Shopper Blog: Powell drummers are finding their way into the spotlight
POWELL
Powell drummers are finding their way into the spotlight
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Drummers rarely get the star treatment.
Unless it’s a drum line competition.
After a hiatus of about a decade, the Powell High School band is in its second year of giving its percussionists a chance to shine in the East Tennessee Performing Arts Association (ETPAA) indoor drum line circuit.
“This is an opportunity for our students to continue to play the drums,” said second-year band director Andrew Smith. “It’s an opportunity for them to grow as percussionists.”
Nineteen percussionists practice three hours a night, two nights a week, to make sure they can be the best they can be once the first of five competitions begins this month.
Smith oversees the total program. Powell assistant band director Mark Criswell keeps a specific eye on the drum line and Zack Todd and Skyler Whitehouse are the teachers.
“I know just enough about the percussion section to be dangerous,” Smith said with a laugh. “I let the experts handle it.”
Dance is important
The ETPAA has two levels of competition that are determined by experience. Last year, Powell was in the lower group, but the plan is this year to be in the top tier.
Shows, conducted in gyms, consist of a routine that is five or six minutes long. Besides playing, movement is involved.
“Dance is a big part of it,” said Smith. “There’s a lot of moving around on the floor. In middle school band, there is no moving. That can be a big adjustment for the young musicians.”
Smith said sometimes members will put down their drums in practice and focus completely on their feet.
“The music is always the first priority,” Smith said. “You have to be able to isolate the two activities (music and movement). Simple footwork exercises can be important.”
Smith said that bands, in general, are evolving across the country.
“There are some militaristic bands,” he said. “There are some bands that are collegiate, trying to be crowd pleasers. Then, there are artistic bands.
“The drum line is much more artistic than the others; more avant garde. It’s really fun music to listen to.”
Be your best
Smith, whose family has a football background, likes to compare playing music to athletics.
“Like athletes, we’re competing against ourselves in these events,” Smith said. “It’s not like we’re going head-to-head with another school and hoping to win.
“We’re looking to be the best form of ourselves that we could be. If we get to that level, and happen to win a first-place trophy along the way, all the better.
“We have to make our shows engaging and entertaining. We have to be able to do our best.”
One of the unique parts of the drum line competition is that it’s much more personal than participants would experience on a football field.
“Playing in a gym is a completely different environment, compared to a football field,” Smith said. “The crowd is so close. It’s much more personal. It can make for a casual, fun situation to come up with a great show.”
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
Dutch Bros Coffee to open South Knoxville location in 2024
Zach Thomas, Shopper News
Dutch Bros, the rapidly expanding drive-thru coffee chain, is set to add several locations to the Knoxville area, including a South Knoxville one.
A commercial real estate listing indicates the site is 7618 Chapman Highway, where construction has already started. It’s next to a new Valvoline location that is also targeted to open in 2024.
The estimated opening date is late spring or early summer. This new location will be next to the Salsarita’s and Firehouse Subs and across the street from the new Covenant Urgent Care Center that opened in 2023.
The company, founded in Oregon in 1992, is currently the fourth-largest branded coffee chain in the U.S., behind Starbucks (16,144 stores), Dunkin’ (9,434 stores) and Panera Bread (2,151 stores).
Dutch Bros has been on an ambitious expansion journey and aims to have 1,000 locations operating nationwide by 2025. The company currently has more than 800 locations in 14 states.
This South Knoxville location follows the most recent opening of a Dutch Bros in the area, at 7004 Maynardville Pike, which opened about a month ago. Locations also opened in Sevierville and Maryville last year.
The company plans to open two locations in West Knoxville, one at 10248 Kingston Pike, next to the Subway near the Christian Brothers Automotive, and the other at 6907 Kingston Pike, next to Brazeiros.
The Dutch Bros brand carves out its own niche in the marketplace by offering a variety of coffee options along with their signature “Dutch Bros Rebel” energy drinks.
Dutch Bros employees are known as “broistas,” and its most loyal customers are known as the “Dutch Mafia.”
Info: locations.dutchbros.com.
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Noon 'toast' gives kids a taste of New Year's Eve
Al Lesar, Shopper News
When the clock struck noon, the cups of juice were raised and a celebration ensued.
These little folks certainly knew how to party.
