Pawpaw Holler Home

Severe weather is in the forecast for East Tennessee, including the great Smoky Mountains.

Thunderstorms, along with extremely large hail, damaging winds, locally heavy rainfall and isolated tornadoes are possible this weekend:

Smoky Mountains Hazardous Weather Outlook

Great Smoky Mountains Tennessee 7 Day Forecast

East Tennessee Radar

At least it’s not this:

Although you can never tell…my momma lives in New Mexico and she just called to tell me they got snow last night on their mountains!

Be careful if you’re headed up here to the Cove this weekend.

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, rain, Tennessee, travel info, weather

Our pawpaw trees have just about finished blooming…

Aren’t they beautiful!

Denese

Tags: flowers, pawpaws, spring, Tennessee, trees, wildflowers

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is celebrating Junior Ranger Day with some free activities tomorrow -Saturday, April 24- from 10:00am-2:00pm.

Children and their families can join in on a variety of free, hands-on activities that will range from a Junior Naturalist Walk to making dinner bells at a blacksmith shop.  Making historic toys, beeswax candles, cornhusk dolls, and visiting touch tables with animal skins, skulls, and scat are a few of the other natural and cultural opportunities that will be available. Children can earn their Junior Ranger badge by completing three of the specially planned activities.

Activities are planned at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, N.C and the W. L. Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, TN. Information on the specific programs is available at the visitor centers.

For more information:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2010 National Junior Ranger Day Programs

You might also be interested in:

Free Things To Do Next Week In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Denese

Tags: free-events, Great Smoky Mountains, hands-on activities, local events and activities, Tennessee

Cades Cove Loop Road is scheduled to re-open this weekend, April 24-25, but with limitations for motorists.

On Saturday, the Loop Road will be open to pedestrians and bicyclists only until 12:00pm and on Sunday, the Cades Cove Loop Lope is scheduled from 8:00am-12:00pm. Motor vehicles will not be allowed in the Cove until noon on each day.

• Cades Cove Loop Road Reopening Celebration
• Cades Cove Loop to reopen this weekend on restricted schedule

The Cove’s regular schedule will resume on Monday:

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Seasonal Road Schedule

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, road closures/delays, travel info

The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

Job 39:8

Tags: ferns, nature-photos, scripture

The Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) are up and starting to bloom…

A nice little patch of Mayapples

-they look like little umbrellas

Mayapple bud

Mayapple flower

-only Mayapples with two leaves will have a flower

“I don’t see any apples!”

Mayapple tidbits:

• All parts of the plant, except the fruit, are poisonous
• Mayapple fruit was traditionally used to make jelly
• Supposedly, Morel mushrooms can be found near Mayapple patches (but I’ve never found any)

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, mayapple, nature, nature-photos, spring, Tennessee, wildflowers

Need some books?

The Blount County Library in Maryville is having a used book sale today, April 15, through Saturday, April 17, 2010. Today is for Friends of the Library members only and runs from 12:00pm-6:00pm. The general public may attend the sale on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

Book prices are $.50 and $1.00 for children’s books, $1.00 and $2.50 for adult books/textbooks and $5.00 for encyclopedia sets. Also included in the sale are CDs, video and audio tapes, DVDs, collectibles, mystery boxes (25 books for $2.00) plus a section of free books.

The Blount County Library is located at 508 N. Cusick St. in  Maryville, Tennessee, phone (865) 982-0981 for more information.

Denese

Tags: book-sales, books, free-books, local events and activities, Maryville, Tennessee

After our long cold winter, all the wildflowers seem even more beautiful this year. Here’s what’s blooming right now in our corner of the Smokies:

Bloodroot

Toadshade Trillium

Wild Violet

Yellow Trillium

Wild Geranium

Dandelion

Dogwood Flower

Redbud Blooms

This one is not a flower, but it was pretty anyways:

Fern

Happy Spring!

Denese

Tags: ferns, flowers, nature, nature-photos, spring, trees, wildflowers

It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend in the Smoky Mountains and there are all kinds of free things to do!

