At 5am I roll out of a painfully short night of sleep and into my dad’s waiting cup of coffee. Along with brothers Wes and Glenn, dad drives us down dark country roads until we arrive at Harry Nagel’s farm. A lineup of pick up trucks already flank the main barn. We park our foreign...
Dad worked up a great surprise for mom this year: He figured out a way to secretly get all three sons home to celebrate mom’s birthday. Here’s the family meal he pulled off behind her back. Way to set a high bar dad.
Sometimes it takes the cutting away of excess to reveal true beauty. Such is the Christmas tree. I recently had the opportunity to spend a day trimming a hillside of shaggy, future, Christmas trees. A sharp machete, a quick wrist, and an eye for symmetry are all that is required. You become butcher, artist, and...
Cue the Burl Ives and step into a North Carolina Christmas tradition. We are fortunate to live in the “Christmas tree capital of the world.” Our farmers don’t grow corn. They grow Fraser Fir Christmas trees and export them all over the country. Boone is bustling with vacationers who have come to cut their own...
This is my second year in a row taking Appalachian State men out camping in nothing more than a sleeping bag atop one of Tennessee’s highest peaks. The wise ones take heed and prepare for winter conditions. The less-than-wise guys show up in cotton hoodies carrying summer sleeping bags. For them, the coldest night of...
With the High Country’s first heavy frost came the last of Clement’s soccer games. The boys bundled in cotton layers and took to the soccer field in their modified swarm, always hovering near the ball. The sun finally warmed things up and our boys finished with a strong win. Trophies all around.
It began with a few Episcopalians selling their crafts and baked goods in a modest apple barn in 1979. The Valle Crucis Country Fair is now a full blown spectacle of 100′s of craftspeople and tens of thousands of visitors. Vendors set up well before dawn and miles of cars begin lining up along Hwy...
Saturday night was the second annual Junior Rodeo over in Deep Gap. All I can say is whoa! The NC High Country was transformed to the Wild West with cowboys and cowgirls who have impressive abilities in riding, tying, and lassoing. The light was beautiful so I went a little crazy on photos. Many great...
Blowing Rock Boulders Bachelor party for Zachary. Fresh from Boulder, CO and ready to be hitched, Zachary joins the WCC gang for some perfect early fall action. Way to rock the shirt for all your fans out there Zachary!
We loaded up the scooters, bikes, chairs, more chairs, and a picnic basket to enjoy a beautiful evening at Music in the Valle. It’s hands down the best free summer event in Watauga County. We enjoyed The Sixth Floor Trio until menacing clouds swept in and had everyone (including the musicians) fleeing for their cars....
