This shot was taken a few weeks ago from high in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The colors have completely changed now, and last weekend, the Divine Miss N and I took a trek to Tennessee and took loads of pix.  We're sorting through those now and will post a few soon.  By the way, we found that there are now elk once again in the North Carolina mountains.  They were brought in from Colorado and Canada a few years ago and, according to the park ranger we encountered, the wild breeding program has been a success.  There are now North Carolina wild born elk.  These things are as big as a small horse.  As you can see from the pix, we were able to get up close with one of the transplanted mother elk. 

Southern Humor

Yesterday, an acquaintance sent me this supposed joke:

An illegal alien, a muslim, and a communist, walk into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you to drink, Mr. President?"

At first I laughed,but then, I thought about what the odds were that it was true.

An Icon of Our Generation Passes

I never was a fan of the products.  But I always admired the creativity, innovation, and marketing savvy of the man.  He was a genius shaper of out times and very likely our futures.

Another Caractère de Notoriété Buys the Farm

March 29, 2011 a local character of some notoriety, Barney Barnwell, passed.  I missed posting anything here at the time. With his passing, passes another piece of an era.  He founded the Moonshiner's Reunion, held every autumn at his Plum Hollow Farm, claimed to be a former moonshiner (I don't know about the "former" part).  He played fiddle in the Plum Hollow Band, and also founded the Plum Hollow Alternative Bluegrass Festival, held on his farm each spring.  Both festivals were huge annual successes.  

Barney reveled in his notoriety and eccentric reputation, because he was mostly an entrepreneur and entertainer/artist.  He could spin a yarn as good as any liar, and since he made a living at it from time to time, I guess you could say he was a professional liar.  He would have liked being called that.  Some of his works are the Plum Hollow Farm which you can visit in New Prospect SC, the band's recordings, various spirit tree carvings, and some of his tall tales.  The Discovery Channel and the History Channel have both filmed Barney at the farm.  

Oh yeah, Barnwell also founded and operated the Overall Recording Studios which had an indy label.  So he wasn't totally the hick he portrayed himself to be.  Much like other southern eccentric characters, he loved playing the role.  Pictured above is Barney and George, his pet possum.  You can find more on Barnwell, his music, tales, art, the festivals and the Plum Hollow Farm here:   http://www.moonshiners.com

You can also read Barney's story about when he first got George here: http://swampland.com/articles/view/title:barney_barnwell_a_possums_tale

Neighborhood Infadelism

Just a few blocks away from my residence, there is a house with a flag pole in the front yard.  The flag of the United States of America flies on the pole.  Beneath the flag there is a concrete pig standing guard.

I assume this arrangement in the front garden is a tribute to all Islamic passers by.  I am being facetious of course.  I find this concrete pig in the front garden fascinating.  I would stop to ask the residents there if there is a particular significance to the concrete pig, but I'm guessing they would give me some dissappointing reply.  Something like, "Oh we just thought the pig was cute and decided to bring it home with us."  To which I would very likely ask, "It's such a great conversation piece!  Is there a reason that you don't keep it in your parlor?"  My guess is, from that location it probably wouldn't piss off as many Muslims.  My other guess is, they would reply, "Oh we prefer to keep it out front where everybody passing can enjoy it." 

Pigs have a hard enough time flying.  Now they're concrete.  This has to be something that you would only see here, Beneath the Carolina Moon, which lies beneath the American flag, and then just a little bit south.