Introduction
My first article today was one rough draft that I finally finished. This is my second rough draft that I am finishing today.
The context: the fourth anniversary of the passing of my mother-in-law (Phyllis Ann House Gordon, 4/10/1941 - 4/30/2017) was yesterday. The celebratory article that I wrote yesterday helped Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and even her family survive the sad memory of my mother-in-law's passing.
One of the four sub-sections, in my first article today, was on CHS Yearbook. I was too late to have my website advertisement added to the 2022 Yearbook. I did, however, donate the price of a Yearbook, for a student, who could not afford one. Winnie (Winn) Seals and I conversed by phone, on 3/29/2022, as folks from Hawkins County Tennessee do. She is a teacher at Cherokee High School and a member of their Yearbook staff.
We both have an interest in Devil's Nose – in Hawkins County. If you search by my Topic Section on “Devil's Nose,” you will find five articles that I have written, over the years.
Winnie (Winn) Seals emailed me her painting of Devil's Nose, in two images, and her poem, “Devil's Nose.” Winnie (Winn) Seals granted me permission, on 3/29/2022, to publish her painting and poem, citing her full name, in a future article, once I got around to writing it. Well, Winn, here it is! I will email you after I publish this article, as I promised, on 3/29/2022!
Winn Seals' Devil's Nose Painting
In her second 3/29/2022 email to me Winnie (Winn) Seals wrote, “here is my work from Devil's Nose Inspiration.” I am inspired. I hope that my readers are.
Winn Seals' “Devil's Nose” Poem
Devil’s Nose
Sunlight breaks through the clouds
Revealing a mountain peak.
Sloping up from the valley below.
A crooked nose
Seen from far away.
At the foot of the summit
The valley hovers in its shadow.
Over two centuries ago
When the valley was settled
Folks made the climb.
The long trek up the bridge of the nose
Ascends in a challenging slant.
Crosses a shallow stream.
Clamber.
Stumble.
A rugged trail.
Near the top of the trail
It ends in a flat surface.
Peaceful.
Tranquil.
God’s place.
An early traveler once asked,
“What’s the mountain's name?”
The mountain pioneer replied,
“The Devil knows.”
– Winn Ann Seals
The origin of the name of Devil's Nose mountain is a mystery. One theory is in Winnie Seals' poem. The mountain, viewed from the east, looks like a crooked nose, as Winn's poem mentions. Another theory is that someone hiked Devil's Nose and never returned. The question, many decades ago, was “where did he go?” The reply was, “the devil knows.”
My hiking record, which I started tracking on 4/23/2000, lists ten hikes on Devil's Nose, from 2/16/2002 to 11/29/2013. My “bionic” life that started on 3/29/2016 has forestalled my next hike on Devil's Nose – for now!
Conclusion
When will I hike Devil's Nose again? God only knows!
Thank you, Winnie Seals, for allowing me to share your painting image and poem on my website. It took me a while to get to it, in “life, such as it was,” context. You are welcome to reprint or publish this article, by any means, as you desire. Let's get a group together, for a Devil's Nose hike, this fall! As of today, I have six “Devil's Nose” articles in my Topic Section!