Illustration Friday: INVENTION

A quick sketch / collage combined with a bit of "scanner art" for this weeks' Illustration Friday subject INVENTION. I chose the acorns as a representative sampling from the greatest inventor of all.

Aahhh...Mother Nature!

Today I did something that I've been promising myself that I'd do for years. Today I hiked through parts of the Tennessee River Gorge to the base of the cliffs overlooking the Tennessee River. Me, my son-in-law Jeff, grandsons Blake and Braxton, their cousin Austin, and their friend Tyler all hiked to the cliff faces. We were guided by my son-in-laws brother-in-law Tom Ritchie. Tom grew up the Tennessee River Gorge and took us to some pretty interesting rock formations, cliff faces, as well as some very small old coal mines that used to be in operation at the base of the cliffs. We're going to try to hike to a different interesting place within the River Gorge, Prentice Copper State Forest, or along the Cumberland Trail every weekend (weather permitting). Click here to see a few more pictures that I posted on my Flickr page.

The Tennessee River flows northeast to southwest through East Tennessee. Near the southern border of the state, the river abruptly turns west, carving its way through the Walden Ridge portion of the Cumberland Plateau and creating the Tennessee River Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in the eastern United States. Where the river cuts through the plateau, two mountain remain on each side: Signal Mountain on the north and Lookout Mountain on the south. The latter mountain is a prominent peak overlooking the river and forming a backdrop for Chattanooga, which grew up at this passageway west.

Back To Nature

Today I took another hike up the creek in the Prentice Cooper State Forest. The trees have already lost their brilliant coloring from a week or two ago but this is still a great area to hike and enjoy nature. This is one of my favorite areas near Chattanooga. There are several parking areas from which you can start your hike, although I have to admit that some of them are difficult starting points as there are very steep slopes to tackle before getting on easier trails. Even with the somewhat difficult starting point that I chose today the hike was well worth it. There's something about being in this place far from traffic and other humans that is extremely relaxing.

Happy Birthday, Mother

A MOTHER'S LOVE

A Mother's love is something that no on can explain

It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain

It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendoured miracle man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.

~Helen Steiner Rice~