Leading You Down the Garden Path

I just liked the way it curved.

Jurassic Sphere

What's as big as a tyrannosaurus and hides behind trees?

Y'all know this; we've been here before.

Drowsy

This kitty has the right idea: drowsing on a warm afternoon.

Up North

Here are a few shots of my all-too-brief vacation to eastern Pennsylvania. Knoxville will return tomorrow.

It's always sunny in Philadelphia, if you can see through the smog.
Cheese steak, wit wiz.

The bleeding heart in my brother's garden.

Sugar Magnolia

The two enormous magnolia trees by the parking lot of Church Street United Methodist Church are in bloom, white petals unfurling and lemony scent infusing the air. I took this with my 10x zoom lens.

Doors of Maplehurst 5

I couldn't decide which one of these I liked better, so today you get a twofer.

I like the monochrome for the framing of the university tower. I like the color for the shaft of sunlight that peeked through the clouds at that moment, and for the rich contrast of brick/ivy.

This concludes your tour of the doors of Maplehurst. I'll be back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled program, whatever that might be.

Doors of Maplehurst 4

Not only doors, but windows too. I'm not sure if this cottage is occupied. Those window panes are darkened, not broken.

Doors of Maplehurst 3

There's an interesting light coming through the window. Am I the only one thinking of extraterrestrial activity? Sigh. Don't answer that.

Yes, that is an alligator hanging on the door.

Doors of Maplehurst 2

I don't know why I'm thinking of the tale of Hansel and Gretel here. The person behind that door was up to no good. Perhaps it would be best not to knock and move on with alacrity to the next door.

Doors of Maplehurst 1

The doors of Maplehurst often have a storybook quality about them. This one looks like there could be a hobbit in residence.

And bonus! If you look at the window from just the right angle, you can see a reflection of my favorite magnificent Knoxville obsession, the Sunsphere:

Welcome to Maplehurst

Well, it's time for my annual pilgrimage to eastern Pennsylvania to visit the family. So while I'm flitting off to northern climes and stuffing my face with cheese steaks, I'm once again leaving this blog on autopilot.

As if it hasn't been there for the past few months.

At any rate, to amuse you for the next few days, I've wandered around the historic Maplehurst neighborhood, ensconced on a hill between downtown and the University of Tennessee. This tiny enclave of early twentieth century cottages may not be with us for long, as it has been bought out by a large property management corporation and the jury is still out as to whether they'll keep these buildings in good, historically appropriate condition.

But to hedge our bets, I've recorded some of the charming architectural details of this neighborhood in a series I'm calling the Doors of Maplehurst. Tune in tomorrow to begin the tour.

Swing Low

Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here at this unassuming sports bar on Clinton Highway on the anniversary of the fatal accident that took the life of James Agee's father, an event which later inspired his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Death In the Family.

That unfortunate plunge occurred in Beaver Creek, directly adjacent to this hospitable modern day establishment.

At 8 p.m., the time of the tragic auto crash, we raise a toast to Mr Agee Sr. The delightful proprietess of the Checker Flag, Earlene, will be glad to furnish you with the requisite bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon if you are so inclined. Please join the band in a chorus or two of Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, Knoxville is a drinking town with a literary problem.

Worth Two in the Bush

I spied this wood thrush as I was walking around Worlds Fair Park downtown. Since I didn't have him (or her) in hand, I'll offer you a second secretive and rather blurry picture of one in a bush:

Helpful Reflection

I love mirrors and reflections. This one made me laugh because it looked so incongruous stuck right up next to this tree. The image reflected is the university's new parking garage in the Fort Sanders neighborhood. The mirror is supposed to help you see oncoming traffic coming down the hill.

Candoro Reborn

Last year I showed you some of the ruins of the Candoro Marble Works factory. They're still pretty much in ruins. But the office building has been lovingly restored and now hosts many art and music events.

Honeysuckle

Walking the track at Lakeshore Park is a double-edged sword this time of year. There's a thin yellow-green layer of pollen covering everything, but the honeysuckle smells so sweet.

In the Still of the Night

This is what I do when insomnia sets in at 3 a.m.

Game On

I've been tagged by Jacob of Ocala Daily Photo to list six things that make me happy. The audacity! OK, Jacob, I'll play, starting with today's photo: this fellow is a service dog for the blind, still in training. Such a noble profile!

So, in no particular order, here are six things that make me happier than I can say:

Dogs - life would be too dull without them
Tai chi - good for the body and the mind
Travel - the world is my oyster, and it's always in season
Hiking and being outdoors - cures the cubicle crazies
Reading - but you might expect that from a librarian
Family and friends - I am blessed with abundance

And because I can't follow rules and don't play well with others, here is number seven:
Cheese steaks!

Generally, I don't tag others for a meme. So, participate if the mood strikes you.

Untethered

I've really been enjoying watching the full moon rise over the Smokies low on the horizon. Then it rises over the wires, the lights, and the trees. And in my imagination, I rise with it, slowly untethering my earth-bound thoughts.

A Moment of Serenity

The trees in the early morning sun cast long shadows over the grass. The veterans sleep serenely in their cemetery across the street.

Relic

This is one of the oldest buildings downtown, reportedly built around the time of the Civil War in the 1860s. Poor old sagging thing - it looks tired.

Down the Tracks

This is a quick one from the archives for today: the World's Fair Park was built on an old railroad yard. There is still one active track left that slices through the park between the art museum and the Sunsphere to remind us of this legacy.

Another note to the CDPB world: these past few months have been so hectic, I regret that I haven't had time to visit your blogs. I'm often surprised that I can still sustain this one. Thanks to the three or four of you who still drop by! No worries, I'll be back.

My cup runneth over. But the good news is, my cup is full of red wine.

Deconstruction

The 100 Block of Gay Street is closed for improvements for - oh, I'd heard about a year. It's going to look worse before it starts looking better. They'd best dig carefully so as not to disturb Underground Knoxville.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

It's amazing to me that such dangerous weather can come in such a purely beautiful shade of indigo.

I like the lone billboard pressing up against the clouds. I like that this looks like the Edge of Nowhere, but it's actually part of the Bearden neighborhood.

Your Seat Is Waiting

Look at all the delicious Art Deco-ness of the newly refurbished seats at the Tennessee Theatre. I let the camera choose the setting on auto, using natural light.

How Green Was My Building

It's not about the treble clef, although I think that's pretty cool. It's all about the bright green sheetrock on top of the Crimson Building. Please don't ask me why the sheetrock isn't crimson. The building is finally being reconstructed after a disasterous fire a few years ago.

Boardwalk

The Riverwalk trail at Ijams Nature Center includes a boardwalk along the Tennessee River. There is no gently sloping shore there, only vertical towers of limestone. The boardwalk hugs the cliffs and juts out over the river on long pilings. I like how the builders were sensitive to nature by building around this tree.

Ribcage

These limestone rocks along the banks of the Tennessee River looked like a dinosaur's ribcage. But the ribs were created from millennia of water erosion. The rocks are now well above the water line. You can see them on the Riverwalk trail at Ijams Nature Center.

Paddling

This guy was doing some weekend paddling. Hope he remembered his sunscreen.

Ghostly Bloom

This is from my March archive. The daffodils are just about done for the spring down here. I tried a shot in monochrome, and like it better than I thought I would. It looks ghostly.

Monthly Theme: Light and Shadows

It's springtime, the flowers are blooming, and I just can't help myself. Every time I see some new wildflowers, I have to take a photo. Light and shadow again caught my attention. I am now officially obsessed. But it worked out for theme day.

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