Snakes always draw interest from the park visitors here at Big Ridge State Park. Questions about snakes are common for park rangers.
I am not an expert on the subject, but I can share some answers to some common questions.
Snakes may draw a lot of interest, and that interest is not always from a loving viewpoint.
A common saying I have heard from older folks is “There is no such thing as a good snake except a dead snake.”
While snakes create some fear and hate among some people, they play an important role in nature.

About 30 years ago, this salad was all the rage and dominated most potluck tables just as macaroni salad did in the ’60s. You seldom see it anymore, and that’s too bad. It is a delicious hearty salad. Makes a big batch, too.

Personally, I like feathers, but I prefer to see them on birds. in the mid-1980s, though, they were all the rage for people to have in their living rooms. And being one who loves to be in style, my mom had to have some feathers too.
These feathers were not the pretty little ones you may find laying in your yard. Oh, no. These were as tall as some people and very colorful. Most of the time these feathers were in a basket or some kind of vase.

It intrigues me how trees are so often intertwined with our culture and history. The July celebration of our Independence is a good time for a history lesson. The Liberty Tree was an elm tree in Boston where protesters of English rule would congregate. It became a symbol of individual liberty and resistance to tyranny, and during the Revolutionary War several flags were designed with a tree that represented the Tree of Liberty. One flag in particular had an important message.

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey is excited to share the news that a grant has been awarded to Union County for construction of a multifield Sports Complex on the half of Luttrell Industrial Park that is still owned by the county. Bailey states that while running for office, he kept hearing that “our kids need something to do!” so he made fulfilling that need part of his initiative. While considering all possible sites, the Luttrell Industrial Park repeatedly checked all of the boxes.

Scientists have discovered that a majority of back-pain patients they tested who were taking opioid painkillers produced anti-opioid antibodies. These antibodies may contribute to some of the negative side effects of long-term opioid use.

Admit it. You have a favorite adjective that you like to use to describe yourself. Besides writer and author, I love to call myself an old tomboy. Why not? I have been a tomboy my whole life. The word “old” is kinda recent though.
When I was a little girl, er tomboy, I absolutely loved to wrastle. By the way, that’s how we pronounce the word wrestle here in East Tennessee. Anyway, I would have rather done that than eat. In fact, I often tell people I learned how to wrastle before I could part my hair straight. No joke. The next time you see me, check out my part.

Sunday seems to be the day for travel curiosities in hero Union County, at least for me. A few Sundays ago on my way home from church I saw a man standing at the intersection of Ailor Gap Road and Maynardville Highway (aka Highway 33, State Route 33, Main Street, Maynardville Highway). This man was holding a sign, and as the light was green I didn’t get to read it well, but it did make reference to the Bible.
Interesting, I thought. I’ve lived in Maynardville all my life, and I don’t recall ever seeing anything that resembled a street corner preacher on Sunday or any other day.

There are a zillion strawberry jam recipes. This one is different, really different. There is no pectin in it. Since we see fresh strawberries in the produce section of Food City all year long, it can be made anytime. check out the other tasty combinations at the end of the recipe.

What’s the difference between a chipmunk and a mouse? The chipmunk has a striped back and cheek pouches. We consider both to be pests. Not so, for our cats. Chipmunks are their sources of entertainment as well as a snack.