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586 Search Results for "george ellison"
Galax’s enduring popularity
Published: 2018-12-12 15:59:54Galax is an evergreen groundcover found throughout the Blue Ridge. The plant can thrive in various settings, but the ideal habitat is a cool moist site with partial shade and acidic soil. It occurs in extensive patches that can reward the observer in eve...
Read MoreThe face behind the lens: Longtime journalist to hold photo showcase
Published: 2018-12-05 15:28:16For over 25 years, journalist Quintin Ellison has roamed our region documenting the people, places and things that make up the distinctive history and culture of Western North Carolina. And now, she finds herself on the other side of the conversation. In...
Read MoreEvening gosbeaks to make rare appearance
Published: 2018-11-14 16:11:08“Seen for the first time amid the snows of winter and against a background of darkling pines these strange and beautiful waifs of the northland seem somehow out of place, as would some rare and singular exotic plant blossoming in ... winter.” — Dr....
Read MoreHoney locust pods are well-protected
Published: 2018-10-31 15:10:39Strap-shaped honey locust pods can be up to 2-inches wide and a foot or more in length. Hanging in abundance along roadsides, they bring back memories. My buddies and I used to gather them to eat the sugary pulp. . The young greenish-brown pods that appe...
Read MoreFinding the balance between good and evil
Published: 2018-10-17 15:48:02The Cherokees believed that they must keep the world in balance, in a state of equilibrium …. that if they did not maintain equilibrium, then droughts, storms, disease, or other disasters might occur …. They tried not to exploit nature. When a hunter...
Read MoreOil Nut, that most curious fruit
Published: 2018-10-03 16:02:51For Elizabeth and 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. An...
Read MoreMis-identifying mushrooms is a risky mistake
Published: 2018-09-19 15:42:24Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in September 2004. The cool and humid forests and valleys of the Smokies region are said to be home to a greater variety of mushrooms and related fungi species than any other place o...
Read More‘Ironfoot,’ the hermit of Island Park
Published: 2018-09-05 14:18:31Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a September 2014 issue of The Smoky Mountain News. I generally enjoy working in my office, which is situated off the town square in Bryson City. But I find that it’s sometimes worthwhile to get away, if on...
Read MoreTurkeys played important role in Cherokee culture
Published: 2018-08-22 14:08:41Editor’s note: This George Ellison column first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in August 2016. The comeback of the wild turkey in the southern mountains in recent years is one of the notable success stories in wildlife restoration. Thirty or so ye...
Read MoreCherokee thought buzzards possessed powers
Published: 2018-08-08 15:16:01The recent heavy rains here in the Smokies region have been a blessing, especially to those of us who like to observe vultures up close and personal. That's because the big birds have to remain in their roost trees well into late morning in order to dry ...
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