Black Bears

| Joely C. Rogers

My last blog post was over three years ago and a LOT has changed since then, both in the world at large and for me personally. During the pandemic, my family and I bought a fixer-upper house in a western North Carolina mountain cove adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest and working on it has occupied a large part of my time. In spite of being busy with the remodel, I’ve had time to explore and enjoy our home’s surrounding forest, which has inspired me artistically in a big way. Last year, I embarked on a series called “Night Creatures”, which features animals we’ve seen on the security cameras around our home, one of which, the Black Bear, is the topic of this post.

Black Bears

The American Black Bear Ursus americanus was chosen as the topic for my return post because seeing this magnificent wild animal on a regular, and sometimes daily, basis has been a magical experience for me. American Black Bears are omnivores native to North America and are listed as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to their large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. We love our bears here in western North Carolina and we are committed to living with them. For more information about Black Bears please check out this link to North Carolina Wildlife Resources.

Observations about Black Bears in my Neighborhood

Will show up at any time of the day/night in western North Carolina, although they visit less frequently January – March.

Extremely curious about everything and investigate with their noses first, followed by paws.

Generally seem disinterested and/or cautious around humans; however, check out Bearwise for tips on living with Black Bears because they CAN be a dangerous nuisance, especially if you leave food garbage outside.

Black Bear Artwork/Video

One of the standout things about black bears to me are their walk. Like humans, they put the whole surface of their feet on the ground, which is called plantigrade locomotion. This walk, which I’ve seen on dozens of our outdoor camera videos now, inspired my artwork “Night Walkers” below.

“Night Walkers” – digital illustration by Joely C.E.S. Rogers
Video of a Black Bear in Montreat, NC copyright joelycrogers.com. Please credit the website! http://www.joelycrogers.com.

Resources/Links

Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) – ABR cares for orphaned and injured black bear cubs for return to their natural wild habitat; increases public awareness about coexisting with black bears; and studies all aspects of returning cubs to the wild.

Bearwise – Bearwise helps people live responsibly with black bears.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources – mission is to conserve North Carolina’s wildlife resources and their habitats and provide programs and opportunities that allow hunters, anglers, boaters and other outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy wildlife-associated recreation.

1 – The Channeler – Flatwoods monster

| Joely C. Rogers

*This is a new artwork series I’ve started called the Cryptid Arcana, which is a spinoff of the Tarot’s Major Arcana, but uses cryptids as subjects.

Unconfirmed cryptids are creatures whose existence has been suggested but are not recognized by scientific consensus. Examples of unconfirmed cryptids include Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. Confirmed cryptids are animals or plants whose existence was once thought to be mythical but have since been confirmed by science. Examples of confirmed cryptids are the okapi, giant squid, and coelacanth.

I have studied and practiced Tarot for over 20 years. I also have a deep love and appreciation for the folklore about cryptids. In this series, I will merge both, combining the classic Tarot archetypes with an accompanying cryptid, and putting my own spin on the card’s label.*

The Channeler: Introducting the Flatwoods Monster as the Magician in the Cryptid Arcana Tarot

The Channeler (known traditionally as The Magician) is the archetype of manifestation, transformation, and raw potential. Where The Fool takes the first step into the unknown, The Channeler stands at the threshold between spirit and matter, transmitting energies from above to below. This is the moment when intention becomes action, when dreams begin to crystallize into form.

In classical tarot, The Magician card is filled with symbology: one hand points to the sky, the other to the earth — the divine conduit. The tools of the four suits (wand, cup, sword, pentacle) are laid out on the table, showing mastery over the elements. The infinity symbol above their head hints at boundless possibility.

But for Cryptid Arcana, the Channeler takes on a form that is both cosmic and folkloric: The Flatwoods Monster. In this interpretation, the Flatwoods Monster is the alchemist, controlling the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. In the world, while not necessarily of it, but holding mastery of its elemental forces.

Why the Flatwoods Monster?

