by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Oct 17, 2022 | Hiking, Nature
We love to hike with our dog. And, happily, there are some great spots for getting out and tromping around in the woods in western North Carolina. I will confess to sometimes rolling my eyes at the people out on the trail who are surprised to discover things like: If...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Oct 10, 2022 | Appalachian, Language, Nature, West Virginia
For the first 18 years of my life, I lived in a place where the driving directions included the phrase, “Turn off the paved road.” I love that so many places in Appalachia can be reached not by driving down highways or paying attention to street signs, but by...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Sep 26, 2022 | Hiking, Memories, Nature
When we were kids walking home from the school bus along a West Virginia dirt road, touch-me-not or jewel weed offered excellent entertainment. And now, as an adult, when I’m walking Thistle along mountain trails, I keep an eye out for plump jewel weed pods....
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Aug 22, 2022 | Nature
Something was eating my tomato plant. At first, I thought it was deer. So I moved the potted tomato onto the back terrace where I hoped they wouldn’t find it. Still, leaves disappeared and there were black castings on the ground that made me suspect something...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 6, 2022 | Appalachian, Family, Memories, Nature
A new deck is going up on our house as I write this. And I can hardly wait to sit out there in the cool of the evening. At our last house, my husband and I would often sit on the front porch steps, chatting lazily, watching Thistle poke around, and waving at passing...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Mar 28, 2022 | Appalachian, Hiking, Nature, Writing
My favorite way to brainstorm a new story is wearing a pair of hiking shoes on a mountain trail with my dog snuffling through the leaves. I get the BEST ideas! Since our move a little north and east in our section of the Appalachian Mountains, we’ve been getting...
