Arundinaria appalachiana

Hill Cane in Polk County, Tennessee
(Image from BambooWeb)

We've been scooped by the folks over at Cryptomundo. Alas and bemoan.

Quote:

Surprise, surprise! Two known species of North American bamboo discovered 200 years ago have been joined by a brand new one just found in the last year. The “hill cane” was discovered in the Appalachian Mountains. This new species of bamboo (Arundinaria appalachiana) grows only to about 6 feet, compared with the other North American species - river cane and switch cane - which each can grow much taller and thicker. It is the only species of the three that drops its leaves. Locals knew about it but had not recognized it as anything so new or special.

Hmm. Intriguing, eh? Okay. Read the rest of the article. Go on. We'll wait.

Done? Pretty awesome, eh? I'm not sure I've ever seen this plant before - I can say it reminds me of Palm Sunday palms that I've seen used all over the region, but I can't say that such an impression is anything more than, well, an impression. Awesome jonx, regardless.

Additional random point - Arundinaria literally means "cane" and appalachiana literally means, well, "Appalachian" - thus the scientific name isn't hill cane - its Appalachian cane. Just a clarification.

Now, I could end it there, but you know me - - - so I got on the old inter-hooey, went clickity-clack, and bam, prepped some more info for you hungry, Appalachianista botanists. Enjoy.

"Botanists identify new species of North American bamboo"
Physorg.com

"Iowa State University botanists identify new species of North American bamboo"
Iowa State University

"Hill Cane"
University of Tennessee Herbarium

"Arundinaria appalachiana"
Bamboo Flora & Fauna From Around the World

Blogliciousness

Some of you have probably noticed that I've been adding a plethora of Appalachinistas to our Kith & Kin section - all part of our effort to connect to the greater Appalachian society (and to keep up with the folks at Lincoln Walks at Midnight). That said, I have a few that you just can't miss, cause if you do, well, you'll both rue and lament it. Consider:

The 1982 World's Fair
Knoxville, TN
25th Anniversary

On the Sunsphere:

As my dad always said, 'Make yourself useful instead of ornamental.'

Appalachistan

On an anniversary:

This month marks my 10th year as East Tennessean. In December 1996 I landed, "fresh off the boat", from the proximity of the Arctic Circle to the backwoods of Kingston. The ramshackle cabin my then-fiancee and I were leasing had no heating, scant insulation, broken windows and yard littered with rifle shells. We were so broke that a can of Laura Lynn refried beans was a feast. With only one vehicle, I spent endless months at the cabin, emailing resumes with a 9600 baud dialup connection, watching Geraldo on TV and trying to stay warm while she was at work. Those were trying times, but also magic, once-in-a-lifetime times. It was a great adventure.
I often wonder if folks around here realize how fortunate they are to be living here. There is so much beauty in these ancient mountains and valleys. The volunteer spirit springs from the land around, from close-knit communities forged by hardship and common faith. As our country is being ravaged by avarice and callousness, here between the Cumberlands and the Smokies the true American spirit of unity and caring for fellow countrymen still lives. This is my home, and I'm proud to be from around here.

Birds, Etcetera

On ramps:

I have a well-aged bottle of ramp wine that should compliment Charles’s recipe nicely. We bought it as a joke, but have never had the nerve to give it to anyone as a gift, nor the bravery to open it for own enjoyment. Having eaten ramps in many different ways, it’s hard to imagine what ramp wine might taste like. Oh, . . . it says here that ramp wine is 'great for cooking.'

Carpe You Some Diem

On ghost signs in Charleston:


Change West Virginia

On partisan campaign signs:

They are the 'poor man’s' version of a real media campaign. If you see an absolute boatload of signs for a candidate on right-of-ways, etc. you can pretty much guess that candidate isn’t going to win and doesn’t have much money.

Cup of Joe Powell

On improving ethics among state legislators in the good state of Tennessee:

1.) One committee recommendation that should be made law is plain: elected officials (state and I would also add local officeholders, too) should not be receiving or accepting gifts, travel, free meals and entertainment. If a paid lobbyist or party official cannot use the power of logical or sound business ideas to urge support for an issue before the state, then tough. This would not prevent an elected official from speaking to a Kiwanis Club or other group, as long as no pay and yes, no meal, is a part of their appearance.

2.) All votes in the state legislative meetings and committees must be recorded and votes posted for public view. How can any resident of the state expect honesty and accountability when committees can meet in secret sessions where no vote is officially recorded? As Sen. Rosalind Kurita, D-Clarksville said, 'I was disappointed that they [the ethics committee] did not address secret meetings or the legislative work schedule. And we need online access for all votes. The panel did some good work, but I believe Tennessee deserves better.'

