The Grasshopper Teacher

Yesterday, I followed a brown flying grasshopper, along the section of the walking trail pictured below, for I’d guess about a quarter mile.

That darn thing would fly ahead some 15’-20’ then land on the paved trail each and every time! I lost track of the count after 24 take offs and landings, I kid you not!

With the soybean field to one side of the trail and overgrowth on the other, that darn thing just kept moving forward refusing to land anywhere else but the trail. It didn’t have the smarts or desire to fly in the other direction, behind where we just came from, nope. Instead it kept moving forward and I’m guessing expended all its energy doing so -

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said -

“If you can't fly, then run; if you can't run, then walk; if you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward”

Simple And Tasty

I found another hidden away East Tennessee eatery, Rheatown Country Store, which is just down the road from me off 11e. 

It’s nothing fancy by any stretch but that’s what so appealing, to me anyway. It’s not really a store, perhaps it was at one time. I mean they do have some snackie type items, e.g. drinks, some chips and some candies but that’s about it. It’s more of a restaurant. 

I stopped in there this morning, before my walk, to give it a try and I was not disappointed, and left full, fat and happy!

Biscuits with gravy, a couple over easy eggs and bacon!

The breakfast of heart failure -

And I enjoyed every bite 👅 !

Strike A Pose

Smile you’re on candid cam…

Oops 😬, seems I’m a tad slow on the ole iPhone camera draw, alas.

Here are a few examples where had I been a little faster, perhaps I’d have a picture or two to share. Sadly, being I’m all thumbs 👍 sometimes, the below descriptions is all I have for you. You’ll need to use your imagination -

I stepped off the walking trail yesterday morning to shake the dew of my trouser lily 😉, next to Moon Creek. Well, I startled an otter 🦦, yes an otter 🦦! He didn’t stick around for a photo shoot, noppers, rather he took off like a dart and was gone with water 💦 splashing and swooshing. He startled me so that it was all I could do to not wet myself, forget reaching for my camera. Alas, a missed opportunity.

Or when a BIG raccoon 🦝 crossed the walking trail just feet away from me, as it ran into the soybean field! I was too slow again.

How bout the time I scared a mother deer 🦌 and her youngster? It was another one of those moments when, truth be told, we scared each other. I was in deep thought having already walked six miles, when the pair darted from along side the corn 🌽 field. With the mother taking the lead, they both crossed the walking trail and the street (Eden street) running parallel to it. However, the far side of the street has a wire fence running along it and there are trees on both sides of said fence and all sorts of overgrowth covering it all, so there was no easy access spot to get over. Both deer ran up and down the fence line several times searching for an opening. The mother found it first and jumped the fence with confidence and ease. The youngest on the other hand was less sure of itself but finally made the jump and off they disappeared into the overgrowth. In hindsight, I prolly had time to pull out my phone and snap a pic but I was captivated with watching them flee and hearing their hoofs clippity-clopping on the street.

Or the time I spied a lizard 🦎 on the Tusculum university Bill and Jean Pilloni pedestrian bridge; the one that spans over Rt107. I did a double take on this dude because I was VERY surprised to see such a critter here in East Tennessee.  Florida yes, definitely, but not here.

Unless I can improve my reaction times, might need to consider a body camera or perhaps a Go Pro. These missed opportunities to get these cool sighting captured is a bummer.

I’m Not Squirreling Around

It’s a hot and humid one out there this morning folks, phew! Even this grey squirrel seems to have had enough, and it was only 11AM -

This one was pilfering the cats breakfast -

And he wasn’t too pleased about it either -

This one wasn’t hard to spot, LOUDLY gnawing on a hard walnut while trying to be inconspicuous, and looking down at me with that “what you look’n at brotato chip”, fail -

Another adventurous morning walk!

Goldenrod And Lore

The Goldenrod is starting to bloom here in East Tennessee -

Old time weather lore says that when Goldenrod is blooming, the first frost is about 6-weeks away!

The days are getting shorter and the evenings a bit cooler. It’s a coming folk, fall is fast approaching!

It’s A Sign

Okay folks can you spot what, I believe, is wrong in the first picture below -

Look at the sign!

Look at the direction it’s been mounted to face!

It’s facing inwards toward the soybean field!

What traffic is there out in the field that would need such a reminder? I’m fairly certain that geese cannot read, nor can they drive, so what gives?

I suppose it could be intended for the farmer when he’s out plowing or planting or harvesting the field but I think that’s doubtful and a bit of a stretch. This stretch of the walking trail is acres of field corn and soybean and on both sides of the road and trail. 

Rather, I think the post itself was either put in facing the wrong direction or it was used for something else at one point, maybe farm related; an old fence?!

Assuming I’m correct, this would be just another example of shoddy workmanship and poor work ethics. I mean who would mount a sign like that and not question it? Maybe it’s all about checking a box - install warning sign on walking trail, “check”/done. Next task…

Carolina NOT Chinese

I spied this beauty making her way across the walking trail this morning -

I believe this is a female Carolina mantis, a native species to East Tennessee and which is a first for me!

I’m used to seeing the non-native, invasive Chinese mantis, which are also well established in East Tennessee.

 She blended in quite well with the dried mud. The walking trail is typically very busy on Saturday mornings, and today was no exception, so I picked her up and moved her out of harms way so no one would stepped on her.

The walking trail is full of all sorts of wildlife; I luv it!

💔

Delicious 😋

Channeling my Uncle Joe this afternoon with a peanut butter pie milkshake from the Shamrock in Johnson City -

When in Rome…

Don’t Mind Me - Update

Here’s the latest update to my previous post titled, “Don’t Mind Me” - the story about a wandering pig.

So, I posted a Facebook story, to a local Greeneville group, in an effort to locate the owners of this roaming pig. Lo and behold it worked! The owner, an abutting neighbor who resides on 11E (abutter #1), reached out to me via text - success, mystery solved!

I then became the point of contact for the owner and any sighting of said pig reported to me.  So when another abutter (abutter #2), the one who lives on our easement road, would text me to let me know the pig was in her yard or that area, I’d text the owner. A bit convoluted, as the owner was using FB Messenger and the other person was using iPhones Messages, but we made it work.

The below pic was taken about ten days ago and shows the owner, who drove over upon getting my message about its sighting, and spent 30-minutes or so trying to gain the pigs trust and get a rope around him. It worked too. He was able to get a rope around the pigs neck but he underestimated both the circumference of its neck and its overall strength of a lassoed pig. That pig reared back, did a couple crocodile-type “death rolls”, and freed itself, along with its trust 🤣, and off it wobbled -

The pig stayed in this general area. I was contacted half a dozens times or so over the past two weeks and would relay that info onto the owners. Animal control was apparently called and dispatched several times too but they were unable to catch this dude.

A big wire live trap was set using grain, which attracted the pig but he was too smart to go in it, rather flipping the cage to get at the feed.

Anyway, I received a message from the owner (abutter #1) yesterday afternoon to inform me that she was no longer the owner! Seems the other abutter (abutter #2), reached out to the her to inquire about buying the pig from her.

Apparently, the pig took a liking to the 2-year old boy of abutter #2 and would wait at their front door for him to go out and feed him, I kid you not!

The pig was actually quite friendly, not skittish just cautious, so I was not surprised he’d befriended the little boy. Seems abutter #1 had this pig thrown in free with their larger pig purchase, so she paid it forward and gave her ownership of said pig to abutter #2, with her blessing and the relief of no longer having to fuss with and worry about catching him.

The pig now has a name, given to it by the 2-year old, it’s COW!

Cow the pig 🤣 is still loose and abutter #2 is unsure how she plans to get him fenced in, so the saga continues but with a happy ending. You see abutter #1 was planning to have Cow eventually butchered but abutter #2 is planning to keep him as a pet!

Although, the story isn’t over yet, it’s looking like it’s gonna be a happy ending after all!

Not Over or Easy

Another day, another visit to the dentist, alas!

Nope, that’s not an image of an over easy egg -

Rather, that’s an image of my broken crown, UGH! The yellow is Dentin, the hard core structure of the crown. In my case, the enamel covering the dentin is what has partially cracked and broken off.

