We mountaineers (and the newly arrived migratory passerines) look forward to offering you our brand of Southern hospitality at the spring meeting! Hendersonville has art and craft galleries, fine restaurants, a mineral museum, and shopping in the quaint downtown that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Just outside of town you can visit Historic Johnson Farm, the marble angel statue from Thomas Wolfe's novel, Look Homeward, Angel, and Jumping Off Rock, which offers great views and an Indian legend. The WNC Air Museum, the state's first, is located at Hendersonville airport. The adjacent historic village of Flat Rock has Connemara, the outstanding former home and property of poet Carl Sandburg and a National Historic Site. Right across the road is the State Theatre of NC, Flat Rock Playhouse.

This area also offers us new places to find our feathered friends, along with beautiful spring wildflowers. Please read the attached list of field trip descriptions carefully to find which ones have the birds, butterflies, and wildflowers you would like to see. Field trips will be Friday and Saturday as usual, plus Thursday afternoon at sites "on the way" to Hendersonville, and Sunday morning after you leave for home.

We will have a dessert social Friday night beginning at 7:00, and the program will follow at 8:00. Dinner both nights will be on your own, but there are many nearby restaurants. A list of these will be available at registration, which will be open by early Thursday evening. Saturday night's program will begin at 7:30. We also have a couple of surprises planned for your enjoyment each evening.

Friday night's presentation will be a fantastic slide show by nature photographer Bill Duyck of Asheville. He has taken amazing photos of birds feeding their young in the nest, and many other avian subjects. Bill's accompanying narrative is informative, engaging, and humorous. You will be entertained and enthralled!

Saturday night's presentation by Drew Lanham of Clemson University will concern his research linking bird conservation with local flora in the mountains. Drew is new to the club and to the Executive Committee, so we especially want to give him a warm welcome.

We encourage members who have bird/nature photography/ art/craft to bring examples of your work for display in the registration and meeting room throughout the weekend. We would like these displays to be a part of all future meetings

The meeting will be held at Quality Inn and Suites, 201 Sugarloaf Rd, Hendersonville. For reservations call 800-581-4745 (hotel's direct toll free #) or 828-692-7231. It is located one block east of I-26 off exit 49A. The rooms have coffee makers, iron and board, hair dryers, free wireless high speed internet connection, and free local calls. Some rooms also have microwave and refrigerator, and some rooms are pet friendly. The lobby contains a heated pool, bar/ lounge, dining room for breakfast only, and an exercise room.

The rates are $70 (plus 10% tax) for exterior rooms (separate building), and $80 for interior rooms (facing the lobby). Both rates include a free hot breakfast. Remaining rooms blocked off for CBC will be released to the public after April 3, but any rooms available after that date will still be available to CBC at the above rates. Cancellation policy is by 4:00 PM date of arrival.

Gail Lankford, Dwayne Martin, and Simon Thompson are meeting planners. Call Gail at 828-667-5755 between 9a.m.-9p.m. for further information, or email her at whocooksforyou@charter.net. Dwayne can be contacted at redxbill@charter.net. Simon is at travel@birdventures.com.