snow day

Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
--Steven Wright (b.1955) comedian.

Cross country skiers enjoy the snow at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton. The man in the bottom photo joked as he went by that he was training his dog to be a husky.

go placidly

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."

--Max Ehrmann (1872–1945) American Writer, "Desiderata"

Above: Trail at Sycamore Shoals State Park, Elizabethton, TN

go forward

It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal. 
--Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Author who was blind and deaf.

Above: A tree stretches out over the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN.

the highest fence

Fear is the highest fence.
--Dudley Nichols (1895-1960) American screenwriter.

Above: Fort Watauga at the Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN.

Liberty!

Those who expect to reap the blessings of liberty must undergo the fatigues of supporting it. 
--Thomas Paine (1737-1809) English-American political activist, philosopher, author, political theorist and revolutionary.

Had a wonderful time shooting the final performance of "Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals" this weekend. As always, I was impressed with the dedication, professionalism and talent of the performers in their reenactment of the settling of this region. Click here for more photos.

To learn more about the drama and how to get involved in next year's performance, click here.

The Tweetsie Trail

The first phase of the Tweetsie Trail is scheduled to be opened to the public with an inaugural Walk/Run on Saturday, August 30, 2014 (Labor Day weekend). The
 trail follows the old "Tweetsie" railroad line connecting Johnson City to Elizabethton, TN. The first phase is 4.5 miles long, but when the entire project is complete it will be 10 miles long.

The trail itself is fantastic -- very wide, with compacted, fine gravel perfect for walking, jogging and bike riding. Along the way, you'll traverse through beautiful woodland settings and farms and over bridges.  This project has been years in its planning and execution and will provide great recreational opportunities to the residents of both communities.


Pictured (above left) is a replica of the original Milligan depot that stood about a half mile from the College. It will eventually have a bench and signage.

To sign up to take part in the inagural trek, click here.

Additional photos can be found on the Tweetsie Trail Facebook page.

water under the bridge

The wise treat yesterday's problems as water under a bridge. Where the unwise will treat them as a place to build a dam.
--Unknown

Christmas!

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given - when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes. 
--Joan Winmill Brown, actress and writer. 

Above: The Carter Mansion (c.1770s) in Elizabethton, TN.

Wishing you the joy and warmth of Christmas!
-mark

Liberty!

 

 

Each July for the last 35 years, the Friends of Sycamore Shoals have entertained audiences and kept history alive with the performance of "Liberty!: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals." From their website: "Tennessee's official outdoor drama is presented against the backdrop of Fort Watauga. See the Revolution as told by the Overmountain Men: colonists who defied British law and settled on Cherokee lands. These settlers formed an independent government, made treaties with the Cherokee, defended their homes, and fought a British army at the epic battle of King's Mountain." Local wedding photographer Michael Kaal and I set out to capture the event, taking 'behind the scenes' photos as well as many of the performance itself. Watch the video above to see our work. I was struck by the dedication and professionalism of the volunteer cast and crew. Their passion for our region's history and for liberty is infectious. It was great to see so many young people take part in the production of this kind.  Thanks to everyone involved!

 

Elizabethton

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.
--Alan Alda (b.1936) American actor.

I took part in teaching a week long course in digital media a couple weeks ago to 10 high school students. In the short time we had to cover digital photography, I wanted to give them lots of different photographic opportunities. For instance, we practiced portraits, sports photography, abstracts and landscapes. For our field trip, I took them to downtown Elizabethton, TN. They loved the covered bridge, but what they really enjoyed were all the colors and rough textures of the old buildings. Even the alleyway was exciting for them in terms of exploring various concepts I had taught them to be looking for: textures, lines, light and shadows, layers and abstract opportunities.  We had a wonderful afternoon doing something I usually don't do in terms of photography...exploring the city.

Elizabethton really has a marvelous, clean, welcoming and interesting downtown. Lots of restaurants, furniture stores, gift shops and antiques.

dare greatly

Do not dare not to dare.
--C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) British Scholar and Novelist

Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals State Park, Elizabethton, TN

$5 Bridge

Some interesting history of the Elizabethton Covered Bridge (built in 1882) found at the Tennessee Department of Transportation website:

After county officials were unable to find a bridge contractor, a local doctor, E.E. Hunter, accepted the contract and hired experienced people to work on the bridge. Hunter selected Thomas Matson, who had been an engineer for the Narrow Gauge (Tweetsie) Railroad as an engineer and architect. Hunter referred to the bridge as his "$5 bridge" since he made a profit of $5 as contractor.... Structurally, the bridge contains one span, a covered wooden Howe Truss that is 137 feet long. The total length is 154.3 feet. The bridge contains one traffic lane and a single walkway.

Give the gift of Appy Treks this Christmas -- 2011 Calendar on sale here!  :)

a time for home

Winter is the time for comfort - it is the time for home.
--Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) British poet

Snowed in today -- I didn't even try to venture out. The puppy was bouncing off the walls, but I was pretty content to stay in and finish grading my final exams. I guess all told we got about 6" or so here in Unicoi, TN (it's still coming down!). Haven't heard any reports yet from Roan Mountain -- but they were predicting some pretty heavy snow for the higher elevations.

The shot above of the Veteran's Memorial (erected 1912) in Elizabethton, TN was taken last year. I tried (unsuccessfully) to locate information online about the pink building on the left. It's adjacent to the Carter County Courthouse (just out of view to the left), and I assume it's the old jail. Does anyone know the history of this building?

Some miscellaneous good news from the Johnson City Press...

• Bear attacks on humans: beyond rare.
• Update on the Unicoi Fire Tower Restoration and Trail

strength

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.
--unknown

The Covered Bridge in Elizabethton, TN, built in 1882.

Freedom Fighters

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.
--Thomas Paine (1737-1809) author, revolutionary, and Founding Father

Overmountain Men Statue at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN, site of the 1780 militia muster prior to their march to defeat British loyalists at the Battle of King’s Mountain in South Carolina. The plaque at the base of the statue reads:

Dedicated to the Spirit of the Overmountain Men
Heroes of the American Revolution

A Project of the City of Elizabethton Bicentennial Commission
Dedicated September 25, 1999
Artist: Jon Mark Estep

perspective

This is the view looking out of one of the windows of the Elizabethton Covered Bridge. From this perspective, you'd never know this scene is found in middle of downtown Elizabethton. Behind the bridge, is Edwards Island Park. This is the Elk Avenue Bridge, constructed in 1926. The bridge was scheduled for replacement, but public interest and outcry led to its recent rehabilitation. It is nearly identical to the nearby Broad Street Bridge, built in 1929, which was also recently repaired. Click photo to enlarge.

Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.
--Winnie the Pooh

Talk about putting things into perspective...here's a video of a comedian who does just that, saying: "Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy." It's a fitting and funny video for the end of the "zeros" or whatever we'll someday call this decade!

Children at Christmas

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Covered Bridge in Elizabethton, TN, built in 1882. More photos and history here.

early home

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat.
~Author Unknown

The Carter Mansion, Elizabethton, TN. Click here to learn more about his historic home, built in the 1770s.

shivering

To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can.
--Sydney Smith (1771-1845) English clergyman and writer

This quote fits those early settlers who dared, risked, struggled and prevailed at Fort Watauga in present-day Elizabethton, TN. The above fort is a replica built in the mid-1970s in anticipation of the nation's bicentennial.

quietly...and forever

So let us go forward, quietly, each on his own path, forever making for the light.
--Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch artist

Path at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN