by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Sep 4, 2023 | Farming, Food, Nature
I attempt a small garden most years. And by “garden” I mean that I tuck fruit and vegetable plants in the flower beds. Or I grow them in pots on the porch. At our last house I quickly learned not to grow anything a rabbit might like unless I just wanted to...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 5, 2023 | Appalachian, Family, Nature, Traditions
In the cool of the evening my husband and I like to sit out on the back deck. In our last house, we didn’t have much of a porch and were relegated to sitting on the front steps. It’s a great time to chat lazily, watch Thistle poke around, and see what the...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 17, 2023 | Appalachian, Nature
I ADORE spring in Appalachia when the most amazing wildflowers put on a show. While there are certainly some showy flowers out there, the ones I like best are the sweet little flowers poking up through last autumn’s leaves. Hope for another year in shades of...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 20, 2023 | Appalachian, folklore cures, Nature
It’s been a roller coaster leading up to the first few days of spring. We’ve had temperatures in the 70s and then . . . snow. Back and forth, spring has been a terrible tease this year. Of course, it’s not as bad as when folks had to wait for spring to eat anything...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 20, 2023 | Hiking, Nature
Spring approaches in the mountains in fits and starts. Days in February alternate between bone-chilling cold and balmy. Last week we were threatened with snow and Thursday is supposed to hit the upper 70s. And all the signs of spring are here trying to trick us! The...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Nov 14, 2022 | Nature, Research, superstition
I love mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. Miracles even. I’ve long been familiar with the Brown Mountain Lights–a mysterious occurrence people sometimes see on a mountain near where we’re now living in NC. I’ve even been to Brown Mountain Beach...
