Upon Ol' WindRock

The first time I was ever on Buffalo Mountain, or Windrock as locals call it, was back in the early 2000s.  I was with a Department of Energy (DOE) group that was inspecting the radio repeater site on the mountain.

As communications manager for the K-25 Plant, or Horizon Park as it's known today, I had the responsibility of buying, distributing, and managing the radio communications system for the security, fire protection, and maintenance departments at the site.  That responsibility put me in constant contact with the government group that engineered all the  communications for the sites in the Oak Ridge, TN area.  It was that working relationship that took me up through WindRock Park, to the radio tower, on a couple of occasions.

Today WindRock Park is very well known to off-road vehicle owners throughout the Southeast.  Slinging mud on the weekends, or any day of the week for that matter, is big business in the Oliver Springs, TN area.  Enthusiast come from hundreds of miles around the Roane, Morgan, and Anderson County area to explore 300+miles of mud and rock trails (some more difficult than others) and some of the best East Tennessee hiking scenery there is.

The "park" is built around 72,000 acres of privately-owned off-road fun! The trails accommodate all types of vehicles from ATVs, SxS (side by side), dirt bikes, mountain bikes, Jeeps/4x4s, buggies and trucks.  Don't have a vehicle of your own but want to ride? Windrock Park offers a fleet of SxSs for rent that even includes helmets!

All this fun can be had for just $18 a day, or an annual permit pass for $88.  Visit more than 5 times a year, and the year pass is a bargain!

Just Google Windrock Park, or Oliver Springs, TN, and you'll see all the places around to stay and other sights to see.

On this day, I took my wife, daughter, and granddaughter on a "day pass" up to see the windmills.  The gleaming white, whirling blades can be seen for miles along the top of Windrock/Buffalo Mountain, especially on a clear day coming west out of Oak Ridge toward Oliver Springs on Highway 62.

 

We stopped at the "General Store", and while they looked around the t-shirts and other souvenirs, I filled out the computer form.  Be warned, there is only a "Porta-Potty" at the store!

Soon we were on our way up and up, out of the valley, onto the mountain.  The road is part pavement and part gravel with occasional pot-holes, with no guardrails.  This doesn't bother you too much until you hit a stretch with no bushes or trees along the road!

 

You need to secure a map, especially if you intend to see more than the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Invenergy Wind LLC wind turbines on top.  There are numerous roads splitting off the "main" road.  Some are obviously 4-wheel only, so be careful when and where you venture off the direct route up to the windmills.

On top are approximately 18 wind turbines, some as tall as a 26-story building, that rise 262 feet in the air.  The white blades weigh seven tons, are 135-feet-long, and can be seen for miles as they slowly turn in a gentle sweep. 

 

To be honest, we never saw more than 5 windmills from the legal side of the "Do Not Enter" signs!  

This is the first wind farm in the Southeast.  TVA started it with just 3 turbines, but soon Invenergy Wind LLC, which is North America’s largest independent wind power generation company, built 15 more and they sell their energy to TVA.  Together, about 27 megawatts of power is generated from Buffalo Mountain.

The original three turbines constructed by TVA in late 2000 and early 2001, are much smaller than the other 15 turbines constructed later.  The original three had a 660 kilowatt or .6 megawatt capacity while the next 15 turbines have 1.8 megawatt capability.

The original three turbines are 65 meters to the hub with blades 47 meters in diameter, and were Vestas turbines.

The newest turbines are called V80s, with a wind turbine diameter of 80 meters.  So when the blades are at the top of the rotation for these wind turbines here you are looking at a total height of almost 390 feet.

 

Standing near the rotating blades you can hear the distinct "rushing wind" sound.  If you've ever been under a glider aircraft, you'll recognize the sound of air moving over the blades like that of glider wings.  Additionally, there is a slight noise made by the internal turbine gears where the electricity is generated.

They are quite a sight to behold in the distance on top of the mountain, but they are something grand up close!  Windmills have been around for centuries, but today's "green energy" monsters are a spectacle indeed; almost worth the price of admission themselves!

 

After my granddaughter and I shot frame after frame of the rotating blades, we ventured off on a couple of side roads.  One took us east of the windmills where there is a great overlook with a breath taking vista on both sides; one toward Oak Ridge and the other into the valley north of Buffalo Mountain.  

 

 

I will have to warn you, that there were a couple of "butt clinching" moments on some of the rocky dry rutted trails, so a 4-wheel pickup, at minimum, is recommended.  Clearance is minimal on some side roads, so be careful!  You don't want to knock a hole in your oil pan or transmission.  

But all this aside, do enjoy your day on Windrock Mountain!

The 100 Year-Old Miller & Brewer Building Burns

Back in 2006 I posted a piece about the old Miller & Brewer Company that existed in Downtown Harriman, TN for years.  The post concerned the old fluoroscopes that businesses selling shoes used to utilize to make the perfect fit.  CLICK HERE for that story!

