Usually the folks at the Green Creek Fire & Rescue just give us something to ponder on over the next week or so. But today...they've challenged us with a riddle. Okay, perhaps they are just setting a trap for me. Do you know the answer? Comment if you dare to share.

There’s just one thing better than a good hotdog…and that’s two of them. I stumbled across Tania Olbeter the other day while driving through Columbus. After having a couple of her Nathan’s all-beef franks, I knew the second time wouldn’t be by accident. Her hog dogs are that good!

Tania, whose business is called “Break Out the Buns,” sets up shop almost every Monday through Friday in the corner of the parking lot of O’Reilly’s Auto Parts on West Mills Street in Columbus. You can’t miss her. A large “hot dogs” banner catches your attention and a bright umbrella is your beacon to pull on over. And in the few minutes I was there to grab a couple of dogs and a few photos…a number of folks were driving in as well.

Tania says she’s there most days from 11 until 2 unless it’s a bad rainstorm. Her hot dogs are worth the drive. You can get them with any (or all) of more than a dozen toppings. She also has sodas and chips. And if you like, you could just stay in your car and eat them drive-in style.

Tania’s cart hitches up behind her car and she can bring it to your place for a catered event. You can find Break Out the Buns and Tania on Facebook, Instagram, and by emailing her at [email protected].

Everyone loves a good hotdog…and these are great! You're going to find me there again and again.











Click on each photo to see the full-size image.

I wouldn't say it was a slow news day today, but my day did start off with taking our geriatric miniature poodle (inherited from an uncle) to her senior check-up. Shayna (the poodle) doesn't particularly mind the vet visits and the folks at Bonnie Brae in Columbus are very nice to her. But she is quick to whip around and bite you if you call her a bad name or ruffle her feathers.

​So Dr. Nick and Nurse Kristen know she has to wear what they call a "party hat." I'm not 100% sure if Shayna thinks the party hat is silly, dumb, or above her poodle status...but she accepts it and is generally a good girl. She also knows she'll get plenty of liver treats throughout the process. Shayna is nearly 15 and my uncle got her through a rescue...so know one is really sure of her age.

Thanks folks at Bonnie Brae.

​When I caught up with Bear Tyler this afternoon he was slinging boiled peanuts. I didn’t get a chance to witness any barbering going on, but I’m guessing there’s a chair in the back of his classic 1966 food-truck “conversion.” It’s a site to see as well as the good-looking and mighty-good tasting peanuts coming out of the serving window. Check out the “salty dog platter” which is made up of several kinds of pickled peppers and a heaping pile of boiled peanuts.
 
Bear founded Bullhded Peanut Company in 1971 with hard work and grit and that’s what he still throws in the mix today. And yes, that’s the spelling of Bullhded. You’ll have to ask Bear why. 

On the same day I took the recent photo of the mom and son with two new (to them) dogs at the Landrum Community Dog Park I noticed this new structure over at the back end of the Landrum Veterinary Hospital parking lot. As I’m intrigued by anything new, I stopped by and was pleasantly surprised by my “discovery.” We’ve all seen the “little libraries” that have popped up here and there in our community but this is the first time I’ve seen a “Blessing Box.” This one was sponsored by and built by the fine folks at Jackson Grove United Methodist Church. It’s a food pantry in a box open to anyone who might need a little help and is accessible 24/7. The day I went by it was fully stocked even including food for pets in need. I imagine by now this Blessing Box might need some replenishing. I plan to do my share and I hope you will as well.

Thousands of people hike the trails at FENCE each year and most have no clue just how much work it takes to keep them passable. For the past three and a half years and on and off for over 30, much of that work has fallen onto the shoulders of Chuck Hearon. Chuck is the volunteer “Trail Boss” for FENCE though he prefers to be called “maintainer.” Chuck says being “boss” would make people think he has a crew. For the most part, it’s just Chuck who is out on the trails taking care of business. He can ask for help from Joey and Roy, the FENCE maintenance crew members but they have enough on their plates taking care of everything else the nearly 400 acre nature center needs to keep humming along. So Chuck spends several days a week inspecting trails and maintaining them. It’s a never-ending job and Chuck enjoys the challenge and the work.

