A Poem by Hannah Grace VanTrease  (This poem won a prize in a poetry contest.  Hannah is 11 years old.)

Setting Sun Stables
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When at night the sun, it sleeps,
Out the stall a buckskin head peeps–
it’s my horse. Her name is Night Light.
The moon shining on her, oh, so bright.
At night, she’s not a sleeper. Neither am I.
That’s why our barn is called Setting Sun Stables;
for when the sun starts to die, We are awake.
Happy as ever, dancing and singing while the whole world is sleeping.
Eve comes and we start to arouse.
I go out and herd up the cows.
Then it’s Night Light and I for the whole entire night while the world is sleeping.
When dawn starts to come, I herd her to her stall,
Kiss her blaze. And as I walk out she gives a call.
I look at her in surprise and remember just why she called me.
I say, “Poor Night Light, I forgot a carrot for thee.”
As I give her the carrot I say, “Goodnight.”
I see the sun come up, big and bright.
That is why we are called Setting Sun Stables;
for at night when the sun starts to die,
Night Light comes out. And so do I.
 
- Hannah Grace
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Below are ponies from the annual pony round-up at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County, VA.  Some ponies are sold each year to good families.  Funds from the sale goes to the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association who, in turn, uses the funds to purchase feed and hay for the harsh Winters at Grayson Highlands, as well as vet bills to insure the health of the herd.  The Association was started by Bill Pugh of Marion, VA.
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Below is picture of a Bobcat that visited our yard in Waynesville the weekend before Christmas.  She had a small kitten with her too far away to get a good photo.

Below is a baby Racoon (one of 3) peeking around a tree limb.

The below is a panorama stitched from 5 photographs taken of Pilot Mountain (the pointed one) .  My granddaughter, Sarah, and I were spending the night in a gap near Chestnut Mountain on the Mountain to the Sea Trail in Haywood County, NC.  It had rained the day before and we had hiked in a fog.  We awoke the next morning to this gorgeous view.

Below are Deer grazing in a pasture on Grassy Creek in Grayson County, VA near the NC line.  This is near the original home of Samuel Pugh, the first Pugh in Grayson County.

Below is a picture of the old David Pugh farm (David was the son of Samuel Pugh) at the intersection of Hwy 16 & 58 at Volney, VA.  None of the original structures remain.

Below is a picture of a bull Elk recently introduced back into the wild in Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Below are a mother Elk and baby taken in August at Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Below is a photo from Danny Blackmon of a historical re-enactment of the battle at Fort Mims.  This was in August 2010.  Pictured left to right are Danny, Jerry, Mary, and Dawn.  All except Mary were killed in the re-enactment, but I have it on good authority they are much better now.