UGLY WATER & THE DAY SAVED BY BIRDS

click photos to enlarge

Well, its started.  Rock and mud humps, soon to be islands, are rapidly appearing all over the lake, proof that TVA is reducing the water level.  These dangerous hazards pose serious threats to boating traffic.  The water will recede from the banks and ugly mud and rock will be all that remains.  What a depressing mud hole!

I was working on the lower end of the lake today and there isn't much there that interests me.  The million dollar homes on prime shoreline share the mud hole with scores of trailers that reside further back from the water - sort of across the tracks.  Further down the shoreline are the frame shacks called summer getaways that are built ten feet apart, unkempt with every known florescent colored rubber and plastic object made for beach fun laying helter skelter in every yard.  Humans are amazing.  I didn't say interesting.  Interesting and amazing have different meanings.  Animals are both interesting and amazing.  Humans are easy to figure.  They "all" congregate in huge globs chasing the dollar.  They clutter the water with their inanimate objects and litter.  Animals struggle for life and exhibit great beauty while doing so and bless the landscape with their presence, where there's room for them to have a presence.  Oh well.

It was a blase day, as usual on the lower lake.  This is a people place - an area where there are too many buildings and too many flashy colors.  And now the rocks are surfacing.  They're just something else to deal with.

This end of the lake is almost void of wildlife.  Even the Great Blue Heron is a scarce sight.  A vulture can be seen on a good day.  In short - there isn't much to talk about.  But, the end of the day had an hour of pleasant excitement.  See below:

 Its lonely at the top

The top picture portrays ultimate freedom.  He is alone - a prince enjoying his kingdom.  The osprey is indeed a prince in his domain.  However, the bald eagle is king of his realm - He rules all of the sky and yet they exist at the whim of mankind.  

Free as a bird.  Really?  Mankind holds their fate in its hand - a shameful circumstance!

I'm just in one of my moods.  Stay tuned because I'm going back to the Holston River next day off in search of otters and beavers.  I'm going to try to force myself not to take pictures of birds.   It should be an interesting day.  Thanks for looking in.