STORMY SATURDAY FOR FOOTBALL IN TENNESSEE

If you started watching the University of Tennessee and Oregon football game held in Knoxville Saturday, you know that there was a 70 minute game delay due to lightning.  That same storm rumbled across my backyard some 30 minutes prior to that delay, raining down some heavy drops that quickly turned into torrents down my drive-way.

I grabbed my camera and took a few shots and discovered a shivering hummingbird sitting on the feeder.

Lightning flickered across the sky and leaves and limbs came tumbling down from the trees.  There's always something to pick up or blow off my drive, but storms give me even more work.  It's the price you pay living under a canopy of Beech, Oak, and Hickory trees.  

From our second story screened-porch, it makes you feel like you're living in a tree house.  We love it, but we duck every time a storm comes through, or the Hickory turns loose of another nut!  They hit the aluminum roof like a rock and roll loudly off to the ground.

This latest rain gives us hope for a beautiful autumn leaf show, but it has been dry at the key time for turning the colors brilliant.  Up until the past three weeks, our place has been like a tropical jungle; all rich and lush with green grass and foliage.  Recently we noticed the usual August brown moving through the trees and across the grass.  However, there is still hope.

I'm still hopeful for Tennessee football too, although it will have to wait another fall to happen.  Today's game went as I expected it, even if I did go into the game thinking we might see some surprises.  We did...lots of young players, with a young coach, with lots of potential.  Next year my friends!

Yes, I'm mindful of what fall usually depicts - the end of life for another season.  With my current situation (see previous post), it does make me stop and reflect, and think about things to come.

THIRD ANNIVERSAY OF MY NOSE DIVE!

Well, today is the third anniversary of my fall and it’s been 15 straight days in the recliner!

I can’t believe how fatigued I get trying to do the least thing, and after a shower and a shave I’m totally wiped out! It takes me a good 15 minutes of sitting down to get my heart rate back down and to rid myself of that spent feeling.

I did try the bed a couple of nights ago, thinking that if I laid flat of my back I could be just as comfortable as in my recliner – wrong! Somehow the recliner distributes my weight differently and actually rests my back. The bed seems to put undue pressure on my back and I wake up about an hour later in pain.

Oh well, I got used to the recliner during my shoulder surgeries, so I’m content to ride it out there.

What upsets me now is that I’ll probably have to call off my April driving trip out west off, and miss spring wildflower season in the woods here.

I still haven’t gotten to see my new granddaughter, but here is one of her first photos. She is Lily sister and they named here Kinsley Hope. Love my girls!

UPDATE ON FALL

Haven't slept in a horizontal position since the fall...some 9 days now!

I sleep in the living room in one of my 5 La-Z-Boy recliners (2 on one couch, 2 on a love-seat, and one real recliner), just to mix it up a little, with either my Guinness or Coors lounge pants on, an old sweat-shirt, and a pair of wool hiking socks to keep me warm.

Baylee has assumed the run of the house, alternating between the laundry, computer room, and the foyer rug. She seems to change positions only when I grunt and struggle to my feet in the dark, trying to make it to the bathroom. Since she is solid black, all I hear is the “tick-tack” her claws make on the floor as she passes. I put both eyes on the cable box and finally focus in on the time, and calculate how long between snatches of sleep, and how much longer I have to catch up on what I’ve missed.

Monday evening I registered at the hospital and got several x-rays made of my chest. I was then told to come back Tuesday morning for an MIR on my head. Seems I forgot about hitting my head until Judy and I discussed the details. So, the doctor figured it wouldn’t hurt to check it out too.

Turns out, it did hurt (or at least would) to check it out and it would have hurt so much that I “passed” on the experience. First, the guy at the x-ray office pissed me off by telling me I needed to re-register, and I flat refused and turned and walked away, telling Judy I would be at the car! She stayed and discussed the procedure with him and the guy said I would be required to lie on my back, perfectly still, for 30 to 45 minutes! Since we knew that wasn’t possible, she joined me at the car and we had a good breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.

Later, at home, I woke from my nap to hear that the doctor had called to say I had 4 broken ribs! “Oh, it’s quite evident they’re broken alright,” nurse Judith told Judy. "They're not displaced, but clearly broken!"

Prognosis…6 to 8 weeks of pain!

HEAVENLY SHADES OF NIGHT ARE FALLING

Heavenly shades of night are falling, its twilight time
Out of the mist your voice is calling, its twilight time

When purple-colored curtains mark the end of day
I'll hear you, my dear, at twilight time

Deepening shadows gather splendor as day is done
Fingers of night will soon surrender the setting sun
I count the moments darling till you’re here with me

Together at last at twilight time

[Written by: Alan "Artie" Dunn, Morty Nevins & Buck Ram-1944
Performed by: The Platters -1958
Produced by: Buck Ram
Appears on: Flying Platters-1958]

Couldn’t help but think of that old song this afternoon when I walked down to the lake, which is finally being dropped to its winter level by TVA, to get a fading shot of the setting sun’s light against the distant trees. I actually waited too late, having nodded off during the first 80 laps of the NASCAR race Sunday!

