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Shoe Box Canyon

Listen to a Toad at Night up The Shoebox Canyon

Published May 13, 2025

Tonight, as Julia was walking out to the barn to do late check, she called back to me (I was still in the cabin), “Come listen to the toads.” Here’s what I heard and saw.

Toad sitting on the dry lot at night up Shoe Box Canyon
One of the many toads I found sitting on the horses’ and mules’ dry lot tonight.

Click on the audio player below to listen to the frog chorus. While you’re listening, you’ll hear the brook behind our house babbling in the background. Just what you… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters

Happy Thanksgiving From the Shoebox Canyon

Published November 28, 2024
Thanksgiving leaf bouquet and pear pie at the cabin up Shoe Box Canyon
Getting ready for Thanksgiving. I baked the pear pie with pears I gathered off our pear tree back in September. Not much is blooming this time of year in western North Carolina but there sure are some beautiful leaves left. The bouquet contains blueberry leaves, Bradford pear leaves and some mysterious shrub that grows off our front porch. Look closely and you’ll see the year’s last blooming daisy snuggled in among the leaves.

Happy Thanksgiving from our cabin up the… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Eating and Being, Splinters | 2 Comments

Snow on the Pillows

Published January 16, 2022

This morning, Julia and I woke up with snow on our pillows. We sleep with our bedroom window open, year-round, and during the night, the season’s first snowstorm blew in. The boundary between the indoors and the outdoors is thin and that’s the way we like it.

Julia went out to feed the critters before coffee this morning. I took some photos you might enjoy. Yes, we’ll get to the coffee. Enjoy!

Pony Pie hunkered down tail-to the wind in a snowstorm
Pie hunkered down, tail-to the wind
Snow falling outside the open bedroom window at Bernie Harberts' cabin
The view… Continue reading →
Posted in Around the Homestead, Horseing Around, Splinters | 3 Comments

The Window Stays Open, Even in a Snowstorm

Published January 16, 2022

This morning, Julia and I woke up with snow on our pillows. We sleep with our window open, year-round, and during the night, the season’s first snowstorm blew in. The boundary between the indoors and the outdoors is thin and that’s the way we like it.

Julia went out to feed the critters before coffee this morning. I took some photos you might enjoy. Yes, we’ll get to the coffee. Enjoy!

Snow covered scene outside the back door with Julia's studio and the barn in the distance
The scene outside our back door. The building in… Continue reading →
Posted in Around the Homestead, Horseing Around, Splinters | Leave a comment

2021 in Review: Driveway Crawfish, Bald Wandering and Brother Christian Gets a New Bed

Published December 31, 2021

Happy 2022. Here are a few photos from ’21 that made me smile. I wish you all the best in the New Year.

Bernie

Mule Polly checking out a new red cedar bed Bernie Harberts built for his brother Christian
Mule Polly checking out the new bed I built for my brother Christian when he came to visit. It’s built of red cedar and two-by-fours. In case you haven’t seen it already, Polly was the mule that pulled my wagon 14 months across America for the Lost Sea Expedition documentary. Stream the Lost Sea Expedition free… Continue reading →
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Casper the Super-friendly Cat up for Adoption

Published August 24, 2021

AUGUST 26: CASPER UPDATE Great big thanks to our neighbor Brandon Lane Darrin who recognized Casper, the mucho-cool cat who showed up at our barn this week. It turns out Casper is “Kit Kit”, our neighbor’s cat. He disappeared in late March and has been reunited with his family, a mom and dad and three kids. A great ending to the story. Our barn’s a little quiet now since he left….

Casper the friendly gray cat two hours after finding Julia
Casper is a trusting cat. This photo was taken… Continue reading →
Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 2 Comments

Snookie: 2008 – 2021

Published August 9, 2021

He started life in a ditch, could out-howl a tin coyote and cleaned a skillet better than a scrub pad. Today, his life ended under our chestnut tree. Our dog Snookie is gone. My wife Julia and I are torn up over this. The longer story of his life is coming.

