want?

The term heirloom is often misused and misunderstood— indeed, this is one of the most frequently asked questions at Sow True Seed.

Open-pollinated (OP) seeds will produce a plant that will produce seeds that, if saved properly, will grow into the same plant the following season—i.e. I can save seeds from

Sweet potato slips line up, ready to be planted. A basket of tomatoes offers just a taste of the wide range of varieties that can be grown. SOW TRUE SEED PHOTOS

I’ve thought about growing sweet potatoes for a number of years, but I’m concerned about the space requirements.

I’ve heard they vine all over the place. Is this true?

Sweet potatoes are typically planted in May and June from live ‘slips’ or baby plants. These slips will produce tubers under the ground and vines above the ground. It is true that sweet potato vines can be quite rambunctious, but this certainly shouldn’t be a reason not to grow them. Sweet potatoes are delicious, nutritious, and they store through the winter. Add in the fact that they are the North Carolina state vegetable, and they become a must-have crop in any vegetable garden.

With limited space, your first option would be to choose a ‘bush’ variety. The Porto Rico is a variety that maintains more of an upright shape and is less prone to vining. While this variety produces a tasty copper-skinned, orange fleshed tuber, it seems sad to limit yourself to just a handful of bush-style varieties.

Your second option is to cut back those adventurous vines. The reason the sweet potato vines spread far and wide is because, in warmer locales, the vines will send down roots and produce more tubers. In our climate we do not

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my Cherokee Purple tomatoes and expect to grow Cherokee Purple tomatoes from those seeds. This is not true of F1 hybrids, whose saved seeds will produce a range of different and unpredictable plant characteristics. As a seed saver, you should be looking for OP varieties.

So what are heirlooms? Quite simply, heirlooms are openpollinated seeds that have been around for a long time. The exact definition varies but, in general, OP seeds that have been around since before World War II are considered heirlooms. We could think of heirlooms as old OP varieties.

I grow a mix of modern OP varieties and old OP varieties (aka heirlooms). Heirlooms offer great stories that I like to be a part of, and the mere fact of standing the test of time often means they have some great characteristics. Today’s OP varieties are being bred to combat modern-day challenges, whether that is pest-pressure, disease, climate, or something else. I love my heirloom beans, but I also love my modern OP powdery mildew-resistant cucumbers. The great thing is that I can save seed from both.

Email your gardening questions to Sow True Seed at ask@sowtrue.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

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FARM TO TABLE Penne with Sausage and Collard Greens

Sweet Appalachia

Makes 4 servings

It’s Easy Going Green

F

ew things taste like spring in the mountains more than a plate full of just-picked greens. Then again, greens always have a place at the table in the South—whether boiled, creamed, wilted, or fresh. Writer Eugene Walter called them “a humble and constant presence in any account of food in the South.”

In Greens, the latest addition to the Savor the South cookbook series published by the University of North Carolina Press, native Louisianan Thomas Head offers an historical overview of the leafy vegetable’s place in the region and beyond. His 53 recipes range from classic preparations to such innovative takes as Indianspiced Kashmiri greens and collard greens marmalade. Here he shares a simple pasta recipe that makes a quick and satisfying weeknight supper “out of whatever greens, sausage, and pasta you may have on hand,” Head notes. “I’m especially fond of collards with pasta—they have more character than the usual kale.”

YOU WILL NEED: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 1 pound penne pasta 1 pound collard greens, washed, stemmed, and cut into one-inch slices 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 /4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

TO MAKE: 1) Remove the sausage from the casings and cook it in a large frying pan over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula, until no pink remains and the sausage begins to brown. Remove the sausage and set aside, leaving behind the fat.

2) Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt generously; add the pasta and cook until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the cooking water.

3) Cook the garlic briefly in the sausage fat, about 30 seconds, then add the collards, olive oil, and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat the collards with the fat. (You may need an additional tablespoon or two of olive oil, depending on how much fat the sausage has rendered.)

Cover the pan and cook the collards until tender, about 10 minutes, adding half a cup of water, plus more if needed, to steam the collards.

4) Add the sausage and pasta to the collards, mixing thoroughly. Add the reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten the dish. Cook for about three minutes to warm the dish through. Stir in the Parmesan.

5) Serve with additional Parmesan.

From Greens: a SAVOR THE SOUTH® cookbook by Thomas Head. Copyright © 2016 by University of North Carolina Press.

Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press. www.uncpress.unc.edu

Ramps With a Shelf Life For a wild green that makes its presence known with such intense pungency, the elusive ramp seems to arrive and disappear each spring faster than you can pass the breath mints. Blackberry Farms in Walland, Tennessee, offers a solution for everyone who has ever wished they could bottle it up: ramp kraut. A winner of the 2016 Good Food Award, the kimchi-inspired condiment adds tang and depth to everything from beans and corn bread to grilled meats, scrambled eggs, fish fillets, and rice dishes. ($18.50, blackberryfarmshop.com)

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

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READING LIST Sweet Appalachia

Mountain Intrigue

BY JEFF MINICK

I

n Killer Weed: A Rick Ryder Mystery, R.F. Wilson once again brings us Rick Ryder, a fictional detective living in Asheville.

Rick is a man of many talents. He is an attorney, a private investigator, and a sometime employee of the Mountain Center, a group dedicated to land preservation in Western North Carolina.

Rick is also an amputee—he lost his left arm in a traffic accident in his teenage years—and is a recovering alcoholic. He also has an eye for younger women and once nearly ruined his marriage to his wife, Kathy, a real-estate agent. The tension created by that indiscretion remains in their marriage.

Like most suspense mysteries, Killer Weed tells a complicated story. There is a young man dead, Brian McFadden, found by Rick and two others at the bottom of a waterfall. No one is certain whether he slipped while high on drugs or was pushed. Queenie Weaver, who owns this parcel of land, wants to save the land from developers, which is why she is talking with Rick. After refusing to sell her land, she has received threatening phone calls. After Brian’s death, investigators find marijuana growing on her property, and she is arrested.

And here the plot begins its twists and turns. Enter Stan and Martha Jo, his young weed-smoking, harddrinking wife. Stan acts as caretaker for Queenie’s property, and for a while seems a possible suspect in Brian’s murder. But then he turns up dead as well, supposedly a suicide. Adding to these complications are Maisie, a neighbor of Queenie’s whose house is torched and who ends up in a nursing home; Pete Haywood, a sometime minister and high-stakes gambler in various business deals; Nate, a friend of Rick’s and fellow attorney; Audrey, who asks Rick for his help because she feels someone is tailing her and intends her harm.

Without giving away too many details, Killer Weed should appeal to mystery and suspense lovers for several reasons.

First, Wilson does a fine job incorporating many local landmarks into his story. As Rick makes his way through this tangled case, he visits many familiar places, ranging from Malaprop’s Bookstore to New Mountain Café. His descriptions of the landscape—a good part of the book takes place on Queenie’s property—reveals a writer

Wilson does a fine job incorporating many local landmarks into his story. His descriptions of the mountains reveals a writer with a love of the mountains.

24

with a love of the mountains. Early in Killer Weed, for example, Rick describes the view from Queenie’s porch: “The sky was an unblemished expanse of Carolina blue, the humidity below 50 percent, the kind of day the Chamber of Commerce would like to bottle and use for marketing.”

Wilson also brings a keen eye to the characters in this novel.

Readers who have lived here for a while have undoubtedly met a Queenie, a curmudgeonly old woman with a kind heart, a woman who in her younger years gave life quite a ride. We’ve met the old country boys described here, as well as the real estate agents, the attorneys, and the law officers. His description and development of Martha Jo, a former stripper who married Stan and knows more than she will share with Rick, is particularly fine.

Finally, there is Rick Ryder himself.

Because of his background, Rick is a character who interests us. In addition to being a man of many talents, he is generally affable yet not above certain impetuous acts of daring. He thinks clearly and usually takes the time and effort to consult others before rushing into a situation.

Unlike some fictional investigators, Rick probably strikes most of his readers as a man they would enjoy as a Killer Weed: A Rick Ryder Mystery. Pisgah Press, 2014. $14.95, 310 pages. supper guest or as a next-door neighbor.

Because of his own background, Wilson is also able to speak authoritatively about drugs, alcohol, and addiction. Having worked for over 30 years in the addiction field, Wilson makes us feel the temptations of Rick Ryder to drink and what happens to those who avoid such temptations, particularly Martha Jo, Brian, and Stan.

Wilson’s knowledge extends also to drugs. He gives us many details on both marijuana and on pharmacological drugs, as when Rick goes through Martha Jo’s medicine cabinet following the murder of Stan.

One aspect of the novel I found a little confusing was Rick’s relationships with the women he comes across during his investigation. Because of the earlier trouble in his marriage, he is wary of all the women he meets—several of whom attract him—yet he at the same time seems irresistibly drawn to them, in spite of his love for his wife. It was difficult to determine whether he was simply feeling the normal urges of a man in his time and place or whether he had some sort of sexual addiction.

Fortunately, R.F. Wilson will help clarify this situation in his next novel, Deadly Dancing, set to be released May 1.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

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25

LOCAL LORE Sweet Appalachia

The Queen & the Chiggers

BY ANNETTE SAUNOOKE CLAPSADDLE

fields, pastures, and hillsides, chigger weed almost softens the appearance of the ground beneath. Individually studied, the multiple blooms are simple in structure and combine into an umbrella cushion for the crowning feature: the single dark purple flower dotting its center. This regal display of delicacy and symbolic coloring gives the wildflower its most common name, Queen Anne’s Lace. The most common namesake origin story is that the white flower represents Anne’s custom of tatting or knotting lace (a practice that began 2,000 years ago), and the dark reddish purple center represents a single drop of royal blood staining the lace when she pricked her finger on a tatting needle. There is little doubt that the flower evokes such imagery. William Carlos William harkens the purity of the flower in his poem entitled “Queen Anne’s Lace”: “Her body is not so white as anemony petals nor so smooth—nor so remote a thing. It is a field of the wild carrot taking the field by force; the grass does not raise above it.

Here is no question of whiteness, white as can be, with a purple mole at the center of each flower.”

Each flower is a hand’s span of her whiteness. Wherever his hand has lain there is a tiny purple blemish. Each part is a blossom under his touch to which the fibres of her being stem one by one, each to its end, until the whole field is a white desire, empty, a single stem, a cluster, flower by flower, a pious wish to whiteness gone over— or nothing.

Though some people dispute which Queen Anne the flower is named for, I rather prefer the Queen Anne nicknamed “Brandy Nan” for her fondness of the drink.

Daughter of James II, Queen Anne eventually died with no children surviving (after several failed pregnancies and one child dying young) to take her place on the throne. Interestingly enough, some people use the fruits of the flower as a form of homeopathic contraception (please do not try this at home). It seems this use has garnered mixed results, though it is likely that a plant with such capacity to engender infertility, while temporary, would be aptly named for a woman who experienced such a well-known struggle to experience a healthy pregnancy.

And, in consideration of her lush lifestyle, Anne would surely be pleased to know that Tama Wong, a writer for Food52.com, has shared the recipe for Queen Anne’s Lace Cognac Apéritif (please do try this at home and then invite me over). Queen Anne’s Lace can be used as an edible seasoning, reflecting its carrot roots (literal and figurative). While the fruits are easily harvested, one must dig the root early to avoid woodiness, and still, one must not expect the same sweetness as the carrots we are most accustomed to. Like Anne, the wild carrot grows disagreeable early in life.

But as a child, I knew none of this. All I knew was to stay out of

MANDY NEWHAM-COBB ILLUSTRATION

L

ong before country singer Brad Paisley made checking for ticks an act of seduction, many of us grew up with a much more imminent threat to our outdoor adventures—a threat that was far less obvious and identifiable until it was too late.

