light, shade and perspective

I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, — light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.
--John Constable (1776-1837) English Romantic painter

The quote fits this simple photo well, I think -- it's not that the subject was so compelling, it was the interplay of light and shade that got my attention while standing on a cliff overlooking the Blue Hole. I was impatiently waiting for the clouds to role in so I could take my shots of the waterfall, when I noticed how beautiful the sunlight falling on the leaves was.  And given my position on the cliff, I was also seeing it from a unique perspective. I focused in on this particular section of the tree, drawn to the solid dark lines of the trunk and branches against the glowing green. I guess the point of all this is I think the quote above is a good reminder: look for beauty everywhere and in everything.

I should know what kind of tree this is -- but it's escaping me. It's pretty common in this area - and quite distinctive with its red-ish colored fruit. Any help?

The Celtic Cross

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
--C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) British writer and scholar.

We're doing things big on the campus of Milligan College. Last year, the College installed a 4,000 pound buffalo sculpture in front of Derthick Hall. This summer, the impressive 18 foot tall, 8,000 pound cross sculpture you see above was installed on the Mary Sword Commons. Both sculptures were made possible by a generous donation by an alumna to the College.  Click here to see amazing photos of its construction. Press release here.

The cross sculpture is modeled after the elaborately adorned 12 foot Celtic cross that sits atop of Seeger  Chapel. The circle of the Celtic Cross has various interpretations -- in one sense it is a symbol of the endless, eternal life and love offered in Christ; others see a halo and are reminded of Christ’s holiness and our call to turn from sin; still other see a globe which symbolizes Christ's call to take the gospel into all the world.

If you haven't visited Milligan in a while, stop by and take a stroll - the campus has never looked better in its 144 year history.

twists and turns

The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.
--Don Williams, Jr. (b.1968) American Novelist and Poet

The Appalachian Trail twisting and turning on Unaka Mountain (click photo to enlarge).

Get Going

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.
--Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher and statesman

I recently discovered a great resource which describes the many hiking trails of Unicoi County, TN. Click here to download the .pdf file.  Also, there's an excellent new map of Rocky Fork -- (after clicking link, click 'download now')

Saw this announcement that "Wilma" the bald eagle at Grandfather Mountain passed away, she was at least 34 years old. Click here to see my last photo of her.

Jack

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
--Roger Caras (1928-2001) American wildlife photographer and writer

My friend Bill's dog, Jack.

Three Types of Photographers

...amateurs worry about equipment,
professionals worry about money,
masters worry about light,
I just make pictures…
--Vernon Trent (b.1967) photographer

A silhouette of photographer Michael Kaal, a former student of mine who specializes in landscapes, portraits and wedding photography. Click here to visit his website.

Click here for some helpful tips for taking silhouette portraits. Very fun, give it a shot!

what lives within

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher

A foreboding section of the AT on Roan Mountain.

I thought I'd freshen up the ol' blog and try out a new look. Hopefully it looks good on your end. :)

the wonder of it all

I often think of that rare fulfilling joy when I am in the presence of some wonderful alignment of events. Where the light, the colour, the shapes and the balance all interlock so beautifully that I feel truly overwhelmed by the wonder of it.
--Charlie Waite (b.1949) landscape photographer

Perspective

I believe in cultivating opposite, but complementary views of life, and I believe in meeting life's challenges with contradictory strategies. I believe in reckoning with the ultimate meaninglessness of our existence, even as we fall in love with the miracle of being alive. I believe in working passionately to make our lives count while never losing sight of our insignificance. I believe in caring deeply and being beyond caring. It is by encompassing these opposites, by being involved and vulnerable, but simultaneously transcendent and detached, that our lives are graced by resilience and joy.
--Fritz Williams

The Blue Hole near Elizabethton, TN, always a popular place to visit on hot summer days. It's one of the easiest falls to visit in this area with steep steep steps leading down to the falls (visible in the upper right corner of the photo).

Directions: From Elizabethton, take Route 91 (Stoney Creek Rd) for approximately 10 miles, turn left on Panhandle Road, continue for approximately 1 mile (road will turn to gravel) to parking area on left. Click here for map.

unimaginable wonder

That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder.
--Bill Watterson (b.1958) American Cartoonist and Author of the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes

fast and furious

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
--Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) American novelist

Snuck into the Bristol Motor Speedway the other day when I was in Bristol - it's really an amazing sight to see in person. It's hard to really show the size and scale of the facility with its (relatively) tiny half mile, 40-foot-wide track completely surrounded by 160,000 seats. With 43 cars starting each race, Bristol is known for its intensity, its congestion and its yellow flags -- being likened to "flying fighter jets in a gymnasium". If you're in the area, it's worth the time to stop by and get a legitimate tour of "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" (still only five bucks) which includes a tour of the owner's suite, a lap around the track and a ride down the nearby dragway nicknamed 'Thunder Valley'. Tickets are still available for the August Race Weekend (August 18-21) - visit the BMS website if you're interested. Previous posts and photos here.

