REMINISCING

I've been just messing around looking at my own blog and wondering about-- stuff. I've come to the conclusion  that in the short almost 7 years since I have move to Tennessee; I have done more "stuff" than the average guy can usually do in almost a lifetime. I mean I just click on one blog entry and go to another and on and on and on. I don't do city activities, but as far as wilderness type experiences goes I've done and seen a lot. And I feel I'm just getting started. The canoe has opened up an entirely new avenue for adventure and camping experiences. The Gheenoe is waiting to go wherever I point it. And the motorcycle is ready right now to take me to BC if I ask it to.   I've got the best friends in my dogs a man ever had; and they are always ready to surprise me with some antic. I am, and always was inclined to do things in the wilderness areas and enjoy the minimalist experiences. Never did go much for bars, restaurants and malls. I haven't even been in Knoxville in two years. The biggest town I have been to is Maryville and that's where I worked. Even there, I took the country road back home to my little warehouse hole in the wall home.  It's nothing more than a big dog house really. The dogs outnumber me six to one. Sometimes I feel like I'm the visitor here. Tennessee has presented an opportunity to really get away from people and humanity when I need to, and to wander around over water and country that has the flavor of wilderness and remains unencumbered by private ownership. Pennsylvania doesn't have the endless forests and doesn't have the huge waterways as does Tennessee. When hiking Pennsylvania woods and trails back in the early 90's, the only forest creatures I could come across were porcupines and deer. Occasionally I would come across a rattle snake or a skunk and squirrels. But here in Tennessee I see a multitude of wildlife. Every trip on the lake is like a trip through a wildlife kaleidoscope. On any excursion I can see deer swimming across a lake, great herons, otter, vultures at the lake's edge, wild boar, beaver, black bear, loons, storks, egrets, osprey's and bald eagles.  The voices of song birds fill the air and delight my senses.  The wild boar are so plentiful along selected lake edges that one must take care on selecting a camp site. Douglas is a comfort in that regard as he is the best alarm there is. He hears and sees all.

I have not bettered myself financially with the move here but, I have greatly enriched my life. I've met new friends and have lost one very good one. I would have never known him had I not moved here.

I Miss You Perry

I have fallen in love for the second time in my life and have not been able to handle the experience. A weakness on my part. I will not allow love to happen in my life again. I have even had the good fortune of landing a job with the prestigious TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency).

A Young Douglas & Me.  2005 I believe

  And I currently just retired from the best motorcycle dealership on the planet; Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson.  My dogs are my family now and each of them has a personality that I must fuel with understanding and compassion. They depend on me as I do them. They are comfort in the cold of winter and offer companionship at all times. They give me their undying dedication and ask for nothing in return. They are simplistic in their needs and I go overboard trying to protect them and give them comfort when all they need is a shelter, food and water. So It's been a fast 7 years since I've arrived in this beautiful place. If the health holds out there will be lots of adventures to come.

You may have caught the part that I retired/resigned from the Harley Davidson dealership.  I did that two months ago when I became disabled with a debilitating ailment called sciatica.  The sciatica is all over now and good riddance.   While overcoming that issue;  I had the good fortune to be considered for a TWRA position in Fisheries doing exactly the same job I did six years ago for the agency.   I was scheduled for an interview and offered the job.  I accepted the position with a grin ear to ear.  I know in my heart that this job is "me."  It broke my heart when I left the agency the first time but, I got the call to handle some financial difficulties in Pennsylvania and had to leave.  I'll not give it up ever again.  They'll have to drag my dead body off the lake to get rid of me this time.    My personal description on this blog states that the sky is my ceiling, the lake, my floor and the shoreline my walls.  That is all true with this job.  Once again Douglas will stand tall on the point of a TWRA boat pointing the way.

The Boat Assigned to Me----and Douglas

 You probably noticed a lack of entries to the blog this month.  That is because I've been searching for a property to move to.  I have to move to the work area that I am assigned to.  That would be Cherokee and Douglas Lakes located about 90 miles East of here.  It's been a lot of work and effort but I have found the property and am working out the closing.  My first day on the job for The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is the 20th of this month and I am looking forward to that day.  I've been very busy to say the least.  But, it's all coming together. 
     
That's what I've been up too.  The pieces are falling into place and the adventures will begin again soon.  I wrote a few stories while working for the TWRA and the characters were called "The Golden Dog and the human character was called "The Uniform."  They are some of the first stories I have posted to this blog.  Looks like the Golden Dog and the Uniform will once again be riding a government boat on two of the largest lakes of Tennessee.  Now;  you'd think there would be an adventure or two in there somewhere....Stay tuned in......