The Muse Museum of Knoxville hosted Cheer in the New Year on Dec. 31, a kids’ version of the annual festivities. A catered breakfast, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) activity stations and the countdown to the noon toast − with a ball drop, of course − gave kids a peek into what would go on with the adults about 12 hours later.
“We wanted to create an event geared toward children that will give them a taste of the party experience,” said Malena Pierce, marketing and communications manager for the museum.
Tickets were $30 (members) and $35 (nonmembers) per child. Having this New Year’s Eve celebration on a Sunday morning didn’t keep about 100 children from being part of the experience.
More to explore
The museum’s theme for the upcoming year is: More to Explore in 2024. Along those lines, the celebration will have 10 STEAM stations that will offer activities that could lead to career paths.
It will include physics, botany, paleontology, astronomy, zoology, chemistry, geology, health science and meteorology.
“We’ll have people who are experts in the different areas to lead the station,” said Pierce. “They will offer all sorts of hands-on activities.
“If a child finds something that really interests them, the next time they visit they can go to that specific area and go in-depth.”
Pierce, who is in her first year at Muse after graduating from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, continually enjoys the “ah-ha!” moments she sees on a regular basis when kids find something that fits their taste.
“(The ‘ah-ha!’ moments) aren’t as rare as you’d think,” Pierce said. “These kids come in the door and know exactly where they want to go. They want to go to the place they enjoy the most. You see them working at something over and over, then finally get it. Seeing that joy on their face was something I wasn’t prepared for.
“You’d be surprised about how the simple stuff are activities the kids really enjoy.”
Muse is always growing
The Cheer in the New Year program is just one of many special events that make the Muse unique. It’s also one of the museum’s most significant fundraisers.
The museum, which has been around in one form or another since 1960, is always looking for new and fresh activities to keep regular patrons interested.
“We’re always trying to grow,” said Pierce. “We keep cycling around different things. We’re always looking for new educators for our classroom outreach.”
One of Pierce’s favorite areas of the museum is a wall that is filled with photos of women who have made a significant impact in any of the STEAM activities. Also included on the wall are mirrors that are set at kid-level, so they can see themselves among those high achievers.
“It’s so cute to see them look at themselves,” Pierce said. “We believe in use for all. We have something for everybody. We work to have an inclusive, welcoming environment where kids can play and learn.”
FARRAGUT
2023 filled with shining stars
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
2023 is over and done. Despite the rampant respiratory illness going around the schools, rainy parades and out-of-control traffic, there were several shining stars throughout the year in Farragut, Hardin Valley and Karns.
Giving back to the community seemed to be the order of the day for Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville at 10131 Parkside Drive, which saw a steady stream of pet lovers at its inaugural Stuff the Sprinter for Homeless Pets on Nov. 11. It took them the rest of November, but stuff that Sprinter van they did.
The 2023 Beaver Creek Kayak Club held its annual flotilla in May. The waterway is an environmental success story. Knox County Parks and Recreation has a dedicated team that works on Beaver Creek every day. They have cleared more than 80 jams and 2,000 tons of debris. The goal is to eventually connect the Gibbs, Halls, Powell, Karns and Solway communities through 44 miles of pristine waterway, culminating at Melton Hill Lake.
The Widowed Parent Relief Project (WPRP) sponsored “Family Friendzy” outdoor games at Knoxville Catholic High School on April 30. The project is a labor of love for former teacher Kelly Orrico.
“WPRP provides all manner of services to families widowed within the last three years with children 18 or under still in the home. We help do whatever they need. We’ve demolished houses, built gardens, delivered groceries; I couldn’t tell you all the things we do. We do what’s needed. We also make sure the families get out and socialize. The first thing a widowed parent does is isolate and stop taking care of themselves. We set up spa days and fun days of socialization. That’s what Family Friendzy is about,” Orrico said.
When Knoxville Catholic junior Sydney Mains was lying on the court holding her left knee during an Under Armour girls basketball tournament in Hoover, Alabama, she might have thought her playing days were over. It took her nine months to recover from a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus, but recover she did.
Eleven months after her surgery, Mains was back on the court playing for Catholic High School and winning the TSSAA Division II AA State Championship, earning MVP honors.
This wasn’t Mains’ first go round with Player of the Year. She earned Undergrad Player of the Year both her freshman and sophomore years. The knee injury came just shortly after being named Player of the Year her sophomore year. She returned to the court full force in December 2022. She didn’t spend all that time feeling sorry for herself. Instead she worked on her shooting game. When she returned to the court her shooting was top notch.
