Today on the Apple Seed, we’ll be thinking of the great outdoors. During the COVID-19 crisis, and on the onset of spring, many people have reconnected with nature by escaping on mountain hikes and drives. "Mountains" can be literal or metaphoric - a place of peace and escape, or symbolic of trials to be overcome. This episode will take us through the beauty, growth, challenges, and fun those “mountains” provide. We’ll first reminisce over these natural wonders with a song “Cold High Mountain Wind,” followed by a poem, “Salem on the Mountain.” We’ll ponder next the growth that mountains give us with “Lesotho’s Story,” followed by humorous twist with “Over the Mountain.” We’ll conclude with three short stories, “The First Motorcycle in Black Mountain,” “The Stone Cutter,” and “The Ojai Mountain Lion,” which highlight the fun we can find in these mountains of life.  On today’s episode, enjoy the following: “Cold High Mountain Wind” by Sons and Brothers “Salem on the Mountain” by Paul Bliss “Lethoso Story” by Charlotte Blake-Alston “Over the Mountain” by Willy Claflin “The First Motorcycle in Black Mountain” by David Holt “The Stone Cutter” by Norah Dooley “The Ojai Mountain Lion” by Bill Lepp Storyteller Spotlight: Charlotte Blake-Alston With talents as varied as the symphony orchestras with which she often performs, Charlotte Blake Alston is unique in the cultural abundance with which she augments her tales. Stitched together with brilliance and texture, Charlotte tells stories guaranteed to color your world-view with vivid impressions of people and vistas you have never imagined. Charlotte opens your eyes and heart to a new way of experiencing the world around you. She has received numerous honors and awards, including the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Association. Charlotte, with her breadth of experience and skills, her generosity of spirit, and her dignity of character, is gratefully welcomed back to The Apple Seed