It’s hard to know what to write about when my mind is swirling in so many directions, as I’m sure most of yours are as well. As someone said, not only were the effects of Hurricane Helene on a mountain region improbable, they were unimaginable.

Putting the truck into park, my girlfriend, Sarah, and I finally returned to our quaint apartment in downtown Waynesville Monday evening. After a long journey from the North Carolina coast back to Haywood County this weekend, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions.  

Hospital staff work through communication disruptions, water system failures and their own storm-induced uncertainty to keep caring for patients. 

It’s a hot, early evening at FloydFest, the storied independently-run music festival held each July in the backwoods of rural Virginia. With live music radiating from stages positioned in seemingly every direction, indie-rockers The Nude Party finish its set to the deafening roar of the jubilant crowd begging for just one more tune before dispersing into the next melodic adventure. 

Hello from Cabin 156 at Tryon International, the massive equestrian center and event facility along U.S. 74, just down the mountain from Saluda. The mountains in the distance remind me of the beauty of my home that is Western North Carolina.

The sheer beauty and fundamental foundation of bluegrass music resides in one simple truth about the tones, textures and talents within the “high, lonesome sound” — its timelessness. 

Organizers with the Mountain State Fair sponsored by Ingles Markets are busy preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fair with the new entertainment and an expanded Got to Be NC Pavilion featuring 22 new outdoor vendors. 

Asheville rock group The Andrew Thelston Band will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville. 

At his Aug. 14 rally in Asheville — billed as an opportunity to deliver remarks on the economy — former President Donald Trump didn’t have much in the way of specifics, but he may have finally found his voice on the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Any live music fan knows the feeling of the energy in a crowd before a show begins. And, despite its newness in only its second year of existence, that energy was in full effect at AVLfest this past weekend in Asheville.