When asked what makes a championship player, Sydney said “Work hard, be humble, be able to talk to people. Work hard on the court, revert back to your training. How hard you work reflects on how well you’ll do on the court.”
Walking through the front door of Sparrow Wine Bar on 141 West End Ave. is walking into an oasis of fine wine, delicious cheese and other treats. The ambiance is relaxing with plenty of soft seating welcoming wine enthusiasts to sit down and relax with something new or an old favorite wine in the warm, eclectic vibe. The shop also has an ample dog-friendly patio.
Owners Cheri Intveld and Amy Burritt offer a menu that includes charcuterie, cheese, snacks and appetizers. The most exciting offering are the wine flights paired with cheeses. Intveld and Burritt have become masters at pairing delicious cheese with just the right wine. Flights come in sets of four for both wine and cheese. It’s an ample pour and an ample slice.
Executive director Tess Frear of Helping Mamas Knoxville said there is a gap in resources when it comes to diapers because families with newborns or grandparent families can’t use WIC or SNAP for diapers. They’re considered luxury items.
Children require at least 50 diaper changes per week, or 200 diaper changes per month.
“We have given out over 193,000 diapers since 2019. Also over 2,400 period supplies this year. Less (sales) tax would make them more affordable to families,” Frear said.
Frear said she loves helping and giving back. It isn’t uncommon to get a last-minute phone call for a car seat (newborns can’t be released from the hospital without a car seat) or for a Pack ‘n Play for grandparents who are granted custody of their grandkids.
Looking for a nice place to get the next cup of coffee, frozen or hot? Wondering where to get lunch and a full tank of gas? Try the newly renovated Local Market BP on 7322 Oak Ridge Hwy.
The Local Market is one of 26 such establishments owned by H.T. Hackney/Hackney Petroleum Inc., which purchased the BP station more than five years ago.
“We’ve been refurbishing all of our 26 Local Market locations slowly but surely,” said General Manager Tom Degges.
“The renovation was extensive,” Degges said. “We probably should have just started over with a new building in that we found extensive rot in the woodwork. We did build a new addition, so at 2,200 square feet it’s bigger and better than ever before. And we’ve added a hot bar.”
BEARDEN
Famed Knoxville architect left mark on Chattanooga churches
John Shearer, Shopper News
One medium-sized and historic Gothic Revival church designed by the late Charles Barber and his BarberMcMurry Architects firm sits in a tree-covered lot at a busy intersection, while an even larger one sits in a field.
While these descriptions sound as if they could fit several churches of yesteryear in Knoxville designed by the prolific architect, they are actually in Chattanooga. Although Barber focused much of his attention on Knoxville and the immediate area, a few examples of his work can be found elsewhere.
The two Chattanooga churches are Grace Episcopal Church at 20 Belvoir Ave. and First Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 1505 N. Moore Road, structures likely unknown to a typical Knoxville resident quite aware of and appreciative of the architect’s skills. They are both in the Brainerd area and were constructed late in Barber’s career in the mid-20th century, when that part of Chattanooga was a fast-growing suburb.
To offer an architectural travel story at a time of year when many Knoxville residents just took part in Christmas services at architecturally appealing churches, the Shopper News recently examined both churches. And a tour of the inside of First Cumberland Presbyterian was given by the pastor.
The two churches appear to have been designed and constructed in the spirit of several Knoxville BarberMcMurry churches of yesteryear. Those include Church Street United Methodist Church by downtown (co-designed with John Russell Pope of New York), Second Presbyterian Church off Kingston Pike in immediate West Knoxville, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Buffat Mill Road in Northeast Knoxville.
BarberMcMurry’s other known Knoxville area churches include the former First Christian Church just north of downtown, Episcopal Church of the Ascension off Northshore Drive near Lakeshore Park, and St. James Episcopal Church on North Broadway.
Learning how the firm was chosen to do the two Chattanooga churches would require some further digging, but the word of Barber’s skills had obviously spread down the Tennessee River by the 1950s.
After a 1955 groundbreaking ceremony in which the Chattanooga paper chronicling it misspelled the out-of-town firm’s name as Barker and McMurray, the original part of the tan-brick-covered Grace Episcopal Church opened in 1956.
