1970’s- Structures like this can be found throughout the Appalachian Mountains. They bear witness to a time when Appalachians were off the grid. They are a monument to Appalachian’s blood, sweat, and tears. A time when people were self employed for survival and there was nothing that they needed that the mountains couldn't supply them.
This beautiful rock chimney once sat in a field on Hwy 70 near Vernon Bradley Road in Old Fort in McDowell County,North Carolina.
The Appalachian region is known for its folklore and storytelling. Stories of myths, monsters, and ghosts. There is currently a trend going around on TikTok where people list the “Rules of Appalachia.” These rules often include: Do not go in the woods at night, do not whistle in the woods, and do not look in the trees.
Should you be scared of these mountains….well, I don’t think so.
The eyes that you see shining in the trees at night..well that’s just an old possum searching for its dinner.
The sounds you hear from inside the forest at night…that’s just the trees talking with the wind.
The shadows you see moving around the bed of the forest…well, that’s just the moonlight pushing through the Laurel.
And if you choose to whistle in the forest at night, the only thing you’ll hear in return is your own echo.
There was a time before technology that people needed a way to entertain each other so they turned to storytelling. There’s a sense of mystery for the unknown and it gives us license to our imaginations.
The Appalachian mountains are old, but they are full of wisdom and I’m surrounded by peace here, rather than fear.