This is a follow-up to that story to report that the 100 year-old building burned today; actually it's still burning as I write!  It's sad, yes, but the building was an abandon ruin.  Since it could not be saved, as some of us wanted, maybe as apartments, it needed to go.

There will never be another Miller & Brewer, or any kind of department store in its place.  Apartments with a possible restaurant downstairs, is about all it could have ever been.  Yet some guy had held it in siege for many years; storing what other communities ran him out of town over.  Who knows what all that may have been?

Anyway, more than likely, there will never ever be anything else in that space.  It would be a great parking area for downtown, but that seems almost as unlikely.  There will never be a reason to put something there until some young enterprising man or woman thinks up a great idea and puts it into action.  

Harriman is running out of young idea people...everyone has either gotten too old to carry on, or moved away where there are better opportunities.  Towns like Harriman were killed by Walley-World kind of stores and the loss of local industry.  So, it sits slowly fading away awaiting young ideas.

Here are the sad photos from today's fire.  Just a couple of hours after these were shot, the front wall caved inward.  The rest will follow tonight or tomorrow, but some contractor will level the rest.

The slate will be cleaned...waiting for a bright idea!  

MORE PHOTOS HERE

On The Back Roads Again This Past Saturday

We were back on the road again this past Saturday, and as usual, no particular destination in mind.  We just head out and when we come to side road, we turn.  We don't like the main roads...too much traffic, and no scenery at all!

The direction we turn is determined by asking if anyone has been down that road.  So, we go down the one that no one has been down, or at least has forgotten!

Sometimes we begin to pass things we remember, but coming from a different direction, so we begin looking for an unknown road.  Often Dr. Ahler will tell Gary to do down a road because it's either heading to or away from "the river or mountains", or better yet, "follow the creek", and here we go.

Somehow, Saturday we ended up in Loudon and Monore County, TN, in the towns of Philadelphia and Madisonville.  Soon we saw a sign directing us to Hiwassee College, and we all remembered there was a "balloon festival" going on there.  

So we follow the signs, missing one due to construction midtown Madisonville, and somehow make a circle and come back to the same intersection we missed, only from a different direction.  This time we see the sign, and finally make it to the campus.

Neither of us had any idea about the timing of the event, but had we just thought about balloon festivals, we would have known that most of the colorful action occurs after dark.  The burners then light up the inside of the balloons.  However, we get there long before dark-thirty and there was only one balloon in action; giving short tethered rides up and down.   There was a second one, but the basket was still in a pickup, and the balloon itself was barely unfolded on the ground.

Now, this would not have been too bad, except that we had already paid (rather Dr. Ahler paid) $5 a head for us to get up the hill to the parking area.  Over about a quarter of a mile, on what seemed like the main campus, were festival vendor tents, and blow up bounce-houses, etc., but it would a long hike for aging hips and knees.  Besides, neither of us wanted to bounce!  Food and drink would have been nice, but we had to park too far away to make it worth the hike.

So, we stood beneath the single colorful balloon, that frequently rose with a blow torch sound, and descended to the shouts of the ground crew.

I snapped away, knowing that this was all the action I was going to get, and I got a few good shots.  It was rather colorful against the bright blue September sky, but we soon grew tired of starring up.

 We passed a couple of barns, an old mill, and a large orchard of "crab apples".  Neither of us had seen so many in years, and so I hopped out and hiked back down the road to the fence line just feet from the trees.  Not the greatest find in the world, but hey, I didn't have an "Osage orange" tree in my wildflower database.  Now I do!

You may know this ugly fruit by one of these other names: Maclura pomifera, commonly called hedge apple, horse apple, monkey ball, bois d'arc, bodark, or bodock!

I remember chucking, and having them thrown back at me many times when I was young!  They are heavy and hurt like the devil when they hit you right in the middle of the back!

We made two other stops of interest; one was a Eve Mill near Philadelphia, TN.  The old mill structure was painted a bright red and trimmed out in white.  The actual mill building is overgrown and hidden beside the mill dam; which you can see from further down the road.  The waterfall was pretty, but it would have been much more scenic with a big water wheel.

The other stop was at a little general store, where three young girls were just about to close.  However, they let us come on in to get a drink and something to snack on.  It was great to see young folks actually working, and being very sociable.  We left them a good tip for staying open an extra 10 minutes.

So that was our Saturday...not much to young folks these days, but when old buddies are cruising down the backroads of East Tennessee, these old men think there is no where else in the world like it!

"The Three Soldiers" Replica Dedicated In Memorial Day Ceremony

As a follow up to my previous post, Roane County Veterans, and their supporters, came together Monday (Memorial Day) to honor all veterans, and especially the fallen, by dedicating a replica of the statues that compliment the "The Wall" in Washington, DC, "The Three Soldiers".