Maybe I’ll catch it a little earlier tomorrow…if not I’ll probably miss my last chance for the fall season. The morning frosts have just about removed all color from the leaves, all though they are somehow clinging fast to the trees. I haven’t even had to mow leaves once this fall! However, I’m sure there will soon come along a cold rain that will start them piling up in the yard.

When Judy and I first moved here, sometime around ’95, we tried to rake leaves, but the yard is just too big and we’re too lazy. So instead, I close the discharge shot opening with the mulching attachment and mow the yard 3 or 4 times up through December and I’m done with it! Actually, it’s good for the yard to return the matter the trees have taken from the soil and return it to the yard.

The added advantage of mulching the yard is that it gives the leaves a nice level path to blow off into the woods or into my neighbor’s yard!

SITTIN’ ‘ROUND AND RIDIN’ THE STREETS

My daughter Tracy had a hysterectomy Tuesday, and so Judy and I drove separately to the hospital. Judy knew Tracy would want her to spend the night with her, so that way I had a way home.

Of course Eddie, my son-in-law, was there, and so was Katie Bug and Zack, her “current” boyfriend.

Katie and Zack passed the time, about four to five hours waiting on a room after the 15-minute procedure, texting friends at school and comparing photos on their cell phones. I snapped this one as they mused over something interesting.

You can see Zack’s bum left leg from his recent truck wreck. I think he said he had a total of 42 staples in the leg in various places. He broke two bones and his ankle, and had to have a rod inserted to hold things together! He cannot get a “hard” cast until the staples are removed! As you might assume, he had a hard time getting around Tuesday, and especially getting in and out of Judy’s car when we went to eat, and my truck when I took them home with me later.

Please pray for Zack’s family too…his dad is battling cancer right now. That, plus the accident, missing school, and trying to maneuver is weighing pretty heavy on him right now.

The Chinese buffet at the Mandarin House, in Knoxville, Tennessee, took everyone’s mind off their problems for about an hour. The food was good, but it has been better there in the past.

We did notice that the parking lot was not a full as it usually is, but we were there well after the lunch hour.

The kids, and I, passed the time waiting on Eddie to get home from working late by watching scary movies – Jeepers Creepers and the most recent Omen! Then when Eddie came, they just left me here in this lonely house to fend for myself!

I stayed up until about 12:30 and then went to bed. I slept like a baby and didn’t get bothered by a single (or even a married) monster!

This morning I was up by 9, fixing fried Spam, eggs, and toast! Yep, Spam, and later I finished off the small can by fixing a great sandwich that included cheese and sweet pickles! I didn’t get to looking this way by accident!

After all that, I decided to go for a walk around Riverfront Park a time or two, and then drove around Harriman shooting photos of the brilliant maple trees along the streets, at the Harriman Cemetery, and, of course, in the backyard.

Oh yeah, I also talked to FHB for a short time. I pulled over and turned the engine off, 'cause we had some catching up to do!

Right now, I’m completely relaxed, full, and over the surgery waiting room exercise from yesterday.

Happy fall folks!

MY “LAUGH & TIMES” FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES

“There’s the neatest little waterfall over here Mushy (not his real name),” Judy said.

“Look at those “Bluets” down on the side of that rock,” Ron added.

Earlier, Judy had been miffed at me for not coming across to the big rock she and Neena were exploring. I have a camera and anything I can’t see from there I blow up with the zoom, so I saw no need to jump the gap.

However, after their insistence, I hopped over onto the first of a series of boulders that formed the right side of the waterfall we had been admiring along the Middle Prong Trail near Cades Cove in the Smokies. Between two smaller rocks, was a tiny little waterfall with a lot of velocity that caused the stream of water leaking through to explode in a spray on a rock about 2 feet below.

I carefully made the “Bluet” shot and then made my way over to the mossy dark spot that can be seen the photo of Neena and Judy, just to Neena’s left. I noted and was careful of an area was a small depression, where water stood and feed the surrounding moss. I took the little fall shot and looped the strap on my camera around my right wrest for the trip back across to the boulder where Neena, Judy, and Ron stood watching.

Under her breath Judy said to the others, “I’d have to laugh if he fell in,” which elicited giggles from her sister!

As I crossed my left foot behind my planted right foot, my right foot shot forward about 3 inches causing me to arch backward and away from the top of the rock.

Now at this moment, I began trying to remember what the area directly below me looked like, and all I could picture in my mind was sharp rocks. I mentally prepared myself for the coming pain of smashing 8 feet below me into jagged rocks sticking up out of the rushing cold water below the fall.

