As Many of you may know, I recently made a very long distance move from Rhode Island to Tennessee...

I thought that I may share a bit about where I am now and where I have been. I will probably add to this now and again so I will just say this...

I was raised in Portage Wisconsin... lived most of my life in Milford MA... then spent about 12 years in Pawtucket RI... Now I have landed in Tennessee, very near the Ocoee River and the Cherokee National Forest. As well as having been a few places in between.

I will share bits and pieces along the way... but this is where I am now

 

Views: 746

Replies to This Discussion

Okay... I have to do something as it seems that I cant load pictures at the moment but I will get it done... sorry

Ocoee in located in Polk County TN...

According to Wikipedia...

Polk County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was created 28 November 1839 from parts of Bradley and McMinn counties. The county had a population of 16,050 in 2000. Its county seat is Benton. The county was named after then-governor James Knox Polk.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 442 square miles

Much of the terrain of eastern Polk County is mountainous, including Big Frog Mountain, constituting part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. (I am at the end of the Appalcian Mountains, actually right on the side of the mountain) Large tracts of Polk County are part of the Cherokee National Forest. The Ocoee River, site of whitewater slalom events in the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympic Games, runs through Polk County and is vital to one of the county's major industries, whitewater rafting. The calmer Hiwassee River, a tributary of the Tennessee River which flows through northern Polk County, is also used for rafting and tubing.

In November 2009, a large rockslide closed U.S. Highway 64 through the Ocoee River Gorge, the county's main road connecting populated areas near Ducktown with the county seat in Benton. TDOT officials estimated that it will take over 2 months and $2.1 million to clear the road for traffic.

On December 12, 1863 Brigadier-General Jeff C. Davis of the Second Division 14th Army Corps US reported to General Sherman about the condition of the area around the Ocoee and Hiawassee Rivers. He reported that the area was rich in corn, wheat and meat. The Confederates have taken some but left a good supply for their people. The road from Benton to Spring Place, Georgia was reported in good condition. His only concerns were Confederate Guerrillas hid in the mountains and a large Confederate Cavalry force in the area of Red Clay.

Also on December 12, the 21st Kentucky US occupied Boyd's Mill near Benton on the Ocoee River.

December 1863- Colonel Eli Long Second Brigade Second Cavalry Division US reported. On the Federal Road Federals under Col. Long captured 300 hogs belonging to the Confederate Government. Another 500 Hogs were captured at the mouth of the Ocoee River.

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,050 people, 6,448 households, and 4,752 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile

If you would like to find out more... Here is the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Tennessee

You have started it will be good to see the continuing of your adventures upon the place you have landed

I just wanted to share a few of the beautiful and not so beautiful creatures that I have seen here in Southeastern Tennessee

Little Brown Bat - Myotis lucifugus

Little Brown Bat

The Little Brown Bat is one of the 15 species of bats found in Tennessee. Adults grow to about 3.5 inches, have a wing span of 10 inches, and weigh about 1/4 ounce.

Little Brown Bats are insectivore eating mostly flying insects. Including beetles, wasps, bees, flies and more.  Usually hunting above the tree canopy they are one of the first bats to emerge in the evening. They find their food using echolocation. 

Bats are the only members of the mammal family that can fly. Like all mammals they have fur and are warm blooded. They also give live birth and produce milk for their babies. Bats are in the scientific order Chiroptera (kie-rop-ter-a), which means 'hand-wing' and are known to live from 10 to 32 years.

While most people generally think of bats living in caves, in the summer time bats actually live behind bark, in tree's, jungles, and man made structures such as buildings, barns, and bridges. 

Bats provide an extremely important service for the environment in that they eat large quantities insects. In fact some bats can eat as many as 1,200 insects in one hour. Since some insects such as misquotes carry diseases including the West Nile Virus and other insects like Cucumber Beatles and moths can cause severe crop damage, bats are doing humans a huge favor as well.

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/mammals/little-brown-b...
 
Bald Eagle

 
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
The Bald Eagle was declared the national symbol of the United States in 1782. Ironically, in the lower 48 states, this species was threatened with extinction in the 1950s and 1960s, due to reproductive failure caused by the pesticide DDT. This pesticide was banned in 1972. Due to the banning of DDT, habitat protections provided by the Endangered Species Act, and aggressive reintroduction programs conducted by federal and state agencies, Bald Eagle numbers increased sufficiently to be removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species on August 9, 2007. The Bald Eagle was among the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and among the first to be delisted. This species still receives protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Bald Eagle is a true North American species breeding and wintering from Alaska, across Canada, in most of the United States, and northern Mexico.
Description: The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is approximately 20% larger than the male. The adult Bald Eagle is unmistakable with its all white head and tail. The body is dark brown, and the bill, eyes, legs and feet are yellow. The legs are unfeathered. In flight, the wings are long and broad, and held flat while soaring. Bald Eagles do not reach adult plumage until they are 5 years old. Immature plumages vary greatly with age, but include a mix of dark brown and white scattered throughout the plumage. During the first 4 years the bill is blackish, becoming light at the base, the eyes are brown, while legs and feet are yellow, like the adult.
Length: 28-38"
Wingspan: 6.5'
Weight: lbs. 6.5-14 lbs.
 
Golden Eagle
 
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
 
Aquila chrysaetos
The Golden Eagle is a western bird that is a rare but regular winter visitor to Tennessee. While debated for many years, it is now believed that there are no historic nesting records for this species in the state. Nonetheless, 47 captive-raised eagles were released in Tennessee from 1995 to 2006, and several more were released in North Carolina and north Georgia. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a pair that included a bird released in Georgia, did successfully produce a total of six young from a wild nest on Cordell Hull Lake, in Jackson County. The normal range of the Golden Eagle is in western North America from Alaska to central Mexico. It is also found in Eurasia and parts of Africa. This eagle is most likely to be present in Tennessee from mid-November to early March.
Description: The Golden Eagle is second only to the Bald Eagle in size. It has long, broad wings that are held in a slight "V" when soaring, and legs that are feathered to the toes. The adult is dark brown with golden tinged feathers on the back of the head. First-year birds are similar to adults, but have a white base to the tail, and white patches in the wings that are visible in flight. Males and females are alike in plumage, but the female is larger.
Length: 30"
Wingspan: 79"
Weight: 10 lbs
 
Several different species of Hawks
 
" class="ecxbodyfont""> 
Sharp-shinned Hawk
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Cooper's Hawk
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Red-shouldered Hawk
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Broad-winged Hawk
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Red-tailed Hawk
 
And many many more bird species... including
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Pileated Woodpecker
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Blue Jay
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
American Crow
" class="ecxbodyfont"">
Northern Cardinal
and many many more that you can see at http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/display.cfm?habitat=&sort=ao... 

A few more critters of Tennessee that I have seen since I have been here

Green Anole

 

American Toad
Bufo americanus

Photo by Charlie Freeman, TWRA

Description: American toads are 2 - 3.5 inches long. Their coloration varies from shades of gray or brown to brick red. They have some spotting on the chest, and only 1 - 2 warts per dark spot. The cranial crests do not lie against the parotoid glands (see Fowler's toad.)

Reproduction & Growth: Females lay spiral strands of 4000 - 8000 eggs that normally hatch within 1 week. Metamorphosis of tadpoles takes about 2 months. The toad reaches maturity in 2 - 3 years.

Habitat: They are found statewide, from backyard gardens to upland forests. They are active mostly at night.

 

Box Turtles

Tennessee State Reptile

 

Other animals

Coyotes (I saw one of these following very closely behind the deer that I saw)

White Tailed Deer (I only saw these from a very quick glimpse as I spooked them)

Cotton Tail Rabbit (I had one of these little guys sitting on the steps as I went to take my Beagle out for a walk)

Types of Rabbits in Tennesseethumbnail

I cant wait to share more with you

I dont know how this happened but I took a picture of the moon the other night and it turned out heart shaped :)

Did you move to Polk county TN?

