This train...

...goes somewhere other than Spruce Pine.

Support local businesses

Yup, home-grown ice cream truck complete with bumper-mounted generator. Notice rain-friendly serving window.

Big Moon Night

The moon was closer last night than any time since 1993. This is a 30 second exposure in moonlight. Notice the slight star trail to the left of the cloud.



It was chilly, so we huddled around the fire. We'll see you at the pond field in 2016 when this happens again.



Good world, nice to us.

Industrial strength

Does anyone else wonder about this thing? When it went up five years ago, Miles postulated that it might be part of Homeland Security.

Good eggs

Bad coffee

Special sale

Does anyone else think it's odd for a furniture store to leave furniture out in the weather? It seems like less-than-brilliant marketing.

Speechless

Me, not him.

Happy birthday, Luca!

Luca Dreyer reading to his Dad on his fourth birthday. (He's not pretending to read, he's actually reading. He's just that kind of kid.)

Snow kayaking

The kids at Penland were having fun yesterday.

Non-Celo content: a brief travelogue

I took a couple of short trips this month.
A friend of a friend in Bloomington, Indiana let me go up in his cherry picker.


After a great breakfast at Rosie's Diner outside of Bloomington, we visited this 1/2 mile-long railroad trestle. A crew was there tightening bolts.


And here's Margot, Jeff, Paul, and Schell, sleeping on the beach. Ahh...

The Kennedy Report: Halloween Approaches

Our correspondent Dick Kennedy observes that Halloween prep is underway.







This one is particularly bizarre. Is that a green merkin on the left??

Outdoor classroom

Margot and Jeff and a group of South Toe School parents and kids have been building this cool little pavilion that will be an outdoor classroom. A couple weekends ago they swelled the crew for a few minutes to raise a couple of bents. Teaching kids outside--what a concept!

Local food

In Clinton, North Carolina you can buy the most amazing array of foods made from fried pig skins. Dig in, it's a local product.

Tim and Van

If this doesn't make you hopeful about the future, I don't know what will.

Poll-obsessed at the beach

Cider time

Fantastic! There are actually apples this year. So, on Saturday there was a big cider pressing at Camp Celo, and Dick Kennedy sent these great pictures.


Kids in trees, doing important work for the common good.


Demonstrating the versatility of the common apple.


Mari with fruit.


Oh no! What are we going to do with all these apples?


Oh, yeah...
There's really nothing quite like this.

Gettin' gas

Found gas at the Valero in Spruce Pine today. This was the scene. Ten gallon limit. There was an employee outside directing traffic and trying to keep people from getting more than the limit.

Brewers

The community center was briefly converted into a brewery in preparation for the Third Annual Carl Zietlow Memorial Octoberfest--which will take place on October 11 around 6 PM. Many things were discussed during the afternoon.

No Trespassing

80 South, near Celo. You've all seen this, right?

Good sky this morning

How am I supposed to get to work when I have to keep stopping to take pictures of the sky?

Get 'em while they're wet

Seen at Poplar Grove and Spruce Pine Ingles.

History made

Dick sent this picture from one of the Thursday night parties. Now the real work starts.

More FezPrest!

It was a great party with lots of fezes. Donna bought hers years ago out of a love for the Matt Groening comic characters Akbar and Jeff.


It's Camp Fez now, buddy.


Three fezes, three.


Mayor Judge dances.


Dusk.


April Cope with her amazing trio.


Pete, Kim, and befezed Jody (the founder of the feast). Nice flaming guitar, Jody.

Tal and Jess' Timberframe Awaits Erection

As we put the finishing touches on the bents of Tal and Jess' timberframe in anticipation of this Saturday's house raising, Matt Tibbits took a break to tell Randy about his and Carrie's sneaky elopement and marriage last Monday! We swell with happiness!



Back to work, Matt shows Isaac that a mere sixteenth of an inch can be the difference between success and failure.

Tal and Jess'

Fez Prest Woos Populace With Thirteen Hours of Deep Home Dentistry

Pete, Kim and Jody please the crowd...

including Miles and Polly...


with the Uber Over Load uber over all...

as Daisy practices color vision, and Jennifer's fez...


inspires a new generation of fez makers, led by Jesse and Anna, to fall in love with the possibility of it all...