Drought Blues

 I'm not saying we're in a drought  but this is usually a class 2 rapid this time of year.

Flowers from the morning walk

There is nothing more eloquent in Nature than a mountain stream, and this is the first I ever saw. Its banks are luxuriantly peopled with rare and lovely flowers and overarching trees, making one of Nature's coolest and most hospitable places. Every tree, every flower, every ripple and eddy of this lovely stream seemed solemnly to feel the presence of the great Creator. Lingered in this sanctuary a long time thanking the Lord with all my heart for his goodness in allowing me to enter and enjoy it. 

John Muir walking through Tennessee along the Clinch and Emory rivers in September of 1867.

This morning I walked to a spot in Whites Creek Gorge alongside the creek. Most of these are in a river scour  area. I struggle to identify them. I only had my little walking around outdoor camera and wish I had taken my Nikon and a tripod, after I looked at them on the big screen back at the house. The scutellaria  definitely seems confused as to when it should be blooming.

Beast in the Hickory Tree

Auction Items for Whites Creek Palooza

 Saturday July 9 at Whites Creek 1 PM til Dark (9 pm-ish)

It's Palooza Time, folks! Time to get your party on and play in Whites Creek with the Conservation Fisheries biologists, eat some good barbecue from Po' Boy's in Fairfield Glade, and listen to some great music by R B Morris and his Trio (special guests may appear) Here's a few of the goodies someone will take home with them...

Orion 45 Cooler to be auctioned at Whites Creek Palooza this Saturday...Retail value $459.00

Original art by Kevin Leftwitch, artist, musician, and biologist...retail value $350.00 We have lots of other stuff, such as guided snorkeling trips, tours, photography and more. If you want to come out and need info email me: stevescarb@aol.com.

At the Creek

Bailee found a hatchling striped neck musk turtle. "It's my friend."

We released a few hundred beetles in the war on the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. We have thousands of trees and can't save but a few.

Palooza will be at this spot July 9. It's much closer to the house and an awesome swimming area.

Let's hope the creek clears up soon. (snark)

Evening in Whites Creek

I think we are going to move Palooza to this spot. It's much closer to home base and has a few things to look at.

Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation Botany Hike

Every time I walk around Dr. Larry Pounds my head gets bubbled over with all the information he shares. It's not just the identifying plants but all the other interesting features and natural history of the botanical world that highlight our relationship with the plants in our woods. I love having a yard full of good people who share a deep respect and love for Tennessee's natural heritage and want it preserved for all time.

New Baby

Invasive Species

Over 200 pounds and out of the environment. We'll be firing up the smoker.

Spring

Great horned owlets somewhere in Roane County.

Visitors to Whites Creek Gorge

Well actually they were on the Plateau just above the gorge but that's close enough for me to count it. You just never know what a security camera is going to pick up.  We think we found the owner of the game preserve they escaped from. He said they were fallow deer but these look more like red deer to me. Either way they are a long way from their native Asia.

Roane County TN Hike 2-13-16

About half this hike is a gnarly bushwhack. I've been wanting to explore this creek but it's about an hour and a half hike to get to it's source, and it's tough to find hiking friends who are up for the challenge. Paul and Floyd were happy warriors in the woods and great company all the way.

Look closely at our first waterfall and you can see the stone stool that probably was a refuge of cool relief in the hot summers of many years ago when the area was inhabited. This falls was 8 - 10 feet, slowed to a nice steady flow after the floods of two weeks ago.

The next waterfall was the largest at around 20-22 feet. It's more the Cumberland Plateau classic  with the sandstone cap over sedimentary layers that will gradually erode back and create a clear drop for the water. It's almost there as it is.

The last big drop before the trail back was around 15 feet. This is the one that made me wish I had brought my Nikon and tripod.  Too much beauty to show with a pocket camera, but maybe you get the idea.

Jump rock gave everybody that little queasy feeling in the gut when we looked over the side into the spring clear water. It's about 35 feet off the water.

I don't think this is a geocache.  It had certainly been on the mountain a long long time and nobody was the least bit tempted. I suspect there is a pretty boring story about how it came to live there, probably involving a twelve pack and an ATV 20 years ago. We saved the refreshment for a spirited toast back at the house thanks to Paul. Cheers!

Walk Around the Yard Today

Saturday afternoon 1-30-16. We decided to take a little walk around the yard. Annie was sitting on the overlook rock, high above Whites Creek.

I looked up and said "Eagle"!

Turns out there were five of them, all immatures.  There's one high above in this shot with the little walk about camera. You can see the two pairs that were sparring. We watched the acrobatics and dueling until they moved off down the gorge.  

A later part of the hike took us by this vernal pool. This is a specatcular spot and a source of life for the terrestrial salamanders on the Plateau.