Concert for your birthday? Sure!

Sweaty good times in Vanderbilt Stadium... months of looking forward and now, over. But so worth it!

Tomorrow at Vanderbilt... finally!

Local cuteness

If this doesn't make you want to sew (or shop, or live here, or pet a dog) then I don't know what will.

I'm so not cool enough to even go in. Not to mention so not flush with the millions I'd spend in there if I had them.

14 years later!

One of my first musical purchases (at the glorious Phonoluxe) after I moved to Music City was a used Chris Isaak cd. I'm excited tonight to go see him at the lovely Ryman Auditorium, courtesy my dear husband, for a belated birthday. As long as I can avoid getting doused in beer, I see no impediment to a great evening.

Update: didn't get doused, but there were plenty who did. Maybe that's why it's dark in venues: so the poor performer can't see all his fans acting like complete idiots.

a little getaway part 2

We had the opportunity to get away midweek, to the family lake house of a friend's friend. What a restful place, full of old antiques and quilts and family memories, as well as little couches and windows everywhere. All added up to many opportunities for watching the river flow by, counting myriad types of birds, and listening to their calls. It got cold and blustery after the first night, but it was still beautiful. One just adds more quilts, and mugs of tea, and stays out. Above are a few shots Jay took around the place. What a treat!

a little getaway part 1

Nashville Gas Shortage.

This is brilliant! Edited for your pleasure.

Saw it.

I saw two redneck women duking it out at a BP gas station in Whites Creek. Cool.

An overnight visit from Old Man Winter

He doesn't stay long, but he was most welcome...

Communing without nature - CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/02/05/nature.interest.ap/index.html

then why is it so busy at every campground we try to visit here in TN???

Tennessee Farms

According to the American Farmland Association, Tennessee is now tied with North Carolina & Florida for the largest amount of farmland that is lost each year.

I just read this quote on the Franklin Farmers' Market site. It doesn't surprise me at all, as we note the For Sale signs and new condos and city homes that seem to be appearing even out near Leiper's Fork, and further. Something I've been wanting to do for a long time, but never taken the time to research it, is to visit, educate myself on, and support local farms. From time to time I head out to the downtown Farmers' Market but it is by no means a habit. So I am going to start a side listing of local organic food farmers and will occasionally, hopefully, update this site as to my findings. Partially fueled by reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, and partly by my sadness of seeing farmland and forest "develop" into buildings frighteningly quickly in my 10+ years of living here, I feel I must go see some of it before it disappears forever.
If you have a local farm or local food resource that you know of, please tell let me know.

Natchez Trace

Realize these last few posts could seem like a Tennessee Tourism ad... but I had to get out of the city for a bit and clear my mind on the Natchez Trace. Once past the Double Arch Bridge, the dry brown grass, hot temps, and cars disappeared, and I began to see more deer, less people, and the thermometer gauge drop quick. What a glorious day with the windows down and the countryside ambling by at 40 mph. Made it to the Water Valley overlook after an unexpected detour into rural no-cell-phone land. Kinda like where I grew up, but green. Yet red. After an hour or so I turned around with the sun at my back and drove into Pasquo in the blue twilight, glad to live where I do at present. Drive, bike, or hike the Trace!! It's all I can do not to use up my paycheck on unleaded.

Non-Camping.

A cool, gorgeous night [78 degrees and low humidity in JULY!] spent in the backyard, slapping mosquitoes and cooking pancakes on a Coleman stove. Just testing things out til we can get into the prime camping season, with veteran camp cook Joe [my dad] at the helm. Lots of fun, Carter-style... which would mean complete boredom to any other person!

Nature

Have been enjoying some lovely, fall-like weather here this weekend with my parents, so not much to post til I get some photos downloaded. But just a reminder if you haven't been to the Edwin Warner Park nature center and grounds, go and watch birds, walk, bike, hike, run, etc. It's just a lovely place especially when it's temperate and cool out. So nice to live in a beautiful part of the world! We also went up to Beaman Park, up near Joelton, and looked around that new place. Very out of the way and quiet, lovely, verdant, etc. Need to go back and spend more time. Glad it's free because I feel I've already given Beaman enough of my money. [see below]