As I hit the water, across the top part of my back first, I felt no immediate pain. I then noticed that I was being swept down stream through the natural flume created by the surrounding rocks. I started to panic at being swept far down stream and dashed against boulders along the way, but as I planted my feet on the bottom, and stopped my tumbling, I realized that I could steady myself and support myself against the large boulder on which my now screaming family stood.

As quickly has the second fear subsided, I began to think about hypothermia! I frantically began to look for a way up and out of the freezing water. There was no way I could get up to my left, nor could Ron reach my hand from above.

Finally, I moved to my right, almost stumbled over a larger rock hidden under the water, and made it to a small eddy where dead branches had collected. Luckily, there was a small tree about 2 inches in diameter that was still rooted to the bank that projected out over the debris. Using this aid, I made it up out of the water, but still could not make the huge step up to the top.

About that time Mike Hagney (send an email Mike if this isn’t correct) (Mike is at left with the great Van Morrison t-shirt) from Florida just happened by with his family. He and Ron grabbed an arm and I was finally firmly planted on higher ground. I stood there draining and suddenly remembering my camera!

“No, it’s okay,” Ron told me as he handed it to me. It was actually still on and had suffered no harm as I apparently flung it off my wrist and onto the top of the rock from which I fell!

I did lose my cap and sunglasses, and everything in my pockets: my cellphone, wallet, keys, and camera case were drenched.

I removed my hiking boots, drained them, and rung out my socks, but the walk back was a little sloshy!

At the car, where the butterflies constantly buzzed by after feeding on a nearby “horse muffin”, I removed my wet shirt and zipped off the legs of my hiking pants. Ron gave me a dry pair of socks and a large towel to sit on.

We made a pit-stop at the Townsend Visitor’s Center, where I decided I would go “commando” the rest of the way! “I was out there, Jerry!” (For you Seinfeld fans!)

I finally relaxed and talked over the event with my companions at Uno’s in Maryville, where we had Uno’s Amber Ale and a very good pizza!

It was not until after I looked closely at the attached photos that I realized just how seriously I could have been hurt or killed! There are rocks peeping up above the water just to the left of and directly under where I fell! However, I was only very sore in my left arm and leg, and moved very slowly that night and this morning. There were no bruises (found two since this was written), scraps, or contusions like I expected.

Each night, especially before such outing, I pray that the good Lord will watch over us. Some may say it’s just luck, but to me it was an answered prayer.

So, thank you Lord, and you too Ron and Mike! I also appreciate the concern shown by Neena and Judy.

FALL, BEER, AND PIZZA

Ron and I made the Cades Cove, Parson Branch Road, Highway 129, and Foothills Parkway loop Monday. You have to go into Cades Cove, pass the settlement rest stop area, and turn off on the Parson Branch Road to make the trek we made. The road had been closed for a long time, but now looks really good. The park has spent a large amount of money on repairing the washed out sections and the large rock they hauled in might prevent the damage from ever occurring again.

It was about four miles in, or about half way, that we pulled over at the Gregory Bald and Hannah Mountain Trail heads to stretch our legs. This area seems to be the high point of the road trip and the colors there were better than expected. Here are a few shots, but you can see more on my Flickr page.

The eight mile road ends at Highway 129, about halfway down the famous “Tail of the Dragon”, where motorcyclist and sports car enthusiast come to test their skills on 318 curves in a short 11 miles! It has gotten so bad there of late that the Tennessee Highway Patrol has threatened to close it down! Here is just one reason why!

We made a quick stop at the Calderwood Dam overlook, before winding our way down to the Foothills Parkway.

From there, we made our way back through Townsend and on into Maryville, where we stopped at Uno’s Chicago Grill to take on food and beer! Look at this Shroom® Deep Dish with chicken and spinach! And, the Uno Amber Ale®, which is brewed especially for Uno by Samuel Adams, is wonderful!

It was our first outing since Ron returned from a visit with his brother in California and since I had been sick. It was good to get out and stretch my taste buds again!

FALL IN EAST TENNESSEE

Ron and I are going to the Smokys tomorrow in hopes of capturing some of the fall colors. The colors are not expected to be as beautiful as usual since we are about thirteen inches below normal in rainfall this year. However, at certain times the light is just right, like this twilight shot across my backyard and out over the lake. However, during the full light of day, the colors are not as pronounced.

Here is a Smoky Mountain webcam that will let you watch the progression of colors as the days grow shorter. Note, there are other webcams at the bottom right that you can visit. I really look forward to looking at the snow later this fall.

In further pursuit of those colors, is a planned trip in a few weeks to this webcam! It is possible the colors will be gone by the time we arrive, but the six of us (Ron/Neena, Gary/Charlotte, and Judy/Mushy) have always wanted to go, so we are soon off on another adventure!

Anyway, this is just a portion of the beautiful East Tennessee area. We love this area, and it is just pure divine intervention that brought me here. Thank you God.