Knoxville Daily Photo

I'll Be Back Soon

2009-07-07T09:40:00.007-04:00

WELL...

You may or may not have noticed my absence this past week.

Between some Internet access issues and some major Life Happens Events, I will need to take a brief hiatus from my beloved Knoxville Daily Photo until I can get these things resolved.

So I will leave you with this shot of my magnificent obsession, the Sunsphere, until I return.

Bamboo Puddle

2009-06-30T20:20:00.003-04:00

After another typical ferocious afternoon thunderstorm, I saw a Japanese print in this puddle in the road.

Urban Window

2009-06-29T18:48:00.003-04:00

This lovely apartment has a beautiful view of Krutch Park downtown. I took a shot in color, but for some reason loved the monochrome better, so that's what you get.

Market Music

2009-06-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

There are always lots of buskers at the Market Square Farmers Market. These guys actually sounded pretty good playing some jazz standards.

Market Saturday

2009-06-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

The Market Square Farmers Market is bigger and better than ever. Local organic produce has never been easier to find.

Moth Rocks

2009-06-26T07:00:00.004-04:00

I think that all the rocks are distracting me from seeing the moth at the center, but I think that's why I like it - I have to work to see the prize.

Bronze Morning

2009-06-25T07:00:00.003-04:00

The sun burns through summer morning haze. It's the Bronze Age in Knoxville.

Macrolily

2009-06-24T07:00:00.004-04:00

My supermacro lens gets to the heart of this daylily.

Daylilies

2009-06-23T07:00:00.004-04:00

The daylilies are at their blooming peak right now. These have just survived another summer afternoon thunderstorm.

Finding Hope

2009-06-22T13:35:00.005-04:00

I've had some technical difficulties with my computer since last week, but hopefully things are fixed now. So that's the theme for today - looking for the feature, not the problem.

And here's the feature - an advertisement for hope here and now is an odd sign to post by a cemetery. Well, I guess I hope I don't end up there anytime soon.

Gate

2009-06-17T15:30:00.003-04:00

The wrought iron gate to the Crown & Goose beer garden casts a long shadow.

Clockless Hours

2009-06-16T15:39:00.003-04:00

Dear friend now in the dusty clockless hours of the town when the streets lie black and steaming in the wake of watertrucks and now when the drunk and the homeless have washed up in the lee of walls in alleys or abandoned lots and cats go forth highshouldered and lean in the grim perimeters about, now in these sootblacked brick or cobbled corridors where lightwire shadows make a gothic harp of cellar doors no soul shall walk save you.

-Cormac McCarthy, Suttree

Viva Garbanzos

2009-06-15T16:09:00.005-04:00

There's a new Cuban restaurant on the 100 Block of Gay Street downtown. I can highly recommend the garbanzos fritos.

Big Sky

2009-06-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

The lake at Victor Ashe Park reflects a very big sky.

A Thousand Words

2009-06-13T07:00:00.002-04:00

Tin Roof Rusted

2009-06-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Not very far outside of Knoxville, going for a drive along the back roads of Knox County, I stopped to admire this old barn.

Macro Shell

2009-06-11T08:00:00.005-04:00

Here's a shell I found in Beaver Creek as I was sitting on a log pondering life, the universe, and everything. Any excuse for a macro shot.

Beaver Creek

2009-06-10T08:00:00.002-04:00

Beaver Creek twists its way through Knoxville and Knox County. This particular spot is very shallow and cool. So take off your shoes and socks, have a seat on that rock, and enjoy one of the pleasures of an East Tennessee summer.

Dual Phoebes

2009-06-09T16:12:00.004-04:00

My friend in Solway, just outside of Knoxville, has a phoebe nest right above her front door. Two of the chicks popped up to see what I was all about. Of course, I'm all about the photo.

Canine Thoughts

2009-06-08T09:51:00.003-04:00

Cute dog contemplates pottery at a local festival this weekend. So tragic, he doesn't have opposable thumbs.

