"I shall Gather up All the lost souls That wander this Earth..."

I shall
Gather up
All the lost souls
That wander this Earth
All the ones that are Alone
All the ones that are Broken
All the ones that never really fitted in
I shall gather them all up
And together, we shall find our home
A little poem written by Athey Thompson
Taken from A Little Book Of Poetry
By Athey Thompson

This beautiful picture is taken by Rob MacInnis. Rob is an Amazingly Talented Photographer who captures the beauty and the gentle, quiet moments between Farm Animals. Please take a look on Robs page and support him.

The Photography of Rob MacInnis

Taken from Tales of old forest Faeries

A reflection on back roads and destinations

I don't know who wrote the following reflection on traveling up this back road and taking a few breaths but it does speak to me. I'm taking it from The Appalachian Project Facebook page. I think that this is great writing. I hope that it touches you as it has touched me.

A hazy, misty morning road on a seldom traveled backroad snaking up the hillside and disappearing out of view. It just seems like the perfect road to lead to some mysterious and potentially foreboding destination.

I normally don't like traveling alone but, occasionally, it allows some time for introspection. I zoned out while driving and really didn't even know where I was at when this view grabbed my attention. I was in a little bit of a hurry to get to my destination but I couldn't resist stopping to soak up the scene.

I turned my car off and stepped out to check it out and grab this pic. It was another place that was eerily quiet, the only thing I heard was the sound of gravels crunching beneath me as I walked toward the road.

I got to the foot of the hill and just paused. I took this picture then stood still scanning the whole scene. It was a little chilly but that mountain air was so crisp and clean that I closed my eyes and filled my lungs several times to absorb as much as I could.

I opened my eyes back up and just stood there a little longer just to get a little more of the experience. A lot of times in life you aren't aware that you're in "a moment" until it is over with, but this time I knew full well I was in this one.

I really don't need to see this picture because the memory is seared in my mind but I wanted to share it with y'all and I hope you like it.

If you were out driving and it was 7:00 PM...

If that was you right now what music would you be playing?

I would be playing

There might be a couple of tears in my eyes, but that's just what I would be playing.

 

The Carter Family

I am a fan of the Carter family's music. Ward Weems provided the following photograph and caption from LIFE Magazine.

The Carter Family at their Poor Valley, Virginia home, 1941. A. P., Ezra, with his wife Maybelle and young daughters, Anita, June and Helen with A.P's wife Sara next to grand-daughter Flo Millard and Gladys Carter Millard, with Maybelle's mom Margaret Addington and A.P.'s son Joe. Photographed by Eric Schaal for LIFE Magazine.

That is June Carter, as in June Carter Cash later on.

These are two of my favorite Carter Family songs:

The Carter Family Wabash Cannon Ball

Carter Family-East Virginia Blues No.1

Nothing says "home" to me like...

a full run of a coal train running alongside the Tug River

 

Photo by Frankie Katrina Hunt

and a Bluetick

Photo by John Burchett

And the music to go with it all

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - Train 45

The great beauty that is around us and among us

We're fortunate to have two separate posts on the great beauty that is around us and among us today. These two come from Mr. Van Malone. He says of the first "I painted this last night using water colors and acrylics. I love seeing old home places and barns." As with many other people, I look at these and wish that I could create something so beautiful as these. Still, I think that some of what we feel as we look at these is bound to derive from the honesty of the paintings, there familiarity, the way they welcomes us. Do you ever drive by barns and rural homes and wonder about the people living in those areas? Do you ever feel the excitement of seeing your destination in the distance? The person viewing these has some critical distance and will feel a part of the trip home. And for some people there is a "Welcome home!" waiting for them.

If you want to see more in our series showing some of the beautiful things around us and among us, please hit the "Beauty" tag on this post.

The Tug Fork River

My friend Dustin Estep is involved in efforts to help clean up the Tug Fork River and he does some fishing there and writes some of the most beautiful reports on fishing that you can image and posts these on the Friends of the Tug Fork River Facebook page. I have talked a good deal here on this blog about the Tug Fork and the Friends of the Tug Fork, and I am sure that I have mentioned Dustin Estep a couple of times. He's a family man and he works as a roof bolter in the mines. He has that great vibe of being someone people are drawn to and trust.

I do want to encourage you to follow the Friends of the Tug Fork River on Facebook and to support their work. And please wish Brother Estep some luck with his fishing! Here are three photographs that he took and posted recently. You won't get the full effect unless you either visit the Friends of the Tug Fork River on Facebook or go and visit the River and the watershed and see the incredible work being done to save it.

Some of the beauty around us

 

Sunset over the Greenbrier River by Lynette Deeds Patton. Found on the 

Vintage West Virginia Facebook page.

