ALL ADVENTURES IN NEW BLOG AFTER OCT. 2014

Please go to my new Costa Rica Blog for continued adventures:  

https://www.charliedoggett.net/

OR TO MY NEW PHOTO GALLERY: 

https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods by Charlie Doggett is my last photo book made while still living in Tennessee, nature photos from all 54 State Parks at that time, 2014.  CLICK the linked title above for a free preview of the photo book, all pages! I think it is pretty good if I do say so myself!  😊

Three More State Parks Today & I've Seen Them All!

I have now been to all 53 state parks in Tennessee. (I've heard they are adding two more, but this was my goal and I'm stopping and doing the book!) My first one today was my favorite, Red Clay State Historic Park:

7 Delightful Carvings in front of "Sleeping Huts"
Red Clay State Historic Park

A Cherokee Farmstead at Red Clay State Park

This is one of the first stops if not the beginning of The Trail of Tears and where the last Cherokee Council was held before the Trail of Tears began. The natural landmark is the still flowing Blue Springs, while there are many reproduction buildings including a Council Meeting House, barns, the above house and sleeping huts plus an Eternal Flame for the Cherokee. There is an annual pow wow and other related events held here each year. A new and pleasant discovery for me.

Then on to Booker T. Washington State Park:

One of two fishing piers in
Booker T. Washington State Park   

Like so many Tennessee State Parks, this one is all about the lake, Chickamauga Lake in this case, with fishing, boating and other water sports plus all kinds of recreation fields, picnic grounds, and other day use plus a group camp and a group lodge for church and other groups to use. It was built when African Americans weren't welcome at white-dominated state parks like Harrison Bay just 5 miles away. Of course today all parks are well-integrated, yet this park stays predominately black as Harrison Bay appears to still be predominately white - all unofficially of course!  :-)

So then I go the 5 miles to Harrison Bay State Park: 

All parks sport the flags as
these at Harrison Bay.

Also on Chickamauga Lake and also near Chattanooga, it is another weekend hangout for people who love water with much of the same activities as Booker T. Washington. The big difference here is the Marina and Restaurant with yachts and other big boats. There is also a big family campground for both tents and campers which the other park did not have.

(It suddenly dawned on me that I have known few African Americans to go camping - or is it just my imagination?) 

This too is used for a lot of day use, especially on weekends and seems to another popular park.

Two More State Parks

A family on a rock overlooking Center Hill Lake & Dam at Edgar Evins State Park

I've actually been to Edgar Evins State Park more than once before but could not find any photos. When Jason was in Middle School he had a friend whose father also worked for the Sunday School Board and the four of us camped and fished Center Hill Lake at Edgar Evins State Park. And I did an art show near the lake one year of my art show days (2004-2008).

Going to Ft. Loudoun State Historic Park as the rain starts.

Fort Loudoun State Historic Park is where revolutionary war period re-enactments take place which was not happening today but rather a pouring rain by the time I got there. I got photos of two signs and the Sequoya Birthplace Museum across the road. I started driving into the park in the rain (hoping to see a fort) and a scary-looking man was wobbling down the middle of the road in the rain (drunk?), so I made a quick u-turn and got out of there! This park is on Tellico Lake and near the millionaires' Tellico Village of mansions (weekend cabins?). Millionaires, drunks, and heavy rain scared me away from this park and I moved on down I-75 to Cleveland, TN where I will be closer to the three parks I plan to visit tomorrow which will finish my journey to all of Tennessee's state parks. I'm determined to finish the book before going to Costa Rica.

Had a great BBQ dinner with peach cobbler and now a quiet evening in my Hampton Inn room with plenty to read as well as this online time! Did another post on my Moving to Costa Rica Blog tonight too, reacting to Chris Howard's newsletter on Tortuguero, one of my favorite places.

Don't Grow Up - It's A Trap!

Changed mind on Costa Rica Posts Location & Got Apartment

I will continue to post about my preparation to move to Costa Rica on the special blog I started for the decision making notes since several are following it and not this one, at least until I get moved there. See today's post entitled Apartment Arranged.

But this "Adventures" Blog will still be used and probably become my main blog after the move. 

Cost Rica Ranks #2 on Global Well Being Report

Panama Photo from USA Today

See the USA Today report at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/16/global-well-being-poll-panama/15679637/

And Panama ranked #1 - the other country I was considering retirement in. Did I too hastily dismiss Panama? Nah! They're next door neighbors and I will likely travel some in Panama and if I decide Costa Rica is not the right place to continue living, I can easily move next door!  :-)  But for the natural world, my main draw, Cost Rica still wins out! 

Live in Costa Rica Tour

I'm having a wonderful time and learning a lot on what could be the beginning of my biggest adventure of all, a two week Live in Costa Rica Tour and 4 extra days to explore, including a birding trip.

SEE MY DAILY POSTS  on my newest blog Costa Rica Decision Process. You'll learn why I'm considering a move and lot about Costa Rica too. 

Attacked by a Mockingbird

Wednesday afternoon I was being interviewed on camera by the Fifty Forward FLIP Program (Friends Learning in Pairs reading tutor) in which I participate with much enjoyment. See my FLIP page. Well, the videographer decided it would be outside for better light. At the Donelson 50 Forward we went to that little patio in front of the building with me sitting on a park bench for the interview,  unknown that I was sitting under a Mockingbird nest on the tree limb just above my head. No less than 5 or 6 times the mother Mockingbird dive-bombed into my head to scare me away. It finally worked! She never broke the skin, but it hurt when she hit me!

DISCLAIMER: This photo was not

made during the attach but earlier 

as McKendree Village, but my

attacker wasn't abiding by 

this speed limit.

Boyhood

Tuesday I saw Boyhood the movie at Belcourt Theatre, our Nashville Indie Films theater and it is one of the best I have ever seen! It touches your heart strings or something deep inside as well as being one of the most unique of films. The producer filmed the same boy and the same stage family every year for twelve years to get the most realistic growing up movie yet. The boy goes from 6 to 18 as well as his sister, parents, step-parents, grandparents, etc. all realistically aging and changing their lives too.

Filming the same actor for 12 years, Ages 6 to 18

Because it goes through so many stages of life it did somewhat remind me of my growing up, though more like Jason's, yet even a later generation than his. If you cry in movies, bring your Kleenex! It is so real and touching.

I'm sorry it is rated R for the language and a little teen sex and drug use. I would have put PG13 on it. Maybe that is why it is in art theaters instead of the main stream ones. But I predict it will make the big ones soon and is bound to have many academy award nominations and make lots of money. One of the best movies of the year so far to me.

Two More State Parks

After biking my 16 miles on the greenway with Indigo Buntings, I drove south of Nashville to photograph two more state parks in my quest to visit & photograph them all. Today was Tims Ford and Henry Horton.

Tims Ford Lake is one of largest in the state.

Neat Bicycle Bridge at Tims Ford

Duck River at Henry Horton State Park

Tennessee Coneflowers at Henry Horton State Park

My Friend Joe Dies

Last night between 9:00 and 10:00 one of my first friends here at McKendree died as one by one his bodily systems have been shutting down over the last few weeks with the latest being a kink in his small intestine and water in the lungs. I sat with Nancy and the body until midnight last night until the funeral home finally picked up Joe's body. Today I took Nancy to the funeral home to make the arrangements complicated by the fact that Joe's son in in Pennsylvania and has all power of attorneys. But with phone and email they got it all worked out for his cremation and a memorial service probably on August 2 here at McKendree.

Today I wrote a poem and put it in one of my photo cards which I will put under Nancy's door in the morning on my way to church:

Remembering Joe

Soon after moving, I met Joe,
A kindred spirit, ready to go!
He soon showed me that he cared,
Likenesses of my Dad he shared.

I loved to hear his real war stories,
Never focused on his glories.
We laughed and talked of life,
While always avoiding strife.

Then along came that girl Nancy,
Their relationship not too fancy.
Both brought memories and love,
Descending on them like a dove.

Truer love like I’ve never seen,
From Nancy’s caring we do glean.
System by system, Joe shuts down
While Nancy’s care deserves a crown.

Day and night, Nancy was faithful,
And for that, I’ll always be grateful.
Joe’s now flying above a plane,
And knowing him was my gain!

Charlie Doggett
July 19, 2014

The Obituary in The Tennessean newspaper:

Click to Enlarge

Video Athlete Again Today

At the last minute the fitness director asked me to come to the fitness room to work out on different equipment while the videographer taped her giving three of us various instructions for our exercises - staged but glad to help again. Also spent time with Joe and Nancy. This evening Joe was moved to long-term nursing here at McKendree. There is not much else they can do at the hospital and he is now in palliative care or hospice care. The hospice nurse doesn't think he will last through the weekend, but I do. He is a fighter. Nancy is sticking close and staying in the room with him constantly and intends to until he dies or gets well. I'm concerned for her health. She can't be getting much if any sleep and is exhausted. 

Bike Rider on Video

McKendree is collecting video of the campus for use on their revised website that does need help! They shot me riding my bike and Jane Schnelle made this still of me riding out of my garage onto Asbury Ct., photographed with her tablet!

July 4, 2014

I turn 74 today. Here I am at our McKendree cookout with the Uncle Sam hat Jane Schnelle placed on my head! Thanks to Jane for her phone photo here.

If that was not enough, last night the waitresses in the Dining Hall gave me chocolate cake with a candle and sang "Happy Birthday" to me - and I might receive another phone photo of that event later. Plus lots of cards from the folks here at McKendree and a call from my sister Bonnie and a lovely card from her. Then this morning Kevin & Robbie stopped by on their way to Kentucky for family to bring a fresh-baked blueberry cobbler by Robbie which I will be enjoying tonight and for several more days. Yum! 

Red-winged Blackbirds Today

On my morning 16 mile bike ride I saw a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds on the Shelby Bottoms portion of the ride, mostly flying. The one photo I made of one perched is not close enough to post. So I'm posting a photo of my bike at my usual turn around spot, The Shelby Bottoms Nature Center where there is a special water fountain for filling water bottles and even one for dogs - a first for me. There are also restrooms at the Nature Center, so a practical halfway point in my three-day a week ride.

Another cell phone photo

7 More State Parks + Rugby This Week!

In my effort to personally visit and photograph all 53 or 54 Tennessee State Parks, I checked off seven more this week, all near Knoxville: Panther Creek, Norris Dam, Big Ridge, Cove Lake, Indian Mountain, Pickett, and Cumberland Mountain where I am now. Here is just one of hundreds of photos, this of one of the natural arches or natural bridges in Pickett State Park.

That was one of the parks I saw today after waking up in a motel across the highway from Cove Lake State Park which had a herd of Llamas behind the motel. Hmmm! Grass mowing? Made on my new cell phone and first ever smart phone for me, a Galaxy S4 - another adventure I'm own and loving it!

Rugby has some really neat architecture which I photographed, but nothing is open on Monday!

Going home tomorrow!

Doggett Reunion & JC Memorial Service

Today the dwindling Wood Doggett family Reunion was conducted on the usual first weekend of the month of June, just on Saturday instead of Sunday as in past. Some came because the potluck lunch was followed by a memorial service for my Uncle J.C. Doggett (James Clarence but always went by JC). Both were at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Warren, Bradley County, Arkansas. I had a speaking part in the memorial service but did not go to the old home place afterwards for the spreading of 1/3 of his ashes because I don't drive after dark and would have had to with my tight schedule. Another 3rd of ashes were spread in Tulsa and another on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Here's the group before eating our potluck lunch.

This is one of the first photos made on my new Galaxy s4 phone.

Night before last on my way to Warren, I spent the night on Beale Street in Memphis.

This is inside the Blues City Cafe where I ate dinner. Last night I ate Ronnie Miller's catfish and Joan's trimmings!

Tonight I'in the Bartlett area of Memphis on my way back home. 

I'm tired but glad I came. I used to make the 9 hour drive in one day, but it is too much for my back, legs and feet now, so I break it into two 4-5 hour drives, adding some fun! 

Carbon Dioxide Headed Your Way

More coal barges being pushed down the Cumberland River and more Carbon Dioxide! Seen today, Memorial Day, on my bike ride.

Tugboat, Speedboat, Train

On the greenways Friday I snapped these three passing vehicles either on or going over the river. At least there are no cars on the greenway!

Tugboat pushing a long line of barges 

on the Cumberland River at entrance of Stones River

Personal speedboat on Cumberland River

going under the Shelby-Two Rivers Pedestrian Bridge

Train about to cross Cumberland River

on bridge beside Shelby Bottoms Nature Center