Republican Hamblen County Commissioner Linda Noe, and a few other commissioners, has kept up a steady drumbeat on the issue of Openness and Accountability in her commission votes and on her web log, and the public response has been quite positive.

State Representative Frank Buck echoes those very sentiments, noting in his essay printed in The Tennessean : AccountabilityA record of legislative votes should be readily available to all voters. On voice votes in committees, legislators have the choice of voting contrary to the call of the chair.

3.) End the special privileges and secrecy surrounding lobbyists. There are a few simple rules that would bring major changes. While the current Ethic Committee suggestions call for a one-year ban on moving from elected office to a lobbyist job, I say say make it longer. Make it a four-year ban, which would prevent them from having access to the legislature and their business until at least the end of one gubernatorial term. The committee also had two other suggestions that would aid in making the lobbyist influence transparent to voters and the press alike.
First, Require lobbyists to disclose any family members in state government.
And Second, Require lobbyists and their employers to disclose payments for lobbying and money spent on lobbying.

The residents of this state, whether in a business organization, a political party organization, or just a private citizen would then know how many untold thousands and thousands of dollars are being heaped upon lawmakers to influence legislation.

4.) The Ethics Committee still has much work to do, but I think they are missing a golden opportunity to enact changes that include the participation of the public in general -- a committee to review any questions of ethics violations seems appropriate, HOWEVER, this panel needs to also include two or more average residents -- not a CEO, not a state employee, not another private business club member and not someone who has already served in some elected office. A private citizen is a must, someone who would bring eyes to this process not already tinted by the view of 'that's just how we have been doing business.'

Gene Patterson

On theft at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville:

Tune in tonight at 6 pm for a story about a former UT employee who admits to stealing $20,000 from the University over a 3 year period. And he did it, literally a quarter at a time.

How many quarters is that?

(Answer - 80,000)

The Lone Meth Ranger

On himself and his blog/newsletter:

Hello, my name is John Manis Richards, (Johnny). I am the Editor of The Lone Meth Ranger Newsletter. I am also a Core Member of the Meth Eradication Team (M.E.T.) that served Calhoun and Gilmer Counties for over two years. M.E.T. was a stealth group of friends working undercover to eradicate Methamphetamine from the reach of our friends in and around our communities. In August 2005, a local News Organization blew the cover off The Meth Eradication Teams undercover operation. In November 2005 an emergency meeting was assembled with Core Members of M.E.T and other allies. The topic of the emergency meeting was the explosion of meth related activity in and around our community during the past few months. At that point we all knew that M.E.T. must not die. After further discussion, The Lone Methranger Newsletter was born. Like M.E.T. it is not the purpose of The Lone Methranger to send Meth Cookers to jail. Therefore, we will utilize The Lone Methranger Newsletter to provide information to educate our friends concerning the harm meth causes, where to seek help for addictions to meth and the new laws on meth manufacturing etc. Thereby keeping our friends healthy, safe and keeping the police from kicking in their doors and hauling them off to jail.

Huntington West Virginia

On wrought iron:

I have noticed a lot of high quality security fencing and wrought iron fence going up around Huntington WV in the last 2 years. I think it has a lot to do with crime increases due to the fact that there are too many crackheads running loose. I recently discovered that there is a wrought iron fence and wrought iron gates factory right here in Huntington WV. I am pleasantly surprised to know that some degree of manufacturing still goes on in Huntington in spite of the long term economic troubles. The business I am speaking of is Mountain State Metal Works at 625 8th. Avenue that is owned by Carrie and Doug Wallace. www.wviron.com . One of the purposes of this blog is to promote local businesses.

Mountaintop Removal Clearinghouse

A poem by Wanda:

Firefly evenings
in mountain shadows,
water sung music
from scyamore choirs
on quiet mist mornings,
even Kudzu our savage
invader,

views of legends,
breaths of greatness,
creations of heaven,
memories,
culture,

dignity.

Pictures From West Virginia

On Blackwater Falls:


The Question

On being an 'Eer and being tired of burning couch jokes:

Can one be a die hard Mountaineer fan and a die hard opponent of some well-known fan shenanigans? (You know what I’m talking about! SHHHHHHHHHHH!)

Rootscene

On Creech Holler:

This is the music of funeral processions and dirge-filled bereavements. Of sin. Of salvation. Of old termite infested boards standing stoically side-by-side for impromptu juke houses in the way back of hazy mountain hills, brimming with fresh shine. But be weary of mistakes because while this music embraces you lovingly with a cupped drone it also hits with a barrage of reckless abandon and whup ass; Hill Country Stomping Hell Fire and Blues for those who like there heaven with a bit of hell.

