… inspirational motivational signs that keep mysteriously appearing all over town. Illegally, on utility poles along the edge of the street, close to curb. Often viewed when traffic is stopped at or adjacent to an intersection where driver would see them. Not always wording that would be provoking, some just thoughtful. Occasionally published poetry, some just ‘think about life from a different perspective’, occasionally try to consider how others are seeing/feeling situations.

There have been a few with just an interesting illustration, with no actual wording. One, a bit larger than average, posted on a pole, almost not noticeable. Near one of several tunnels that take traffic through a steep ridge, close to a private school.The illustration only has outlined cat shapes on the board attached to the pole. No wording, just notice all those felines. Sometimes: just amusing.

… from a weekly newspaper. There has been a lot of information printed in recent weeks after the somewhat surprising, unexpected death of the beloved entertainer and All Round Decent Human Dolly Parton. The drawing is clever, with the outline of that well-known piece of clothing she wrote about, as well as the song lyrics, many of which she seemed to spontaneously generate along with musical accompaniment.

A bit of backstory to give history of how the garment, as well as how the recording came to be. She was a young, budding artist, working in Nashville, under the guidance of Porter Wagoner who hired her as a singer. Waggoner was well- established, a successful popular touring musician. Traveling on a tour bus, she could find nothing to preserve her thoughts to pen the lyrics on: other than a piece of paper that was a dry-cleaning receipt. Writing on the back of paper picked up from the laundry whee his flashy custom-designed, rhine-stone covered suits were taken.She used the scrap of paper to write her thoughts.Dolly eventually gave him the preserved paper, which he kept and had framed. Now in the museum dedicated to her life in DollyWood, along with a recreation of that coat her mother made from the box of cast-off fabric given to the family.

… in Chattanooga. On the north side of town, at the intersection of Ely Rd, and Ashland Terrace, between Dayton Blvd., and Hixson Pike. The Lane Funeral Home has a memorial service to honor those Americans who died in the terror attack in 2021:New York City,Pentagon, Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There are almost three thousand small upright American flags planted in tidy rows in a small grassy plot just off the edge of the street, at the

According to the information found in the internet, the display is installed by a group of ROTC students in early September, with plans to have a Day of Remembrance Memorial celebration that includes speakers, recognition of first responders, and patriotic tributes.Though the little flags are fairly small, the overall display is impressive: a noticeable, thoughtful way to remember Patriot’s Day without appearing to be overblown gaudy or tacky. The little cloth flags, printed with red, white and blue are about three by five inches. Large enough to notice as vehicles pass, stop at the traffic signal, wait to make a turn, but discreet: A reminder about our collective history, a reason for gratitude.

… town, where several of those signs of affirmation were spotted (illegally) posted on utility poles. Near the area where there are several soccer fields, charter schools, a large house of worship, social service programs started by local non-profits to benefit minorities, teaching English as a Second Language, providing assistance with housing, meals, other connections to support and benefit hose coming into the area without resources.

The signs, according to what has been published on the internet: remain a mystery. A particular individual’s name is attached to sparse information available: though maybe taken with a grain of salt as many things generated by the world of artificial intelligence should be without confirmation. Materials used are often donated, especially if the size of the posted sign on those utility poles seems to appear to be within the parameters of those small political campaign notices scattered along the edges of public thoroughfares.

Those little plastic ‘vote for’ identifiers, looking like they are made of corrugated plastic, similar to a cardboard carton, but completely weather-proof. With names of candidates on wire frames visible along the right of way at polling places: community centers, churches, government facilities where voting occurs. Not every candidate wins, of course, so perhaps those who are no longer competing agree to have those political notices recycled and turned into the affirmations, encouragements, thought-y messages posted for public observation?

Most of the small notices, seen when passing slowly enough to take a quick photo, appear to be mounted with a washer, wood screw, probably a hand-held drill. Maybe from the back of a truck or van for height. Actually, some disappear after a few days: which makes it likely other passers-by have found the sentiment posted so appealing it vanished into private ownership…

… by Amity Gaige. Published in 2025, the author has four other publications listed to her credit. She teaches creative writing at Yale, and has received a number of notable awards for her writing, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.

The plot revolves around a woman who vanished while trekking in Maine along the Appalachian Trail. Several incidental characters she encounters along the way come up, after she veers off the trail and finds how easily she gets disoriented. Just a brief side step into the underbrush, and she cannot locate the narrow path through dense foliage, although the way is clearly marked by blazes on trees as the pilgrims trek, heading north or south along the way to Maine or Georgia.

Missing persons are the responsibility of the Maine Game Warden Service, with the authority to organize a search: having the ability to mobilize hundreds of SAR, air rescue, volunteers, law enforcement and others to canvas the forbidding forests, mountains, narrow valleys, water features hoping to find the lost hiker. The warden Beverly is organizing, leading the search, over a number of days. Hoping to find the missing hiker who vanished less than two-hundred miles from the end of the trail.

Valerie Gillis, vanished hiker, who started out with her partner, soon told him she wanted to go it alone,although he has been supportive in meeting her along the way, with food, supplies, helping to make the trek successful. Valerie finds herself at the mercy of a young man, who is unstable: paranoid about a private preserve that is a training ground for para-military workers in the depths of the Maine forest. Constantly hungry, under stress, unable to eat the food she can forage: grubs, berries, her body has begun to deteriorate, organs failing due to lack of nutrition.