THE MISTRAL CANOE ON CITICO CREEK AND A FEW MOMENTS OF CONCERN

The sweat was literally pouring off my body.  It was a long pull across Tellico Lake to get to the mouth of Citico Creek.

Many motorized boats were plowing up and down the two hundred foot wide channel that connected Chilhowee Dam to the open water of Tellico Lake.  Beyond the two hundred foot safe, navigable channel lay the stump fields where no motor boats go.  At least people with any sense at all won't go there with an outboard motor.

All I needed was a ten minute window of "no boat traffic" to make the dash across the channel to the stumps.  I looked both ways and saw no moving boats.  I was off!

I paddled as hard as I could to clear the channel.  The water was fairly smooth with only residual wakes from boats of previous passing

I found a great place to skirt around the major stump concentrations and avoid any contact with the pesky wooden icebergs.  The water was deeper at this time of year and I could paddle closer to the islands which lay to the right of the protruding stumps.  The water was smooth back here.  I was loving it.

I was heading along that shoreline on the right to it's end where the water follows a cove back around that corner in the center of the picture.  Citico Creek should be there.

The cove opens into a larger bay type area.  Citico Creek should lay to the right side of that little island with the trees on it.

The Mistral was responding to my paddle strokes perfectly.  There is no ballast in the bow for this trip.  The wind was absent on this day and the sun was hot.  Ballast is important, especially on windy days.  The boat was gliding effortlessly along.  The boat is moving exceptionally fast today.  It must be the calm conditions eliminating the need for major correction strokes that waste energy and power that could be used for forward momentum.  She's going straight as an arrow, and very fast.

As usual;  I had to search to find the mouth of Citico Creek.  The foliage and terrain changes annually,  presenting a camouflage that also changes.  It's part of the fun;  this searching for the entrance to the creek.  It's a reason to keep paddling.  The best part is there is no urgency to hurry.







Ah;  this looks like it dead ahead.



No;  that ain't it.  Dead end





We'll give this opening a shot.

That won't work either.  Dead end.

There it is.  I knew it when I finally saw it.  Citico Creek lays dead ahead.

The water is very calm and quiet.  This is a canoeists dream.   The place reminds me of some bayou in Louisiana.



It is beautiful back in here.  I simply wanted to sit on the little sand bar I always stop at. It is where I watched a little baby bird thrash about in the water.  I couldn't get to it in time.   The goal this afternoon was to feel the paddle in my hands again.  Citico was just a destination and a reason to go paddling.
The little sand bar is just ahead surrounded by many fallen and washed up logs.  It's a quiet spot and folks paddling up or down stream can not see back in here.  The opening to this little hideaway is barely wide enough for a canoe to fit through.  Love it!

There it is dead ahead.  The bank is soft and grassy;  perfect to beach the canoe on.

This is a wonderful place to hide out.  The sky has darkened and there is a constant thunder in the distance.  I heard that severe storms were to occur well North of here.  By the sounds of it the storms had a different plan.  Maybe the threat of a storm will drive the boats off the lake and allow the canoe safe passage back to the put-in.

It's pretty neat to be in a spot where the loud hustle bustle of vehicles and people screaming can't be heard.  Calderwood Lake is the best though.  This ain't bad.  Every now and again an exceptionally loud motorcycle can be heard blasting along toward the Dragon road.  Wonder who started the idea that Harley Davidson's needed loud exhaust pipes?
All of a sudden lightning appeared.  It was knifing vertically to the earth.  What's going on now?  This wasn't called for.  A gentle rain started and quickly stopped.  I stood and looked toward the sky to the North and it was dark.  The flashing glow of lightning could be seen high in the clouds.  Wow!  That doesn't look good.  The dark sky was still far away.  I wondered if I could make it across Tellico Lake to the boat launch or not.  I did a quick look around for old times sake and decided to make a run for it.

The Mistral was slid back into the water and I set a quick pace to get back onto the channel out of here..  The thunder was getting louder and all I could think was what the emergency weather guy always says when the emergency station breaks into normal broadcasting to alert the public of impending foul weather.
"There is a severe thunder storm capable of producing golf ball size hail moving West to North East at 50 miles per hour carrying high velocity winds approaching 60 miles per hour.  This is considered a dangerous storm.  Remember;  if you can hear thunder you are close enough to be hit by lightning.  Lightning is the most dangerous element in nature and contributes to many deaths every year.  Take precautions and stay in doors."  That's a pleasant thing to think about out here on this lake. 
The lightning flashes increased.  They appeared as short bursts of orange flash every ten to fifteen seconds.  I was fast approaching the mouth of Citico and would be on the main lake in a couple minutes.

