Seven Islands State Park, Thursday, 10-1-2026: I Can't Believe They Went! (published 10-4-2026; article #577)

Introduction

Greetings, dear outdoor enthusiast, and thank you for stopping by on National 10-4 Day (National Day Calendar). I hope you are 5-by-5 on the side.

Three days ago, I can't believe my wife and her sister, who lives nearby, accepted my offer to get out and enjoy a nearby state park! In my article two days ago, which embedded my audiovisual episode, I lovingly chided them for not hiking House Mountain with me on Tuesday, September 29.

This is the story about our family hike last Thursday at Seven Islands State Birding Park, near Kodak, Tennessee. Reflecting back, my article from 9/24/2023 was about my most recent hike at the park. It includes a link to the park map and an embedded audiovisual episode from the bridge.

Seven Islands State Park with My Wife and Her Sister

The morning of Thursday, October 1, started off normally. The weather was still too warm, but it was sunny and a good day to get into the woods. Half-kidding, I suggested to my wife that her sister and she could join me in an outdoor adventure at a nearby park. I recommended Norris Dam State Park, Big Ridge State Park, or Seven Islands State Birding Park. Just after noon, as usual, my wife drove over to visit her sister for a few hours. I started working on my previously referenced article and episode.

Just after 1 PM, my sister-in-law surprised me by calling and saying my wife and she were on their way here. They wanted me to take them to go see the birds at Seven Islands State Birding Park! Amazed, I replied, “Well, come on over! I'll saddle up my hiking gear and fill water in an extra canteen.” (My wife already had her water container with her.)

Where Were the Birds and Fish?

All three of us left the house in my 2006 Frontier at 2:14 PM. Slowed by interstate traffic, we arrived at the park and started “hiking” around 3 PM. Signs near the parking lot and barn identify plant and bird species. Birdhouses are in the area.

My sister-in-law said she didn't want to hike. She only came to see the birds. “Where are the birds?” she asked. There were none in or around the birdhouses. With the temperature in the upper-80s Fahrenheit, they must have been resting in shady areas away from view.

Undaunted, I encouraged my wife and her sister to “hike” the wide, paved trail. It leads to the expansive bridge that spans a section of the French Broad River and to dirt trails on the other side.

We reached the bridge after our hot and sweaty “hike” along the paved trail. Several viewing areas jut out slightly from each side of the bridge. We paused at several to enjoy the view. At one location, my sister-in-law looked for fish. Not seeing any, she asked, “Where are the fish?” “Well, they're hiding in there somewhere,” was my reply.

I knew a picnic table under the shade of trees was not very far from the other side of the bridge. “Let's go a few more yards to sit and rest at the shaded picnic table,” I encouraged. Once at the picnic table, my skeptical wife realized that I knew what I was talking about. “See, there is a picnic table here!” I said.

Photographs and Audiovisual Clip

While my wife and her sister sat and rested at the picnic table, I stood nearby and took the following three photographs at 3:47 PM:

That's my wife on the left. Her sister, eleven months younger, was playing with her semi-intelligent (i.e., smart) phone. My trusty canteen is on the table between them.

A few feet west of the picnic table is a French Broad River outlet. There had to be fish in there, but I never saw one.

Standing at the same location as above, I turned, faced directly west, and photographed a wide section of the French Broad River. The view was magnificent. It's better when you see it in person.

Are They Still City Girls?

After taking the above photographs, I decided to record an impromptu audiovisual with permission from my wife and her sister. Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube) now presents Seven Islands State Park, Thu., 10-1-2026: I Can't Believe They Went! (pub. 10-4-2026; episode 48). It's almost two and a half minutes long. I hope you enjoy it.

If you listened to it, did you catch how my wife responded when I asked if her sister and she were city girls? Logically, it was a non sequitur. That is, the reason she presented for being country girls, not city girls, was irrelevant and added very little support to her conclusion.

Dear, if the city of Etowah, Tennessee, where you were raised, has a population smaller than the city of Rogersville, Tennessee, how does that make you country girls? Rogersville is my hometown, but I was raised in rural Hawkins County.

Conclusion

Let's see if my “long-suffering” wife will reply to my critique of her logical non sequitur! I'm just joshing you, dear. I love you. I love your sister too. Don't stop cooking those country suppers!

I hope, dear reader, you have enjoyed this 141st entry in the Family Topic Section. It is also the 93rd entry in the Hiking Topic Section. After all, I did take my wife and her sister on a “civilized” hike last Thursday.

I'm 10-10 on the side until next time. Keep turning right and going straight out there, ya hear?

House Mountain Hike #211, Tuesday, 9-29-2026: Face Paint and Video Near the “Defiant Tree” (published 10-2-2026; article #576)

Introduction

Three days ago, they should have accepted my invitation to take them to Norris Dam State Park, Big Ridge State Park, or Seven Islands State Park for an outdoor adventure. Instead, my wife and her sister, who lives nearby, chose to go shopping. What did this Appalachian Irishman do? I hiked the scenic House Mountain State Natural Area for the 211th time.

Welcome, outdoor enthusiasts, to the 92nd entry in the Hiking Topic Section. As stated in my September 27 article about the new state park at Kyle's Ford, the strong line of thunderstorms on September 23 temporarily dropped the temperature to seasonably cool fall weather and provided much-needed rain. Until then, September had been too hot and dry for early fall hiking. Unfortunately, the unseasonably warm weather returned last Monday. Still yet, my hike three days ago inaugurated my fall, winter, and spring hiking season.

