Big Ridge State Park is a perfect example of the ridge and valley topography that makes up most of East Tennessee. These ridges in the park are surrounded on all sides by Norris Lake.
All this together makes for a great place to hike — great for the beginner hiker as well as the experienced.

An ecologist named Joseph Grinnell way back in 1936 once asked how it was that oak trees could colonize the tops of hills and ridges. Acorns are too heavy for wind to disperse them, and gravity tends to make them travel downhill rather than up. He concluded that animals must be responsible for getting acorns to high places.
Many animals use acorns as a valuable winter food source. Deer, turkey, wild pigs, and bears are heavy users, but an eaten acorn cannot germinate and make a tree.

Want a yeast roll that doesn't require kneading? This recipe stirs up fast. Of course, it does take an hour or so to proof. Then they are shaped and set to rise again. It is great for the holidays. You can set it out of the way to rise. When your oven is freed up will be time enough to bake them. If you prefer another shape of rolls, do whatever you like.

Matthew 16:19 - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Please be aware it is not my intent to be divisive, to exclude anyone or any church denomination. The Gospel itself will take care of that in due time. However, I don’t think I could pick a better chapter than Matthew Chapter 16 to jump flat-footed right in the middle of the fray regarding divisions within the Christian church over doctrinal differences.

I absolutely love colors. That’s why I paint so often.
Let me clarify that: I only paint walls.
If you have read any of my previous articles, you know I don’t have any artistic abilities — at all. I even struggle to do a paint by number correctly.

This is the fifth and last of a series of articles on the history of Wood Dale School in Union County, Tennessee.
In the first article I shared information about Wood Dale School from 1900 through the depression years to 1940 as related in Our Union County Heritage: A Historical and Biographical Album of Union County—People, Places, Events by Kathleen George Graves and Winnie Palmer McDonald (© 1978 Josten’s); Ms. Bonnie Heiskell Peter’s book Union County Schoolday Memories: A Pictorial History of Union County Elementary Schools From the mid-1800’s to the 1960s (© 1999); and from available school registers on file at the Union County Board of Education.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Having tired of trying to answer that question, woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, decided to go in a different direction. Meteorology. Specifically, predicting the beginning of spring.
Do not fall for this. And if you missed Groundhog Day this year, not to worry. According to a nearby source, it’s all a hoax.

With so much national attention on voting procedures and outcomes, I felt it timely to have a conversation with Deborah Viles, Administrator of Elections for the Union County Election Commission. She shares that the turnout of this election was the biggest turnout ever recorded in Union County, Tennessee. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of election regulations and procedures, let me introduce you to the woman responsible for seeing that our electoral process is carried out appropriately, because knowing and trusting her is key to trusting the process.

Winter recreational activities can pose painful problems for the outdoor enthusiast who is not in the best condition. Preparing your body before participating in winter sports such as snowboarding, skiing or ice-skating decreases the potential for spasms, strains and sprains, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

I had intended this week to share with you more of my dental adventures. Fortunately, perhaps, that particular inspiration has now left me. Usually, I end my articles with a bit of email “wisdom”, but for this particular article I will use one to begin:

There’s nothing scarier than that split second
when you lost your balance in the shower and you think,
“They are going to find me naked.”