A journey through the hills

Watauga Lake at Shook Branch

Saturday was a complete washout for photography, so we invited Kim over to watch the Tennessee Volunteers get beat by the Alabama Crimson Tide on tv. It was much better than sitting in a motel room in a strange town; I know that for a fact from my days as a tramp electrician.

Kim came back to our house at eight o'clock yesterday morning, and we immediately headed for the hills. She wanted to visit Doe River Gorge, but it was a waste of time. I've never been there, but knew about it. Apparently one must do some trekking to get into it which left me out, and she would have been pressed for time if she had tried it. I will find out more on the place and maybe we can go back there if she gets to come back next June for the rhododendrons atop Roan Mt.

We left there and I took a few minutes so she could get a "I've been there" photo of Watauga lake and dam. We then drove over the crooked mountain road to to Dennis Cove. I think the drive across the mountain scared her a bit; she was perturbed at looking out the car window and then straight down the mountainside. We finally got to the Dennis Cove camping and picnic area, and of course it was closed. I've been going in there for nearly thirty years, and that is the first time the gate has been locked. I found another place to park, and she was able to walk a little way on the Appalachian Trail and get some shots of Laurel Branch. We then began our assent of Walnut Mt. and Kim again made sure her seatbelt was snug; she definitely ain't a mountain girl. Due to lack of time, I wasn't able to take her down the mountainside to Frog Level; it is mighty pretty there in autumn. We continued on to the Walnut Mountain Church of Christ and I think it tickled her pretty good. The light was good and the leaves were perfect; I can't wait to see her photos of the old place. She even went inside the building and made some shots; much as I did in '07. We proceeded from there to the Christmas tree farms atop the mountain, and I think she liked them a lot; she made many photos of the rows of future joy. We drove from there into the edge of North Carolina, through the town of Roan Mountain, Tenn. and back to my house. Kim left immediately to return toward home. She had never before spent that much time on mountain roads; something Carolyn and I do for several hours at a time.

We had some disappointments due to weather over the weekend, but all-in-all, it wasn't bad. We enjoyed having Kim with us, and I hope we can keep her at the house next time she comes in; motel bills are expensive. Here is a link to her Flickr and there is another in the side bar; be sure to give her work some views and she likes comments, too.
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Please read this: http://www.mensjournal.com/you-get-old-2

Milestone

I passed a mini-milestone Friday last; I made my 10,000th photo with the Pentax DSLR. It took less than 13 months. That would have been about $1,460 in film cost alone. Professional processing would have been at least another $2,500. My reusable memory card cost $25, the software for computer processing was $50, and batteries have cost about $120 over that time span. Even though DSLR's are more expensive than film cameras were, the savings overall are tremendous by going digital. You've earned a well deserved pat on the back, Ken. Thank you, Ken.

I make a lot of shots because I figure if I make enough, at least one will come out decent. Shooting in the wild like I do is not like shooting in a studio where things are controlled. Camera light meters do a good job, but they cannot average out everything. Since I began shooting one-half stop under-exposed, I've been able to reduce my total shots at the same subject because I know more highlights will not be blown. I would like to have a handheld light meter, but the cost is prohibitive. I still sometimes use an 18% gray card to set exposure on some closeups.
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The Depression seems to be deepening; maybe the bottom will come soon. Chrysler is filing for bankruptcy as consumer spending declines once more. New jobless claims are lower, so that could be a sign the worst may soon be over ... but don't bank on it.
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The fat guy washing his truck in the photo is my friend Mouse whom lives down the street. It is obvious he is bored with retirement.
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I see where an eight-year-old Saudi girl has filed for divorce from her 50-year-old husband. I thought those kind of convenience marriages only happend in my neck of the woods; Appalachia.
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Today, I was supposed to go to the ophthalmologist for my annual checkup. I got up this morning, showered, clothed, and made the mistake of going onto the back porch. Another beautiful day that can only happen in East Tennessee... a wonderful golden sunrise over Buffalo Mountain accompanied by the songs of many birds. As a friend in Texas says, "perfection". I ended up canceling today's appointment and made one near the end of next month. Too many doctors over the past five weeks!
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My replacement lens came from Amazon early this afternoon, so I wound up getting my RA shot and then riding some back roads near my childhood home. I didn't get any great pics, but it was fun, except when I passed the gas station and saw the price has gone up another twelve cents since yesterday to $3.40 gal.
I believe it is time to stop the insanity, but I am but one person. If enough of us decide to speak up, we may be heard, if not heeded.
Every since 9/11, I've said that Saudi Arabia is the United State's worst enemy. Not only is Bin Laden a Saudi citizen, he still has much influence in his country. The Saudis could put the brakes on the price of oil if they so desired, but there is probably a piece of this country they haven't purchased yet, so more cash is needed to beat out the Chinese.
As I've exclaimed before, Wake Up America!