Some say that 2007 was a landmark year. Some say it was a silly year. Others say it was the best year, so far, to ever follow 2006. It is widely speculated that the latter commentators were correct in their assessment. Your Mountain Times staff feels the same way. Here are some of our favorite things about 2007.

Jeff Eason - Hiking in Hocking Hills

Mrs. Leslie Eason visits one of the many waterfalls on the hike to Old Man’s Cave in Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

I’m a firm believer in the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Of course, that saying can be interpreted in two different ways: A) The tough among us roll up their sleeves and get to work, or B) The tough get the heck out of there and take a break so they can recharge their batteries before the next battle.

Last March, my wife, Leslie, and I traveled to south-central Ohio for her sister’s wedding. As with all out-of-town weddings, there are about a million details to take care of before the big day. We got to our cabin a day and a half before the wedding and took advantage of our early arrival to take an extended hike in Hocking Hills State Forest. The entire area had just experienced a bit of flooding, followed by a late winter snowstorm. We trekked through winding paths that took us from Cedar Falls to Old Man’s Cave. With a one-inch layer of snow blanketing the forest, and creeks rushing below flood-shortened icicles, the entire area had a surreal quality to it, and the predominant colors were pine green and white. Because it was early March, there were only a few other hikers out that day, and we had many portions of the forest all to ourselves. And the few hikers we did meet were the enthusiastic kind who love the outdoors during inclement weather.

We had a fantastic time at the wedding, but the hike through Hocking Hills still stands out as the highlight of the entire trip.

Scott Nicholson - Tegan and Sara: The Con

Tegan and Sara’s new CD is a better import than Canadian bacon.

The best thing to happen in 2007 was probably Tegan and Sara’s new CD “The Con,” which was released in July. The identical twins who hail from Canada had started playing together and writing songs in their early teens, releasing a number of albums and mostly working the alt-indie circuit as an opening act or in large festivals. “The Con,” their fifth album, offered a breakthrough that moved away from the acoustic-folksy sound of earlier efforts and synthesized into an emotionally mature worldview with some energetic and muscular pop rhythms. The taut production of Christopher Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) assists the duo’s metamorphosis into legitimate big-label status, with a world tour currently underway to back it up.

The melodies are often syncopated and startling, while the harmonies and counterpoint are structurally simple yet sonically complex. While “The Con” and “Back In Your Head” bobbed up as the hits, the most enduring songs are likely to be “Nineteen,” a song about the confusion of young love, and “Dark Come Soon,” in which Tegan claims, “So what? I lied, I lied to me, too,” probably the most easily defensible position to take when affection crumbles.

The twins also co-produced a movie about the making of the album, presenting their disarmingly charming lives, their wit, the ease and grace of their creative process, their self-deprecating and humble manner, and their affectionate sisterly spats. You can’t help but listen and watch with a bittersweetness understanding that this innocence has no chance of lasting in the ravenous jaws of corporate multimedia. But in the meantime, “Keep on fighting to remember that nothing is lost in the end when you burn your life down.”

Jason Reagan – Downtown’s Facelift

Shortly after this photo was taken, the Appalachian Twin began showing what we assume to be the movie “Closed,” which has been playing for weeks on end.

My most memorable activity of 2007 was mundane but fun — watching the changing face of downtown Boone. Although not every change proved happy — the darkened hulk of the Appalachian Twin Theatre still bothers me when I stroll by — this past year saw transitions that objectively provided a study on Southern cultural changes. My geeky side languished as the passing months of ’06 and ’07 slayed the Dragon’s Den comic-book shop. However, my inner-80s Dude was revivified when Loretta’s Vendetta moved in its place. Watching the growing evolution of the Bead Box strung together a hope that more eclectic businesses like it would thrive. Sadly, the curtain fell for my primary Christmas-gift source, Wilcox Emporium. Hope springs eternal for a worthy replacement. Sadly, the apparent closing of Angelica’s means an end to cozy, street-side dining but rumor has it that another downtown restaurateur is interested in the space.

Here’s hoping 2008 will see a fresh face in every empty spot and the sparkling new marquee of a community-friendly theater to rival the glory days of the Twin. See you downtown.