In a certain part of the country called Appalachia you will find dogs named Prince or King living in little towns with names like Coal City and Sally’s Backbone. These dogs run free, being country dogs, and their legs are full of muscles from running rabbits up mountains or from following boys who push old bikes against the hill roads they call hollows. These are mostly good dogs and can be trusted.
—Cynthia Rylant – Appalachia The Voices Of Sleeping Birds
Since I was born there’s been dogs roaming free in Wilson Holler. There’s been all sorts of dogs—mostly hunting dogs but other breeds too.
Currently there’s a collie looking dog, a small Jack Russel, a blue healer, a lab looking dog, and a beagle that chases rabbits all the live long day. Of course there’s Olive Chatter and Austin’s dog but she mostly stays inside.
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a used copy of the children’s book Appalachia The Voices Of Sleeping Birds written by Cynthia Rylant. Leave a comment on this post to be entered. *Giveaway ends November 28, 2024.
Winners
The winner of Butter my Butt and Call Me a Biscuit And Other Country Sayings, Say-Sos, Hoots, and Hollers written by Allan Zullo and Gene Cheek is Kathy Dunkel who said: “Those sayings did indeed make me smile this morning. I’m sure I will look for ways to use some of them. Thank you for sharing.”
The winners of the flawed copies of Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley are:
Elena Elms who said: “I think I remember my grandma saying to use a “knob” of butter or shortening in a biscuit recipe, a little bit about the size of a drawer knob. She was not exactly known for being a good cook, but my cousin fondly remembers her “dab soup.” Grandma Flora B would save tiny bits of leftovers and when she had enough from “a dab of this and a dab of that”, she’d add a little bit more to make dab soup.”
Joanna Spears who said: “Congratulations to all the winners! I hope I win your cook book!”
The winner of Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands written by Allen H. Eaton is Carlie who said: “I love all things handmade and some of the best times I have had is teaching my children and granddaughters how to sew quilts, make baskets and how to embroidery. I love our mountain heritage of making useful and beautiful things with our own hands.”
The winner of The Tall Woman written by Wilma Dykeman is Rhonda Butler who said: “It is funny how things like this come to mind in your past when you read about someone else getting hurt in a story. Sometimes the stories are painful, but sometimes the memories are sweet.”
The winner of our Songs of Christmas cd is Willa who said: “Thank you for the stories, the strumming and the singing.”
A couple of winners I haven’t heard from are:
The winner of flawed copy of Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley is Patricia H who said: “I’ve been wanting your cookbook for quite some time and would be very thankful for a copy.”
The winner of our Songs of Christmas cd with the broken case is Paul who said: “I’ll be longing to see you. Oh wow! You are the called. I love it.”
Winners please send your mailing address to me at blindpigandtheacorn@gmail.com and I’ll get your book or cd to you.
Last night’s video: The Thread That Runs So True 29.
Tipper
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Our grand babies love to have there papaw read to them. I’m sure this book would also be a hit!
I am more of a cat person but have loved a few dogs in my lifetime. Probably my favorite was a husky named Zero who talked to me and was very loving and protective!
Such wonderful stories! I so enjoy them all ! Thank you !
Randy – good times, good memories and good eating in those days! I would watch my dad prepare the birds for cooking! The dogs were good hunters and good pets too!!
Congratulations to all the winners. Sometimes, I think that dogs are the best people.
I’m am animal lover from way back. My Mother loved animals and birds so I got it honest. As I was growing up I was priviledged to live near my grandparents. My Grandpa and Uncle Burt were hunters and provided the meat for our table back then. I was privileged to know some of their hunting dogs, Brab, Britt, and Budalow. These dogs were not any fancy breeds, just Heinz 57 varieties but great hunting dogs for sure. They were not the kind that we petted because they never got used to that kind of attention. They sure did pay attention when Grandpa or Uncle Burt was around though. They were not mean to their dogs, they just knew how to train them. They took care of each other and there was mutual respect from man and animal. You know I would love to win this book.
Comment !!
Congratulations to all the winners! 🙂
All of this talk about hunting dogs reminds me of a bird dog I once owned. He was half pointer and half setter-he would set in the corner of his pen and point at his food bowl! A half pointer and half setter mix is actually called a drop, they don’t get much respect, but I have often heard bird hunters say one of the best bird dogs they ever hunted with was a drop. To me there is nothing much prettier than a long eared bench leg blanket back beagle.
Some of my best friends have been dogs.
Congratulations to all the winners! Hope I can join in on that list soon!!
I would enjoy reading this book!