The Three Soldiers (also known as The Three Servicemen) is a bronze statue on the Washington, DC National Mall commemorating the Vietnam War.  It was created and designed to complement the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by adding a more traditional component to the Memorial.

That replica, sculpted by Greg Horak of Harriman, now stands in Riverfront Park in Harriman, Tennessee.  It is believed to be the largest replica of the memorial in the state, if not anywhere outside DC.

Roane County now has a place to go and remember those veterans that gave some, and those that gave all.

The effort to get the memorial financed and installed was a join project for American Legion Post 232 and the Newman-Davis American Legion Post 53, both of Harriman, TN.  At the ceremony Monday, both organizations participated in the formalities.

On hand were Post Commanders Bill Copeland (53) and Greg Love (232), Adjutants Cliff Cole (53) and Bronce Cleveland making sure Legionnaires knew their ceremonial duties.  Second District Commander Dennis E. Moldenhauer came to represent the American Legion Department of Tennessee.  

The event was kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moving rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Pastor Alvin Douglass, also a member of Post 232.

 

 

The memorial was unveiled and formally dedicated by speeches from Gary Todd, Finance Officer of Post 53, Greg Love, Commander of Post 232, Janice Black, representing the Avery Trace Daughters of the American Revolution, and Cliff Cole, Adjutant of Post 53.

A wreath was posted in honor of the fallen of Roane County, and members of the Cunningham and Cleveland families were escorted to and from the presentation.

Various members read the names of Roane County fallen, each name followed by a ring of the American Legion bell.  Following this reading, which, by the way, was surprising long, was "TAPS" played by Perry Hawn.  

We seldom stop long enough to realize how many Roane County lives have been sacrificed for American freedom.  However, the American Legion knows every name and just how special that sacrifice was/is.

 

After all was said and done, the two Legion groups did a fantastic job, and the members stay a long time mingling and getting to know their Legion brothers, and other Veteran brothers.  It's good to see progress in the community.

All Veterans came together before of the "The Three Soldiers" memorial for a shoulder-to-shoulder photo to remember the great thing they had witnessed.

 

Also, on hand were members of the Vietnam Vet/Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club, Chapter H of Tennessee.  

Next up?  There are plans for a Korean, a WWII, and a "War On Terror" memorial that will join this memorial around the fountain in Riverfront Park.  It's good to be remembered for a job well done! 

It took 6 long years to raise enough money for the Vietnam memorial, so it is hoped the public will see fit to donate more toward the future plans.  We don't need to wait 6 more years...Veterans are dying every day, and memorials give them some bit of healing from the scares inflicted by war.  They sacrificed for us, so let's sacrifice for them...NOW! 

Give to the local American Legion for the memorial fund.

Here are various other photographs made during the ceremony.  Hopefully, you are among those attending!

 

 

 

 

Sculptor Greg Horak gets a round of applause!

 

ALL THE "HISTORIC HARRIMAN CHRISTMAS TOUR" PHOTOS POSTED

I know, you're probably saying to yourself, "Thank God he's finished", but I just had to post all my favorite photos for the 2009 "Historic Harriman Christmas Tour" on Flickr and invite you to see the full tour in sequence.

The full Saturday tour now includes photos from the Stowers, Cassell-D'Alessandro, Tarwater-Knobloch, Anderson-Demyanovich, Stowers-Velker, Smith, and, finally, the Hendrick-Saye Residences.

To be honest, I did not get up to the "Hospitality House" (the Saye home shown). I was attempting to get to another camera angle on one of the little green hills in front of the home and literally popped a calf muscle. Although the injury was a "grade 1" pull, it hurt like crazy! At first I thought my wife had hit me in the calf because I dared step on the grass, but it was the muscle tearing. It literally felt as though someone had hit me with a baseball bat!

I apologize to the Saye's but I'll make it a point to come there first next tour! But, I used their home to give everyone a taste!

Anyway, click on the embedded link in the word FLICKR above, or here.

SPRING WILDFLOWERS IN TENNESSEE

Check out my documented sightings HERE!

THE PROTECTOR

A life-size, bronze sculpture entitled "The Protector" was unveiled at a memorial service held Sunday, September 21, 2008, in Harriman, Tennessee’s Riverfront Park, as police officers and sheriff's deputies from all across East Tennessee paused to remember their fallen brothers.

This is a beautiful little city park is where Judy and I frequently walk.

The park is situated on the banks of the Emory River, and is full of trees, flowers, and memorials to the fallen soldiers of war. There are also numerous benches dedicated to past city leaders and family loved ones. Therefore, it was a fitting location for “The Protector”.

The city of Harriman and its police department held the memorial service, and dedicated the statue to the memory of the region's 14 police officers and sheriff's deputies who died while serving their departments. The event was organized by Jesse Rittenhouse, the father of fallen police officer Matt Rittenhouse. The tribute also honored those who serve today.