Placid

2009-06-07T07:00:00.004-04:00

I saw the moon through a grime-caked window in the Old City. It seemed content to hang there.

Justification

2009-06-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

This really is how I spend my time at the Crown & Goose beer garden in the Old City.

'Shine

2009-06-05T13:15:00.006-04:00

This is an authentic moonshine still collected probably from the Back End of Nowhere, Tennessee, now residing in the Museum of East Tennessee History.

I won't go all Dr Science on you and tell you the chemical reactions involved in the making of moonshine. I will say: respect and handle with care if you intend to consume any of the product.

Not that I'd have first hand experience or anything...

Cupola

2009-06-04T14:16:00.006-04:00

The Howard H. Baker Federal Courthouse downtown was originally built for the Whittle Communications company. When Whittle went out of business, the Feds took over this neo-Georgian building. The tower with cupola is now a familiar part of the downtown skyline.

Debord Falls

2009-06-03T14:58:00.007-04:00

Honestly, sometimes a Knoxville Girl just needs a break from city life. So today I'm offering a photo from one of my recent hikes at Frozen Head State Park, which lies in Morgan County, just a bit northwest of Knoxville. This is Debord Falls, an easy quarter mile walk from the Emory Gap trailhead.

Llama Llama

2009-06-02T10:17:00.007-04:00

Knox County Public Library sponsored the fifth annual Children's Festival of Reading at the World's Fair Park this past Saturday. There were all kinds of family-friendly activities going on all afternoon to help promote reading and literacy. This photo shows the literacy parade, featuring eight foot tall characters from the popular "Llama Llama" childrens book series. The guy in the suit is Tennessee Senator Tim Burchett, a local advocate for children's literacy.

The festival was a great success - an estimated 10,000 parents and kids showed up. I was volunteering in the Friends of Literacy booth doing face painting. Just in case you wanted to know, the most requested items in face painting are dolphins for girls, and Spiderman masks for boys.

p.s. oops, I had my post for theme day in draft form and forgot to publish it. Oh well, it was a rerun anyway. I have been greatly distracted lately by ... life.

Monthly Theme Day: Feet

2009-06-01T11:24:00.006-04:00

I know, I know: I posted this one before. But look! It has feet! And inches too!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Leading You Down the Garden Path

2009-05-31T07:00:00.003-04:00

I just liked the way it curved.

Jurassic Sphere

2009-05-30T07:00:00.003-04:00

What's as big as a tyrannosaurus and hides behind trees?

Y'all know this; we've been here before.

Drowsy

2009-05-29T10:27:00.003-04:00

This kitty has the right idea: drowsing on a warm afternoon.

Up North

2009-05-28T14:59:00.008-04:00

Here are a few shots of my all-too-brief vacation to eastern Pennsylvania. Knoxville will return tomorrow.

It's always sunny in Philadelphia, if you can see through the smog.
Cheese steak, wit wiz.

The bleeding heart in my brother's garden.

Sugar Magnolia

2009-05-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

The two enormous magnolia trees by the parking lot of Church Street United Methodist Church are in bloom, white petals unfurling and lemony scent infusing the air. I took this with my 10x zoom lens.

Doors of Maplehurst 5

2009-05-26T07:00:00.008-04:00

I couldn't decide which one of these I liked better, so today you get a twofer.

I like the monochrome for the framing of the university tower. I like the color for the shaft of sunlight that peeked through the clouds at that moment, and for the rich contrast of brick/ivy.

This concludes your tour of the doors of Maplehurst. I'll be back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled program, whatever that might be.

Doors of Maplehurst 4

2009-05-25T07:00:00.005-04:00

Not only doors, but windows too. I'm not sure if this cottage is occupied. Those window panes are darkened, not broken.

Doors of Maplehurst 3

2009-05-24T07:00:00.006-04:00

There's an interesting light coming through the window. Am I the only one thinking of extraterrestrial activity? Sigh. Don't answer that.

