Fall photos and boat trips of 2024

Haven't posted here in a while and since I have time, just wanted to post some photos of the fall boating season.  Had a good Thanksgiving dinner with Scott, Pippa, and friends yesterday.  Played a little guitar concert for the guests after dinner.   

Took the boat out 5 times this year.   First was in the spring flood to Burgess Falls on Centerhill.   All 4 fall boat trips to the TN River Gorge I met up with Bill M. to do the Raccoon Mtn bike climb.  A 13 mile round trip with a 1450' climb.  Also are photos of my parents from my trip up to NY.  

Rare boat trip to Burgess Falls

Burgess Falls

Visiting Dada and Mom in NY

Nov sunset

Nov 9, 2024

Late Nov sunrise scene

Last boat trip Nov '24

January Snow 2022

 About 5" of snow this MLK day weekend.   Drove around Sewanee, some of the worst driving conditions I've seen here.  I loved it.  Have Toyota Sequoia - will travel.  

Breakfield Rd.

County Farm Rd.

TN Winter Storms of Feb. '21

 Rare to get Winter Storm warnings in TN, maybe one or two a year, but we just had two in the same week this week, the week of Valentine's Day 2021.  It has been an unusually snowy and cold winter in TN, and personally, I love it.  I purchased more than enough firewood this year.  The winters are relatively short.  Just over 5 weeks from these winter storms, we'll have the first of the wildflowers blooming in late March.  Although never guaranteed, these 2 storms may represent the peak of winter, as next week looks to be well into the 50s by mid week.

MTSU and most Middle TN schools were cancelled the entire week.  The roads were never too bad of a challenge for my Toyota 4x4 Sequoia, mobility wasn't a problem.   

These storms could have been far worse if the temperature had just been a few degrees colder, especially storm #2.  Wednesday night Feb 17,  it started as snow in Sewanee, which was right on the rain/snow line, but ended with rain, leaving a layer of slush by the foggy morning with temperatures above freezing.  We did have 2 consecutive nights where the temperature dipped just below 10º but with the approaching precip, the southerly winds increased the temperature.  Murfreesboro and Nashville got more snow than Sewanee.  Here's the radar image from Wed early evening, Feb 17.  Red, purple, blue, orange are frozen, green is rain.

Prior to storm #1, there was light snow and freezing fog with wind for 3 days.  The combination of these 2 created a situation called rime ice on anything standing.  This caused tree damage, and power outages before storm #1 even started.  

It's a fine line between a big snowfall and mixed precip.  If Sewanee had been 5º colder throughout these events, there would have been feet of snow rather than inches.

Some of the most beautiful scenes were from that rime ice period, and just after the first snowfall after the super cold night.  Here are some photos... rime ice on the fence at the track,  views from my house and local roads.  

After storm #2, which yielded little snow, we had the frozen fog again, a very cold night in the teens, then a bright sunny day which remained below freezing. This produced an amazing display of crystalline frozen trees with a back drop of blue sky. Amazing.

Spring '19 wildflowers

Did a couple wildflower hikes in Sewanee's Shakerag Hollow.  One in late March, one mid April.

The wildflowers were out but different.  In March, many white and yellow flowers - Dutchman's Britches, Celadine Poppy, Trout Lily.   But in April, the flowers of blue and purple were out, but only a few trillium.



Here's some photos from March.











Some volatile spring weather... was 80º yesterday, slight possibility of snow tonight with a low in the 30ºs.  Back up to near 80º again by Monday!

UPDATE:
The morning of April 20 was unusual.  A cold pocket of air settled in around the S. Cumberland.  It was colder here than anywhere in the state, (excluding the high peaks of the Smokies).  It got down to 35º and by 5am, a few wet snowflakes were seen.  The high for the day was only 41º with rain most of the day.  Bright green hues on a dark cold foggy spring day:

Update: After a winter-like weekend where on Saturday 4/20, the temperature only reached 41º, Monday and the rest of the week looks and feel like summer:

Best of the fall photos '18

The fall was beautiful in Sewanee as usual.  One particular morning of Nov. 3 I took this photo and uploaded the time lapse video of the sunrise.  It was an amazing view of the 'alpenglow' of the morning sun on the ridge.  It was this morning that I made my last boat trip of the season on the TN River.  Second photo - click on it to see the whole view.

