Watershed: Prime Elements" Exhibit

Fun at the art show! Several of us attended the opening of Janis Wilkey's "Watershed: Prime Elements" show at Chattanoga's In Town Gallery, which features scenes at South Cumberland. The artist is shown with Mary & Latham Davis and Mary Priestley. Ruth Ann Savage Fults and her daughter came by on their way to the Tivoli Theatre. Other Friends of SCSRA present were: Sue and Joe Minton, Sally and Charles Hubbard, Waring McCrady, Mac Priestley, and Clay Binkley. Hope and Jack Baggenstoss dropped by earlier. The show will be up through the month of February.

Photos Make the Rounds

Winning photos from our 2009 "Pictures in the Park" contest have been on the road since last summer, visiting schools, businesses, and libraries across the 4-county area. Currently, they are on display (in a digital frame, courtesy of Grundy County High School) at the Palmer Public Library. After finding a great spot for the display, assistant librarian Anita Crabtree took me on a tour of the adjacent Coal Miners Museum -- well worth seeing! Next stop: Grundy County High School. --Mary Priestley

Frozen Fiery Gizzard

Friends member Peter Trenchi took these beautiful shots of the Blue Hole and Sycamore Falls and the Blue Hole during the current cold spell. The trail is icy -- he wore cleats -- and he advises not going alone.

Ode to Kanto Rapacov Drug Dog

From Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp today:

I wanted to pass along that Kanto Rapacov, South Cumberland's drug dog, died a few days ago. He had some intestinal tumors that grew rapidly until the intestines appeared to be fully blocked.

I wanted to thank everyone for first off purchasing Kanto for the park. I think he helped us big time when the park seemed to be getting over run by drugs.

Secondly, I wanted to thank everyone for letting me keep Kanto when health reasons (bad knees and hips) dictated he retire. He was almost 14 years old (in February), going blind, deaf, had bad knees and hips, and gas that would clear a room in about 2 seconds. He still loved to play ball at the end and I'll definitely miss him.

Park Manager John Christof adds:

I offer my thanks as well for the Friends gift of Kanto to the park to help us fight a serious drug problem in our park. Kanto did his job well and we are grateful for his dedication and service.

First South Cumberland Bear Photo

Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp forwarded this photo today of a bear caught by a game camera on private property near Collins Gulf.  The photo was taken on June 6, 2009.

Park Ranger Jason Reynolds Gets Hitched!

Photo credit to "hannahelaine photography"
http://www.hannahelaine.com/

Nov 7th 2009 park ranger Jason Reynolds and fiancé Cari Shepherd were united in the bonds of holy matrimony (or as Jason likes to say, "they got hitched"). The wedding took place overlooking Lost Cove with lots of family and friends in attendance. The stylish newlyweds honeymooned in the mountains of North Carolina.

No Longer Livin' a Lie

When I met Murfreesboro native Steve Lund at the Parthenon reception for Susan McGrew's Fiery Gizzard show, we talked about the Friends' "I Hiked 'Em All" hiking club. He said he was sure he'd hiked all of the trails at South Cumberland. I ran into him Friday at the park Visitors' Center. "I've been living a lie," he exclaimed. "When I looked at the day hikes listed on the Friends webpage, I realized I had never done the Climber's Loop at Foster Falls; the Meadow Trail; or the trail at Grundy Lakes. It's such a pretty day, I decided to high-tail it down here and set the record straight. So here I am!" That night he emailed to report that he'd hiked all three trails and was working on his documentation for joining "I Hiked 'Em All." He went on to say, "I plan to take my two sons back to do the Climbers Loop when they are home for Christmas. ... The coke ovens were interesting: that little valley must have looked like something from Dante's Inferno when they were all fired up." What an image! And congrats, Steve, for completing the trails!