The signature tower and front and other sections were not completed until 1961. The church features a covered breezeway of arches almost identical to one or two breezeways surrounding Church Street United Methodist. Also typical of BarberMcMurry church designs is a courtyard behind the breezeway. And like Church Street United Methodist, it has Connick-designed stained-glass windows.
The church with its architecture and slightly wooded lot almost appears to be part of a European monastery, despite the surrounding busy streets.
First Cumberland Presbyterian Church only a couple of miles or so away looks like a cathedral in the English countryside with its commanding presence on a barren landscape. While trees are normally a positive in adding aesthetics to a nice example of architecture, here the setting allows for greater examination of the structure.
This church, with its Tennessee stone and Gothic arches, somewhat resembles Church Street United Methodist in Knoxville. This is true inside the sanctuary, too, with similar arches separating the outer aisles from the pews.
Current pastor Dr. R. Courtney Krueger has been told by visitors they think they are in Europe after being in the sanctuary. He said the large look was inspired by the church’s former longtime pastor, the Rev. J. Fred Johnson. He had reportedly seen the cathedrals of Europe during World War I and had also seen the Duke University chapel, and all that inspired him in his ministry. The church was also built on expansive grounds to offer large-scale Christian recreation, including with its outdoor pool.
The original one-story south wing and fellowship hall first held worship services in 1958, while the sanctuary/nave and north wing were completed in 1963. Features of the sanctuary include 12 columns depicting the 12 tribes of Israel in the Bible, stained-glass windows installed in 1970 by the Wilbur Burnham Studios, painted symbols on the wood ceiling, and an organ built in later years by Fratelli Ruffatti of Italy.
Although Barber died in 1962 before the completion of his sanctuary that was originally designed with a tower, it has been well received down in Chattanooga. Gerald Peel, who has been director of music since 2012, said the acoustics are great, whether from music traveling through it or in soft conversations. “It speaks for itself,” he said.
Pastor Krueger thinks the sanctuary speaks to the soul as well, saying it uniquely is the main passage between two wings, and he likes coming in there and praying for church members.
“(Former pastor) Dr. Johnson, the inspiration behind it, said that it was supposed to be an architectural prayer, and that is just so perfect,” he said.
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
'232 years of history': Rare grant to shore up Blount Mansion
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Getting people to ask “why?” is a mission David Hearnes and Jennifer Lee embrace every day.
Hearnes has been the executive director of the Blount Mansion Association for a decade and Lee has been director of development and public relations the past year. Together, they are the staff that keeps Knoxville’s only National Historic Landmark functioning so it can answer the questions.
“Why is that house still here?” Lee said. “Why is it important? All history is local. (William Blount) was a signer of the Constitution. He had interactions with George Washington, (Thomas) Jefferson, (Alexander) Hamilton. There’s history all around us.
“It’s all hidden in this little yellow house. There are tiny nuances connected to the community.”
The Blount Mansion, a site consisting of three buildings, along with the Craighead-Jackson House, are nestled in the heart of downtown Knoxville (200 W. Hill Ave.) disguising the amazing past they have witnessed.
Restoration grant
Those buildings were constructed in the 18th century and served as the official birthplace of the state of Tennessee. Blount was the governor of the Southwest Territory and later a senator from Tennessee, once it became a state.
His fame came from being a signer of the Constitution of the United States. His infamy was that he was the first federal official to undergo impeachment.
Good or bad, this is history. And history much be preserved.
Buildings that date back to the 18th century require a special sort of attention and TLC to keep them functioning more than 200 years later. That’s why when Hearnes and Lee received word that the Blount Mansion would be one of 108 museums across Tennessee that received grant money from the Tennessee State Museum, it was a big deal.
“It’s very, very rare for a large grant like this to happen with no (matching) funds to be put up front,” Lee said.
The Blount Mansion received $42,000 that will go toward maintaining the structure of the buildings while at the same time keeping their historic integrity.
Preserving historical integrity
Lee said the focus of the work will be done with the failing and falling brick and masonry. Fireplaces anchor the structures, but the handmade bricks are starting to “bottom out.”
Also, there are issues with the clapboard on the sides of the buildings. That clapboard is essential for insulation and weather-proofing. Locks and security systems are other areas that will receive attention.
“We have a running list of what must be done,” said Lee. “Our volunteers keep us updated on issues they might see during tours.”
When problems need to be addressed, Lee said there are limited craftsmen who can work on those historically sensitive buildings. She said one piece of furniture took 10 months to be restored because there was just one person out of state who had the skill to do the job.
