DID YOU GET SNOW?

The better question is, "Did you get out and play in the snow?"This was our first "real" snow is several years, still not like it used to be, but it was measurable snow of from 4 to 6 inches.The Dragons (them) and Knights took the opportunity to do a little hiking and photo shooting at the nearby Frozen Head State Park, near Wartburg, Tennessee. I always get a few comments about the town's name when I post it, but it really is a nice community about 8 to 10 miles from my house.

Tennessee's Frozen Head State Park is a lovely wilderness pocket nestled between two mountains, and just past the Morgan County Correctional Complex on Flat Fork Road.

We just wanted a short distance walk, since we all getting hungry, so we took the Interpretive Loop, which is around .4 miles long. However, the loop offers many wildflowers (in season), a roaring creek, water falls, bridges, old foundations from the CCC era, and wildlife, such as the 4 deer we saw quietly watching us from across the creek.

Everyone got some great shots and enjoyed the walk in the winter wonderland, especially being with family and being ourselves! Of course, being ourselves usually means there will be no wildlife within a mile of us!

However, I think the meal at Ruby's later was the highlight of the Sunday afternoon. Once someone mentioned Fat Tire, every action then become a means to an end! The Lobster Carbonara was very tasty too!

There are more shots on my Flickr page!

HIKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE

So, in an effort to find a little snow, we traveled up to Frozen Head State Park, about 10 miles, or so, from where we live. Katie, and her beau Zack, wanted to go too, so we hopped in my truck and headed out.

We were disappointed to find no snow on the road as we entered the park, but we could see a line high up on the mountains.

We walked along the wide Judge Branch path, stopping to take photos along the way. Katie brought her camera and I noticed she had taken up a few of her Papaw's techniques, once planting the camera firmly on a rock and shooting a low-light shot up the creek. Maybe some of me is rubbing off after all. That thought was reinforced later when I noticed her pressing the camera body firmly against a tree to take Zack's picture.

The lighting was dim, with an overcast sky and frequent flurries, so often our camera shots were often automatically supplemented with fill-flash.

As we neared the trail head, about a mile and a half from the truck, we began walking in snow - not much mind you, but just enough to make things beautiful!

There are at least three bridges along the trail, one great campsite we've used a few times, and lots of running water. There were photo "ops" everywhere!

At the top of the first leg, we let Katie and Zack continue the loop up around by the old CCC dynamite shack, and we headed back down to meet them where the two trails meet; back down about half a mile from the parking lot. The kids needed a little space to sneak a kiss or two, and so did Granny and I! Isn't old and young love great!?

We love Frozen Head too. It has everything a park should offer for great hikes and it is so close to us. I don't know why we don't go every day. It is always so pleasing to see the mountain streams, strewn with moss covered rocks, and little white water falls. The Earth is most beautiful where man hasn't been allowed to make any changes.

More shots on Flickr!

SPRING WILDFLOWERS

Ron, Neena, Judy, and I went on a short 2 mile hike yesterday at Frozen Head, a Tennessee State Park only about 10 miles from where Judy and I live. It is up in “God’s Country”, otherwise known as Morgan County, near Wartburg, Tennessee (I know, everyone loves that name)!

Anyway, on the way you have to pass a lot of county buildings and the Morgan County Correctional Complex. We always wave at the prisoners sitting outside smoking, just in case one escapes. That way we at least appeared friendly!

One facility is the county road crew garage, and outside, just for Bruno, was this 1918 Caterpillar road grader. I thought he might like to see it, so we stopped and snapped off a few rounds.

On into the park, about a mile and half further on up the beautiful valley, we disembarked and started our search for wildflowers. We had gone only a hundred yards when a doe signaled us with her white flag and snorted her way off further ahead. Chandler, Ron and Neena’s grandson, ran down the path in hopes of getting a better look. We’ll have “the stealth talk” when he’s older!

We love this time of year when wildflowers begin poking their heads above the leaves. You never know what you will find and it’s like a big treasure hunt. Sometimes you are surprised at the rare ones you find (like the pink geranium [left] and blue violet [right] and the bloodroot [top]); other times you just enjoy the walk.

Yesterday we found lots of trillium; large-flowered, Purple Wakerobin, and the very common Sweet Betsy!

One my favorites, the Bloodroot, made the trip worthwhile! You can see more at FLICKR, where you can see them supersized!

It seems the little “fiddle head ferns” are the first things to greet spring, and these were lovely. Did you know you can fry them up and eat them!? Tasty too!

Hey Lin…notice that our rocks have moss on them!

Don't forget to click to enlarge!