Snookie the dog riding in Bernie Harberts' wagon at Benson Mule Days 2018
Snookie riding in my wagon at Benson Mule Days 2018

More about life up Shoe Box Canyon: Around the Homestead.

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | Leave a comment

Hill Top Sunday Morning

Published May 16, 2021
Pony Pie standing on a hill in Caldwell County, western North Carolina
Pony Pie on a hill (Caldwell County, NC / western NC)

Sunday greetings from high above the Shoe Box Canyon. Yesterday, my wife Julia and I rode to the top of the mountain behind our cabin. I thought you’d enjoy some photos of the ride.

Julia rode her pony Pie. I rode my mule Cracker. From the clearing high above the cabin, we just looked out over the Brushy Mountains to our South. We listened to the “chimp pang” call… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Horseing Around, Splinters | Leave a comment

Springing Toward Summer

Published May 2, 2021
Bernie Harberts' two saddles on the porch, one from his Atlantic to Pacific ride and one from his North Carolina to Idaho ride
Saddles on our porch: I rode the one on the left from Atlantic to Pacific oceans and the one on the right from here in western North Carolina to Idaho.

Happy Easter Sunday to you. The leaves are darkening up, the mules are getting shiny and Snookie is panting in the dirt under the back porch. My wife Julia just posted a beautiful essay on spring moving ahead toward summer here up the Shoebox Canyon. Read the full story, with… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 2 Comments

Slushy Sunday Shadow

Published January 7, 2021
Pony Pie cozying down in her shelter with mule Cracker's shadow looming nearby
Pie cozying down in her shelter. That’s Cracker’s looming shadow.

Howdy Sunday. Julia and I woke to a light snowfall this morning. By noon, temps were in the mid-forties and it was all melting away. Here are few pics I thought you’d enjoy.

Light snowfall over the hay pasture as seen from Bernie Harberts' front porch
The morning as it started. This is the view off our front porch, over the hay pasture where the horses graze. It’s too wet to turn them out today but tomorrow they’ll get a few hours’ turnout.… Continue reading →
Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 5 Comments

Have a Good Last Day of 2020

Published December 31, 2020
Bernie Harberts' critters Pie, Polly, Snookie, Brick and Cracker on the last day of 2020
The last day of 2020 from where I’m writing you: the critters are (L-R) Pie (lying down on the front lawn), Polly, Snookie resting on his blanket, Brick grazing and Cracker staring off in to space.

I just wanted to wish you a good last day of 2020. I know it’s been a bumpy year but I wanted my last memory to be a good one. Looking out the cabin, this is what I saw. Let’s hope the coming year… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 2 Comments

Froggie Friday

Published September 29, 2020

Last night, coming in from the barn after critter late check, a figure on Julia’s ox-goad caught my eye.

Tree frog on Julia Carpenter's ox-goad at Bernie Harberts' western North Carolina homestead
What a long shadow you cast: the creature on Julia’s goad.

We’re blessed with lots of frogs and toads around here but usually, they hang out in the creek, pond or marshy areas. When I leaned in for a closer look, a frog jumped from the goad onto the kitchen window. Julia ran inside to see the frog up close and… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 1 Comment

Sunflower Sunday Morning

Published August 8, 2020
Peach pits, sunflower and teapot on Bernie Harberts' kitchen windowsill
Our kitchen windowsill: peach pits, sunflower and teapot.

It’s been a good sunflower and peach year here in western North Carolina. Last week we were enjoying Taylorsville peaches from 20 miles away. This week, it’s Kings Mountain peaches from a wee bit farther afield.

I’m a big fan of saving good pits and seeds. Right now the fridge is full of baggies filled with the season’s best peaches. Others go on the windowsill until I put them in a paper… Continue reading →

Posted in Around the Homestead, Splinters | 1 Comment
General Store Too Proud to Ride a Cow

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