Yes, that is an alligator hanging on the door.

Doors of Maplehurst 2

2009-05-23T07:00:00.006-04:00

I don't know why I'm thinking of the tale of Hansel and Gretel here. The person behind that door was up to no good. Perhaps it would be best not to knock and move on with alacrity to the next door.

Doors of Maplehurst 1

2009-05-22T07:00:00.005-04:00

The doors of Maplehurst often have a storybook quality about them. This one looks like there could be a hobbit in residence.

And bonus! If you look at the window from just the right angle, you can see a reflection of my favorite magnificent Knoxville obsession, the Sunsphere:

Welcome to Maplehurst

2009-05-21T07:00:00.013-04:00

Well, it's time for my annual pilgrimage to eastern Pennsylvania to visit the family. So while I'm flitting off to northern climes and stuffing my face with cheese steaks, I'm once again leaving this blog on autopilot.

As if it hasn't been there for the past few months.

At any rate, to amuse you for the next few days, I've wandered around the historic Maplehurst neighborhood, ensconced on a hill between downtown and the University of Tennessee. This tiny enclave of early twentieth century cottages may not be with us for long, as it has been bought out by a large property management corporation and the jury is still out as to whether they'll keep these buildings in good, historically appropriate condition.

But to hedge our bets, I've recorded some of the charming architectural details of this neighborhood in a series I'm calling the Doors of Maplehurst. Tune in tomorrow to begin the tour.

Swing Low

2009-05-20T07:00:00.012-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here at this unassuming sports bar on Clinton Highway on the anniversary of the fatal accident that took the life of James Agee's father, an event which later inspired his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Death In the Family.

That unfortunate plunge occurred in Beaver Creek, directly adjacent to this hospitable modern day establishment.

At 8 p.m., the time of the tragic auto crash, we raise a toast to Mr Agee Sr. The delightful proprietess of the Checker Flag, Earlene, will be glad to furnish you with the requisite bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon if you are so inclined. Please join the band in a chorus or two of Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, Knoxville is a drinking town with a literary problem.

Worth Two in the Bush

2009-05-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

I spied this wood thrush as I was walking around Worlds Fair Park downtown. Since I didn't have him (or her) in hand, I'll offer you a second secretive and rather blurry picture of one in a bush:

Helpful Reflection

2009-05-18T09:21:00.007-04:00

I love mirrors and reflections. This one made me laugh because it looked so incongruous stuck right up next to this tree. The image reflected is the university's new parking garage in the Fort Sanders neighborhood. The mirror is supposed to help you see oncoming traffic coming down the hill.

Candoro Reborn

2009-05-17T07:00:00.003-04:00

Last year I showed you some of the ruins of the Candoro Marble Works factory. They're still pretty much in ruins. But the office building has been lovingly restored and now hosts many art and music events.

Honeysuckle

2009-05-16T07:00:00.003-04:00

Walking the track at Lakeshore Park is a double-edged sword this time of year. There's a thin yellow-green layer of pollen covering everything, but the honeysuckle smells so sweet.

In the Still of the Night

2009-05-15T12:55:00.004-04:00

This is what I do when insomnia sets in at 3 a.m.

Game On

2009-05-14T10:30:00.011-04:00

I've been tagged by Jacob of Ocala Daily Photo to list six things that make me happy. The audacity! OK, Jacob, I'll play, starting with today's photo: this fellow is a service dog for the blind, still in training. Such a noble profile!

So, in no particular order, here are six things that make me happier than I can say:

Dogs - life would be too dull without them
Tai chi - good for the body and the mind
Travel - the world is my oyster, and it's always in season
Hiking and being outdoors - cures the cubicle crazies
Reading - but you might expect that from a librarian
Family and friends - I am blessed with abundance

And because I can't follow rules and don't play well with others, here is number seven:
Cheese steaks!

Generally, I don't tag others for a meme. So, participate if the mood strikes you.

Untethered

2009-05-13T06:00:00.007-04:00

I've really been enjoying watching the full moon rise over the Smokies low on the horizon. Then it rises over the wires, the lights, and the trees. And in my imagination, I rise with it, slowly untethering my earth-bound thoughts.

A Moment of Serenity

2009-05-12T12:10:00.004-04:00

The trees in the early morning sun cast long shadows over the grass. The veterans sleep serenely in their cemetery across the street.

Relic

2009-05-11T09:02:00.004-04:00

This is one of the oldest buildings downtown, reportedly built around the time of the Civil War in the 1860s. Poor old sagging thing - it looks tired.

Down the Tracks

2009-05-10T07:00:00.006-04:00

This is a quick one from the archives for today: the World's Fair Park was built on an old railroad yard. There is still one active track left that slices through the park between the art museum and the Sunsphere to remind us of this legacy.

Another note to the CDPB world: these past few months have been so hectic, I regret that I haven't had time to visit your blogs. I'm often surprised that I can still sustain this one. Thanks to the three or four of you who still drop by! No worries, I'll be back.

My cup runneth over. But the good news is, my cup is full of red wine.

Deconstruction

2009-05-09T06:00:00.011-04:00

The 100 Block of Gay Street is closed for improvements for - oh, I'd heard about a year. It's going to look worse before it starts looking better. They'd best dig carefully so as not to disturb Underground Knoxville.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

2009-05-08T06:00:00.005-04:00

It's amazing to me that such dangerous weather can come in such a purely beautiful shade of indigo.

I like the lone billboard pressing up against the clouds. I like that this looks like the Edge of Nowhere, but it's actually part of the Bearden neighborhood.

Your Seat Is Waiting

2009-05-07T06:00:00.005-04:00

Look at all the delicious Art Deco-ness of the newly refurbished seats at the Tennessee Theatre. I let the camera choose the setting on auto, using natural light.

How Green Was My Building

2009-05-06T10:18:00.005-04:00

It's not about the treble clef, although I think that's pretty cool. It's all about the bright green sheetrock on top of the Crimson Building. Please don't ask me why the sheetrock isn't crimson. The building is finally being reconstructed after a disasterous fire a few years ago.

Boardwalk

2009-05-05T09:31:00.004-04:00

The Riverwalk trail at Ijams Nature Center includes a boardwalk along the Tennessee River. There is no gently sloping shore there, only vertical towers of limestone. The boardwalk hugs the cliffs and juts out over the river on long pilings. I like how the builders were sensitive to nature by building around this tree.

Ribcage

2009-05-04T05:00:00.004-04:00

These limestone rocks along the banks of the Tennessee River looked like a dinosaur's ribcage. But the ribs were created from millennia of water erosion. The rocks are now well above the water line. You can see them on the Riverwalk trail at Ijams Nature Center.

Paddling

2009-05-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

This guy was doing some weekend paddling. Hope he remembered his sunscreen.

Ghostly Bloom

2009-05-02T10:02:00.004-04:00

This is from my March archive. The daffodils are just about done for the spring down here. I tried a shot in monochrome, and like it better than I thought I would. It looks ghostly.

Monthly Theme: Light and Shadows

2009-05-01T05:00:00.006-04:00

It's springtime, the flowers are blooming, and I just can't help myself. Every time I see some new wildflowers, I have to take a photo. Light and shadow again caught my attention. I am now officially obsessed. But it worked out for theme day.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Glorious

2009-04-30T05:00:00.004-04:00

These were the strangest looking wildflowers I'd seen yet. Until I started practicing my macro shots, I'd never thought of wildflowers as "hairy." But here they are in all their hairy glory.

Argyle

2009-04-29T07:00:00.005-04:00

I was waiting patiently at an intersection for the light to go green when I saw this pattern on the freshly mown grass in front of this historic building on the edge of the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood. So I took a quick shot during the red light. It looked like a pair of green socks that I once had. Only bigger. And made of grass.

