Spooky Tales at John C. Campbell Folk School

The evenings performers (L-R) Terrell Shaw, Denise Mount, and Kanute Rarey. I didn't catch the name of the bony photobomber.

The the folk school's main entrance.

Kanute Rarey is something. He has had a big role in establishing, reviving, assisting, promoting storytelling in a variety of venues over the last few years. On Monday I had the opportunity, thanks to Kanute, to tell stories with Kanute and Denise Mount at the famous John C. Campbell Folk School. I had a ball!

I arrived very early and had over two hours to walk around that beautiful campus and see a little of what the school is all about. 

The program itself was in the "Open House" a rustic cabin will walls o=pen from about waist height to the rafters. We had very full and enthusiastic audience. 

I opened the show with Lewis Carroll's famous nonsense poem, "Jabberwocky," then told one of my favorite spooky stories that I call "Matilda Stood on a Grave".

Kanute took the stage told one of a class of stories that I call "story stories". It was reminiscent of a Jack tale that involved a suspicious old woman,

It was such a lovely fall drive that I shot a couple of pictures with my iPhone which was attached to the dash for directions.

Since I was so early I took about 30 extra minutes to take a sentimental driving tour to the top of the hill  above the location of the house I lived in from sixth grade till ninth grade.These are the mountains we saw from our front porch 1958-1962.

This the main building at the folk school.

Blacksmithing and other metal working is taught 

In the small museum of the folk school.

The craft shop is on the lower level of this building.

I suppose this class was doing some sort of food or drink preparation.

The "Open House" was our storytelling venue for the evening.

The "Open House" again.

Another view of the "Open House".

A selfie along one of the paths.

Note the pumpkin spider.

As the sun went down the light was too interesting  not to take a few pictures.

Enlarge this pano shot to get a full view of the valley from the gardens.

The many railings around the campus show off the school's blacksmithing.

Another pano pic.

Denise Mount performing her story.

Ghosts and Goblins at John C. Campbell Folk School

I'm looking forward to some spooky tales at John C. Campbell Folk School next Monday. If you are in driving range come join us. I'll be telling with two great storytellers, Denise Mount and Kanute Rarey. Y'all come. Here's the promo I received in an e-mail:

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Come out to the telling of ghastly stories at A Night of Storytelling with Ghost and Goblins on the Open House stage at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina on Monday, October 24th at 7:00 pm with storytellers, Terrell Shaw of Rome, Georgia, Denise Mount from Dahlonega, Georgia, and Kanute Rarey from Hayesville, North Carolina.

For information contact kanutetells@gmail.com.  ------------------ Here are directions:

https://maps.apple.com/?ll=35.039242,-83.962810&q=Brasstown — Cherokee County&spn=0.009354,0.015707&t=d 

Weekend in Hayesville

 We worked hard on our weekend board retreat for the Southern Order of Storytellers, but we also had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures from the trip...

Our home for the weekend was Cill Dara... 

...the beautiful home of Anne Wheeler and Dick Berliner... 

...high on a ridge above the Hiwassee River.

Dick & Anne's ten-year-old golden doodle Bridget...

...was a very amiable companion...

 

I am thankful that my favorite traveling companion was willing to join
with the SOS board for the weekend.

Dick and Bridget walked down the ridge... 

...to the river with me.

Saturday was a very long day of planning work by these
six  members (and  advisor) of the SOS board of directors.

Late Saturday afternoon we celebrated our work with a meal
together at the Crown Retaurant in Brasstown, NC. (This picture  of Kanute and Kathy at the Crown is taken from the restuarant's website.)

After supper Kanute gave us a tour of the John C. Campbell Folk School where he serves on the board.

Gwen and I took the opportunity to "perform" on the stage there.

Then we drove by a new curiosity nearby -- a Bitcoin "Mine". It was a huge outdoor remotely operated computer facility with very noisy and controversial cooling fans.

This was the Sunday morning view out our bedroom window.

Dick And Anne had eggs and bacon and toast ready for us by the time we got upstairs a little before 8.

Soon we were on our way back across the state line to a marina on Lake Chatuge where Cap'n Kanute was ready with a pontoon boat for a tour of the lake -- back across the state line right up the the cove where Kanute and Kathy live.

We could not have ordered more beautiful June weather for our weekend.