CONTENTS F E AT U R E S 25 The Art of the Fresco is Alive in Asheville, North Carolina Artist Christopher Holt is keeping a craft alive on Haywood Street. BY NAN K. CHASE 28 Keeping Virginia's Shenandoah Valley Well-Trailed Thomas Jenkins, of Harrisonburg, has dedicated much of his life to building pathways for hikers and cyclists. BY ERIC J. WALLACE 30 Mountain Wildlife & Wildflowers: A Photo Essay Our contributing photographers bring the life of the mountains to light. 35 Mountain Festivals for Your Year Whatever your fancy and whatever your destination, there's an event waiting. BY JOE TENNIS 48 Baby James: Cow with a Good Tale The calf was apparently a victim of oxygen-deprivation at birth. But the good folks and good dogs at Happy Hens & Highland Farm stepped in to the rescue. BY MARLA HARDEE MILLING 52 Rock City Barns: Disappearing Landmarks David Jenkins built himself into the experts on these Southern Appalachian icons, and now watches with lament as they disappear. BY DAVID JENKINS 56 Not Your Daddy's Caverns DEPARTMENTS 5 6 8 10 12 14 16 20 61 64 66 No, you can't modernize an ancient space like a cave. But things are different at some of the region's commercial caverns. BY JOE TENNIS Letters/Contributors From the Editor Mill Creek Stories Creature Feature ON THE COVER The Good Walk For this shot, photographer Robert Stephens was on the Appalachian Trail, on Jane Bald where it straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina line. He was in Tennessee, but only by a few feet. Our Blue Ridge Towns Festivals & Events Country Roads Flavors Singing in the Garden PHOTO ON THIS PAGE: Rounded-leaved ragwort flourishes along the Rend Trail in West Virginia's New River Gorge National River. Photo by Ed Rehbein Guest Column JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 3