Bill Leslie: Mountain summer

We’ve had some 80-degree days in Glade Valley but none of those nasty 90s that scorched the Triangle in July.

Mornings are cool and full of coffee and birdsong. Evenings are sweetly serene except for our dog Rufus, who now trembles during thunderstorms. He didn’t do that until this year.

A few weeks ago I took a trip over to Grandfather Mountain to emcee the Highland Games and check out my favorite scenery in that area. As usual, the Highland Games were chocked full of fun and entertainment.

One side trip was a disappointment. The gravel road leading into Linville Gorge on the Burke-McDowell County line was riddled with ruts so deep even folks with four-wheel-drive vehicles were turning back. This iconic wilderness area is in dire need of some love, including road maintenance and new signs.

Former WRAL-TV News Director John Harris and his wife Janet surprised and delighted me by showing up at Muddy Creek Café in Sparta where I played a music set on a warm Saturday afternoon in June.

That same weekend I also introduced two of Nashville’s best songwriters, Mary Gauthier and Matraca Berg, to audiences at the Backwoods Beat Music Festival in Sparta. The event was a huge success. Sparta is working hard to be a major music player in the mountains.

Another summer highlight was watching an impressive July 4 fireworks show at Camp Cheerio just a few miles from our mountain cottage.

Cindy and I have spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains. We ran into a new family of turkeys in Doughton Park. Cindy asked me to take a photograph of the 10 baby chicks or poults on Bluff Mountain Trail.

As soon as I bent down to snap the picture, father turkey came crashing out of the brush. Cindy is still laughing about the look on my face and how fast I backpedaled. Tom gobblers know how to get your attention and gain your respect!