The sky was really dark off to the North.  I was wondering if I shouldn't just stick it out here.  I knew that wasn't an option for me before I thought of the question.  I like a challenge.  I could see a storm was coming and I wanted to beat it.  The surface of the lake was calm and smooth.   That would allow the big canoe to make maximum speed.  I sped through and away from the creek mouth at top speed, whatever that is.   My paddle cadence was very fast and I was putting all I had into the power strokes.  I leaned my whole body far forward and planted the paddle blade into the water and pulled rearward with my entire upper body and ended the stroke with a quick kick out away from the boat with the paddle blade to maintain course.  It was easy and the strokes just seemed to happen without thinking.  The canoe still moved on silky smooth water and her glide was sensational.  A check skyward indicated to me that it would be a neat trick to get to shore before this storm caught me.  No time was wasted.  I skirted around stumps in the stump field and put the boat on a course that would run close to the island to my left, keeping well away from the dangerous stumps to the right.  The sky was coming alive with lightning.  It made me nervous.  I noticed that not one boat was on the water.  What did they know that I didn't?   I never stopped my paddle cadence for a moment, which is a good testimonial to the efficient way this canoe functions.  I wasn't tired in the slightest.  I've come about a mile and a half non stop so far.  A gentle breeze started and I felt the first regrets at not electing to stay back on the safe bank of Citico Creek where I could pull my rain poncho over myself and wait out the worse.  I could even find shelter under the canoe if necessary.  Oh well;  "deal with it,"  I thought.  The canoe broke around the island we were following and the two hundred foot wide navigable channel was just ahead.  A glance to the left, down stream, made me stop paddling for a brief moment.  No;  not that!  Far out in the distance, under the black sky was a thin gray line on the water that extended shore to shore.  It was wind blowing the water into white caps.  I've seen it before.  There would probably be heavy rain associated with that wind.  The whole mess was coming directly toward me.  I remember thinking, "not gonna make it;  not gonna make it!"   I've never paddled a canoe as hard as I did this afternoon, ever.  With every other power stroke I glanced at the gray line getting closer and closer; larger and larger;  and I paddled harder and harder.  If that thing caught me out here it would drive me up stream clear to Chilhowee Dam, two miles away if I didn't get blown up onto the shore somewhere in between here and there.   Almost there.  Almost there.  Only another fifty feet.  The water around and under the canoe was swelling up and receding under the boat, sort of like a big balloon blowing up and immediately deflating.  The white caps were in plain view and almost ready to strike the canoe.  The bow touched the boat ramp and I hopped out as the first wave pushed up onto the ramp, struck the canoe and pushed me back wards where I fell down trying to hold onto and protect the canoe from contact with the concrete.  The canoe wheels were quickly slid over the stern end and I rolled the old girl up to the parking lot where I sat down and thought to myself;  "you idiot!  You damn idiot!"   The rain didn't come.  Only the wind made it's debut.  I loaded the canoe onto the trailer and grabbed the camera for a couple shots.  Note the long log at the water's edge of the boat ramp.  That wasn't there when I hit the ramp.  It came in only seconds after I pulled the canoe out.  Never noticed it coming.  Must have been right behind me.



Remember;  this was the water condition at the start.



Another few seconds and the above is what I would have been dealing with.  I'm sure I could keep it afloat but, I doubt I could control direction----at all.  Close one!
So, thats the day in pictures.   A nice hike with the dogs in the morning to a great paddle trip that ended in a very high degree of excitement.  Whew!    We'll see what tomorrow brings when it gets here.

A HOT MORNING WITH THE DOGS! A CANOE PADDLE THIS AFTERNOON? WE'LL SEE

The morning is early and the sun is promising a hot day again.  Everyone at the little diner across the street complains about the heat.  I love it.  I loaded the pups and headed for the old state park to let them swim in the lake and enjoy the coolness of the morning.  We only have a four hour window in the morning to use for an outing as dogs are susceptible to intense heat.  The heat is intense these days with temperatures hanging near 95 degrees.


Cool off time for Douglas, Shade and Happy.

I don't want to lend the idea that this blog is all about dogs but, they exist in my life and with them comes a lot of responsibility.  People ask me why I mess with them.  Usually they state cost as the main reason for the comment.

Well;  I don't know what to think.  From a cost stand point there is no return on the dollars spent.  They're a problem if I want to leave town for more than two days.  Heartguard and flea preventative medication costs me $75.00 monthly for three dogs.  Douglas gets his annual physical which costs $450.00;  includes xrays and blood work. Then there's the feed cost.