Code Talker

2009-04-28T07:48:00.008-04:00

Part of the Native American festival in Maryville included a very special speaker. The gentleman in the chair is one of the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II. The Code Talkers served in the Marines and sent vital data to American troops in the Navajo language. Very few people outside of the Navajo Nation understood this complex language, so it became an unbreakable code. The Code Talkers helped America win the war in the Pacific, including the battle of Iwo Jima. Out of 400 Code Talkers, only about 40 are still living today. It was inspiring to hear this old warrior tell his story.

Any Given Saturday

2009-04-27T09:54:00.005-04:00

Maryville is a delightful small town just south of Knoxville. I never know what I'll see around the greenbelt and library. Maybe a father and daughter out enjoying the sunny weather, or maybe a Native American in full regalia. He was actually part of a Native American festival being held on Saturday on the lawn outside of the library.

High Five

2009-04-26T07:00:00.003-04:00

I'm continuing my macro work in the great outdoors. I'd tell you what kind of flower this is, but I've already forgot. I think I'm getting the hang of noticing the different effects of light and shadow on everything. But now I find I'm looking for it everywhere all the time. Which can be a problem when I'm driving.

Moving Targets

2009-04-25T07:00:00.006-04:00

Here are local favorites Hector Qirko and R.B. Morris playing a concert at the restored Candoro Marble building in South Knoxville. I'm posting this because it's the only photo that I took of them that I managed to get in focus. Yay me.

Straight Up

2009-04-24T06:00:00.006-04:00

This is the overlook at the top of House Mountain, the highest point in Knox County, 2100 feet high. This natural area managed by the State of Tennessee is only 10 miles away from Knoxville. I could tell you about tectonic plates and synclinal folds that formed the mountain. Or I could just mention that the Overlook Trail is really made for mountain goats that like to climb straight up steep inclines and scramble across boulders. And then they eat their lunch on a sunny rock high above the rolling farmland of Knox County.

Them Bones

2009-04-23T10:16:00.003-04:00

This is not someone's art project. These are teaching tools used in anatomy and physiology lab at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. The color-coding helps students learn what bones look like in different mammals: bovine, canine, and equine.

Pink Riot

2009-04-22T16:27:00.004-04:00

There are white dogwoods and there are pink dogwoods. White ones occur naturally in the wild, and are also cultivated. I've heard that pink ones are also natural, although the natural pink is very pale and not Violently Pink like these cultivated blossoms.

Dog and Pony Show, Part 2

2009-04-21T06:00:00.007-04:00

Well, it's not really a pony. It's a big ol' draft horse named Gracie who used to work on an Amish farm, but is now retired to East Tennessee. She was one of the stars of the Equine Parade at the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine's open house on Saturday. The audience, especially the horse-crazy little girls, were delighted to see Gracie. We all snapped our fingers in approval, because horses don't like loud clapping noises.

And as a city girl born and bred who has never ridden a horse, I just have to ask the equestrians out there on the Internet: how do you get up to ride something that big? A stepladder? Levitation?

Dog and Pony Show, Part 1

2009-04-20T10:30:00.005-04:00

Saturday was the day for the annual open house at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine, one of my favorite yearly events. I posted a few photos of this last year, and if I'm still hanging around the blogosphere next year, I'll be posting more.

The Canine Parade teaches the audience about all kinds of dog breeds, but the real fun for me is after the parade, when you can meet and greet the dogs and their owners. This beautiful greyhound was a rescue dog. Greyhounds are so low-key friendly, and as you can see, not camera-shy at all. This little girl now lives a life of leisure and has the run of her owner's farm.

Tomorrow: the pony part of the show.

Little Dinosaur

2009-04-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

I saw this wonderful little lizard out of the corner of my eye during a hike, so I turned and shot fast - into the sun, which explains the discoloration. But what the hey, I'm posting it anyway. I'm going to play around with it in Photoshop to see if I can repair the color. Maybe if I'm successful, I'll post before-and-after.

Of course, lizards detest having their photos made. The sun is behind me for this one. Can you spot our camera-shy subject?

Bucolic

2009-04-18T07:00:00.006-04:00

Here is yet another outpost of the University of Tennessee's agriculture research, right outside of downtown Knoxville. Isn't it bucolic? I was told this used to be a low security prison before it was closed and UT reused it for its ag research programs.

Why does UT have such a large agriculture program? It all has to do with the land. After the Civil War, UT became a Land Grant institution. These institutions were given federal land in exchange for teaching agriculture and providing military training to students. UT was officially designated a Land Grant institution in 1879.

April Showers

2009-04-17T09:31:00.008-04:00

Oh those April showers! I love watching the rain clouds roll in, then watching them get pushed away by the sun. The rain-soaked hiking paths shimmer, changing from gray to silver.

It's a good thing I'm waterproof.

Fiddlehead

2009-04-16T16:36:00.008-04:00

A quick one today, as I have to work extra this evening (again). This fiddlehead fern is starting to unfurl. I think this macro has better focus than my previous attempt on Tuesday.

Gaging Station

2009-04-15T06:00:00.008-04:00

This is an old gaging station tower that still stands along the banks of the Tennessee River near downtown Knoxville. The US Geological Survey folks use them to monitor water height, temperature, and water chemistry. I don't know if this one is still in service - it looks old and abandoned.

Of course, if the water level ever reaches the height of the tower, I'd say we wouldn't need a gage to know we were in deep trouble.

Easy Rider

2009-04-14T06:00:00.007-04:00

The yellow trillium are just starting to bloom in the woodlands of East Tennessee. I saw quite a few on the wildflower walk at Ijams Nature Center, but this one had a special passenger on board.
Yes, I know spiders are not insects, but honestly I don't plan on taking enough photos to warrant an arachnid label.

Swarm

2009-04-13T12:45:00.007-04:00

It's dogwood time in Tennessee, and throughout the southeastern US. Yes, we have loads of pretty cultivated dogwood trees, but they had to come from somewhere originally. So today I'm showing you a wild dogwood, a volunteer if you will, growing in the woods at Ijams Nature Center. I spotted it on a wildflower walk sponsored by the Center this past weekend. The blossoms on the wild trees aren't as numerous. But that's OK, because these looked like a swarm of butterflies flying toward me.

I'll have a few more wildflower photos to post this week as I work on my macro technique.

Fountainhead

2009-04-12T07:00:00.005-04:00

This flowering tree in the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood looked like a fountain spraying blossoms instead of water. Which is why I love spring in East Tennessee.

Name That Flower

2009-04-11T07:00:00.010-04:00

OK, CDPBers, you were so helpful with my last mystery flower that I turn to you again in my time of puzzlement. Apparently, I spend a lot of time in puzzlement.

This is the newest mystery flower that I saw at Ijams Nature Center. And once again, I am clueless as to what kind of flower I have photographed. Sure is pretty. Any ideas?

Bait and Switch

2009-04-10T06:00:00.007-04:00

I don't know who painted this mural or when it was painted. As you see, I am not the fountain of information today. I just find this mural so poignant when I step back and view it in its full context:

This is the old swimming pool for the patients at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute. I don't know if they still use it - it looks pretty run down. And maybe that's where my pathos radar kicks in. The fantasy is a white sand beach with sunbathing babes and surfer dudes. The reality is a rectangle of chlorinated water behind barred gates.

Red Doors

2009-04-09T06:00:00.003-04:00

The red doors of St John's Episcopal Cathedral downtown look especially good in the sunlight.

Curtain of Wood

2009-04-08T06:00:00.008-04:00

I took this image with my zoom lens from the other end of Circle Park on the University of Tennessee campus. It's the southbound end of the northbound Torchbearer statue. I just like the way the leafless branches create a delicate gauzy curtain. What's behind the curtain? It's Hodges Library.

