The Fall that Almost Was!

 Light patterns on fallen leaves, Wesley Place, Knoxville. This was my fall.

For most of my adult life Fall has been my favorite season. 

I've always carried a camera with me as I go through daily life. (My family refers to it as my "growth.") I've found some of my best photos that way. But I always especially looked forward to getting away for a few days in the fall to go looking for pictures in the north Georgia mountains. Most years I've been able to do that.

But not this year. And not because we no longer live in north Georgia.

We had a really beautiful, but seemingly brief, fall in the Knoxville-northeast Tennessee area this year. Lots of luscious color. But did I get out for even one day of photography? I did not. I hoped to go. I intended to go. But because of poor planning and poor circumstances and the brevity if the color season, it did not happen. Not this fall.

At my age, one becomes very conscious that if one misses out on something, there's an increased possibility that the opportunity may not come again. I'm optimistic, and not at all morbid, but I'm fully aware that if I live to the age of 100, I've already used up more than 86 percent of my life. So I value the opportunities I have and try not to miss any of them. 

But this was the fall that almost was. And I'm feeling just a little bit bereaved.

James Rice Mill, Norris State Park, Tennessee.

One of the things I had planned to do was to get a better photograph of the old mill at Norris State Park.

The mill was built in 1798 by James Rice and sons on Lost Creek in Union County and moved to its present location on Lower Clear Creek and restored when Norris Dam was built. It was undergoing some new restoration when I made this photo. I wanted to get back to photograph the completed restoration in fall color, but didn't make it. Maybe next year. . .

(Leaf photo: Fujifilm X-H1 camera, 90mm f2.4 Fujicron XF micro lens. Mill photo: Fujifilm X-T20 camera, Fujicron XC 16-50 f3.5-5.6 OISII lens.)
 

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:    photography     travel    Tennessee    Knoxville    Norris State Park    James Rice Mill     Fujifilm X-H1 camera     90mm f2.4 Fujicron XF micro lens    Fujifilm X-T20 camera      Fujicron XC 16-50 f3.5-5.6 OISII lens

The Week that Was!

 ...but now it's water over the dam. Prater's Mill, Coahuala Creek, Gordon County, GA.

By the beginning of this past week, Louise was pretty well over the severe back pain that had laid her up most of the previous week, following a family get-together at grandson Michael's home in Lexington on Sunday and a late evening drive home through the mountains. 

By last Sunday Louise was much better and able to go to church. On Monday, I posted a sales ad for our truck on AutoTrader and Facebook Marketplace. On Tuesday, I began to get text messages from four prospective buyers. I went out that morning to put the truck toolbox back in place after having removed it earlier to haul some things. I noticed I was feeling a little weak and having difficulty lifting something that had previously been no problem.

Around 2 p.m. I took Georgia for a walk and when we came back I unhooked her leash and found I could not raise myself up. I was gradually able to raise myself by holding on to the wall, then shuffled very slowly into the study and plopped into my chair. I spent the next 36 hours in a stupor. Louise checked, and I tested positive for COVID. 

I was able, by text message, to let the prospective truck buyers know was was happening and that I would notify them that I would be in contact with them by Friday. Friday came and went, I notified them, and so far, no one has responded.

Meanwhile, it was two days of coughing, spitting, and running (so to speak) to the bathroom. You don't wanna know. 

By Thursday morning I was feeling somewhat better. Louise got me a prescription for steroids, and that perked things up pretty quickly, though I was still kinda weak.

Louise had tested negative, but I must have re-infected her, because she has now spent the last several days in bed with weakness, vertigo, and a headache. We had to miss church on Sunday and cancel plans for a get-together with friends afterwards.

And that was the week that was. And the truck still isn't sold.

(Photograph of Prater's Mill dam: Hasselblad 500CM camera, Zeiss 50mm wide-angle lens, Fujichrome 100 film.)

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:    photography     travel     Georgia     Gordon County     Prater's Mill     Coahuala Creek   Hasselblad 500 CM camera    Zeiss 50mm wide-angle lens     Fujichrome 100 film     film photography                      

A Belated Happy Hollowe'en

 Effigy Farmer with a cartload of pumpkins. Georgia Highways 17/75, Towns County.

 

Things were somewhat busy at the Jenkins household last weekend, so I failed to post anything appropriate for Hallowe'en.

 

I found this jolly farmer selling his pumpkins from a cart along Georgia Highways 17 and 75 in Towns County exactly 15 years ago from today (I'm writing this on Sunday, November 5th) on one of my rambles through the North Georgia mountains. The camera was my trusty Canon 5D Classic and the lens was the Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5-4.5.

 

We had beautiful color here in the Knoxville area this fall, and I'm sorry to say that I let the season get away without taking a single day to get out and about with my camera.

 

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:    photography     travel     Georgia     Canon 5D Classic digital camera     Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5-4.5    Towns County    North Georgia mountains

Taking a Short Break

Wanna Buy a Truck? RAM 3500 dually, 6.7 ltr. Cummins Turbo Diesel.

I need to take a short break. I have a truck to sell, and Louise is having some extremely painful back spasms, probably triggered by our quick round trip to Lexington, Kentucky last Saturday. It was great to see our son and daughter-in-law and two of our grandsons and their wives, but we probably shouldn't have tried to make a one-day trip of it.

I'll begin posting again on Monday, if all goes well.

 

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail a check to me at 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:     RAM 3500 truck     Cummins 6.7 turbo diesel