Here is an excerpt from my soon to be self-published book having to do with WNC culture and heritage: Billy Ray's Chevrolet - and Other Writings and Photographs from a Southern Appalachian Valley.

Billy Ray's Chevrolet

The 1953 Chevrolet truck had been parked in the same place for many years in a yard just past Lower Grassy Branch beside Riceville Road. I had seen it countless times on my trips in and out of the valley. This trip I…

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As I look back over 2009 I'm happy with the progress made over on the Blind Pig & The Acorn site-mostly I'm thankful I have great readers who have made 2009 a banner year for the Blind Pig.

Each post I write in an effort to promote, preserve, and celebrate Appalachian culture and heritage is made better by the comments folks leave. Maybe they don't realize it-but each one is part…

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A few months ago I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite writers, Marshall McClung. Marshall's writing style and choice of subject matter reminds me of John Parris, who was well known for his Roaming the Mountains newspaper column in the Asheville Citizen-Times.



Marshall McClung is a… Continue

I'm excited to share a new feature of the Blind Pig & The Acorn with you today! We have developed an email newsletter for our readers. The newsletter is free and will consist of:

Upcoming posts-make sure to drop by for the posts that interest you or forward the info to someone you know would enjoy it.

The comments folks… Continue

This time of the year I start listening-hoping to hear the first Whippoorwill of the season. I grew up hearing Pap tell a story about the Whippoorwill.



In days gone by, the story was quite popular in our area-so popular a man once came to record the story-straight from the source as they say. Pap was lucky to hear the story from both-the source and the recording.

Old Man… Continue

When the Daffodils began to bloom, I know Spring has arrived. Over the past week I've noticed Daffodils blooming everywhere-in my yard-as well as along the roadsides.



Each spring, I ponder the Daffodil blooms I see in fields or in wooded areas-in other words blooming in the middle of no where-yet sending out a strong and mighty signal that someone once lived there.

I… Continue

"Waste Not Want Not" was a saying past generations used and lived by-because they had too. Wasting for past generations was considered shameful. Hard times caused folks to use what they had-to make do.

Miss Bonnie, my husband's Grandmother was born in 1914. She was a typist for Champion International, then after having children, a stay at home mom.

At the age of 55 Miss… Continue

I'd like to introduce you to Hubert Kirkland. Hubert is a native Appalachian-born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I recently interviewed Hubert about his life in Appalachia.

What was life like when you were a child?



There was lots of work to be done and everybody had to help. Having a garden was a major chore-the whole family helped with it cause you… Continue

It's that time again-time to test your Appalachian Vocabulary skills.



1. Back

2. Backset

3. Bad mouth

4. Bait

5. Bawl

6. Bear down

7. Beatinest

8. Bed tick

9. Biddies

10. Biggety

1. Back-To address a letter "Be sure to back the letter before you put it in the box."

2. Backset-A recurred illness "L.C. was getting better, then he… Continue

Pork was the primary source of meat for folks in Appalachia up until the 1950s-60s. Most every family had 2 or 3 hogs and usually in late November or early December when the weather had turned off cold the hogs were readied for slaughter.

Pap's father, Wade, was known as a "good hog butcher" around our area. He was called to various homes and farms throughout the hog killing season. For… Continue

O Danny Boy is one of the most well known and beloved Irish Songs. It's what folks refer to as an "old standard". O Danny Boy is popular world wide-sung by famous vocalists as well as around the family piano-or guitar in my case.



As I researched the old song I discovered some interesting facts:



* While the tune is indeed Irish-the words were written in England

* There are varying opinions about the origin of the… Continue

I recently came across some old vocabulary quizzes from an Appalachian Course I took in college, and thought it would be fun to test you as well!



1. addled

2. agg

3. aim

4. allow

5. anti-goglin

6. anty-over

7. arsh

8. ary

9. atter

10. aye gonnies

1. addled-crazy, dizzy, or dazed "After falling out of the tree, the boy was… Continue

Pap's father, Wade, was an old time Baptist Preacher (thats him above with Paul).

Pap heard him tell a story about a lad who made a small boat during one of his sermons.

The lad placed the boat in a rushing stream to see if it would float. As the wind began to blow, the boat was taken from his reach. He frantically tried to rescue… Continue