bird dogs

Photos and words by Rebecca Wood

‘what’s a bird dog?’, i had to ask.

‘it’s a chicken finger on a hotdog bun', came the reply.

Gorgeous Homestead

photos and words by Rebecca Wood

We saw this amazing square building as we rounded a bend.  It looked so old timey and more like New England than Virginia, especially in the grey light.

late summer, in the garden

Supper Club with Rebecca Wood

Photos by Kristen Bach and Rinne Allen, words by Kristen Bach

Our friend Mimi Maumus, owner of home.made catering has started a supper club here in Athens.  She invites folks to a monthly supper inspired by the season.   This past supper club was the first artist supper club that featured Rebecca Wood's drawings and we all enjoyed a great evening.  Enjoy some of the lovely details from the evening.  

If you want to sign up for this month's supper club it is this Friday and you can sign up here!

synchronized fireflies

Photos and words by Kristen Bach

This story is from a couple months ago but was so wonderful that I wanted to share. Mark your calenders for next year. We chose to go early June to see the “Synchronized Fireflies.” From what I have read, there are only a few places where fireflies are synchronized like this, and no one knows the definite reason why it happens. One place is Elkmont Park in the Smokies, and the other places where this happens are in Asia. This year we decided to camp, hike up to the large open field, watch the sun set, and wait for the fireflies. It was an amazing thing to see and very hard to capture on film.

I am sharing a couple of pics from our magical little evening.

Beauty by the Side of the Road

This one was just sitting there, where three country roads come together in Floyd, Virginia. don't ever think your best days are behind you. This one is more beautiful than ever!

old mill

Photos and words by Rebecca Wood

here's an old water mill by a river in virginia. it was an overcast day, so it looked a little spooky and even more deserted.

Country Zinnias

Arrangement by Kat Hawkins. Photo by Kristen Bach

biggest mill in the smokies

Photos by Kristen Bach

On our way home from a recent trip to the Smokies we took 441 South all of the way home to Athens. We stopped by Mingus Mill on our way through and took a little walk around. Mingus Mill was the largest mill in the Smokies and milled grain for 200 families. You could get corn ground on the spot, but you would have to wait for wheat flour to get ground. Mingus Mill still functions, and they process cornmeal and whole wheat flour for visitors to see and purchase. 
The mill’s mechanics were constructed almost entirely from wood and metal and then powered by water that was guided to the mill from a nearby river. Overall it was pretty fascinating to see.

Take a peek at our post on Wednesday where we will show some views and tell a little more about this lovely rustic mill.