DOUGLAS AND THE GHEENOE ON TELLICO LAKE

It is hot!  This would be a good day to go for a boat ride.  The ski boats would be off the lake and we should have the water to ourselves, at least until people start getting off work.  It's been a long time since I've cruised Tellico Lake.  For the past two years I have been launching on the rivers because of the photographic opportunities for wildlife are greater.  Today I thought it would be nice to just let the motor unwind and cruise upstream.  Douglas hasn't been on the Gheenoe for a good ride in a while and this would be a nice day to spend with just him.

He was ready.  He jumped into the boat before I had to call him.  What a little guy!

If you haven't noticed by now, there is a lack of buildings in the photos on this blog.  That's because I believe, to me at least, that new structures lend an impression of litter.  I prefer wild, natural scenes.  I know that the shorelines of the big lakes are inundated with large super homes, and they are very elegant.  To me, they don't belong on the shoreline of a beautiful lake.  I categorize homes on the shoreline with washed up plastic Coke bottles and old tires.  It just ain't natural!  With the homes come all the problems with the humans who occupy them.  Oh well;  that's a discussion better saved for after dinner conversation.
We sped North admiring the natural parts of the shoreline.

Tellico Lake is not as built up as much as Ft. Loudon Lake to the North.  Tellico sprawls left and right of the main channel around islands and up little known creeks that were widened and deepened with the advent of the reservoir.

 We passed the peninsula that the old state park and ruins sits on.  The road that runs into the lake came up on our left.  That road and access to the old park are well camouflaged.  It's a good thing it is or boats would start hanging out there.  It's the place where my kids swim.   The tree that Douglas fell from last year can be seen in the following pictures.  There was no water under it the day he fell.  Frightened me to death when he did that trick.

Recently I wrote about my astonishment of finding a rose bush near the place where the road goes into the lake.  I took a picture of a few roses.  I believe they aren't wild.  Maybe so;  but, I doubt it.  How they got here I no not.  But here is what they look like from the water:

They are beautiful and their thorny vines have crept up onto the overhanging tree limbs creating the most beautiful backdrop.

There are a lot of roses there.  A lot!

I can actually smell them from this distance.

The roses should show up fine if the pictures are enlarged.  They are beautiful!
Douglas is getting hot and I better create some breeze for him.  He loves to feel the wind in his face.  I'll find a nice spot and let him loiter in the water and on the shore line for awhile.

There are some really pretty farm fields along Tellico.  The shorelines are mostly soft and grassy.  I believe I'll pull over and let Douglas swim next to a farmers field.

Ah;  the perfect spot.  Kind of shady and a grassy bank.  Perfect.  I always pull into the shore nose first and let Douglas off;  then I disembark.  It's easier for me to get out of the boat if he isn't occupying space on the deck.  The Gheenoe isn't a wide boat and I don't need a 90 pound dog bumping into me and trying to beat me to the shore.

I can't say enough good about these Gheenoes.  They are simply fun to operate.  They're light weight and run in the most shallow water.  Their stability is amazing.   Anything can be upset but, you would really, really have to try hard to upset the boat you see above.  They turn on a dime and fit into the tightest coves and channels.  All I can say is they are a delight to operate.

There isn't any cool water in these low valley impoundments.  The water temperature at this spot on Tellico is 85 degrees.  The coolest water I've found today was 83.4 degrees on the surface.  Thats like bath water.  Douglas seems to be enjoying it though.

Douglas has wandered up into the field.  Looks like wheat.  Look at the color likeness  of Douglas with the wheat.  I'll have to call him wheat dog.

Look how sweet he is!

This is a very pretty shoreline.  There are butterflies all about.  I'll try to shoot a few;  I mean photograph a few.

Looks like chigger country to me.  I guess I'll find out tonight.

Spring Azures again.  Must be "THE" butterfly this year.

They appear to be much smaller than the ones I photographed at the old park yesterday.  I'll have to investigate their growth cycle.  These may be young ones.

Douglas is being such a good boy today.  He's hanging right with me.