Chiggers.

There is nothing alluring about checking a significant other for chigger bites. While ticks are certainly more dangerous, carrying lime disease and endangering our poor puppies, chiggers are rampant, annoying, and virtually impossible to spot. All the more reason that our mothers warned us of chigger weed. Some may know it better as Queen Anne’s Lace, the far more appealing nomenclature. Still others might identify it as wild carrot, making it sound almost useful.

Like a delicate summer snowfall of wistful white across green

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

the chigger weed, no matter how beautiful it was. If I picked a stem or two for an impromptu bouquet, I was quickly turned away at the door until I had inspected every petal for those black bugs. I became so paranoid that I eventually mistook every flower as infested because of its dark center. Having never inspected them closely enough, I assumed that the purplish petal was, in fact, a dreaded chigger.

Like most cautionary tales of childhood in the great outdoors, one might suspect that warnings when approaching Queen Anne’s Lace did not derive merely from the concern of itchy bumps. A much more credible concern for those who harvest the weed, especially those who wish to eat its young carrot root or gather its fruits for either medicinal or culinary purposes, is that the appearance of Queen Anne’s Lace is remarkably similar to that of

Individually studied, the multiple blooms are simple in structure and combine into an umbrella cushion for the crowning feature: the single dark purple flower dotting its center. poisonous hemlock. Yes, the “I killed Socrates” hemlock. In this fashion, Queen Anne’s Lace is similar to many of nature’s temptations. It is beautiful, easily accessible, requires no skill to cultivate, but if one does not take the time to appreciate its intricacies, one might easily mistake death for dinner.

This is, after all, what our parents want us to remember as we run through summer fields and scramble up hillsides. Pay attention. Take the time to pay attention to the smallest of details. Some are secrets of beauty, like the purple petal masquerading as a chigger. Others are secrets of danger, like chiggers masquerading as flowers or even worse: poison masquerading as “white desire.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is an awardwinning author and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

27

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

A FIVE-DAY EXPLORATION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE IN THE SMOKIES April 19-23, 2016 W.L. MILLS CONFERENCE CENTER GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

Choose from 144 guided walks and indoor talks led by 110 professional leaders!

Learn about wildflowers, birds, bears, medicinal plants, butterflies, ecology, plant identification, nature photography and sketching, natural and cultural history and more in the Smokies. For detail go to:

springwildflowerpilgrimage.org

MOUNTAIN EXPLORER ROVING THESE HILLS AND VALLEYS

FIRED UP Down the hill from downtown Asheville, the emerging South Slope district has no shortage of hot spots, from a cluster of craft breweries to purveyors of artisan chocolate, doughnuts, and BBQ. But Lexington Glassworks turns up the heat—literally.

A furnace burning at glass-melting temperatures higher than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit holds court in the cavernous showroom and studio, which formerly housed an auto shop. Like at many hot shops, visitors watch and interact with glassblowing artists at work. But Lexington Glassworks offers an only-in-Asheville twist to encourage lingering: The on-site bar pours beer made locally (within blocks, in some instances), with the option to buy and drink out of a pint glass made on-site. This spring, Lexington Glassworks will also host live music during the monthly First Friday Art Walk.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

29

OUTLOOKS

Robert Smith, known as Gadget on the trail, studies a map during a break at Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina. HOLLY KAYS PHOTO

Mountain Explorer

The Magic of the Trail B Y H O L LY K AY S

T

he thru-hikers are easy to spot. I pick out three of them right away, spread out on a bench outside the outfitter’s store at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Stuffed-to-the gills hiking packs lean against the wall, and the contents of the packages they found waiting at NOC’s maildrop lie scattered on the ground. The recent rain left its mark on their appearance, leaving them just a little grungier, a little more unkempt than even the standard for an outdoors center.

Back in the “real world,” they all have names, families, professions—or at least professional aspirations—waiting for them. But here, resting just yards from the Appalachian Trail’s crossing over the Nantahala River, they introduce themselves first by their trail names—Youngblood, Gadget, and Slavedriver. True to his name, Youngblood is the most junior, an 18-year-old kid fresh out of high school. Gadget, at 20, isn’t much older, making 42-year-old Slavedriver the oldest of the group.

I introduce myself as Holly with The Smoky Mountain News, ask if they’d be willing to talk to me for a few minutes about the trail and their experience on it. What have been the high and low

30

points so far? How is it squaring with expectations? Why did they set out to hike 2,189 miles in the first place?

Of course, they’re happy to chat. The trail affords plenty of opportunity for introspection, and they’re more than willing to share their reflections with a listening ear. I take notes and pictures, documenting how the trail’s been more difficult and more beautiful than any of them expected, how the goodness of people along the way will restore your faith in humanity if nothing else will, how the trail has a way of funneling the complexity of life down to something much simpler: taking the next step, reaching the next view.

Then I put away the camera and the notebook. I wish them luck, thank them for their time, and drive back to the office. There I will sit down to translate these hikers’ wild experiences into words for lay-out on digital spaces for publication in sheets of newsprint to sit outside of grocery stores and gas stations until the next week’s batch of news arrives. By the time my three subjects reach the trail’s end in Maine—if, that is, they make it that far—the print paper will have all but disappeared from coffee tables and countertops in Western North Carolina.

As an outdoors reporter in a place where springtime means thruhiker season in our Appalachian Trail communities, it’s hard to avoid the trail. Its alumni run hiking clubs and nonprofits. Trailbased festivals demand publicity each year. Thru-hikers appear in the stories I write and the trails I hike. They’re everywhere, and that’s OK with me.

Yes, please, tell me about the moment the balance shifted and you knew that you would in fact make it all the way to Katahdin.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

A thru-hiker follows the A.T. as it descends into the Nantahala River Gorge.

HOLLY KAYS PHOTO

The trail has a way of funneling the complexity of life down to something much simpler: taking the next step, reaching the next view.

The frigid, drizzly night when the stove wouldn’t work and your sleeping bag was damp and you were sure you were going to die.

The time you came out of the woods to a text saying your baby nephew had been born, and you kicked yourself for having missed it. The moment when you had that single epiphany, the a-ha moment, that made all the time and pain and effort and expense of the trail worth it. The transition back to society, the differences you discovered in yourself and the ways your path of life shifted.

But then, more often than not, the conversation ends with a question turned back at me. So, have you ever thought about doing the trail?

I shrug my shoulders.

As I write this, it’s the middle of winter with snow blanketing the world outside, and I’m pretty sure that the Appalachian Trail is something I’ll never do. I love to hike. I love to camp, and my dog would like nothing better than six months in the woods, that’s for sure. But I’ve got a job and an apartment, and even supposing I were to leave it all behind for half a year, would it be for the A.T., or would some other adventure call louder?

Despite the view from my window, though, spring isn’t too far away, and with it the green leaves and the thru-hikers and the mystique of a trail that seemingly never ends. So despite my rambling and hemming and hawing, don’t be too surprised if, one of these days, I follow my new friends into the woods and never look back.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Waynesville reporter Holly Kays is a forester’s daughter who is happy to live in the land of many trees.

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31

FIELD GUIDE Mountain Explorer

feature early wildflowers such as spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, bloodroot, white-fringed phacelia, yellow trillium, and trout lily. From mid to late April, a beautiful stand of dwarf larkspur flowers on the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway across from the Waynesville Overlook. Adjacent to Jocassee Gorges in South Carolina, Devils Fork State Park gives guided tours for visitors seeking the rare endemic Oconee Bell.

Going, Going, Gone: A Guide to the Other Color Season

BY DON HENDERSHOT

A

s the bare canopy of Eastern deciduous forests allows the sun to shine through and warm the fecund earth each spring, ephemerals push through the leaf litter toward the sun, and the grays and browns of the forest floor erupt in color.

Spring ephemerals complete their entire above-ground growth— aka flowering and fruiting—before the canopy leafs out. Hundreds of species of wildflowers take advantage of this brief window.

IN SHORT: The season passes quickly and the flowers are many, so the key is, simply, getting outside. Areas across the Southern Appalachians renowned for their spring blossoms include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with more than 1,500 species of flowering plants), the Blue Ridge Parkway, Roan Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, and more—your favorite wooded hike likely has plenty to admire, too.

Remember that flowers will start popping at lower elevations first.

EARLY BIRD SPECIALS: In the Top: Painted trillium. Above: Dwarf larkspur. U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE PHOTOS

32

Smokies, lower-elevations spots such as Cove Hardwood Nature Trail and the Chimneys Picnic Area

MORE TO EXPLORE: Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, points of floral interest include Tanawha Trail, Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, and Heintooga Ridge Road. About 40 miles of National Scenic Byway between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the Cherohala Skyway features pullouts, short hikes, and trailheads overlooking the Nantahala National Forest and Cherokee National Forest.

Spring ephemerals abound on Roan Mountain—home to Rhododendron Gardens in North Carolina and Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee—with an opportunity to view Gray’s lily, a rare endemic plant.

Grandfather Mountain State Park in North Carolina and Cloudland Canyon State Park in North Georgia offer guided wildflower walks.

UP, UP, AND AWAY: Columbine can be seen at different spots along Little River Gorge Road in the Smokies in April and also at a mile high along Heintooga Spur Road off the Blue Ridge Parkway in May. In a reversal of autumn leaf-looking strategy, you can extend your spring color season by following the color up the mountainsides. Other highelevation specialties like Top: Oconee bells. Above: Gray’s lily. yellow bead lily, painted CREATIVE COMMONS • MASON BROCK/CREATIVE COMMONS trillium, Canada mayflower, and northern white violet can be found in northern hardwood and spruce-fir forests across the region.

WHAT TO BRING: If you’re planning on identifying ephemerals, you will want a hand lens and a field guide.

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, with its dichotomous key and line drawings, remains the gold standard, but photographic guides have made great strides. Check out comprehensive books such as Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains and Southern Appalachian Wildflowers as well as local guides such as Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers. Bring a camera but also a sense of wonder—if you do, you will never be disappointed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Don Hendershot is profiled on page 11.

GO WILD Mountain Explorer

Flying High at Tennessee’s Birding Park

BY CHARLI KERNS

W

ith spring underway, it’s time to talk about the birds and the bees—and Seven Islands State Birding Park, Tennessee’s newest state park and its first dedicated to birding.

About 19 miles east of Knoxville, Seven Islands is a 416-acre peninsula along the French Broad River. By nature, the property is a stopover for 144 different migratory bird species. By design, the grassland has become part sanctuary, part school, and part playground—a combination that’s been over a decade in the making.

“When I came on board, I slung a machete for 20 months straight. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was important,” remembers Justine Cucchiara, park manager for Seven Islands. When she arrived about five years ago as part of AmeriCorps, the property had already been a wildlife refuge since 2002, thanks to a joint purchase by Knox County Parks and Recreation and Seven Islands Foundation, a nonprofit land conservancy.

At that time, the vision to make Seven Islands into a true refuge for wildlife still had a ways to go before becoming reality. Formerly a cattle farm, the property teemed with non-native grasses for forage, its stream beds severely eroded. By the time Cucchiara joined Wayne Schacher, the refuge’s first manager, he had already made headway replacing acres of fescue with native grasses and planting 10,000 trees to manage riparian areas. When Cucchiara became the manager a couple of years later, she and her team spent the next three years diversifying the fields with over 20 different

pollinator-friendly legumes and native wildflowers to attract bees, butterflies, and other insects.

By September 2013, when Seven Islands became the 56th Tennessee State Park, the fields flashed of yellow goldenrods, purple ironweed, and dark bluestem. A grand opening was held July 1, 2014.

“You get a primal impression that this is a good place, that it can support life,” says Cucchiara. That includes life such as the Northern bobwhite, a native quail species that at one time filled the Tennessee air with its three-whoop call.

