More than 75 family members gathered under tents in the yard at the Thomas Baum house (circa 1816) near Fairfield on Aug. 7, for the 49^th Baum family reunion. The hot August weather didn’t stop anyone from having lively conversations, enjoying a delicious covered-dish luncheon of many family favorite recipes and perusing scrapbooks showing pictures of past reunions. This year, family members had traveled from all across North Carolina and from Virginia and Florida to attend. A highlight of this reunion was a book reading about caterpillars, and the release of two butterflies that had just recently emerged from their cocoons under the care of Patricia Baum Herman. Next year marks the 50^th Baum reunion and promises to be a special celebration, as the family will once again gather for hugs and catching up.