Living in the Appalachians is a beautiful thing. I appreciate the appeal of warm-weather locales and big-city bustle and amenities. Having been there, done both, there is something matchlessly special about residing in the mountains and sharing these beautiful surroundings with the folks living in these parts.
Mother Nature Done Good
For starters, it’s life in a vignette that never tires the senses. All four seasons seemingly have starting and stopping points, each vying for the prize snapshots of rolling hills, mountain peaks and ridges, picturesque landscapes, all-matter of birds and hummingbirds vying for spots on the feeders, critters grazing on properties and crossing gravel roads, crazy-stunning sunsets, umpteen kazillion twinkling stars in the clearest-night skies, and a lungful of mountain air as refreshing as a silky smooth southern “Good morning, darlin’!”
Each fall brings crispness of breath, country fairs and craft shows, and a stunning pallet of reds, yellows, purples and browns. Each winter, single digits and perhaps multiple inches of snow, and fireplaces bringing their distinctive warmth to family and home, with an amber lightshow flickering on the family Christmas tree freshly cut from a local farm. Each spring, renewal! Inspiration! And happiness knowing that life will get warmer, bringing with it buds, blossoms, home vegetable gardens, and a countryside awash with the best color in the world — green is life! Summer, never OMG steamy and swelty in nature’s perfect spa, is the singular call for the appearance of grills and hammocks, music festivals, pontoon boats, yard sales, world-class hiking, fishing and river-rafting, and just plain old meandering on small-town main streets.
Give Mother Nature considerable credit for helping create the year-round character of a place worth living and visiting.
D’jeet yet? Not A Problem!
Good grub gets high marks in the Appalachians, too. There are far too many southern and mountain specialties to name and certainly to expound upon. Still, family kitchens and select restaurants know how to turn out mouth-watering eats including all matter of casseroles, country ham, fried chicken, giblet gravy, southern potato salad, Brunswick stew, chicken fried steak, barbecue, cornbread, pimento cheese, grits, fried okra, apple butter, collard greens with pot liquor, blackened catfish, biscuits, black-eyed peas, and chicken and dumplings. All washed down with, of course, several glasses of sweet tea. There’s boiled peanuts, cheese curds, and the traditional combos of salted peanuts and Coke, Moon Pie and RC Cola, Krispy Kreme and Cheerwine for southern snacking. And pies! Custard, pecan and sweet potato … or perhaps banana pudding. Is there a stronger, more descriptive food emotion than hmm? If so, insert here. And always bless the food.
Just remember that if you’re invited to dinner, that means show up for lunch. Supper means dinner. Either way, the odds of experiencing good eats and better company are extremely high.
Stay strong. Stay smart. Keep the Faith. The end is in sight. Thanks for listening.