LET’S PLAY LEAF FROG

Four of us (my Dragon and Ron’s Dragon) took a nice short hike at Frozen Head State Park yesterday. Ron and I got several nice shots with beautiful fall colors in them. The last two are Ron's (click on them to enlarge)…aren’t they great with all those rich colors reflecting in water!

The first one was taken after Neena thought she saw a frog along the path. Since it was in the 40’s she couldn’t understand what this frog was doing out. On closer inspection she realized it was really a leaf that resembled a big green frog!

The panorama was taken on the road leading past the Brushy Mountain Correctional Facility to Frozen Head. This is such a beautiful area and just about 10 miles from my house. They call this area “God’s Country” around here, but it’s really just Morgan County near Wartburg, Tennessee.

Why is it they always call places where sunlight is piped in and moonshine out “God’s Country?” It must have something to do with the isolation and the surrounding nature. It is pretty, but I’m satisfied to live 10 miles down the road.

We have been totally surprised at the fall colors this year. We are still over a foot behind in annual rainfall, and I expected the color to either be burnt off by the drought or by arson by now! There is always some idiot lurking around with a “jones” for wildfire when the forests get this dry. Well, it ain’t over yet!

We, well, I am glad the cool weather has finally arrived. After the hike and the feast at the local Mexican restaurant yesterday, I took the couch throw out on the back porch and took a nap. It was cold, but only my nose was exposed. Soon, both Baylee and I were snoring away!

Of course Judy was toasty on the couch with Dr. Phil lecturing in the background.

Ah, retirement…still highly under-rated!

More shots a Mushy's Flickr!

THE DRAGONS GO HIKING!

Tonight I have a guest post - my sister-in-law (A.K.A. Dragon 5 (see below)) who was part of a hiking team today. I can’t believe they went without me, but I had two doctor’s appointments (one for me and one for my dog) and couldn’t make the hike or the frivolity that followed! Anyway, you’ll see that us Knights live with some crazy broads, who have more fun than should be allowed, and whom we love dearly.

See writes:

Okay, Okay, this duck enters a bar & orders a beer;
The bartender says, "that'll be $3;"
The duck says, "put it on my bill."

Get it? Put it on my bill. hahahahahaha

Okay, seriously folks - my husband Ron (who I will refer to as Ron hereafter), two of my sisters Judy & Terri, & I went on a 4 mile hike at Frozen Head State Park & Natural Area (shaking my cigar like Groucho Marx - there's nothing natural about this bunch). We chose an absolutely perfect spring day to view the wildflower offerings.

We decided to hike South Old Mac & Judge Branch Trails. Shortly after embarking on this 2 1/2 hour trek, we came upon a 3-foot black rat snake, sunning himself on a rock. We had stopped to admire the crested dwarf iris when Ron (my husband) spied the snake. Luckily, he only laid on the rock & didn't bother us so we took off immediately (the snake, not Ron). My two sisters decided the snake was better than a rat but if it was a rat snake guess what was on his breath, girls. We continued on our path enjoying May apples, several varieties of violets, squawroot, fiddlehead ferns, and several varieties of trillium, creeping phlox, wild geranium, jack-in-the-pulpit, deer shit, & various fungi.

The park was fairly empty on this beautiful Monday, which was fortunate since my sisters & I enjoy a good laugh quite often. Our biggest laugh came when Terri was fording a creek, slipped off a rock & plunged both feet into the icy water. She was wearing waterproof boots but they weren't very tall (the boots, not Terri who is not tall either). Terri likes to think she is a seasoned hiker but she's all wet. After the unfortunate incident in the creek, I had to give up my extra pair of dry socks so Terri would be comfortable the rest of the hike.

All along both sides of the trail, the wildflowers were blooming riotously. Spring this year has been beautiful in Tennessee. This is my first spring being retired - maybe that's why everything is beautiful. Oh God, now I have to break into song. “Everything is beautiful in it's own way...”

Ron taught us a lot today about the different species of flowers & how to walk with bended knees, kinda bouncy down hills to ease the strain on our knees. Of course, Judy had to exaggerate this new walk, which was quite attractive from behind.

As a reward for this long hike, we convened at the Mexican Restaurant in Harriman for beers, enchiladas, chips, salsa, burritos, rice, and refried beans (delicious).

Today's hike was a prelim to another hike we are taking on Friday at Big South Fork. I hope this hike will be as beautiful as the one we took today.

Neena

Seated on the rocks (from L to R) are three of the five Dragons (Dragon 5 (Neena the author), Dragon 2 (my wife Judy), and Dragon 4 (Terri).