A Cicada struggles to remain on the sand and not be washed away

We have to nose about and head back down stream.  We have come many miles north on the water.  It is a great day.

I have to drive to Douglas Lake tomorrow to watch a house inspection.  That will pretty much kill the day.  I'm glad Douglas and I got out together today.  It was just a nice day.  This is how I spend my time.  This is how I live.  This is how I remain sane in an upside down world.  Until next time;  be kind to a dog and brake for squirrels.

A SUPER HOT DAY

Today is a scorcher.  It's 90 degrees plus and the sun is high in the sky.  I sat around all day waiting for phone calls from a realtor and the mortgage company, so it was necessary I be near personal records to answer any questions they had.  This house buying business is a pain.  I don't even want a house but, I have to live somewhere.  I'll throw a picture of the place on this blog entry here and there.

I had looked at twelve properties over near Cherokee and Douglas Lakes and found two that were suitable.  I could have made them work but,  they didn't do much for me.  The house above was the last one I checked.  I found the driveway which is long and has a bend in it that hides the house.  As I drove around that bend I caught sight of the house.  The bike was stopped and I looked at it carefully.  I remember thinking and saying out loud to myself, "now, that's me."   And, it is me.

It's situated exactly half way between the two lakes I will be working on for Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) so, drive time to the lakes will be minimal.  The house sits well back off the road and is surrounded by woods.  The first order of the day after closing is to install a one acre electric dog fence around the house and well out in front of the house.  This is for the protection of Douglas, Shade and Happy.  I hate to see them get shocked but it's necessary to teach them the boundary limitations of their area.

A dog door will be installed in the basement door for them.  The downstairs also has it's own air conditioner, so they should be very comfortable in the hot Summer months.  I will also install an automatic watering device for them just outside the basement door.  I do have to investigate automatic feeders too.  The feeders are in case I go away for more than two days.  So, that's what I've been up to.

Even the drive way "is me."

Douglas is gonna like this place

This is where I'll spend countless hours baking and canning goods.  Right!  Got no use for this part of the house

Bottom of the house is finished with real stone.  Imagine that!

I'll see how things go this week with the purchase procedure.  I'm new to this but have a good realtor who is guiding me through it.  The ole Australian OZ Tent would be all I need really.

I waited for the sun to start falling, or, the evening to start rising; however you want to view it, and loaded the dogs in the truck. Yep;  back to the shoreline at the old state park.  I took them to a new spot that none of us had previously been.  The shoreline of Tellico Lake was a short walk and that's what I wanted for the dogs.  It was still too hot to have them charging around through the woods.  The trees were thick and provided shade.  Still, the heat was fairly intense even under the protective cover of the tree branches.

Now that I think about it; Douglas and I had walked this path about four years ago and have not been on it since.  The surrounding woods are not so thick that one can not see out into it.  I like forests that are open enough to supply a nice view of shade and light combined.

This is a very pretty area.  I'm sorry we haven't visited it more often.

The lake is just 75 feet off to the left of the shot above.  The kids headed straight for it.

Look at the boat wake that just rolled through Shade.  She loves it!

Pleasure boats were blasting up and down the lake creating large waves that crashed against the shore.  Douglas, Shade and Happy delighted in swimming through and over them.

There goes Douglas heading for the horizon.

He really gets way out there sometimes.  Drives me nuts!

Look at him go!  I don't know what gets into him that makes him strike out for the center of the lake.

I've never seen a dog love water more.  Douglas is a natural water adventurer.

He's coming back.  I feel more at ease..

 Even after all that exertion expended on the distant swim;  he lingers in the deeper water, reluctant to come to shore.

"Douglas;  get in here right now!"

"Good boy!"  The golden dog of the lakes returns to shore.

We've been at this spot for an hour and they are getting played out.  It's good for them to become exhausted but, I have to watch the heat on them.  That's where the lake comes into play.

Shade

I love them all but, Douglas is the main guy.  He has been my first dog companion and I dearly love him.

"Come on guys;  we're going home."

"Happy;  put the stick down and come on."

I don't know what happened to the color in my Elph Camera.  Sorry