October Poem: “Autumn Begins” by Kathie Collins
In this autumn poem written after Louise Glück, Kathie Collins waits for the goldfinches to return as the maples drop their last saffron leaves
Category: Noted
My October Surprise: Lessons in Contentment From a Dog
To be like Blue — and maybe Lao Tzu, too. A summer-weary gardener finds contentment through his laid-back flat-coated retriever and an ancient philosopher
Fair is Fair: A Love Letter to North Carolina County Fairs
Deep-fried treats, games of chance and goats in stereo — a fond look at fall county fairs across North Carolina, from Shelby to the State Fair in Raleigh
September Poem: What Grounds Us Is Not Weight
In “What Grounds Us Is Not Weight,” the poet traces her roots back to the magnolia trees that taught her how to grow.
Sweet September Lessons from Freshman Tomfoolery
While summer comes to a close and students return to their dorms, Jim Dodson reminisces about his own ill-fated start to college.
Our Unique Beauty: North Carolina’s Landscapes
Tommy Tomlinson reflects on North Carolina’s unique natural beauty and the forests, beaches, marshes and bays that we call home.
August Poem: Maximum Summer
Narya Rose Deckard’s poem explores the way nature provides for us through its free gifts and how we can reciprocate its care.
Life in Rabbit Land: What Generations of Backyard Rabbits Taught Me About Gardening
In Greensboro’s Starmount Forest, generations of eastern cottontail rabbits have called one family’s garden home for more than 50 years.
Out of Bounds: Confessions of a Golf Nap Enthusiast Who Once Played the Masters’ Course
rom a rare round at Augusta National, home of the Masters, to a mini-golf tour of Myrtle Beach — the good, the bad and the laughable.
Simple Life: My Miss American Pie
Reflecting on the little slice of heaven my wife and I share — and how she’s still as sweet as ever
State of Mind: Doing the Wave
Contemplating how a swim in the ocean brings a sense of calm — and listening to the radio with a neighbor does, too
Grand Infrastructure: Raleigh’s Original Water Tower
In 1887, the City of Oaks debuted its first municipal water tower, a stone-and-brick structure topped with a 100,000 gallon iron tank
The DMV: An Experience I’ll Never Forget
An adventure in license renewal, starring 51 quarters and a Willie Nelson look-alike
Riding the Storm Surge
One man’s journey from fair-weather fan to forging a family of Caniacs that bond over their shared love of ice hockey