cabin sweet cabin

There is hardly a pioneer's hut which does not contain a few odd volumes of Shakespeare. I remember reading the feudal drama of Henry V for the first time in a log cabin.
--Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) French Historian and Political scientist.

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

something fishy

 
Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it. 
--Lao Tzu (600 BC-531 BC) Chinese Taoist Philosopher.

These friendly fellows were found in the Watershed Room display at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, TN. Taken from behind glass at a high ISO (5000!), they're a bit grainy. Visit the park website to learn more about all that Bays Mountain has to offer.

prayers for charleston

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. 
--Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) Minister and Civil-Rights Leader.

Prayers for Charleston and the families of the victims of last week's horrible tragedy. Peggy Noonan wrote a beautiful tribute and reflection that I recommend.

Above: St. Michael's Episcopal Church (1751), Charleston, SC

peace and quiet

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.
--John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th US President.

Above: Blue Hole Grotto outside of Elizabethton, TN. Not as much water flowing at Blue Hole as I was expecting to find. But still a beautiful place to explore. This narrow grotto was a great place to be on a hot, humid day - with the temperature significantly cooler than outside in the sun.

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.

unalienable rights

Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.
--Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) French classical liberal theorist, political economist.

Happy Independence Day!

wonders never cease

America is a land of wonders, in which everything is in constant motion and every change seems an improvement. No natural boundary seems to be set to the efforts of man and in his eyes what is not yet done is only what he has not attempted to do. 
--Alexis de Tocqueville

Above: The 10 foot high Laurel Run Falls found within Laurel Run Park, Church Hill, TN. I'll be posting more from my visit to the park. It's a favorite place of mine to visit in the spring. For directions and description, click here.

wedge issues

We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.
--Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) US President.

a beautiful struggle

Only he can understand what a farm is, what a country is, who shall have sacrificed part of himself to his farm or country, fought to save it, struggled to make it beautiful. Only then will the love of farm or country fill his heart.
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944) French Pilot and Author

Above: Barn at the Dave Miller Homestead on Roan Mountain.

Endowed by Our Creator

You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments: rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.
--John Adams (1735-1826) 2nd President of the United States. 


Happy Independence Day!

Backbone Rock Tunnel

Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnel. 
--John Quinton

Here's the 'World's Shortest Tunnel' through Backbone Rock on Hwy 133 between Shady Valley, TN and Damascus, VA.  It was constructed in 1901 for hauling timber from Tennessee to a nearby saw mill outside of Damascus. Unable to go around the 75' high, 20' wide wall of rock, they decided to blast their way through. Check out these early photos of the tunnel. Today there is a short trail which takes you up to the top of Backbone Rock, and another trail that takes you to a nearby waterfall, Backbone Falls.  This area is popular with motorcycle enthusiasts as part of "The Snake" (map here) -- and also with repellers.

remembrance

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.
--Daniel Webster (1782-1852) American statesman and senator.

Above: Mountain Home National Cemetery, Johnson City, TN

From Wikipedia: On the grounds of the Mountain Home Veterans Administration Center, the cemetery was established in 1903 as part of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, a federal old soldiers' home. The cemetery features over 12,000 graves highlighted by a monument to Congressman Walter Preston Brownlow, who petitioned the government and worked tirelessly to have the veteran's center created. It officially became a National Cemetery in 1973, and has primarily the interments of veterans who died while under care at the facility.

More information on Mountain Home in a previous post, here.

bravery

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.
--Thucydides (460-404 BC) Ancient Greek historian and author. 

The stone reads:

Mary Patton
1751-1836
One of that heroic band who established a civilization in the wilderness. She made the powder used by John Sevier's troops in the battle of King's Mountain.
Erected by her descendants. 1932

To read a previous post of mine about the fascinating life of Mary Patton, click here.

ch-ch-changes

Born often under another sky, placed in the middle of an always moving scene, himself driven by the irresistible torrent which draws all about him, the American has no time to tie himself to anything, he grows accustomed only to change, and ends by regarding it as the natural state of man. He feels the need of it, more he loves it; for the instability; instead of meaning disaster to him, seems to give birth only to miracles all about him. 
--Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) French Historian and Political scientist. 

Here it is the start of fall and I still have photos from summer that didn't get posted.  This is a shot of the bloom of a "great rhododendron" -- a common sight during the summer months in the Appalachians.

patriotism

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and the government when it deserves it.
--Mark Twain (1835-1910) American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer.

Tennessee's oldest town celebrates the Fourth this weekend with Jonesborough Days, more info here.  It's such a beautiful old town, a great place to spend the day.  For some really outstanding photography of Jonesborough, check C. David Cook's work.

Reagan Centennial

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
--Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) 40th US President

Videos celebrating his life and legacy: 

From GE to the White House

Reagan Library Tribute (narrated by former TN Sen. Fred Thompson)
"A Time for Choosing," 1964

1st Inaugural, January 1981
Westminster Speech, 1982

Reagan Farewell Address, 1989

Washington County Courthouse

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
—George Washington, letter to Robert Howe, August 17, 1779

Above: The Washington County Courthouse, located in Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee. When established in 1777 (named of course to honor General Washington), Washington County was on the frontier - and belonged to the North Carolina territory. In 1796, Washington County, NC was transferred to the newly established state of Tennessee. Here's a photo of the previous 1842 courthouse, which was torn down in 1912 to make way for the courthouse you see above, which was completed in 1913. In all, this is the sixth courthouse to occupy this site.

Jonesborough is home to the International Storytelling Festival, held the first weekend of October. Click here for more information.

Click here to visit the Historic Jonesborough website. The old downtown is a terrific place to visit - lots of great shops and restaurants.

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.

Memorial Day

We enjoy freedom and the rule of law on which it depends, not because we deserve it, but because others before us put their lives on the line to defend it.
--Thomas Sowell (b.1930) American economist

The photo above was taken at the Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, TN. Established in 1903, the cemetery now has 10,000 grave sites, the oldest are those of Civil War veterans.

Click here to access the names and burial locations of those interred at Mountain Home. Click here to learn more about the cemetery and its history and here for directions.

a civilization in the wilderness

A civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944) French writer.

Above: The Carter Shields Cabin, Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

George Washington "Carter" Shields (1844-1924) was raised in Cades Cove (his family was among the early settlers), but left home to fight in the Civil War. He suffered a crippling wound in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 -- soon after the war, he married and moved to Kansas. He returned to Cades Cove in 1906 and bought the above cabin in 1910, living there until 1921. The cabin, the last on the auto tour of Cades Cove, is my favorite. It's just a beautiful setting, so rugged and isolated. More Cades Cove family histories, here. Note: The popular 11-mile loop road that takes visitors around the cove is closed for repaving through April 23. Many other popular destinations, including Clingman's Dome, are also being impacted by construction - Check the website before you go.