Friday Rock Blogging


Happy Halloween!

This fellow is a slab of gneiss from the Cohuttas. If I were a rock-eating halloween monster, this would make a nice steak.

Also, on the topic of rocks, an interesting (to me) profile.

Maple and Moon


From a week or so ago at Red Clay.

State of the Chilhowee Pond


Above, the beginnings of color at Chilowee, as of last weekend. C.f. last year, same time, below:

Benton Falls Residents


A rock and hemlock tree which live by Benton Falls.

Primary Colors on the Benton Falls Trail


Taken yesterday.

Disruptions and Discoveries

I was going to do a rock blogging post this morning, but the real world interrupted. My older daughter is just getting over a respiratory infection. Fortunately I see Fletch has picked up the slack.

In other news, I was cursing my linen closet for the umpteenth time today, because it doesn't have a light in it (playing littlest violin, I know). Except, then, a funny thing happened. I dug through a stack of sheets and discovered that there was a light. A small mounted DC-powered florescent light, but a light nonetheless. All I had to do was stick some batteries in it. As it turns out, my wife has known about this light for over a year, but never mentioned it or asked me to get it to work. As you may gather from this, my wife is the normal linen cleaner/changer. Thus, I have two ways to feel dumb: I don't wash the sheets enough, and I don't pay enough attention.

Bench by the Pine


From Tuesday morning.

Along the Same Theme


Yesterday morning, the halfmoon drifted towards the World Tree-caliber maple at Red Clay.

Really, It's for a Good Cause

You may find this video amusing (mild language warning). It's definitely funny for me, anyway, as he is a former track teammate. It's for charity, anyway.

Thematically Appropriate Rerun


Happiness is: You and your daughter laying on your backs on a playground/park bench around 10am, looking up at a brillant blue sky, a halfmoon still high above wispy clouds, taking turns picking out tens of jet planes and their contrails as they cruise by at 50,000 feet (10am seems to be prime time to watch the morning long haul routes pass through the area), seeing birds land on the maple branches above you, hearing the gentle breeze in the leaves of the nearby white oak.

Conan was wrong.

(rerun disclosure: this photo is actually from January)