gentle touches

The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher

Above: Red Fork Falls detail

the summit

You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up.
--Rene Daumal (1908-1944) French writer and poet

The view from Table Rock in western North Carolina. It's a bit of a long and rough drive to get to the trailhead, but the mile long trail itself is pretty easy, with lots of beautiful overlooks along the way, culminating in stunning panoramic views of the Linville Gorge when you reach the top. Click above for more photos and directions.

vividly alive

For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive.
--David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1939) English author

A Light in the Wilderness

Washington College Academy was established in 1780 by Dr. Samuel Doak, a Presbyterian minister, educator and abolitionist. At the time of its founding "in the wilderness" (basically anywhere west of the Appalachians) Tennessee was not yet a state (that wouldn't occur until 1796), so the school's initial charter was granted by the state of North Carolina. Called Martin Academy at the time, it was the first institution of higher education west of the Appalachians. In 1795, the name was changed in honor of our first President, becoming the first educational institution in the US to bear his name. Known for its 'classical education', Washington College boasts a number of notable graduates including three governors, numerous legislators, and many college presidents, ministers, teachers, judges and lawyers. In 1923, the college curriculum was dropped and the institution became a college preparatory school. In recent years, the Academy has fallen on hard times and no longer operates as a college preparatory boarding school. It does, however, continue to offer a number of continuing adult education and GED classes. The 120 acre campus, located 7 miles southwest of Jonesborough, TN, is beautiful and loaded with history. Directions here. For more information, click here and here.

Pictured above: Harris Hall, one of the women's dorms.

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
--Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918) American author and historian

daring confidence

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.
--Martin Luther (1483-1546) Theologian

Rappelling at Backbone Rock. For directions and information, click here and here.

fine simplicity

Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.
--Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) 31st US President

Michael Kaal fly fishing on the Watauga River near Elizabethton, TN.

pursue the things you love

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.
--Maya Angelou (1928-2014) American poet

This unusual plant was originally introduced to England from Germany in the 1500s and then brought to the colonies by the Pilgrims. Most commonly known as "money plant," it is also referred to as honesty, silver dollar, satin flower, penny flower, Judas' penny, and moonwart. Once cut and dried, the seed pods eventually turn silver -- and have been used in dried arrangements since colonial times. More here.

dare greatly

Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.
--Alan Alda (b.1936) American actor

Another photo taken at Wilbur Lake with fellow photographer Michael Kaal venturing out into Wilbur's frigid waters and posing for me. He really does love to fish -- so while this was staged, it still accurately reflects Michael and his love for all things outdoors. Michael recently graduated (embarked?) from Milligan with a photography degree - his work is outstanding, I encourage you to check it out. And if you know of anyone looking for a wedding photographer, Michael is your man. :)

the last best hope

My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.
--Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Sixteenth US President

Above: Bald Eagle, Grandfather Mountain Wildlife Habitat. Previous photos here and here.

the good old days

Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was.
--Will Rogers (1879-1935) American comedian

While the covered bridge in Elizabethton was build in 1882, this covered bridge over Buffalo Creek in Unicoi, TN is of more recent vintage, built in 1996.

Go Wild

Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations.
--Ralph Charell, author

Black bear at Grandfather Mountain.

Mountain Biking

Not especially well known are the mountain bike trail riding opportunities at Warriors' Path State Park in Kingsport. There are 9 miles of rugged, single-track trails that range from moderate to difficult providing an extensive network of trails through a beautiful, wooded area. Friends who have tried it out report that the trails are quite challenging, especially for novice riders. For directions, descriptions and downloadable map of the mountain bike trails at Warriors Path State Park visit the Northeast Tennessee Mountain Bike Association.

If you're looking for a more tame, relaxing ride, check out the nearby Creeper Trail in Damascus and Abingdon, VA.

Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport also provides opportunities for mountain biking on designated trails.

The new Pinnacle Mountain Trail in Unicoi, TN was designed for both hikers and bikers.

The Hampton Watershed Trails in Hampton, TN have 5 miles of trails rated easy to very difficult.

ETSU has an extensive mountain bike trail.

Also...the linear trails in Kingsport and Erwin.

Isn't it awesome to live in an area with so many amazing recreational opportunities? I'm sure I've missed many other mountain bike destinations, so if you have a favorite place to go, please leave us a comment.