​It should be noted that he’s 76 years old. When I asked Chuck if I could use his age, he said, “Sure,” and then went on to say, “Hard work is good for you if it doesn’t kill you, but if it kills you, you get the next day off.” Chuck Hearon does have a great sense of humor.

​Chuck says he could use some volunteers and has a gentleman who has recently stepped forward. It’s not easy work and of course, there are those dangers associated with slopes, dead trees, creek crossings, and power equipment. It just isn’t enough to walk along with a pair of snippers these days, but he welcomes stick kickers…where people can enjoy kicking loose branches and twigs off the trails as they hike. Chuck thinks that could be a popular sport on day. He says he’s fortunate that FENCE has graciously provided the equipment needed to make the job possible including a Kawasaki Mule, tractor, chipper, bush hog, and an assorted of chainsaws, pole saws, and other professional gear. 

Chuck knows plenty about trails. In 1999 he became a member of an elite cadre of long-distance hikers when he backpacked the entire 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail in a single season. These days he’s happy just to be able to enjoy and take care of the five and a half miles of trails at FENCE.

Chuck has been involved with FENCE since its earliest year and is pleased to have known all of the founding fathers and has worked with most of them. Dave Kirby, one of those founders, was a special mentor. He says Dave had an amazing work ethic. If Dave Kirby walked with you along a trail and made note that something needed doing and then a month later noticed that the work had not been touched, he would say something to the effect of, “Haven’t we talked about this before?” Dave was a man who liked to see action and Chuck follows that principle to this day. Chuck sees the need and takes care of it. There’s always something to do. The December snow we had followed by the ice left years worth of work to be done. 

Chuck works closely with Tracie Hansen, the FENCE executive director, but for the most part he’s his own shop. He sees a need, makes his notes, collects the gear, and starts to work. His pay comes from seeing the delight of hikers walking and running and experiencing the outdoors at FENCE.

​Chuck says it’s a thrill when he’s coming or going and sees a family about to start out on their own adventure or a couple taking a stroll with their dogs. It brings joy to their lives and that makes Chuck beam with pride. Chuck says seeing these people using FENCE is his reward for his work. It makes it all worth it.

​Chuck experienced how the trail towns he passed through on his AT hike had a welcoming feel to hikers. He wants FENCE to be that welcoming place for hikers when they’re out on “his” trails. Dave Kirby had a favorite saying, “If you love the outdoors, come love it at FENCE.” Chuck takes that to heart and he’s determined to help you love your nature experience at FENCE. 

More to know

FENCE is located at 3381 Hunting Country Road outside of Tryon and its trails are open from dawn to dusk 365 days a year. Check FENCE.org for information on upcoming programs. Volunteers are welcome and Chuck would be happy to have you giving him a hand out on the trails. But if you’re out on your own, feel free to kick some sticks off the trail.

My lucky day today to find a big yellow school bus parked next to McDonald’s in Columbus. While all NC school buses look pretty much the same, this one was lettered with the school name – Lake Lure Classical Academy. Since I did regular freelance work with them for a bit over two years, I decided to investigate. I knew school was out, so just curious why this bus would be parked at McDonalds’s at 10:30 AM. It seemed a little early for lunch.

It ends up Gayle Youngblood, the school librarian (who also doubles as bus driver and other assorted duties) had this brainstorm to bring learning to where the Lake Lure Classical School kids live so that they don’t enter the dreaded brain-drain during the summer months.

The bus was packed with books from the school library and Gayle and Kristin Collette, the elementary school counselor who happened to be dressed as Cinderella, were there to check out books, read to kids, let kids read to them, or read to each other. 
 
The yellow “library on wheels” will visit McDonald’s almost every Wednesday this summer in Hendersonville, Columbus, Forest City, and Spindale … all towns served by the school. Gayle says you never know what to expect when the bus shows up. Cinderella this week, could be Darth Vader next.
Gayle’s official name for her fun program is “Meet Me at McDonald’s and Read.”
 
What a great idea!
 