Years of habitat destruction silenced many places. Recently, the bobwhite’s call has started to return to Seven Islands— to the delight of many who fondly remember its distinctive song.

The Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee From April through Ornithological Society holds bird banding September, the public programs including Monitoring Avian can help band birds such Productivity and Survivorship Program as the Northern bobsessions. In addition to providing valuable research, these sessions provide an upwhite. Visitors can also close opportunity for those interested in fish or paddle the French learning more about the birds.

Broad and bike along the SEVEN ISLANDS STATE BIRDING PARK PHOTOS park’s greenway for free from dawn to dusk. Year-round, visitors can hike and enjoy the park’s namesake pastime.

Among the long-term plans for Seven Islands is to improve the entrance garden by the blue bird barn, which is an experiential learning experiment. “We want to develop the take-home message of a ‘backyard habitat,’” Cucchiara explains. She says the ultimate goal is to inspire visitors to grow native plants at home—transforming their yards into bird sanctuaries, too.

865.407.8335; tnstateparks.com.

Two people look to identify a few of the nearly 200 different bird species that have been identified at Seven Islands State Birding Park.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Mountain Explorer

Across the street from the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Tandem Crêperie & Coffeehouse sweetens Main Street. TANDEM CRÊPERIE & COFFEEHOUSE PHOTO

Travelers Rest, South Carolina

interviews, anecdotes, and in-depth local reporting published last summer by the Travelers Rest Historical Society.

Whether in town to hit the Swamp Rabbit Trail or the Travelers Rest Farmers Market, which opens for the 2016 season on May 7 with a plant and garden sale and a free gardening class, be sure to spend some time on Main Street, too. Here are a few highlights:

MAKING GOOD ON ITS NAME

CREPE INTENTIONS: Brightening up an historic brick building across the street from an access point to the Swamp Rabbit, Tandem Crêperie and Coffeehouse does brisk business serving families, college students, cyclists, and other people refueling after a morning on the trail.

Single-origin coffee and lavender-honey lattes pair deliciously with sweet and savory crepes and waffles. Take the cafe’s motto of “together is best” to heart; the menu is too tempting to try just one kind of crepe. Favorites include the lumberjack—a cornmeal crepe stuffed with ham, bacon, egg, cheese, béchamel sauce and maple syrup—and the tiramisu, laced with mascarpone and espresso.

I

n the early 19th century, before making the arduous journey across the Blue Ridge, South Carolinians would rest and restock on commodities in the Upstate stopover that became known as Travelers Rest. Typically arriving by wagon or stagecoach, those travelers would sometimes have to wait out winter before heading into the mountains.

More recently, the “gateway to the foothills” became the home of Furman University and the northern terminus of the popular Swamp Rabbit Trail, an 18.7-mile paved path along a former railroad bed linking the town to Greenville, South Carolina. Again folks are funneling into Travelers Rest, where a crop of new businesses has transformed the once sleepy Main Street into a destination in its own right. Chronicling its evolution since 1808 is History of Travelers Rest, SC: A Sense of Place, a 16-chapter book of

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NEW USES FOR OLD PLACES: Complete with a large slide-up door, Sidewall Pizza slings thin-crust, brickoven pies and scoops of house-made ice scream in a former tire shop. Up the street, two native daughters brought the Williams Hardware shop back to life as the cozy Cafe at Williams Hardware, serving Southern lunch specialties like fried bologna sandwiches and tomato okra soup alongside locally made gifts for sale. Expanded and renovated in 2013, the Whistle Stop has been family owned since 1945 and a local landmark since 1932 as the American Cafe. Vintage bar stools, a handmade chestnut counter, exposed ceiling beams

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

N

G

at Lake Chatuge

A mural on the outside of the Whistle Stop recalls the Swamp Rabbit’s rail heyday.

Plant Sales and brick walls, and menu items like the hamburger steak with onion gravy harken back to the days when the cafe served as a “whistle stop” along the Swamp Rabbit rail line.

Weekends April 16 thru May 15

Open Every Day to the Public

ON THE MOVE: A couple of blocks from the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Gateway Park’s bike skills flow park attracts mountain bikers of all ages with a multi-loop course including a beginner-friendly pump track, short kids loop, and technical cross-country track with drops. In the middle of all the action is locally owned Sunrift Adventures, which has outfitted the Upstate for land and water excursions from inside an historic cotton gin since 1980. In addition to the shop’s inventory, which ranges from standup paddleboards and canoes to cycling gloves and helmets, Sunrift rents kayaks, canoes, boat trailers, road and mountain bikes, backpacking tents and equipment, and climbing crash pads.

(706) 896-4966 or (800) 984-1543

No Admission in 2016*

www.mountaintopga.com

*Donations gladly accepted.

Great Seafood · Arts and Crafts · Antiques Fri. 3pm-9pm Sat. 10am-9pm Sun. 10am-5pm BRING A CHAIR OR BLANKET TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE MUSIC!

DRINK UP: Swamp Rabbit Brewery & Taproom’s Ben Pierson brings classic German brewing training and 30 years’ experience in craft beer to Main Street. But none of that really matters while relaxing with one of his gold medal-winning double IPAs or a nitro chocolate brown porter.

Need something stronger? On the same block, Copperhead Mountain Distillery offers tastings of its smallbatch rum, whiskey, and 11 naturally flavored moonshines made in allcopper stills. Lest any drinkers be left out, the new Tasting Room Wine Shop stocks low-production vintages from around the world alongside a bar that pours craft beer and wine by the glass.

June 3-5, 2016 Mayors Park • Hwy 76 Young Harris, Ga.

NO COOLERS

Musical guests include: Gnarly Fingers, Country River Band, Rolling Bones, Georgia Clay Band, Downtown Roy, Wya Espalin, Gold Standard Band

Free Parking • Admission $5 • Children under 12 free Visit northgeorgiahighlandsseafoodfestival.com for more info.

Presented by:

706.897.6179

Sponsored By: Robin Roberts promotions, LLC

Just to name a few…

WWW.SMLIV.COM

706.897.6179 35

LIVING HISTORY Mountain Explorer

Face Time in North Georgia

BY M. LINDA LEE

Y

ou see them in nearly every folk potter’s shop in northeast Georgia. With crooked teeth and smoky brown and olive green visages, they stare unblinkingly with googly, sometimes menacing eyes. Called face jugs, these vessels represent an art form that traces its origin to the slaves who brought their stoneware traditions from West Central Africa to South Carolina’s Edgefield District in the mid-19th century.

Early face jugs followed African stylistic themes, but their use remains a mystery. Were they meant to frighten children into behaving? Were they religious talismans? Were they placed in kilns to protect pottery from evil spirits? No one knows for certain.

What is known is that around 1900, white potters picked up the style.

Farmers learned to shape, glaze, and fire clay wares out of necessity in the days before refrigeration and mass-produced containers. They started out making stoneware vessels to store syrup, pickles, vegetables, even moonshine. Those who were good at their craft sold their wares, supplying rural families with pitchers, bowls, and butter churns. In northeast Georgia, potters congregated in Gillsville and Mossy Creek, attracted to those areas for their rich natural deposits of clay, which they dug from the creek beds.

Folk pottery differs from art pottery in how it is learned. “You can’t learn folk pottery in a book,” explains Chris Brooks, director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. “It is passed down in families. You may be able to make a folk form, but that doesn’t make you a folk potter.”

It’s all about heritage. In Georgia, the Meaders family has continued the old alkaline-glazed stoneware tradition. Distinguished for their fine vessels, the Meaders trace their artisanal lineage back more than 200 years. John Milton Meaders founded Meaders Pottery in 1893. His grandson Lanier became famous for his face jugs after the Smithsonian Institution produced a documentary about Meaders Pottery in 1967 for the first Festival of American Folklife. During Lanier’s lifetime (19171998), he created more than 10,000 face jugs—some of which sold for $3,000 apiece. Today, Lanier’s relatives carry on the Meaders’ folk-pottery practice.

Clint Alderman continues the face jug tradition of northeast Georgia.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

FOLK POTTERY MUSEUM OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA: Any exploration of Northeast Georgia folk pottery should begin at this museum, which celebrates the region’s “handshaped heritage” through the work of 33 living potters. The building itself mimics the style of a folk potter’s woodshed, with glass walls standing in for the open sides of the region’s rectangular cross-draft kilns. 283 Hwy. 255 N., Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia. 706.878.3300; snca.org. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m.

Sunday; $5.

An exhibit at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia models a woodburning tunnel kiln. Above, left: Welchel Meaders’ face jugs demonstrate the “tobacco spit” glaze. Above, right: Steve Turpin at work in his studio.

Although some contemporary folk potters have succumbed to the convenience of electric wheels and pre-made glazes, artists such as Clint Alderman relish the historical aspects of their craft. Alderman digs his own clay and hand-grinds his glazes out of ash and broken glass. He does, however, use a motor-driven pug mill to mix his clay instead of the time-honored mule-drawn mill. “It’s just too expensive to feed a mule,” Alderman admits.

You’ll find Alderman and members of the Meaders family along the Folk Potters Trail, which weaves through the countryside in White, Banks, and Hall counties. Organized by the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, the trail includes 17 potters. It’s delightful to visit the artisans in their studios, where you can also purchase pieces, ranging in price from $20 to $1,000. Plan two days for this excursion: one to take in the Mossy Creek studios, and another to visit the potters around Gillsville. Check out the following highlights along the Folk Potters Trail.

WELCHEL MEADERS: Welchel’s studio is one of six on the Trail belonging to members of the Meaders family. The only son of L.Q. Meaders—whose father founded Meaders Pottery—Welchel admits to being mystified by the popularity of face jugs. “It seems the uglier they are, the more people like them,” says the 85-year-old potter. Ask him to show you his father’s original “kick wheel” from the early 1900s. 1132 Westmoreland Rd., Cleveland, Georgia.

706.865.3805. Visit by appointment.

CLINT ALDERMAN POTTERY: One of the youngest contemporary folk potters, 35-year-old Alderman learned his craft from members of the Meaders family. He likes to incorporate a utilitarian aspect with a sculptural product.

“Each face jug is an expression of the potter’s personality,” he says. 2416 Hwy. 105, Demorest, Georgia. 706.377.2858.

Visit by appointment.

TURPIN POTTERY: “All I do is play in the mud,” says Steve Turpin, who shaped his skills working at Cravens Pottery for 26 years. Now retired, he fashions face jugs with smiling demeanors, like the playful expression on his “winky” pieces. Where does he get inspiration for the faces on his jugs? “I go to a lot of family reunions,” he says, laughing.

2500 Hwy. 441, Homer, Georgia. 706.677.1528; turpinpottery.com. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Friday through Sunday by appointment.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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DETOURS Mountain Explorer

Finding Nirvana in West Virginia

B Y M A R K LY N N F E R G U S O N

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AARON BLUM • AARONBLUMPHOTO.COM

S

can the rolling hilltops of West Virginia, and what would you expect to see—an old coal tipple, boulders, the crumbling remains of a settler’s cabin?

How about a gilded palace with colorful windows inspired by peacocks, surrounded by an award-winning rose garden and a hundred or so fountains?

For over 40 years, Marshall County has been the site of New Vrindaban, one of the largest Hare Krishna communities in the United States. Filled with ornate touches—stained glass, real gold, and crystal—the temple at the heart of this community has been called America’s Taj Mahal. To photographer Aaron Blum, though, the people who live there have always simply been his neighbors.

“They were part of my hometown just like anyone else,” says Blum, who saw Krishnas as he was growing up, sometimes wearing their tell-tale saffron robes. Though they stood out, he didn’t give them much thought until he was older, when he began encountering them at punk rock shows.

38

“The Krishnas were always there serving food, and as long as you would talk with them about religion, they would give the food to you for free,” he says, adding, “I am a sucker for pineapple chutney.”

