Welcome to the glorious month of May!
Just a few years ago, before Covid made everyone a little twitchy, I’d be stating that this is the month where we’d be welcoming our seasonal residents and the couples and families filling up our inns and B&Bs.
But those people have been filtering back to the Highlands- Cashiers Plateau since the start of this year. This place has been jumping for a while now, and May is no longer the demarcation of The Busy Season.
In fact, the notion of an “Off Season” seems a bit quaint now, doesn’t it?
As evidence of us operating at full speed, I’d direct your attention to the twin Farmers’ Markets operating at full capacity right now –The Green Market at The Village Green Commons and Highlands Farmers Marketplace.
These are bursting with the products of local farms and fields, dotted with the fruits of the Plateau’s remarkably robust artistic community.
If Kelsey and Hutchinson’s vision of the Plateau becoming a major agricultural center seems a little nutty 150 year later, well, these people and their produce are irrefutable evidence that the two Founding Gentlemen weren’t just selling smoke.
Plus, visiting these markets is a dandy way to keep in touch with your neighbors and learn the pulse of the little communities that dot the Plateau.
Think of it, getting to know the farmers who’ve grown your food, really getting to know them in ways that are impossible anywhere else. Plus, crafts to make your daily routine easier and art to adorn your home. And a healthy dose of encouragement and gossip (come on, it’s the Plateau)!
What a deal!
In fact, this entire issue is infused with that spirit of neighborliness – take in Betty Holt’s account of growing up here, or my reflection on Donna and Stan Cochran’s Mirror Lake Antiques (marking 50 years “on the hill”).
Or, for a glance way, way back, there’s Deena Bouknight’s illuminating hike to White Rock and the enduring presence of trail-marking trees left to us by the Cherokee – signposts to water, hunting trails, or simply navigating rough terrain. A kindness passed to us through the centuries.
Well, our friend William McReynolds would now turn to the days of May that deserve our attention, and I would not presume to deviate from the wisdom of our in-house intellect and gold-standard writer:
May 3: International Lumpy Rug Day. I just wanted to type out “International Lumpy Rug Day.” It turns out this is a day predicated upon two principles: First, we should appreciate a good, high-quality rug. Second, this holiday encourages us to examine our existing rugs. Are they in good shape? Or should we consider repairing or replacing them? Additionally, take a good look to see if it needs shampooing.
I’ll admit that I’m the last person you should turn to for advice on your home’s floor coverings, but this magazine is filled with supremely confident rug dealers and decora-tors and designers who can advise you on your lumpy rugs.
May 12: International Limerick Day. This celebrates the birth of Edward Lear, the father of the limerick as a form of poetry. Often a limerick will take a saucy turn in its final line, so I’m not sure if Marjorie will let this one appear in print, but its naughtiness is really subtle and perhaps I can link it to the Mountain Garden Club’s Plant Sale (May 24) and my earlier remarks about the Farmers’ Markets.
(If this column closes out with an awkward white space, you’ll know that Marjorie was not amused.)
“A gardener who loved to explore,
Planted seeds with a naughty folklore.
His veggies grew tall,
And caused quite a brawl,
When neighbors saw cucumbers galore!”
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