Dry Falls in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Dry Falls is along the Cullasaja River just outside of Highlands, NC. The small parking area to see this easily accessible 65-foot waterfall is located on hgihway US64. A small ramp leads to this new-in-2009 observation deck, or for a closer lock, a short path will take you under the falls.

Sewanee Memorial Cross

This is the approx. 60 ft. tall Memorial Cross on the campus of University of the South in Sewanee, TN. The cross was built in 1922 in honor of war veterans and is near the edge of a western bluff of the mountain, where you can see it for miles away.

American Revolution monument - Nashville

I saw this when walking around the older Davidson County Court House. I didn't know anything about it - I'd never seen it or heard anyone say anything about it. But then, When looking at a 100+ year old picture of the court house before this one at the same location, I saw this monument there back then. Does anyone know how old it is? Also, who is that in the relief? Is it a local hero, or Francis Nash (who Nashville was named after) or anyone in particular?

Here is the faded etched text:
To the Heroes
of
1776

Not dead!-
But living in deeds such lives inspire.

Erected by the
Tennessee Daughters of the American Revolution

Making a Difficult decision

Usually, when I am faced with a decision, I take the easy choice, but today when driving the backroads of Smith County...

I actually was driving from Kempville when I spotted this sign and turned to go to Difficult. I was hoping to find something named after Difficult, like the Difficult Baptist Church or somesuch, but alas I didn't see anything link that. Ironically If I had stayed straight on TN85, I would have seen Defeated Elementary School. There doesn't appear to be a Defeated High School, but could you imagine playing for that football team?

At&T Building at Dusk

As of the beginning of 2008, Nashville's most prominent skyscraper, the Bellsouth Building has been renamed and re-logoed the At&T building. With the two spires at top, it has been locally dubbed as the Batbuilding. Maybe I'll call it the Bat&tbuilding.

Until the Signature Tower gets built (which may never happen), this is Nashville's tallest skyscraper at 617 ft and 33 floors. It was built in 1994.

Belfast, TN depot

Belfast is a tiny community southeast on Lewisburg in Marshall County (Along U.S.431 or TN 50). The depot at Belfast is considered the best surviving example of the Duck River Valley Narrow Gauge Railroad buildings. The small Victorian rail station is an excellent board and batten structure. It was built before the 1870's. The tracks have long since been removed. Now, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Davy Crockett Museum & Fall Foliage

This cabin museum is a replica of Davy Crockett's cabin just a couple of blocks south of Lawrenceburg's town square on Military Ave. There's a historical marker out front and a couple of parking spaces.

Melrose Theater

It's been closed for a while. I think it was a book store for a while. It's in the Melrose area of Nashville along Franklin Rd. (US31) The Theater was built in the 40's and was part of an Art Deco trio of theater, Billiards and bowling lanes. Last I had heard (about 3 years ago) this was going to be converted to condo lofts called The Melrose.

Millions Have Seen Rock City, Have You?

Millions have people have seen this painted barn, perhaps more than any other Rock City Barn, since it's on a popular interstate, I-40 between Nashville and Knoxville. It's in Roane County just east of Kingston with Buttermilk road as the side street. The other side has a very faded painted ad for Lookout Mountain's sister-attraction Ruby Falls, but it is difficult to see as trees that weren't there decades ago block the view from the interstate.

The Sunsphere!

The monument to clean energy from the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. It looks like a microphone, or Reunion Tower in Dallas, and Bart Simpson found wigs at the top. I think I was able to ride to the top in 1994. I hear it reopened again a year or two ago, so you can get views of the city from here.

The locals, from what I hear, roll their eyes at the thought of the place. Some think it's ugly, while others think the city could have done something better for the World's Fair. Sometimes, drunk UT students try to fire a gun at it in an attempt to bust out a window. Then all the wigs might fall out.

Liepers Fork "Mayberry" Police Car

This Ford is the same make and model (1963 Ford Galaxie) that Barney Fife drove on the Andy Griffith show. In fact, the License plate says "This Vehicle Protected by FIFE"

The local police department still uses the car, but usually just for parades.

Tennessee State Fair - Fair Food

Nothing says being on a midway like having a bunch of food options, all of which have no redeeming health qualities. That's why we like it so much. If you are trying to cut back on sweets, maybe a hot beef sundae will suit you better.