Emerging from the mists of Braxton County, West Virginia in 1952, the Flatwoods Monster is no ordinary cryptid. Descriptions vary — tall, floating, robed in dark fabric or metal, with glowing eyes and an otherworldly presence. It left witnesses both awestruck and terrified, a being not bound by earthly logic or limitation.

This mysterious figure, so often interpreted as an extraterrestrial or interdimensional visitor, naturally embodies the qualities of The Channeler. Just as The Magician connects spirit to form, the Flatwoods Monster is a bridge between worlds — a receiver of strange transmissions, a bearer of hidden technologies, a spark of the uncanny in the mundane forest night.

Its presence in our deck invites us to consider how we channel unseen forces, how we translate inspiration into reality, and how we wield the elemental energies around us.

The Flatwoods Monster is a cipher, a transmitter of eerie wisdom, and a gentle reminder that our true power lies in what we choose to bring forth. The Channeler invites you to step into your role as co-creator — with curiosity, courage, and a little cosmic flair.

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0 – The Wanderer (The Jackalope)

| Joely C. Rogers

*This is a new artwork series I’ve started called the Cryptid Arcana, which is a spinoff of the Tarot’s Major Arcana, but uses cryptids as subjects.

Unconfirmed cryptids are creatures whose existence has been suggested but are not recognized by scientific consensus. Examples of unconfirmed cryptids include Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. Confirmed cryptids are animals or plants whose existence was once thought to be mythical but have since been confirmed by science. Examples of confirmed cryptids are the okapi, giant squid, and coelacanth.

I have studied and practiced Tarot for over 20 years. I also have a deep love and appreciation for the folklore about cryptids. In this series, I will merge both, combining the classic Tarot archetypes with an accompanying cryptid, and putting my own spin on the card’s label.*

The Wanderer’s Path: Introducing the Jackalope as The Fool in the Cryptid Arcana Tarot

Beneath the twilight sky, where stars prick the veil of the unknown and moss creeps soft over stone, the journey begins.

In traditional tarot, The Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana — yet it bears the number zero, symbolizing infinite potential. The Fool is a sacred traveler: wide-eyed, heart-forward, and unburdened by expectations. It is the card of new beginnings, leaps of faith, and trusting the path even when it twists through shadow.

For the Cryptid Arcana, we’ve renamed The Fool “The Wanderer,” a title that honors both its open-ended spirit and the mythic beings that walk the edges of our known world. To guide us through this liminal threshold, we chose the Jackalope — that elusive creature of American folklore, part jackrabbit, part antelope, and all mischief.

Why the Jackalope?

The Jackalope is a symbol of paradox and play. It hops between reality and myth, teasing the line between what’s true and what’s just too wonderful not to believe. With its wide eyes and proud antlers, it embodies the Fool’s blend of innocence and wild possibility. Much like the Wanderer stepping off the cliff, the Jackalope dares to exist where it “shouldn’t.” It reminds us that the world is stranger — and more magical — than we often allow ourselves to believe. Whether whispered about in cowboy ballads or sketched on motel postcards, the Jackalope survives through story. And that, too, is the way of the Fool.

Scientific substantiation of the Jackalope

The Jackalope itself is thought to be a creature of legend, one that originated in Wyoming in the 1930s when a clever taxidermist added antelope horns to a jackrabbit (hare) carcass and dubbed it a “Jackalope”. However, descriptions of horned hares and rabbits as either real or mythical creatures date back to medieval and early Renaissance times in Europe, even appearing in some early scientific texts. In 2020, a museum collection manager in the United States discovered a eastern cottontail rabbit carcass with horny growths on its head. It turns out this rabbit was infected with the Shope papilloma virus, which causes dry, hornlike growths on rabbits and hares. There is a possibility that creatures infected with this virus were the basis of the horned hare/rabbit legends in Europe, and the sightings of them resurrected the legend in the United States.

