http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com?source=rss Latest posts by Paul Viau Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:25:30 EDT Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:25:30 EDT en-us Copyright 2011 Mountaineer Publishing http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-seinfeld-counter-culture/1015270?source=rss ]]> Earlier this year my wife and I saw Jerry Seinfeld perform in Asheville. He looked a little older, and in fairness so did we. But his sense of humor and classic comedy style blew us away. We needed a good laugh at the time, because I was half way through a major foot makeover — and Carol was tired of being “the caregiver.” In the following weeks, we started watching “Seinfeld” almost every evening, and it brought ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-seinfeld-counter-culture/1015270 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:32:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/my-brother-was-a-mad-scientist/1008466?source=rss ]]> As a public service, I’d like to warn citizens of Haywood County to BOLO — be on the lookout — There’s a new crazy Viau in town, turning up at local events. Don’t be beguiled by his keen wit, physical prowess or professorial manner. Don’t let the glare from his shaved head or unusual jewelry distract you. This man is my brother, Rob, who was once a mad scientist. It all started when Rob was a young boy, keenly ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/my-brother-was-a-mad-scientist/1008466 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:01:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/team-up-and-tee-it-up-to-help-our-community/1008462?source=rss ]]> Attention all golfers, you have my deepest sympathies. Not only is the game of golf the most difficult ever invented, this time of year you need incredible endurance and the flexibility of Stretch Armstrong to keep up with the many area golf tournaments. Let me explain why golf tournaments are so plentiful this time of year. For starters (and I am one) there are four great golf courses in Haywood County. In ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/team-up-and-tee-it-up-to-help-our-community/1008462 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:56:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/when-you-shop-high-and-low-you-can-save/945437?source=rss ]]> I’ve got to admit it: as the popular country song goes, “I was raised on an asphalt farm, never heard a rooster crow.” In other words, I’m not you’re typical country boy — far from it. But I’m still very much a "hunter gatherer." As a young city boy, I used to ride off, not in a pickup truck, but on my bicycle —rooting around the backs of stores looking for treasure. And I found it. At 6 years old, I bagged my ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/when-you-shop-high-and-low-you-can-save/945437 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:40:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/goats-will-go-to-great-heights-to-eat-even-christmas-trees/943275?source=rss ]]> I must admit, everything I know about goats I learned in kindergarten, plus the research on an occasional goat-related story in 2012. But just after Christmas, I saw a news story on an ABC-TV affiliate that opened my eyes — about how goats just love eating Christmas leftovers. Trees, that is. As a matter of fact, goats will strip a Christmas tree of its ever-greens and soft bark in minutes. And as a bonus, the ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/goats-will-go-to-great-heights-to-eat-even-christmas-trees/943275 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:03:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-twelve-days-of-christmas-is-a-study-guide-for-all-christians/936076?source=rss ]]> We all know the Christmas song/carol that begins, “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me — a partridge in a pear tree.” Did you know? — According to lore and legend, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was created as a primer for children to aid their study of the Christian catechism. It harkens back to a time when many Christian groups were oppressed and repressed, unable to practice their religion ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-twelve-days-of-christmas-is-a-study-guide-for-all-christians/936076 Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:01:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/deck-the-halls/931318?source=rss ]]> I’m such a “right jolly old elf” that you might think Christmas is my favorite time of year — but it isn’t. Like most men, I don’t look forward to dragging 20 or more storage tubs up from the basement, or stringing the icicle lights outside on the deck, or trimming the tree with (at minimum) 10 strings of lights and 50 years’ accumulation of ornaments. Bah humbug! It’s my wife’s job to “deck the halls” at our ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/deck-the-halls/931318 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:11:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/un-stuff-your-christmas/927560?source=rss ]]> A few years ago my wife and I realized (maybe later than most folks) that we had way too much “stuff.” So when the holidays came around, and the family and friends asked us, “What do you want for Christmas?” we started steering them toward alternative gifts. First we requested consumable gift items — mostly in the form of food and drink that we could either consume ourselves or share with others. You know what I ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/un-stuff-your-christmas/927560 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:09:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/what-happened-to-the-bounty/925405?source=rss ]]> Thanksgiving is upon us, but it has been Donald Trumped by a retail onslaught like we have never seen before. What used to be a quiet celebration of America’s bounty has become a race to buy more of America’s booty. And the mega-marts are leading the charge. This week Walmart, K-Mart and Target stores announced that their Black Friday sales would begin on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day). So plan to eat lightly this ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/what-happened-to-the-bounty/925405 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:46:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-claus-for-a-cause/922850?source=rss ]]> As you know, I often write (and talk) out of both sides of my mouth. Last week I groused about Thanksgiving, and how it has been nearly eclipsed by the Christmas rush of retail displays and advertising. This week I am writing about a character often included in this holiday hype — Santa Claus. But this is a “behind-the-scenes” look at a Santa Clause you might not know— one that embodies the