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Pam Braswell (423) 895-9993

Doug Canter (423) 483-4971 TN




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Roan Mountain Magazine
Volume 1, Issue 11
August 2025
STAFF
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
Amy Thurman amy@roanmountainmagazine.com
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Diana Tolley
AD SALES, DISTRIBUTION, EDITORIAL
Susie Phillips susie@roanmountainmagazine.com
STAFF WRITER
Ericka Hughes
GUN TALK WITH JON
Captain Jon Strydom
NEWS FROM THE ROAN CeCe Studer
PEACE OF MIND WITH CHRIS
Christopher Adams
THE LAST WORD & THE GRACE PLACE
Noah Blair
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Faith Lynn
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Colleen Gainey
CONTRIBUTORS
Copyright © 2025
All content herein is copyright protected and may not be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission.
Roan Mountain Magazine is published monthly and can be found at multiple locations throughout the Roan Mountain area, free to readers. We are not currently offering print subscriptions, but please contact us if you are unable to find a copy. (423) 440-9012
Read the Digital Version at: www.RoanMountainMagazine.com

Visit us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/RMM_Facebook
Roan Mountain Magazine is printed by The Elizabethton Star
Letters to the Editor:
We would love to hear from you! Questions, comments, ideas, or whatever you’d like to share, please send to Amy: amy@roanmountainmagazine.com
www.roanmountainmagazine.com
ARTICLES & FEATURES
17 Best of the Roan Contest
Vote on multiple categories. Results to be shared in September.
20 The Old Ways
Tips and methods (and maybe a few superstitions) from days gone by.
25 Late Summer Fun Ideas
Summer isn't over! Make the most of nice weather while we still have it.
27 Magazine Update
Update on what we're up to here, and a request for reader help.
29 Boot Flower Pots
A new and lovely use for your old, worn out boots.
30 Music Spotlight
Ericka shares insight into the legendary Hank Williams.
31 Summer Concert Series
Band schedule for both the state park and Eric Anderson park concerts.
32 Hot Summer in the Holler
A short story by Diana Tolley about summertime and swimmin' holes.
37 Holler Echoes
An original poem by Ericka Hughes.
Editor’s Letter
Gun Talk with Jon Taste of the Roan
The Grace Place
News from the Roan Peace of Mind wth Chris Lessons in Life/Landscaping Fun Page
The Last Word
ABOUT THE COVER:
A pipevine swallowtail on ironweed. To learn about pollinator gardens at the park, check out CeCe's column on page 15.
Photo provided by RMSP, from Tennessee Photographs





Y’all need to quit talking about fall! A couple of our ads mention the upcoming season not to be named, and in several conversations the subject has come up with more eagerness than I can work up. Just stop!
Why? Because I’m not ready! More specifically, my garden isn’t ready.
Please understand, I’m over the heat and humidity too. I just spent a half hour tending to the chickens and although it’s only 72 degrees out this morning, the humidity has to be at least twice that number and I had to change clothes before I could sit down at my desk. Yep, cool crisp mornings are going to be a welcome relief.
But my garden isn’t ready. As I mentioned last month, due to the move I was about six weeks behind the rest of you in getting my garden in. Most of it is still in the early stages of producing and some things still need time to get to that stage. I know I probably should have just skipped many of the things I started from seed but I’d bought a bunch of seeds earlier in the year and my excitement overtook my sense of practicality.
There’s a reason for that excitement though. Having a garden in coastal Georgia was a challenge. The soil wasn’t really what I’d call soil at all but more sand with tiny bits of something resembling dirt mixed in. Nothing would start from seed and the sand had to be heavily amended to support seedlings or starter plants, then constantly fertilized. Eventually I would get things to grow, only to have my crops wiped out by torrential rains that lasted for days. Or deer.
I tried everything to stop the deer. Electric fences, commercial deer repellent, homemade deer repellent (horrid, but I was desperate and that worked until it rained), motion activated sprinklers, stringing aluminum cans around and through the space, dog fur (that did help, until it rained), sprinkling a mixture of garlic and cayenne pepper on everything (also worked until it rained), and I even put together a scarecrow. I did consider sitting on my front porch all night with a shotgun, but it was Georgia in summer and even at night it was just too hot for that.
Yet the deer were determined. I went out one morning and my entire garden was stripped down to bare stems. They even ate all the jalapeno and cayenne peppers and I sincerely hoped those burned like blazes in a couple days’ time. It was maddening! I’d spent all that time and money, not to mention all the energy of coaxing plants to produce in bad dirt and crazy weather, only to find a desert of stems.
That was my last summer in Georgia and I was so excited to get to Tennessee where there’s real dirt and normal weather. I spent much of my first winter here planning and daydreaming about how beautiful and productive my garden would be that summer. Then I broke my ankle. Ever tried working in a garden on crutches?

So this year, I’ve been determined. Since I was running late, I bought the most mature plants I could find, started countless seeds, and my garden, although young, is thriving! Just yesterday I ordered more seeds. I found a corn species that matures in 55 days, which, if I plant it early next week, means it should be ready to pick by mid-September. I still have more cucumbers sprouting, my sunflowers are only knee-high, and my peppers are producing like crazy. My okra is still only eight inches tall. I need more time!
So while y’all are out there praying for fall, I’m praying for a slightly extended summer. We can do fall in November. Anyone need cucumbers or jalapenos?
See you 'round the Roan!
[Update: the deer have stripped my sunflowers, eaten the cucumber vines, and I'm finding teethmarks on my tomatoes. Not to mention the rain has all but drowned everything but the weeds. But I have plans for next year!]

Amy Campbell Clark Editor amy@roanmountainmagazine.com
Yesterday's pickings. The Amish paste tomatoes (far left) are huge! Hopefully I'll get enough to put up plenty of sauce.








Sometimes people ask me to explain what I do and how I got started. 45 years ago I was a young police officer in South Africa. Being an adrenaline junkie and always wanting to see "what's on the other side of that mountain" led me to join our elite anti-urban terrorism special task force. As a "door kicker" I quickly gained a reputation for being first through that door and being very good at dealing with what was on the other side.
One day, our area commander needed a couple strong backs to help move a couple hundred ammunition cases in the armory away from a damp area on the floor. During this labor I noticed a fencedoff area with a few dozen rifles and handguns, all with red tags attached. I asked why and he explained that those were all broken. After we were done loading crates, I went and examined a few of those weapons and saw that some of the breakages were quite simple fixes for someone with the right tools and knowledge. I told him that I could probably fix most of those guns. In very crude Afrikaans (my home language) he replied that I should not meddle in things I don't know about. Later that day he approached me and asked why I thought I could repair those guns. I told him that my father was a tool and die maker for the South African Railways and had a fully equipped machine shop at home for his hobby of building miniature locomotives from steel. And I had been machining miniature steam engine parts since age 11. I ended up taking some broken gun parts home to try repairing them.
A few days later I proudly presented eight repaired or remanufactured parts for the nine I had taken home. The boss was very impressed. He raised the idea of converting an office into a small workshop and I could repair weapons from all the other depots.
I quickly saw a future of sitting behind a work table and all the adrenaline of chasing terrorists becoming a distant memory. I had to threaten to resign to change his mind, but I was also partly hooked on the challenge of repairing old, worn out guns. So I compromised and spent one afternoon every week for the next few years working as the police department gunsmith.
Due to international sanctions, parts were impossible to import and the only way to repair some guns was to manufacture those necessary parts. The learning curve was steep, but I managed. Today I can manufacture almost every small component: springs, pins, firing pins, extractors, etc.
A few years later I resigned and opened a proper gunsmithing business. Back in those days there was no internet – knowledge and technique were hard-earned through experimentation and hundreds of hours at research libraries. Plus, talking to the older generation who had knowledge we’ve mostly lost now.
Business boomed for awhile and after a few years I was able to hire a shop manager to run the day-to-day operations while I followed my curiosity and need
GUN TALK WITH JON
My Story (In Part)
By Captain Jon Strydom (aka African Jon)

