Nothing tastes better than an October tomato. From the late season tangle of a retired corner of the garden, propped up on the fading purple of a stand of opal basil going to seed, the last tomato plants of the year glow in unexpected viridescence. These are the late bloomers. They were planted at the … More October Tomatoes in Leather Britches
There is a chill in the air this morning that stirs instinct and memory. The hummingbirds are busy, shaking off the cold and feeding heavily. Our little friends predict weather better than all the best computer models and prognosticators, and they will be leaving us soon on their long journey south. In the high country, … More Balance
We pause this week to remember Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away peacefully last Thursday at the age of 96. Some may wonder what effect, if any, the life and death of another nation’s monarch has on our far away little corner of the world. The answer is in the realization that we are a … More Adrift
In the movie, “Defending Your Life,” Albert Brooks is seated next to an elderly woman riding on a bus to Judgment City. She asks, “Have I told you about my little dog?” Some time later she asks the same question, ready to begin the story again. When I got married my wife came complete with … More Have I Told You About My Little Dog?
“Beautiful area, nice people, but I don’t like the way y’all drive,” said the visitor to the resident. “You drive too slow, and you know you’re going to drive slow, but you still wait until the last second to pull out in front of me,” he continued. “If you can’t see any better than that, … More We Are Not In The Traffic. We Are The Traffic…
I’ve heard people compare growing up around Hiawassee to life in the fictional Mayberry, North Carolina. The time I spent here in my youth would support that appraisal. But the recent passing of Tony Dow reminds me that two generations of Americans might find the Mayfield of Wally and the Beaver to be a closer … More Between Mayberry and Mayfield
August is here and the mountain is still dressed for June. Green seems inadequate to describe it so we’ll say it’s lush, verdant, and vigorous like the rain showers that pounded on the tin roof last night. The creek is rushing, and the morning sky is freshly washed blue. If I had time for the … More Time for Gratitude
We return to the apiary to celebrate a generous honey harvest this summer, and unlike many summers, the bounty came without a penalty of swelling and itching justice administered by angry guardians. Keeping bees is not easy, and that includes keeping them alive, keeping them safe from bears, mites, weevils and diseases, and in some … More God’s Bees
Life is a series of strange non-chaotic attractors shaped by irrationality. If we only had the math. If you’re hooked into popular culture and mass media, life tends to lean more toward Shakespeare’s description of a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury. I prefer my mother’s observation that life is what … More Making The Best Of It
It’s hard to love a snake. I know, all creatures great and small and all that, but even though I am a snake supporter, I have to admit that there is something very snaky about a snake. I had a pet King Snake in college. (It was just a phase.) I’ve captured beneficial snakes and … More Watch Where You Put Your Feet
Outside The Box 