by don | Oct 20, 2011
“Mariah blows the stars around And sends the clouds a’flyin’ Mariah makes the mountains sound Like folks were up there dying” We recently spent a weekend on Isle of Palms. When we hit the bridge over Cooper River on the Isle of Palms connector the wind hit us...
by don | Oct 5, 2011
Acclaimed storyteller and actor Lee Stetson will bring his one-man show on John Muir to Western North Carolina in October. Stetson who was the “voice of John Muir” in Ken Burns’ recent PBS special “The National Parks-America’s Best Idea” has toured throughout the...
by don | Sep 28, 2011
Avid birder and burgeoning cyclist Lena Gallitano has come up with an ambitious plan to combine two of her passions. Gallitano will take part in Cycle North Carolina’s annual fall ride. This year’s trek will be a modest 500-mile affair from Elkin, nestled in the...
by don | Sep 23, 2011
Migration is at full tilt across the region right now. In the passerine (songbird) department thrushes, grosbeaks and tanagers are joining in making those fallouts and mixed flocks even more exciting. And while the night skies have been busy for the last month...
by don | Sep 18, 2011
Around 10 to 12 thousand broad-winged hawks will pass over Caesar’s Head State Park between now and early October. As of Sept. 17 only 46 have been recorded. If you have any free time between now and the first of October – a trip to Caesar’s Head...
by don | Sep 15, 2011
Yesterday’s (9/11) wonderful late summer weather – mostly clear mid 70s – enticed my family up to Black Balsam for a walk on top. Black Balsam is an easy way to explore unique high elevation balds because you can drive to the top and much of the hiking is easy...
by don | Sep 8, 2011
Friday, September 23 is the autumn equinox. The equinox is about balance and harmony – the day and night are equal – here, in the Smokies we wave goodbye to summer as Joe-pye and goldenrod fade, apples and pumpkins brighten and leaves begin to turn. We turn our focus...
by don | Aug 31, 2011
On August 24 Chinquapin soared into the dangerous northeast quadrant of then category 3 Hurricane Irene. The Lockheed Martin C-130 – Hercules, a behemoth of an airplane originally designed for the military to transport troops and equipment like utility helicopters and...
by don | Aug 25, 2011
I just wanted to shout an amen to brother George Ellison’s August 10, 2011 Back Then column, “Late summer is an awesome time to botanize.” I am a big fan of a couple of those late summer beauties – cardinal flower and ironweed. When it comes to red, few plants can...
by don | Aug 20, 2011
I can always count on Rankin Bottoms Wildlife Refuge when I need a Loosiana Delta fix. This musky backwater with its willow groves, bald cypress, cottonwoods and buttonbush is the antithesis of the cool clear, swift mountain streams common to the Western Carolina...