Tennessee State Fair - Beauty Pageant

On the 2nd Saturday of the fair, there is a beauty pageant for several age groups that lasted several hours. The youngsters go earliest in the day. Shown here is the oldest age division from a previous year, which I think was 17-18. After each contestant had a chance to be on the stage alone, they all went onstage at the end.

Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge is the nation's first segmentally constructed concrete arch bridge. It is in Williamson County, not far from Davidson County. it is 155 feet high above Highway TN 96 (which will go into Franklin) and is 1,648 feet long.

Tennessee State Fair - Sheep

If you like to see Sheep, and you were planning to go to the fair - this is your day to go, as many of the sheep will be gone tomorrow.

You can see kids take care of their sheep:


Sheep Shearing:


At night, ladies take the sheared wool and have a spinning contest:


You might even see a crazy sheep:

Tennessee State Fair - The Yoyo

The Yoyo is like a modern Wave Swinger, Tennessee Waltz type ride. It makes the most vibrant colors as it spins around, tilts off toward one direction and then the riders just look like a dark gray blur and the spin on past.

Bali Myna - Only a few of these in the world!

Bali Myna
Leucopsar rothschildi
Range: Limited to the island of Bali in Indonesia.
There are only a few of these critically endangered birds left in the wild. They have been on the brink of extinction since the early 90s. Illegal capture for the pet trade is the primary reason for the decline.

My original title was "only 6 in the world" because that is what the Chattanooga Warner Park Zoo said. However, I found photographs of more than 6 while doing an online search.

Tennessee State Fair - Pig

The state fair has lots of Pigs in all shapes and sizes. I take that back, pigs only come in one shape. They are in lots of sizes like this one, which is small.

Here's a large one:


and here's one you can pet in the petting zoo:

Tennessee State Fair - Cloggers

The Southern Country Cloggers spent an hour clogging at the Purity Stage in 2008. If you are not familiar with Clogging, it's a type of folk dancing popular in the south. The cloggers wear a special shoe that makes tapping the floor more prominent. There are several Clogging groups in the region and the performers in these groups usually are willing to take in all skill ranges, from novice to expert - anyone willing to learn.

September 11th memorial: Lest We Forget

This monument is in front of the Lebanon, TN City Hall, which is a building on the old Castle Heights Military Academy. The monument was made by Lebanon's Charles C. Johnson of Johnson Monument Company.

The sign reads:
The citizens of Lebanon will always remember the men, women and children who lost their lives as a result of acts of terrorism on the World Trade Center, the U.S. Pentagon, and United flight 93. and we will forever honor those brave firefighters, police officers, medical care providers and those brave Americans on United flight 93 who gave their lives for others on September 11, 2001.

Tennessee State Fair - African Acrobat

How low can he go?

The popular African Acrobats make a return to the 2010 State Fair. On opening night of the 2009 fair, there was an Opening Ceremony and the acrobats gave an abreviated performance.

They also have a fire eater:


And, someone who can contort into uncomfortable-looking shapes:


And they can do this and more:

Tennessee State Fair - Quilting Demonstration

At the fair, the Volunteer Village is made up of several different artisans demonstrating their craft. The Quiltmaking lady, along with her husband, the grist mill operator, has come from Kentucky for several years in a row. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Grist Mill:

How to get even with the Nashville Zoning Commision

This is the story of what is perhaps the biggest eyesore in Nashville, A.K.A the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue on I-65.

There is a strip of unusable land where Interstate 65 and the train tracks to the CSX Radnor Yards run parallel between Harding Pl. and Old Hickory Blvd. The owner of the land spoke to city councilmen to get the area rezoned for permission to build a storage facility here, but when nearby residents complained, the city council voted against rezoning.

The landowner was upset, but how could he get even? A sign of complaint would violate city ordinances. However, there is no law against ugly statues of persons regarded as a prominent white supremacist. (If you didn't know, Forrest was not only a notable Confederate Civil War general, but also a primary founder of the KKK. to be fair, NBF supporters claim that the KKK was not a white supremacy group until after he left the Klan, but that they were formed as a war reconstruction organization. I have no opinion on the matter.)

Atop the Bronze horse, is the silverish fiberglass Forrest with a pistol in one hand and sword in the other. He also has an expression that one makes after sitting on a thumb tack.



