Spring is just around the corner....

Although it is quite chilly this morning, there are signs of Spring everywhere.  Not only are we seeing the early Spring flowers peaking out of the ground everywhere we look, our neighbor which gets more sunlight than we do, has flowers on his daffodils.  

This morning, I heard the most beautiful song bird right outside my kitchen.  I looked outside trying to see what type of bird it was, but couldn't find it.  We have a large variety of birds on our property, often we have a wonderful nature produced concert going on.  

This past winter was colder than any we have experienced in the last few years, but it is almost over and we are looking forward to Spring.  We live in Cherokee County and this winter has brought us a lot of rain which we are very thankful for.  It  should do wonders for the watershed of North Carolina bringing great photo opportunities throughout this coming year.  We would love to hear from others throughout the mountains about what is happening in your part of the mountains.

We are in the process of updating the 2009 Events and Festivals on the Highlander, take a look at the ones we have on line and plan a trip to the mountains.  If you know of any other events or festivals that should be listed on the Highlander for all our readers to learn about, please take the time to let us know at publishers@theblueridgehighlander.com.  Thousands of readers come to the Highlander every day looking for things to do in the mountains and we would like to help them find what they are looking for.

We will be posting our latest community profile this week on Rutherford County North Carolina, home of Chimney Rock  at Chimney Rock State Park.  We found a lot of great places to explore in Rutherford County and wonderfully friendly people which made our trips there very special.  So keep in touch to read about all the great things we found in our visit.  

We have our 2009 Easter trip planned.   We are excited to be going to the Sunrise Easter Service on the top of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park.    We are excited and really looking forward to experiencing this one of a kind event.  We are told that seeing the sun rise at the conclusion of the ceremony is awe-inspiring. We can't wait, come join the Highlander for this very special event.

Write to us publishers@theblueridgehighlander.com and let us know what you would like for us to cover this year in the Highlander, we want to be your source of the "Best the Mountains Have to Offer.

The Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains...what a great place to be....

As we all know...the catchword for 2009 is CHANGE, so as a creative and innovative site we are working on change as well.

Take a look at our opening page, we have a new slide show and will be changing it every two weeks, BlueRidgeHighlander.com bookmark and come back to see an great display and presentation of the mountains, it won't be long until you are planning your next trip.

 We also made a change on our main editorial library page, you will find our archive of the Highlander tales and road trips all on one page, take a look, I know you will find stories or road trips that are new to you, all about the mountains.  By this time, I know you will be planning a trip.

What we love so much about the Internet as a creative communication medium, is its ability to change, to grow, to evolve as the technology evolves.  There will be many new happenings at the Highlander this coming year, keep in touch and watch the Highlander evolve into the "Best of the Mountains" Internet guide.

Fall Festivals and Butterflies

We just got back from a great mountain road trip to Chimney Rock and we had a wonderful time. We always meet so many interesting people. We have a lot of great new features coming up in the Highlander, so be sure to sign up to be notified of new additions, new communities, adventures, festivals and events.

In the meanwhile now is the time for Festivals and Butterflies, join us in the mountains to enjoy the Best the Mountains Have to Offer. If you haven't already, take time to read our feature story on the Migration of the Monarch, it will lift your spirits and start you planning a mountain journey of your own. Nature's Pilgrimage...the Migration of the Monarch... The autumn season begins their celebration of life as they pursue a natural innate spiritual sense that drives them along a pilgrimage that will eventually carry them across a continent. 

Coming up this weekend, on Saturday September 27, 2008 you won't want to miss the Foxfire Heritage Festival at Dillard City Hall.  Come join Foxfire for old fashioned fun, food, crafts and music.  You will see basket making, woodworking, broom making, coppersmithing, blacksmithing, Native American jewelry, stained glass, canoe carving and so much more.

Admission is only $4.00 and the proceeds go to benefit the Foxfire's Local Education Programs.  For more information call 706-746-5828 or email giftshop@foxfire.org

October 4th & 5th John C. Campbell Folk School is holding their 35th Annual Fall Festival.  This wonderful and true mountain festival features over 200 crafters, continuous music and dance performances on two stages including, blue grass, folk and gospel music.  More than 40 craft-making demonstrations including a Mountain life area, great food, kid's activities and much more.

For more information call 1-800-Folk-Sch (800-365-5724) or info@folkschool.org

For those of you that want to plan a little further in the autumn, mark your calendars for October 10th through October 19th for the 

Fall Festival at Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds.  

This 10 day event features exciting musical performances, education demonstrations, arts and craft sales, a flower show and the popular Georgia's Official State Fiddlers' Convention.

For more information call 706-896-4191 or gamtfair@alltel.net

If you are looking for events in other parts of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, check our event calendar that covers most of the counties throughout the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains.

It is a great time of the year for an scenic road trip, it will lift your spirits.  While we were at Chimney Rock, we met a young man with a great attitude, he had just lost his job.  He had saved for his vacation all year and decided to go anyway to lift his spirits and go back home with a renewed frame of mind, trusting God to get him through and find him a new job.  We commend him for knowing where his true source of support comes from.

Our philosophy for the future is to have faith, not in what we hear on the news, but in God, in ourselves, we can get back on track, but it will take all of us.  If we let the news get us in such a depressive state of thinking, God can't get through to us to inspire us to think creatively and find ways to get back to a productive future.  It is attitudes like the young man we ran into that will keep the ball rolling.  Fear stops progress, I don't mean you should be irresponsible, I don't say that this country is not having serious problems, but there is a solution and it will take creative thinking on the part of all of us to make a difference.

Keep the Faith....Think Creatively....Always Believe God has the Answer

God Bless.....the Highlander 

Mountains a world away from the noise

Come visit the mountains.....If we all live our lives according to what the news media is telling us, why bother living, they paint such a dismal picture of our current situation as well as the future.

To those that are in jeopardy, my heart goes out to you.  We chose not to go out on a limb and to live our lives modestly in the mountains and enjoy what we feel true life has to offer.  We have a wonderful loving family, we are all happy, healthy and wise when it comes to enjoy the important things in life, which are God, family and health.

My husband and I both grew up in Chicago, and later moved to the far western suburbs in the Fox River Valley.  Chicago is a beautiful city, and the Fox River Valley was a wonderful place to raise our daughter for the first 16 years, but we feel truly blessed to have found the opportunity to move to the mountain, and create the Highlander.  

The wonderful thing about living in the mountains is that it opens your eyes to the beauty of nature, wildlife, fresh air, a very special quality of life.  

By reading our stories you will start to see the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains through our eyes.  We look for the best the mountains have to offer and present it to you for your enjoyment.

If you want some true enjoyment, join Joshua to learn about the Appalachian Black Bears, a series of stories for your enjoyment and education.  Let us know which story is your favorite by writing to us at publishers@theblueridgehighlander.com.

Enjoy.....Mrs. Highlander