It wasn’t long before Blum visited New Vrindaban, and he started doing so just like anyone else. Tourists are welcome.

“In fact, they’re counting on it,” Blum says. “A large part of their income is based in tourism.” He visited so often, he began to make

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

friends and eventually secured permission from the community’s head of public relations to photograph freely. What emerged was a riveting collection of images that spotlight what, on the one hand, seems like an unlikely community for West Virginia but, on the other, is actually in keeping with many Appalachian traditions.

“When I’m there I’m constantly thinking about how so many others had come to the hills of Appalachia to isolate themselves for protection, religion, solitude, freedom,” Blum says, “and the Krishnas have a very simple lifestyle, like so many other country people.”

In spite of its emphasis on simple living and its bucolic setting, New Vrindaban has seen dark periods. In the 1980s, two of the community’s resident were killed by a third.

The murderer claimed that the group’s leader, Swami Bhaktipada, was behind the killings, and later, Bhaktipada pled guilty of conspiring to commit murders for hire.

For a time, the group went into a tailspin, losing many members, letting its grounds fall into disrepair, and even being excommunicated from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

But 30 years can heal many wounds.

These days, New Vrindaban has been reinstated as a member of the Krishna’s governing body and has a new leader, Jaya Krishna. This former Swiss businessman has revitalized the temple and gardens while also restoring the group’s reputation.

“There is a completely new set of individuals there,” Blum says, “and they could not be more wonderful.”

Today’s residents form a unique melting-pot, adhering to Hare Krishna religious traditions while also being influenced by West Virginia culture.

Krishna robes are worn with Carharrt jackets and beaded necklaces with work boots. “They exist in both worlds simultaneously,” Blum says, “so it is easy to see how they borrow from each lifestyle.”

Want to see for yourself how the worlds of Eastern religion and Appalachian heritage come together? New Vrindaban invites everyone to visit. The Palace of Gold is open according to a seasonal schedule, and the community offers newly remodeled guest houses to those wishing to stay overnight. newvrindaban.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Lynn Ferguson is the creator of the blog The Revivalist: Word From the Appalachian South (therevivalist.info), where a version of this article first appeared.

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39

ADVERTISING SECTION

AROUND BACK AT ROCKY’S PLACE The Ultimate Folk Art Gallery in the South!

Representing a plethora of self-taught artists.

Best selection by artist “Cornbread” in the Universe! Established 2002.

3631 Hwy. 53 E. at Etowah River Rd. Dawsonville, Ga. • 706.265.6030 aroundbackatrockysplace.com Sat. 11-5; Sun. 1-5 THE JEWELER’S WORKBENCH The Jeweler’s Workbench specializes in unique handcrafted jewelry, limited edition watches, kinetic art and other artistic gifts and treasures. Featuring over 50 artists from the Great Smoky Mountain region and from across the country. We offer on-site repairs and custom design and work.

80 N. Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828-456-2260 • thejwbench.com

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

GUIDE

T

he Southern Appalachians have a rich artistic history. As long as folks have lived in these majestic landscapes, they’ve been molding, shaping and putting together items that serve not only practical purposes but also aesthetic ones, too.

From weavers to potters, painters to metalsmiths, glassblowers to woodcrafters, these artisans reflect generations of heritage and innovation. Promoting and perpetuating this beauty are the galleries that are as unique and varied as the artists themselves.

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EXPLORE

MARK OF THE POTTER The oldest crafts shop in Georgia in the old Grandpa Watts’ Gristmill, celebrating over 45 years in the same location. Mark of the Potter features handcrafted pottery, a potter working weekends, and other crafts. Don’t miss the best view on the Soque River with generations of huge brown and rainbow trout (protected, of course).

706.947.3440 • markofthepotter.com ROBERT A. TINO GALLERY Robert Tino is one of the most celebrated artists living in the southeast. He has painted the beauty of Tennessee and North Carolina for over 40 Years. Working in oils, acrylics, or watercolors, each painting is a flourish of color, depth, and texture. Leisurely shop thru the gallery for notecards, art tiles, limited edition prints and custom framing.

381 Main St. • Highlands N.C. 828.526.9333 812 Old Douglas Dam Rd. • Sevierville Tenn.

865.453.6315 www.robertatinogallery.com SEVEN SISTERS GALLERY Discover something different at Seven Sisters Gallery, a staple in charming, historic Black Mountain since 1981. The gallery has one of the broadest ceramics collections available, plus furniture, original artwork, jewelry, and more.

Everything is made in the U.S.; much of it is local.

117 Cherry St. • Black Mtn, NC 28711 828.669.5107 • 7sistersgallery.com Mon.-Sat. 10-6; Sun. 12-5

Southern Appalachian Galleries

THE FOLK SCHOOL CHANGES YOU.

More than 2,000 sq. ft. of fine American crafts.

Engaging hands and hearts since 1925. Come enjoy making crafts and good friends on 300 natural, scenic acres in western North Carolina.

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL folkschool.org BRASSTOWN

1-800-FOLK-SCH NORTH CAROLINA

A destination in Black Mountain for over 33 years.

117 CHERRY ST BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC

828.669.5107 s e v e n s i s t e r s g a l l e r y. c o m

EXPLORE

Southern Appalachian Galleries

41

THE

Ultimate Folk Art Gallery in the South!

Hickory Flat Pottery )XQFWLRQDO SRWWHU\ MHZHOU\ JODVV Ň• EHU DQG ZRRG DUW PDGH E\ KDQG LQ WKH KLOOV RI 1RUWK *HRUJLD &RPH VHH WKH SRWWHUV DW ZRUN GDLO\

THE BEST SELECTION by artist “Cornbread�

TPENNINGTON ART GALLERY Teresa Pennington is a self-taught colored pencil artist who renders, in amazing detail, the scenery and landmarks of western North Carolina and beyond. See her distinctive work at TPennington Art Gallery in downtown Waynesville, N.C. 15 North Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828.452.9284 • tpennington.com

in the Universe!

13664 Hwy 197 N Clarkesville, GA 30523 706.947.0030

HickoryFlatPottery.com

3631 HWY. 53 EAST

AT ETOWAH RIVER RD. DAWSONVILLE, GA 706-265-6030

aroundbackatrockysplace.com HOURS: SATURDAY 11 TO 5 & SUNDAY 1 TO 5 86-40

Capturing Spring’sDance P HOTOGRAPHER: JOHN SMITH

“WHERE ART DANCES WITH NATURE�

98 N. MAI N ST. • WAYN ESVI LLE NC • OPEN MON.-SAT.10-5:30 828.456.1940 • W W W.T WIGSAN DLEAVES.COM 42

EXPLORE

SUSAN MARIE DESIGNS With visionary talent and skills acquired in thirty-three years as an award-winning goldsmith, Susan Marie transforms nature’s most exceptional gemstones, diamonds and pearls into wearable contemporary elegance. As a G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist, she selects the most vibrant and highest quality cut stones to create fine jewelry.

Four Biltmore Ave. • Asheville, N.C. 828.277.1272

TWIGS AND LEAVES GALLERY Stroll down Main Street in Waynesville to find a unique gallery where art dances with nature.

Browse through an unforgettable collection of nature-inspired works by 150 primarily regional artists and crafts persons. Take home a piece of art that echoes the wonder of nature.

98 N. Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828.456.1940 • twigsandleaves.com VISIONS OF CREATION With over 40 years of experience, Roberto creates contemporary and one-of-a-kind ďŹ ne jewelry in gold and silver. Each hand-crafted piece has its own unique properties. Most are Limited Editions and signed. Roberto is constantly creating, evolving and designing new and innovative pieces.

100 Cherry St. • Black Mountain, N.C. 828.669.0065 • visionsofcreation.com WAYNESVILLE GALLERY ASSOCIATION The Waynesville Gallery Association is represented by 9 unique galleries: Burr Studio, Cedar Hill Studio, Earthworks Gallery, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts, The Jeweler’s Workbench, the mahogany house art gallery and studios, TPennington Art Gallery, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, and Village Framer.

The group promotes and participates in Art After Dark which happens the first Friday evening May through December. waynesvillegalleryassociation.com THE WILLOWS POTTERY Creating functional handmade stoneware since 2003. Specializing in custom dinnerware and vessel sinks, we are proud to provide an excellent selection of locally made gifts.

7273 S. Main St. • Helen, GA 706.878.1344 • thewillowspottery.com

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Southern Appalachian Galleries

43

Beyond the marionette: Life as a master puppeteer

BY SUSANNA BARBEE

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

“My mom was a naturalist. We were always outside, bird-watching and doing other things. In me, she fueled a passion in nature which has been the basis of much of my puppetry work.”

— Hobey Ford

Puppeteer Hobey Ford in his workshop with one of his hand-made creations.

JIM KRANSBERGER PHOTO

“I’ll never forget the advice Clyde gave me long, long ago.

He said, ‘Don’t get a regular job because if you do, you’ll never spend your life doing what you love. I followed his advice.”

— Hobey Ford

Ford visited with and entertained refugee children living with families in Amman, Jordan.

DALIA AMASHEH PHOTO

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

New Morning Gallery Introducing the Handcrafted Stoneware Microwave Bacon Cooker! New Morning Gallery has sold 11,000 of this great American-made invention. Cooks perfect bacon and easily cleans up in the dishwasher.

7 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803 828.274.2831 • 800.933.4438 www.newmorninggallerync.com

Little Switzerland

Switzerland Inn & Chalet Restaurant The Switzerland Inn is located directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 334. Your one stop mountain view resort.

86 High Ridge Road, Little Switzerland, NC 28749 828.765.2153 • Toll Free: 800.654.4026 www.switzerlandinn.com

Switzerland Café and General Store Where European Charm meets Appalachian Comfort. Milepost 334 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in “Downtown” Little Switzerland.

9440 NC-226A, Little Switzerland, NC 28749 828.765.5289 www.switzerlandcafe.com

Little Switzerland

Emerald Village Family fun with REAL mine tours, gem mining in a REAL mine, gold panning, museum, shopping, emerald & mineral collecting, free exhibits, spectacular historic mines!

331 McKinney Mine Road, Little Switzerland, NC 28749 828.765.6463 (828-ROK-MINE) www.emeraldvillage.com

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“I’ve been interested in puppeteering since I was very young,” says Ford. “When I was in fifth grade, a puppet show came to a school assembly, and I never forgot it.”

Though Ford was intrigued that long-ago day as he watched the puppets animate, he did not plan to grow up and become a puppeteer.

But life had another plan. A blend of natural talent, creative lineage, and a serendipitous encounter with a kindred spirit took Ford along a unique path that has led to a fulfilling career as a puppeteer.

Today, a worn 1960s denim apron hangs in Ford’s workshop as a reminder of the woman who first inspired him. Ford’s mom was a talented photographer, often photographing black and white pictures of children and beautiful colored images of nature. She and Ford spent endless hours outdoors, mindfully enjoying the intricacies of the world around them.

“My mom was a naturalist. We were always outside, bird-watching and doing other things. In me, she fueled a passion in nature which has been the basis of much of my puppetry work,” says Ford.

Ford grew up outside of New York City.

With a creative soul for a mom and a Wall Street banker for a dad, Ford was gifted with both right- and left-brain skills. As a boy, he used his nimble hands to continually engineer things out of household items, yet he never dreamed of being anything other than an artist, and in his mind he envisioned a future as a painter or a sculptor.

“During my freshman year at SUNY Purchase College, I realized that to stand out in a saturated world of artists, I needed to create something unique,” says Ford. On New Year’s Eve 1975, he created his first puppet, a marionette.

Asheville

Featuring

A UNIQUE PATH

DISCOVER NORTH CAROLINA’S

Support provided by

D

own a dusty dirt road just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of North Carolina sits an unassuming workshop made of plain wood and nails.

