Shades of Gray: Farm Cat

Once in a while, on my trips back home, I run into Annie, an old friend from our summer jobs as teacher’s aides with the Headstart program. When I see her, we reminisce about our six-year-old charges – Horace and Bobby and the others – and the endearing traits that make each child memorable after all these years.

Several times during those Headstart summers, Annie invited me to her family’s historic farm and former inn just outside Asheville. After dinner, everybody gathered in a room just off the parlor to play violins (or fiddles, depending on your point of view) or whatever instrument was at hand. Not being proficient in that area, I just listened and took in the gently-worn antique furniture and hand-painted wall murals that depicted a bygone era in the mountains.

A few Sundays ago, I went back to the farm to see Annie. Her parents are gone now and she, her husband, and a new generation oversee a herd of cattle, hundreds of chickens, thirty or forty horses, student interns, a large garden, and assorted domesticated animals. Annie’s no armchair farmer either: it’s not unusual to see her driving a big truck and trailer, grading the dozens of chicken eggs bound for local restaurants and markets each day, or doing any of the myriad tasks it takes to keep a farm going.

With so many family farms struggling now, it’s good to see one so dedicated to keeping community and agricultural traditions alive. Thanks for the visit, Annie.