Concert in Townsend Tonight (not free but very low-cost)

Friday,April 9, 2010

Music of the Mountains -An evening of Celtic Music with the Good Thymes Ceilidh Band.

• Location: Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, Townsend, Tn -(865) 448-0044

• Time: 7:00pm (gates open at 6:00pm)
• Admission: $4/free for members

Free Events In Townsend

Saturday, April 10 -Sunday, April 11, 2010

Art Exhibit -by Cathy Coulter

• Location: Townsend Visitors Center at 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy. Townsend, TN
• Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Book Launch -by author Lin Stepp

• Location: Tuckaleechee Retreat Center at 160 Bear Lodge Drive, Townsend, TN 37882
• Time: 1:00pm – 4:00 pm

Free Events In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Enjoying Spring`s Beauty -Experience a guided hike observing the spring season through the beauty of wildflowers on the Chestnut Top Trail. Duration: 1 hour, 1 mile roundtrip -moderately difficult due to steep trail, wear sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots. Repeats on May 1.

• Location: Chestnut Top Trail -Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of State Road 73 (Townsend entrance road) and Little River Road, also known as the Townsend Wye.
• Time: 9:3am to 10:30am

Cataract Falls Walk -Take an easy stroll to a beautiful waterfall and learn more about the Great Smokies. Repeats every Saturday through May 1.

• Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center Patio
• Time: 11:00am to 12:00pm

Bear with Us -Learn about some of the characteristics of the North American black bear and how to observe these wonderful animals. This is a great activity for Junior Rangers. Wheelchair accessible, repeats every Saturday through May 15.

• Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center Patio
• Time: 1:00pm to 1:30pm

Music of the Mountains -Old time music of the southern mountains, featuring a variety of musical groups, including Matt Morelock, Tony Thomas, and Boogertown Gap.

• Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center -Call (865)-436-1291 for details.
• Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Also see: Music of the Mountains Schedule

Junior Ranger: Fishy Facts -Come join a Ranger for a short walk down to the river to learn about the Smokies fish species. Wheelchair accessible, repeats next week and the first three Saturdays in May.

• Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center, South Porch
• Time: 10:30am to 11:00am

Down on the Farm -Walk down to the farm for a glimpse into the past. Demonstrations vary. Wheelchair accessible, repeats repeats next week and the first three Saturdays in May.

• Location: Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor Center
• Time: 2:00pm to 3:00pm

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Morning in Sugarlands Valley -Reflect on how old-time religion satisfied both spiritual and social needs of the mountain people on this easy, one mile walk. Repeats every Sunday through May 9.

• Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center
• Time: 10:30am to 11:30am

Bear with Us -Learn about some of the characteristics of the North American black bear and how to observe these wonderful animals. This is a great activity for Junior Rangers. Wheelchair accessible, repeats every Sunday through May 9.

• Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center Patio
• Time: 2:00pm to 2:30pm

Junior Ranger: Charismatic Mega-fauna -”What is “charismatic mega-fauna”? Where can I see it? Find out from a ranger if there is something we`re not telling you!” Wheelchair accessible, repeats every Sunday through May 9.

• Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center, South Porch
• Time: 10:30am to 11:00am

Ranger Guided Hike: Where the Waters Sing! -Join a ranger and experience the melody of the mountains. Hike is 2 hours, 4 miles round-trip and moderate difficulty. Repeats every Sunday through May 9.

• Location: Kephart Prong Trailhead
• Time: 2:00pm to 4:00pm

More Information About The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains Directions -includes driving directions, traffic and travel tips, maps and trip planner

Great Smoky Mountains Schedule of Events -calendar of upcoming events, search by date

Denese

Tags: free-events, Great Smoky Mountains, local events and activities, Townsend

It’s spring in the Smokies and the redbuds and dogwoods are all abloom…

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.

1 Chronicles 16:31-33

Blessings,

Denese

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains, nature, nature-photos, scripture, spring, trees