It was back on the agency clock today after a few days off for the holiday. I looked forward to getting back on the government boat and on the water. The weather was not cooperating very much, however. Today, also, was Falcor's first day on the big boat. We arrived at the boat ramp before sun up. That's when I got depressed. I don't know what came over me but, when I looked at that bare shoreline I instantly felt less than excited. This lake, rock quarry, Cherokee Lake has got to be the ugliest piece of man made work there is in Tennessee. Douglas Lake is number two. Even in the dark the thing is ugly.
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| The kids looking good |
I have, and am, trying to find something about the lake I find appealing. There is nothing. Absolutely nothing! I have driven a motorcycle across Death Valley in Nevada numerous times and there isn't a plant growing in that place. It is wall to wall sand and rocks farther than the eye can see. I've been across it when the temperatures were 126 degrees and I find it more appealing than this mud and rock infested soup bowl. Thank heavens I can jump in the truck and find gorgeous lakes West of here, where I came from. I deal with this hole in the ground because I look upon it as a job and nothing more. When I need peace of mind; I head back West to Tellico, Indian Boundary and Calderwood Lakes where the water is sweet and the shorelines are gorgeous. I mean; just look at the boat ramp in the picture below:
That's the state boat at the end of the ramp in the water. The water normally is way up here above Falcor past the bottom of the photograph. That's nuts! I mean look at that! That brown should be covered with water. Well; it's a flood control dam. That it is. But, it's a money dam. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has at least seven dams on the Little Tennessee River alone, as I recall and every one of them produces power.. This one produces power also. Power and the all important flood control. Homo Sapians control too much of nature and things natural. Way too much! It would take a hell of a lot of water to fill this empty hole right now. It would take a Noah event I'd say. I guess it's a good day to rant a bit. Who in the world would pay good money for a home on "the lake?" They do. People pay extravagant sums for enormous houses "on the lake." I meet and ask people; "Where do you live?"
They reply; "We have a place right on the lake."
I just keep quiet. Guess it's pretty when it's full of water----------three months out of the year.
Anyway; we were off. I didn't expect to see any fishermen out today but, I had to make a pass through the area. Falcor was sporting his new floatation jacket. I wouldn't think of taking him out here without that. He was a good little guy for me on the boat.
He inspected the deck and came back and sat beside me. I noticed he kept his muzzle pointed up like another friend of mine used to do. Falcor will work out fine.
It was drizzling and the wind had kicked up a notch. Waves were forming quickly and I haven't seen a soul out here. We would cruise back toward the boat ramp. We have been out for three hours and enough is enough. We'd finish out the shift checking the boat ramps and the shoreline for guys who just park their cars and walk down to the water to fish. In the case of this lake they would "hike" down to the water to fish.
Falcor was messing around at the edge of the woods, back at the boat ramp. I yelled at him to come, which he ignored. We gotta work on that. So, I walked up there to where he was. This brings us to rant number two.
Some hunter drags his deer kill down the walking path to his car and cleans and butchers it on the trail. He then happily leaves the entrails and hide laying right on the trail for all the ladies, kids and dogs to step over and walk around in the mornings until someone makes their husband or kid go down and drag it away. I've seen this before on walking paths near lakes. I'm not an anti hunter but, this action just simply pisses me totally off. Hunters, excuse me, sportsmen and women are constantly griping about how "no hunting" signs are gradually robbing them of hunting area. I hear it all the time. Wonder why? If I owned this property I'd have no hunting signs posted immediately, clear around it. TVA owns this particular property and they could care less. The point is that when residents see this inconsiderate action perpetrated by "sportsmen", they are repulsed and sickened by it and their opinion of hunting and respect for "sportsmen" is lessened to a great degree. Know what? It should be. This display left by an uncaring hunter negatively affects his sport and his ability to justify his presence on people's property. There; I got one more rant out.
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| A tired little guy |
I made a pot of coffee when I got home and sat on the porch and enjoyed the antics of my house mates as they played in the rain. It rained hard and is still raining now at 8PM. I love a rainy night. Love rain anytime. I even like to camp in the rain. There's just something peaceful about it. Falcor is dead to the world here beside my chair. He did well today. I can't wait until he gets older. He is still a puppy at seven months of age and has a habit of chewing things he shouldn't. But, he is well mannered and has bonded with me. As you can see above; where ever I am; he follows.
Next day off it's back one more time to the Scona Lodge site to see what that strange building is on the mountain. I'm taking Haint bullets with me. As my friend Paul says; Haint bullets are invisible. OK! I hope I can find em...
I like Cherokee. Which is probably a good thing, since it's what I have access to.
ReplyDeleteI think you might like the part inside Panther Creek State Park. And Goat Island is interesting; I like the way its shape changes as the water rises and falls. For part of the year it's an island with a lake in it. And for part of the year it's four islands.
And I like that when the water is high I can canoe right between the trees at the mouth of Panther Creek, and at the very southern end. I like dancing my canoe through those tight spaces, and making it curtsey and turn to get past. I've been in spaces so tight I had to turn around in the canoe and paddle it out backwards, but generally there's some way to get out without resorting to anything so inelegant and extreme.
I like the places where the water is eating the rock away into fantastic shapes, cupped and rounded. Rocks jut up under the surface of the water, and I like getting up close to them and seeing their shapes from different sides as I glide over.
I saw a tiny turtle once, floating just under the surface with just its nose touching the air. It didn't see me as I was gliding up on it, then all of a sudden it realized I was there and swam straight for the bottom so hard the algae came off its shell in little clumps.
I've seen beaver in that lake, Great Blue Herons, Kingfishers, Night Herons, Turkey Vultures and Turkeys on the banks. There are turtles on the rocks, fish spawning (? doing something that digs holes, anyway) in the mud at Panther Creek, and some little diving duck that I can't place.
Yes, when the water goes down, the banks are brown and tan. It makes a good contrast with the autumn leaves. And I've been on lakes that are so muddy you need snowshoes to get out of the canoe (in a pinch you can walk on the blades of your paddles; it's hard on the paddles but better than being stuck to the knee in mud.) The parts of Cherokee I've been on are much easier to handle than that.
Have fun at Scona, and I look forward to learning more about the strange building.
You've been lucky to have been on several lakes, it's only natural to have your favorites. Beaver Lake where we live is a flood control lake, and of course they use it to generate electricity so the water levels are pulled down each fall. It always gets people in a tizzy to see the banks exposed up in the coves, but we get spring rains that bring it back. So many parts of the country are facing droughts now, our kids came here from South Texas and the lakes there are all but gone. Sad when you lose a body of water that gives so much relaxation and pleasure. I can't imagine living someplace without the beauty of nature, very important to my peace of mind. I'm wondering if Falcor comes home and tells the other pups what he's done that day! He looks worn out!
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