Unique Gifts from the Ancient Arts and Crafts of the Appalachian Mountains

When you seem to be getting overdosed on Smart Phones, Xboxes, Wide-Screen TV's, and Wii's, consider something unique, original, handcrafted from the ancient arts and crafts of the Appalachian Mountains. Here are some of my favorites from various categories.

Trashformations - Rolf Holmquist takes the "throw-aways", the discarded of our society and transforms them into something beautiful and useful. Here are birdhouse Christmas tree ornaments and large garden birdhouses made from the recycled wood from old NC tobacco barns and found objects. This acclaimed artist has works in the top galleries in WNC.


Handmade Lapidary - there is beautiful jewelry, and there is jewelry that tugs at your heart for its symbolism. Matt Willig's designs are both.

Hand-thrown Pottery - loving and using the beauty of the handcrafted everyday - Sarah House is one of the best of the best.


Hand-blown Glass Ornaments or Objects - I don't even know how to begin here to pick out the artisans - some of the best in the nation are within a few miles of The Cove at Celo Mountain: Rob Levin, William and Katherine Bernstein, Kenny Pieper and others.


There is Billie Ruth Sudduth, a NC Living Treasure, whose Basket Weaving incorporated the Fibonacci numbers and Nature Sequence long before Dan Brown made it famous in his books.

There are Iron Forgers so gifted we have festivals where they have hands-on demonstrations to teach people from around the country. Zack Noble is one of the those gifted artisans.



Quilting is one of our heritage crafts. Contact our Mountain Piecemakers Quilt Quild to put you in touch with quilters or sellers of heirloom quilts.
While I have only touched the tip of the iceberg with this local genius, I will leave you with the best stocking stuffer of all, our beautiful 2011 Calendar of the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina. These are in very limited supply, so order now.
Begin your own mountain memories, learn a heritage craft, reconnect with what is important in life - The Cabins at Celo, the land in The Cove at Celo Mountain - streams, creeks, trout ponds, waterfalls, long-range and short-range mountain views. Rivers and mountains and all that implies The mountains are beckoning.

Wild Turkey Facts - Happy Thanksgiving from The Cove at Celo Mountain

Observing wildlife is one of the highlights of this beautiful, pristine property. A nationally-recognized design team kept this special place as pure and natural as possible - only enhancing what nature so perfectly provides us. National Geographic and other sources listed below provide the following facts on this amazing bird that looks prehistoric when nesting in trees and then incredibly regal in the mating season. These are wildlife observations you can experience when lying on your porch hammock in your Cabin at Celo, walking the 3 miles of manicured hiking trails along our streams, creeks, trout ponds and waterfalls, or while photographing from one of our lean-to's.

• "Wild turkeys sleep in trees at night.
• When a turkey gets mad, excited, or defensive its head and neck change color. The more excited a turkey becomes, the whiter the head and neck will also become.
• They do fly. In fact a wild turkey can glide without flapping his wings for almost a mile (Gianetta, 2003).
• Turkeys can run over 20 miles per hour and fly up to speeds of 40 miles per hour.
• Although turkeys have no external ears they can hear very well (Pearson, 2007).
• Domesticated turkeys cannot fly.
• Turkeys can have heart attacks just like humans. This was proven when turkeys died from the shock of jet planes flying overhead. (A., 2009).
• If a turkey looks up when it is raining it can drown. (A., 2009)
• The turkey was Benjamin Franklin's choice for the United States' national bird.
• The noble fowl was a favored food of Native Americans. When Europeans arrived, they made it one of only two domestic birds native to the Americas—the Muscovy duck shares the distinction.
• Only male turkeys display the ruffled feathers, fanlike tail, bare head, and bright beard commonly associated with these birds.
• Females lay 4 to 17 eggs, and feed their chicks after they hatch—but only for a few days. Young turkeys quickly learn to fend for themselves as part of mother/child flocks that can include dozens of animals. Males take no role in the care of young turkeys.
• Wild turkeys eat mostly plant material, including fruits, acorns and other nuts, small grains, and the seeds, shoots and roots of grasses and various other plants. They also eat many types of insects, small amphibians and even lizards. Turkeys generally fly down from roosting trees to feed in early morning, and return to the trees in the evening."

Come back to the simple pleasures of life lived close to the land - The Cove at Celo Mountain - outside of Asheville, NC - just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains are calling.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/192187_16-fun-and-interesting-facts-about-the-turkey#ixzz15y9jm2A2
http://www.traderscreek.com/wild_turkey.asp
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/wild-turkey.html

THANKSGIVING, 2010 - IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS NEAR ASHEVILLE, NC

An Upscale Thanksgiving
Both upscale and down-home adventures await you in these magical mountains - especially at these special times of the year. Enjoy classic Southern cuisine at the Grovewood Café, the Horizons and Sunset Terrace at The Grove Park Inn, the Red Stag Grill at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, or the various dining options at the Biltmore Estate and Inn at Biltmore. These are pricey but wonderful, with activities near and around each to keep you dazzled. Reservations are highly recommended.

A Down-Home Thanksgiving
• It is tradition in many of our small-town America mountain settings for local churches to serve Thanksgiving dinner to the community and out-of-town visitors – large or small groups of family or friends, singles, senior citizens, college age, any age, well-heeled or those down-on their-luck are all welcomed with open arms. ALL join together to share this traditional meal – reminiscent of that first Thanksgiving. These luscious home-cooked meals are most often free-of-charge or at a very nominal cost. Higgins Memorial United Methodist in our hometown of Burnsville is one of the churches providing this gift to our community. It is a great way to meet the servant-heart, salt-of-the-earth people in these mountains.
• Follow the afternoon of warm fellowship and fabulous food with a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

• Take in a movie at our historic Yancey Movie Theater offering the latest and top movies for only $5.
• Stay in our historic and beautiful bed-and-breakfasts that are loved by guests.
• The days before or after enjoy antique shopping, gallery hopping, local coffee houses (try the locally-made, delicious Arbuckles coffee ), organic and local eateries,
• stop in Yummy Yarns to knit with a local group or
• visit a Better Homes & Garden featured quilt shop, Needle Me This, and let them get you started on your first or fiftieth quilt.
• Stop by the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina gift shop in the Visitors Center. We are the Corporate Underwriters for this award-winning non-profit. Buy a guide with stories and descriptions of the quilt blocks and drive through these beautiful mountains to find each one.
• Take a day for snow skiing, tubing and snowboarding at Wolf Laurel, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, or Appalachian Mountain.
• Enjoy fly fishing and other outdoor activities with Rivers Edge Outfitters
• Tour The Cove at Celo Mountain and choose your own Cabin at Celo or mountain getaway home or property in a sanctuary setting within the Pisgah National Forest, surrounded on all 4 sides by national and state-designated scenic highways. Spend the day hiking our 3 miles of manicured trails along Ayles Creek, streams, waterfalls and trout ponds. You will likely see flocks of wild turkey foraging in this park-like setting. You may even get to see one in flight. Turn this vacation of a lifetime into a home for a lifetime.
For more information: Thanksgiving in Asheville and area

Veterans Day, 2010 - PROJECT HEALING WATERS - Western North Carolina

The Cove at Celo Mountain is deeply grateful to our military men and women for their service to our country. "Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings."



For more information locally: Rivers Edge Outfitters - Spruce Pine, NC

Regional Veterans Hospital: Charles George VA Medical Center - Asheville, NC

The healing power of life lived close to the land and its rivers: The Cove at Celo Mountain in the ancient Appalachians of North Carolina - just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.