Many of the songs here are of traditional origin and the fact that they are here at all illustrate that the boys from Creech Holler know their shit – but rather than bow silently to whatever expectations may creep, they punch and jab at the songs with an audacious fervor and wear them like well worn string ties.

This is good. Real good.

So. From here forth, let it be known, there’s a trio of hell-raisers in Roots Music right now and they’re taking up serpents, their name? Creech Holler

The War in Appalachia

On mountaintop removal:


West Virginia Sock Monkey

On the Sock Monkey's friend Barkley and his "employee," Dave Peyton:

Barkley is my good friend. He is my dog though I trust his safety and upkeep to my employee, Dave Peyton. We like to be convivial. We do not discuss politics, however, since he leans to the left and I lean toward Don Blankenship and other rich people who might someday give me money. I like Barkley because he knows how to relax. He does it extremely well.

Weekend Several: Shades of Brown

Blogs of Note

I'm always on the lookout for great blogs. Why? Well, besides the art, the photos, the political commentary, and the writing, I'm always looking for themes, ideas, and widgets to improve our own little blog, not to mention my search for more writing talent. Through the process, I build up lists of must-sees that I like to share. Enjoy them. Read them. Love them. Dammit.

Oh, and all the images below, the eye-candy? They are all linked from and creative children of the owners of the blogs adhered to their posteriors. Visit them, love them, link them. They're good folk.

Among the Hills
West Virginian Methodist Haiku
(Remember the Stadium Drive Rocky Top Soda, Reverend.)


Appalachian History
Smartness. And Barney Fife.


Asheville Area Music Scene
Music Described Using Adjectives Related to the Color "Blue." And This Squirrel.

Hillbilly, Please

Another Blog Using the Word Hillbilly. Also, There Are Pictures and Words.

Ruminations From the Distant Hills

Postcards, Cryptid Felines, the Smokey Mountain Cherokee Folk, and Clever Witticisms.

Pocahontas County Fare

Knitting and Science in the Company of Marsupials


Smokey Mountain Breakdown
A Woman, Her Goats, and a Magical Floating Celtic Instrument


View from the Mountain
Beach-loving Canadio-Roanokian

If you-all know more, let us know - - - we are a community, after all.

Hillbilly Cryptozoology: Cougars

Roger Cowburn (sadly now deceased), who dedicated much of his life to the search for Eastern Pumas (aka the Nittany Lions) in the mountains of Pennsylvania
(Image by G. Parker, from the good people at Cryptomundo)

Some folks seem to think cougars are "back" in Appalachia, either having gradually migrated from the American West or down the chain from Canada or having survived in tiny insular populations in isolated hollows or on mountaintops. As for me, well, heck, I hope they're back, but I'm not entirely convinced yet. Yet being the operative word. That said, a whole lot of people are damned and determined to, um, determine if pumas are once more raising cubs and hunting in our mountains, people who work hard and get far less attention than they deserve - not only because I admire their work, but because it's pretty darn interesting. Regardé:

Appalachian Voices: "Stalk on the Wild Side: The Eastern Cougar"

Cooper's Rock Mountain Lion Sanctuary

The Cougar Network

Cryptomundo:
"Eastern Cougar Catfights"
"Mountain Lion Sightings in Northern Kentucky"

The Eastern Cougar Foundation

The Eastern Puma Research Network

Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary

National Geographic: "Cougar Reports on the Rise in the Eastern U.S."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"Do Panthers Really Roam the Big East?"
"Highlights of Cougar Conference"
"Outdoors: Game Commission to Track Mountain Lion Sitings in Amid Flood of Reports"
"Outdoors: Those Lion Sightings Could Have Some Teeth"
"Sportsmen: Cougar Sitings Occur Mostly in Our Minds"

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club:
"Living With Cougars in the Appalachian Mountains"

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, North Carolina Ecological Services:
"Eastern Cougar"

Update: Let me give you the background on this post, as in why I decided to post it in the first place. I had been browsing a few of my regular reads and came upon this post by Gulahiyi over at Ruminations From the Hills (a great blog, worth adding to your bookmarks). Later, after thinking about the article, I decided to post this one. Fair enough. I just couldn't remember the blog that published the inspirational post to give it a shout out. Well, finally, after a couple days of searching, I have rediscovered it. Check it out - it is an interesting read. Oh, and my apologies, Gulahiyi.