“It takes time, but we want it done right,” said Lee. “These buildings hold 232 years of history in them. Without a secure future, visitors won’t have a tangible experience to encounter history.
“That’s why what we do is important.”
NORTH KNOXVILLE
2023: what a year for Northeast Knoxville!
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
In 2023, Northeast Knoxville was full of meaningful events on the local level, as well as some with national − even global − interest. And at least one such event, and its presenting nonprofit, is soon-to-be recognized far beyond East Tennessee.
Concerning the latter, it appears that the efforts of Chris Battle and BattleField Farms − along with the Knox County Community Gardens & Growers Alliance, headed by executive director Battle and chief of operations Femeika Elliott, and associated worthy organizations like Nourish Knoxville and Beardsley Farm − have not gone unnoticed.
Raised-bed community gardens like the one at Payne Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, opened in May, and Farmers Markets such as the Eastside Sunday market are finding a strong foothold in East Knoxville, traditionally considered a “food desert.”
This year, BattleField’s Fannie Lou Veggie Van served 2,500 residents, and Battle spoke at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C.
All of this and more showed up on People magazine’s radar. The participants have completed their interviews; look for an article sometime in 2024.
Knoxville Community Development Corporation continued its efforts to improve lives and community for many residents. First Creek at Austin − a 105-unit community, the first of three phases, offering contemporary one- to four-bedroom units, modern amenities and close proximity to the Old City and downtown Knoxville − was recognized by Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s Orchids Awards in February. And the community’s schoolchildren have a much better chance of getting across the street safely in a traffic-heavy area because of the signalized crosswalk installed there by KCDC in May.
Residents of Love Towers got a boost to their ability to live a healthier life this year when representatives from KCDC and Matter Health officially opened its newest onsite wellness center for residents on July 6. It’s preceded by wellness centers at Isabella Towers, Cagle Terrace and Northgate Terrace.
In August, the kids of Western Heights got a whopper of a Back-to-School Block Party, with backpacks, school supplies, prizes, clothes and shoes. All of it was great, but nothing beat the Foam Pit sponsored by Youth Rising, site of much activity, squealing and laughter. The organization also sponsored a video game truck. The block party was sponsored by Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) in partnership with KCDC, Boy Scouts of America, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Food City, the Knoxville Police Department and many others.
Organizations in Knoxville hosted some distinguished, globally known guests in 2023.
On May 2, Positively Living & Choice Health Network welcomed Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White − the inspiration for Michael Jackson’s song and video “Gone Too Soon” − as its keynote speaker for its seventh annual People of Courage awards ceremony and luncheon at the Foundry.
White-Ginder shared the story she’s told over 30 years: how her son contracted the AIDS virus from a contaminated intravenous drug he was receiving to treat his hemophilia, and how the family was unwittingly thrust into a living nightmare, making young White the face of HIV/AIDS-related stigma, and subsequent education and activism.
Since 1996, Positively Living & Choice Health Network has provided HIV/AIDS patients with a variety of support, and last year was named an HIV/AIDS Center of Excellence by the Tennessee Department of Health for its high-quality comprehensive care. Viral suppression − which makes HIV undetectable in the bloodstream and therefore untransmittable to other people − is its primary goal, and 95% of its clients are virally suppressed.
Area music fans, musicians − and cellists in particular − got a real thrill when Yo-Yo Ma, world-renowned cellist and humanitarian, came to town.
Presented as part of Big Ears, Knoxville’s international spring music festival, the Memorial Day weekend kickoff event was entitled “Our Common Nature: An Appalachian Celebration” and was preceded by a street party featuring the Cattywampus Puppet Council and many beloved Knoxville musicians, including Kukuly Uriarte of the Gypsy Fuego, Evie Andrus and Drums Up Guns Down, the drumming troupe led by Austin East’s Obayana Ajanaku.
“Yo-Yo Ma is not of this world,” said Rick Carl, retired from Baker Donelson law firm. “He is on some other astral plane, a shaman or something.” Carl is a former Webb School of Knoxville music teacher and a trumpeter with Boys Night Out. His wife, Joanna, is a classical pianist.
“Jo described him as a father who invited his children to come play and make music with him; it’s cliche, but the way he introduced and described each artist was like they were a family jamming in their living room.”
