turning georgia blue

didn't get much done today since my vision wasn't back to normal until late afternoon --- just in time for me to attend a little event for michelle nunn at the spire with ms. k --- lordy, the thoughts of a democratic senator and/or governor gets me all excited

yeah, yeah, i even put on a tie ---

eyeball to eyeball

i had to get up at 5 am this morning to make a 6:20 appt with the ophthalmologist --- went blind in one eye (not black, but only light/shadow) on saturday and, although the vision semi-returned by the end of the day, i woke up sunday morning with a mess of floaters  --- today after all sorts of drops and prodding and pictures of my retina, they determined it was the result of a small hemorrage in my eye --- why, you might ask, did that occur?  --- they do not know, but the problem is "resolving" itself, as it were

sparky

this little cattleya has produced a single blossom --- i'm not sure the little ones are entirely happy with the environment that i have provided for them

dog on the mountain

the yellow daisies (helianthus porteri) at arabia mountain are spectacular right now ---

the pinnacle

fantastic views into kentucky, tennessee, and virginia from pinnacle overlook above cumberland gap

cumberland gap

there were various iterations of trails and roads across cumberland gap, with this particular section dating to 1907 --- by the late twentieth century, the gap was a big ol' mess, and in the 1990s tunnels were bored through the mountain, the road over the gap removed, and the landscape is being very slowly returned to its appearance 200 years ago

daniel boone is credited with blazing the trail across cumberland gap before the revolution, although he was often using ancient indian paths and animal trails as a guide --- after the revolution, hundreds of thousands of emigrants passed through the gap on their way to tennessee, kentucky, and beyond

the exposed rock of the pinnacles on the northeast side of the gap was a major landmark for travelers

the wilderness road

made famous by daniel boone, large sections of the wilderness road were ancient buffalo trails and indian paths --- hundreds of thousands of people used it in migrating to kentucky and the old northwest territories in the last quarter of the eighteenth and first quarter of the nineteenth centuries

 parts of the route across cumberland gap are wonderfully well preserved, remaining much as they were in the early nineteenth century

indian rock was a landmark along the road on the kentucky side of the gap --- and provided a great place for robbers to hide

culture shock

pigeon forge is one of the biggest messes this country has ever produced --- las vegas on a budget --- today they were in the midst of what appear to be a fairly regular sequence of vintage car shows with the parking lots that line the three-mile "parkway" through the place jammed with an enormous array of old cars

wet stress test

i took the long way home from kentucky this morning and drove the newfound gap road --- took a side trip to clingman's dome (elev. 6643') for my irregularly scheduled cardiac stress test through a walk up to the tower --- steady rain the whole time, but it was great --- didn't feel like as much effort as the last time i did it three or four years ago

unsettled conditions

had way too much fun last night, so i felt a little wasted today --- but i got the dog washed and all the plants watered, did laundry, and finished up prep for the 106 workshop that i'm leading at cumberland gap on tuesday and wednesday --- i'm looking forward to driving the new car and seeing the mountains --- the clouds and colors at sunset were spectacular here just now --- hope it's a sign of changing weather --- we're all tired of heat and humidity right now