About Cherokee County, NC

Cherokee Legends
How The Milky Way Came To Be

Long ago when the world was young, there were not many stars in the sky.
In those days the people depended on corn for their food. Dried corn could be made into corn meal by placing it inside a large hollowed stump and pounding it with a long wooden pestle. The cornmeal was stored in large baskets. During the winter, the ground meal could be made into bread and mush.

One morning an older man and his wife went to their storage basket for some cornmeal. They discovered that someone or something had gotten into the cornmeal during the night. This upset them very much for no one in a Cherokee village stole from someone else.

Then they noticed that the cornmeal was scattered over the ground. In the middle of the spilt meal were giant dog prints. These dog prints were so large that the elderly couple knew this was no ordinary dog.

They immediately alerted the people of the village. It was decided that this must be a spirit dog from another world. The people did not want the spirit dog coming to their village. They decided to get rid of the dog by frightening it so badly it would never return. They gathered their drums and turtle shell rattles and later that night they hid around the area where the cornmeal was kept.

Late into the night they heard a whirring sound like many bird wings. They looked up to see the form of a giant dog swooping down from the sky. It landed near the basket and then began to eat great mouthfuls of cornmeal.

Suddenly the people jumped up shouting and beating and shaking their noise makers. The noise was so loud it sounded like thunder. The giant dog turned and began to run down the path. The people chased after him making the loudest noises they could. It ran to the top of a hill and leaped into the sky, the cornmeal spilling out the sides of its mouth.

The giant dog ran across the black night sky until it disappeared from sight. But the cornmeal that had spilled from its mouth made a path way across the sky. Each grain of cornmeal became a star.

The Cherokees call that pattern of stars, gi li' ut sun stan un' yi (gil-LEE-oot-soon stan-UNH-yee), "the place where the dog ran." And that is how the Milky Way came to be.

Retold by Barbara Shining Woman Warren

For more information about Buying and Selling in Murphy, NC contact
Lee & Carol Barbour ~ The Mountain Living Team www.MurphyMountainLiving.com

Licensed and Serving the western NC, northeast GA and east TN Mountains

Today our Thankful Thursday is for all the great outdoor activities we have here in the mountains - no matter what season it is. Being surrounded by so many Lakes and Rivers throughout the western NC, north GA and east TN mountains provides unlimited choices to enjoy the surrounding nature.

Hiking is one of our favorites, but Fly Fishing looks like something we might want to try some day too. Whats your favorite outdoor activity?

Lee & Carol Barbour ~ The Mountain Living Team www.MurphyMountainLiving.com

Needless to say, I am sure we would all agree that purchasing a home is one of the biggest investments we will make. Buyers spend time (hopefully) looking for the perfect agent and even more time looking for just the right house. Next comes more time and money spent inspecting it from top to bottom to make sure everything works the way it should and is safe for you and your family to move in to.

Before you know it closing day comes, the papers are signed and the moving truck arrives at the door of your new home. The sweet little ol' lady next door comes over to welcome you to the neighborhood with a plate of brownies and casually mentions that she’s a little surprised to see a family with children moving in, after all . . .

Now is NOT the time to find out that there’s a registered sex-offender living on the block.

While you're checking everything else out, don’t forget to spend the time to make sure your MOST important possession, your children, are safe.

Here are two websites I find easy to navigate:

Family Watchdog and US Department of Justice.

Take a moment and check out your own neighborhood. I bet the results will surprise you!

Cyndi

On Sunday February 5th I arrived at Camp LeJuene NC to watch my son embark from a bus full of returning Marines...

You see my son was deployed on March 23, 2011 on the USS Mesa Verde and he was part of an historic 10 1/2 month deployment.

Emotions were high and Marines for the first time got to see their newborn sons and daughters...

I meet my Facebook Marine mom Luann after months of e-mails, Skype sessions and Facebook. Luann son Tyler and my son became the best of friends while aboard ship. I felt like I knew her for years...we supported each other while our sons were away. A friendship I will always treasurer...

It was quite an experience...one I will never forget!!!!!!

Thank you to all of our men and women who serve in our Military for your sacrifice and dedication....OOOOOH RAHHHHHH

Murphy NC is just minutes from trout streams, hiking trails, kayaking or white water rafting through the Nantahala Gorge and Ocoee. You can browse in one of many antique and craft shops or just enjoy the sunset on your own deck in peaceful solitude. You CAN have it all!!!!!

Only 2 hours from Atlanta, Chattanooga and Asheville, Murphy, NC feels like it's from a different time and place. A time when life moved at a slower pace and people savored the simple pleasures...

February 2nd is Groundhog Day - the day when Punxsutawney Phil will determine if Spring is on it’s way or if we’ll have another six weeks of winter. This is one of those crazy traditions that got me to wondering how in the world we let a large rodent-looking animal determine our fate.

Well it seems the Germans brought this tradition with them from “the old country” where it was actually a Hedgehog who did the deed. Finding no Hedgehogs in the good old US of A, they turned to his cousin the Groundhog. Legend says that if “Phil” sees his shadow then we are in for the second winter but, if there’s no shadow, then Spring is just around the corner.

Personally this makes no sense to me. You see, in order for the groundhog to see his shadow, the sun must be out. So it would seem like the sun would predict the upcoming weather to be better moreso than a cloudy day. But again, this is old German folklore AND a Groundhog for a weatherman.

Regardless of what happens on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania at 7:20 am tomorrow morning, I for one have been enjoying our unusually warm winter and hope that it continues right into Spring. Whenever that may be!

Cyndi