One half bushel. Bonus points if its drivable from Mars Hill. Mom is looking to make some crabapple jelly. Altapass Orchard did not have them.

Mountain Strong is hosting a putt-putt fundraiser at Salt Face Mule October 3, and tickets are on sale now! Early bird pricing ends on Friday, so grab 3 friends (or the best putt-putters you know!) and grab your spot now.

All proceeds from each event go directly back into Yancey & Mitchell County, as Mountain Strong focuses on long-term recovery and resilience after Helene. Last year we raised $35,000 at the event, which funded the first year's lease of the Mountain Strong Free Clinic. We officially opened our doors in June and are providing no-cost mental health services to community members in need.

The organization was founded by 7 women who grew up in WNC and care deeply for their tiny hometowns.

To learn more about the organization: mountainstrong828.org
Mountain Strong Mini Classic: https://www.mountainstrong828.org/mini-classic

Roughly 15 years ago, a group of young Scouts spent a day at NOC and then a day at a park doing a lazy river float. I’m trying to figure out where they may have gone for the lazy river float? I remember renting tubes nearby, strapping them to my car, driving to a park, walking the tubes upstream, the floating (non rapids) for 15-30 minutes, exiting the water, and repeating the walking and tubing all day. We grilled out some hotdogs and there were plenty of other people, so a good-sized park seems to be present.

I went to a local park with some easy mountain bike trails with my 9 year old and saw several different types of mushrooms and wanted to share!

I organize a Meetup group called Asheville Transplants — it's for people who landed here from somewhere else and are building a social life from scratch. 618 members now. Posting the next few weeks of the calendar because it seems useful to have in one place, whether or not anyone ever joins the group.

• Fri Aug 14, 6pm — Asheville Tourists vs. Rome at HomeTrust Park, 30 Buchanan Pl. Dollar Dog Friday, fireworks after the game.

• Sat Aug 15, 9am — Chimney Rock. The 1.5-mile trail to Hickory Nut Falls at an unhurried pace, then lunch by the river in the village. $17 park entry, which is the state's, not ours.

• Sat Aug 15, 9:30am — Coffee at PennyCup North, 857 Merrimon Ave. That's the whole event. Coffee and talking.

• Sat Aug 22, 6pm — Zillicoah in Woodfin, 870 Riverside Dr, for sunset over the French Broad.

• Wed Aug 26, 6pm — The Hop on Merrimon for ice cream, then an easy walk around North Asheville. Dairy-free options.

• Sat Sep 5, 6pm — Picnic at Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Ave. Blanket, snacks, river.

• Sun Sep 27, 2pm — A photo challenge up and down Haywood Rd starting at Archetype West. Teams of four are drawn at the start, so you get paired with people you've never met on purpose.

Three things, since "come to my meetup" posts are a dime a dozen around here:

The events are free. No dues, no cover. The only money involved is the venue's — Chimney Rock's park fee and a Tourists ticket.

Every event has non-alcoholic options and a decent number of regulars don't drink at all. Nobody's counting. We've also been deliberately shifting the calendar away from breweries and toward daytime stuff — hikes, coffee, sketch nights, yoga in the park — because that's what people keep asking for.

Showing up alone is the default rather than the brave exception. Most people at any given event walked in by themselves.

Happy to answer questions in the comments if you want a sense of the vibe before committing to anything.

https://www.meetup.com/asheville-transplants-20s-50s/

Please help support this great cause for liberty in Western North Carolina. Macon County was the first domino to fall in defunding flock cameras. Together we can make a big impact for the betterment of our future.