Dogwood Winter

2009-04-07T12:49:00.004-04:00

Well, the weather forcasters didn't lie. We had cold temperatures and snow flurries - you might see a little snow action in the glow of the streetlight. But the snow only dusted the tops of roofs and cars. This is what is charmingly known around these parts as "dogwood winter."

Lazy River

2009-04-06T09:31:00.005-04:00

What a difference a day makes. I took this image yesterday at Cowan Park. The sun was shining, it was 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), and I was having a picnic on the bank of the Tennessee River (actually Fort Loudon Lake here where the river was flooded by the Tennessee Valley Authority). When I look out at a scene like this, I feel like I'm in the 19th century.
Today the rain moved in, temperatures are plummeting, and we might even have some snow tomorrow.

Get Right

2009-04-05T07:00:00.005-04:00

Here's a typical little Missionary Baptist church on a country road in South Knoxville. The sign says "Get right or be left."

Blue Flowers

2009-04-04T06:00:00.004-04:00

Spring flowers are popping out of the ground at Ijams Nature Center. Anyone have any idea what these are? I just liked the blue color, and the way the light was shining on them.

California Dreaming

2009-04-03T08:41:00.010-04:00

The South has had some severe storms again. Batten down the hatches, y'all. And it's supposed to turn cold again next week.

So here's a photo to match my mood: bare trees, roiling clouds, and the spire of the chapel at Lakeshore Mental Health Facility are crowding my headspace with some major California dreaming.

Lots more skies at Sky Watch. Go have a look-see.

Buying the Farm

2009-04-02T08:28:00.008-04:00

This is not just any farm. It's Cherokee Farm, part of the University of Tennessee's agriculture program. And it's about to change.

The University has plans to build a technology center in place of the dairy farm, partnering with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to bring research in sustainable energy, neutron science, biomedical and other technologies to the school. Students will be able to conduct research projects in partnership with ORNL scientists.

During site preparation, archaeologists found evidence of prehistoric American Indian villages along the banks of the Tennessee River that date from 1300 to possibly 5000 B.C. This area will be preserved as an historic site.

The project is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2011. The University plans to attract private technology companies and more jobs to the region because of the research that will go on here.

And if you're wondering where the cows will go, they've been moved to another UT agriculture campus.

Monthly Theme: Yellow! And It's Also My Birthday!

2009-04-01T04:00:00.048-04:00

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

OK, this one is harder than I expected. I've already shown you a pinwheely forsythia blossom, as yellow as the day is long. And come on, the Sunsphere is an obvious golden gimme - plus, it's my magnificent obsession, you've seen it here before ad nauseum. So what's a Knoxville Girl to do?

Seemed like a good time for a public service announcement for a wonderful local group that helps people improve their lives.

The Friends of Literacy is a private non-profit organization that serves Knox County and helps adults get the basic education and life skill training they need to improve their lives.

Did you know... that in Knox County (population a bit over 380,000) there are over 46,000 adults without a high school education... and over 10,000 can't read beyond a sixth grade level? The volunteers at Friends of Literacy help them with their reading and math skills so they can pass their high school equivalency test. Friends of Literacy also help ESL (English as Second Language) folks improve their English reading and speaking skills.

I've just gone through the 10 hour volunteer training classes and am eagerly looking forward to being placed as a math tutor or a language tutor. I think this is going to be a great experience. We all received that yellow star in the photo.

Also, today is my birthday, and coincidentally this photoblog's birthday too. My blog is one year old today! I am... erm .... quite a bit older than my blog.

So thanks to everyone who's visited and shared comments. I've learned so much about photography, and many other things too, from you all. It's been a pleasure to meet you, if only in the comments box. I hope my work and personal schedules will cut me some slack so I can visit all your wonderful blogs again. Now I'm on to the challenge of Year Two!

