Artifacts from Indigenous residents

I mentioned in my last post that Indigenous people lived in this valley 12,000 years ago. The archeaologists have found evidence of these people's lives.  They were Mammouth hunters, and didn't have a settlement apparently...being hunter/gatherers for many generations.

When a settlement appeared, more artifacts have been found.

More tools of people living before metal-working!

The use of ground grain seeds meant someone used 2 stones to grind them! Then add water and bake on another hot stone, and voila, bread was born!  Think tortillas, Nan, chapatis, Pita!

Here is the other end of blow darts...they didn't include a blow gun however!

This large gourd in the back didn't have any description, so I asked the director, who knew the person who had donated it, but it had been in her family for generations and she didn't know it's significance.  It really is too big for a drinking gourd (used by a water barrell for anyone to dip a drink from.) So maybe it was for serving chili (or soup?) but again was a bit big.  Maybe it just won a prize at a fair!

 

Anyone for a game of chunky stone?  I would certainly not want to roll the triangular stone as it would wobble its way down the course.

Today's quote:

Peace starts within us - we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer.

Swannanoa Valley - cultures 12,000 years ago

A couple of times a month I get to be a docent (greeting guests, trying to answer questions) at the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center...right downtown in Black Mountain NC.  It's a great "job" for a retired person. Not much stress, sometimes not many visitors, and I can haul my laptop to the desk and look up things or download things or write things that come to mind.

Last week I walked through some of the displays upstairs.  It is chock full of interesting stuff! And I'm not one of those antique buffs who go google-eyed (yes that term used to mean just that without any web connotations) at all the old dusty moldy stuff at antique barns.  There are sure a lot of them around these days. I can't go through them because dust and mold are triggers of my coughing spells. I could always wear a mask I suppose...

So I'm very grateful that the upstairs at SVM has been well cleaned. Here are a few items that caught my eye before I even got upstairs.  I'll be sharing a few at a time, when I get a chance.

A local college (Warren Wilson) has sponsored some archaeological digs in the area, and provided some information of 3 stages of settlement in the Swanannoa Valley. (appologies for those of you who saw these displayed over on Alchemy of Clay along with the pottery.)

There's a display of flint points of various sizes and from various eras.

I'm glad to see that the use of pottery was included, since the creeks and riverbeds are rich in clay around here. You need to go to Cherokee NC (about an hour west of here) to see more historic pottery!  But I'll have more of this display soon here!


Today's Quote:
Those in-between times that happen in our lives can be viewed as being rich with possibility for what is coming next.  Madisyn Taylor, Daily Om

new garden at lake

One of our local Master Gardeners, David Bush, takes care of the "experimental garden" at Lakeview Center. Last Saturday he planted some flowers, and some seeds of flowers.  So when I arrived Monday, I saw someone had watered the plants.

 The second tier has some strawberries, as well as hostas and perhaps rosemary. The bushy growth on the lower level looks like carrots.  I'll have to ask David.

 Above strawberries (there are some ripe ones from this pic) are the last of the iris!

I think these are sweet peas.

It looked for a while like some weather was coming over Lakey Mountain on the other side of the town, and the lake.

Today's quote:

We inhabit bodies for a reason - experiencing all the range of feelings and emotions that come with being present in a body.

Madisyn Tayor, Daily Om

Religious Education

Our Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swanannoa Valley honored our religious education program and all the people that bring it together for our children and their families, on Sunday this week.

Two teens read the story of the Lorax to all of us (while the youngest sat around in front at their feet.

Our Director of Religious Education headed up the program (in purple here, Beata Ball) while her daughter, Dorinda, was given the ritual of passage of crossing a bridge into adulthood (while watched by her father on right.) On left is Sybil Argentur (our former Director of RE) and our minister Rev. Michael Carter, both seated.

Sybil led the bridge crossing ceremony so Beata could be a parent rather than RE Director for a moment.

Many little ones had the chance to talk about their classes this year.  It was most enjoyable...for the grownups at least.  One of them read a story about bullies and a pink shirt, and apparently that was the theme of all the children (and most parents) wearing pink shirts.  It was all about finding your own power.

I'm taking a few days off from blogging. Hope you feel better than I do, achoo!

2 more plants

I looked around one of our best plant sale opportunities on Saturday.  It was around noon, so not yet the 91 degrees which it reached in the afternoon.  Poor plants.  Poor plant sellers.

I had one goal in mind. To get my cilantro from which I can nip leaves for enhancing my eating pleasure. And I found it finally!

 Yes, this herbal selection included cilantro! I was thrilled!

 And there's my other purchase...a lavender to replace the one I grew from seeds that died last year.

 Up the hill behind the flat plane of an old swimming pool is the Red House Gallery.

Senior Picnic at Black Mountain Recreation

Oh boy, a nice cool day, sometimes sunny and sometimes windy off Lake Tomahawk...and a bunch of friendly seniors!

Then the Recreation Dept. honored the many volunteers who help out with various jobs like passing out meals, making coffee, putting out the salt and pepper, taking photos for the newsletter...etc.  There was a 50/50 raffle...and someone got paid half the proceeds while the rest went to our programming.  We had drinks and boxed lunches of fried chicken.

Photo by Lynn Swann

Photo by Lynn Swann

The geese thought about 50 people meant plenty of crumbs for them.  I had some words with one of them...over and over again!  He wouldn't wait for me to leave to come demanding his share (just like a puppy but not nearly as cute!)

 Someone else won the raffle, oh well. Good food. Good company.  Good times!