When I was growing up, we had a dog named Bingo.
This is such a lovely book, and it should be read out loud. I have given it as a gift to dog lovers. The introduction paragraph about the people lying under the trees makes me tear up. And the illustrations are the type you can get lost in.
My dad always had a hunting dogs. Ole Nell and Ole Red. I would go hunting with him because momma didn’t want him going by himself incase something would happen. It was fun, more times than others. Most of the time , we would come back with something. I’d help dad skin it and we ate bout everything we caught. Thank God for them Old Hunting Dogs.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
My granddaddy and brother both raised beagles. Sweet dogs but boy did they ever love to bark. My brother gave our son a beagle when he was a young boy. He named him Cody. He was a sweetheart, but he didn’t like anyone bothering his doghouse. If you had to put straw or do anything to his house, he would find a way to get inside it. Our golden retriever couldn’t keep a toy because Cody would steal every one of them and put them in his doghouse. He was a mess, but we sure did love him.
Dogs are pretty much like humans. Most are friendly and peceable. Some have a vicious side. Large, free-ranging (feral) dogs in a pack have killed people, but that is rare. We have leash laws where we live, and that is a good thing. A dog will sometimes slip its collar and go after another dog. Otherwise, the neighborhood dogs are fun to have. They do love treats. We had beagles when the kids were small. Great little companions. When I was young, we had collies. Yes, one was named Lassie.
We’re a dog family, started by my daughter, who loves her animals. She should have been a veterinarian. Our dogs have been large, medium, small and even tiny ones. There’s been Julio of MeMei (A Registered Japanese kennel club pet) Charlie, Charlie #2, our escape artist, Jake, Maxxie, Mollie, and Sadie, often called Sadie Mae. She is our current sweet girl. We’ve lost several of these beautiful dogs due to running loose. Most escaped our yard or sneaked out while the door was open. A few due to old age or other incurable dog diseases. Jake contracted a dog disease from another dog when they both ran loose. Jake was an escapee too. Just a puppy. Each one was loved by us and whatever way they were taken, caused tears to flow and broken hearts. Sadie Mae is a cute little lady and has many years ahead. She’s 7 years old. She is very spoiled, loved and gives us many hours of enjoyment and loves us back too. People, love your pets and you too will be loved back. Everyone have a wonderful, beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving. Miss Tipper and family I give thanks for knowing you all.
We always had dogs that were trained by Dad to go out in the fields and bring in our milk cows, when Dad was training our black collie pup he would bring them in and go right back looking for more, so Dad couldn’t get him to stay at the barn, Niki was the dogs name he would keep looking for more cows so Dad said he has to learn to count the cows so we stopped calling him and he came in about the time we were going to the house, he always knew how many cows we had after that night.
I did not grow up in the country but a subdivision and our neighbor right across the street in front of our house had a dog who had some collie in him. The neighbors and my parents were close friends, my dad and the neighbor man even worked together and carpooled to work most days. Their dog stayed at our house most of the day. We didn’t feed him but he was there all the time. If he was outside early enough he would wait at the school bus stop, which was right at the corner of our house, with us. My mother told me that he would lay out in one our yards waiting on me to get home from school. She told me he knew which bus was mine because he would get up when it was my bus stopping and was ready to greet me when I got off the bus. He was a good dog. He loved to chase a tennis ball and he was seriously scared of hot air balloons, hiding under a lawn chair if that was the only thing he could find to hide under. I am thankful to have sort of grown up with a dog even though he was not mine, but I did get to take care of him when they were away from home.
Some wonderful books by Cynthia Rylant are Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven. I would love to have another of hers!
Our dogs always wandered over our farms with occasional visits to neighbors. My present dog so old that he is content to sit in the sun and occasional bark at the cows. Would love the book.
Another book to add to my list!
Wonderful author! Our son liked Henry and Mudge books. As long as my dad lived he had a hunting dog or two for quail hunting. Not many quail left in these parts. We are dog lovers but don’t hunt.
Carol, the joy of my hunting life was bird hunting, like you said very few or no quail left. It has been years since I heard the call of a quail. Be sure and read my comment about my bird dog. I did enjoy rabbit but not as much as bird hunting.
After the first time you mentioned Cynthia Rylant’s book”…The Voices of Sleeping Birds,” I was able to find three copies on thriftbooks.com. I got one for myself and one for each of my sisters. They were so special to us because the book depicts so much of the world we were raised in, even down to names. Our mother was named Mamie and we had a cousin named Boyd. My sisters, ages 82 & 79 LOVED their copies.