The following weekend, I had a great fall party, but it was much cooler.  About 30 friends showed up from Sewanee and Murfreesboro.  The deck wood stove cranked out enough heat in the 35º weather that many friends were hanging outside on the deck.  It was a fun time.

Spring wildflowers in Sewanee '18

Glad I got out before the 2 freezes we've had since I took these photos on 4/6.  With a rain storm coming that turned to snow flurries the next day, I got out on the Shakerag Hollow part of the Sewanee Perimeter trail from Greens View.   Writing this on 4/16, we had a light dusting of snow last night and several hours of sub freezing temperatures.  I hope the tender new leaves aren't damage.

Glad I still have some firewood.  Cold today... in the 30ºs. 

Not great photos, some a bit out of focus, took them quickly with my phone.  I like the Dutchman's Breeches (1), and Jack in the Pulpit (4).  This was a perfect time to hike, no one there, a week before the local wildflower festival, and on a Friday morning.  It was very beautiful and peaceful.

Fall party '17 at Sky Castle

Great party, biggest yet... about 30 people showed.  Happy to have hosted some of the Sewanee music faculty -  Jessica, Stephen, Peter and to have had such great music.  Performers for the night included the Hendley / Bevers duo, many guitar students playing solo, Joe playing blues, Linda playing her own cool tunes, and Peter and I playing Piazzolla.

Weather was great, nice sunset.  About 10 people came from Murfreesboro, and most of the rest from the mountain.  The mulled wine and pasta turned out great.

Old guys from the 'Boro at sunset - Will, Bill, Jan, and Andrew

My phone ran out of memory, was hoping to get more video but here's a few brief clips.  I got Peter and I playing the entire "Cafe 1930" by Piazzolla.  Jan got some too.




Jacob and Michael played great...






Since the audio didn't come out on this video, here's their performance from the concert a few days ago at MTSU.  I just love this piece...




It was good to play with Peter and there was a discussion about us playing at the Sewanee faculty Christmas party - which would be a very high visibility gig on campus, much bigger than a concert since virtually all Sewanee faculty attend this event. I was there 2 yr ago and there must have been at least 200 - 300 people there. Happy to have Stephen over and with my upcoming Guitar Festival, I feel quite a bit more integrated into the college scene. Also, I had a discussion and interest expressed in starting a guitar program in 2019 at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.   Hilary, the Asst. Director of SSMF, seems quite interested in helping me develop it.

5 years on the mountain

Five years ago I bought this house.  

I remember very clearly the first time I visited.  It was a Sunday afternoon in early Sept '12, there had been severe weather that day and I had to wait until the tornadic storms passed.   I arrived and saw the realtor's car as she was waiting inside.  I immediately walked to the edge of the bluff and took this photo on my old cheap phone.  This was the first thing I saw of this place:


After being blown away by the view and the setting,  walked to the edge of the round stone house and looked at the exterior.  Immediately I thought of 'castle' ... a little one.  Later I'd name this place 'Sky Castle' ... as a friend later told me that this perch was on the 'edge of an ocean of air.'

I closed the deal on Oct. 17, 2012 and the next weekend, loaded up the trailer with a few basic things, including a futon and some lumber to build a woodshed.




It was beautiful that weekend.  It was sunny, the leaves were turning, the wind was blowing in from the cove.  It was a challenge to hold up the lumber to frame the woodshed.  But I got it done.  I had no TV or internet, just the radio station from AL A&M University in Huntsville.   I cut enough wood for the evening fire and set up my futon in front of the fireplace.

I made some oak tables, a bed, and a kitchen island.  It was fun making the furniture.   I then decided the exterior needed my signature, so ... as my first venture into visual art,  I created the sky symbol 'sun' and the Sky Castle sign.



Over the years, I added a weather station, a large woodshed and wood splitter, a spa with porch roof, some plants, and a covered porch complete with wood stove, futon, TV ... and this piece of copper wind art:

This is the house I'll likely live in the rest of my life.  Being in nature surrounded by never-to-be developed Land Trust Wilderness and the protected Franklin Forest is the place I want to be.

Future plans are to build a guest house.