This article takes you up to the west bluff and includes a photograph taken from above the west bluff. It also presents my audiovisual recording while I was hiking down the west trail, near the Defiant Tree, as I call it. I hope you enjoy reading this entry and watching the embedded YouTube episode. Let's hike!

Hiking Up the West Trail

I thought about hiking last weekend, when it was cooler, but I knew the main parking lot and the overflow parking area at House Mountain would be filled with vehicles. Hikers, as I have done on weekends, even find parking spots along the sides of the narrow Hogskin Road. Three days ago, when I arrived at the park, my 2006 Nissan Frontier became only the sixth parked vehicle.

Before heading to the mountain, the temperature at the house was 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Later, it rose to the mid-80s. The clear blue sky was lovely. An intermittent breeze from the southwest felt good when it hit me.

As I started hiking along the connector trail to reach the west trail, a young couple was hiking out, and we exchanged brief greetings. They were the only hikers I met while hiking in and up the west trail. Aside from God being with me, I was alone in the woods. The birds and small critters (e.g., squirrels) were not stirring in the heat. I started my hike at 1:46 PM, which was a bit later than I wanted to do. (I had kept hoping my wife and sister-in-law would want to go with me to explore another nearby park.)

Sixteen minutes later, at 2:02 PM, I started hiking up the six upper switchbacks. I had already trekked through the lower area and up the four lower switchbacks. Above the lower switchbacks, I was disappointed to see the fallen tree still blocking the trail. I had to again negotiate up and over it.

The trail was dusty and dry. Only one mountain stream, before starting up the lower switchbacks, was trickling with water. We still need more rain. I paused briefly, at times going up the upper switchbacks, to sip water from my canteen and wipe sweat from my forehead. My old light-blue T-shirt was already sweaty. With those delays, I reached the highest (sixth) switchback at 2:16 PM, about six or seven minutes slower than normal. I still compete with myself on the time it takes to hike up to the west bluff, but I didn't mind the delays. A hiker has to stay hydrated in the heat and be able to see through the sweat as it drips from his forehead into his eyes!

My scenic hike below the ridge to the west bluff took only eight minutes. Reaching the west bluff at 2:24 PM, I wasn't too disappointed that it took 38 minutes to get there. I never had to stop to catch my breath or pause because my heart was pounding in my chest (an indication of a too-high heart rate). The delays helped me stay hydrated and wipe sweat.

Photograph Near the West Bluff

At the west bluff, the gentle breeze from the southwest helped evaporate the sweat from my face, hair, and T-shirt. I thought about taking off my T-shirt to let it dry in the breeze.

At 2:32 PM, I took the following photograph, looking west, from a few yards above and behind the west bluff. You may be able to see the trail signs to the left and right in the image. The crisp blue sky was wonderful to see. The leaves were not yet showing fall colors, but some were starting to drop due to the dry weather.

Hiking Down the West Trail

After spending time in prayer to God and spiritual reflection, I decided to start back down the west bluff at 2:40 PM. Have you even met a hiker wearing face paint? I did. I also decided to record an audiovisual clip above and below the Defiant Tree, as I call it. It is located just below the ridgeline and well before the six upper switchbacks.

Face Paint

I had just started hiking down the narrow trail below the ridge when I heard music below me. It sounded like what I call new rock, not classic rock, music. Seconds later, I saw a young lady, dressed in black, hiking up. Her music device may have been attached to her backpack.

Pausing on a slightly wider rock formation to let her pass, I noticed she was wearing face paint! It looked like a cat face. I said, “I like your face paint.” She replied, “Thank you,” as she continued up the trail.

Well, in all my previous 210 hikes on House Mountain, I have never before seen a hiker wearing face paint. I have now! It reminds me of seeing the “best-dressed hiker,” wearing a suit and tie, on House Mountain. My article from 4/13/2009 is about the experience.

Audiovisual from Above and Below the Defiant Tree

Shortly after meeting the face-painted lady, I paused just above what I call the Defiant Tree. Several previous entries include photographs of the tree, most recently the 5/5/2023 article about my 181st House Mountain hike. This time, I decided to record an audiovisual clip from the location.

As I tried to switch my cellphone recorder from recording me talking to the panoramic view, I accidentally snapped the following photograph of my face at 2:49 PM. At least I didn't look goofy, unless you think I did!

Please check out on Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube) the episode House Mountain Hike 211, Tuesday, 9-29-2026: Near the “Defiant Tree” (pub. 10-2-2026; episode 47). It is an almost six-minute clip.

My comments include what I call two treacherous locations on the trail, especially hiking down. Due to my “bionic” (i.e., surgically repaired) right foot and knee, I often have to “crab crawl” down both locations with my face up, arms behind my back, and hands and feet on the rocks. Recently, however, I have side-stepped down both locations, like I could do before my near-death injury.

Near the end of the video clip, I lovingly chided my wife and her sister for being too much like city girls, not country girls. They decided to go shopping instead of enjoying an easier outing with me at another nearby state park. Yesterday, however, they surprised me by accepting my offer to take them to a nearby state park! The forthcoming article with an embedded audiovisual link, Lord willing, will be about the adventure. Please stay tuned!

Hiking Out the Rest of the Way

As I was hiking down the six upper switchbacks, a young mother, her son, and their dog caught up with me. I was taking my time to enjoy the views. The young man, possibly five years old, was quite the conversationalist while they were near me! If his parents raise him right, he should become a fine young man.

