Curves, tunnels, steep ascents, unnerving drops down the mountain when the weight of the train threatens to overrun the engine and send the whole enterprise cascading down into ruin. Life is like that. Phoebe, left, and Poe look me over and wonder if he can be trusted, this strange man who has taken them into … Read more
Stone cabins were less common than log buildings in early Appalachian life, but families made do with what was readily at hand — and there was no shortage of rock. So I wasn’t surprised when I discovered the remains of a stone cabin in the woods off the road leading to the mountain-top radio towers … Read more
The first hummingbird of spring visited my deck on Thursday, two days ago, and today, Saturday, April 11, I finally got a photo of one. The visitor I got a blurry photo of traveled to Cherokee County, North Carolina, from Central America. Like most of his fellow travelers, he is a ruby-throated hummingbird — the … Read more
Birds called from the woods, and I put my hand on Hazel’s head to calm her while I squatted on the edge of the ravine and listened. Apart from the birds, the only other sound was the wind breathing through the trees and moving the first green shoots of spring. All else was quiet atop … Read more
Five New York newspapers gave birth to The Associated Press in 1846 when they pooled their resources to share the cost of reporting on the Mexican-American War. And for the 180 years since then, the wire service has served newspapers all over the world. No more, at least not as a core part of its … Read more
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Thus spoke U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth … Read more
Before he died, he wrote songs. Good ones. He wrote “No Deeper Blue,” “I’ll be Here in the Morning,” “Be Here to Love Me,” “If I Needed You,” Pancho & Lefty,” and a whole lot more. He wrote “Rex’s Blues.” Haunted throughout his life, he wrote songs to help keep the visitants at bay. He … Read more