Sourwood does not stand out in the forest except this time of year when it is in bloom, and perhaps in the fall when it displays brilliant red colors.

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is locally called "sorrel” and is common in our area. It tends to be a small understory tree growing under larger tree canopies. The bark is a gray-brown color and has a blocky appearance when mature. The leaves are lance shaped, thin, and finely toothed along the edge. If you chew one, you'll get a sour taste. In late June/early July the tree produces lovely sprays of small, white, urn shaped flowers that form in clusters that look like Lily-of-the-Valley. The flower nectar is very attractive to honeybees.

Union County 4-H’er Miranda Boucher recently attended the 2025 Eastern Region 4-H Fashion and Design Conference, held June 3–5 at the Edgewater Hotel in Gatlinburg, TN. She was joined by Union County Family and Consumer Science Agent, Abigail Thomas, for the exciting three-day event.

When I came up with the title, I heard the song “Beach Baby” in my head. Initially I thought it was recorded by The Beach Boys in the 60s. Actually , it was released by the British band, “The First Class,” in 1974. I was wrong on both fronts, but I was right about Maverick being a beach baby. He absolutely loved being at the ocean.

From June 24–26, youth from across East Tennessee gathered at Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville, TN, for the 2025 Eastern Region 4-H Quilt Camp. This year’s theme, “Glamp and Stitch,” brought a touch of glamour and fun to the art of quilting during this unique three-day, two-night camp experience.

Different stretches have different functions. Some focus on a particular muscle or muscle group or limb and improve movement. Others, sometimes referred to as ‘active’ stretches, are intended to increase strength. These three exercises are designed to do both with your back:

On June 9, Union County Commission voted to approve the FY26 budget with no tax increase. Several discussions centered around nonprofit contributions. But after much back and forth, the commission approved a cap on nonprofit contributions. The approval of the balanced budget was approved by a slim majority.

Commissioners also formally hired Spirit Architects to plan and oversee the building of the jail. The commission approved reappointments to the Union County Library Board. All budget amendments, mainly to clean up the current FY 25 budget, were also approved.

Senator Jessie Seal and Representative Dennis Powers honored Ruthie Cooke with a resolution passed by the Tennessee General Assembly at the Union County Business & Professional meeting in June. Ruthie was recognized for having served as secretary of the Republican Party for over 35 years.

Sitting in my bedroom/office looking out our double glass doors across the porch and seeing no leaves moving, shadows forming as the late afternoon sun sinks slowly in the west. Our first really hot weather has arrived with temperatures forecast to hit nearly 100 degrees here in Tennessee. Also, the daylight hours have started getting shorter and will continue getting shorter until December 21st. It’s hard to believe that shorter daylight hours starts when summer begins. Well getting down to business, this month’s article will continue with a year by year recap of happenings from the year 2000 ‘til the year 2020. By studying the listed happenings, you will see quite a change from the listed happenings from the 1960’s ‘til the year 2000. You will not see as many innovations, accomplishments and the United States saw more American products and American manufacturing companies moving to foreign countries.

Artificial intelligence, Creation, and the Tower Of Babel

Artificial Intelligence, commonly abbreviated as AI, is all the rage today. Emeritus Stanford Professor John McCarthy is credited with coining the term in 1955. He defined AI as “the science or engineering of making intelligent machines” . Merriam-Websters dictionary defines Artificial as “made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural.” Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines Intelligence as “the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations.”

Cousins: We were quick to get into mischief as well as to stand strong as a tribe to defend each other. There is a bond between cousins that is different than other friends. It’s hard to describe if you don’t already know, but for us, we always knew you were just one call away.