It’s not that I don’t like the cabin, or my house. I appreciate having solid, wood-lined walls, and a deck where the only view is trees, hillsides and valleys. They’re both at 2,000 feet elevation, so I have a wealth of Southern Appalachian flora and fauna to observe. What I mind is that owning property … read more Labor daze
Tag: Booger Hollow
Lop lop loppers
On the drive in Friday, Tom flinched every time a branch scraped against Xena on Booger Hollow’s narrow and rhododendron-infested roads. So today, I got out the loppers to trim them back. It was a three-hour chore. But the destructive beast inside me was growling with delight to be off the leash. Loppers were unfamiliar to … read more Lop lop loppers
What the drought hath wrought
The first summer after I transplanted a black cohosh to the hillside above the cabin, I was so worried about its need for shade that I suspended a baby blanket over it with bungee cords. Then halfway through the summer I realized that I was also keeping some of the rain from reaching the plant, … read more What the drought hath wrought
From Montaluce to Booger Hollow
Since we have the X3, we can drive straight from our condo in the city all the way to Booger Hollow in the middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The ease of making this dramatic transition in less than two hours makes it especially fun. We decided to do that for Labor Day weekend, but … read more From Montaluce to Booger Hollow
None can compare
When I see bright, fluorescent pink in the forest, it’s usually leftover trail blaze tape or an empty Energy Gel packet. I was huffing along the trail, trying to finish my eight-plus miles in three and half hours. Looked like I’d make it. I didn’t. Because of the pink. No, it wasn’t FIRE PINK. It was … read more None can compare
The one-legged grasshopper
When we’re at the cabin, we sit around for hours, reading or just looking at nature. Booger Hollow is that kind of place. Sitting still, outside, gives me the chance to observe lots of insects. So I saw this guy. He was moving along the railing and I got closer to watch. Then I noticed he was … read more The one-legged grasshopper
Between heaven and hell
Their branches curve thick and muscled as the arms of thugs on the waterfront. Their leaves sprout glossy and tough, built to survive temperatures 20 degrees below zero. Their roots defy attacks, continuing to grow even when everything else on the tree has been chopped off. This plant is not just a survivor, but a warrior. The pollen is violent: … read more Between heaven and hell
The beautiful black rat snake
I stood at the door of the cabin and said to myself, “Huh, look at that branch sticking up out of the ground. It looks just like a snake’s head.” The branch moved. It was a black snake, sticking his head out of his hole. The snake seemed to hold absolutely concrete-still. Made my neck hurt … read more The beautiful black rat snake
Big brown jug
My sisters and I long ago stopped buying each other gifts for birthdays and Christmas. I think we all hate the process of shopping for presents because, when you live far apart, it’s a guessing game with too many wrong answers. There’s one gift that my sisters will accept any time of the year, though. It’s always … read more Big brown jug
The cautious wren
The Carolina wren is a cheeky little bird. It produces song at an earsplitting volume, and will build a nest right on your front porch. At the cabin in Booger Hollow, we have a spot that’s been used by wrens for several years. The first year that we spent a week at the cabin, we … read more The cautious wren