Heat wave

Over the weekend: Stecoah Valley, north of Robbinsville, NC.




Hiwassee Lake, near the dam, with water level at about peak.


Haven't posted any photos in the last week.
Been a bit too hot to go outside much, and when you get to anywhere scenic (don't have to go far) it's too hazy for a good photo. Not as hot in the mountains as in some cities west of here. Our themometer reached about 92 the last two days.

Testing posting photos using Blogger's add photo feature rather than Hello's Bloggerbot. So far I think I still like Hello! better.

Blogaround

If you're interested in finding more local mountain blogs, BlogAsheville has posted an Asheville Blogaround with links to lots of blogs in the Asheville area, including some in the far reaches of Western NC, like this blog.....

Rocky Top Brigade

Following the demise of South Knox Bubba, that wonderful blog that brought bloggers from all over Tennessee (and points distant) together, there's news that the Rocky Top Brigade, which Bubba maintained, is being kept alive by some other Tennesee bloggers and now has a new Rocky Top Brigade website. For those who were addicted to Bubba's 'Blab' forum, there's also a new Knox Blab forum for 'blab refugees'.

For North Carolina bloggers, there's NC Blogs, useful but not as entertaining as Bubba's constitution for the Brigade. North State Blogs does have a collection of membership rules, such as: "6) All Must be a fan of the Andy Griffith Show."

Our neighborhood raptors

The local hawk family is really enjoying the mowed field next to the road, by the brook. 

Looks like they're broad winged hawks; this may be a juvenile (or the female? Or maybe not. The guide says females are indentical to the male, but slightly larger.) It's the one on the ground in the photo above. The male flew to a tree when this one landed on the fence post. 

Amazingly tame. They've been entertaining the neighbors in the valley for weeks now. 

Interstate 3?

Fletch at No Direction Home weighs in on the possible construction of a new interstate highway through the Smoky Mountains, and points to articles in the Smoky Mountain News out of Waynesville. There's also a Stop Interstate 3 website.
Funny thing about this road, no one even seems to know where it will go. The existing maps (like this one on a Congressional site) are foggy. There's a description on Interstate-Guide.com, which is a little more specific. Most seem to indicate it would follow U.S. 129 through North Carolina, meaning it would follow the beautiful Valley River valley between Murphy and Andrews, not to mention the Tail of the Dragon, that twisty road through Deal's Gap so popular with motorcyclists....
Here's another article in the Maryville Times.

Between the storms

A break from the rain from Hurricane Dennis; lots of things blooming and thriving here and in Lynne's garden. 

Bee balm. 

Daylily. 

Passion flowers! 

Blackberries. 

Wildflowers. 

This spectacular spider (above, an orb weaver?) has a pretty good sized beetle captured. 

She's trying to lay eggs in a stony area next to the driveway. 

Sunny day Saturday in north Georgia: The mimosa makes it look tropical here along Lake Blue Ridge. 

A rare sunny period, over Cullowhee, NC, Balsam Gap in the distance. 

A little history

Fort Loudon, TN. The fort was built by British forces to repel French advances on Cherokee Indian territory in the mid-18th century. 

Overlooking Tellico Lake where the Little Tennessee and Tellico Rivers join; even the snail darter couldn't stop the damming of the rivers in the late 1960s. Several historic Cherokee villages are covered with water now. 

The fort is a reconstruction; the original fort is buried 17 feet below the surface where it would have been flooded when the lake filled. 

You can just barely see the Great Smokey Mountains in the distance thru the haze... 

On the 4th of July

Downtown Murphy NC: slow moving muddy Valley River after the rains, people picnicing on the 4th of July. 

Military display in the park. 

Hiwassee gorge just below downtown Murphy. 

Lilies. 

Mountain rodeo

The Snowbird mountains overlooking Andrews, NC. 

Saturday night at the rodeo in Andrews. 

Lots of action.