for adrenaline. With a friend I founded an overlander safari business that allowed me to explore some very remote and primitive parts of Africa. But time ran out for my entire country. The same terror group that we once hunted were about to become the new government.
The only way to describe that shock and despair to Americans would be to imagine you wake up one day and our government is now run by ISIS or Al Queda. I saw the writing on the wall and by that time I was subcontracting for an international company using the skills I had learned in the task force days to rescue hostages from some very bad places in Africa. Islamic jihadi groups were gaining power in many African countries and between them and ordinary bandits, we were kept very busy. For a little insight into what the South African Police Task Force do, search YouTube with those keywords. But back in my day we didn't yet have air support.
After many years working throughout Africa in the places no tourists ever dared visit, my career eventually turned to sailing. For more stories and the pictures to back them up, come see me at the shop in downtown Roan Mountain. Bring your firearms for some professional attention. Find the address and phone number in my advert on page 18 and please call ahead for an appointment.
A remanufactured stock. Photo by Jon Strydom








INGREDIENTS
2 cups smoked fish, deboned and flaked
1 cup cream cheese, at room temp
1-3 tbsp sour cream (or olive oil mayo)
¹/2 cup finely diced jalapeno peppers (can substitute bell pepper or celery)
¹/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Cracked black pepper
Optional: capers, lemon zest, finely chopped cilantro

TASTE ROAN of the
Smoked Fish Dip
Submitted by Amy Campbell Clark
This may be a little outside some comfort zones, but I promise you, it's a light, refreshing and tasty summer treat! This is meant to be an appetizer served with crackers or small toasted baguette rounds. Enjoy!
DIRECTIONS
▪ In a food processor, combine cream cheese, vegetables, Old Bay, and Worcestershire until wellblended.
▪ Add smoked fish and use "pulse" setting until wellblended.
▪ Transfer mixture to glass or plastic bowl and stir in sour cream by the tablespoon until slightly softer texture is achieved.
▪ Add cracked pepper to taste.
▪ Chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to blend before serving.
Note
- Add ice to a larger bowl and set your fish dip bowl in the ice to keep it cold.
Have a recipe to share? We might be able to include it in an upcoming issue. Ideally with seasonally available ingredients, and if you have a photo of the prepared dish, send that along too! amy@roanmountainmagazine.com







I recently stumbled across a scripture that changed my perspective on a lot of things. The scripture is Ecclesiastes 7:13, “Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?”
For the majority of my life I thought God only dealt in the straight and narrow. Interestingly enough, Matthew 7:13-14 is where you have probably heard that before, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” How can it be that God would make a path crooked while also telling us the path to him is a straight one?
Because that’s exactly how it works. Allow me to explain. The path to God is straight. It’s the straightest path you will ever take, mainly because the Almighty doesn’t want to be difficult to find. Think about Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:3-6, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
That is enough evidence for me that God not only wants it to be easy for us to find him but he will make himself known if necessary.
We can look at another event in Paul’s life that proves what Ecclesiastes 7:13 is trying to tell us. In Acts 16 we find Paul beginning his second missionary journey with Silas. They pick up Timothy in Lystra (verse 1) but then something puzzling happens. “And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,” Acts 16:4-6.
Wait, the Holy Ghost forbid the preaching of the Gospel? At first glance, this verse takes us back and makes us wonder why would the Holy Spirit forbid the teaching of the Gospel? It’s simple. God’s plan was not for Paul to continue to preach deeper into Asia but rather to follow the spirit which would prove to be a major blessing not only for Paul, but for all of us today. For the sake of time, I’ll sum up what happens next. The spirit moves in Paul to head toward a small port town. While sleeping that night Paul had a vision
GRACE PLACE THE
By Noah Blair

of a man asking him to come help him (verse 9). Paul hops on a boat and scoots across the water to find a woman searching for God (verse 14). Paul introduces the Gospel and she becomes a believer. That’s not all. Along the way Paul also picks up Luke, the author of Acts (verse 10), who is a doctor. Paul, by listening to the spirit was led down what we would consider a winding road, supplied the author of Acts with firsthand accounts for his writing, and Paul was provided with a doctor to help his many wounds, as well as adding a soul to the fold! That is how my God works!
Why does all of this matter to us? We aren’t Paul, sailing around and spreading the Gospel, after all. However, I believe that most of us, believers or not, have experienced times in our lives where we’ve felt as if our paths were getting curvy. And no, I’m not talking about driving these mountain roads we have either. Life is messy and can cause unexpected dead ends and curves we don’t see coming.
As believers this shouldn’t worry us. We find God on the straight path but he is with us and even leads us down “crooked” paths to not only help us, but to help others along the way. In short, don’t miss the sound of God opening up a new door in your life over the pounding and screaming of you trying to knock down a door he shut. The Almighty knows best, and unlike us, he is never wrong.
Jesus loves you!
A crooked path. Stock photo