Isengard

2009-03-31T09:54:00.007-04:00

Here's another moody scene: the smokestack at the Lakeshore Mental Health Facility towers over me and touches the stormclouds. The angle I photographed makes it look like the smokestack is curved, but it's really not. We're in for more stormy weather today.

Out Like a Lion

2009-03-30T09:44:00.007-04:00

You know the old saying: if March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion. Actually, I don't remember how March came in, but yesterday, we got whacked upside the head by the lion's paw. Knoxville was cold, wet, windy, and gray. Only a lunatic would be out in this weather.

So naturally, I went out to take some photos at my beloved Lakeshore Park.

I'm telling you, this one would have looked the same in monochrome or in color.
I love a leaden sky, in a makes-a-dramatic-image kind of way. Not so much in an about-to-rain-on-my-head kind of way.

Treaty of the Holston

2009-03-29T08:00:00.006-04:00

The Treaty of the Holston was signed in 1791 by representatives of the United States and the Cherokee Nation. It ended the hostilities between the two nations, set boundaries, and allowed settlers to travel down the Tennessee River. In return for safe travel, the Cherokee nation received a one thousand dollar annuity and trade goods.

This monument by the point where First Creek empties into the Tennessee River is very close to the actual spot of the treaty signing. Here is the full view:

This speaks to the people of East Tennessee, as many native East Tennesseans today have a mixture of Scots-Irish and Cherokee ancestry.

Ornamental

2009-03-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

This tree at Lakeshore Park hasn't leafed out yet, but it looks like it forgot to take down its holiday ornaments.

Picnic

2009-03-27T07:52:00.006-04:00

Although Ijams Nature Center is primarily a natural area with woodland trails, there are a few places for a nice picnic. This little area used to be a homestead. All that's left now is a bit of a stone foundation wall and some steps. But in spring, clumps of dafodils return, planted by the homesteaders so long ago.
These folks are having a picnic on a perfect spring afternoon. Look at the size of that picnic basket!

Trail's End

2009-03-26T06:00:00.004-04:00

We're at the end of the greenway river trail at Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. And look, here's a park bench so thoughtfully provided for us to rest our feet for the two mile (that's 3.2 kilometers) walk back.

There are trails that go inland, but I prefer to stick to the river during hunting season, as the greenway is off limits to hunters. So let's enjoy the river view and then go back and have a picnic lunch at Ijams Nature Center.

Opposites

2009-03-25T06:00:00.007-04:00

We're still on the trail at the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area, now following the French Broad River upstream. Although this is a protected natural area, industry is never far away. A barge full of scrap metal sits on the opposite bank of the river.

Forks of the River

2009-03-24T06:00:00.005-04:00

Just as the mountains define our horizon, the rivers of East Tennessee flow through our lives. This is the Forks of the River: the place where the Holston and French Broad Rivers merge to form the Tennessee River. The Holston is at the top of the photo, and the French Broad is in the foreground. They meet under that railroad bridge.

Happy Trails

2009-03-23T10:24:00.006-04:00

I'm on my way to the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area in South Knoxville. What a pleasant trail, as spring brings color to the back roads of the Tennessee Valley. Come walk with me. We'll follow the river trail.

Getting Busy

2009-03-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

This is kind of a Where's Waldo puzzle for biologists. So many bluets, so little time!

Pinwheel

2009-03-21T06:00:00.003-04:00

The forsythia bushes are in bloom along the river at Sequoyah Park. I used my supermacro lens to capture one of the cheerful blooms.

Vernal Equinox

2009-03-20T06:00:00.005-04:00

Spring is officially here - and not a moment too soon! It doesn't take much warm weather for the Bradford pear trees to blossom out - here's one framing the Sunsphere.

Fun Fact: According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's 2009 allergy survey, Knoxville is the second worst city in the US for allergy sufferers. (Louisville, Kentucky is number one this year). This is not a fun fact for people who live here. Please pass the Zyrtec.