The Big South Fork National Park is renowned for its dramatic and rugged scenery, enjoyed by hikers, mountain bikers, trail riders, kayakers and all outdoor enthusiasts. The "Eye Of The Needle" is a rock formation not seen by the casual passerby which makes it that much more special for those few who get there. It can be accessed from several points but is probably most familiar to riders camping at Zenith Horse Campground or Honey Creek Horse Campground in Allardt. Trails are well marked and maps are available.  When you arrive, you'll come to a clearing with a picket line stretching between two widely-spaced trees, where you can tie your horse. A very large tree has fallen this year, blocking the path, so it takes some effort to make your way over, under and around it in order to get ... 12/09/2009

These are my new shoes. You people in metropolitan areas are probably cringing because they're so ugly it almost hurts to look at them and you probably wouldn't be caught dead wearing them in public. But...they are the right tool for the job! I just got a new listing this past weekend and, when I go into someone's house to list or to show, I always wear shoes that I can slip off at the door, as a courtesy to the homeowner. In this instance, I could slip them right back on and go out to walk the land with the seller, not having to worry about wading through mud or jumping across the stream. With a neoprene lining, they are surprisingly warm and comfortable and the rubber is so pliable, they never feel stiff. I've had a pair of these Muck shoes for years but my dog made off with one recen... 12/07/2009

I found this fabulous picture frame in a closet in my late mother-in-law's summer cottage at Mere Point in Brunswick, Maine. In it was a picture of a stern-looking gentleman with big whiskers, in the style of the day, but no one had a clue whose picture it was. That being the case, my sense of whimsy demanded that I dispatch that old boy and replace him with a picture of my cat, Rags, who had the same frown and the same whiskers. I took Rags' photo to a photo studio and had it printed in sepia. This picture has hung in my house for years and it never fails to amuse me so I thought I'd share it with those of you who are cat lovers and those who appreciate a good chuckle. This is horse country and I seem to have an ever-increasing number of "barn cats" here...I'm going to need a few more ... 12/06/2009

Well, we had our first "winter weather advisory" of the season here at the Big South Fork in Jamestown, Tennessee and you Yankees can eat your hearts out. We had an overnight snowfall so it looked like Winter Wonderland this morning....which it was! This part of Tennessee is known for its mild winters so we can enjoy all of the beauty with none of the drawbacks....like seven loooong months of it, having the snowblower serviced, keeping a bag of "Ice Melt" by the back door, rotating your snow tires, trying to prevent ice dams from forming on the roof. How do I know about all those things? I lived in Maine for 15 years and Vermont for 10 and I've moved my share of the white stuff! As we speak, it's melting fast but it's enough to put everyone here in the holiday spirit.   For information ... 12/05/2009

Horses are often bred for color and, like everything else, certain colors become a "hot" item. Several years ago, it was the Spotted Saddle Horse, a gaited horse with the coloring of what people think of as a "paint" or a "pinto," that is, black and white or brown and white. They were a novelty at first and now it is more common than not to encounter them on the trail. Then it was Buckskin and several dilute colors such as Champagne, Cremello and Perlino, while Palominos never fall from favor and are eternally popular. Now it's Blue Roan. A horse with intermixed white and colored hairs of any color is usually called a roan. A "red roan" or "strawberry roan" is chestnut mixed with white and a blue roan is the mingling of white hairs on a black base which gives the horse an overall gray o... 12/04/2009

The Big South Fork National Park in Jamestown, Tennessee is so renowned for riding trails that it is often called "The Trail Riding Capital Of The Southeast," but many are actually designated as multi-use trails. The park encompasses 125,000 acres, straddling the Kentucky/Tennessee border and offers a variety of trails, intended for a variety of activities. Hikers, in particular, enjoy the many trails designated for their use and it is common to encounter hiking clubs, families and even llama trekkers. The Big South Fork has about 400 miles of trail overall — 130 miles for hiking, and about 160 miles of multiple-use trails that allow horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. Big South Fork trails are also especially popular with mountain bikers. Big South Fork is, in fact, one of t... 12/02/2009

