We got just a bit of sleet – the kind the ski bums call grapple – on Christmas day. That was it as far as hopes of snow on Christmas were concerned. Yesterday, we had a bit more than an inch of rain, which was very welcome, even though it was one of those basically miserable days that we get from time to time. The overall trend lately has been to have rainy days, but these are rainy days of drizzle, not rain. It’s an odd situation, because the clouds are obviously laden with moisture, but it doesn’t really rain. I’m beginning to incline toward the theory that the only rational explanation is that someone in Blue Ridge has offended the gods, and I have a likely candidate.
The Fannin County Election Commission has been reprimanded by the state for irregularities in the 2006 election cycle, mostly related to absentee ballots. For one thing, the Election Commission did not match up signatures on absentee ballots with the voter registration rolls, to determine whether absentee ballot voters were actually registered to vote. There is also an ongoing investigation, which is apparently related to the the liquor referendum held last November. If this also involves absentee ballots, it may be focused on the fact that Election Commission officials allegedly handed out absentee ballots at “Vote No” rallies. As I pointed out at the time, the absentee ballot totals looked suspicious to me, because I expected far more “yes” than “no” absentee votes. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out this week that it’s odd that Secretary of State Karen Handel continues to focus on the voter ID issue, when it is clear that absentee ballots – which require no ID – are much riper for abuse. Judging from the numerous mailings I received from the Sonny Perdue campaign in 2006 urging me to vote absentee – and enclosing actual absentee ballots – this appears to be the new frontier of election strategy.
In case you don’t know, the place to be on New Year’s Eve is the Possum Drop in Brasstown, North Carolina. You can catch up on this foolishness at www.clayscorner.com, but basically … this is the one for country fun. You can get to Brasstown through Murphy, but from Blue Ridge, it’s much easier to follow the directions on my “Local Info” button. After you get to the Local Info page, select “Day Trips” and follow the directions to the John C. Campbell Folk School. Once you get to the Folk School, just keep going straight for another half mile or so. The festivities are at the gas station – Clay’s Corner – on the right.