Birds chirp and leaves blow in the wind, offering an inviting melody for what awaits inside those symmetrical walls.

Up a few stairs behind a simple swinging door lives a magical world of puppets where expectant eyes, restless arms, and enchanting spirits await to come alive within the hands of master puppeteer, Hobey Ford.

As an inventor, artist, musician, storytelling engineer, and performer, Ford lives and breathes creativity and ingenuity.

Brevard

Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education We’ve got the fun and the fish! Feed the trout, indoor aquariums, outdoor exhibit loop with free admission.

Pisgah National Forest • 10 miles outside Brevard, N.C. 828.877.4423 www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah

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Shortly thereafter, Ford dropped out of SUNY Purchase and transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute. But on his way to California, he met a Native American family and worked on their ranch in the Nevada desert for several years. He never made it to school in San Francisco, and come to find out, he didn’t really need the formal training anyway.

It was there in Nevada, in 1976, that Ford met a traveler named Clyde Hollifield, a master puppeteer himself. And from that moment forward, Ford’s life was shaped by Hollifield’s friendship and mentoring.

“I’ll never forget the advice Clyde gave me long, long ago,” says Ford. “He said, ‘Don’t get a regular job because if you do, you’ll never spend your life doing what you love. I followed his advice.”

Hobey Ford’s love of the outdoors and wildlife are some of the biggest influences on his puppet making. JIM KRANSBERGER PHOTO

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A PUPPETEER, A PUPPET MAKER Hollifield seemed to rekindle Ford’s natural gift for puppetry. In Hollifield, Ford found inspiration. They agreed on an apprenticeship, and Ford moved across the country again. Living in a cabin near Hollifield’s home in Western North Carolina, Ford learned all he could from a most influential teacher.

“Clyde is like an Appalachian Leonardo da Vinci,” Ford says. “He taught me how to use very simple materials to create puppets.” To this day, Ford uses basic supplies such as foam, wire, and wood to craft lifelike puppets.

From that moment until now, Ford has made innumerable puppets. Shadow puppets, rod puppets, foam puppets, marionette puppets.

Humans, animals, creatures.

Much of puppet making involves craftsmanship, engineering, and artistry, while being a puppeteer requires a theatrical presence, a relationship with the audience, and often talents in writing and music.

“Being a masterful puppeteer is a true gift. A good puppeteer can do a great show with a handkerchief,” says Hollifield when reflecting on Ford’s array of talents. “But a masterful puppeteer is not necessarily a great puppet maker. Hobey is both.”

A visit to Ford’s two-story workshop offers a breathtaking glimpse into the life of a true puppet maker. Downstairs, materials and supplies are stacked from floor to ceiling; some puppets sit erect while others slack to the side, taking a rest.

Disembodied parts await repair or to be reunited with the rest of a body.

Posters from puppet shows and autographed pictures cover the walls up the staircase, while the top floor houses finished puppets, retired puppets, sets, props, and art projects. It’s simply amazing.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

“There’s something truly special about Hobey’s puppets,” says Hollifield. “Hobey’s puppets are strong and unique with big personalities. They are anything but generic.”

FULL CIRCLE Most of Ford’s projects have been inspired by the people and topics he loves most: Family, friends, music, nature, compassion, and acceptance. Within minutes of being in Ford’s presence, his likability, intellect, and passion for puppeteering are all immediately apparent. He’s the type that leaves a lasting impression.

“I’ll never forget meeting Hobey and our time in Nevada, listening to him play his guitar and sing,” says Hollifield. “When I hear those songs to this day, I think of those campfires in the remote desert under the stars.”

At 58, Ford considers puppetry as important as ever. He has friends and fans all over the globe. He’s currently working on a show about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. He remembers watching his mom teach his three daughters about Monarchs during nature walks, and now he is bringing these beautiful insects to life.

With a desire to entertain both near and far, Ford could be found at a local library or across the world at a refugee camp. Ford recently traveled to Jordan to entertain exiled Syrian refugee children who were displaced from their parents.

When asked what he sees in a child’s eyes during a show, Ford says, “The response is similar no matter where I am. You see wonder in their eyes, a little bit of trepidation, and absolute awe, but also complete engagement in the story. And all of that is sort of universal.”

Ford is a two-time winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and the recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants. Puppetry is an ancient art form that is sustained by puppeteers all over the world. Ford is honored to be among them.

Chosen as a Kennedy Center Partner to educate teachers and artists how to use performing arts in the classroom, Ford has performed in countless schools, libraries, and theaters. He also offers workshops to students and teachers. Ford invented the vastly popular Peeper toys that are enjoyed by children everywhere. He created these cute, hand-held toys long ago with the purpose of entertaining

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his daughters while he and his wife bathed them and washed their hair.

In 2013-2014, Ford was recognized for creativity using puppets in video format. He created a seven-minute non-verbal version of “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” for Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams Film series which was part of Henson’s traveling puppet film festival. Ford has partnered with The Avett Brothers twice. He created a shadow puppet video for their song “Bring Your Love” and created marionette skeletons for their song “Another is Waiting.”

Ford says he loves it all. He enjoys building puppets, performing, teaching, playing music, making movies, creating sets, traveling, navigating the world, meeting new people. Ford’s wife is a music teacher at Rainbow Community School in Asheville and all three of his daughters are musicians.

Ford and Hollifield remain very close and chat on the phone weekly.

“Hobey is a talented puppeteer, but he’s talented at everything he does,” says Hollifield.

“And he’s my role model for integrity and human relations. He makes friends everywhere he goes. Once you meet him or watch him perform, you never forget Hobey.”

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Look closely into the mountains of North Carolina and you’ll discover a place unlike any other. Hendersonville calls out to all to seek out and explore new experiences year-round.

Stroll through our downtown Main Street filled with boutiques and eateries or find a trail that will take you to new heights in DuPont State Recreational Forest. Belly up to a cold brew at Sierra Nevada Brewery or indulge in regional wine tastings — it’s all up to you!

Be moved. Because that’s what happens in Hendersonville.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Hendersonville, North Carolina offers cool mountains and warm southern hospitality in the heart of Western North Carolina. Spring in Hendersonville in the perfect time of year to step away from the everyday and lose yourself in the playground of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hendersonville is ideally located for exploring town and country with varied attractions, festivals, cultural & recreational activities, historical sites, golf courses, family activities, a historic downtown with unique shops, excellent restaurants, and quality antique stores. Henderson County offers many diverse attractions, all within an easy walk or quick drive from downtown, including the Henderson County Farmers Curb Market, Jump Off Rock scenic overlook, Historic Johnson Farm, Holmes Educational State Forest, the waterfalls in DuPont State Recreational Forest, the Western North Carolina Air Museum and the Historic Hendersonville Train Depot.

The nearby village of Flat Rock began when families from South Carolina’s Low Country came to Flat Rock to escape the sweltering heat and the epidemic of yellow fever and malaria.

South Carolina’s Low Country gentry affectionately called Flat Rock “The Little Charleston of the Mountains.” The entire district of Flat Rock is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Historic Flat Rock is home to several attractions such as: The Flat Rock Playhouse, State Theatre of North Carolina; the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site; and St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church as well as many unique specialty shops.

The Garden Jubilee Festival is a two-day festival, held on Saturday & Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in Downtown Hendersonville. This is a great opportunity

for gardeners to speak with the experts at the garden clinics and gather tips and advice. Garden Jubilee stretches 8 blocks of Main Street with over 250 vendors selling handmade arts and crafts, plants and items to enhance your outdoor living area. Local and regional nurseries offer 1000’s of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and hard-to-find plants on every block of the festival.

Summer evening concerts showcase traditional mountain music, square dancing, folk, blues and country Monday nights and oldies, rock & dancing Friday nights. The three concerts are held under the stars at the Visitor Center, located on Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville. Music On Main Street showcases musical talents from rock to beach music. Monday Night Live features a diverse line-up of folk, country and blues. The sounds of fiddles and banjos playing at the Street Dance have been a part of Henderson County’s heritage for 95 years.

The concerts are held early-June through mid-August.

Hendersonville wineries and breweries provide tours and tasting rooms to sample mountain grown selections. Henderson County is home to Burntshirt Vineyards, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard, Bold Rock Hard Cidery, Southern Appalachian Brewery, and Sanctuary Brewing Company. Just north of the city, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has opened a state of the art craft brewing operation, and offers tours of its beautiful facility, a tasting room, and gift shop.

Annual Events Garden Jubilee Memorial Day weekend NC Apple Festival Labor Day weekend Flat Rock Playhouse mid-April thru late-Decem ber Rhythm & Brews Third Thursdays, May - Se pt North Carolina Mountain State Fair early September Music On Main Street June thru late-August, every Friday Street Dances July thru mid-August, every Monday Art On Main first Saturday & Sunday in October Farm City Day first Saturday in October

Hendersonville offers something for everyone, so that even the most unique traveler will feel right at home in the mountains.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Judge Felix E. Alley A PILLAR OF MOUNTAIN LIFE

BY JIM CASADA

T

he better part of a century has passed since the individual who was arguably the finest lawyer and legal mind ever to call Haywood County home was in active practice, and next year will mark a half century since his death. That man was Felix Eugene Alley, and his life’s story includes an enduring love for his highland homeland, impassioned defense of the region’s people and their folkways, staunch Christian beliefs, exemplifying the legal profession at its finest, and sufficiently wideranging interests to qualify him as a sort of 20th-century mountain Renaissance figure.

Born in the shadow of Jackson County’s Whiteside Mountain in 1873 near an area sometimes known as the “Dark Corner,” Alley was the last child in a family of 10. His mother was the first white child born in Whiteside Cove, and over time she and her husband acquired a huge tract of land—some 1,700 acres—in the place of her birth. They lost it all during the depressed times of

the early 1890s, and the family’s economic devastation had a profound impact on young Alley.

He did manage to complete a high school degree at Cullowhee High School (the forerunner of Western Carolina Teachers’ College, today’s Western Carolina University). Alley achieved this strictly on his own with periodic interruptions to earn tuition.

During most of his attendance, young Felix lived alone in a oneroom cabin, and along with the wolf of poverty howling at his door he suffered mightily from severe asthma and what he called “sick headaches” (probably migraines).

Although he desperately wanted to attend college, family economic circumstances, his mother’s illness, and personal debt combined to block all further formal education save a semester’s study at Chapel Hill. Still, well before reaching his majority Alley had determined on a career in law, and virtually all of Alley’s legal training came in the practical training ground offered by serving as Clerk of Superior Court in Jackson County, an office to which he was elected when still short of his 25th year. He studied assiduously at night and by the end of his elected term he had passed the state bar exam.

Over the course of the ensuing decades, Alley served a term in the state legislature, enjoyed a thriving legal practice while operating out of an office in the small town of Webster, and was elected district solicitor. In 1913 he moved to Waynesville in neighboring Haywood County, and that would be his home for the final 44 years of his life.

Time has a way of eroding memories and achievements, and while there are likely a few folks still alive in Waynesville and Haywood County who recall Judge Alley from his later years, today he is arguably best remembered for musical endeavors when he was a banjo-picking teenage prodigy whose first instrument was a homemade one fashioned from a cheese hoop, a tanned groundhog skin, carefully whittled wood, and cotton thread worked with beeswax. Lovesick as only a young boy can be, he turned a budding romance bedeviled by a rival into a treasured mountain ballad, “Kidder Cole.”

Regional music legend Bascom Lamar Lunsford recorded it, and the song is still sung today whenever folks in the region gather for a session of traditional pickin’ and grinnin’. Although the ballad has banjo-picking Alley winning a bride, in truth that was nothing more than adolescent fantasy.