Here in Big South Fork National Park, late fall days are usually mild enough for trail riding. In fact, it is common here to ride right through the winter, with many days in the 50's and some in the 60's. At this time of year, it is not the temperature that is a concern but the waning daylight which changes at about 1pm from a yellow morning light to a blue afternoon light. Riders need to plan their route to arrive back by about 3:30 as darkness falls early. For those who are unfamiliar with the area or the distances they might travel on various trails, it is a good idea to carry a reflective vest, reflective anklets or a reflective browband for your horse or a light stick that you can tie to your saddle, in case you have to make your way back to the trailer or to the cabin in the gathe... 12/01/2009

While most pear trees are grown for their fruit, the Bradford Pear is grown for its shape. Although it is hardy in Zones 4-9, that is, it should thrive in most areas of the country, I had never seen it until I came to Tennessee. It has a very distinctive shape, pyramidal when the tree is immature and oval when mature. It is remarkably uniform; the reason is that it was cloned from a single tree. It is noted for its rapid growth, often at the rate of two feet per year, until it reaches its full height of 30-50 feet. Its spread is 25-35 feet and it lends itself to planting in rows. I have seen it widely used here to create an "allee" leading to a property or as a windbreak/privacy screen across the front of a property. It is, unfortunately, a short-lived tree, lasting only 15-30 years, an... 11/30/2009

Deer hunting has started in earnest with the opening of the annual "rifle season" but horse trails in Big South Fork National Park here in Jamestown, Tennessee are so heavily used that hunters generally avoid this area. Trail riders wear orange and continue riding throughout the fall hunting season, something they dare not do in other states!       11/21/2009

Well, rode hard, that's for sure! The weather in Jamestown, Tennessee has been so spectacular for the past few days that anyone who could be out riding in the Big South Fork has been out riding! It has been 70 degrees with no humidity, no gnats, no horseflies, just clear fall weather. The leaves are off the trees and riders can really appreciate the spectacular topography in this part of Tennessee. What could be better than setting out early in the morning for a day of exploring with good friends and good food packed in your saddlebags? And a good horse; a calm, obedient, experienced trail horse that is your partner in the day's adventure? This is rugged country but the trails in Big South Fork National Park are varied so there is something for everyone. Jack's Ridge Loop and the White ... 11/17/2009

A couple of months ago, I put my beloved little Verizon Razr in the pocket of a shirt and then washed the shirt....with predictable results! Off I went to the Verizon store and I came out, a bit lighter in the wallet, with a Blackberry Storm.  It's a so-called "smart phone" and I have to tell ya', even if you're smarter than it is, there's a steeeeep learning curve! Over a period of time, Blackberry and and I came to terms...had a meeting of the minds, if you will. I grew to quite like it, using the camera several times a day, receiving and sending email and texting, getting info from Google.  This past weekend, Blackberry suffered an unfortunate accident.  I was riding with several friends in Big South Fork National Park. We had gone exploring, crossing the river into Allardt and hopin... 11/16/2009

Someone must have put a sign in the woods that reads "Free Cat Food At 515 Trailhead Lane" because I am overrun with raccoons! I have had a raccoon every night for eight nights and not the same raccoon, either! Some nights there's more than one! My outdoor cats have to come in for "bed check" and they sleep in safety on the screened porch where they have dry food and clean water. In the winter, they have heated beds and a heated water bowl. They aren't afraid of the raccoons and the raccoons aren't interested in them, only in their food. The cats seriously object, though, to the raccoons washing their hands in the water bowl and leaving it full of sand! So, it's clear....the raccoons have gotta go. For eight nights straight, a raccoon has been caught in a Havahart trap and...um...escort... 11/15/2009

There's a new real estate agency in Jamestown, Tennessee but they're not "the new kid on the block." TRP has long been a fixture here in the Big South Fork area but they're expanding their real estate services beyond marketing and selling properties in The Highlands, Hitchin' Post at Hunter's Ridge, Vista Pointe at Island in the Sky, Nichol Creek Farms and River Park, to becoming a full-service real estate agency, listing, marketing and selling properties all over the Big South Fork area. With their considerable resources, they will be the premier source for equestrian and country living properties on the Cumberland Plateau and these elegant glossy black signs will point the way.    Principal Broker, Sue Neff, is a Landscape Architect by training and was, in fact, Project Engineer for B... 11/11/2009

  A friend traveling south on Highway 127 from Jamestown, Tennessee swung around the other day when he saw me stopped, northbound, by the side of the road. I hadn't broken down; rather, I had stopped to take a picture of this donkey. He looks like he dipped his muzzle in a bucket of white paint! The Big South Fork area is very rural and this is a typical country scene. For information about Big South Fork real estate and horse properties, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com 11/08/2009

Trail riders in Big South Fork National Park here in Jamestown, Tennessee, may have noticed an unusual sight in the past few weeks. It looks like the woods have been "TP'd!"  Strewn all over the ground, everywhere you look, are what appear to be...well...pieces of toilet paper.  What they are, in actual fact, are the fallen leaves of the Bigleaf Magnolia, a deciduous tree notable for its very large leaves and flowers. These giant leaves can grow up to three feet long and a foot wide; they have a pale silvery underside, almost white. I had never seen one of these trees until I moved to the Big South Fork area and it's no wonder. Although the Bigleaf Magnolia is found from southern Ohio to the Gulf Coast, it is not common in any part of Tennessee except on the Cumberland Plateau and a few... 11/03/2009

When you're here at the Big South Fork in Jamestown, Tennessee, you're in a part of the country known for its Bourbon whiskey. Many people think of Jack Daniel's as Bourbon but curiously enough, Jack Daniel's ISN'T Bourbon! What it is, in actual fact, is Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey. The square black bottle, called "Black Jack," is world famous and is widely recognized as good "sippin' whiskey." That's the first of many contradictions in the Jack Daniel's story. On May 4, 1964, Congress recognized Bourbon whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States." Like Bourbon, Jack Daniel's is made of a grain mixture that is mainly corn and some combination of wheat, rye or malted barley. This mixture, called the mash, is then fermented.  The term "sour mash" means that fermentation includ... 11/02/2009

Friday was a rainy-ish day in Jamestown, Tennessee but the sun appeared late in the afternoon and with it, this rainbow stretching from one side of the horizon to the other. It hung there over the Big South Fork, with a full spectrum of brilliant colors, for moments....and then it was gone. 11/01/2009

Big South Fork National Park in Jamestown, Tennessee, has 125,000 acres of fabulous trail riding but it is rugged country so most riders carry saddlebags filled with....whatever you might need! A trail saddle or a Western saddle has a lot of strategically placed D-rings for attaching a variety of bags. In front, I have a small bag that holds a bottle of water, my Blackberry and a GPS(and a pair of cheap cheater reading glasses so I can SEE them)...items that I want readily accessible. A flat pouch snapped to the breastplate holds emergency contact info, a copy of my air evac card and a copy of my driver's license, a copy of my horses' Coggins, a small amount of money and a supply of business cards. A small bag snapped to a D behind the saddle holds an emergency boot in case the horse lo... 10/29/2009

Well, not just here in Tennessee; it's a southern tradition, and a way of life all over the south. Barbecue is both a noun and a verb. You barbecue the meat to produce barbecue and you invite friends over for a barbecue...see what I mean? There's a barbecue joint in every town (and usually more than one), where you can enjoy a side of ribs or a pulled-pork sandwich. The best way of summing up the experience is this: "Your fingers are your fork!" The closest thing Yankees had was "Sloppy Joes." I say "had" because barbecue is now an American tradition, with barbecue championships held across the country. Barbecue has been embraced world-wide. If you don't believe it, go look at the proliferation of barbecue cookbooks at amazon.com or type the word "barbecue" into Google! North Carolina c... 10/29/2009

Some months ago, riding acquaintenances from Vermont looked me up when they considered relocating to the Big South Fork area in Jamestown, Tennessee. They subsequently planned a trip and I recommended that they stay at a lovely bed-and-breakfast, the Wildwood Lodge, just up the road. And what would a trip to Tennessee be without a ride on a Tennessee Walker? So...I took them riding. They said that they had never ridden gaited horses and did not know how. "What's to know," I said, "get on!"  After the first ride, they had grins from ear to ear. It was such a pleasure to watch someone fall in love with this area...as so many people do when they come here...that I took them riding again. And again. The third time, we planned a long day ride in Big South Fork National Park where I knew they... 10/28/2009