Not far below the lowest upper switchback, a 17-year-old young man was standing on a flat rock, resting, and rubbing his eyes. I asked if he had something in his eyes. He answered, “Yes. My hair!” He had a headful of long, curly, black hair. I asked if he was resting. He answered that he was trying to catch his breath. The young man looked to be physically fit and not overweight. I encouraged him to increase his cardiovascular exercise and told him that, at age 66, I never had to stop to catch my breath while hiking up earlier. Thanking me, he said a 42-year-old man (possibly his father) and he were racing to see who could reach the ridge first. The older man had taken the east trail. I wished him luck as he continued up. Who won? I may never know.

Conclusion

I trekked farther across the rolling lowland, down the four lower switchbacks, crossed the wooden bridge, and touched the marker near the covered picnic table at 3:50 PM, ending my hike. It was only an hour and 48 minutes in the woods, but it was better to have hiked than not.

A minute after finishing my hike, I photographed six vehicles in the main parking lot. My 2006 Frontier is the closest on the right. Not every vehicle is visible in the image.

I hope you enjoyed this entry, and I hope you liked the embedded audiovisual episode. Please wait for the next article. Lord willing, it will be about yesterday's adventures of my wife, her sister, and me at Seven Islands State Park. I can't believe I talked them into taking at least a “civilized hike”!

Tennessee's 67th State Park: The Clinch River Valley State Park in Hancock County (published 9-27-2026; article #575)

Source: Tennessee State Parks: Clinch River Valley State Park: Horton Ford, Clinch River, Aerial View.

Introduction

That's a nice view! Lord willing, I hope to drive up soon to see it in person.

Thankfully, last Wednesday's strong line of thunderstorms finally dropped the temperature to seasonably cool fall weather. They also provided much-needed rain. Until then, September had been far too hot and dry for comfortable hiking in the early fall.

I could have gone out to explore the woods this afternoon. A joy of retirement, however, is that I can hike any day of the week, not just on weekends, which was my plight during my employed years.

The call of the forest must await the publication of this article about Tennessee's 67th state park. Located in nearby Hancock County, it is called the “Clinch River Valley State Park.” A better name would have been “Kyle’s Ford State Park.” After all, it is in Kyle's Ford, Tennessee.

How I Found Out About the New Park

As a subscriber to my hometown newspaper, The Rogersville Review, the postal delivery of the 8/26/2026 edition arrived late last month. Subscribers may read the column online at “New state park opens this week in Kyle’s Ford: Former River Place property has been transformed.” The Rogersville Review, Edition 8/26/2026, by Joanne Irvin.

To summarize the article, Friday, August 21, was the official dedication ceremony for the Clinch River Valley State Park (CRVSP), which is located in Kyle's Ford in Hancock County, Tennessee. The main entrance is at the intersection of state highways 33 and 70.

The State of Tennessee bought the 19.45-acre location formerly known as the River Place on the Clinch. The state also acquired 20 acres at Horton’s Ford, which is a few miles up the river from the River Place.

Initial work involves renovating the old store into a visitors’ center, which may include a restaurant. Small cabins are already nestled in the park. Some of them have running water, Wi-Fi, and small kitchens. The cabins may be available to rent by next March.

The park's mission focuses on river conservation, outdoor recreation, and Appalachian heritage. Guided river floats may be available now. Bluegrass music shows are planned.

Currently, the park is open from Thursday through Sunday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. For more information, you can call 888-867-2757. The park's address is 2788 TN Highway 70, Kyle’s Ford, TN 37765.

I was delighted to learn about the new park. Again, it should have been named the “Kyle’s Ford State Park.” You could add “on the Clinch River.”

More About the Clinch River Valley State Park

You can learn more about the park by browsing around on Tennessee State Parks: Clinch River Valley State Park, as I did. As of the park's opening last month, it was the 67th and newest Tennessee State Park. The park is located approximately 70 miles northeast of Knoxville, Tennessee, and about 55 miles west of Kingsport, Tennessee.

The new park, along the Clinch River, consists of rolling hills, bottomland forest, and the biologically diverse river. It includes several scenic fishing locations. There are two biking (or hiking) trails. The Kyle’s Ford Riverside Ramble is an 18.2-mile paved trail, which begins at the General Store (the former River Place on the Clinch). The longer trail is the 44-mile Clinch River Gravel Loop trail. It is a partially paved and partially graveled trail, which includes the Kyle’s Ford Riverside Ramble.

Finally, the visitor center and general store in Kyle’s Ford offer information and places for folks to gather. Certainly, the area is rich in Appalachian history.

Conclusion

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, I remember riding with my father in his old pickup truck and going to Kyle's Ford. Dad may have had to work on or replace someone's water well pump or drill a water well in the area. At times, my parents took us boys over there for a day trip.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, once I was older and had a car, I set out to visit and explore the scenic Kyle's Ford area on my own. I may have taken a young lady, whom I was dating at the time, over there to enjoy the views.

I haven't been over to Kyle's Ford in a long time. The next time I venture up to Hawkins County, will I take the time to drive over Clinch Mountain to check out the new Clinch River Valley State Park? Maybe so. If so, who wants to go with me?

This has been the 39th entry in the Appalachia—Northeast Tennessee topic section. I hope you have enjoyed it.

September 1-12, 2026: Life, Such as It Was (published 9-15-2026; article #574)

Introduction

Well, howdy, dear reader. It's about time for another entry, the 118th, in the Life (such as it is)—or was recently—Topic Section. The focus is on the first twelve days of this month, September 2026.

