This week on The Road to Jockey’s Ridge, I learn some geology, explore a small patch of prairie, and meet a strange old man who tells me the legend of Sisyphus of the Eno.

View from my lunch.

New on my Mountains-to-Sea Trail Substack: Ghosts above the Falls. Echoes of labor in the landscape, prayers for the builders of a bridge, and cicadas.

Falls Dam again, this time from upstream. It is five miles of trail from the dam to get to this view, though it can’t be more than a mile as the crow flies.

The workshop has been blood-warm much of this month so I bought a chip carving knife and some basswood and have been sitting at my desk to practice. I may be approaching a charming level of mediocrity.

On my substack: I officially started hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls of the Neuse. Geology, longleaf pines, funny dogs, deadly floods, and a bald eagle.

The trail into a not too recently burned patch of long leaf pine forest at Falls Lake. The bark is still visibly singed, but saplings are growing back.

Cursed with a nationwide shortage and blessed with a rampant garden, I made my own sriracha. It tastes pretty good, but the real test will involve tater tots and mayonnaise.

Virginia day flowers growing by a utility pole.