Pollinator fields, or habitat areas specifically designed to attract and support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds, are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring food security. These fields provide essential resources like pollen and nectar, contributing to crop pollination, biodiversity and overall ecological balance.
Approximately 12 acres of conservation plot fields have been planted across Roan Mountain State Park as pollinator gardens for insects as well as cover and nest areas for ground-nesting birds and small mammals. Along Highway 143, two conservation fields totaling just over 2 acres in size can be found on each side of picnic shelter #1 in the state park. The Miller Farmstead is home to approximately 10 acres of Monarch Waystation designated pollinator fields.
The conservation fields along Highway 143 are intended to reduce mowing within the park while providing essential pollen plants for a wide variety of insects. These fields are on the edge of a natural wetland creating feeder creeks of the Doe River. Many unique wetland and upland plants can be seen growing in these two fields. These fields are also home to a threatened species of mole in Tennessee – the Starnosed Mole! Butterflies from all five of our Tennessee families can be found sourcing nectar in the growing season and the tall plant stalks provide vital cover and food granaries for small mammals and birds during the snowy season.
The Monarch Waystation fields at Miller Farmstead primarily consist of common milkweed – the host plant for monarch butterflies to lay eggs on. Milkweed is essential for these caterpillars to feed on and for protection against predators as they grow strong enough to fly southward for winter and northward for summer. The fall migration offers the most impressive views of monarch butterflies within Roan Mountain State Park. Be sure to visit these fields from July through early October to see the Monarchs. Aside from milkweed, the waystation fields offer various species of nectar plants that many species of butterfly can benefit from including goldenrod, ironweed, cut-leaf cone flower, campions, black-eyed Susan, and more.
As of 2025, the conservation plots along Highway 143 are being prepared for a replant due to the floods of Hurricane Helene that covered the highway and fields in September 2024. Due to the deposition of soil, trash, and gravel from the river, these fields have lost many of their growing species and now have become infested with non-native, invasive plants including Canada blackberry, multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed, and Chinese bushclover. During the 2025 growing season, these fields have been sprayed with herbicides to kill the invasive plants and to prepare them for a future burn. In late Autumn, the park will reseed the conservation plots with a mixture of native flowering
NEWS FROM THE ROAN
Pollinator Fields
By CeCe Studer
Mountain State Park

plants and grasses including native coneflowers, Joe Pye weed, ironweed, common and swamp milkweeds, scarlet beebalm and wild bergamot, great blue lobelia, and sedge grasses such as woolgrass, sallow sedge, and woodland beakrush. After overwintering to allow the seeds to stratify, the following spring and summer seasons will see a succession of colors from these plants. The fields will also continue to serve wildlife as well as reduce mowing across the park.
We encourage you to come out to the park, stroll through the farmstead and see these beautiful pollinator fields for yourself. Mid-summer is a great time to enjoy the cooler mountain air and see a plethora of butterflies fluttering among the flowers.
A special thank you to Ranger Philip Hylen for his invaluable expertise in conservation, which significantly enriched this article and understanding of Roan Mountain State Park’s pollinator fields.
Roan
A path through a pollinator field. Photos provided by RMSP







Best of the Roan Contest
Time's running out! Get your votes in by August 20!
The purpose of this is to have fun while recognizing some key folks in the community. We'll tally the results and print them in the September issue in honor of the magazine's one year anniversay. If we're able to put together an awards ceremony, we'll share info on our Facebook page.
There are multiple ways to enter:
▪ Write in your answers here, scan it and email it to amy@roanmountainmagazine.com.
▪ Write in your answers, take a picture of it and text it to Amy (phone number on page 5).
▪ Complete the survey online at: freeonlinesurveys.com/s/2ngQyBLR
Please keep it friendly and fun!
Most talkative resident:
Quietest resident:
Best joke teller:
Longest Sunday sermon:
Shortest Sunday sermon:
Resident with the best beard:
Coldest beer in town:
Resident who drinks the most coffee:
Nicest business frontage:
Best resident storyteller:
General Questions

Longest marriage (enter names and date of marriage, both partners must still be living):
Oldest living resident (enter name of date of birth; date of birth will not be made public):
Prettiest front yard (list name and general area, such as "The Smiths, Shell Creek):
Best customer service (any local business):
Best hunter/trapper:
Best fisherman: Best homemade pie:
Most grandkids (list living grandparent's name and number of grands and great grands):
What do you love most about living in Roan Mountain?
If we sell raffle tickets at our September awards ceremony, what local charity or cause would you like the proceeds to go to?
Please provide your name and email address or phone number in case we need info to contact the winners or clarification. We won't share your information or your votes.














Routine is essential for health and stability. Without a schedule, chaos ensues, leading to illness in both dogs and humans. Unstructured time creates opportunities for maladaptive behaviors. For example, children often get into trouble during unplanned moments like on the bus, at recess, or lunch, which are times of chaos. The same applies to adults: behaviors such as drinking, pornography, drug use, infidelity, and gambling often happen during unstructured periods. The solution is to establish a routine. Filling unstructured time with positive behaviors reduces the temptation to engage in harmful activities. Instead of mindless scrolling or chaos, replace that time with routine, productive actions. Notice when you feel tempted to revert to old habits and look for patterns, such as using porn when no one else is home or while commuting. During these times, replace temptation with positive routines like going to the gym, praying, reading, volunteering, or cleaning. Consistently implementing such routines will help diminish your temptations.
Loyalty. Imagine how much better our relationships could be if we had the unwavering loyalty of a dog to its owner. Marriages, in particular, could benefit greatly from this lesson. In couples therapy, I often see partners who fail to give each other the benefit of the doubt. If, instead, humans approached relationships with the same trust a dog has, many conflicts could be avoided. Unfortunately, we tend to assume the worst about each other, creating stories that reinforce negative beliefs.
PEACE OF MIND WITH CHRIS
Lessons from Dogs
By Christopher Adams LCSW Licensed Therapist
Short-term memory. Dogs are known for easily moving on and not holding grudges, often seeming to forget negative experiences with humans. Unlike humans, who often carry grudges for life, children might hold onto arguments forever, remaining enemies over minor issues. Dogs, on the other hand, never do this. They want to forgive us and love us, even if we are unworthy.
Unconditional love is exemplified by dogs, who are always delighted to see us and express it openly. This behavior is evident in nearly all situations — even if we briefly leave the room, dogs seize the moment to show their affection on our return. They consistently demonstrate their unwavering love and loyalty every day. If we treated our relationships the same way, such as in marriage, we would constantly feel valued and appreciated, with no one feeling overlooked or unloved.
Have you learned any other lessons from your dog? Although dogs are often considered to have lower intelligence than humans, they seem to possess greater wisdom in many respects, particularly in matters of relationships. Thank God for these amazing creatures. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at: 4yoursoulcare@ gmail.com for counseling or discussion.
Humbly yours,
Chris

