Update: more photos from this year’s trip; video on my Facebook page.
This is a hemlock in North Carolina’s Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, blasted to smithereens by the U.S. Forest Service. All along the 2-mile trail, which we hike each year on our trip to Snowbird, are these blasted stumps.
Apparently the Forest Service fears that they might fall on hikers, so they took ’em down. In places it looks like a devastated moonscape. It will likely be years before it recovers. The hemlocks have been blighted by the invasive insect called the woolly adelgid. The lower trail is startingly bare, but the upper loop with the giant hundreds-year-old poplars is in much better shape. Ironically, with so many hemlocks now down, you begin to realize how many of them are still standing – dead, of course.
cleve callison’s blog 
I would like to share with you a phone interview that I transcribed last year regarding recycling matters. Note that the original was in Portuguese since the lady is 76 and she lives in Brazil. I am posting a few questions and if you find it interesting I’ll give you more details. Let me know what you think about it. Luis
1-What are the five most pressing issues faced by people today? (The idea here is to see whether the environment is a concern spontaneously mentioned by older adults).
I would say that humidity in the air makes very difficult time breathing, once the lack of rain aggravates the process. I wonder if this is related to the climate change issue… Do you believe in climate change? Well I am not so sure about it!? That guy Gore came up with that theory and he got awards but some people still question it.
Buses release carbon monoxide and then it messes with air quality.
Deforestation is disgrace the way they think about making money with wood, but they don’t realize how much important for the system to have the trees up.
Water is not the same because people throw things in the rivers and seas.
Food is critical regarding the way they treat it. Too much chemicals cause diseases in the stomach, heart, etc. Also, doctors prescribe medication by affirming that is good for. I doubt it! Do you think they persuade people to buy whatever they want to? Yes, not every single doctor though, some of them.
2-The “Green Movement,” concern with the environment, has gotten a lot of attention in the media lately. What does this mean to you?
Oh yeah, this is really good! It is interesting the way people pay more attention after listening and watching on TV. Overall, people did not pay attention before as much as they do it now. I would point out polluted water that the most of people care about, once media informs a lot.
Stephen, thanks. Nice to hear from you. As far as I know we’re not related to any Vassys in the Athens area. But there are a bunch of them around Gaffney, plus Chesnee, SC & Rutherford Co. NC. Some of them spell it Vassey. There is a Vassy in Normandy, France, which I’ve been to, and a Wassy in France near the German border (both are pronounced VOSS-EE). My uncle Tom Vassy thinks one of them is where they came from, but we’re not sure.
I was in Gaffney for a reunion two years ago. I graduated early, skipping 10th grade, but for some reason never go back for reunions of my former class. Glad you’re singing in Collinsville. There are no Sacred Harp singers in Wilmington, NC, where I now live.
Cleve: Kinda off topic, but I was in Gaffney last Friday for my 40th HS Reunion.
And I remember from couple years ago exchanges with you a blog you did on HWY 29.
On returning to Bama I came across a memoir about Statham, Ga, just a few miles below Athens, on HWY 29. Click over to my blog for more thoughts on that charming book.
I remember the Vassy’s had family in the Athens Ga area, but not sure if that is your side of the family or not.
And briefly on another note, I hear there is a Gaffneyite facebook page now that covers topics and random discussions from 40’s to the present.
Thought would pass that along.
Had great two days sacred Harp singing fourth Sunday in August at the Pine Grove Singing here in Collinsville.
Hope you are well.
If you or your sister blogged any thoughts on their Homecomings inlast few years at Gaffney, please point me to them with a reply. I would love to read the take.
Stephen Fox, GHS ’75
Cleve,
i have been enjoying the good variety of subjects you post. As I can tell you the “big picture” on your postings and comments! best, Luis