At the end of each month, I turn the page of my desk calendar to the next month, which appears as a blank canvas. Daily, I paint the canvas with handwritten notes about the highlights of each day.

What a canvas I have painted so far this month! Hang on, dear reader. The first twelve days of this month have been eventful.

Tuesday, September 1, through Saturday, September 5

The first of September welcomed the first day of meteorological fall, but it didn't feel like fall. About an hour after I published that day's article—about the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail—the temperature on the shaded front porch thermometer reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For the next three days, the late afternoon highs reached 100 or 101 degrees. Thankfully, the high on Saturday, the 5th, was a “cool and crisp” 98 degrees. Yes, I'm joking.

Not only has it been hot, it has also been dry. Prior to the intermittent rainfall on Saturday, the 12th, the last rain fell over three weeks before on Thursday, August 20, from 8 to 9 AM. Last month, we received enough rain for excellent fall colors. Now, I doubt the leaves will be very brilliant next month unless it rains more this month. Further, I really need to scratch the itch to begin my fall, winter, and spring hiking season, but it's been too hot and dry.

Around 5 PM on Wednesday, September 2, my cellphone received a text and voicemail from what I thought was a scammer. The next morning, Thursday, after shop vacuuming the basement in anticipation of our monthly pest control spraying that afternoon, I called our local bank. Those contact attempts were the bank's legitimate efforts to reach me. You see, late in the afternoon on Saturday, 8/29, my wife and I dined out at the Inskip Grill with her two younger sisters. I paid at the table using my debit card, like checking out at a store. Apparently, the card reader was hacked. A scammer stole my debit card information and tried to use it for a purchase. So, after getting an oil change for our 2012 Nissan Sentra at Miller Brothers Auto Repair, my 2006 Nissan Frontier took me to the bank to get a new debit card. It was an interesting way to remember the wedding anniversary of my deceased parents. They were married on Thursday, 9/3/1959. I was born a little over ten months later.

The next day, Friday, I realized that T & C Lawn Service (Whitesburg, Tennessee) had turned over the mowing job at the homeplace in Hawkins County to N & H Lawn Care (Rogersville). Without notice, the day before, I received the first bill from N & H Lawn Care. My calls on Friday, September 4, to both lawn services figured out what had happened. T & C Lawn Service forgot to let me know they had given up the yard, after 14 years of mowing service, and to recommend another mowing service. Thus, on the 125th anniversary of my maternal grandfather's birth on Wednesday, September 4, 1901, I agreed after the fact to the homeplace's new mowing service.

Saturday, the 5th, was the much-awaited start of the college football season! Preseason polls ranked the Georgia Bulldogs #3 in both polls. The Tennessee Volunteers ranked #20 in the Associated Press (AP) poll and #18 in the Coaches poll. In the morning, I temporarily took down my Appalachian Irishman yard flag and put up for football season our Georgia and Tennessee yard flags. The article from 9/26/2025 about the flags includes their photograph. We are a house divided during college football season. Both teams played “cupcakes.” At 3 PM, Georgia began to pick apart Tennessee State University. The final score was 63 to 3. Tennessee, starting 30 minutes later, likewise destroyed Furman University, 56 to 9.

Before the football games started, my wife, her sister (closest in age to her), our niece (her sister's daughter), two cousin-in-laws, and I sat down for a soup bean meal around 2 PM at my wife's homeplace. It was an early celebration of Labor Day and a soup bean kickoff for college football. The gas-passing ceremonies, which followed, were observed privately. Having eaten my noon meal at the “scriptural” time (between 12 and 1 PM), I wasn't hungry for soup beans and cornbread at 2 PM. Well, I nibbled on a slice of cornbread. My wife, however, brought leftover soup beans and cornbread for my supper. I hope a new Labor Day tradition of eating soup beans and cornbread at 2 PM isn't starting.

Sunday, September 6, through Saturday, September 12

Sunday, the 6th, was a typical day of worship and relaxation. For the second day in a row, the high reached a “cool and crisp” 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, I'm still joking.

As mentioned previously, my wife's side of the family and I celebrated Labor Day two days early on Saturday. On Labor Day Monday, the 7th, my sister-in-law, who lives nearby, labored by drinking the medication to prepare for her next-day “roto-rooter” outpatient procedure. Remember, what goes in must come out. My wife spent the night with her sister and took her for the outpatient “roto-rooter” the next day. Both sisters survived. Unfortunately, it brought back memories of my Valentine's Day 2023 “roto-rooter,” as unloaded in my 2/15/2023 article.

Wednesday, 9/9

The day needs a separate subsection. What is the following photograph?

Wednesday, 9/9/2026, 3:13 PM, photograph by M. Fearghail.

It shows the right side-view mirror (or what's left of it) on our 2012 Nissan Sentra. The car was parked in the garage. The white back cover is also missing.

What happened? Never drive to Kohl's to buy a new purse! My wife, the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, was on her way to buy a new purse at the nearby Kohl's. The three purses she has, it seems, are insufficient in either size or condition to hold her billfold, “semi-intelligent” phone, two pair of glasses, car keys, and knickknacks (or whatever else).

As she approached the Union Baptist Church building on Washington Pike, she heard a thud and saw the side-view mirror fall off the car. It landed in the ditch beside the road. Instead of continuing her purse-hunting adventure, she returned home. Amazed, I asked if something had hit the mirror or if she hit something with it. Nope. It simply committed suicide by falling off!