“She wanted to be someone who left you with your words caught in your throat & your mind stuck on her soul. To see her true beauty, you needed to close your eyes and feel her all around you in the quiet of your thoughts. The one your heart can’t forget.” New River Gorge National Park, Fayette County, West Virginia---Peggy Smith Photography

Rick Burgess Photography

Photo taken in Grant County, West Virginia by Tony Greco/
@WestVirginiaNatureLovers

Railroad track sunset along Rt 2 in Mason County, WV.--
MKS Photography WV

A Seasonal Simmer Pot

Two sliced oranges

One sliced lemon

Two cinnamon sticks

Three small pine branches

Cranberries

Add water and simmer

West Virginia Christmas Song---Theresa Winstead

 

Paths headed home

This long and lonely path

That I walk upon

Is full of mystery

And hope, that one day

I shall find my way home

A little poem by Athey Thompson

Art by Iris Esther

Poem and image taken from

The Tales of Old Forest Faeries Facebook page

This feels like on the way to home for me

Photograph by Vicki Thomas/West Virginia Heritage, History, and Memories

Memories, Inspiration, And Encouragement

This photo came from Jimmy Nickels posting on the Scenic Harlan Co. And Surrounding Area Facebook page. People in the coalfields have long memories. The strikers at Brookside were heroes of mine at the time, and the still are today. Mr. Nickels wrote:

The beautiful family of Jerry Rainey, taken in front of their four room coal camp house that they rent from Brookside Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky.

Mr. Rainey, whose father was also a miner, was born in the same mining camp.

The mine operation can be seen in the far background.

Even though a Kentucky law prevents miners from being evicted during a strike, Brookside had ordered them to leave. They were refusing to leave, citing the Ky law, as many other paper evicted miners were also doing.

After 13 long months for the miners, 1973/1974, the UMWA and Brookside’s mother company Duke Energy reached an agreement.

Many hardships had been suffered by the miners and their families, and one death, but the strike line was held firm.

Notice all the UMWA stickers on Mr. Rainey’s truck.

These children would possibly be in their 50’s by now.

Photo credit unknown. Circa 1973/1974.

Photo by Rick Burgess at Dolly Sods in Tucker County, West Virginia.

 Please follow Rick on Facebook.

A couple of traffic jams in Appalachia

I do miss it every day...

Jellied Pigs Feet

If you follow this blog then you probably knew this was coming. Jellied pigs feet!

I think that most folks will turn away from this one, and that's okay. But it's better to have a recipe and not need it, than it is to need a recipe and not have it.

In defense of jellied pigs feet, let me just say that this is one of those foods that brings some different peoples together. When I was a kid I thought that only elderly Italians of my grandparent's generation ate them. Then I discovered that the parents and grandparents of some of some of my Black friends ate pigs feet. And still later I met Cubans, Serbs, Hungarians, and white people from the south and in Minnesota who ate them. This is a nearly international dishes and argues against the point of view that says we all live in separate spheres. 

On the other hand, no one is going to tell you that these are good for you. Pigs are mostly nice animals and don't deserve the suffering we put them through. Your internationalism may not extend to jellied pigs feet. This recipe takes a little bit of work, and you're going to have to keep the kitchen fan on and the windows open as you cook them. Get your kids and your partner out of the house on cooking day.

If you still want to go ahead...

Get yourself  6 pigs feet, 1 stalk of celery, 1 clove of garlic (at least), 1 hot pepper (at least), some black pepper and any powdered spices that you like.

Cut the pigs feet in half and clean them. Clean them up again. Place them in a large pot of boiling water. Take them out of the water and throw that water away. Clean the feet again. Clean the pot, put the pigs feet back in the pot, and add water to 2 inches above the feet. Add some salt, the celery, the garlic, the hot pepper(s), and any other powdered seasoning that you really like. Cook on low heat for about 3 hours. Turn of the heat and let it cool. Remove the bones and place the meat in a casserole. Strain the broth through a sieve and pour it over the meet and put that in the fridge Sprinkle your pepper and whatever else you have over it. Enjoy!

Photo from Pinterest, I think.

 

These are some of the images that I look at for revival.

These are some photographs that I look at for revival, those times when I need to think through something and get some needed historical perspective or when I may be running low on gratitude. The top photo is of my mother's family, a dour and hardworking group of textile workers and preachers. Most of the other photographs are from Monongalia County, West Virginia in the early 1930s. I think that the sixth photo down has the first home that I ever owned in it. The photo before the last one is (I think) the last day at work for one of the Bethlehem steel plants in the 1980s or 1990s. Most of us know those looks and that body language. I wish that I knew who the girl in the final photograph is. The picture was taken in Kentucky in 1964, so I think that she is about my age now. I hope that she has had a great life and has many more happy years ahead of her.