Who's a good boy? Zeke!
Photo by Chris Adams
The Old Ways
Compiled by Amy Campbell Clark
Many of these were shared by multiple people, to include: Jo Buchanan, Sunni Buchanan, Leta Campbell, Linda Campbell, Buck and Sherry Freeman, James and Colleen Gainey, Mike and Linda Hagie, Tabby Lusk, Lou McKinney, Jeannie Perkins, Les Roberson, Larry and Pauline Street, Avery Wynn, and some of my own as well.
Although we live in a modern world where we can find an answer to nearly any question on an internet search engine, there’s a wealth of knowledge that isn’t contained in digital devices. It’s knowledge handed down from generation to generation, sometimes passed between cultures, often guided by the natural world and faith. It’s sometimes based in practical solutions, and is sometimes founded in intuition. And it can never be replaced by Artificial Intelligence.
This knowledge can be hard to trace. Did we learn these things from our mamas, our granddads, a wise old neighbor? Who can remember, but it certainly wasn’t taught in schoolbooks. And yet we know it as well as we know the alphabet or our times tables, and we use it nearly as often.
I’ve always thought of this knowledge as “the old ways.”
But in today’s world when so many turn to the phone in their hands for answers to questions, solutions to problems, and instructions in how to do things, these old ways, this handed-down knowledge is in danger of being lost. I hope we’ll all share it with the younger generations to keep it alive and I hope those younger folks will keep an open mind about accepting it. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, maybe you have to believe it for it to work. Or maybe it's all just old wives tales. We each decide for ourselves.
Here are some of the old ways many of us still use, but we’d love to hear and be able to share more. Please reach out to share yours and we’ll compile more in future issues. My phone number and email address are on page 5.
Also, it should go without saying, try these things at your own risk.
Animal care
Healthy livestock was critical to survival. Some of these sound a bit unusual (and some more than others) but we'll leave it to you to decide what's practical.
• A weasel hide was sometimes used to treat foundering in horses and cattle. The hide was wrapped around a bit and tied into the mouth. Foundering would subside quickly.
• A sick or lethargic cow would sometimes be treated by “splitting a cow’s tail.” A cut was made in the tail and filled with salt, and soon the cow would get up and eat again.
• Castration and weaning of livestock should be done during dry and barren signs (see Calendar). Castration done in moist/fruitful signs will bleed more.
• When de-horning cattle, salt placed in the horn holes will aid healing and deter flies.
• Use sassafras branches for roost bars in your chicken coop to prevent chicken lice.
• A teaspoon or so of apple cider vinegar in chicken waterers will help keep water clean and is good for overall chicken health.
• Pumpkin helps prevent worms and other parasites in chickens.

Weather
Weather was often a major factor in day to day life and being able to predict what was ahead by reading signs in nature helped prevent lost crops or worse.
• When squirrel tails are bushy, it’s going to be a cold winter.
• When squirrels are constantly busy burying food it’s going to be a cold or long winter.
• When wooly worm caterpillars are bushy it’s going to be a hard winter. Also, the narrower the rust-colored band is, the harsher winter will be.
• The number of fogs in August will equal the number of snows the coming winter.
• When the leaves on trees curl up, rain is coming.
Planting/Growing
Once again, successfully producing food was a necessity. Many of the old ways rely on signs from nature or the almanac.

• A ring around the moon in winter means snow is coming.
• Snow on the ground longer than three days means more is coming.
• After three frosts it will be "falling" weather (falling rain or falling snow).
• When you first hear katydids, it will be about six weeks until the first frost. (And according to the Bible, katydids are edible.)

• When cows lay down in the field, it’s going to rain.
• If you hear thunder in winter, it will soon snow.

• Plant potatoes on Good Friday for the best crop.
• Plant corn in the last quarter of the moon – it will take root better and won’t blow over in windy weather.
• A few drops of mineral oil in corn silks will keep the ears free of pests.
• When planting tomatoes, put Epsom’s salt in the holes and sprinkle a little on soil around the plant when finished.
• Human hair or dog fur placed on plants will repel deer.
An American Almanac calendar can be picked up at no charge at Farmer's Exchange. This calendar provides the best times for planting, harvesting, preserving food and other necessary tasks.
Food
Who doesn't love home cooked meals or opening a jar of green beans from your garden in the dead of winter? Appalachian cooks have a wide range of practical tips that really work.
• Canning or preserving vegetables should be done during the feminine signs. If the sign is feminine but also dry and barren, it can still be done, but watch it closely.
• Pickling or fermenting should be done when the moon is in the breast, arms or head.
• Cut butter into small pieces before adding to pastry dough for easier mixing.

• Rub vinegar on fish scales and they’ll come off easier.
• Adding tomatoes to a roast will help naturally tenderize the meat.
• To keep hot oil from splattering, sprinkle a little salt or flour to the pan before frying.
• Add a small amount of vinegar to cabbage or cauliflower to help reduce cooking odors.
• Add a teaspoon of baking soda to beans when cooking to help reduce gas later.
• Place not- quite-ripe tomatoes on top of the refrigerator and they'll finish ripening faster.
Health
Running to the doctor every time one felt a little under the weather was seldom an option. Some of these methods are tried and true and some maybe not as much.
Skin maladies:
• Tobacco (chewing tobacco is best) or snuff, wetted (with spit) and placed on a bee sting will remove the stinger.

• Touch-me-not flowers, when crushed and rubbed on poison ivy will relieve the itching.
• Plantain leaves can be used to make a poultice for cuts, poison ivy, bee stings, and other insect bites. The leaves are also edible. Young leaves can be eaten raw and more mature leaves can be used in soups and stews.
Ear, nose, throat and teeth:
• Earaches can sometimes be treated with ear candles. The pointed tip is placed in the ear with a paper plate around the candle to prevent hot wax from dripping. When burned, it draws out ear wax and toxins. (These ear candles can be purchased at Roan Mountain Pharmacy and by all accounts they work wonders!)
• To ease an earache, blow smoke in the ear. I’ve heard of this, but am not sure what kind of smoke – if you have more information about this, please let us know.
• A tea made of red oak bark will soothe a toothache or sore throat.

• Cure a sore throat by sleeping with a dirty sock around your neck.
• Drinking water from a cobalt blue glass or jar will cure a toothache or sore throat.
• Applying clove oil to a sore tooth can relieve toothache pain.
General health:
• Feed a cold, starve a fever.
• To cure pain in the hands or feet, soak them in warm water with vinegar and salt for half an hour.

• In the days before household pets were treated regularly for worms, it wasn’t uncommon for children to pick up these worms while playing in the yard. The cure was three drops of turpentine in a teaspoon of sugar. Two drops in a teaspoon has been used to cure a sore throat.
• To cure a child with asthma, cut a piece of their hair and put it in the fork of a tree just over their heads. When they’ve grown past that spot, their asthma will be cured. Variations include having the child stand against the tree when placing the hair, and specific types of trees (sassafras, for example).
General Tips
• To clean smoke smudges from candles, rub with a piece of pantyhose or nylons.
• To kill weeds, spray them with a mixture of water, vinegar, salt, and dishwashing liquid.
• Soap can be made with a mixture of lard, lye and ashes.

• Blood stains can be removed from fabric using toothpaste (plain paste, not gel). Wet the fabric with cold water, work toothpaste into fabric, let sit for up to a half hour, then rinse in cold water while working the fabric with your fingers. For tougher stains and sturdy fabric, scrub at the stains with a toothbrush or other soft brush after letting the paste sit.

• The sex of a baby can be determined by how the pregnancy is carried. Babies carried high up under the ribs are typically girls; babies carried lower nearer the hips are typically boys.
• Painting your porch ceilings light blue will deter carpenter bees. And prevent haints from entering your home.
• Indigestion while pregnant means the baby will be born with a full head of hair.
• Hair will grow faster when cut or shaved before the full moon. It will grow slower when cut between the full and new moon. Same applies to finger and toe nails.
• A bible pl dreams.

