Beach Life - Arrival Oct 1-2

Oct 2
We arrived late on Thursday and by the time we were in Unit 308SW of Wind Drift, we had been gone from Tennessee 12 hours.  We left behind a cool morning and a flock of turkeys grazing where the barn used to be.  Woke up Friday to a blustery day. The beach was full of birds feeding on huge schools of minnows in the surf between the beach and sandbar. There must have been 50 pelicans and more than 100 gulls and terns. The day was spent getting ready.

Fall Colors

Green fading away

Reveals a color palette

Present all along.

First day of fall: the changing of a season always brings refreshment and renewal.

Cade's Cove Bear sightings

On our drive around the Cade's Cove we saw or encountered 2 coyotes, 3 bears, several deer and turkeys. A small mamma and her cub came out of the woods and crossed the road right in front of us near the Cable Mill interpretive area. Further along the road, we saw a lone male (probably) crossing a field (last picture).

Impromptu Sculpture

On our way to Cade's Cove with Henry and Jane Smith, we stopped at the Townsend "WYE" to have a picnic lunch. Also the river bank we encountered an impromptu sculpture garden, created with stacked river stones. Enchanting!

Our contribution

Elk Hunt - Take only Pictures

Hatfield Knob Elk Viewing Tower, North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area: From LaFollette, TN, drive about 7 miles north on Hwy 25W. Turn left at the signs onto a gravel road. Continue on this old logging road 4.5 miles, following the signs to the Elk Viewing Tower. From the parking lot, walk another 1/4 mile to the viewing tower. These elk roam freely, not fenced on 120,000 acres of abandoned strip mine land. We saw about 35, 4 bulls and several calves and the rest cows or yearlings.

Haiku

Out of nothing comes

order, interpretation,

word picture - Haiku

Surplus of Beauty

Nature is wanton

sparing neither her wrath nor

surplus of beauty.

Instead of our usual walk through Melton Hill Dam Park, Bill and I walked down toward the river and then up the trail to the overlook. The whole route is about 2 miles. Bill walked ahead of me on the trail, wielding his walking stick like a sword, slaying the spider webs strung across the way. He provided a clear path for my feet and freed me for observation and reflections. It can be hard to see anything new when walking a familiar path. In a couple of weeks, the yellow partridge peas will be replaced by goldenrod, ironweed and joe-pye. Near the top of the ridge, ground cedar (Diphasiastrum digitatum) still grows abundantly as it may have for thousands of years. It is actually a member of the club moss family which is one of the most most ancient of vascular plants. 

Clearing a path

Partridge Pea

Ground Cedar with Fern