Youthful folderol and a timeless ballad aside, for a half century Felix Alley would be a towering presence in the mountain legal community, and his achievements in the legal profession certainly merit recognition. As a North Carolina Superior Court judge he oversaw trials in far western counties for decades.

Throughout his long tenure he earned plaudits from both the general public and legal community for his even-handed manner and instinctive understanding of the nuances of mountain ways.

Earlier, as a lawyer, he was noted for his closeness to the African-American community at a time when many in his profession refused to handle cases involving blacks. One man of that race who had known him for many years concluded a spirited debate about the comparative merits of mountain lawyers with a declaration which, though it would not pass politicalcorrectness muster today, drew knowing nods of agreement from everyone within earshot. “I’se done been waiting on all de Judges and lawyers date come to Leatherwood’s Hotel at Webster for

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Judge Felix Eugene Alley is shown in his study in this undated photo.

nigh on to fifty years,” the elderly black man stated, “and I tells you now dat dis here Mr. Felix Alley sho’ is de bes’ nigger lawyer dat attends dese Co’ts!”

For today’s student of the area’s past, however, what is of the greatest importance and most enduring value connected with Alley’s career revolves around his insights on regional history and the staunch manner in which he defended mountain people and their folkways. His 1941 book, Random Thoughts and the Musings of a Mountaineer, is a treasure trove of high country folklore, humor, and insight on those he called, in simple terms, “my mountaineers.”

Those portions of the book dealing with legal pursuits and personalities have little general interest, and a quartet of chapters devoted to Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln are, while interesting in a quaint sort of way, outdated and on many points provably incorrect. Most notable in this regard is his delving into the evergreen topic of Lincoln’s paternity and reaching the astounding conclusion that John C. Calhoun was the Great Emancipator’s father. Similarly, the chapters devoted to rather arcane religious matters merit the “Random Thoughts” portion of the book’s titles.

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Today, Judge Alley is arguably best remembered as a banjo-picking teenage prodigy whose first instrument was a homemade one fashioned from a cheese hoop, a tanned groundhog skin, carefully whittled wood, and cotton thread worked with beeswax.

On the other hand, the word pictures Alley paints of the Smokies and Blue Ridge, the Nantahalas and the Unakas, along with the hardy souls who first settled their deep coves and steep ridges, are moving in a manner only a native could provide. Similarly, side excursions into subjects as varied as the culinary merits of chitterlings and Indian legends, along with biographical snippets on long-forgotten personalities and numerous examples of mountain humor, give the book a welcome hint of literary spice.

But where Alley really shines is in his concerted attack on pervasive stereotyping of his fellow mountaineers. No part of his legacy is more important than the steadfast manner in which he refutes, passionately and persuasively, the material found in Horace Kephart’s Our

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Southern Highlanders and Margaret Morley’s The Carolina Mountains. He praises their coverage of the physical features of the area, noting that if the authors “had closed their books when they finished what they had to say about the mountains and the mountain region, and had said nothing about the people who dwell therein, their books would have been acclaimed masterpieces.”

Unfortunately, in conscious efforts to distort for the sake of greater sales, “writing to be interesting and not to tell the truth,” Morley and Kephart presented “false impressions” of mountain people.

Alley doesn’t mince words in this regard.

He condemns their “half truths embellished by exaggeration” and flat-out “untruths,” then offers scores of specific, provable examples,

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Lyrics for “Kidder Cole”

A

s is often the case with traditional ballads, there are many versions and varied verses in this ballad. The version printed here comes directly from Alley’s memoirs, although in that book he notes that he is only presenting the song as it was written down by that grand chronicler of mountain days and mountain ways, John Parris, in an October 1936 article for The State magazine. He also confesses it was his “first, last and only attempt at poetry, and of course there is not a line of poetry in it.” Maybe, and maybe not, but his one effort in this regard became an enduring regional classic.

My name is Felix Eugene Alley, My best girl lives in Cashiers Valley; She’s the joy of my soul And her name is Kidder Cole.

When the speaking was over we had a dance, And then and there I found my chance To make my peace with Kidder Cole, And beat Charlie Wright; confound his soul!

a

a

I don’t know—it may have been chance, ‘Way last fall when I went to a dance, I planned to dance with Kidder the live-long night But I got my time beat by Charlie Wright.

Charlie came in an hour or so, But when he saw me with Kidder he turned to go Back to his home with a saddened soul, For I’d beat his time with Kidder Cole.

a

a

So, if I ever have to have a fight, I hope it will be with Charlie Wright, For he was the ruin of my soul, When he beat my time with Kidder Cole.

I’ve always heard the old folks say That every dog will have his day; And now all of Charlie’s joy has passed For I’ve succeeded in beating him at last.

a

a

When the dance was over I went away To bide my time till another day, When I could cause trouble and pain and blight To sadden the soul of Charlie Wright.

Oh, my sweet little Kidder girl!

You make my head to spin and whirl, I am yours and you are mine, As long as the sun and stars shall shine.

a

a

I thought my race was almost run When Kidder went off to Anderson; She went to Anderson to go to school, And left me at home to act the fool.

Oh, yes my Kidder Cole is sweet, And it won’t be long until we shall meet, At her home in Cashiers Valley Where she’ll change her name to Alley.

a

a

But she came back the following spring, And oh, how I made my banjo ring; It helped me get my spirit right, To beat the time of Charlie Wright.

I like her family as a whole, But I’m especially fond of George M. Cole; I belie I shall like to call him “paw” When I get to be his son-in-law.

a

a

Kidder came home the first of June, And I sang my song and played my tune; I commenced trying with all my might To “put one over” on Charlie Wright.

Some of her folks I don’t like so well, But I may some time, for who can tell?

And after all between me and you I’m not marrying the whole durned crew.

a

I did not feel the least bit shy, On the Fourth of the next July, When at the head of a big delegation I went to attend the big Celebration.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

ISSUES OPINIONS A&E OUTDOORS & MORE

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57

using quotations and citing page numbers.

He shames their misleading, malicious depiction of his people and does so in a fashion any fair assessment has to conclude was richly merited. Although readily acknowledging he lacks the ability as a wordsmith to tell “the story of our mountain people as it deserves to be written,” he reckons that “I can, with pardonable assurance, assert the claim that I know infinitely more about our mountain section and the people who dwell therein than Mr. Kephart or Miss Morley.” In delightfully dismissive pride of regionalism, he describes the author of The Carolina Mountains as “Miss Morley of Boston,” but he reserves his most scathing, telling comments for Kephart.

That possibly resulted from the fact that he knew Kephart personally, thanks to his habit of staying at the Cooper House in Bryson City, where Kephart resided, whenever court was in session in Swain County. “I knew Mr. Kephart intimately,” he writes, and warmly acknowledges their friendship. “As a friend I loved him; but I did not love him as well as I love my native mountaineers, whose constant and unfaltering friendship has meant so much

“I can, with pardonable

assurance, assert the claim that I know infinitely more about our mountain section and the people who dwell therein than Mr. Kephart or Miss Morley.”

— Judge Felix E. Alley

to me.” He rightly condemns Kephart’s obsession with moonshining, and painstakingly points out the way the popular author resorts to shamefully misleading stereotypes. Kephart wrote of a culture trapped in the 18th century; “bent, stooped, and ugly” while totally lacking in moral or spiritual awareness. His caricatures demeaned a people and way of life Alley cherished.

Given the widespread contemporary acceptance of Kephart’s depiction of mountain culture as accurate, and the less

widespread but still notable acceptance of Morley’s writing, at the very least Alley provides a useful, thought-provoking counterpoise. Reading his “musings” gives us ample reason to pause and ponder while considering whether the most accurate insight on mountain people comes from outlanders he describes as misguided “uplifters” or from one of their own. For my part, as someone whose roots run deep in the region, I take Alley’s defense of mountaineers to heart and find quiet comfort in his assertion that “a more healthy and vigorous race of men and women cannot be found anywhere than in the mountains of Western North Carolina.” He was an exemplar of that race.

Alley died in 1953 in his 80th year and well over a decade after the publication of his memoirs. The later years of his life were devoted to serious religious contemplation, which included the 1946 publication of a 491-page book entitled What Think Ye of Christ?, civic activity, and interaction with the common folks of the mountains whom he so dearly loved. He is buried, with other family members, in Waynesville’s Green Hill Cemetery.

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59

LARRY AND HIS TRUMPETS

BY BRUCE INGRAM

Spring is a beautiful time to be afield in the East Tennessee mountains. Pictured: Elizabethton’s Larry Proffitt tries to solicit a response from an East Tennessee tom.

BRUCE INGRAM PHOTO

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

T

he first time I went spring gobbler hunting with Larry Proffitt of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was on an East Tennessee mountain. Proffitt, whose family operates the renowned Ridgewood Barbecue in Bluff City, positioned us against a hardwood and pulled out a call I had never seen used before…a trumpet, which looks sort of like a small, straight flute.

Larry played a few notes on the sound-making device—several soft, sweet clucks, followed by some yearning yelps and then put the call aside.

“They’ll [meaning turkey gobblers] be here directly, probably in an hour or so, after they get finished making their rounds,” whispered Larry.

“They know where these sounds came from. You stay ready, now.”

I was not happy with the performance or our position or the instructions to sit motionless for an hour or more. The imitation hen sounds had been melodious enough but too subtle and not nearly loud enough for my taste, so I saw no reason to stay ready as the Volunteer State sportsmen had requested.

Consequently, when three gobblers did metamorphose before us almost exactly an hour later, I was not ready—worse, I was startled and blew an easy shot. I have never doubted Larry and his trumpets since, as we have hunted in the East Tennessee mountains for close to 15 springs now, and the dulcet sounds coming from his calls have resulted in my killing numerous gobblers.

THE HISTORY OF THE TURKEY CALL Matt Lindler is the editor of the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Turkey Country magazine and as close to an expert about the history of calls as there is. Today’s trumpet has its origin in the turkey wingbone calls that Native Americans crafted, he says.

“For thousands of years, Native Americans used wingbones to call in wild turkeys, and they are the forerunners of today’s trumpet call,” he says. “In fact, in the NWTF’s Winchester Museum, we have a wingbone call that has been carbon-dated as being 4,000 years old. The sinew used to hold the bones together has rotted, but it’s obvious that the Indians created this call to bring in wild turkeys.”

After killing a turkey and removing and cleaning the bones from the wings, the Native Americans would insert the smaller radius bone into the medium-size ulna for a double wingbone call. To make a triple wingbone, they would add the humerous, which is the biggest of the three. Appropriately enough, the Native Americans used gobbler wingbones to make calls that were deeper and reverberated more and so sounded more like mature toms. And they used hen wingbones to create calls that made high-pitched sounds like those of a hen or jenny.

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Turkey Terminology BOX CALLS: A hollow box with a lid that is slid across the surface. One of the easiest calls to learn how to use.

POT AND PEGS: A hollow circular pot with a surface of slate, aluminum, or glass. Pegs are usually made of some sort of wood. The peg making contact with a pot’s surface is how sounds are created.

DIAPHRAGMS: Also known as mouth calls, they consist of latex stretched across a horseshoe-shaped frame small enough to fit inside one’s mouth.

BONNKS: The deep, base sounds that a mature gobbler utters.

LONGBEARDS: Another name for a mature gobbler, which is any tom two years of age or older and which typically boasts a beard seven or more inches long.

JAKE: A young gobbler, usually with a beard of just three inches or so.

JENNY: A young hen.

ROLL OVER: The way the call “rolls over” before the next note is made—just like the sounds coming from a real turkey do.

“Any turkey call that really seems to have an inordinate effect on turkeys quickly gets my attention.”