After searching online for a replacement part, I realized that I would have to paint a new back cover white to match the car's color. Wisely, I decided to call the nearby Miller Brothers Auto Repair. They could get replacement parts for about the same cost that I could, but they have "the right stuff" to blend in white paint on the back cover. After driving in my 2006 Nissan Frontier to pay for the parts, which will be ordered, I drove to the mirror suicide location but didn't find the remains. (I was going to give the corpse a proper burial.)

Once Miller Brothers Auto Repair receives the replacement part and has it painted, they will call to arrange a day and time to install the new mirror.

Remember, don't drive alone to Kohl's to buy a new purse. Your vehicle's right side-view mirror might commit suicide by falling off!

Thursday and Friday

On Thursday morning, the 10th, this Appalachian Irishman moved about 44 storage boxes from beside the basement stairwell a few feet back to the back basement wall. I also moved a storage shelf away from the other side of the stairwell and closer to the basement windows. Afterward, I shop-vacuumed the entire basement. Why did I do all that?

The next day, Friday, marked 25 years since the terrorist attacks on Tuesday, 9/11/2001. We remembered and watched some live coverage of memorial events. My previous statements about the fateful day are found in my articles from 9/13/2020 and 9/12/2021.

My previous day's work in the basement anticipated Friday's installment of insulation around the basement stairwell. Yes, on Friday, 9/11/2026, three workers from CFI Insulation came and installed batt insulation around the basement stairwell. They arrived around 8:40 AM and were done at about 10 AM. Why did we have the work done? Why didn't we do it ourselves?

During the house construction phase in 2003, the basement stairwell was not insulated. On a subfreezing winter day, with windows and doors secured tightly and four vents blowing warm air into the basement, the basement temperature holds to the upper 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit, which is comfortable for an unfinished basement. Walking down the steps to the basement door, however, we feel the chill coming through the uninsulated sheetrock. We needed to insulate the area to hold the heat. A relatively easy job, we could have done it ourselves, but my wife and I knew the aggravations that we would have. We decided to hire the work done, avoid the annoyance, and keep peace between us.

Saturday, 9/12

On Saturday, the 12th, college football games were wrapped around my wife's high school reunion. Forty-five years ago, the still youthfully vibrant Mrs. Appalachian Irishman graduated from Central High School in McMinn County, Tennessee. The class of 1981 celebrated in a banquet room at Chesapeake's on Parkside Drive in west Knoxville from 6 to 9 PM.

The Georgia Bulldogs' trouncing of Western Kentucky University started at 12:45 PM. Another “preseason scrimmage game,” Georgia won, 70-20. I watched the game before the reunion. The Tennessee at Georgia Tech game, however, started at 7 PM, during the reunion. Thankfully, someone switched the television in the banquet room to the game. While attendees talked and dined on buffet items, those interested could keep an eye on the game. Back home around 9 PM, we watched the last part of the game from the comfort of our living room. Tennessee swatted the Yellow Jackets, 45-24.

My 2006 Frontier delivered my wife and me to the reunion location just before the 6 PM start. A best friend from high school had found my Facebook profile, reached out to me, and asked my wife to call her. That was how we learned about the reunion.

What all went on at the reunion? Perhaps Mrs. Appalachian Irishman will grace us with a future article including photographs. She enjoyed becoming reacquainted with high school friends. I hope at least two or three keep in touch with her. What did I do? I played the role of the gentlemanly husband while interjecting witticisms. Well, I did make a mild protest when the musical playlist played a tune from the Bee Gees! Gratefully, the musical selections included several truly classic rock songs from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Remember, disco is dead! Long live classic rock!

So, dear wife, will you publish an article about your class of 1981 high school reunion? Will you include a few photographs? Let's wait and see, folks!

Conclusion

The first twelve days of my September 2026 desk calendar are no longer a blank canvas. Handwritten notes for each day have painted an interesting picture of life, such as it was, on those days.

Who says retirement is boring? It only is if you let it be. Get out. Be active. Enjoy life. Do what you wish you could have done during your working years. Most importantly, find ways to use your God-given talents in service to the kingdom of Christ. Live your life in service to God, family, and country. You will live well, and you will transition well from death to everlasting life when it is your time.

Are you working on that article yet, dear? Your first and only article so far, a good one, was published over four years ago.

Dale Sanders, at 91, is the Oldest Hiker to Complete the Appalachian Trail: I Am Inspired! (published 9-1-2026; article #573)

Introduction

Greetings, dear reader, on a hot and humid first day of meteorological fall. It's steamy outside, and we could use some rain. A little while ago, I saw 98 degrees Fahrenheit on the porch thermometer.

This 91st entry in the Hiking Topic Section isn't about a recent hike of mine. I'm hoping for cooler, fall-like weather soon to begin my fall, winter, and spring hiking season.

Instead, this article focuses on Dale Sanders, from Millington, Tennessee. At 91, he set the record again as the oldest hiker to complete the entire Appalachian Trail. I am impressed and inspired.

Yesterday, Dale Sanders Completed the Appalachian Trail

Early this morning, my wife and I happened to catch a local television news segment about Dale Sanders. For Knoxville area readers, a local news story is found at “91-year-old sets record for oldest person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.” WBIR-TV, by Emma Henson, 8/31/2026. The story and the two sources below include several photographs, which is why I didn't include one in this article.

Two additional noteworthy sources, which I found, are “At 91, Dale ‘Grey Beard’ Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.” Associated Press (AP) News, by Holly Ramer and Robert F. Bukaty, 8/31/2026, and “Dale 'Grey Beard' Sanders, 91, Becomes Oldest Person to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail.” The Trek, by Katie Jackson, 8/31/2026. I read both articles.

From the above sources, we learn that Dale Sanders was born in Kentucky in 1935. His wife, Meriam, and he are from Millington, Tennessee, which is near Memphis. Before retiring at 67 in 2002, Sanders served in the US Navy and afterward worked for 37 years in parks and recreation.

In 2017, at 82, Dale Sanders first set the record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. A friend of his temporarily broke his initial record. Further, four years ago, at 87, Sanders became the oldest person to paddle the entire Mississippi River.

Yesterday, Dale Sanders completed his most recent hike of the entire Appalachian Trail. He started last year, on September 6, in West Virginia. Yesterday, he finished triumphantly atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. It was an almost 2,200-mile trek, completed in sections, which took him over 359 days. Sanders regained the record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.

I Am Impressed and Inspired

To say that I am impressed and inspired is an understatement! During our senior year in high school (fall 1977-spring 1978), two friends, Bill and Randy, and I planned to hike the complete Appalachian Trail after graduation.

Unfortunately, we were out of school for the entire month of January. It snowed every week, usually on Wednesdays. To make up for the snow closures, our school days were extended, and we graduated later than we expected. Randy and I planned to start college in the fall. A complete hike of the Appalachian Trail would delay our plans. Bill, who later joined the Navy, wanted Randy and me to focus on hiking the Appalachian Trail and postpone college. We didn't. Bill, who didn't want to hike alone, was angry with us for a while, but he got over it. Looking back, I wish we had kept our plan.

Early this morning, when we heard the local television news clip about Dale Sanders, I said, “That could be me.” Will I live to be 91? Will I be physically fit to hike the Appalachian Trail? Dale Sanders has inspired the goal. We will see. Only the dear Lord knows my future.

Conclusion

Are Dale Sanders and his wife Christians, children of God? It seems so. A previously mentioned source states that Meriam, Dale's wife, is a member of a tight-knit Filipino church community in Millington. She conducts Bible studies and prays in her native language. Further, a source above mentions that Dale Sanders paused to pray at the sign at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. He said, “I had to thank God, and I had to thank my support team and everybody that got me here.”

I would like to meet Dale Sanders, shake his hand, and talk with him for a while. He has certainly inspired me at 66 years young. If he and I don't meet in this life, I hope to meet him in heaven.

Are you hiking the heavenward trail, dear reader? If so, I look forward to meeting you up there one day. If not, you should be. There is only one trail that leads to everlasting life. Please take and stay on that Christian path. You are welcome to reach out to me by emailing me. Simply use the “Contact Form” on the main page of this website. I am just one heavenward hiker who wants to guide others along the trail.

Knoxville-Knox County Planning: Agricultural Should Not Be Rezoned to Rural Residential! (published 8-23-2026; article #572)

Source: Knoxville-Knox County Planning: Resources: news: 860: img-4500

Introduction

Does the above image imply that Knoxville-Knox County Planning's focus is to break up agricultural land so “McMansion” subdivisions can be built? A “McMansion” subdivision, by my definition, is a row of costly houses, built side by side, on postage-stamp-sized property. Next-door neighbors could shake hands through open side windows. The above image is found prominently at Knoxville-Knox County Planning: News: 7/30/2026: UDO Module D Articles and Second Draft Map Available.

Greetings, dear reader. This entry focuses on agricultural landowners in Knox County, Tennessee, and the recent behind-the-back rezoning proposal by Knoxville-Knox County Planning. Of course, I have a few questions. The conclusion includes links to my relevant articles from 2022 and indicates my further action.

To a wider audience, how would you like it if your property were proposed to be rezoned behind your back without notice? That's what was proposed recently in Knox County, Tennessee.

Fortunately, wisdom postponed the rezoning proposal until the new county mayor and county commission members take office on Tuesday, September 1. The postponement gives agricultural landowners greater opportunity to speak their minds about their concerns.

Agricultural Rezoning Behind Farmers' Backs

Around the middle of the month, local television news stations in Knox County began airing segments about Knoxville-Knox County Planning. A big change was that land originally zoned agricultural was proposed to be rezoned to rural residential. The proposal was arranged behind the backs of agricultural landowners.

Two of several sources are “Knox County zoning overhaul raises concerns among farmers: Proposed Advance Knox plan would reclassify agricultural land by default; farmers say they found out through social media.” WVLT News, by Caroline Mueller, 8/10/2026, and “Farmer raises concerns over proposed Knox County zoning changes.” WATE 6 On Your Side, by Drea Peebles, 8/11/2026.

Initially, zoned Agricultural (A) landowners would have to submit opt-in forms to retain their current zoning. Otherwise, their property would be rezoned to Rural Residential (RR) without any notice.

Behind-the-Back Rezoning Postponed

As the previously referenced news sources indicate, agricultural landowners caught wind of the behind-the-pack proposal. They started “making hay” by speaking out in opposition. As a result, the proposal was put on hold.

Advance Knox: Unified Development Ordinance (UDO): Work on Draft Map 2 Has Been Paused states (with my underlining added for emphasis):

Due to significant interest and feedback, work on this draft map will be paused until a later date. Property owners who currently have Agricultural (A) land do not need to fill out an opt-in form. Additional comments can be made by calling 865-215-3085, submitting a comment on the map, or emailing contact@advanceknox.org.

The “Draft Map” link on the previously mentioned web page opens ArcGIS: Apps: Dashboards: Knox County Unified Development Ordinance: Proposed Zoning Map — Draft 2. Clicking the link immediately opens a prominent pop-up box stating, “Work on Draft Map 2 Has Been Paused: Due to overwhelming feedback, work on this draft map will be paused until a later date. Property owners who currently have Agricultural (A) land do not need to fill out an opt-in form. Comments on the map will continue to be accepted.”

Clicking past the pop-up on the “Draft Map,” I selected the tab “Compare Proposed and Existing Zoning Maps.” If you do likewise, you will see, on the right, the “Existing Zoning Map” and, on the left, the “Proposed Zoning Map – Draft 2.”

Opening the legend for the “Existing Zoning Map” shows the light green properties that are currently zoned Agricultural. Those properties compose most of the rural land in the county.

Opening the legend for the “Proposed Zoning Map – Draft 2,” however, shows the proposal to rezone Agricultural land to Rural Residential (dark green). It would be a significant change.

A down-to-earth summation of this section is Knoxville-Knox County Planning got caught with their hands in the cookie jar! The "cookies" were the zoned Agricultural land, which Knoxville-Knox County Planning proposed to rezone to Rural Residential.

My Questions

A few questions come to mind. First, why did Knoxville-Knox County Planning (KKCP) want to rezone Agricultural land to Rural Residential? What was the motivation?

Additionally, why did KKCP not consult first with zoned Agricultural landowners before making the proposed rezoning? Did they want to rezone behind the backs of those landowners?

Further, why would a property owner of zoned Agricultural land, proposed to be rezoned to Rural Residential, have to opt back into zoned Agricultural land? Would it have been better to ask those landowners to opt in to change their land from zoned Agricultural to rezoned Rural Residential if they wanted to do so?

Finally, from the “I smell a rat" department, are property developers influencing KKCP? If all zoned Agricultural land were to be rezoned to Rural Residential, would property developers not swarm down on rural landowners like buzzards on freshly killed meat with their marketing efforts to buy the land? Will agricultural landowners begin hearing their doorbells ring as door-to-door property developers drop by to buy their land?

Conclusion

The acronym for “Unified Development Ordinance” is UDO. Odo, not Udo, was the changeling character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. When I hear UDO, I laugh and think about Odo, the changeling.

This article accuses the folks at Knoxville-Knox County Planning and their sidekicks at Advance Knox of being changelings. They have changed from upholding the best interests of landowners in Knox County to being influenced by pesky property developers who want to turn agricultural land into McMansion subdivisions for a huge profit. Farmers are being shafted. The roads and infrastructure will not support such changes.

I am not alone in my opinion. For example, “UDO Draft 2 Map and RR Zone Changes,” Knox Community Planning Alliance, 8/8/2026, has a much more in-depth response to the proposed zoning change than this brief article does.

Four years ago, I focused on Advance Knox and the land use and transportation plan in a series of four articles. The first article from 5/1/2022 includes a subsection titled “Advance Knox Psychobabble.” I followed up with complete articles from 5/8/2022, 5/9/2022, 5/18/2022, and 5/21/2022. Unfortunately, I have returned my focus to this matter.

After publishing this article, I plan to link to it in emails I send to Knoxville-Knox County Planning (contact@knoxplanning.org), Advance Knox (contact@advanceknox.org), and incoming Mayor-Elect Betsy Henderson (info@betsyhenderson.com). Further, I plan to send a modified email to the recipients on Knox Community Planning Alliance's Take Action: UDO web page.

This concludes my 78th entry in the Poly-Ticks: Greek πολλά (many) and ticks (bloodsuckers) Topic Section. If we could get the many bloodsuckers out of politics, we might find a few true statesmen and stateswomen left standing.

August 8th: Annual Emancipation Day (published 8-12-2026; article #571)

Leffler, Warren K., photographer. Civil rights march on Washington, D.C. / WKL. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2003654395/>. No known restrictions on publication.

Introduction

As it is said, “You learn something new every day.” Well, maybe not every day. Early last Sunday morning, a local television news station taught me something I had not known in my sixty-six youthful years of living.

To emancipate is to free from the control or power of another. In short, it is to be set free from bondage.

What did I learn? I found out that the 8th of August is the annual celebration of Emancipation Day. Why, as far back as I can recall, had I not heard about the day before? I don't remember hearing about the day until early last Sunday morning.

Annual Emancipation Day on August 8th

According to sources (listed below), on August 8, 1863, during the American Civil War (1861–65), Tennessee Military Governor Andrew Johnson freed the slaves he “owned” at his home in Greene County, Tennessee. This was after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, which became effective on New Year's Day 1863.

A few years afterward, Sam Johnson, formerly enslaved by Andrew Johnson, began to promote the annual observance of August 8th as Emancipation Day in Greene County. In time, the annual celebration spread to other towns in Tennessee and in nearby states.

In 2007, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen signed a bill into law, which acknowledged August 8th as annual “Emancipation Day.” Unless I missed them, I was not aware of special celebrations on August 8th until last Sunday morning.

For further reading about Emancipation Day on August 8th, I suggest the following sources:

“'When we know better, then we can do better' | Knoxville historians share stories of resilience ahead of Emancipation Day.” WBIR-TV (Knoxville), by Lexie Martin, 8/7/2026. I may have seen a repeat of the televised version of this article early last Sunday morning.