Share your "old ways" with us for a future issue. Email amy@roanmountainmagazine.com
Just for fun: Luck!
Think you're not superstitious? How many of these luck-related things do you do?
• Hang a horseshoe pointed up over your door for good luck to all who enter. Horseshoes hung with the points facing down will bring bad luck, as all the luck will run out.
• When hunting, if you bag game, leave a gift of thanks in the woods (salt, a snack, etc.) and you’ll have good luck the next time you hunt as well. Don’t, and the next time out you’ll go home empty handed.
• Always leave by the same door you entered.
• Open doors and windows when someone dies to let their spirits out.
• Knock on wood – both for good luck and to avoid bad luck.
• Never tell your dreams before breakfast. This came from multiple sources though no one seemed to know what would happen if you do.
• If your palms itch, money’s coming your way.
• If your nose itches or if you drop a dishtowel, company’s coming.
• When someone you care about is leaving, never watch them until they’re out of sight or you’ll never see them again. It’s unclear if this can be done to prevent seeing someone again!
• When you move, never take your broom from the old house to the new house or you’ll take old problems with you.
• Death (and often bad news) comes in threes.
• It’s bad luck to change the calendar before the end of the current month.
• If someone calls your name, don’t answer before you can see them.
• Planting rosemary beside the doors to your house will bring good luck (and deter evil spirits).
• Never whistle in a graveyard or you’ll summon evil spirits.
• Toss spilled salt over your left shoulder to prevent bad luck.
• If a black cat crosses in front of you, make the sign of the cross three times or draw three Xs in front of you to prevent bad luck.
• Always return a knife the way it was handed to you (opened or closed)
• Never hand someone an open knife.
• Never give away a knife, sell it to the other person for a penny.
• Never sweep or wash dishes as company is leaving. It's means your sweeping or scrubbing them away.
• When you finish drawing water from a well, leave a gallon jug of water to prime it for next time.
• Never pick up a coin that’s tails up. On the other hand, picking up a coin that’s heads up is good luck.
• Never sharpen knives on a Sunday.
















Summer Fun Ideas
By Amy Campbell Clark
Although schools start back this month, there’s still plenty of great summer weather ahead and plenty of fun things to do for all ages. Every Sunday, our social media guru, Colleen Gainey, posts a list of organized events for the coming week on our Facebook page (https://bit.ly/RMM_Facebook), but here’s a list of fun things to do anytime. Take advantage of the good weather – get out and enjoy some activities, either by yourself or with family and friends. Obviously hiking is always an option in this area, but here are some other options you can do as well.
Go fishing You can get a basic rod and reel set up fairly affordably and any local bait and tackle shop will advise you on what to use and even give you some starter tips. There are plenty of mountain streams and lakes around to “wet your line.” Just remember, catching fish is only half the joy of fishing. Or, if you want to get a little more invested, consider taking a fly fishing class or hiring a local guide. It’s also a great idea to get your kids or grands interested, and an opportunity to teach them about nature, conservation and instill a love of the outdoors.
Head for the beach Sure, you could drive all the way to the coast, but for a shorter and easier afternoon outing, head to a nearby lake. Plan a picnic lunch, soak up some rays with a good book in hand, walk along the shoreline, or cast a line in the water. Even better if you can get your hands on a kayak, but be sure to consider safety: take a couple lessons and get a life jacket.
Go creek walking As mentioned in the May issue Editor’s Letter, there’s nothing like hiking along (or in) a rocky creek. Clean mountain air, cool breezes, and plenty to look at, above and below the water surface. Unique rocks, small and large waterfalls, unusual tree formations, flowering plants, a wide range of bird species and other wildlife, great photo opportunities, and more. You could amp it up a bit and learn about foraging for wild herbs and other edible plants.
Get your history on Visit any of the countless historic sites in the area or within easy driving distance. From Miller’s Farmstead in our own back yard, to the Museum of Butler, to Rocky Mount State Historic Site and many more. There’s much to be learned from the past.
Visit all the nearby waterfalls Elk River Falls, Laurel Falls, Red Fork Falls, Jones Falls, Twisting Falls, and Blue Hole are all nearby and there are plenty more only short drives away. Enjoy the views, observe

wildlife, get a little vitamin D and fresh air. And take plenty of pictures!
Try your hand at nature photograph We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth! Try photographing it, whether it’s those scenic waterfalls or mountaintop views, wild flowering plants, or sitting still to see what wildlife approaches. You don’t have to have a fancy camera to get frameable photos – most smart phones will take decent pictures. And who knows, we may want to publish a couple in upcoming photo spreads or want to use one on the cover!
Go antiquing There’s a whole slew of great antique shops in the area where you might find collectible items, that perfect piece of furniture you’ve wanted for your house, wall art, gifts, and more. And when you find just the right piece at an affordable price, it’s a win! On a budget? Try “thrifting” instead. There are thrift shops galore in the area too.
Explore the Blue Ridge Parkway You don’t have to wait for fall color, just hop on it and drive, and when you see interesting spots along the way, stop and explore. Take pictures, get lunch at some little roadside diner. And pick up a map so when you get home you can plan your next road trip.
Camp out Rent a campsite for the weekend at Roan Mountain State Park, another nearby campground, or even in your own back yard. Cook your food over an open fire (check for burn restrictions first and be safe!), tell ghost stories or other favorites tales, roast marshmallows, and sleep under the stars (or in a tent to avoid biting insects).
Host a harvest party Gather your gardening friends and family and have everyone bring a dish made with their own home grown fruits and vegetables. Share gardening tips and plans for next season's growing, recipes, and enjoy the rewards of your sweat equity.
Whatever floats your boat, make time to enjoy the nice weather we have left before winter sets in. There’s no time like now!
Blue Hole Waterfall
Photo by Faith Lynn

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Magazine Update
Best of the Roan Contest Deadline!
We still need your “Best of the Roan” contest submissions! In order to include the results in the September issue, please get your votes to us no later than Wednesday, August 20. We’re still hoping to have a fun award ceremony at Erik Anderson Community Park in September, and will keep you posted with details if we’re able to make that happen.