Image of a rabbit with horns (Lepus cornutus) from Bonnaterre‘s Tableau Encyclopedique et Methodique, 1789. Author – Robert Bénard (1734—after 1777.

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Hemlock Varnish Shelf Fungi

| Joely C. Rogers

“The difference between animals and fungi is simple: Animals put food in their bodies, whereas fungi put their bodies in the food.”
― Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures

The shady forest where I live in Montreat, North Carolina is filled with Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) trees. These tall, graceful evergreen trees are native to the eastern United States reaching heights of around 70 feet with a spread of up to 35 feet. It was used by Appalachian settlers for its lumber in the past, and Native Americans used the inner bark, roots, and needles for various medicinal purposes. We aren’t, however, here to talk about the Hemlock today, but an organism that preys upon it – the Hemlock Varnish Shelf fungus.

Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but a separate kingdom of life all together that perform an incredible array of important functions including fermentation, bioremediation, and pest control. Hemlock Varnish Shelf (Ganoderma tsugae) fungi are polypores, a group of fungi with spore-producing pores on the underside that form shelf and/or bracket shaped fruiting bodies. In spite of their reputation for pest control, these fungi are pests themselves and feed on the heartwood, the strength-giving aspect, of trees consuming the cellulose fibers that are bound together with lignin. To paraphrase Merlin Sheldrake “they put their bodies in the food”, which, as a point open to debate, has a distinctly animal feel to it.

Hemlock Varnish Shelf (Ganoderma tsugae) in the wild

During one of my outdoor walks in mid-spring, I located a Hemlock Varnish Shelf fungus. The image above is a youngish fungus, they tend to turn a much darker reddish-orange overall as they get older and develop a leathery cap like the far right image. I watched this fungus over a period of months and harvested it at the leathery stage. To me it looks a bit like cherry cream cheese pie – leathery cap being the cherries, the subiculum is the cream cheese, and the spore-containing pore tubes – the crust, which are eventually released to begin the cycle anew.

Watercolor sketch of Hemlock Varnish Shelf Fungi
Watercolor sketch of a Gandoderma tsugae cross-section
Ganoderma tsugae fungus cross-section

My watercolor sketches/observations above and finished digital artwork below are an attempt to document my investigations in this fungi. I’m not a scientist or a tree expert, however, as an artist, these initial investigations made me curious. There is literature stating fungi have a significant impact on the economics of paper-making, a topic I’m familiar with as an artist – I use paper designed for watercolor sourced from a tree. This realization raised questions: so how do polypores aid, contribute, or restrict the paper industry? Should they be protected and part of a forestry-managed program focused on a dual conservation/model? You be the judge – my function here is to be the eye. Comments are 100% welcome!

“Night Creatures” – art exhibit

| Joely C. Rogers

I had the good fortune of being selected as a solo exhibiting artist this November at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. My exhibition, “Night Creatures”, is focused on the nocturnal wildlife around my home on Rainbow Mountain in Montreat, North Carolina. 

The inspiration for this show happened when we bought a house in Montreat during 2020. Being city dwellers who’d lived in Dallas, TX for 25 years, we figured we’d need home security cameras. So, we set them up all around our home. Instead of potential human burglars though, a whole cast of animal characters began showing up on the cameras. These videos opened up a window into the world of our local wildlife – their habits, personalities, and behaviors. “Night Creatures”, which features animals captured at night, is the first of two series, the next being “Day Creatures”, featuring daytime animals. Many thanks to Bret Ladrie, a conservation biologist at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for his help facilitating some of the animal identifications for this project.  

“Night Creatures” runs Friday, November 3rd through Friday, November 24th at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts in Black Mountain, North Carolina and features 30 framed images of western North Carolina wildlife in their natural habitats along with up close portraits in a digital illustration style. I am a huge fan of the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, whose focus is on providing care for injured and orphaned wildlife, supporting the wildlife rehabilitation network, and offering conservation education to the community. As such, I’m donating 10% of my proceeds to them. The opening reception is Friday, November 3rd from 5:00 – 6:30pm. It would be great if any local or visiting peeps stopped by! 

