Jeff's Jacket

Jeff's jacket is almost broken in.

Day of Rainbows

So many of us saw rainbows in the valley yesterday. This was the view from Doc's pasture just before noon. What intrigues me about this rainbow are the dark areas below the violet band on the two clouds. I think it has to do with the way the raindrops creating the bow are keeping the light from the cloud from getting back to us (backside refraction), but I haven’t quite worked out the geometry yet. I haven’t noticed this before, and I'm guessing the effect arises because the clouds were very close behind the source of the refraction causing the bow. Thoughts?

Eye in the Sky

Parkway Maintenance

Chipping brush on America's Scenic Highway.

You're in luck...

...because you're almost there.

Never forget...

Never forget that we are sharing this planet with the likes of this.

(Full disclosure: this picture was taken in New Hampshire, but still...)

How to be welcome at any occasion

If you want to be welcome at any occasion, showing up in a cookie van might be a good idea. When I encountered this van, however, the proprietor was going for  a hike on Mt. Mitchell rather than selling cookies, so I can't report.

Mari and her Koto teacher busking

Via Whitney Brasington, this is footage of Mari and her koto teacher busking in downtown Asheville.  Hooray!

Memorials

The family (and friends) of Jenifer Morgan at her burial in the Celo Community Cemetery.

Jenifer's grave. We are going to miss her strong spirit, her ability to listen to everyone, and her dedication to making a better world--not to mention all those e-mails about local politics. There will be a memorial service on October 19.

People milling about at the wonderful gathering in honor of Tom Trout. It involved words, music, pétanque, pizza, photographs, lots of good memories--and Theo! Thanks to the Trout family and a whole bunch of Tom's friends for making this happen.

Mike says a few words. 

Remember that day?

Remember that day when we took everything out of the rummage room at the co-op and cleaned it up and built shelves and painted and then put some of the stuff back in? That was a good day.

Festival!

Thanks again to Jody and Jennifer for hosting another memorable Festatoa! Random pictures here. Not much from the play because I was on stage.

This is kind of a crazy picture, which is worth clicking on to see larger.

Stack your own.

Tree love!

As usual, Jeff was everywhere.

Tom

Tom playing bocce by the river in 2007

So many thoughts this week about Tom Trout: husband, father, mason, baker, traveler, teller of stories, thrower of balls, excellent friend. Tom was one of the first people I met when I moved to Celo--he helped me with a big, messy can of olives on the porch of the food co-op. Our kids grew up together, and our path crossed many ways. 

There was both grace and tenacity in the way he lived his cancer years. I so admire the way his family and closest friends circled around him during that time, and the way he was frank about his situation but refused to be defined by illness. And I will always admire his long and loving marriage with Brenda Phetteplace, and their great affection for Gus and Zoe.

Tom was a great guy, and we're going to miss him. The family put together this obituary.

Cutting soba noodles with a group studying Japanese metalsmithing techniques at Penland School, 2018.

Another thought. Tom was not a perfect person (who is?). There's stuff you could say about him. But he was one of the most deeply positive people I have ever known. When Tom was into something, he was really into it, and it was easy to go along with him for the ride. Even the scarring he got in the Vietnam war eventually turned into his enthusiastic participation in the activism and educational work of Veterans for Peace, return trips to Vietnam, friends in Vietnam, and a love of Vietnamese oolong.

Tom's Team Scores!

Click to see this bigger.

Farm Olympics--one heat

 Here's an unedited (a.k.a. funky) video of one heat from Sunday's Farm Olympics. Another great day in the neighborhood.

poetry in motion: farm party dance beauty

Thanks Gaelen and Nicole for a wonderful party!

Takin' it to the Streets

Street hockey at the Celo sports emporium. Nice move, Hayden!

More hot hockey action.

Tea Time

Donna Jean and Ginger having tea at Yancey House.

Alien Herpetologist

Scene from S.P.A.C.E. -- the Spruce Pine Alien Convention and Expo

It's pronounced like this

Paul isn't yet sure who he'll be voting for, but he likes Mayor Pete. And everyone likes this T-shirt. (Well, there might be one person who doesn't like it.)

Chimney Toppers

Men of a certain age preparing to install chimney toppers on Tom's heater house.

This is weird, right?

West Main Street in Burnsville. I'm pretty sure this is weird.

None of us is as strong as all of us

Miles Dreyer's spirit was strong this morning.  Three people independently showed up to the CCI workday in this t-shirt.



And then we ran into Mari at the co-op.

We love you and miss you Miles!

Emma/Paul sun/shade

Yeah, I said it!

Shooting a commercial at a Parkway overlook.

DIRECTOR: And....action.
ACTOR STANDING IN FRONT OF HONDA CRV: More than Toyota. Yeah, I said it!
DIRECTOR: OK, let's try one more.
(This continues for a while.)

Two astronauts: twenty laps

Twenty trips around the sun together. Happy anniversary George and Whitney!

Dizzy with love.

Plush roadkill

We love you, Rommie

It was a full house at the Celo Friends Meeting when people gathered to remember Rommie Barrus.

Rommie, who was part of Camp Celo for her whole life, was a big-hearted soul with a prodigious memory who loved her family and her many, many best friends. We will miss her.

Otway with Moon

Briefly Offered

One of our correspondents sent this report from Burnsville.

Billy Bernstein has great hair

While time has worn many a pate smooth, Billy still rocks a luxuriant mane.

Clear Creek Sap

Jem reports that the sap is flowing (and getting boiled) up on Clear Creak.

Local church infected with Cabin Fever

Barb Perrin called our attention to this anomaly on Google Maps in which a photo of the 2016 Cabin Fever University Ear Trumpets event has become the representative image for a local house of worship.

From our correspondents

Mike sent this picture from a few days ago--Lower White Oak.

Miika sent this one of icicles exuding from a dead log. Hmmm....

Dreams Continue to Resist Demise

Or, depending on your point of view, they make a loud, crashing noise and spread a lot of debris when they go down.

Happy New Year from the professional staff of the Dreams Die Hard Diner.

Although this faux restaurant has been open for only 37 days, these people have years of experience. 

Best not to ask exactly what is going on here.