There are several ways to submit your vote:
Write in your answers on page 17, scan it and email it to amy@roanmountainmagazine.com.
Write in your answers, take a picture of it and text it to Amy (phone number on page 5).
Complete the survey online at: freeonlinesurveys.com/s/2ngQyBLR
We Need Your Help!
As mentioned previously, we’re expanding The Grace Place starting with the September issue. The new spot will be two pages with a message from Hunter Greene’s Hillbilly Theology, a Bible verse of the month, plus church news and events. But to make this happen, we need contact information for local churches. Please reach out to us or ask a key point of contact in your church to reach out to us to be included. You can email Hunter directly at hillbillytheology@gmail.com, message us through our Facebook page, or email the information to amy@roanmountainmagazine. com with the name of the church, the contact person’s name, phone number and email address. Each month we’ll touch base to about upcoming news and events.
Social Media Fun
Colleen has been doing a great job at keeping our Facebook page active and interesting! The “Show Us Saturday” in which she invites everyone to share photos of specific topics, has been very popular! So far she’s posted “Show us your chickens!” “Show us your fireworks!” “Show us your pups!” and “Show us your cats!” If you missed out on sharing yours, it’s not too late, the posts are still active. Check in on Saturdays to see what that week’s topic is.
Another popular post is Sunday Funday, where Colleen shares a list of events taking place during the week ahead. If you have public events coming up, please send them to her by the Saturday before. You can reach her by messaging the magazine or comment on the current Sunday Funday post and she’ll reach out to you.
She’s also featuring our advertisers throughout the week, sharing content from the magazine and more. If you’re not already following us, please do!
https://bit.ly/RMM_Facebook Website Updates
As many of you know, a digital version of the magazine is available on our website. You can view it at roanmountainmagazine.com, but we’ve been working to add other useful information as well. Want a copy of the print issue but not sure where to find it? There’s now a list of all our distribution locations, by area, on the site. Just click on “Print Issue” at the top of the home page for the complete list. We’ll update it as new locations are added.
At the bottom of the Print Issue page is information about subscribing to have the magazine mailed to your home.
We’re also working on giving our advertisers more reach. To start, we now have a list of all advertisers on our Home page. Going forward we’ll update the list to link to their websites or Facebook pages and we’re working towards the option of having ad space available on the site as well.
If you haven’t visited our website, please do. It’s an easy way to share the magazine with friends and family out of the area.
Community Service Message
A generous donor in California has donated 10 automated external defibrillator (AED) devices to our community. AEDs are used to analyze heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to re-establish a healthy rhythm in the event of a heart attack. However, eight of the devices are in need of batteries, which run about $500 each. We are in search of donations to purchase the batteries. The AEDs will then be placed at key locations throughout our community. If you are able to help, please contact Jessica Ledford Street on Facebook, or amy@ roanmountainmagazine.com for details.



Tupper Tip:
Did you know you can freeze cheese? Grate your cheese, put in an airtight container, sprinkle with a little baking soda and Freeze! Keeps for months!
Colleen Gainey - Owner 321-446-8628 Find me on Facebook at Tupper-holics Anonymous for all the latest products, sales and specials! bit.ly/tupper-holics-anonymous












Boot Flower Pots: Where Hard Work Meets New Growth
By Ericka Hughes
Around here, we don’t throw much away. A wornout boot isn’t junk—it’s a story. And if you’ve lived long enough in Roan Mountain, you know stories don’t belong in the trash.
That’s why more and more folks are setting their old boots on porches, fence posts, and garden edges—not to forget them, but to give them a new purpose. Packed with soil and trailing with blooms, a boot flower pot isn’t just decoration. It’s a reminder of where we come from—and what still grows from hard work.
Why It Speaks to Us
In a town shaped by mountain grit and backbreaking labor, a boot’s not just footwear. It’s what carried you up trails, through hayfields, and across workshop floors. When you plant flowers in an old pair, you’re honoring the miles those soles walked.
There’s something honest about that. A boot flower pot says: “I worked.”, “I endured”, “And I’m not done yet.”
New life from something worn—that’s the mountain way.
A Symbol of Roan Mountain Values
▪ Resourcefulness: Our people have always known how to make do with what’s on hand. An old boot turned planter is as Appalachian as it gets—simple, practical, and proud.
▪ Heritage: Whether it’s a scuffed work boot or a child’s first hiking shoe, using it as a planter lets memories keep growing. It becomes a living tribute to family, the land, and labor.
▪ Connection to Nature: Planting mountain laurel, wild phlox, or creeping thyme in that old boot? That’s carrying a piece of the ridge right to your porch.

How to Start Your Own
▪ Clean out the boot.
▪ Drill a few small holes in the bottom (mountain rain doesn’t spare anyone).
▪ Fill with good soil.
▪ Plant flowers that can handle the weather.
▪ Set it where it can remind you of where you’ve walked—and what you’ve survived.
▪ Over time, the leather cracks, the laces rot, and moss may creep up the sides. That’s not failure. That’s character.
▪ A boot flower pot’s not just a quirky porch ornament. Around here, it’s a message: There’s still life left in what’s worn.
Photo (and boot flower pots) by Debra Stotsky
Music Spotlight: Hank Williams, Sr.
By Ericka Hughes
Long before anyone called him a legend, Hank Williams was just a boy from Alabama who carried more pain than most folks twice his age. Born Hiram King Williams in 1923, life didn’t give him much. He had health problems from the start, a father away in VA hospitals, and a mama holding things together with prayer and gospel songs. But out of those hard years, Hank found something powerful—a sound that could break your heart and put it back together in the same breath.
By his teenage years, people weren’t just listening. They were feeling what he had to say.
Roots Worth Remembering
Hank’s story didn’t start in Nashville. It started on the red dirt roads and wooden pews of Montgomery. By eight, he was working a harmonica. By eleven, he was on the guitar. By fourteen, he was writing songs that sounded older than he was. He didn’t read music. He didn’t need to. His songs came from somewhere deeper than paper.
Songs That Told the Truth
Hank didn’t dress up his words. He didn’t have to. When he sang “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” or “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” he wasn’t just telling his story, he was telling everyone’s. His voice was rough, cracked, honest—and people believed him, because every word sounded like he lived it. And he did.
Hank’s rise wasn’t slow. He hit the radio, landed a

record deal, and stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage in short order. Six encores later, country music knew his name. But behind the spotlight, Hank was hurting. Chronic pain. Addiction. A marriage that couldn’t hold together. The same things he wrote about were the things eating him alive.
The Final Ride
January 1, 1953. Somewhere along the cold roads between Knoxville and Charleston, Hank Williams Sr. slipped away to the other side, in the backseat of a Cadillac, at just 29 years old. He wore a white overcoat, carried a pocketful of unfinished lyrics, and left this world with a heart that had simply carried too much sorrow for too long.
The Sound That Won’t Quit
They buried him in Montgomery, but Hank’s songs? They never stayed quiet. You hear him in every lonely guitar chord, every highway heartbreak, every voice that’s ever tried to tell the truth without fancy words. Hank didn’t just shape country music. He is country music.
His Legacy, His Legend
The awards came later: Hall of Fame, Pulitzer Prize. But Hank’s real legacy isn’t just hanging on a wall. It’s out here with us—every time someone puts on one of his songs and feels a little less alone.
Hank Williams Sr. isn’t a memory. He’s a reason. A reason why country music still matters.
Hank Williams in a publicity photo, 1948.