— Larry Proffitt

Above: Sitting up against a hardwood in the East Tennessee mountains of Carter County, Larry Proffitt makes sweet turkey talk with his trumpet. Facing page: a close-up of a homemade turkey wingbone call. BRUCE INGRAM PHOTOS

62

Lindler says that a gobbler wingbone will create yelps that have more of a deep “yawp, yawp, yawp” sound that “rolls over” in its reverberations while hen/jenny yelps played on a hen wingbone feature a clearer sound that ends abruptly with no roll over.

IF IT WORKS, USE IT Like many sportsmen, Proffitt is fascinated by the history of the wingbone, but that’s not why he employs their modern-day versions.

“Any turkey call that really seems to have an inordinate effect on turkeys quickly gets my attention,” he says. “Years ago, I found a fourth edition of McIlhenny’s book The Wild Turkey and Its Hunting in an antique shop.

Author Charles Jordan wrote about how trumpets can make sounds that sound realistic as far as three-quarters of a mile away, much farther than box and pot and peg calls can, for example.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

“So I bought a Tom Turpin yelper by Penns Woods at Mahoney’s Outfitters in Johnson City and took it hunting. I climbed almost to the top of a mountain, sat down to rest, and thought I would just call a time or two on my new trumpet. I sucked or smacked about four yelps and here came a hen turkey yelping every breath and about ran over me.

“The next morning I went back and made turkey sounds with my box and diaphragm calls—nothing responded. I figured what have I got to lose, so I tried the trumpet again.

Way down the mountain, I heard some ‘bonnks’ then three or four gobbler yelps.

Soon four longbeards came running up the mountain, and I shot the first one to arrive. I was hooked after that.”

But it’s not just the killing of mature gobblers that causes him to revere trumpets as his favorite sound-making device. It’s because they have “pure turkey” in them. In numerous states across the country, the

Tennessean pursues turkeys for three months every autumn and for three more every spring. In the summer and winter periods, he often goes afield to call to turkeys and record his sounds and those of the birds themselves on a digital recorder.

“Once I tested—with the recorder 65 yards from my position—three paddle box callers, an aluminum and crystal pot and peg, and trumpets by Zach Farmer, Billy Buice, and Ralph Permar. The results were that the boxes were little more than very weak sounds. Same with the pot callers, including the loud aluminum caller. But the trumpet sounds were all very strong and sounded like turkeys that were up-close.

I was amazed.

“Wild turkeys have hearing far superior to humans and most other animals. I, like many turkey hunters,

have killed turkeys with boxes, pot calls, mouth calls, scratch boxes, and on and on. We know they all work part of the time, but nothing works all of the time or we would quit turkey hunting and take up another sport. I sincerely believe the distinct ‘break’ in the roll over in the sounds emanating from a trumpet-style caller contribute to its effectiveness in the field. Perhaps one day a young Ph.D. candidate’s dissertation will be the utilization of trumpets in calling wild turkeys.”

HOW TO PLAY A TRUMPET Proffitt says one way to play a trumpet is based on the mailed instructions that his friend and trumpet maker Dwain Bland sent many years ago.

“The wingbone is mastered by pulling or sucking, air thru (sic) the small narrow chamber, with about the

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63

Larry Proffitt is one of the premier turkey hunters in the Smoky Mountain region.

BRUCE INGRAM PHOTO

same effort it takes to eat a thick choclate (sic) malt with a soda straw,” Bland wrote.

“The cork stopper should press against the lips with the long edge of the bevel on the mouthpiece next to the upper lip. The beginner often tries too hard.”

In essence, very small amounts of air come through the small orifice of the mouthpiece. Sound is generated by the lips squeezing together.

WHERE TO FIND TRUMPET CALLS

More trumpet tips: Matt Lindler adds to what Larry Proffitt says regarding how to play a trumpet: y If someone plays a brass instrument, he or she can learn how to use a trumpet call more quickly.

64

For higher pitches, tighten your lips around the call; for lower pitch sounds, loosen them. y Just” kiss” the edge of the trumpet’s mouthpiece; don’t put too much of it into your mouth. y

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Larry says that learning how to use a trumpet caller can be difficult enough without buying a poor instrument.

“There are many, many good trumpet call makers in today’s market,” he says.

“There are two men that I can recommend without reservation. One is Billy Buice of Canton, Georgia. The other is Ralph Permar of Old Zionsville, Pennsylvania. If I were buying trumpets for my three grandsons today, I would order from them.”

Billy Buice (770.735.2654) is known for his 6-inch interchangeable mouthpiece caller of black wood with a 4-ring mouthpiece. This 4-ring refers to the internal diameter of the mouthpiece. Buice also sells a 3-ring mouthpiece.

Ralph Permar (610.965.6640, www.permarturkeycalls.com) sells a Delrin New Model 45 trumpet with an acrylic mouthpiece. Another great trumpet, says Larry, is the Model 1930.

“Both of these callers have great roll over in the yelp which yields a very realistic call at a distance,” he says.

This past spring, Proffitt took me afield on a cattle farm in Johnson County. He told me, as he retrieved a trumpet from his daypack, that he would play on his instrument about every 20 minutes and a certain gobbler, one that he had been watching, should appear around 9 a.m.

Stay ready, he told me. This time I did as instructed, and I killed the longbeard at a distance of 10 yards at 8:50.

It’s that type of woodsmanship that has made Proffitt a legend in the East Tennessee mountains, says Larry Shanks, who works at Mahoney’s Outfitters.

“Larry has hunted longer and harder, been more places, and experienced more things than anyone I know of,” says Shanks. “He’s a local legend, but he doesn’t tout himself as an expert. He just loves the sport of turkey hunting.”

MAY 18-22

Come join us in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for the

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This special free event features more than 200 educational seminars, 40 outdoor excursions into Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area, a farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market, as well as more than 60 onsite exhibitors.

Featured sessions include presentations by: FDR character reenactor Gary Stamm, Dr. Bill Bass, Ken Jenkins, as well as the first-ever Appalachian Homecoming featuring storytelling from Bill Landry, Sam Venable and Elizabeth Rose, as well as music by the Ray Ball Family and Pistol Creek Catch of the Day.

...and many other remarkable activities!

The LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge 2986 Teaster Lane Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 For more information, visit MyPigeonForge.com or telephone the Pigeon Forge OfďŹ ce of Special Events at (865) 429-7350

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Blue Ridge, GEORGIA Come for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

Stay for the eclectic downtown and endless outdoor adventures of this laidback mountain town in northern Georgia.

BY SAM BOYKIN

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 2

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, which runs through the heart of downtown, offers guests a 26-mile trip along the Toccoa River.

FANNIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO

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A

After a long and successful career as coowner of a graphic design firm in Atlanta, Steve Martin was ready for a change. His sleek high-rise condo, BMW, and fast-paced urban life had lost much of their appeal. So at 50, he left Atlanta behind and moved about 100 miles north to a humble cabin in the quaint mountain village of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Sixteen years later, Martin says it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

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“I’m so glad I had the nerve to do it,” says Martin, who now owns and operates Blue Ridge Design Workshop, a small one-man operation along the town’s bustling Main Street. “I have such a sweet life here. It’s just a charming, beautiful place.”

Over the years a growing number of people have followed Martin’s lead, and it’s easy to see why. Situated in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Blue Ridge, with only about 1,300 full-time residents, has a small but thriving downtown area with an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and shops.

The area also offers a bounty of outdoor adventures, particularly along the Toccoa River, which flows north through Georgia for nearly 60 miles before turning into the Ocoee as it snakes into Tennessee.

Martin first visited Blue Ridge after friends invited him to spend the weekend at an isolated cabin. He fell in love with the town’s laid-back vibe and communal spirit, and soon bought his own cabin about 10 miles outside of town. Once he settled in Blue Ridge full time in 2000, he opened his graphic design shop and painting studio along Main Street.

“There are so many people like me who have moved here,” says Martin. “There’s something very special about this town that attracts entrepreneurs and creative types who want to live a simple, scaled-back kind of life.”

This includes Patrick Walker, owner of Blue Ridge Brewery, one of Martin’s favorite hangouts. The popular brew pub has about 12 house beers, fare like burgers, pizzas, and salads, along with an outdoor patio and live music.

Walker explains that his parents had a cabin in Blue Ridge that the family often visited on weekends. After he graduated from college and started his own family, he and his Artist and graphic designer Steve Martin left behind the hustle and bustle of Atlanta 16 years ago to live and work in Blue Ridge. He says it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made. STEVE MARTIN PHOTO

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Christy Lee’s Courtyard Grille attracts locals and visitors to its popular outdoor patio in downtown Blue RIdge.

wife decided they needed “to do whatever it takes” to make Blue Ridge their home.

The couple bought a house in downtown in 2007, with dreams of opening a restaurant. Two years later, after the town passed an ordinance allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine, and liquor, Walker and his wife opened Blue Ridge Brewery, located just five blocks from their home. Walker’s parents also help run the brewery.

Walker says that since 2009, two other breweries have opened, along with about a dozen restaurants. “When we first started to come here it was so laidback and quiet,” Walker says. “That’s starting to change, but Blue Ridge still maintains its small-town coolness, and there’s just so much more to do now.”

Blue Ridge was founded in 1886, after the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad built a line along the Toccoa River to transport cotton and other crops. Today, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, one of the town’s most popular attractions, runs along this line. Visitors

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n addition to beautiful scenery and outdoor adventures, the north Georgia mountains boast the right terrain, soil, drainage, and elevation to enable local vineyards to produce great wines. There are about 25 wineries in Georgia, and the Winegrowers Association of Georgia hosts several events each, including the 2016 Wine Highway Weekend(s) in March. To participate, pay a $40 admission fee at any of the participating wineries and receive a souvenir glass and passport that provides access to all the other wineries over both weekends. georgiawine.com

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Lodging

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outhern Comfort Cabin Rentals offers several luxury one- and twobedroom suites in downtown Blue Ridge with jetted tubs, gas fireplaces, full kitchens, and dining areas. They’re a great option for those who want to stay in the middle of the action. They also have dozens of more remote cabins in the area that offer views of Blue Ridge Lake or mountains. southerncomfortcabin rentals.com.

Fresh Bakery cbHighCountry.com 800.307.0777 WWW.SMLIV.COM

800-361-7731 Shop Online: Mercier-Orchards.com 71

Clockwise from top: Downtown Blue Ridge attracts plenty of foot traffic thanks to an appealing mix of shops, galleries, and restaurants. FANNIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO Situated in a restored 1914 house, Black Sheep serves its own brand of moonshine. FANNIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO Bill and Shannen Oyster own and operate Oyster Fine Bamboo Fly Rods, which exclusively makes handcrafted bamboo fly rods. OYSTER FINE BAMBOO FLY RODS PHOTO

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

can board the train at the town’s historic 1905 depot and enjoy a 26-mile, four-hour round trip along the Toccoa River with layovers at McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. It’s a great way to see the area’s scenic mountainside and explore a few neighboring towns.

Other not-to-miss attractions include Harvest on Main, located next to a spacious downtown courtyard inside a gorgeous stone building with cedar roof shingles. Noted chef/owner Danny Mellman uses local ingredients to create an international, Southern-inspired menu.

Next door is Christy Lee’s Courtyard Grille. This elegant but laid-back spot has a mouthwatering selection of steaks, seafood and pasta, along with a lively outdoor bar and patio with live music.

For fine dining, Black Sheep is situated inside a beautifully restored 1914 house that was built by Colonel William Butt, a former Blue Ridge mayor. The restaurant specializes in upscale Southern comfort food, such as shrimp and grits, BBQ pulled pork, and steaks, and even offers its own brand of moonshine, including apple pie, peach, and chocolate cherry flavors.

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The downtown area is also home to myriad boutiques and shops. After years of overseeing her Atlanta-based handbag and jewelry operation Canoe, Lynn Kemp moved her business to Blue Ridge six years ago.

