Month: May 2021

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When and Where

Celebrations Are Returning to the Mountains

and so are the periodical cicadas

Local eateries, venues, and get-aways are loading the calendars of our regional chamber websites with music, entertainment and special events as our mountain communities spring back to life. And just in time for the first unofficial weekend of summer, these mountain events are back for 2021.

May 19
Pickin’ in the Park McCaysville
Pickin’ in Horseshoe Bend Park every Thursday, 6 til dusk, May – Sept. Live music jams and pickin’ on the banks of the Toccoa River at the Horseshoe Bend Park in McCaysville.
Pickin’ In the Park (fannincountyrecdept.org)

May 22
Spring Tree ID Hike  Join Tony Ward, MountainTrue’s Western Region Program Coordinator, on Saturday, at 10am for a 1.2-mile loop trail hike through an upland forest area of Meeks Park in Union County, Georgiahttps://mountaintrue.org/event/spring-tree-id-hike/

May 28 & 29
Hiawassee Pro Rodeo returns to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds Start time: 8 p.m. https://georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/localevents/id/128

May 29 & 30
45th Annual Spring Arts in the Park  10 – 5 at City Park of Blue Ridge. Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Art Association
Arts in the Park – Home (blueridgeartsinthepark.com)

June 4 – 6
North Georgia Highlands Seafood Festival Friday Saturday and Sunday http://www.northgeorgiahighlandsseafoodfestival.com/

And Now, for the Cicadas

Yep, we’ve all heard that Brood XIX could deposit 1.5 million cicadas per acre in our mountain hardwood forests; and with a mating call reaching 120dB heralding their arrival, these critters will be hard to ignore.

On the upside, these little invaders will do minimal damage to plants and trees as the adults sip sap–their only sustenance–and the nymphs nibble plant roots. Cicadas also provide high protein snacks to our bug-loving birds from woodpeckers to songbirds and big ol’ turkeys. Even squirrels, turtles, and fish join in the feast, according to a fantastic article by Terry Johnson on his Out My Backdoor page. He has every intriguing detail here: https://georgiawildlife.com/out-my-backdoor-periodical-cicadas-make-loud-entrance

'Round These Mountains

We Have Leaves!

So far, this has been a year of high expectations and false starts. Spring 2021 is on that wobbling track—following those tantalizingly warm weeks in early March with a few frosty nips and then the crisping of tender new growth as temps plummeted to mid-20s in the days before May arrived.

Cool air always settles along our creek banks when a ridge to the east corrals chilled winds.  That may lead to our trees’ leaves always appearing later than those we see in Hiawassee and Blairsville. And here, too, among the freshly filling treetops are my greige crepe myrtle casualties. We’re not seeing the brittle ruins of 2012’s late freeze, but rough enough.

For all its setbacks, 2021 is coming through with an extra burst of vitality, like the rhodos, wild azaleas, and determined peonies. Most of us are steadily recovering as are our landscapes—and hopefully, the pinched apple, blueberry, and strawberry crops. Many growers are still awaiting a verdict on the vineyards. Despite our frustrations and apprehensions, everyone seems eager to see life surge into our communities again.

Weeks ago, once I had bumbled through my minimalist WordPress launch, the latest round of national stepping-back was settling in. Enthusiasm for re-openings had been tamped again. And I was also learning that writing the last lines of a book was by no means the end of the process. Not even close.

This week, as the radiance of spring races up the mountains surrounding the rising lakes that reflect brilliant blue skies, our new growing season is finally underway. Excitement is also blooming in our mountain towns as stories of economic growth and revived events are filling my notepads. We, too, are finally underway at the Georgia Mountains Journal.