Although it's a bit off topic, I hope you'll forgive me plugging my newest ebook.  The May edition of Weekend Homesteader is now available for 99 cents in Amazon's Kindle store!  The series presents a simple and cheap project for every weekend of the year to provide stepping stones on your path to true self-sufficiency.  As the introduction says:

I hope you'll all join us at Bark Camp Lake on Saturday (October 2) for the fourth High Knob Naturalist Rally.  I'll be leading a hike on Appalachian Ecology at 10 am, then hope to attend the Mushroom Identification hike at 2 that afternoon.  Here's the complete schedule:

Morning Workshops (10 am - 12 noon):
Appalachian Ecology by Anna Hess
Nature and Scenic Photography by Bill Harris
Edible and Medicinal Plants by Carol Judy
Climatology of High Knob by Wayne Browning
Geocaching by Karen Davidson

Free lunch at noon with entertainment by Strawberry Jam.  (I guess my first reading of the schedule was wrong --- no homemade strawberry jam on the menu.)

Horse logging demonstration by Chad Miano after lunch

Afternoon Workshops (2 pm - 4 pm):
High Knob Biology Hike by Lois Boggs
Salamander and Snakes Hike by Justin Harris.  (Kids love this program.)
Geology of High Knob by Phil Shelton
Mushroom Identification by Johnny Stanley
Wetlands Hike by Chuck Lane

There is also a hands-on childrens' program led by innovative middle school teacher Karen Hartsock.  Unlike other local rallies, the High Knob rally is free (although the Forest Service does require that you pay a $3 parking fee per vehicle.)  For directions or to learn about The Clinch Coalition who organizes this great event every year, go to www.clinchcoalition.net.

I know there's been a flurry of activity here lately, without much explanation.  While on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I decided to reinvent Clinch Trails as a general travel blog rather than restricting its focus to Sugar Hill.  The reasoning is simple --- I've explored Sugar Hill, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration, I've been there and done that.  Basically, I was finding very little to write about.  On the other hand, I've got copious thoughts I want to explore about journeys past, present, and future.

Since I'm mashing those three time periods all together, I thought I'd give regular readers a quick explanation of what the heck I'm talking about.  Here are my primary travel obsessions lately:

• I spent an entire year travelling abroad in 2000 to 2001, filling more than half a dozen sketchbooks with my renditions of the native plant life.  Since then, the sketchbooks have been sitting on a shelf (while the contemporaneous paper journals molder in the barn.)  With the help of my sister Maggie, I'm embarked on an ambitious project of pulling out the most interesting insights we gained from the last third of that year, our time spent together in Costa Rica.  We'll be posting joint entries in roughly chronological order over the next several months; you can read the first entry here, then stay tuned for several more already on the drawing board.
• Last October, Mark and I took a Caribbean cruise that let us spend a couple of days on the Yucatan peninsula.  I took a lot of pictures, but just now found some Yucatan field guides to help me identify what I saw.  Since we have another cruise planned to a similar area this coming December, I'm soaking up every bit of information I can find about the natural and human history of the Yucatan peninsula.  Expect a slew of posts about plants, animals, and Mayan ruins in the near future.
  
• Finally, Mark and I have become very interested in the Native American history of our region, especially the enticing mounds and other evidence we can still see within a few hours' drive of our home.  As usual, when I research a subject, I want to write about it, so you'll see more posts about this over time.

I hope the hodgepodge of entries isn't too confusing!

Sugar Hill: A Microcosm of Central Appalachian Ecology is now hot off the virtual press!  The $7 ebook expands on the information presented in this website, adding extra photos, a table of contents, and an index, then wrapping the whole thing up in a print friendly format.  I hope you'll consider skipping that Cinnamon Dulce Latte today and buying my ebook instead.

Meanwhile, this website is (finally!) nearly completely up and running.  Over the next few weeks, I'll be adding gallery pages for local nature artists, so add this blog to your RSS feed or check back often.  I've got some visual treats in store for you.

It's time to mark your calendars for the region's upcoming naturalist rallies.  If you've never been to a naturalist rally, you're in for a treat.  Naturalists who have spent their lives learning about the flora and fauna of a natural area lead hikes on topics ranging from wildflowers and birds to mushrooms and edible plants.  There's good food, fun, and fellowship, and families are welcome.

May 7 - 8, 2010 --- Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally.  This year's keynote speaker, Kevin Hamed, will enthrall you on Friday evening with tales from his salamander research.  I've heard Kevin speak before and know that you don't want to miss this!  Spend the night and wake up early for hikes all day Saturday.  For more information, check out their website.

May 7 - 9, 2010 --- Spring Roan Mountain Naturalist Rally.  If you live a little further south, naturalists will be rallying on Tennessee/North Carolina's Roan Mountain on the same weekend as the Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally.  This is the most established naturalist rally in the region with three days of events.  For more information, visit their website.

July 31, 2010 --- Roan Mountain Youth Naturalist Rally.  2010 is the second year of this event, geared toward young people.  The perfect time to bring your kids and break up that boring summer vacation!

September 10 - 12, 2010 --- Fall Roan Mountain Naturalist Rally.  This is a great way to catch the leaves at the peak of their perfection.

October 2, 2010 --- High Knob Naturalist Rally.  Within easy driving distance of the Tri-cities, Abingdon, and all of far southwest Virginia, High Knob is the often overlooked jewel in our region's crown.  Hikes are not yet determined, but keep an eye on the Clinch Coalition's website for more information.

Did I miss your favorite naturalist rally?  Leave a comment and share your knowledge!

If you've stumbled across this site pre-launch --- welcome!  I haven't quite got the whole thing up and running yet, and the ebook is not yet available.  But you're welcome to wander around and subscribe to this blog.  I'll be sure to let you know when Clinch Trails is ready for prime time!

Meanwhile, if you see a pictureless page and would like to fill in a gap, please let me know.  I'm always looking for good pictures to draw people into Appalachia's beauty.  I'll gladly give you credit for your work.  A few of the plants and animals I'd like to add images of include:

• Canada Violet
• Wood Nettle
• Yellow Jewelweed
• Frenchman's settlement
• Garlic Mustard
• Dodder
• Black Cohosh
• Twinleaf
• Spotted Mandarin
• Cliff trail cliff
• Hillside with full bloom of trilliums
• Stonecrop
• Boulderfield
• Squirrel, blue jay, or wild turkey
• Burdick's wild leek
• St. Paul Falls
• Celandine-Poppy
• Mist-Flower
• Common horsetail

Thanks for your help!