Country August - September 2017

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, the kiddie pool is the happiest place to be at my house. A foot of water, a few buckets of sand and imagination overload turn our Wisconsin backyard into a beach—at least that’s how the kids see it. As I watch them play, I sit back in a chair and look for real-life beaches in the pages of Country. While we were putting this issue together in the spring, water emerged as the theme. Perhaps we were longing for summertime and swimming holes? The fun starts on page 16 with a road trip to Cocke County, Tennessee. I visited last year and was impressed by the beauty of the French Broad River. The county, which is home to two more rivers plus the Smoky…

Go to facebook.com/countrymagazine and continue the conversation with Country. Follow our page and you’ll see Words to Live By (inspirational quotes we share every morning) plus posts like the ones below from fellow readers. Soco Falls above Cherokee, North Carolina, close to Smoky Mountains National Park, is a great waterfall to see any season of the year. GREG PASSMORE, Field Editor The words “Julia-Ann Historic District,” written on iron arches, stretch across the entrances to the largest and oldest historic district in West Virginia. Located in Parkersburg, the 125 residences in this neighborhood were built from before the Civil War to 1915. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, this group of homes includes some of the best examples of Victorian architecture in the state.…

ANIMAL TALES Is your beloved canine the top dog? Or maybe a friendly feline, cuddly chicken or magnificent horse stole your heart. We’d love to feature your precious pet in the magazine. Share photos of your furry (or feathered) friend, and tell us what makes the critter so special to you. GOOD NEIGHBORS Having someone you can always count on is a blessing. Has a special neighbor, friend or co-worker made a difference in your life? Give your good Samaritan the recognition they deserve by sending us photos and telling a story about them. MAKE US LAUGH Country life produces its fair share of sidesplitting moments. Here at Country and Country Extra, we love nothing more than a good laugh. Share your silliest stories and jokes, and send us pictures…

WHAT A CATCH! Our son Cylis hooked his very first fish, a perch, in a small river on the ranch where my husband works. What an exciting moment in this little cowboy’s life! KATIE MCCLESKEY Roaring Springs, Texas WHEN WE LIVED ON an acre of land near Livermore, California, my husband, Dave, would till the garden each spring so I could plant seeds and tomato seedlings. We usually had carrots and radishes, and one year, cucumbers for pickling. Often there were long, close rows of corn. The seeds were planted sometime in May, and by late July we were harvesting our own delicious fresh corn. The seed packet said “70 days to harvest.” Considering that corn stalks grow more than 6 feet tall before the ears mature and…

A few months ago, as I was driving I noticed a car stopped in the road with cameras sticking out of the windows. My eyes followed the cameras, and to my surprise I saw a bald eagle perched on a rock in the middle of a pond, not 20 feet from the road. Naturally I stopped to take photos as well. While my heart was filled with excitement I called my dad, and within minutes he was out there snapping photos, too. After telling everyone I know, I took a moment to reflect on what had happened. Yes, I had seen a bald eagle in the wild, in southern Indiana of all places, but what weighed on me more was how everyone reacted to seeing the bird. It was as…

WITH THREE RIVERS (Pigeon, French Broad and Nolichucky), a national park (Great Smoky Mountains), a national forest (Cherokee) and a state forest (Martha Sundquist), Cocke County, Tennessee, is a paradise for people who love all things outdoors. Rafting is big here—there are about 11 rafting outposts with trips ranging from mild to wild. Most of the action takes place on the white water of the upper Pigeon River. If you’d like a smoother ride, a calmer route awaits you on the lower Pigeon River. Horseback riding is another favorite pastime. Cocke County is home to the French Broad River Outpost Ranch—one of the few dude ranches in the East. The place is secluded (it sits on 346 acres in the Smoky Mountains), and the main building looks like a saloon…