Wild Turkey party

The turkeys have been frolicking behind my office at Penland.

And today...ice!

Happy Christmas, y'all. Stay dry.

Lighting candles

At Jeff and Margot's on Wednesday.


At Gib and Annie's on Friday.

This is very sad

These are the formerly excellent tomato and greens producing hoophouses at Firefly Farm--now thoroughly stomped by the snow.

Solstice

Reporting from Grindstaff Rd.

The road


The river


Our house


Tammy measuring 13 inches late last night.

A snowy day

Posted in honor of my friend C.T.

Burnsville Christmas Parade

The Burnsville Christmas parade was a blast. Really, I recommend it.


The band sounded quite good.


The old tractors were there.


The politicians were there.


Fire trucks, fire trucks, fire trucks!


These kids were actually singing Christmas songs with their voices.



There were a number of bizarre homemade floats, but nothing was better than this. Look closely: granny is rocking on the porch of the cabin; laundry is hanging on the line; Johnny is in the outhouse.


Scary Mickey.


I have no idea what this was about (and I was there).


Santa was riding in a giant cherry picker. I guess that's how he gets to the top of the chimney now.

A touchy situation

Windstorm aftermath right near my office at Penland.

Did you see the sky do that last week?

Arby's Altar

Driving home from Charlottesville on Thanksgiving weekend, Margot, Kriby and I found this quite spot for reflection at an Arby's off of I-81.

Makin' Glass

Polly Lorien and Miles Dreyer doing a glass-blowing demonstration at Kenny Pieper's studio during the TRAC studio tour this past weekend.

Just Like Egyptians

Bev Hill and crew using rollers and ropes to move a heavy object.

Big-Ass

Truck.

Turkeys by headlight

The AMS turkey flock caught in my headlights. Good thing they have a house to sleep on top of.

Stimulatin'

Wow, first they redid the bridge on Lower Browns Creek Road and now they are rebuilding the one at the end of Grindstaff Road. Yesterday I drove the length of Crabtree Road and crossed two gleaming new bridges. I think we are being stimulated.

Punkins on the bridge

A choice selection from Philip Mitchell's annual Jack O' Lantern extravaganza on the Seven Mile Ridge Road Bridge.


Two pumpkins were involved in this one, made by Carl Peverall.


Dragonette


Friendly skeleton


My favorite. A New Yorker drawing?


And, of course, the traditional pi pumpkin. (Hi, Evan)

226 at Penland Road

Stop being so cute, would ya

The tiny Halloween Holstein and her sister on the way
home from the co-op.

It's all relative

I have always thought of my 55 MPG Honda Insight as a "small" car--until the other day when I saw this. Oddly, the Smart doesn't actually get better gas mileage than the Insight. Must be fun to park.

How to get everyone to come over

Want to know how to get all sorts of people to come over?


Do like the Celo Community Center and have a GIANT YARD SALE! (I mean, who can resist?)


Here are some choice items.


Little known fact: I went to high school with Randy, the cowboy.


Nobody seemed to want this, but it would be great if you were trying to bulk up.