I went hiking in Roan Mountain, TN on Saturday. It's about an hour from Morganton, NC. It was a beautiful day, but quite chilly for mid July - 57 degrees and windy. Luckily, there was a jacket in the car. As I walked closer to the top of the mountain, I began hearing a strange humming noise. Bees? Flies? A UFO? No, just weed eaters. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy was busy cleaning up Grassy Ridge. Not an easy job. They carried their tools over an hour (not an easy hike) to their workplace. There were children, parents, grandparents and lots of dogs.

After resting a while at the end of the trail, I headed back down. After walking about 10 minutes, I looked up and 5-6 feet in front of me stood a deer. He wasn't startled at all after seeing me. He just stared back, then slowly walked across the path. What a great day!

Laura Ervin Mulwee