The 1987 22¢ Badger North American Wildlife stamp

The 22¢ Badger stamp (Scott # 2312) from 1987 was part of a special collection of U.S. stamps featuring different animals. This stamp was released on June 13, 1987, as part of a sheet with 50 different animals. The stamps were made to celebrate the wide variety of wildlife in America. Each animal on the stamps was chosen to show the different kinds of animals that live in North America. The artist, Chuck Ripper, drew the animals using a pencil and he also included plants that are common in the places where these animals live.

National Badger Day is a special day celebrated on October 6th each year to raise awareness about badgers. On National Badger Day, people learn about the importance of badgers in nature. Some people organize activities like nature walks, art projects, or storytelling to teach others about badgers. The day is a chance for everyone to appreciate these unique animals and to think about ways to protect them and their habitats.

Badgers are small, strong animals with black and white stripes on their faces and are known for their strong digging skills. Badgers belong to the weasel family, which includes animals like otters and wolverines.

Badgers live in underground homes called setts, which they dig themselves. These setts can have many tunnels and rooms, where badgers sleep, store food, and raise their young. Badgers are mostly nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They have powerful claws that help them dig for food and create their setts. Badgers eat a variety of foods, including earthworms, insects, small mammals, and plants. In the winter, badgers stay in their setts most of the time, but they don't hibernate like bears do. Instead, they might take long naps and eat food they've stored.

Badgers play an important role in nature. By digging in the soil, they help mix it up, which can improve plant growth. They also help control the population of some animals that might otherwise become pests. Overall, badgers are fascinating creatures that are well-adapted to their underground lifestyle. They're strong, smart, and important members of their ecosystems.

Stamp from the Author’s collection

Hurricane Helene

On September 27, Hurricane Helene arrived with a bang! It was my birthday and I was anticipating a fun day. Instead, I woke up to high winds and heavy rains. At 6 am, we lost power. As I sat in my sunroom in the dark, except for a candle, I heard the wind whipping around outside. I heard what sounded like ladders flying around, which I found out later were my neighbor's gutters that had fallen and were sliding on their porch hitting the railings. At daybreak, our oak tree in the front yard by the driveway fell across the street blocking both lanes. If it had happened a little earlier in complete darkness, one of the cars I saw passing by would have driven right into it. A little while later, a Leland Cypress and our huge pecan tree (over 100 years old) fell in my backyard. Luckily they didn’t hit the house.

Since our power was out, that means our sump pump wasn’t working in our crawl space under the house. Once it was filled with water, our hot water heater and HVAC system were completely submerged under 6 feet of water. When our power came back on, the pump emptied the water but we have to let the equipment dry out before we can even try to see if they will work. (Imagine dropping your phone in the toilet. You have to let it dry before you turn it on or you might fry the electronics.). As of now, we just have all the windows open to keep the house cool. Last night we had to turn on the ceiling fan in our bedroom so we could sleep more comfortably.

We are so thankful that we weren’t hurt and no one we know was hurt or has died. It is almost a week later and 50% of our county still doesn’t have power. Some use well water so without power, they don’t even have water. So many other people and towns have had it worse than we have. As we look at all the devastation around us, we look at our problems as more of an inconvenience than a catastrophe.

Now it is time for clean up.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Knit-Away Retreat Day 3

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After breakfast, we headed towards Burnsville Along the way, we saw a sign for an antique store called Sparkling Clean Antiques. It was an interesting place and we had a nice chat with the owners.

When we arrived in Burnsville, we parked and walked to Hammond’s Antiques. Then I found the yarn store called Yummi Yarns. I bought a skein of sock yarn and the owner tossed in a free skein of Bamboo Pop.

We stopped at Ingles for lunch on the way back to the lodge. Since we got back early, we watched the Clemson football game. Around 4 pm, I joined the group and knit until dinner. After dinner, I knit until the general meeting.

At the general meeting, they gave out prizes and awards. It was a great ending to a successful retreat.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Knit-Away Retreat Day 2

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Last week we went to the Knit-A-Way Retreat at Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland, NC. It was hosted by the Spartanburg Knitting Guild.

After a wonderful breakfast at 7:30, we headed to the Linn Cove Viaduct. We hiked on the Tanawha Trail and the weather was absolutely perfect for hiking! We hiked a couple of hours in and then back to our car. It was tougher than I remembered. We had to climb up and down a lot of rocks.

After hiking we headed to Spruce Pine and had lunch at the Anchors Away Diner again. Then we went to two antique shops in town.

When we returned to the lodge, I sat and knit with my friends until dinner time. Then after dinner, we knit until the general meeting. It was time for Show and Share and many people had beautiful things to show and share.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Knit-Away Retreat Day 1

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Last week we went to the Knit-A-Way Retreat at Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland, NC. It was hosted by the Spartanburg Knitting Guild.

We left home around 8:30 am and drove through Woodruff, SC. Then we stayed on Hwy 221 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped in Rutherfordton at the Victorian Lace Antique Mall which I thought didn’t open until 11 am as Google Maps stated. It was open when we arrived at 10:45 and the lady said they opened at 10 am and Google was wrong. We ended up buying several things there including a Tom Clark figurine. We finally arrived at the Big Lynn Lodge around 1 pm and were able to check into Room #132. It was in the building on the right and the last room upstairs. The room was very nice!

I sat on the porch and knit until dinner and Don watched TV. Dinner was turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, we had peach pie a la mode. Dinner was delicious. After dinner, we knit until the dining room was cleared and then met at 8 pm for our general meeting. I was excited that I won a door prize tonight!

By 9 pm, I was ready to head back to the room and get ready for bed.

Original Photos by Pat Hensley