“The Eighth of August: Emancipation Day in Tennessee,” Tennessee Historical Society, by Skyler Gordon, 8/3/2018. The brief article begins with an observance in Clarksville, Tennessee, on August 8, 1941. It also reflects back to a celebration in the same town on August 8, 1898.

The National Park Service: Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, Tennessee, includes the following noteworthy entries: Emancipation Day (last updated 4/14/2015), August 8th (last updated 7/24/2020), and Slaves of Andrew Johnson (last updated 7/20/2023). In summary, the columns elaborate on the lives of the slaves whom Andrew Johnson freed.

The Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, includes a column titled “Eighth of August History.” A section of it describes annual celebrations in Chilhowee Park during segregation. Also included is a link to an East Tennessee PBS documentary from August 8, 2016. Finally, three additional links direct to “More About the Eighth of August.”

I was pleased to discover Black in Appalachia: 8th of August: Tennessee's Celebration of Emancipation. The brief article embeds an audiovisual presentation, which is also available at “The 8th of August: Tennessee's Celebration of Emancipation,” Black in Appalachia (YouTube), 8/5/2022. Looking through the website, I learned the organization is headquartered in nearby Whitesburg, Tennessee. I may plan to visit them.

Finally, Tennessee State Museum: The History of Emancipation Day in Tennessee, by Stephanie Davis, 8-27-2021, includes an excellent historical synopsis of August 8th.

Conclusion

It is fitting for this brief article to become the 38th entry in the Appalachia—Northeast Tennessee Topic Section. I learned something profound early last Sunday morning. It began in nearby Greene County, Tennessee, on August 8, 1863. Once freed, Andrew Johnson's slaves did not wish to return to slavery. They were free to flourish as free men and women. Their accomplishments are described in the sources cited above.

Quoting from my inaugural article (3/6/2006), “To a true Appalachian, skin color doesn't matter. Of course, our necks may be a little red from getting out and actually working for a living, but you can be red, yellow, black, brown, or white and still be an Appalachian! Understand?”

This entry honors the freedom won by and the accomplishments of fellow Appalachians, deceased and living, with skin color darker than mine. We are relatives through the lines of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Every human is kin to one another. If all people could understand this relationship, nations and people groups would not antagonize each other.

To be emancipated from the evils of slavery is to be set free. Closing on a deeper spiritual point, my short story from August 14, 2022, briefly mentions my emancipation from sin and conversion to Christ on Monday, June 22, 1981.

I was once a spiritual slave, under Satan's control. However, as the Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (NIV).

Are you free in Christ? If so, you are my spiritual relative. Are you still a slave to sin? If so, unyoke yourself by becoming a servant of Jesus. If you would like to begin a confidential conversation along this line, please email me using the Contact Form on this website. I am a former slave, whom Christ set free. I would like to share that freedom.

Finally, this article remembers my maternal grandmother, Lula Frank Amos Wood (6/16/1901-8/12/1991). Granny Wood went to her everlasting freedom 35 years ago today.

Is Anyone Missing a Tagged Pigeon in Morristown, Tennessee? (published 8-2-2026; article #570)

Photograph by my youngest brother on Wednesday, 7/29/2026, at 11:05 AM, showing the tagged right foot of a pigeon resting in his left palm.

Introduction

Acrobatic? It must have been awkward to hold a pigeon, perched on your left palm with the back of your left hand on green vegetation, and to photograph the scene using your cellphone camera in your right hand.

Welcome, dear reader, to the 127th entry in the Humor Topic Section. It really happened. My youngest brother texted the above image to my cellphone last Wednesday afternoon. My amazed textual reply requested to know “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would have said.

A Pigeon in Hand: The Rest of the Story

Late last Friday afternoon, my brother called to tell me “the rest of the story.” He said last Wednesday started off as a usual day at work. (He works in Morristown, Tennessee.) Around 11 AM that day, while routinely walking from one building to another, he was surprised when a pigeon flew down and landed near him. As he approached it, he thought it would fly away. Instead, the pigeon flew up and rested on his arm!

Was it a homing pigeon? As in the above image, it had a tag on its right foot. My brother couldn't make out the tag well enough to identify the owner or any contact information for reaching him or her.

My brother said the pigeon followed him around and even rested on the palm of his hand, as in the above image. After taking the above photograph, my brother placed the pigeon under a shade tree and went to get a cup of water. The bird awaited his return and drank water from the cup.

Afterward, my brother went back inside to continue working. When he had opportunities, he looked outside and saw the bird still under the shade tree. After a while, however, my brother never did see the bird again that day. He looked for it over the next two workdays, Thursday and Friday, but didn't see it.

Conclusion

On House Mountain, I once saw a bald eagle perched on a tree branch near the upper-middle bluff. Standing nearby on the rock bluff, I was within a few feet of it. The bird flew off before I could photograph it.

The article from 11/19/2023 includes my photograph of an owl perched on a tree within feet of where Molly (our “old puppy”) and I were hiking. Molly and I were amazed it didn't fly off.

Countless times and in different hiking locations, I have come upon deer and startled them. Years ago, at Big Ridge State Park, a bear was on the trail I was hiking. Clapping my hands and talking loudly to it as I approached, the bear ran crashing down a ravine below the trail before I got to where it had been.

I have never, however, had a pigeon fly and land on my arm while at work, in the woods, or anywhere. My youngest brother has one-upped me with his pigeon story. Thanks for sharing your story, brother.

Is anyone missing a tagged pigeon in Morristown, Tennessee?