Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Fond farewell to readers of Rabun
By Justin Raines Staff Writer
Well folks, all weird things must come to an end, so with a heavy but happy heart, I must announce that this will be my final column for The Clayton Tribune.
Yes, it's been a long strange trip here on the left side of the sports section each week. From good ole' Skunk Butter to Tales From a Wyoming Elk Hunting Camp to the Bulldog Ju-Ju installments and everything in between, I've so enjoyed writing this column for you, but now I've got to take this show on the road.
I'm making a transition that will allow me to more closely examine the inner workings of America's original sport ... survival. That's right, I've moved into a primitive log dwelling deep in the South Carolina wilderness near the Chattooga River.
It's a beautiful cabin, built more than a century ago on a large farm in a mountain valley surrounded by forests and clear-flowing creeks. The original mud and river-stone fireplace is still standing. There is no television and no running water. There are electric lights, but that's about as modern as I want to get.
I have a 5-gallon rubber sack that can be filled with hot water from the hearth. It hangs from a hook on the front porch and provides outdoor showers beneath an undimmed sky full of shooting stars and satellites.
I'll spend my mornings in the writing studio before hitting the woodpile with a trusty splitting maul in the afternoon to load up on wood for the chilly evenings. Reading Faulkner novels while oak logs pop and sizzle in the cast-iron stove will be my night life.
The coyotes and bears and deer and wild hogs will be my closest neighbors. I'm also trying to start a colony of free range chickens for Sunday yard bird fries.
I've always dreamed about reducing the needs of modernity to their bare essentials, and finally it seems I have my chance.
These months spent in Rabun County have been a singularly wonderful experience. Working for The Tribune has put me in touch with a diverse section of the community that I probably would not have seen otherwise.
As a journalist, I'm expected to maintain my objectivity, but I've caught myself openly pumping a fist every time the Wildcats or the Eagles scored a touchdown or nailed a three-pointer.
I've truly enjoyed covering sports in this town. Meeting the kids and coaches and parents has been a real blessing. I've made friendships that I'll take with me for a long time.
Rabun is graced with some of the most beautiful and unique natural treasures in the United States, and I feel very fortunate to have experienced such wonders and then gotten a paycheck for sharing them with you. In many ways, this has been a dream job, but the winds of change are blowing and I feel it's time to move on.
Since I'll still be in the area and within range of my beloved biscuits and burgers at Tiger Food Mart, I won't go into all the things I'll miss most about Rabun, but one thing that will be hard to leave behind is this weekly column. Many thanks to all who have continued to read it. To all those who offered encouragement, you'll never know how important such compliments are to a young writer. I'll always appreciate your kind words.
I wish you the very best readers of Rabun. If you ever get bored, come visit me in the cabin. It will be easy to find. Just follow the tendrils of pork smoke sneaking through the trees. Or listen for the midnight songs of a mountain man singing in his front porch shower. Thank you for everything, and as always ... Go Dawgs!
Yes, it's been a long strange trip here on the left side of the sports section each week. From good ole' Skunk Butter to Tales From a Wyoming Elk Hunting Camp to the Bulldog Ju-Ju installments and everything in between, I've so enjoyed writing this column for you, but now I've got to take this show on the road.
I'm making a transition that will allow me to more closely examine the inner workings of America's original sport ... survival. That's right, I've moved into a primitive log dwelling deep in the South Carolina wilderness near the Chattooga River.
It's a beautiful cabin, built more than a century ago on a large farm in a mountain valley surrounded by forests and clear-flowing creeks. The original mud and river-stone fireplace is still standing. There is no television and no running water. There are electric lights, but that's about as modern as I want to get.
I have a 5-gallon rubber sack that can be filled with hot water from the hearth. It hangs from a hook on the front porch and provides outdoor showers beneath an undimmed sky full of shooting stars and satellites.
I'll spend my mornings in the writing studio before hitting the woodpile with a trusty splitting maul in the afternoon to load up on wood for the chilly evenings. Reading Faulkner novels while oak logs pop and sizzle in the cast-iron stove will be my night life.
The coyotes and bears and deer and wild hogs will be my closest neighbors. I'm also trying to start a colony of free range chickens for Sunday yard bird fries.
I've always dreamed about reducing the needs of modernity to their bare essentials, and finally it seems I have my chance.
These months spent in Rabun County have been a singularly wonderful experience. Working for The Tribune has put me in touch with a diverse section of the community that I probably would not have seen otherwise.
As a journalist, I'm expected to maintain my objectivity, but I've caught myself openly pumping a fist every time the Wildcats or the Eagles scored a touchdown or nailed a three-pointer.
I've truly enjoyed covering sports in this town. Meeting the kids and coaches and parents has been a real blessing. I've made friendships that I'll take with me for a long time.
Rabun is graced with some of the most beautiful and unique natural treasures in the United States, and I feel very fortunate to have experienced such wonders and then gotten a paycheck for sharing them with you. In many ways, this has been a dream job, but the winds of change are blowing and I feel it's time to move on.
Since I'll still be in the area and within range of my beloved biscuits and burgers at Tiger Food Mart, I won't go into all the things I'll miss most about Rabun, but one thing that will be hard to leave behind is this weekly column. Many thanks to all who have continued to read it. To all those who offered encouragement, you'll never know how important such compliments are to a young writer. I'll always appreciate your kind words.
I wish you the very best readers of Rabun. If you ever get bored, come visit me in the cabin. It will be easy to find. Just follow the tendrils of pork smoke sneaking through the trees. Or listen for the midnight songs of a mountain man singing in his front porch shower. Thank you for everything, and as always ... Go Dawgs!
 |
||
| Rabun teams headed to Super Bowl |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of theclaytontribune.com.
Ron wrote on Nov 14, 2008 5:12 PM: