LYCHEE SEEDLINGS

These are the little trees from the lychee seeds that Michael planted before leaving for Germany in June. They have made a little grove and growing well as long as I keep them watered.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Early in the season you could walk through the garden with ease. Now the heirloom tomatoes have all grown together. They were on 6 foot tall garden stakes but the weight of just the vines caused them to topple. So they were just layed on the ground. Its harder to get to them but the production is probably the same. The heirloom varieties did not start ripening as early (around July 4th) as hybrids I've grown in the past.
Okra is growing right outside my bedroom window so that I can check to see if it needs to be picked as I open the blinds first thing in the morning.
My all time favorite tomatoes are the cherry tomatoes. The vine to fruit volume is in better proportion. And they just keep producing all through the season. And its a great snack.

AUGUST GARDEN

Lili and Sophi came over for a little while and checked out the garden with me. They loved watching and trying to catch butterflies in the zinnia garden.
They also checked out the pumpkin crop. Five so far only one in my garden the others in Jeff and T's driveway. I guess they'll keep getting bigger until they're cut.

DRAKES CREEK KY PADDLE

Off to Bowling Green Kentucky for the Saturday paddle. The BGKY paddle group, formed for less than a month, met on Drakes Creek for a leisurely 5 hour paddle on a shady cool stream. The five of us took our time exploring the creek, going upstream on the middle fork to see the ruins of a mill and its dam, taking turns choosing which way to go when we came to a riffle or a downed tree. We were lucky on the four downed trees that crossed the creek. Three completely covered the creek except for a few feet. The fourth one we found three different routes through it, with a few limbs in the face.
After four days with paddles and the longest one on the last day, a day of rest is in order.

OLD HICKORY LAKE PADDLE

Friday seven of us paddled across Old Hickory Lake just above the dam to Anchor High Marina for the monthly meeting for Leslie's kayak group. Another pleasant evening on the water. Choppy water going over but calm water going back. The lights on the dam were bright and lit up the water.

SUNDOWNER AT HAMILTON MARINA

Thursday evening back at the sailboat marina for Mark's kayak group's meeting. Another delightful paddle and another potluck dinner. We had the gorgeous sunset - alas, didn't have camera. One reason that this location is so enjoyable is the bank of the lake has been covered with carpet. And it extends 20 or 30 feet out into the lake. It protects my boat bottom and makes it easy on entry and exit for the paddler. The most likely time to capsize on a paddle is at the take-out. Slippery and unstable rocks, deep squishy mud and steep banks all make take-outs precarious and dangerous. So carpet is definitely appreciated.

PERCY PRIEST LAKE-PADDLE AND PIG

What a week. The last four days have included a paddle each day. Wednesday the Paddle and Pig group met at Hamilton Creek Sailboat Marina for their weekly paddle around the lake and pot-luck dinner. Evening is a special time to be out on the water in Summer. The heat of the day is past and most other boaters have left the lake. Very quiet and you may be blessed with a gorgeous sunset.

PIPEVINE CATERPILLARS

It's exciting! In this muggy heat of August, the female Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly has finally visited my little pipevine, Aristolochia fimbriata. There are at least 10 caterpillars in various stages of development.
The first plant was put in the ground in 2006 and it has become one of my favorites. It's a vine but works best as a ground cover trailing across the ground. It has grown to less than two feet long. It produces lots of seeds and has come back each year with more plants slowly covering several square feet. The veining on the leaves is particularly attractive and looks good all Summer long even in the extreme heat.
This Spring at Henry Horton State Park (for the Middle Tennessee Plant Swap)near Lewisburg TN along the Duck River there were lots of wild pipevine in bloom growing up the trees along the river. Saturday, while paddling the Sequatchie River I saw many of these wild pipevines in the trees along that river, also.

Sequatchie River Paddle

Met Pete and Sue, John, MaryKay and Dakota Saturday in Dunlap to paddle six miles on the Sequatchie River. It was hot, probably in the mid 90's and the river and being close to it was sounding like a good way to spend the hottest part of the day.
My kayak was my choice of transport - love the maneuverability and my independence.
The Sequatchie is comparable to the rivers in middle Tennessee that I've kayaked this year. One point of interest is the fish trap where a narrow chute was made originally by the native Americans to funnel fish into a net. Its just wide enough for a kayak or canoe and gives a bit of a thrill on an otherwise placid river.