Hot Summer in the Holler
A Short Story by Diana Tolley
August was the hottest dang month of the year. Little Mac Jones pulled his hat off and wiped his face with his handkerchief before replacing the wide brimmed, straw headcover. He’d swear that fact to anybody that’d listen, but he wasn’t supposed to swear. A few rows of beans still hung full on the vines and Maw had given strict orders to pick as fast as they could. It was the last of the beans for the year and Paw would be pullin’ up the vines to feed the goats. His two sisters, Nola Jean and twin sister Louise, were hunkered down, pulling the long, green vegetables like their lives depended on it. They both had on hats that matched his to keep the sun at bay, but Lordy, how the sweat was a-flowin’!
Mac didn’t mind the sweat, really, as long as they could cool off in the creek when chores were done. The three siblings had a perfect spot they’d made by damming up a section of the creek at the first of summer. It had filled up nicely and was deep enough to jump in. After they had made the big pond, Mac had climbed a gnarly walnut tree that hung out over the creek and tied one of Paw’s old hemp ropes to it for a swing. They’d made good use of it almost everyday since school had let out. Hadn’t taken long for them to get brave enough to swing out over the deep pool and drop down into the cold creek water. It’d been the highlight of the summer for all the Sugar Holler kids.
Mac didn’t hold out much hope of that, though, if Maw had anything to do with it. August wasn’t just hot as a moonshiner’s still, but it was also harvest season; lots of work to be done. Garden stuff was all “put out” and ripe for the last pickin’s. Maw always said, “If ya liked to eat, then you’d better get to likin’ harvest



time.” Mac sure did like to eat but at eight years old, harvesting was about as dull as a froe. His sisters didn’t care for it much either but they did what they were told.
“Maclyn Eugene Jones! Get your butt down here and get to pickin’ beans. They ain’t just gonna hop over into these buckets by themselves! And if we don’t hurry, creek-time ain’t gonna happen. So get over here and get to work!”
Nola Jean was bossy. The boy frowned at his oldest sister but then hunkered down and started grabbing half-runners with both hands. “She thinks ‘cause she’s 12 years old that she can boss me and the twin around,” he thought grumpily. Louise let her, most times, but Mac wasn’t above stickin’ out his tongue; occasionally. And behind her back. He wasn’t dumb. Nola Jean had wrung his ear a time or two for it but he was big enough to outrun her now. He was fast. Even Paw said so. When the next Harvest Festival happened up on the Roan, Mac was gonna win himself a ribbon in the races. Maybe even two!
That brought a grin to the young boy’s face as he reached the end of one row and started on another.
“Young’uns! Hurry now and bring me the rest of them buckets so we can get ‘em strung and broke!” Maw called from the back porch.
It was another hour but the three children finally finished the rows. Mac and Nola carried two of the big galvanized containers while Louise half drug one to the house. There was big quart jars of cold water from the well with fresh strawberries floatin’ on top waiting for them and they all three drank deep. Maw had also brought out ‘mater biscuits and bowls of good, cold tater salad for their lunch. Mac reckoned nothin’ had ever tasted as good as the feast his grandmother set before them.
While they all ate with gusto, Paw came in from the field with his burlap sack on his back. “Got some good roastin’ ears here,” he said dropping the sack onto the porch. “Figured we’d have some for supper tonight, seein’ as how we’re havin’ soup-beans and fried fatback.”
Mac thought he’d died and gone to heaven in that moment, cause that was just about his favorite meal ever. Top it with cornbread and fresh cow butter, why, it was fit for a king! The girls smiled big as they giggled at the little jig their brother did at the news of supper.
The sun had started down the other side of the sky by the time all the beans were ready for canning the next morning. Paw carried the buckets to the spring house to keep them cool til the next day and
the kids took off for the creek. Stripping off to their skivvies, they waded into the cold creek water and washed off the heat of the day. The girls splashed each other while Mac climbed the big rock where the end of their rope swing lay. Grabbing hold of the rough cord, he climbed the small bank and prepared to dive-bomb into the deepest part of the pool.
“I’m the king of the mountain!” he yelled, gripped the rope and pushed off with his feet. Just as he swung out over the water, Mac took a deep breath and let go. The splash was enormous and covered both his sisters. Their screams from the shock of the cold blast rang up and down the hollow.
“Mac, you’re king of the jackasses!” Nola Jean hollered loudly. Louise clamped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “Nola! You just said a bad word! Maw is gonna wash your mouth out with soap for bein’ a sinner!” Her younger sister was horrified.
“Oh, Lou,” her older sister said, rolling her eyes after pushing her soaked hair out of them. “Jackass ain’t a cuss word. It’s another name for a mule, which your brother IS!” The last word was practically screamed. Maclyn laughed like a hyena as he swam over to the rock and climbed up to do it all over again. Nola took out after him while Louise just stood waist deep in the water, eyes wide, still thinkin’ over the questionable word and worrying about her sister being lost. She watched as her two siblings grappled for the rope.
Shouts sounded from up the creek as the Johnson boys came splashing toward them. As they jumped into the pool of water, the three neighbor kids yelled at Mac and Nola, urging one or the other to hurry up so they could have a turn. Louise turned as Lily and Violet Stout came splashing over to her.

“We heard the ruckus! What’s goin’ on?” Lily asked laughing. Louise pointed at her sister, who had just pushed her brother off the rock then flew up the embankment.
“Nola said a bad word,” she said loudly.
“At Mac? He prolly deserved it,” one of the Johnson boys said laughing, splashing water with his hands. The other girls’ mouths dropped open as they stared up at the older girl preparing to use the rope swing. Violet almost had hero worship written in her expression at the thought of a girl cussing. Mac was trying his best to quit laughing long enough to wrestle Josiah Johnson climbing the rock.
“It was NOT A CUSS WORD!” shouted Nola Jean indignantly, just before jumping to wrap her legs around the rope. She judged it just right and let go, hitting the water, smack dab in the middle of the boys. All heck broke loose as everyone started water fighting. Everyone except Louise, who just crossed her arms and stood like a princess overlooking her crazy subjects. Josiah and Mac stopped long enough to look over at said princess, who squinted her eyes like she could read their thoughts. “Don’t even think about it Josiah Johnson. And Mac? I’ll tell Paw about you’ins paintin’
ole man Montgomery’s black cow with whitewash, so help me I will!”
Mac just grinned and slowly moved toward her. Josiah circled around to cut off any escape. Suddenly, one of the Johnson brothers cannon-balled into the deep water and gave Mac the cue. He started splashing his twin sister with water, enjoying her shrieks. His friend started doing the same from behind her and soon it was another free-for-all. The girls were trying to protect Louise and the boys were taking the offensive. It was so much fun and everyone was having a great time, including Maclyn’s twin. She laughed maniacally as she jumped on Mac’s shoulders, dunking him under the water before doing the same to one of the other boys.
Time passed and the sun crept down below the mountain. The sounds of mothers hollerin’ for their offspring could be heard in the air all up and down the
with big smiles. The day had turned into one of the best ones ever. As they stepped up onto the porch, their grandparents handed them towels and helped them dry off. “Sounded like ya’ll had a real good time, this evening,” Paw said, with a soft laugh.
“We did!” Mac said.
“Sure did, Paw.” Nola added.
“What about you, Lou? Did you show them boys what-for?” Maw asked.
Louise sniffed and looked at her brother and sister. “Well, yeah, if you call baptizin’ a bunch of sinners fun.” Everyone just stopped for a second and stared at her. “They’re all saved now so it’s ok.” The adults broke out in laughter and her siblings breathed a sigh of relief.
“You can thank me later,” she said to them before turning to walk in the house. Mac and Nola just rolled their eyes and followed her inside.

