Fittingly, a gooseneck lamp curves over Walter “Brother” Gaskill’s marvelous, meticulous workspace, where he carves purple gallinules and red-breasted mergansers for collectors and competitions. The chisels, knives, spokeshaves — to “true it down” — sanders, and calipers that he uses on his decoys are arranged in a foam organizer. Dozens of bird bills dangle from nails, so that Gaskill can study their features, like the wartlike bumps near the mouth of a Ross’s goose. Or he can sit outside beneath the scuppernong arbor and watch the real things paddle around a natural habitat he created. When it comes to decoys, details matter.
Gaskill and other decoy carvers will sell their creations at the Core Sound Decoy Festival on December 3 and 4. Learn more at decoyguild.com.
For 127 years, this Wilson County store has been keeping its community well supplied — by relying on people just as much as what’s on the shelves.
In art class, we learn to notice texture, form, color, and light. On the plate, those same techniques guide chefs, bakers, and makers across North Carolina, turning ingredients into compositions meant to be admired before they’re savored.
A full tray, an ice-cold sweet tea, and a midday break bring us back to our days at the K&W Cafeteria.
Explore hidden gardens and tasty places to eat and drink in Charlotte’s historic neighborhood.
