The last Friday of my month-long celebration of Witchtober came dressed in full-blown mountain autumn splendor. I traveled into the west that morning, to the land where the breath of slumbering dragons rises to meet the clouds, and the fiery colors of autumn burn even brighter, swaddled in gray and white mist.
I chose that day for a last traveling adventure for the month, and my partner reminded me about the statue of Harriet Tubman that is on display at Bridge Park in Sylva, NC, until mid-December. Two days before Samhain was a perfect time to go and pay tribute to one of our country's great Gone Befores.
The "Harriet Tubman - Journey to Freedom" sculpture was created by Cashiers, NC artist Wesley Wofford. (https://www.woffordsculpturestudio.com) The 9-foot tall, 2,400-pound work of art has a presence simply because of its size, but the power of this work goes far beyond that. There is movement and strength in even the tiniest detail, and I could not resist the compulsion to look at every one of those details. Rhodes and I lingered for more than an hour in the chill air and light rain, viewing this sculpture from different angles, sitting with it, and talking about the statue, history and current affairs, and about the great work of Harriet Tubman.
Of course, this piece is timely in so many ways, a bold and beautiful reminder of the significant shifts happening within our society as the patriarchy tumbles all around us. And I will admit that it amuses me to see this placed in a park that is located near the setting of a controversial statue that honors the "heroes of the Confederacy."
If you are within traveling distance to Sylva, I encourage you to make time to go and see this incredible work of art and to honor the remarkable woman who inspired it.
When we left Bridge Park, we decided to make the journey home a meandering adventure. We were in search of pumpkins and apples, and the beauty of the landscape had hold of our hearts and minds. We drove on winding back roads through areas that were a mix of orchards, cornfields, small housing developments, and pasture. We marveled at one beautifully kept farm and then realized it was the NC State Mountain Research Station.
In our wanderings, we found a little out-of-the-way store that was a cross between a farmstand and an Amish store. I was wowed by how many local products they carried: Hickory Nut Gap Farms, Joey's bagels, a dozen other names I can't remember right now, plus tons of local produce and dairy products. We left with good ingredients for a couple of home-cooked meals, and we found our pumpkins.
The whole month of October was full of wonderful, witchy things. I'm actually sorry to see it end this year.
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