I’ve spent enough years behind the wheel of a Cub Cadet LTX1050 to know every sound it makes. The rattle when the deck’s packed full of wet grass. The strain in the engine when it’s pushing uphill. I know when it’s working right—and when it’s about to test my patience.
The Cub Cadet’s a basic lawn tractor. Steering wheel in your hands, pedal underfoot, and forward feels like forward. It’s steady. Familiar. Something about that simplicity fits into muscle memory without thinking.
Then came the day I tried someone else’s Kubota zero-turn.
I thought it’d be simple. But the moment I sat down, I realized how wrong I was. No steering wheel. No brake pedal. Just two levers controlling each wheel separately. Everything I’d learned on the Cub Cadet meant nothing. On a zero-turn, you’re not steering. You’re balancing. Pivoting. Controlling movement with push-and-pull tension.
And I’m not too proud to admit that I didn’t get the hang of it.
If you'd seen me, it would have made you laugh. I made myself laugh. I jerked through turns. Overcorrected. Spun in circles when I meant to drive straight. And every time I tried to relax, my hands wanted to fall back into old habits.
Overall, I prefer the Cub Cadet.
Because truth be told, I’m comfortable with it. It’s what I’m used to. It makes sense in my hands. But here’s what the zero-turn reminded me: adapting isn’t
Field Notes from the Learning Curve:
• A zero-turn isn’t harder—it’s different. Each lever controls a wheel. Balance matters more than force.
• Expect mistakes. Spinning too sharp, jerking turns, or overshooting lines are part of learning.
• Lawn tractors like the Cub Cadet are familiar for a reason. They’re steady, forgiving, and easier to control when your hands know what to do.
• Trying something new is its own kind of work. Even when you’re not ready to switch, the willingness to try matters.
• Adapting isn’t about knowing—it’s about learning.

LESSONS IN LIFE & LANDSCAPING
Adapting to Change
By Ericka Hughes
always about switching machines. It’s about staying open to change when it comes—whichever direction it takes you.
Life's Lesson
I haven’t mastered the zero-turn. Not yet. But I learned something real from trying: growth isn’t tied to success. It’s tied to effort. It’s tied to being willing to look foolish. To try something new even when it makes you feel like a beginner again.
In landscaping—and in life—adapting doesn’t always mean trading out what works. Sometimes it just means being ready to learn something different when the time comes.
Because change doesn’t always ask for your permission.
But it does ask for your attention.

Fun & Games
(For kids of ALL ages!)



Can you get to the sunflowers?
August Word Search
Annie Oakley
August
Augustus Caesar
Back To School
Davy Crockett
Fishing
Fog
Gladiolus
Harvest
Leo
Lightning Bugs
Mother Teresa
Old Ways
Orville Wright
Peridot
Perseid Meteor Shower
Pollinators
Purple Heart
Sardonyx
Sturgeon Moon
Sunflowers
Tomatoes
Virgo
VJ Day
Waterfalls
Watermelon




Holler Echoes
A Poem by Ericka Hughes

I was just a kid, barefoot on Mammaw and Papaw’s front porch, I wasn’t calling for anyone. I hollered just to holler— the way kids do. Loud. Thoughtless. Just seeing what the hills would do with the sound.
And when my voice came back to me, clear and strong from across the ridge, I understood something I hadn’t before. The mountains had heard me. And that mattered.
Long before phones, before wires ever crossed these ridges, That's how folks talked. You stepped outside and hollered, for work, for supper, for help.
A voice carried what needed saying, when nothing else could.
Standing there that day, hearing my own voice return, I didn’t know it yet but I’d stepped into something older than myself.
That’s the day I learned: up here, a voice is never just a voice. It’s how people find you. It’s how you know you’re not alone.
THE LAST WORD
Raising Kids is Hard
By Noah Blair
Raising children is hard. It’s messy, exhausting, and at times, downright painful. Kids have a distinct ability to know every button their parents have and can stomp every one of them simultaneously. They are impossible to plan around and require 24/7 surveillance to keep them alive (especially boys; if you know you know). Little girls aren’t perfect themselves; they are dramatic, needy, and want all the attention. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, this guy must not like his kids, and depending on the day you might be right. (I’m joking, of course.)
Children are the hardest thing you will ever be responsible for, and while yes, some days are long, the special moments that make up those days are what make having children the greatest joy our Heavenly Father could bless anyone with. The little moments that go by like a flash but have a lingering impact ranging from a minute to a lifetime. Moments where time seems to stop or all the worries of the day just melt away because of the way your kid looked up at you or said I love you or gave you a sticky kiss.
The other day I had a load of dirt hauled to the house to reshape part of our yard for the kiddos’ playset and to landscape around. My son’s eyes lit up as he saw the dump truck coming up the driveway, As he saw the dirt pour out the back of the truck they got wider and a mischievous grin spread across his face. He was at the top of the dirt pile before I knew it and began a
3-hour-long toy monster truck race that only ended due to the rain. As we headed inside covered in dirt and mud my little man looked up at me and said, “Thank you, Daddy. That dirt was the most fun I’ve ever had!”
Dirt. That was the most fun he ever had. This kid has been on trips, has any toy you could imagine, and is always playing, but the dirt pile was the best.
My parents installed a pool at their house so, in their words, “You guys will always be up here hanging out with us.” I also should mention they’re always feeding all three of their boys and their families, even now that we’re grown, so you could say their plan has worked flawlessly.
We were up at their house eating and it was getting up near the kiddos’ bedtime. As we were getting ready to leave my daughter asked me if we could swim in the pool. My first thought was, Absolutely not, it’s late, it’s almost bedtime, and I have to work tomorrow. But I caught myself looking into the eyes of a little girl who desperately wanted her daddy to swim with her. So, as would any dad whose little girl has him wrapped around her little finger, we got in the pool. After we made it home the last words she said to me before falling asleep were, “Thank you daddy for swimming with me, I'll never forget it.”
I could let these moments go without finding the lasting importance in them or allow life to pull my mind away but at least for those two moments with my babies, I’m reminded that the little things like swimming pools and dirt piles can be a bridge to the bigger things, like your son and daughter making memories with their dad and for their dad to have those memories to look back on when they don’t want to play monster trucks in the mud or swim late at night anymore. I’m going to soak up every moment I can with my littles before they grow up, and I urge those of you reading this to do the same. If your children are grown and have teenagers, toddlers or babies of their own, go make some memories with them. If you don’t have children of your own then go make memories with those you love because life is too short and fragile for us not to fill our memories of every special moment we can, with as many people that we can.

See you out there, and remember God Loves you!
Brynlee and Tytan, posing for Dad.
Photo by Noah Blair

