Like so many others, Kemp first vacationed in Blue Ridge, and then she and her husband decided to move there full time. The couple lives along the shore of the 3,290-acre Lake Blue Ridge, where they go boating during the spring and summer. Kemp operates Canoe out of an expansive facility along Main Street with a retail store and showroom where the company designs and manufactures its custom handbags and jewelry, which are in more than 700 stores around the country.

Other notable retailers include Gatewood Hall, which sells furniture, art, jewelry, baby items, and gourmet snacks.

At Out of the Blue, you can find home décor, hand-painted ceramics, and madeto-order custom gift baskets with fine wines and foods from all over the world.

For something truly unique, be sure to check out Oyster Fine Bamboo Fly Rods. Husband-and-wife team Bill and Shannen Oyster run the operation, and claim to be the only company in the world that exclusively makes handcrafted bamboo fly rods. After running the business out of their basement in Gainesville, Georgia, for 12 years, the couple decided to relocate to Blue Ridge in 2008.

It was the lure of great fishing and the desire to raise their kids in a wholesome environment that brought them to Blue Ridge, says Shannen.

They originally bought a remote home in the woods, but “that reclusion got old fast,” so they relocated downtown.

“We weren’t planning on living here full-time, but it was in short order we realized we’d be crazy to move,” she says. “We just love the community, and we’ve been fortunate to meet some of the most gracious, sincere, and caring people here.”

Similar to dining and shopping, the arts scene in Blue Ridge is also booming. There are a number of noted fine art galleries, such as High Country Art and Antiques, Multitudes, and Fishbone Studios. Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association produces art festivals and exhibits throughout the year, and each spring during Memorial

Get Out, Stay Out

E

xplore the area’s natural beauty and enjoy a little outdoor adventure at these fun destinations just outside of downtown Blue Ridge.

Rent a tube or raft at the Toccoa Valley Campground and enjoy a leisurely six-mile float down the river. Along the way, stop at some of the sandy beach areas where you can play

on the water and soak up the beautiful mountain surroundings. A shuttle will bring you back to the campground at the end of the three-hour trip. toccoavalleycampground.com.

The Chattahoochee National Forest covers nearly 750,000 acres in northern Georgia and has hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails that wind through rugged woodlands and past scenic rivers and streams. Some of the forest’s not-to-miss destinations include the 270-foot swinging bridge—the longest east of the Mississippi River.

Fed by the upper Toccoa, the 3,290-acre Lake Blue Ridge has multiple access points and is an ideal setting for boating, fishing, and stand-up paddle boarding. There are 65 miles of shoreline, and about 75 percent of the land around the lake is protected within the Chattahoochee National Forest.

For something a little more adventurous, continue traveling north along the Toccoa as it flows out of Lake Blue Ridge. Once the river crosses into Tennessee and becomes the Ocoee, the gentle waters give way to roaring Class III-IV rapids, including the five-mile Upper Ocoee section.

Celebrating its designation as the “Trout Capital of Georgia,” the Blue Ridge Trout Festival and Outdoor Adventures (April 29-30) gathers anglers and river sports enthusiasts for a full lineup of fly-fishing lessons, fishing vendors, live music, food, and more on the Toccoa River.

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Harvest on Main is noted for its locally sourced ingredients and Southern-inspired menu.

FANNIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO

“There’s something very special about this town that attracts entrepreneurs and creative types who want to live a simple, scaled-back kind of life.”

— Steve Martin, Blue Ridge Design Workshop

Day Weekend the town hosts Spring Arts in the Park, with more than 200 booths featuring local arts and crafts. In addition, the Blue Ridge Community Theater, which was founded in 2000, offers dozens of stage productions, performances, and live concerts out of a newly renovated playhouse.

“The arts scene here has really picked up in the last five years or so,” says Joey Roderick, production manager at Blue Ridge Community Theater. “I love the energy Blue Ridge has. At first it may seem like just this small Podunk town, but there’s a lot going on here just under the surface, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Get Away Together.

B lu eRi d g e Mo u n t a i n s.c o m

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

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SELECT LODGING Directory BEAR DEN LUXURY CABINS AND FAMILY CAMPGROUND Your Base Camp for Mountain Adventure!

Luxury Cabins.

Mile post 324.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Boone 877.308.2888 • bear-den.com HEMLOCK INN This historic inn, set just off Main Street in downtown Blowing Rock, is only steps from shopping, restaurants and event activities. Eighteen unique rooms, including suites with fully-equipped kitchens. All rooms are non-smoking.

Rooms feature private baths, cable TV, air conditioning, phone services, microwave ovens, refrigerators and WiFi. Take advantage of a variety of packages offered throughout the year.

Downtown Blowing Rock, N.C. 828.295.7987 • hemlockinn.net

SWITZERLAND INN The Switzerland Inn, located directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is your vacation destination for a North Carolina mountain getaway. Accommodations range from casual quarters in the Main Lodge to mountain view suites and rustic cottages.

Little Switzerland, NC 28749 800.654.4026

SMOKETREE LODGE Smoketree’s cozy atmosphere and prime location gives visitors the choice of enjoying the peace and solitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains or the opportunity to partake in many activities available in the High Country.

11914 NC Hwy. 105 S. • Banner Elk, N.C. 800.422.1880 • smoketree-lodge.com THE SWAG COUNTRY INN Chosen by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine as the #2 Best Small Hotel in the Unites States, the secluded hideaway itself consists of 250 private acres. The main lodge and cabins, consisting of 15 rooms, are built of 17th and 18th century hand hewn logs and local field stone. For 33 years, visitors have been able to experience just how remote, rustic, refined and remarkable it can be at 5,000 feet. Three gourmet meals are served daily, with turn down service each evening.

Waynesville, N.C. 800.789.7672 • theswag.com

THE WAYNESVILLE INN GOLF RESORT & SPA This resort has been welcoming visitors to the mountains with southern hospitality since the 1920s. Traditional resort amenities include historic and mountain view lodging, 27 holes of championship golf, restaurant and tavern, plus outdoor event space and pro shop. Convenient location provides easy access to shopping, skiing, fishing, hiking and more.

176 Country Club Dr. • Waynesville, N.C. 800.627.6250 • thewaynesvilleinn.com

An Uncommon Experience The Village Inns of Blowing Rock are Hillwinds Inn, Ridgeway Inn and The Village Inns, three stylish accommodations conveniently located just steps from the shops and restaurants of Blowing Rock.

Each of the three inns offers a complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon reception. Accommodations include deluxe rooms, suites and cottages.

Pet friendly rooms available.

www.TheVillageInnsOfBlowingRock.com

The Hillwinds Inn: 828.295.7660 The Village Inn: 828.295.3380 The Ridgeway Inn: 828.295.7321 78

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

Your Base Camp for Mountain

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Just one mile from Downtown Waynesville and 5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Waynesville Inn is the ideal home base for everything from shopping to hiking, skiing and viewing elk in the Smokies.

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STORIES

Ruminations on Ramps

BY JIM CASADA

T

he humble ramp, a traditional wild mountain vegetable of early spring which is fairly widely dispersed in the forest understory at higher elevations, today often garners mention in menus of restaurants famed for haute cuisine.

Rest assured any usage involves the vegetable after it has been cooked, for the high-brow epicures who frequent such establishments have no idea of the true nature of the ramp. In its pure, undefiled, raw state, the way hardy mountain folks have enjoyed it for generations, the ramp is at once a delightful delicacy and the embodiment of gaginducing noxiousness.

Though mild tasting, even in its raw state, when eaten uncooked the ramp has a pungent after-effect that by comparison makes garlic seem a pantywaist pretender in the odiferous sweepstakes. Moreover, raw ramps are a potent purgative, once widely favored as a spring tonic and with properties guaranteed, as my grandfather Joe used to put it, to “set you free.”

My initial experience with ramps came when I was a fifth-grade student at Bryson City Elementary School. A classmate showed up on a Monday after having enjoyed, in his words, “a bait of ramps” on Saturday. Never mind the passage of a day and a half, the lingering after-effect of his weekend feast was of a potency defying description. He literally emptied the classroom and sent the harried young teacher, whose educational training apparently omitted the chapter on how to deal with this particular disciplinary dilemma, scurrying down the hall to the principal’s office.

The result was one which would be repeated numerous times over the course of my educational experience. As was the case when some poor soul showed up with a “case of head lice,” the smelly offender was sent home for a three-day vacation. No rules had been violated and no laws had been broken. It was simply a situation where the welfare of the community—his classmates and indeed anyone who happened to be downwind for an appreciable distance—took precedence over that of the individual.

This sort of situation happened with increasing frequency as I entered high school, with the offensive offender invariably earning

80

a temporary reprieve from the educational process. Some of the enforced absences were intentional while others involved nothing more than a family indulging in a long-established gustatory rite of spring—one that ranked right along spring tonics such as drinking sassafras tea or taking a dose of sulfur and molasses.

Eventually yours truly became involved in the consumption side of the ramp equation, albeit my first time was a matter of self-defense. A group of us boys who were avid fly fishermen decided to celebrate trout season’s opening day with a weekend camping trip.

As we backpacked to our campsite one member of the party noticed a hillside covered with ramps and stopped to harvest several dozen of them. In camp he cleaned and chopped the ramps, scattered them over a plate of branch lettuce (saxifrage) he had found growing at creek side, and dressed the salad with hot grease and bacon bits. He proclaimed this “kilt sallet” delicious.

Truth be told, it didn’t matter whether the offering from nature’s abundant bounty was supremely tasty or odious to God and man alike. All of us were sharing a big tent and had no choice except to follow our companion’s dietary example. Once you have eaten ramps the noxious odor that seems to permeate the atmosphere for 30 yards in every direction magically disappears. We knew that, and soon enough all of us had a nice ramp salad to go with our trout and fried ‘taters. It provided the necessary refuge from an aroma that falls somewhere in the nasal spectrum with unwashed athletic socks, stump water, skunk cabbage, or a mid-summer garbage dump. One is almost tempted to wonder if that explains why ramp festivals have long enjoyed such popularity—everyone in attendance consumes the featured vegetable in sheer self-preservation.

For all my numerous personal adventures with ramps, my favorite tale connected with the wild vegetable comes from a stunt perpetrated decades ago by the editor of Virginia’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.

He had his printers prepare a special batch of ink that included the juice from raw ramps and use it on a run of newspapers to be mailed through the U. S. Postal Service. Postal authorities may have persevered with their motto stating “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers form the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” but they were not at all amused with this situation.

Indeed, eau de ramp stopped them in their tracks.

Cooked ramps are perfectly fine, and when scrambled with eggs or included in a batch of hash-browned potatoes they proved firstrate breakfast fare readily passing the smell test. But for the pure of heart and brave of palate, with ramps the raw route is the only road to travel. Just be advised that if you opt for this exercise in culinary adventure and wish to retain friends or keep your marriage intact, the slender, onion-like bulbs are best consumed with kindred spirits or somewhere back of beyond where you won’t return to civilization and the company of others for at least 72 hours.

MANDY NEWHAM-COBB ILLUSTRATION

Community

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

CCOM ME SEE Stephanie Hoilman, alumna and Crossnore Weaver, pictured wearing a poncho handwoven in boucle yarn.

The Crossnore School is so much more than a children’s home. There are opportunities here to eat, shop and explore. We invite you to come spend an hour or the day – there’s something for everyone! Feel free to explore on your own, or contact the School for a guided tour.

Handwoven wearables, table linens, and baby gifts also available online in The Crossnore School Weaver’s Store at www.crossnoreschool.org/store.

P.O. P.O. Box 249 | 100 DAR Drive | Crossnore, NC 28616 (828) 733-4305

info@crossnoreschool.org

www.crossnoreschool.org www.crossnoreschool.org

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