 

 

Art Exhibit Poster
“Night Creatures” Art Exhibition in Black Mountain, NC

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge

| Joely C. Rogers

I recently took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge (AWR) as part of a Wildlife Rehabilitation class via the North Carolina Arboretum taught by Carlton Burke, an educator, naturalist, and licensed wildlife rehabilitator. The class was extremely informative and it engendered an enormous amount of respect in me for Carl and other individuals who perform this selfless, stressful, often unpaid service strictly for the love of animals. 

After the lecture, we carpooled to AWR, which is located in a woodsy area of Candler. They don’t publish their physical address to deter individuals from dropping off animals unannounced at all hours, something that could result in death from exposure. Animals deliveries are coordinated through their hotline at (828) 633-6364. They have both outdoor and indoor enclosures at the facility and we were able to tour both, including their huge outdoor enclosure for box turtles. The inside of the facility, basically a modified small home, contains a large food preparation area and different rooms for mammals, incubation/nursery patients, and aquatic animals, along with a tiny office space.   

Shown below are a few of the animals I encountered at the facility. Some were being treated with goal of release, while others, who are unreleasable for various reasons, live out their lives onsite being cared for by AWR. I was impressed by the knowledge, care, and love demonstrated to the animals.  

AWR averages patients per year and also recently completed the certification to rehabilitate black bear cubs, which due to our large and growing population of black bears in the Asheville area, is especially needed.  They run on donations and volunteers. Their volunteer positions include Daily Operations such as Animal Husbandry, Animal Transport, manning the Wildlife Hotline, and Record Keeping. And while many of their onsite animal care volunteers seem to be younger individuals based on my visit, they also have an extremely high need for people who can handle the hotline and arrange to pick-up and transport animals from finders to the facility. Please do consider volunteering and/or donating, any contribution or amount will help and your could help save a wild life. 

Great American Sandwiches – Hamburger

| Joely C. Rogers

Merriam-Webster’s Definition of Sandwich 
– two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between

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Great American Sandwiches is a series focused on America’s best-loved sandwiches. In this series, we’ll explore classic American sandwiches at the state, regional, and national levels, as well the various fillings and types of bread that make them unique.

This series was born out of my love for BREAD. I trained as a pastry chef and my passion was/and always has been, bread. In addition, I have a deep love and curiosity about American regional ingredients. Sandwiches are a way to explore both, so my goal with this series is to research, eat, and illustrate the classic, best-loved, most unique, and also the more controversial and also the ‘newer-style’ American sandwiches.

And, arguably, no sandwich is complete without Condiments, defined by Merriam-Webster as:  something used to enhance the flavor of food.
America loves its condiments and in this series we’ll examine the whole spectrum of condiments that help make our sandwiches unique from ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, to cheese, coleslaw, and green chilies.

Sandwich suggestions, comments, and questions are always welcome. Contact me at joelycrogers@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

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FIRST UP,  The HAMBURGER – no discussion about American sandwiches is complete without the HAMBURGER, the common name for a sandwich consisting of a cooked beef patty between two slices of bread (or a bun) with or without various condiments or toppings.

Origin -The term hamburger originally derives from Hamburg, a city in Germany. Hamburger in German is  a specific regional term used in Hamburg for meat-based foods. The proposed origin of the hamburger in the United States coincides with a German migration in the 1800s and it flourished under several names including, the Hamburger Steak, before finally settling beginning its evolutionary process as a hamburger steak sandwich in the late 1800s.

Popular Culture – Where to start? How about the mid-western United States – in 1921, White Castle, based in Wichita, Kansas, due to widely anti-German sentiment in the U.S. during World War I began serving hamburgers under the alternative name Salisbury steak. Other hamburger chains began to emerge both during and after World War I; however, it was McDonald’s, which opened in 1940 in San Bernardino, CA that established the baseline for what became known as the American hamburger. McDonald’s widely successful formula was later duplicated in various restaurants including Burger King, What-A-Burger, In-N-Out_Burger, Wendy’s, Sonic Drive-In, Hardee’s, and many others.

