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Confessions of a Columnist

A note of farewell from Mill Creek Stories

Catch of the Day

A young boy’s day with Granddad was full of hands-on, outdoor fun—and a few surprises.

Singing in the Garden: Now, I Know it All

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” —Stephen Hawking

Skywatch: May/June 2026

The two planets that, at times, dominate the early evening sky are slowly heading toward each other for a dramatic showdown in early June.

Sarah Smiles: This Place We Call Home

“I just really liked the name.”

Current Issue

illustration by lindsey richards barnes

Confessions of a Columnist

A note of farewell from Mill Creek Stories
Grandson Eli with a bluegill he caught on a fly rod

Catch of the Day

A young boy’s day with Granddad was full of hands-on, outdoor fun—and a few surprises.
©Ginny Neil

Singing in the Garden: Now, I Know it All

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.” —Stephen Hawking
This is a landscape photograph of the night sky with the Milky Way over rural Bryson City during summer in the Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina.

Skywatch: May/June 2026

The two planets that, at times, dominate the early evening sky are slowly heading toward each other for a dramatic showdown in early June.
The Great Craggy Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, USA with Catawba Rhododendron during a spring season sunset.

Sarah Smiles: This Place We Call Home

“I just really liked the name.” 
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Departments

At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

June 29, 2026
©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

June 29, 2026
Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

June 29, 2026

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