Weekend Five: Saint Paul, Virginia

St. Paul, Virginia's (Old) Railroad Station
(Image from one of Appalachia's greatest cultural resources, the Virginia Tech Imagebase - donate money and visit often)

Well, I'm back. After the most insane couple months of my life (my wedding, my brother's wedding, at least five days in four states, creating a new class and dare we forget it, the dissertation), some regularity is beginning to dawn on me. Crossing fingers, knocking on wood, and so forth, forever. Combine that with my work to switch us here at the ol' HS over to Blogger 2.0 and throw up our third redesign (pretty good for being around since last spring) and I have been AWOL. Apologies and no more excuses.

Well, over my interminable insanity a self-described "Appalachian ex-pat," currently living in the capital of the Old Dominion has been writing me, sending me posts that warrant real attention here. So, after only a month of hemming and hawing, well, I'm gonna' post 'm. Her name is April Cain, she's originally from one of my favorite little towns (St. Paul, Virginia) and we've invited her to be a contributor, though she is a busy woman - she already posts regularly at two other interesting blogs - Mothers With Attitude and The Women's Post. Regardless, April, keep sending the links - for all our procrastination, we really are listing.

Clinch River Festival: This is one of those sites which describes itself better than I ever could. . . and so, the quote:

Every year on the first Saturday in June, the town of St. Paul, Virginia comes alive with the flavors of the region during Clinch River Days.

The ninth annual Clinch River Days Festival will be held on June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 2007.

Located along the scenic Clinch River, St. Paul shows off its uniqueness, blending River and Railroad Lore and History, Art and Photography, Carnival Rides and Games, Symphony and Bluegrass, Samplings from Local Vineyards, and Regional Appalachian Cuisine.

Most of all, Clinch River Days is a weekend of fun in the mountains, celebrating a Scenic River that is home to rare and endangered fresh water mussels, more varieties of fish than any river in Virginia, and miles of free-flowing canoeing.

And on the first Saturday in June, St. Paul is home to festival-goers who come to celebrate the Clinch River!

I think I'm free that weekend. . . hmmm.

Wetlands Estonoa: Appalachian wetlands, like wetlands everywhere, are, to be frank, under siege. They're difficult territories to manage properly, in part because even slight imbalances in their ecosystems leads to the profusion of life forms hazardous to humans (e.g. mosquitos), not to mention the fact that they are highly dependent on the quality of their surrounding biomes. Without them, however, water quality drops radically, not to mention issues of biodiversity as both a practical concern and a moral issue. Thus, I take my hat off to anyone who's willing to take on the often dirty and difficult jobs of helping maintain our wetlands. One such group of folks are the people over at Wetlands Estonoa. I want to quote you their history . . . consider:

During spring 1999, Appalachian Ecology student, Stevie Sabo chose to investigate a forgotten lake, Lake Estonoa. His project encompassed the lake’s history, present condition, and his desire to return it to its pristine self. During the fall of 1999, Nikki Buffalow adopted the project and identified the lake as a wetlands through the process of the Corps of Engineers. Based upon these findings Estonoa could not be returned to the pristine lake of the past. Nikki’s quest to restore the newly named wetlands began to gain interest and soon became a project undertaken by the entire Appalachian Ecology and Physics class. Our goal as a team is to enhance our little corner of the world.

Cool enough, right? Well, perusing the grants and awards these folks have garnered, well, your eyebrows raise a little more - not bad for for a teeny town in the hills. If you're in the area and looking to volunteer, I say give 'm a holler.

St. Paul, Virginia: St. Paul is tiny and it is fantastic. . . . some of the nicest people I ever met (including one of my roommates in college) are from there. If you're headed to deep southwestern Virginia (Lebanon, Big Stone Gap, Wise, or Norton, for instance), it is definitely worth an hour of your time for a drive or a walk. All that said, this site drops serious knowledge about St. Paul - specifically it has a series of links to government, religious, business, educational, and NGO sites

"Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word": An essay The Women's Post on the issue of formal racial reconciliation in the South . . . food for thought and particularly interesting to me, having read quite a bit lately on the effectiveness of formal reconciliation efforts in former British and German colonies of southern Africa.

I wanted to add one more site to April's suggestions. . . it's a doozy.

A River Runs Through It: St. Paul, Virginia: Revitalizing a small community through economic development and environmental awareness: This review of St. Paul (provided by the Urban Affairs & Planning program at Virginia Tech) is specifically a brief examination of St. Paul's efforts to renew its local environment while economically developing, specifically as an example for other communities.