Ingredients – at its simplest, the hamburger is a patty made from ground beef that is typically grilled or fried and served between two slices of bread. Meats other than beef have adopted the suffix ‘burger’ and we now how have variations such as lamb burger, turkey burger, bison burger, salmon burger, and a veggie or plant-based burger. With regards to bread, most stores in the United States sell what they call “Hamburger or  Sandwich Buns”, which is a yeast-risen product specifically designed to hold a hamburger or toppings. The bread, however, can vary by region, from the classic sandwich buns, to sliced white bread, wheat, sourdough, and everything in between.

Condiments/Toppings – Ketchup, Mayonnaise, and/or Mustard are traditional, as well as lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion. Cheese, the addition of which changes ‘hamburger to cheeseburger’ is also extremely popular and varies with area. Regional toppings flourish as well including ones with coleslaw, green and red chilies, chili con carne, avocado, bacon, and kimchi.

Side Items – French Fries, sliced, fried white potatoes served with ketchup, are the classic side for hamburgers in the United States. Depending on the region and establishment, side items can vary and may include – onion rings, potato chips, sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, and various forms of salad, such as potato salad, coleslaw, or a green salad with your choice of dressing.

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandwich

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condiments

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-five-uniquely-american-sandwiches-180967078/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit and Vegetable Art Stamps

| Joely C. Rogers

As a mixed media artist, I have used pre-made stamps to add additional elements in art journals. I did not, however, think of stamps as a potential focal point in an image until I saw a couple of tutorials about using fresh fruits and vegetables as organic stamps. I decided to explore creating my own fruit and vegetable stamps because I think it’s a great way for beginners to “cheat”, and by that I mean get a tiny bit of extra help while sharpening their observation skills. The are some collages I created of my first experiments with fruit and vegetable stamps using tangerines, limes, onions, and mushrooms.  Try them yourself and treat this a FUN exercise – no art critics allowed! I think the collages are self-explanatory, but you are welcome to contact me with questions or post them in the comments section. Feel free to print and/or use these images for classroom or personal use.

 

 

 

 

Mountain Gardens Plant Walk in Burnsville, North Carolina

| Joely C. Rogers

I took a plant walk this past March at Mountain Gardens located just outside of Burnsville, North Carolina. Mountain Gardens is the brainchild of Joe Hollis, a famed local root doctor and a classically trained herbalist in Chinese Medicine.

I visited in mid-March, which is quite early in this part of country given the elevation to see much in the way of plant life. In spite of this, Joe was able to point out (and sometimes uproot), plenty of plants to fill the whole time period.

The walk consisted of an examination of the various plants such as Trillium, Wild Ginger, and Bloodroot, that were growing at the time of my visit and an explanation of their medicinal properties. It was fascinating, and it also happily reminded me of my childhood. I grew up in south Mississippi with a horticulturist grandfather, who inspired my lifelong love of plants, and I used to walk with him in the woods and learn about our local plants.

Mountain Gardens accepts apprentices who live in a communal community while learning all aspects of how to create and manage ethnobotanical gardens. During my visit I met a young lady from British Columbia who was working as an apprentice there and she spoke highly of the program and what she was learning. If you are interested in becoming an apprentice, be aware that it’s off-the-grid living.

Upon arrival, they suggested an optional post-walk dinner for $45 where participants foraged and helped prepare dinner from plants shown during the tour. At the time, it was cash on-site only, so we couldn’t participate. Hopefully, they will mention this as option when you sign up and pay for tours going forward.

I loved the tour. Joe is a treasure of plant healing knowledge, plant lore, and practical gardening. Check it out future tours if you get a chance and support someone who has devoted their life to living the Green Path. He really deserves it!