20th Anniversary Issue is here...
and it's beautiful! 

Pick one up when you're out and about, or read it online at cmlmag.com

CML Autumn 2013: From the publisher's page...

Roots, rocks, steps, and stumps. Leaves, light, moss, and mushrooms. Mix with the earthy smell of the forest and toss in the hum of insects and birds. Let sit at a cool temperature for as long as you want. 

For me, it’s a recipe for escape along any of the many mountain trails the Blue Ridge Parkway can lead you to.

And as the “mountain summer that wasn’t” transitions into fall, you’ll find it a great time to head for the woods. The squirrels and chipmunks are busy collecting stores of food for winter and even before the official Woolly Worm forecast is read, signs of a cold and snowy winter are prevalent, even as some of the best weather of the year descends upon the High Country. After a summer of record rainfall, autumn has never looked so good. 

I've thought a lot about the effect of weather and the character of the people who have endured worse rain years and frigid winters. The flood of 1940 and the Blizzard of '93 come to mind. Every time folks made do and carried on as best they could. It wasn’t easy to do that this summer as Grandfather Mountain hunkered down in the face of almost 24 inches of rain in the month of July. The 57-year average total for the month is only 6 inches of rain. Still, locals and visitors, whose lives so inextricably entwine here in the High Country, tended to their business. Businesses ran and the show went on. For many, the unprecedented weather led them to different settings and places they’ve never seen before. People got to know one another a little better. Even in our outdoor summer culture, we found just how rich our region is in regard to entertainment, recreation, and just getting together with others. 

I took a hike of my own today, and found a place that allowed reflection on the past 100 days here in my mountain home. Those days were filled with many memorable events, not the least of which was, ironically, the Lees-McRae Summer Theater production of “Singin’ in the Rain.” As the curtain dropped for the final time after the Saturday matinee on August 10, the audience was greeted by a raging squall as it hit the exits. Still, everyone left singing as they headed for their cars and an early supper seeming to have grudgingly accepted the rain as a their inseparable partner. 

No one knows what autumn will bring, or whether or not the winter will be as cold and snowy as the Almanac suggests. I just know that whatever comes our way, we’ll make the best of it. It’s the unpredictability, and majesty, of the mountain seasons that makes our lives interesting and invigorating.

That’s why we live here. And if you can’t live here, it’s why you make it a point to come back during your favorite seasons as often as you can. But now you know the truth. There are no guarantees when Mother Nature is calling the shots. You just gotta go with it. We learned a whole lot about that during the “summer that wasn’t.”

--Babette 

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Bhutan: First Country to Go 100% Organic

"The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is known for a high level of citizen happiness, but it is doing something even more noteworthy in the near future."

That's a quote from the article at Nation of Change.

To read the full article, click here.

Sugar Mountain's March Madness!

...starts Monday, March 4th 2013, and ends on March 17th with the Seventh Annual Easter Egg Hunt!

...visit Sugar online to check out all the events and details!

...or call them at 1-800-SUGARMT

New York Polyphony comes to Boone

Photo © Chris Owyoung. http://www.chrisowyoung.com

New York Polyphony will be performing at ASU (Rosen Concert Hall) at 8pm on February 8th.

Tickets:
$15 Adult
$8 Children

Click Here for more details.

Snowflake Links: Enjoy!

From Cal Tech:

Designer Snowflakes
(one shown at left)

Watch A Snowflake Grow

And from The University of Wisconsin at Madison:

Computer Generated Snowflakes

Just How Big Is The Internet?

Ever wonder just how big the internet has become? Well, the folks over at Pingdom have a great article about just how massive it is (and their figures are astounding!)  Click Here for the article.

Don't Hibernate...Celebrate!

www.blowingrockwinterfest.com

Friday, January 18, 2013

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

You won't want to miss The Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival!

It's Spring!

Brrrrrrr

...It's December 13 and very very cold!

Ever Get The Feeling You're Being Watched?

Nature has a sense of humor,

doesn't she?

Yikes! We Forgot!

...in our current issue we failed to tell readers about our cover shot! It's the old springhouse at The Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crucis. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Inn, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the few remaining 'in tact' historic farms in North Carolina.

Explore the Inn online at mastfarminn.com

School Crossing - Valle Crucis Style

The Days Just Aren't Long Enough!

What we need here at CML are 48 hour days...then, just maybe, this blog would start 'saying something' on a daily basis...

Meanwhile we hope everyone enjoys our current issue of Carolina Mountain Life!

Murmurs of Spring

After a long white winter, spring is making her presence known...walk slowly and look closely and you will see her small green gifts everywhere...

She is also offering a 'musical' treat. Head for the wetlands that adjoin AUS's Teaching and Research Farm in Valle Crucis (in the 'upper valley' at the junction of NC 194 and Dutch Creek Road). The peeper chorus there is incredibly joyous (and loud) this year!

Digging Out Time

Whew! On Valentine's Day, Ray (our local weatherman extraordinaire) proclaimed that this winter had become the snowiest winter on record in the High Country for snowfall through Feb 14.

Since then, we've experienced a three-day snow, with Rich Mountain (that big mountain that rises above Boone) receiving the deepest snow...35"!

Skiers (and snowboarders and snowtubers) are experiencing some of the best conditions ever while the rest of us grapple with simple things like digging out (again), and re-stocking the cupboard (again)...

If you'd like a more detailed look at all things weather, visit Ray at raysweather.com.

Wine to Water and Hearthstone Restaurant help Haiti

Saturday, January 23rd at Hearthstone Tavern & Grille a Wine Tasting to benefit emergency relief for Haiti will take place from 6-8.
Wine to Water will be on hand and are asking for a minimum donation of $10.00. There will be a silent auction with some great items and a raffle. Come out and enjoy a great evening for a great cause and enjoy a wine tasting and some delicious hors d'oeuvres. For more information call the Hearthstone at 828-898-3461 or log onto winetowater.org