The Mountain Laurels are in full bloom in late May. On the tree, the blooms are bunched up to make larger flowers that are awe-inspiring, but when they fall to the ground, each individual blossom is just as beautiful. I love the shape of the inside of the flowers. Maddie and I were back at…

Nine years ago, my oldest little girl (Maddie) was finishing up the sixth grade. She came to me at the beginning of the summer and said, “I think I want to run Cross Country for Byrnes next year.” I didn’t hesitate. I told her to get her tennis shoes and follow me. I took her…

Sometimes, people do stupid things. Throughout my life, I would fit more on the “most of the time” side of that scale. A friend that I worked with at AFL was a rodeo announcer on the side. He came to me one day and ask if I would like to ride a bull for charity.…

Maddie was home for a few days before she starts her whitewater guide job for the summer, so we headed to Looking Glass Rock between the showers. This is a traditional climbing area in North Carolina. If you have ever driven on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you have seen this large granite gumdrop in the…