Christmas spirit of ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/a-claus-for-a-cause/922850 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 06:26:00 EST news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/holy-smoke/917690?source=rss ]]> Turkey Day, as many of us call it, is right around the corner. But the retail world has kept it a big secret. For the past couple months, we’ve seen Halloween everything — decorations, costumes, candy and cookies. And from children to adults, we’ve eaten it up. Except for the northeastern States, still recovering from Frankenstorm, we’re all pretty much over Halloween. Thanksgiving is our next national holiday, ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/holy-smoke/917690 Wed, 31 Oct 2012 08:11:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Staff) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/something-to-crow-about/915055?source=rss ]]> This column was inspired by our neighbors, Alden and Lanie Robinson, who both have a lot to crow about. Lanie is a gifted Master Gardener, and crafter; Alden is an accomplished woodworker. One evening this summer, my wife and I were sharing some wine with the Robinsons on their deck, when the crows interrupted the conversation. I immediately asked Alden for his recommendation of a small weapon that would be ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/something-to-crow-about/915055 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:22:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/bears-on-the-prowl/912325?source=rss ]]> It’s bear season in North Carolina — both the legal hunting season for bear in many western counties, plus the dangerous time of year when bears everywhere are in a “feeding frenzy,” packing on the pounds before going into hibernation. I have been accused of doing the same thing at recent Oktoberfest celebrations, but I don’t want to make light of the serious situation. This time of year, bears are hungry — ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/bears-on-the-prowl/912325 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:10:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/foggy-mountain-breakdown/909068?source=rss ]]> I have an old Magic Eight Ball. It’s a toy I have been fond of since the 1950s, and I find it a great way to prepare for almost any outing, especially if you are going up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to check out the fall color. Just ask your Magic Eight Ball, “What will it be like up on the Blue Ridge Parkway?” This time of year, you can count on the answer: “Reply hazy, try again.” That’s the kind of luck my wife ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/foggy-mountain-breakdown/909068 Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:26:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/hats-off-to-haywood-county-brewers/905949?source=rss ]]> Even if you are only an occasional reader of this column, you know that I am a big fan of beer — good beer, aka craft and/or micro-brewed beer. It’s a favorite subject (and beverage) of mine. And — Did you know? If I had my way, there would be a column dedicated to Haywood County’s growing beer scene in the pages of The Mountaineer. But alas, the ‘Austin Powers that be’ have denied us that privilege, even as ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/hats-off-to-haywood-county-brewers/905949 Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:27:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/take-the-fitness-challenge/902782?source=rss ]]> These days, you can’t pick up a newspaper or magazine or turn on the television, without hearing the words "obesity" and "epidemic" in the same sentence. Yes, America’s weight problem is well documented, and if you think we are unaffected here in Haywood County, take the blinders off for one minute and look around you — at work, in church, in the store — or better yet, in the mirror. It’s no wonder that health ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/take-the-fitness-challenge/902782 Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:58:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/one-grand-view-after-another/893669?source=rss ]]> My wife and I will never forget our first glimpses of Haywood County. We were on a day trip from Cashiers with Carol’s mom. The Cashiers/Lake Glenville area had been our fall getaway destination for several years, and got us seriously thinking about buying a home in North Carolina. But on this particular day, we set out to explore Waynesville. Our itinerary included (1) a stop at Ghost Town Harley-Davidson and ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/one-grand-view-after-another/893669 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 05:02:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/what-to-do-with-all-those-maters/887928?source=rss ]]> Ah, ’tis ’mater season again, and Yellow Stripeys, Cherokee Purples, Orange Noodles and good-ole Boxcar Willies are taking over our porch, kitchen countertop and both refrigerators. I’ve had tomato omelets for breakfast, ’mater sandwiches for lunch, and a ’mater side salad for every dinner I can remember. The other day, I felt something funny in my ear, and (You guessed it) I had ’maters coming out of my ears. ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/what-to-do-with-all-those-maters/887928 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:25:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Staff) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-world-wears-olympic-yellow/882036?source=rss ]]> Like most of the world, I have been captivated the past few days by the great NBC television coverage of the 2012 Olympics. The parade of colors during the opening ceremonies was spectacular, but when the various competitions began — Did you know? All I saw was yellow — neon bright yellow — with just the right cooling touch of green in it. Almost every Olympic athlete was sporting and competing in these brighter-t... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-world-wears-olympic-yellow/882036 Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:19:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/goats-seen-a-ghost/871667?source=rss ]]> My first two columns in July — devoted to goats — caused quite a stir, and I heard a variety of comments from readers — everything from, “Nice goats” to “We need more goats,” and even “Surely, you made up the whole story about fainting goats.”I hate when people call me “Surely.” So, back by popular demand is another goat-related column about a legendary creature that (I’m not making this up) sucks blood from ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/goats-seen-a-ghost/871667 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:17:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Paul Viau) Arts & Entertainment