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586 Search Results for "george ellison"
Careful of the jimson weed
Published: 2014-06-13 14:27:55“Jimson Weed is featured in a set of mystic books recently popular, Carlos Castaneda’s tales of mind expansion with the Mexican Indian shaman, Don Juan. Seeds of this common weed do indeed contain an hallucinogenic component, but, as is so often the ...
Read MoreIndian hemp for the long haul
Published: 2014-06-13 14:11:32For me, those plants found here in the Smokies region that have verified practical human uses are, in the long run, of more interest than those with often overblown reputations for sacred or medicinal uses. . For instance, the history of the common roads...
Read MoreThe mountains tumultuous past
Published: 2014-06-13 13:23:40To myself, mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery; in them, and in the forms of inferior landscape that lead to them, my affections are wholly bound up; and though I can look with happy admiration at the lowland flowers, and woods...
Read MoreA perfect time for a visit in the park
Published: 2014-06-12 13:21:20Now is the perfect time to plan a mountain getaway excursion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One of the drives favored by many is the Blue Ridge Parkway to Balsam Mountain Campground Road and along Heintooga Ridge to the Round Bottom Road and...
Read MoreA legacy of lookers
Published: 2014-06-11 18:08:40From time to time, I like to reflect upon the plant hunters, botanists and horticulturalists that first entered these mountains during the late 18th century to survey, collect, and propagate the unsurpassed floral riches of the region. . That was an exci...
Read MoreThe turkey’s role in Cherokee culture
Published: 2014-06-11 17:30:12The come back of the wild turkey in the southern mountains in recent years is one of the notable success stories in wildlife restoration. Thirty or so years ago, the sighting of a flock of wild turkeys was a rarity. Thanks to the combined efforts of the ...
Read MoreChinquapins a hardy, unusual shrub
Published: 2014-06-11 16:13:27Do you have chinquapins growing on your property or in your vicinity? If so, you’re fortunate. For my money, “the little brother of the chestnut” (as it’s sometimes called) is one of our more graceful and interesting plants, especially during the...
Read MoreThe oil nut’s curious little green fruits
Published: 2014-06-11 15:56:31For me, the fall season is one of the most invigorating times to get out in the woods and prowl around. Many of the most beautiful wildflowers found in the Blue Ridge, especially the lobelias and gentians, are then coming into their own. . And most of th...
Read MoreExpect the unexpected
Published: 2014-06-11 15:25:57When writing about the natural world, I prefer to write about specific natural areas, plants, and animals here in the southern highlands. But from time to time I do like to pause and consider the philosophical aspects of comprehending the natural world. ...
Read MoreNighttime navigators
Published: 2014-06-06 19:41:03Usually I sit on the front deck of our house for a while after getting home from work. Then, before dusk, I normally retire to the kitchen area to listen to the radio while eating supper. One evening last week, however, I remained on the deck watching th...
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