You can learn more about Lake Lure Classical Academy at: https://llca.teamcfa.school
​

Pictured on the right: Gayle Youngblood with Charley Shirah who is ready to read!

Pictured below: Gayle, Kristin Collette, Delaney Cullen (rising 3rd), Charley Shirah, (rising 2nd), and Evie Malone (rising kindergartener).

​Mitch is a Polk County native. He knows just about everyone and pretty much everyone in the county knows Mitch or at the very least one of his relatives. Think Stott’s Garage, Stott’s Corner, Stott’s Ford, and his dad, Bobby Joe Stott owned Stott’s Chevrolet, which for years sat on the NC-SC state line.
 
By age 13 Mitch was working after school and summers as an auto mechanic at Stott’s Garage on Landrum Road. But even before that he was training as a mechanic. Some of his earliest memories are of assembling plastic models and taking apart and putting back together just about anything he could get his hands on. And all of these years later, Mitch is a professional mechanical engineer and he rightfully boasts that he’s self-trained. 

There are a lot of stories you could get from Mitch, but this short story will touch on just two. For six years Mitch was a professional drag racer and was named one of the Top 100 drivers of all time by Drag Illustratedmagazine in 2015. He was picked for this honor for being the first to break the 6-second threshold of racing a drag car on a quarter-mile track in Darlington in 2003. With Mitch in the driver’s seat and crew chief Ted Chavarria on hand, their car reached a speed of 231 mph to make the quarter-mile in 5.985 seconds. This time is still hailed as a milestone and the record itself held for several more years.

As Mitch was transitioning out of the racing world full time into other things, he found he had more free time to enjoy other hobbies. One of those was flying remote control planes. In 2008 while Mitch was flying one of his planes he found himself a bit frustrated with how the pneumatic landing gears were or in some cases were notworking. The gears started turning in Mitch’s head and all of that mechanical engineering and his incredible sense of how things work caused the proverbial light bulb to turn on in his head. He felt he could design and engineer electrically operated landing gears that would be reliable every time. The commonly used landing gears remote control planes use are pneumatic and depend on air pressure. They’re prone to leaks and other issues and the air tank has to constantly be replenished. So what often happens is the landing gear might deploy but there’s not enough air to keep it locked in place. The remote control plane, not an inexpensive item at all, comes in for a crash landing. 

Mitch set out to see if he could turn his hobby into his next profession. He solicited the help of a former crewmember of his, Ron Word, to help him come up with the electronic module that would be needed to run electric landing gears. Ron said he was pretty sure he could do this and in 2008 the two of them started “Down and Locked,” the business that would make a difference for model plane pilots across the world. Mitch had since bought out Ron’s share of the business and operates it today out of the end of a real airplane hangar tucked away in Green Creek that sits adjacent to Mitch and Joyce’s home. Yes, Mitch does fly real planes himself and has held a private pilot’s license for years. There aren’t many people who have a 1,700-foot airstrip next to their house.

Down and Locked is an amazing small business that remote control pilots all over the world depend for safe landings. It’s fair to say most people in Polk County have no clue this business exists. Mitch’s product is in remote control planes all across the world where people fly RC planes. His shop is filled with UPS boxes of all sizes ready to ship his product. It is an engineering marvel, but there’s also a constant battle to keep up and on top of competition. Cheap products out of China are an issue just like it is for thousands of US companies. Mitch cautions people that you get what you pay for with those cheaper imports. He stands behind his landing gears and other custom designed model plane parts. Mitch talks about the importance of customer service and that’s something a would-be user is not going to get when ordering a cheap part from overseas. The day I went over for the interview I could see Mitch’s customer service in action. While I was taking photos Mitch was making multiple phone calls on behalf of a customer who was in Florida to fly in a competition. The customer needed a replacement part and needed it that day. Normally, Down and Locked would have picked and shipped the part overnight even if they had to do a custom machining of it. But the pilot needed the part now, not tomorrow, so Mitch was calling one shop after another to see if he could get a machine shop in the area of the competition to machine this small $3 part to Mitch’s specifications so the pilot could get his plane back in the air and back in competition.