The most common owl that I run across locally is the Barred Owl (Strix varia) but have only seen them a handful of times. But I know they visit my woods regularly by their easy to recognize 8 or 9 note call that is remembered by the phrase “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all”. When I hear the Barred or any owl call out, it gives me a shiver of wildness that is very satisfying.

One hot summer day in the mid-90s, we had the urge to go somewhere to cool off and have a picnic. Gee Creek and Quinn Springs on the Hiwassee River were good candidates, but they were usually a little crowded in the summer. We decided to find an out-of-the-way picnic site in the Cherokee National Forest. We found one called Lost Creek. It turned out to be about as out of the way as they came, but it was beautiful.

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Well, March is almost here. (Wishful thinking) I have been trying to recollect what we ate in the wintertime back in the day. No grapes from Peru or avocados from Mexico. All food was local. Fresh produce was expensive and limited in selection. No matter. We couldn't afford it anyway. We ate what we had on the farm. I don't know how the folks in town got on that didn't have a garden.

ICARE is a coalition dedicated to preventing alcohol and substance abuse in Union County, Tennessee. They meet on the last Thursday of each month at 11:30 am at Li’l Joe's BBQ, and the meetings are open to the public.

ICARE's director is Mindy Grimm, and her administrative assistant is Amanda Tucker (owner/operator of Liquid Lightning coffee shop in Maynardville). ICARE does not have 501c3 nonprofit designation, so it cannot solicit funds from the public. ICARE is a member of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee and is funded by grants.

This is the third of a series of articles on the history of Wood Dale School in Union County, Tennessee.

In the first article I shared information about Wood Dale School from 1900 through the depression years to 1940 as related in Our Union County Heritage: A Historical and Biographical Album of Union County—People, Places, Events by Kathleen George Graves and Winnie Palmer McDonald (© 1978 Josten’s); Ms. Bonnie Heiskell Peter’s book Union County Schoolday Memories: A Pictorial History of Union County Elementary Schools From the mid-1800’s to the 1960s; and from available school registers on file at the Union County Board of Education.

Continuing from "From Hearth And Hoe": "Companies were issued athletic equipment to ensure at least some opportunity for leisure time. It was necessary for the camp residents to produce much of their own entertainment: consequently stunt nights, dances, musical concerts, and minstrel shows were frequently held within the camp, using members as performers. To prevent boys from becoming restless and homesick, recreation leaders provided entertainment through various games and sports.

Born in 1928, my early years were through the Great Depression. Those were truly hard times. No food stamps, Medicaid or Medicare, and minimal welfare. My dad was too proud to accept welfare as were many men of that era. We got by, just barely. We thought everyone else was suffering like we were. That perception made it easier to take.

Researchers have determined for the first time the maximum weight a child should carry using a school backpack trolley: a maximum of 20% of their body weight.

To date, weight recommendations have been established for ordinary school backpacks, as they are the most widely used type in the school context worldwide. However, some children use backpacks on wheeled trolleys, and until now there have been no studies making weight recommendations for this type of backpack.

Her picture shed a whole new light on things. Literally.

The “her” is my step father’s granddaughter, Christine. She lives in Southern California. Last fall, she came out to our neck of the woods to visit and take in our beautiful East Tennessee.

And that she did.

Six years ago, I was working at East Ridge Elementary School in Chattanooga. That school year I had volunteered to be on the social studies textbook committee where we would choose new textbooks to match the new state standards. Even though I was a librarian, I taught social studies lessons. I was also interested in how the process worked. On Tuesday, January 28th, I was with the group of about 25 teachers meeting in an old county building in St. Elmo, which sits at the base of Lookout Mountain, near the Incline Railway.