Hello from Room 107 at the Skyline Lodge in Highlands. I’m here on assignment for the Bear Shadow Music Festival. But, my mind keeps drifting elsewhere. It wanders to the fact I’m not back home for the memorial service for the recent passing of my best friend. That, and the last time I stayed here was with the woman I thought that I’d spend the rest of my life with. 

“Meet me at the big gun.”

Plenty of Haywood County residents have uttered these words, referring to a large anti-aircraft weapon featured prominently in downtown Clyde that serves as a memorial to those from the town who gave their lives in service of this country. Over time, it’s become a rendezvous point for any number of occasions, a location for ceremonies honoring veterans and those fell in combat and a prop for folks wanting a quirky photo opportunity.

Greenhill Cemetery will once again take part in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a national observance that began in 1992 and has grown each year as more cemeteries across the country join in the effort to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of American veterans.

Greenhill Cemetery will once again take part in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a national observance that began in 1992 and has grown each year as more cemeteries across the country join in the effort to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of American veterans.

On Sunday, July 6, with the cooperation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the North Shore Cemetery Association will host decorations at Proctor and Bradshaw cemeteries.  

The Universe. It never ceases to amaze me.

This evening (last Monday be the time you read this), I felt kind of lonely. A lot of that feeling has to do with the last eight months or so of my life. Work burnout. The flood. The aftermath. The breakup. The aftermath. Turning 40. Starting therapy. Life, in general. And so on. 

More than two centuries after William Bartram explored the Southern Appalachian foothills, his words, like his footsteps, still echo through the ridgelines and river valleys he once traversed.  

The Haywood County Public Library recently unveiled a memorial to Fred Chappell at its Canton branch, which honors his literary achievements and dedication to teaching creative writing. 

On Sunday, May 4 with the cooperation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the North Shore Cemetery Association will host decorations at Woody and Hoyle Cemeteries. 

On Sunday, April 27, with the cooperation with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the North Shore Cemetery Association will begin a year of decorations at Branton and Lower Noland Creek Cemeteries.