When I lived in the country & in small rural towns I would sometimes see various breeds of dogs running together in a pack. I guess they enjoyed each other’s company. However, they could sometimes be destructive if they chased cattle or killed chickens.
Oh my goodness I can’t believe I won! I am so excited. Thank you and thanks for your wonderful blog. I enjoy reading it everyday and love the memories it brings back that have slipped away! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
We and most of our neighbors always had dogs when I was growing up. I probably knew the names of every dog in the area because I hunted with most of them. Someone offered my wife a pup and I said, “Only if it’s a male.” I got home and there SHE sat. My wife wanted me to help her pick out a good ‘Biblical’ name for her dog. I said, “Considering how I’ve been betrayed, the only name that comes to mind is Jezebel.” Jezebel lived almost 19 years in the house and barked at everything – even when a leaf fell a block away.
Cynthia Rylant is one of our very favorites. I would love to have that book!
I would love a copy of this children’s book. Thank you for the reading of The Thread that Runs so True. I grew up in Carter County which borders Greenup County. Those are my hills too.
Dogs always make the world a better place. There is a sweet YouTube video called “God and Dog” that sums it up and warms your heart. Thanks for sharing.
I love these stories about Appalachia!
I love Cynthia Rylant and would love to add this book to my collection.
Congrats to the winners. There were always dogs roaming free in our rural area. one bit me as I was riding down our road on a bicycle. He was a tire chaser. Mom just cleaned up the cut and sent my brother down the road to the owners (he knew them well) and told them to mind their dog! No lawsuits, no screaming or throwing a hissy fit. Just mind your dog. They did and there was never another incident. I won that wonderful Children’s book last year and I have set it aside for future grandchildren so don’t put me in the running. Love your blog and channels!
I don’t think I knew anyone that had an inside dog when I grew up. Every family had outside dogs and cats here in the Smokies. A lot of them would bite you if the owner didn’t run off his porch and tell them to shut up. The fear of God was put on me when I was a young girl riding my bike to church. Our best friend had 2 red bone hounds that when they stood up were taller than me. They liked to have eaten me up. They both were bitting me. I just froze and screamed. They had to get them off me. For years and to this day I am cautious about dogs. Be blessed.
My son had a little bench-leg beagle named Lucy. Lucy had the cutest squeal sort of bark when she spotted a rabbit. She took off after one in our yard one day and we thought she’d never come back. She was definitely not a good listener. But she did come back eventually…all tuckered out…and ready to lay down on the porch for a nap.
As a first grade teacher Cynthia is one of my favorite authors. I so enjoy reading your blog and watching all of the videos (CA, BP&A, &PG). I feel like we are friends and nearly neighbors as we live in the foothills of NC in Burke Co.
I’ve always had dogs but nowadays you have to keep them put up because people like to call the dog catcher first time they see one walking about.
It would be fun to win this book.
Oh boy, dogs! I got the most scared I ever was in my life by a porch dog. He was a good dog really. I just scared him first so he returned the favor.
Congratulations to all the winners. Looks to be good matches.
I love buying children’s books for our grandkids. I love that our adult children have continued the tradition of reading to their children before going to bed. For a child it’s a wonderful way to end the day!
Thankyou for the giveaways! I won a book last year and enjoy it
Though he’s not a dog, we can’t forget Mr Binks who roams the holler too.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Everyone have a great Saturday.
The title of this book is interesting. I don’t think one is ever too old to read a children’s book.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
As country dogs go, we always had stray dogs coming and going when I was growing up. They were some good dogs too. We don’t have much of that anymore unless someone dumps off one that needs help. Our daughter lives right close and she helps all creatures great and small.
I have always lived out in the country and back when I was a youngster, no one kept their dogs penned up. Nowadays you don’t see dogs running loose anymore and I don’t know of anyone that has hunting dogs. The only hunting done around here now is for deer, there are very few rabbits and no birds (quail) at all and the new neighbors have posted signs up on their property before the ink dries on their deeds. The last time a friend tried to coon hunt on my property, a neighbor lady from the north called the law on him because she said the noise the dogs made while running was disturbing her. Nothing was done to him, he was not breaking any law. As for dog names, back when nearly everyone had a hunting dog, you couldn’t hunt without hearing of a bird dog being named Buck or Queen. As a young boy, I dearly loved hearing the men talk, brag, and probably be loose with truth about their hunting dogs. My father in law was a rabbit hunter and would tell of his jump dog named Rachel carrying a tool box on her back, he would say if she couldn’t find a rabbit, she would sit down and make one! I sure do wish there was a way to go back and relive those happy times.