Other notes: In the first picture, you see several white poles. These 13 used to each have a confederate flag.
Also, in the late 90's, there was a sign which essentially said," Welcome to Nashville: Future home of the ex-Tennessee Oilers" implying that Bud Adams would move the NFL team again to the next city that gave a sweeter deal. In 2002, there was a different sign added which said "Welcome to Historic Nashville site of U.S. Army War Crimes against black southerners @ Ft. Negley 1863."
In 2002, the statue was shot at, but the General was missed and only the horse was hit. That may be another bullet hole in his knee.
Finally, in the state of Tennessee, there are more statues and memorials to Forrest, than all three of our U.S. Presidents (Jackson, Polk and Johnson) combined.

Tennessee State Fair - Ferris Wheel

Although it still felt odd, this was the first time I ever brought my tripod out to the midway. Of course, this gave me much more leeway to where I could take blurred motion ferris wheel pics.

Relax like a Meerkat on Labor Day

This meerkat perching on a rock is one of many at the Grassmere Nashville Zoo. The Meerkat exhibit is one of my favorites, as there are several of them in the exhibit, they tend to be energetic, and they have the best poses.

Tennessee State Fair - Frogman

Frogman invites you to throw a dart, pop a balloon and win a prize.

Frogman was one of the colorful characters I met at the 2009 Tennessee State Fair. He asked me to stop and take his picture while I was out on the midway. After taking this picture, I took the dart and popped a balloon. Is it really difficult? It looks easier than the use-a-ring-at-the-end-of-a-fishpole-to-stand-up-a-bottle game. I've always avoided these "games of skill" as I never wanted to spend the dollar to try and win a large stuffed banana. Before I was a photographer, I always tried to avoid eye contact with the carnies.

Kids enjoying young goats at the State Fair

The Tennessee State Fair holds a special place for me in my photographer's heart. There's so much to see and do and capture with a camera. Even after last year's popular state fair, the future of the fair is in limbo. Thankfully, it will take place again this year starting next Friday. Will it be the last one? The future still seems uncertain, and who knows where it could even take place if Nashville uses the land for another purpose.

I'm going to the fair this year and will enjoy it as if it's the last one. Then, I will hope I can do it again in 2011. Over the next couple of weeks, I will share some of my favorite State Fair photos.

Shown here, at the 2009 Tennessee State Fair, one of the goat breeders brought some baby kid goats that were less than 2 weks old. When the goats were awake, they would allow some of the passerbys hold the goats. The best time to see goats are during the opening weekend.

As a side note, show goats are required to have their horns removed, which makes them grow up more docile. It happens when they are very young with a painless procedure, and then a salve is applied to where they were removed. (This is in case you wonder what the dark circle is.)

Chevyland Billboard near downtown Nashville

Yip'eee!

seems like it's been there forever. Seen on Broadway. I think the cowboy is spring-mounted so it tends to swivel left and right with the wind.

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On an unrelated mote, On a different interest of mine, and just looking to see if anyone who reads this happens to have an interest in this also. If you have an interest in Medieval, Renaissance Music or World Music, The Nashville Early Music Project has their debut concert tonight at Lipscomb University. All of the details can be found at their website: http://www.nashvilleearlymusic.org/

Twin Falls at Rock Island

Rock Island was already a scenic location, and home to the Great Falls when a dam was added to the Caney Fork River in 1916. Although the waterfall you see here is not man-made, it is the direct result of human action, and is nature's response.

The creation of the Great Falls Dam, caused the Caney Fork and nearby Collins River to rise. This unexpectadly caused water from the Collins River to dig through the rock (perhaps helped by caves that were already there) to form this waterfall.

This "leak" now turns into a 65-to-80 foot segmented cataract. There were early attempts by engineers to plug the hole, but then leaks developed elsewhere. Then, the engineers decided to leave it as is, but still monitor the area to make sure the hill won't collapse.

Rock Island was opened as a Tennessee State Park in 1969, and this area is easily accessible by car. (However, the sign pointing to the area seems to be missing often.)

Red-faced Muscovy Duck

I always think of it as the duck with a superhero mask. Or you could say it looks like a duck that has some sort of disease that puts large red welts on it's face. Either way, it's natural and it's supposed to be there. This one was swimming at the base of Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Al.

Clarksville Historical Markers now online!

Check it out here:

http://seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers/montgomery