The dentist was able to file the rough edges of the enamel down so they’re not jagged and sharp. This will hold me over until I can have a new crown made…

Seems they, the numerous crowns I have, take turns cracking and needing to be replaced.

Part Of The Food Pyramid

After an 8-mile walk this morning, these XUL PB&J beer(s) hit the spot -

Just ask the fly who snuck a drink…

Scoop Dog Luv’n

It was a difficult decision!

I nail it and went with the Peanut Butter Bull’s Eye ice cream in a 20oz milkshake, which was the right call! It was delicious 😋 -

A Bit of Herpetology

I came across this beauty on my walk the other morning!

It was in a damp and overgrown section of the walking trail that doesn’t look like it gets much sun, so I’m thinking maybe it was enjoying the warmth of the pavement since it was not bothered by my presence. I didn’t fuss with it, so it was content to keep still and stay where it was -

These Garter snakes are very common back in Massachusetts and seen quite often but I’ve only seen a couple of them since moving to East Tennessee.

I grew up catching these and still get excited when seeing them.

People, Alas

“Reasons I Stay Home”

About sums it up perfectly!

Edible Starchy Nut Tree

I haven’t seen one of these trees in a VERY long time!

Do you know what type of tree this is, HMMM?!

This brings me back to my childhood home, and back to Burgess Avenue, and stirs up some wonderful memories.

A neighbor, and close friend to the family, had one of these trees in their front yard and I was always intrigued by it. The nuts would litter the lawn and street when they began falling. I don’t recall if the homeowners ever collected these and ate them or not.

The spiny burrs on the outer husks of these nuts 🌰 are vicious, so care and gloves should be used when handling, for the weeny people anyway -

This is a chestnut 🌰 tree and it’s in the neighbors yard here in Limestone, directly across from the mailbox.

I’m not sure if this is a horse chestnut or a sweet chestnut tree. This will need some further investigation. I’ll need to grab and open one of these nuts to be able to be certain. Determining which type of chestnut is vitally important because horse chestnut are toxic to eat!

Actions

PU or Pee-Yew

A stinky backyard visitor this morning -

Perhaps, the “walk of shame” since it was around 9ish…

Odd But Effective

So, there’s this thing I do to help me remember people, I give them nicknames. I don’t do this when meeting people in the traditional way (maybe I should if it helps me remember their names, as I am terrible with names) but rather when passing or seeing them from time to time. I just assign random names that come to mind when I encounter someone a couple of times.

I mostly do it when out walking and since I’ve been walking the same trail for the last couple of months now this process helps me recognize some of the regular walkers I pass.

Here are a few examples, with pics:

This is “no shirt guy”, for obvious reasons. He’s a regular walker and I’ve yet to see him wearing a shirt -

This is “Edna”! She reminds me of my grandmother and God love her, see has to be in her late 70 but she is out there regularly walking the trail, even in the hot humid days, slowly plodding along -

This is “Gilligan” because he wears a sailors-type hat similar to the one Gilligan wore on the TV show back in the mid to late 60s -

There’s also:

Backpack guy (walks the trail wearing a BIG backpack),

Fanny pack (female jogger who wears a black fanny pack over the same outfit, which kinda clashes),

Female Gilligan (wears a white Gilligan-type sailors hat),

Spandex baby (a spandex wearing mom pushing a baby in a stroller in the same outfit each time),

The Marine (a senior who wears a red Marine t-shirt, was a Marine and whose real name is Noah. I gave him his nickname before meeting him and learning his name.)

DML (dude who wears a sleeveless t-shirt with a DML tattoo on left bicep)

There are others too but these are the folks I see and pass most often. All very friendly too.

As odd as this might seem, I’m fairly certain there are others <wink wink> that do something similar, for example - Mr Beeper and Mrs Blower 🤣🤣

A Doozie Of A Sin

 Forgive me Father, for I have sinned!

I’ve been unfaithful to New England Patriots nation and have strayed <sniff>

I used a Philadelphia Eagles coozie the other afternoon to keep my beers cold -

However, desperate times call for desperate measures, am I right?!

After all, you wouldn’t have wanted me to drink warm beers, especially since they were Michelob Ultras…

🤣🤣🤣🤣