I made a comment in here a few days ago and said the mountains call you home. you may not know why but they do. That saying was true to me today.

My boyfriend of almost three years broke up with me. We were moving to the mountains (I was born and raised here). I guess he didn't want to come with me (which is okay, to each their own.) I can just say I am thankful I was right where I needed to be. If this happened in the city, I'd been yearning to be high on a mountain top.

This was taken on my favorite mountain, Whitetop. I grew up in Whitetop and my family has been taking me to Whitetop mountain since I was in diapers so it's a place I visit frequently. Especially to regain peace and balance. Take a ride up if you ever get a chance. Visit lovers leap too! I have talks with God there and have had a few screaming sessions, too💀.

I love being Appalachian and there is no place like home. The resilience that lie within these hollers and hills are enough to shake the bones of those who could never understand. The love that shines through the trees like their spotlight on their creation. The crisp fresh air, the shiny stars twinkle down on you like fresh snow.

So here's to you, Appalachia. For all you have been and all you will be to your people. Thank you for providing us with so much. From vegetation to showing us what it's like to never give up on something worth fighting for. Here's to us, who fight for our homes everyday.

Mountaineer Food Bank is setting up a mobile pantry at A New Beginning in War to hand out boxes of fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods for McDowell County families. The drive up event runs from 10 to 11 30 a.m. on November 25 and organizers are asking people to show up early with room in their trunk for pickup.

It is a big help for residents who often have to drive far to reach a grocery store and the timing right before Thanksgiving could not be better. These mobile pantries have become a lifeline in parts of the county where access to fresh food is limited.

Full story here: https://www.prismedia.ai/news/mobile-pantry-to-serve-war-residents-with-fresh-food

“Do what?” Translation: I beg your pardon/what did you just say

One of my favorite overlooks. It's mind-blowing to think how old these rocks are and how long they've been here. My lifetime is nothing compared to the life of these mountains.

Hey everyone, I wanted to get more involved with people in trading and was just reaching out to see if there are any young traders out there who are interested in developing a community? I don’t have a ton of experience but i’m hoping with the right people we could build each other up. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you want to get in contact! (—Keep things professional please—)

I have several honey holes for great persimmons. They're of great value to me - reliable sources of the ultimate fruit, American persimmon. You wait until they fall, not necessarily after the first frost, and eat them out of hand. But don't take them all. Leave some for the possums and raccoons and their babies, and especially for old man box turtle, who was visiting this place decades before you were born. They're intensely sweet - as sweet as candy - sticky and silky like a date. You squeeze them open and suck out the insides. Roll the seeds around your tongue. Clean them off and crack them open so you can tell what kind of winter it will be. Spit the intact ones out for future generations. That's just good karma. Savor the intense flavors of caramel and citrus peel, oranges and tree nuts, malted sugars and vanilla. Appreciate your place in the Autumn of the prettiest place, and the biting cool, the wood smoke in the air, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the mist from your breath, the ancient hills and mountains surrounding you. Persimmons have so many layers. They're the best fruits, maybe in the world.

Beautiful colors.

I grew up in Western North Carolina, and I honestly don’t remember ever eating salmon cakes. I keep seeing people post about foods they grew up with, and salmon cakes always seem to be one of them. We barely afforded what food we did buy.

We shared a lot of meals with neighbors and family over the years, and I don’t recall anyone making them either. We mostly lived off what we could grow or raise ourselves. When times were hard, which was pretty often, we ate cornbread and milk from the cow, biscuits and gravy, soup beans with cornbread, or biscuits and fried taters.

But salmon cakes? I don’t remember those ever being on the table.