Other events deserving of mention this year in Northeast Knoxville include a multi-event MLK Day Celebration in January, themed “Forty Years of Not Turning Around: Continuing the Journey for Justice and Equality,” in reference to the historic March 7, 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march across Selma, Alabama’s Edmund Pettus Bridge.
For the first time, the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission’s awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in education, advocacy, business, arts and more, included a Youth category. The award was presented to Tylan Baker.
There was Marble City Opera’s 10th anniversary celebration at Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum, with special mention of local singer/actor/librettist and managing director of MCO Brandon Gibson, whose star was on the rise, and who died unexpectedly the previous November.
County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and the Knox County Public Library kicked off its 2023 “Read City USA” campaign early in the year in a charming, captivating show at the Bijou Theatre in February.
Then-Ball Camp Elementary school fifth grader and Girl Scout Junior Gracie Ogle was the only Girl Scout in Tennessee to win the Girl Scout Space Science Investigator Badge in the “Girl Scouts to the Moon and Back” essay-writing contest.
Charles Lomax and Felix Harris of Knox Area Urban League presented a program on the significance of Juneteenth for residents of Summit Towers.
WUOT-FM got a new general manager in public media veteran and Vol fan convert Jody Hamblett.
The Austin-East Marching Roadrunners got Alyx Blumenstock − a veritable dynamo − as their new director.
The holiday season was full of unique-to-Knoxville festive events like the spectacular Regal Celebration of Lights in the City, the Tour de Lights, the Peppermint Trail.
On a personal note, this is my last column in my 10-year span of writing for the Shopper News. I’ve considered it a great privilege to write about Northeast Knoxville, and have found much to admire among its eclectic, vibrant communities. I’ve met so many fine people.
Best wishes to all in the New Year.
OPINION
Sometimes New Year's optimism is hard
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
When the sun came up on the first day of 2024, I turned to my husband and said, “I want to celebrate the new year, but I’m not sure I can. I have a pit in my stomach just thinking about the next presidential election.”
“Good morning to you, too,” he said, dryly. “What happened to your usual New Year’s optimism?”
“I don’t mean to be negative,” I said with a sigh. “I was just thinking about all the angry rhetoric we’re going to have to hear this year.” I pulled the covers over my head and said with all the enthusiasm I could muster, “I’ll be OK. I’ll just think about puppies instead.”
A few hours later, Ethan called to wish us a happy new year. He didn’t sound cheerful either. “I can’t help it,” he said, when I asked about his gloomy outlook. “I’m in sales. I hate a reset. It means I have a huge quota in front of me and nothing on the board yet.”
I laughed because that was the response he was looking for. I didn’t mention the added stress of the election cycle. Instead, I promised that his sales skills were portable and that he’d carry them into the new year, but I understood his worry about the future because I was feeling it too. Sometimes beginnings are hard.
After we got off the phone, my husband went downstairs to put some good-luck beans and a pot of collard greens on the stove. I decided it was in everybody’s best interest if I took Buttercup for a walk and tried to clear my head.
We reached the Hall Bend parking lot about 30 minutes later. Before we could even get out of the car, a cream-colored Golden Retriever named Sully jumped up and looked through the window. “Buttercup,” I said laughing, “your good friend is waiting for you.”
I opened the car door and my Great Dane bolted out. The two dogs took off to join their other four-legged friends, and the small pack ran in circles in a large open field while their owners watched with joy.
“I never get tired of seeing them play,” I said to all my dog park friends.
When we reached the trailhead a few minutes later, Buttercup and I broke off to hike the ridgeline by ourselves. I could feel my fears about the election cycle creep in as we walked, but I chased them away by thinking about Buttercup playing with her friends. I thought about the cheerful “hello’s” I heard from all the Hall Bend regulars, and I started to feel better.
I looked out at the forest floor and saw life there, even in the still of winter. I saw lichen and moss growing along the bark of old-growth trees. I saw a heron fishing in the cove and a squirrel jumping from branch to branch, and I felt relief.
Alone in the forest, I felt certain there is enough beauty in the world to carry me through the worst of the news cycles. There will always be friendly people ready to say hello and walk beside me. And even on the worst of days, there will still be Golden Retrievers who greet us at our door.
The news will run hour-by-hour and it will depict the worst of us. The election will try to break us. But the little things that help us get through the day will still be there to comfort me.
There will always be puppies, no matter who becomes president.
Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com.
Beauford Delaney paintings travel abroad in measure of Knoxville art museum's reach | Ashe
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