 A 35 pound bag of good quality dog feed runs about $34.00.  The best dog feed will sell for around $45.00 for a 35 pound bag.  I usually buy four bags of really good feed and one bag of super feed and mix them together every meal, once a day.  That guarantees nutritious eating for them.

Their presence even dictates where I live.  If it weren't for them I would be living on a house boat right this minute on Cherokee or Douglas Lake.  However, I can't have a dog door on a house boat.  So why dogs?   There isn't any one answer to that question.  It certainly isn't because their just neat things and pretty.  It's far more than that.  I can offer the following to put things into a more understandable perspective.



A terrier that swims.  Happy the retriever.  Funny!

When Douglas, Shade and Happy jumped out of the truck at the old state park today;  their eyes opened wide and took on a wild appearance.  Their heads raised high and moved quickly left and right with purpose.  They came alive!  We, I, walked across the meadows.  Shade ran full out through the tall grass, occasionally jumping straight up above the tallest grass to get her bearings.  For just a moment she was a wild creature in a wild environment acting like a natural wild inhabitant of nature;  and she was beautiful doing it.

Douglas jogged along fence lines and open places and paths displaying the tendencies of his hunting breed, looking up the trunks of trees hoping to catch sight of his favorite animal--the squirrel.  His nose paused at flowers, certain plants and fence posts.  His face reflected a certain special alertness.  He projected a sense of being.  He was in his element;  an element he can not enjoy while behind a fenced in yard no matter how large it is.

A much needed rest!

I caught myself smiling as I watched them delighting themselves in this, to them, a Disney world.  Observing them being happy and contented made my happy.  When I walked on, they ranged about in the tall grass, yet followed me.  In short;  they were keeping their eyes on me constantly so they could follow my lead and direction.

They are dedicated to me and very loyal.  They ask for nothing more than food, water and shelter.  I provide the additional services to them willingly of my own accord.  It makes me feel good to provide not only the necessary survival items but, I want them comfortable and happy.

These sweet dog friends will give me their total dedication and loyalty every day and night for the rest of their lives and ask nothing more for it but to include them in my activities, sometimes.  Just sometimes.  I am the cause of all that.  That is an honor to me.  What devotion!  How many wives and husbands have a dedicated relationship like that?  Can people say the same about their children as they grow up?  You still may not get it;  but it's the best explanation I can offer.  Each and every dog has a personality and a heart ready to offer up to a human.  Can't put a price on that.

I love them all but, he is the sweetest



Good girl Happy.  Bring me the stick



Sometimes it's nice to just sit in the water



Come on Hap;  lets go.  Put the stick down



We left the water and walked up the old road to nowhere and onto the wide paths that lead to the meadows and back to the truck.  I am always amazed at the vivid green colors at this place.  They are rich and vibrant as if unreal.  The grass and trees appear painted by a brush filed with exceptional, unreal green paint.  These grounds are covered with natural grasses indigenous to the state of Tennessee.  The TWRA actually plants natural grasses for the betterment of the animals that live here.  I know this because I have watched the soil cultivated for the past six years and the natural grasses continually appear in those cultivated areas.  I do, however notice, that the grasses planted offer grain and leaves much preferred by the denizens who thrive here.  The eye is met with rich, lush green in every direction.

An Indigo Bunting alights in a tree ahead.  I have the tiny camera only.  Look closely (enlarge the shot) and you'll see the little fellow contrasted against the rich green he is perched in.



Upper left of center

I cropped the shot.  This is as good as it gets with this little Elph camera.  I could get some outrageous shots of birds with the big camera if I could bring myself to come here alone without the dogs.

He is totally rich, vivid, dark blue with a very small mask of black over his eyes.  At first I thought Eastern Bluebird.  But, they have light coloration and some cream and brown on their undersides.  Not so with this little guy.

The recent tornado's spared this grand old tree, thank heavens!



 We walked through the old ruins area and took a short break.  The dogs were contented and rested in the shade.  The sun was getting high in the sky and soon would prove dangerous for my friends.

Shade;  "where did you get that colorful tongue?"

He's the sweetest!



Part of a flower garden from the past



This is such a beautiful place.  We'll head across the meadow directly in front of us to the old barn.  It's a short walk to the truck from there.

My favorite tree in this old park


 

The old barn is just ahead.  I hope you enjoyed the morning hike with us.



I'm planning on putting a canoe in Tellico Lake for a paddle across to Citico Creek this afternooon.  I'll drive to the lake and make a decision weather to launch depending on the boat traffic there.  Again;  I thank you for looking in.