Amazing! It appears that at least that part of Tenn. is very similar to where we live as far as wildlife goes. I'm glad you are getting to see so many wonderful beings in your new home. It must be quite a different experience to move so far south after having lived in a more northly situation for much of your life.

Most of these can also be seen in Maine as well. a Bird book might come in handy for the bird feeder identification.

I did indeed my friend!

I Ching Guy said:

Did you move to Polk county TN?

Being in the country is SOOO much different than being in the middle of the city. The biggest thing to get used to is all of the strange noises at night :)

It is absolutely wonderful though. I couldnt ask for more. I am truly Blessed!

The Witch, Besom, and The Bee said:

Amazing! It appears that at least that part of Tenn. is very similar to where we live as far as wildlife goes. I'm glad you are getting to see so many wonderful beings in your new home. It must be quite a different experience to move so far south after having lived in a more northly situation for much of your life.

RSS

Birthdays

Important (read & understand)

How to Contact us:Preferred Contact point

Skype: Travelingraggyman

 

Email and Instant Messenger:

TravelerinBDFSM @ aol/aim;  hotmail; identi.ca; live & yahoo

OR

Travelingraggyman @ gmail and icq ***

***

Find us on Google+

Please vote for Our Site. You can vote once a day. Thank you for your support. just click on the badge below
Photobucket

OUR MOST RECENT  AWARD


1AWARD UPDATES & INFORMATION
10,000 votes - Platinum Award
5,000 votes - Gold Award
2,500 votes - Silver Award
1,000 votes - Bronze Award
300 votes - Pewter Award
100 votes - Copper Award


Member of the Associated  Posting System {APS}

This allows members on various sites to share information between sites and by providing a by line with the original source it credits the author with the creation.

Legal Disclaimer

***************We here at Traveling within the World are not responsible for anything posted by individual members. While the actions of one member do not reflect the intentions of the entire social network or the Network Creator, we do ask that you use good judgment when posting. If something is considered to be inappropriate it will be removed

 

This site is strictly an artist operational fan publication, no copyright infringement intended

Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries had its humble beginnings as an idea of a few artisans and craftsmen who enjoy performing with live steel fighting. As well as a patchwork quilt tent canvas. Most had prior military experience hence the name.

 

Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries.

 

Vendertainers that brought many things to a show and are know for helping out where ever they can.

As well as being a place where the older hand made items could be found made by them and enjoyed by all.

We expanded over the years to become well known at what we do. Now we represent over 100 artisans and craftsman that are well known in their venues and some just starting out. Some of their works have been premiered in TV, stage and movies on a regular basis.

Specializing in Medieval, Goth , Stage Film, BDFSM and Practitioner.

Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries a Dept of, Ask For IT was started by artists and former military veterans, and sword fighters, representing over 100 artisans, one who made his living traveling from fair to festival vending medieval wares. The majority of his customers are re-enactors, SCAdians and the like, looking to build their kit with period clothing, feast gear, adornments, etc.

Likewise, it is typical for these history-lovers to peruse the tent (aka mobile store front) and, upon finding something that pleases the eye, ask "Is this period?"

A deceitful query!! This is not a yes or no question. One must have a damn good understanding of European history (at least) from the fall of Rome to the mid-1600's to properly answer. Taking into account, also, the culture in which the querent is dressed is vitally important. You see, though it may be well within medieval period, it would be strange to see a Viking wearing a Caftan...or is it?

After a festival's time of answering weighty questions such as these, I'd sleep like a log! Only a mad man could possibly remember the place and time for each piece of kitchen ware, weaponry, cloth, and chain within a span of 1,000 years!! Surely there must be an easier way, a place where he could post all this knowledge...

Traveling Within The World is meant to be such a place. A place for all of these artists to keep in touch and directly interact with their fellow geeks and re-enactment hobbyists, their clientele.

© 2024   Created by Rev. Allen M. Drago ~ Traveler.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service