I spent this Saturday morning out "birding" with some Audubon folks at Beaver Lake again. I opted not to take my camera and just use the binoculars, because it seems that I can't do both and actually enjoy seeing the birds. Some of the ones we spotted, though I have no proof, were: Eastern Kingbird, Goldfinches, Green Heron, Towee, Blue Grey Gnatcatcher, Orchard Oriole, Song Sparrows, and the common and ever-present Robins, Grackles, and Starlings, including baby starlings peeping out of a tree hole nest and parents flying in with food.
And since this is the weekend of the annual Black Mountain Arts and Crafts Festival, I definitely wanted to check that out. It was pretty much what I expected - a quaint and wonderful experience, and the main streets of the little town overflowing with people. Not so much art, mostly mountain craft, but some very high quality work.
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| Looking down the hill at the main area of the booths. |
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| The town of Black Mountain was originally named "Grey Eagle" by the Cherokee, and this bronze figure down by the old train depot commemorates that history. The rocking chair is part of a town-wide display of rocking chairs decorated by residents, because the Chamber of Commerce welcomes folks to the "Front Porch of the Blue Ridge" - or something like that. I'll have to find the exact slogan. So I guess the rockers are kind of like the decorated statuary the larger towns have: pigs, bulls, dolphins, mermaids, or what have you. Only on a small-town scale. |
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| Clearly the development of the rail road was important to this little town as it was many others. The old train depot is maintained as a location for sales of local arts/crafts year round. My rental is close enough (and far away enough) from the tracks to hear that "lonesome whistle" blow a couple of times a day in a most pleasant way. |
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