Bear Along The Way

This young bear is on the verge of being relocated due to a it's level of comfort with humans. People who visit the GSMNP are not always aware of the effect their behaviors have on the animals and the wild world they are a part of. This bear lives along a very busy trail and frequently has the opportunity to sample plastic wrappers from snack bars and candy, underwear and diapers left in the trees (see the picture), and assorted paper products. Often I hear folks say how much they love this beautiful place and then drop their cigarette butt on the ground while their child tosses the plastic wrapper from the plastic straw attached to the corn syrup (fruit Juice) they are using for nutrtion.
"I love my national parks" but I can't understand why I have to pay taxes to maintain them, I want this but only if it does not cost me any effort or money"!
I love my country and show my respect for it by throwing my child's diapers in the tree and my recyclable plastic bottle along the trail. Hmmm?
If I hear another "god fearing" conservative preaching god and guns talk about his or her love for country as they spend their kids future today with their low milwage SUV's etc..., or throwing garbage out the window of the vehicle I'm going to ask them what kind of debt are they going to leave their kids? A debt represented on paper created by the dollar or the environmental debt represented by shorter life spans, increased levels of illness as a result of pollutions, wars for clean water and dwindling species diversity. An environmental deficit spurred by personal greed and self-satisfaction that you and your god can't buy you out of! Killing your children's future in gods name with acid rain and toxic coal sludge as "stewards" of the world and all it's creations?


We may still have a choice.
What is wrong with, and how hard is it to be responsible for carrying out your own trash? No one is asking you to be responsible for anyone but yourself. Ask your kid for permission each time you decide to throw something out the window of your vehicle and into their future. Peace

Weird Science

SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS OFFERED TO YOUNG SCIENTISTS Great Smoky Mountains National Park is offering special programs for youth to participate in science activities on three occasions. July 26 at 2:00-3:30 p.m. – Special Scientists Young scientists, 10 years of age or older, are invited to become “Special Scientists” and learn about some of the tiny creatures that are part of the amazing biodiversity of the Smokies. A park ranger will set up microscopes and other scientific equipment for participants to collect and view microscopic invertebrates such as water bears, also known scientifically as tardigrades. These eight-legged creatures, the “other bears” of the Smokies, exist in mosses, liverworts, and lichens. Young scientists will be surprised and amazed to learn how these critters move, eat, and live their lives. The program will be held at the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center, a 15,000-square-foot impressive environmental-friendly facility that supports the Park’s research and science education programs. July 23 and August 2 – High School Volunteer Days – Half Day High school students, recent graduates, and their families can spend time in the field with a Park Ranger conducting scientific projects such as salamander monitoring, tree identification and mapping, and water quality assessments. These hands on projects provide participants with a specialized field experience that will help Park researchers perform important studies. This experience also provides young people an opportunity to get involved in science and in their national park in a fun and interesting way. For more information and to register for the programs, contact Park Ranger Emily Guss at 865-436-1292 -NPS-

Evening Walk in The Woods

A friend and I made a short stroll to Spruce Flat Falls this evening (7pm) and enjoyed the relative solitude in that we saw only a few bugs and some birds while we walked through the pasty evening heat and humidity. Peace

Hidden Springs

Today has been a good day! Click the title to see where I was!
Got to go hiking around and along the falls, work in the garden planting beans and pulling weeds and met some pretty cool folks as well. Oh, and saw a few turtles like this one I spotted as we shared the shade of an awesome tree in Hector's garden area. Peace

The Dragon/Highway 129 Road Work

U.S. 129 Slide Repair Update for July 7 Rock slide repairs expected to be finished this week.
Crews are working on the final phase of the rock slide repairs on U.S. 129/State Route 115 in Blount County and plan to reopen the road completely this weekend, three weeks ahead of schedule. Tennessee Department of Transportation emergency contractor Pacific Blasting & Demolition removed a total of 236 truckloads of rock from the site over the course of a week. Installation of the wire mesh in the slide area was completed on Tuesday. Workers will now focus on installing guardrail, paving and striping the roadway, weather permitting.
Up to date information on the U.S. 129 rock slide removal/stabilizationproject is available on the TDOT website atwww.tn.gov/tdot/US129Rockslide/default.htm, where you can view a live camera feed of work ongoing at the site as well as video and photos from the project.
Currently, U.S. 129/SR-115 is closed from just past the Foothills Parkway to the Tabcat Bridge. A short section of U.S. 129 between the TabcatBridge and the North Carolina state line, known as "The Dragon", is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; however no through traffic is allowed at the rock slide site at any time. Detours remain in place to allow motorists to get around the rock slide repair area.

Government Canyon State Natural Area/San Antonio

Dudes and dudettes! What a different experience this walk was in central Texas. After visiting with a few friends in the city for several days the "mysterious one" and I were able to make it to the state natural area mentioned in the title of this entry and hike over 7 and a half miles in a drastically different environment from that of the Cumberland Plateau and Southern Appalachia.



The ranger that we spoke with at the entrance to the 8000+ acre area cautioned us of the 300' elevation gain on the trail we inquired about and the rattle snakes. We enjoyed the walk with no sign of snakes, we did see a few lizards and the elevation gain was of little concern as we had plenty of water in this dry zone.



There were puddles in stream beds occasionally along the way and we were able to also enjoy some beautiful blooms still happening in this part of the world. I had noticed in the local paper the day before (7/4/10) that San Antonio was several inches above average in rainfall at this time and with a good breeze the temperature was not extreme.