Calendar of Events

Please join me for an evening hike in the hills around Asheville in the Grove Park – Sunset neighborhood.

We will meet at the Harris Teeter Parking Lot in the northwest corner.

PACE: This hike is at a 2.5 to 3.0 pace, but mostly toward 3.0 mph even going up hill. Please be aware of your abilities and level of physical fitness. We will stop and wait for people to catch up in certain spots, but we cannot wait a long time.

REQUIRED: A headlamp or flashlight.

I plan on bringing a weighted backpack (if any one knows what Rucking is, google it) and carry 40 lbs to make things more challenging. Feel free to do the same.

I will be paying attention to no-shows. A no-show with no notice prior to the hike or without changing your RSVP will make sure you end up on a wait list for my future hikes and backpacks if I decide to put a limit on the group size.

Waitlisters: Please keep an eye on your RSVP status even on the day of. It may change to “going” within an hour of the hike with the way people drop in and out.

Well behaved and trained dogs are welcome on this hike.

If you are bringing a +1, please chose the +1 option when you sign up or edit your RSVP to show that. I like to have an accurate headcount going into a hike. Additionally, please make sure your +1 is capable of doing the above mileage and pace.

If anyone is interested we can decide on a place to get some beer after the hike. Beer is important! Priorities!

The Full Moon is upon us!
Some call it Beaver Moon and this moon maybe be called the Micro-Beaver Moon on the account it is at the farthest way.
In opposition to the Super Moon…

Lets get out for an adventurous and somewhat strenuous night!
Hike this double-summit, ultra-scenic five mile loop on the Art Loeb and Ivestor Gap trails, summiting Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain. It’s a sun-drenched, blueberry and blackberry-filled adventure over two bald mountains to some incredible view

We will be hiking at night with a short stop to enjoy the moon and stars at Ivester Gap.

What to Bring:
Flashlights/Headlamp
Snacks
Water
Hiking Poles
Hat/Gloves/Warm Cloths

Wells Funeral Home is presenting a starlight luminary display around the grounds of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Candler, NC on Monday, December 6 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. (Inclement weather make-up date is Wednesday, December 8). This drive-through event will feature approximately 2,000 luminaries as well as seasonal music.

The luminary experience is free with donations accepted to support DayStay Adult Day Services. Based in Candler, DayStay is a non-profit adult day care providing daytime, weekday care for elderly and impaired adults.

DayStay fosters socialization to support the dignity and self-esteem of each participant and provides an affordable alternative to institutionalism. Through respite care and resource information, the program seeks to support family caregivers in their efforts to provide care to the aging or impaired adult in the home for as long as possible. Center participants include adults who experience a lack of socialization, depression, Alzheimer’s, dementia, are at risk of falling, or who need limited assistance with daily personal care.

DayStay participants take part in diverse programs including arts and crafts, music, chair exercise, games, trivia, gardening, and more. Activities are adapted to meet the individual needs of each participant. All activities are conducted in such a manner that each participant can succeed without shame or risk of failure.

DayStay is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. DayStay’s daily rate is intentionally kept low so that families can take advantage of this cost-effective service. Financial assistance is provided through grants and scholarships. For more information on DayStay Adult Day Services, visit www.daystayasheville.com or call (828) 665-1575.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park is located at 1 Chapel of Faith Drive, Candler. Additional event information can be found on the Wells Funeral Home website, www.wellsfuneralhome.com.

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You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh was published in 2010. This book has a 5 star rating with 1560 reviews. We will discuss this book during an online zoom call. This book is available in print, audio, and Kindle formats. Use this link to purchase https://tinyurl.com/brubf48j

Description of the book: Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk

In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free.

Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in the present moment—including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. These teachings will empower you to witness the wonder of life and transform your suffering, both within and outside you, into compassion, tenderness, and peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.

7 miles | Moderate Forest Walk, Holiday Celebration

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

Join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy at Cataloochee Ranch for a moderate 5-mile roundtrip hike to Hemphill Bald, focusing on Winter Tree Identification. On the hike, we will explore strategies to identify trees in winter — such as examining bark patterns, community types, the form of the tree, and more. This hike is free for SAHC members and $10 for non-members!

Have you spent hours learning how to identify trees by their leaves, only to have them all drift away come winter? Well, lucky for you, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will be leading a hike on Saturday, December 18, to Hemphill Bald, focusing on Winter Tree Identification. On the hike, we will explore strategies to identify trees in winter — such as examining bark patterns, community types, the form of the tree, and more.

This moderate 5-mile roundtrip hike with an elevation change of 900 feet begins on a road used for hiking and horseback riding. Expect to see mountain streams and lovely cove hardwood forest mixed at times with hemlock stands and the ever-present rhododendron and mountain laurel. At the top of the ridge, the woods are replaced by open high altitude pastureland, and there is the chance for superb views of four counties and a number of mountain tops, including Cold Mountain, Crabtree Bald, Mt. Pisgah, and many others. The only difficult part of the hike is the last climb to the top. At the top is a stone table, moved there by Tom Alexander, Jr. and placed in the memory of his parents, Tom and Judy Alexander, founders of Cataloochee Ranch.

This hike is currently full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please fill out the form below. 

Come get your dance on — let’s ring in the New Year together with a fully conscious, alcohol-free, playful and pleasurable evening together.

Hosted at Making Whole by SeekHealing. Evening will begin at 7pm with a meal and facilitated Connection Practice meeting focused on setting intentions for the new year.

Dancing begins at 9:30pm; mixture of live DJ sets and playlists: electronica, hip-hop, house, glitch-hop, and vapor-twitch.

In addition to the evening meal, SeekHealing will be providing a classy mocktails bar and also serving a variety of delicious, infused water.

Kick off the new year in Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park during this First Day Hike! A Park Ranger will offer an informative discussion about the Park’s history while the group strolls, hikes or bikes up to the 3.2-mile entrance road. Usually restricted to motor vehicle traffic only, there will be no cars in your way if you show up for this special, early morning hike that’s free to participants!

Meet at the Old Rock Café at 8am. Registration is not required. Please visit North Carolina State Park website for additional information.

💜A 45-60 min. practice centered around VISION and creating the best year possible in 2022

💜An introduction to some really great essential oils and ways to add them to your practice and daily life.

💜An introduction to vision boarding + all the supplies you need to create your board during the workshop (poster board, scissors, glue and magazines provided)

💜Oils to take home with you (there will be an option to have these shipped for those participating on Zoom)

💜An opportunity to purchase oils (and any other doTERRA products) at wholesale prices.

💜A welcoming community, fun, and more!

What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.

Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.

The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.

Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.

For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info

Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects

What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.

Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.

The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.

A special zoom performance will be held on Saturday 1/22 for individuals to gather, share space, and dance with plants across the interwebs. Performances on Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 at 3pm are part of the Asheville Fringe Festival.

Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.

For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info

Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects

What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.

Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.

The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.

Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.

For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info

Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects