Glorious

These were the strangest looking wildflowers I'd seen yet. Until I started practicing my macro shots, I'd never thought of wildflowers as "hairy." But here they are in all their hairy glory.

Argyle

I was waiting patiently at an intersection for the light to go green when I saw this pattern on the freshly mown grass in front of this historic building on the edge of the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood. So I took a quick shot during the red light. It looked like a pair of green socks that I once had. Only bigger. And made of grass.

Code Talker

Part of the Native American festival in Maryville included a very special speaker. The gentleman in the chair is one of the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II. The Code Talkers served in the Marines and sent vital data to American troops in the Navajo language. Very few people outside of the Navajo Nation understood this complex language, so it became an unbreakable code. The Code Talkers helped America win the war in the Pacific, including the battle of Iwo Jima. Out of 400 Code Talkers, only about 40 are still living today. It was inspiring to hear this old warrior tell his story.

Any Given Saturday

Maryville is a delightful small town just south of Knoxville. I never know what I'll see around the greenbelt and library. Maybe a father and daughter out enjoying the sunny weather, or maybe a Native American in full regalia. He was actually part of a Native American festival being held on Saturday on the lawn outside of the library.

High Five

I'm continuing my macro work in the great outdoors. I'd tell you what kind of flower this is, but I've already forgot. I think I'm getting the hang of noticing the different effects of light and shadow on everything. But now I find I'm looking for it everywhere all the time. Which can be a problem when I'm driving.

Moving Targets

Here are local favorites Hector Qirko and R.B. Morris playing a concert at the restored Candoro Marble building in South Knoxville. I'm posting this because it's the only photo that I took of them that I managed to get in focus. Yay me.

Straight Up

This is the overlook at the top of House Mountain, the highest point in Knox County, 2100 feet high. This natural area managed by the State of Tennessee is only 10 miles away from Knoxville. I could tell you about tectonic plates and synclinal folds that formed the mountain. Or I could just mention that the Overlook Trail is really made for mountain goats that like to climb straight up steep inclines and scramble across boulders. And then they eat their lunch on a sunny rock high above the rolling farmland of Knox County.