Friday's Fence

On a visit to the Little River Railroad Museum, in Townsend, TN, I spotted this fence across the road.  Just couldn't resist snapping a photo...

It was the entrance to some hotel, I think, but I was not as interested in the name as I was in the fence.  Guess you can just call me a fence junkie!

These next two were taken somewhere along I-81 between Virginia and Tennessee.  These were more of the drive-by types, but I loved the look of the long, white fences.

Gotta love that "Sport" setting on the camera!  Sure does help keep me from blurring all the shots!  And, since we were traveling at about 65 MPH, you can get a sense of how rapidly that shutter goes - the same white horse and entry gate in each photo...just a little further along.

Linking to Friday's Fences.

It's Such a Pretty World Today

It's such a pretty world today look at the sunshine

  And every day's the same since I met you
It's such a pretty world today knowing that you're mine

And happiness is being close to you.

And though the rain may fall our skies will all be blue

And if I look close enough the sun will come shining through

It's such a pretty world today look at the sunshine

Today and every day since I met you.

Linking to Thursday Theme Song.

Its a Green Thing!

While visiting Parrot Mountain (hopefully you won't get tired of hearing that...), I spotted these pretty little birds up in the tree.  They were not in the Secret Garden, and weren't contained in any way.  I am SO bad at bird identification, so again, any help will be appreciated.  My best guess, based on the Smithsonian Handbook of Birds of North America, is that this is a Green Parakeet. They were just too pretty not to share!

Since I don't know for certain, I will not attempt to provide you with any scientific information on the bird (which I would have to borrow anyway).

Linking to The Bird D'pot and Wild Bird Wednesday.

Quilt Barn!

I finally managed to find some quilt barns on our recent trip - I was so excited!  This is the first of several I will be posting over the next few weeks (note how stingy I am being!).  This one was somewhere along I-81, either extreme southwestern Virginia, or just inside Tennessee.

Not bad for a drive-by at 65 MPH!  The cows in the foreground were a "freebie"!

Linking to Barn Charm.

Monday's Mural

Today's mural was completed in 1994, is 15' wide and 12' high.  The title is "Honoring Early Physicians" and depicts three doctors that served the area around Lake Placid, Florida.

Dr. Alfred Eide served the community from 1930 until 1941.  He was of Norwegian descent, and had served several leading Chicago hospitals before going to Florida.  He is remembered for performing lab tests, and mixing and dispensing his own drugs, all for $2.  If he made a house call, the charge was $3.

Dr. D.W. Crankshaw was a pioneer of holistic health, and believed that treating an ailment required treating the whole person.  He practiced medicine in Michigan and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina before coming to Lake Placid in 1948, and served there until 1977.

Dr. Norman Tyler arrived in 1959, having interned in New York, and served in Tampa prior to arriving in Lake Placid.  He was born in Birmingham, England but was sent to the US for his education.  One of his pet projects was the physical well-being of high school athletes.  Anyone who participated in sports received a regular free examination.

I thought it was a beautiful tribute to these physicians who were much beloved by their community!

Linking to Monday Murals.

Thoughts on a Sunday

(Somehow, my post for today was deleted!  I am not quite sure I will be as "profound" at this point as I was when I wrote the original one yesterday - apologies to my readers!)

In my travels recently, I have seen several pretty country churches.  These always make me reflect on my childhood - when friends and neighbors lived in a community, attended the same church, and the same school.  Today, I live in a small, urban neighborhood where I know few of my neighbors, and one next door that I would not know if I met her in the yard - I have seen her so seldom!  I don't know her name, where she works, or if she attends church.

Huskeys Grove Methodist Church, Pigeon Forge, TN 

I miss that sense of community.  People used to care for each other, and about each other.  When someone was sick, there were always people with food, and offers of assistance.  I know those things happen still in communities around the world, but they don't happen here, at least not in my neighborhood.  We don't have that kind of connection.

Old Church in Cataloochee, NC, Great Smoky Mountains National Parl

Recently our neighborhood participated in National Night Out.  It was an event that was designed to get people related to each other again.  We were unable to attend because Dan had just had his pacemaker, but I understand that there were about 50 people there for an ice cream social, and that they really enjoyed it.  There are even plans to have a neighborhood cookout in October.  I hope they do - it will be nice to know the neighbors.

Somewhere along I-81, near Bristol, VA, I think.

There is one place where we are always related, and always family.  We share the same heavenly Father. If you are not connected to a local body of believers, I invite you to look for one.  And I pray you will find a family and a place where everybody knows your name.

Blessings on this Lord's Day.

Linking to Spiritual Sundays.

How Much Wood...?

...could a woodchuck chuck...?  Arriving at our condo in Pigeon Forge, TN, I opened the back patio curtain and surprised this fella.  He didn't stick around long...and we never saw him again.  (This sighting also prompted the question - what is the difference between a woodchuck and a groundhog?  DH said this was a groundhog, I said woodchuck.  Turns out, there is no difference!)

And away he goes...

Linking to Camera Critters.