The Mallards of Browns Creek

 Bottoms up!

Kazoo Band!

A new feature of the Burnsville Christmas parade this year was the lively, sometimes chaotic Kazoo Band led by Heather Dawes. (Photo by Lydia Wexler)

 

 

 Here's the band in action.

Ghost Caboose

Bruce sent this great picture of the ghost caboose in Spruce Pine. 

Thanks Again, Philip!

Many hands are needed to make this happen, but special thanks must always go to Phillip Mitchell who invented the now longstanding tradition of lining the Celo bridge with jack-o-lanterns every Halloween. 

Every year, Phillip gets the pumpkins, invites anyone and everyone to his house for two carving nights, and then stages this fantastic display, which attracts a large audience. 

Photos by Bruce F.  

 

 High-level lantern carving.

No Kings, No Trouble

On what may have been the largest day of protest in American history, 710 people turned out on the Burnsville square to express themselves.  

There were homemade signs, costumes, a big puppet, and lots of flags. Honking, waving, marching, chanting.

People are not happy with the state of things, but like everywhere else in the country, there was no trouble. 

Except maybe a guy playing a banjo. 

 

 

Popcorn drying in my study

 

Juxtaposition

What is the connection between a fossil museum and a crime lab? 

Discuss...
 

Conversing with a carrot

Because carrots need friends, too.

One Year Ago

 

Well, a lot has happened since September 27, 2024 when everything turned upside down.

Yard sale pizza party Dream Team member...

...entry for the visual dictionary definition of 'enigma.' 

Sprucing Up the Corner

Anticipating an upcoming site visit by a possible funder for the Celo Commons project, on September 6 a lot of people did a massive amount of work in and around the Celo Inn building. It was invigorating. 

 

Making Tea for My Mother

 

As part of a project about habits and rituals, the sculptor Tom Sachs invited people to make one-minute movies about rituals that are part of their lives. I made this one about tea. 

Chickens 'n' Taters

 

River Time

River time at Peverall's summer party. Thanks, y'all.

Corn Dance

Jeff does the corn dance over at Camp Celo. Doo dah, doo dah. 
 

Beautiful. Amazing. Happening Now.

This could be a reason to live.

Art Intervention

Sculpture opportunity on Conley Ridge Road. 

Sungold Plantation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camp Celo's amazing greenhouse filled with Sungold cherry tomatoes. Bruce Fulford, cultivator-in-chief.

Tammy + Bookshelf + Wolf Spider in Jar

Don't waste a puddle

 

You never know how long it will be until the next one. 

Impending Weather

 

A big cloud from Miika. 

Luminaries of Gratitude

Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) had a lovely event on the square called Lights After Dark: a Luminary Event to Honor Heroes, Neighbors, and Loved Ones. 

Schell sent some pictures.   

 

Photosynthesis will not be thwarted

 

The garden at Friends' Field is back in production!  Here's Paige showing off a monster chard leaf grown by Robin and Tammy in a bed full of Helene silt and their chickens' cloacal generosity.  More pictures from the harvest can be found here.

They're Baaaack!

After 17 years underground, these local residents—the periodical cicadas of the Magicicada genus—are boring holes up to the surface, climbing onto whatever they can find, cracking open their carapaces, emerging as winged insects, and humming all day in search of of a mate. 

Soon the fertile females will be going out to branch tips to lay their eggs, which will hatch into larvae who will drop to the ground, head downward, and start all over again.
 

Springtime in the Mountains

 

Aspirational mint tub: Robin takes a bath in the future

 

Gaelen and Nicole (with some help from their friends) are putting up a new barn. It's on the highest spot they could find because, you know, the old barn (it was quite old) was lost in the flood. 

This one is smaller, but so beautiful.
 

De-fence! De-fence!

The rebuilding of the flood-ravaged Hannah Branch Road community garden continues with a new deer fence. We'll add hardware cloth at the bottom to make it a rabbit fence as well. 

In case you were wondering why the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed

Here is but one reason.

Birthday Suit

 

 

Happy 60th, Tim. Lookin' good!

Ken in the Buff

 

The river cleanup events have been fun and rewarding. And you just never know who you are going to meet there.

Scavengers about to scavenge

 Click on this picture to see it larger. 

These are all of the teams in this year's adult scavenger hunt just before they received the elaborate instructions for the hunt. 

 

 

Here's a closer look at some of the contestants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David was sporting a canhawk. 

 This crew was highly visible.

 

 Special props to the Disaster Snacks team who came as water bottle, trail mix, juice box, MRE, and granola bar.