Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021 - 18

COUNTRY ROADS
FOR THE LOVE OF
JONESBOROUGH
N
'Wild Women' raise $23,000 for good causes in the Tennessee town.
ancy Kavanaugh moved to tiny Jonesborough,
Tennessee, in 2000 after retiring from corporate
life in Atlanta.
She had come to Jonesborough's National Storytelling
Festival since the 1980s and was overjoyed to find a
post-retirement gig as director of the National Storytelling
Network.
Increasingly, too, she networked with Jonesborough
residents.
Today, she says, " I'm a little old lady in a little old
town with a little old cat, living in a little old house. "
Yet she's also a member of the " Wild Women of
Jonesborough " -what Kavanaugh calls " a disorganized,
unorganized group " that formed in 2019 to raise money
to stage a play called " Wild Women of Winedale " at the
Jonesborough Repertory Theatre.
" We have a great group of women here in Jonesborough, "
says Kavanaugh. " And I found people really
wanted to support community activities. And a lot of
people donating a small amount of money can make a
'Wild woman'
Nancy
Kavanaugh: " It's
all about serving
others. "
big pile of gold. "
Kavanaugh's group raised $4,000 for the theater plus
$5,000 more for local children to take a shopping trip to
nearby Johnson City, Tennessee.
In total, this group of 85 ladies has raised $23,000 for
Jonesborough events that have also included supporting
the town's storytelling tradition.
" I was also finding people saying, 'I want to be a wild
woman,' " Kavanaugh says with a laugh. " And what I'm
finding are different people have different interests. But
it's all tied to community. We also sent out Valentine's
cards to nursing homes. It's not all about money; it's
about serving others. " -JOE TENNIS
Skywatch: Lose Yourself in the Stars?
O
ne almost guaranteed reaction
that city folks express when
they venture to a dark location
45º above
southern horizon
Region of many
star clusters and
nebulae
Milky Way
Antares
Star Cluster
M7
+
South
Looking South in July or August
90 minutes after sunset.
and look up at the stars is, " Wow! I bet I
can see a million stars! "
July and August are the two months
most likely for this
scene to take place.
The summer sky-with
the summer Milky
Way-is simply incredible
when viewed far away
from city lights. Seemingly
countless stars of all
brightnesses immersed in
the Milky Way's gently glowing
indistinct regions hint at
sights lying just beyond reach.
Add to that the earthbound
sounds of crickets, frogs and the
occasional hoot of owls, along
with the smell of the cooler, fresh
country air make the experience almost
magical.
Find a nearby state park, or take an
early-evening drive on the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Take binoculars, a lawn chair
or a blanket, mosquito repellant and a
red flashlight.
Focus your attention towards the
summer constellation Scorpius standing
nearly upright directly south after
darkness settles. Admire its " J-hook "
shape and gaze at the glowing regions
all around. Can you trace the scorpion
that it represents? Can you see the star
cluster glimmering on its southeast
corner? How much more can you see by
just using household binoculars?
Lose yourself in the stars!
-JOHN GOSS
18 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
SCORPIUS
West
East
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021
