ON EAGLE WINGS (ROCK CITY, CHATTANOOGA, TN)

I immediately thought of the hymn On Eagle Wings (composed by Michael Joncas) when I saw this sculpture near the observation point at Lookout Mountain.  "And he will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand".  It is a popular hymn especially at funerals.  I always get emotional listening to the singing because I thought of God's love and how my own parents (and as with most parents) providing the protection and always willing to make sacrifice for the children's well-being.  

"The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear, under his wings your refugee, his faithfulness your shield."  QQ noticed my husband's collection of eagles on display around our house during his recent visit.  We saw eagle sitting on the tree but never lucky enough to see one in flight, not even when we were in Alaska.  Others kept showing me pictures of an eagle swooping down, plucking a fish out of water (fitting for the expression "eagle eye") and with the catch securely in its claws, flying back to its nest, high up above the tree.  I once heard someone said, "You can't fly like an eagle if you are among turkeys".  Not sure what that means because if you are an eagle, why hang around with turkeys?  It sounds like making excuses for your own failure, blaming it on someone else instead of taking responsibilities for your own success.

"For to his angels he's given a command to guard you in all of your ways; up on their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."
This whimsical mushroom (above) and the fairytale looking gazebo (below) gave Rock City a bit of storybook garden since it would be boring just looking at giant rock formation.

SHE ROCKS! (ROCK CITY, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Well, it wasn't Pat Benatar concert but Rock City, Chattanooga was an interesting place to visit.  I highly recommend it.  It was a "geological and botanical wonder" according to the brochure.  The ancient rock formations looked like a playground for a giant family to be jumping around, playing hide and seek among these large rocks/boulders.  The name Rock City was a bit misrepresenting because there were also plenty of plants, sky-high trees and colorful flowers.  Even though it was a hot day, as soon as we were in the shade with the gentle breeze, we felt 20 degrees cooler compared to being in the sun.

Today (August 18th) we went to a company picnic hosted by my husband's employer.  It was a typical event (started around noon) that included typical picnic food (hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, BBQ pork and potato salad), attendance prizes (we did not win anything), games for the adults (washers tournament, bingo), 100ft races for the kids and the dessert contest.  My husband made his world famous apple pie but the chocolate cherry pie took the prize.

Last month when my husband told me about the picnic, we both thought, "who was the "smart" person that picked such a date for an outdoor event?".  If you've ever been to or lived in St. Louis, you would know the hot and humid temperature we have in August, especially mid-August.  With the heat wave we had since early June, we both expected a miserable day at the picnic.  We were wrong!  It was a perfect day today, sunny, mid 70s, low humidity.  All 300+ "associates" and immediate family members had a great time.  We left around 3:15 after my husband registered a complaint with the judges for their failure to recognize "greatness" of his apple pie! 

LOOKOUT!

We got a good amount of rain today.  Around 3:00 p.m., I could hear the wind was howling and looking out the parking lot to see the sky got darker each minute.  Then the rain started pouring down, pounding on the windows.  It was a good hour of heavy rain.  It stopped around 4:45 p.m. before quitting time.  Traffic on my way home was not too bad.  It has been pretty comfortable the last two weeks.  After the stretch of hot temperature and then thunderstorms almost every weekend, we have been enjoying comfortable weather in the mid 70s.  I started to go to the park during lunch hour to resume walking routine. 

These photos are from Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  We were there on Sartuday, June 30th.  From the high point of 2,389 ft,  we were supposed to be able to see seven states, Tennessee (of course, we ARE in Tennessee), Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, George and Alabama.  Seriously, I would like to know how anyone could tell where the state lines were and where exactly each state was supposed to be!

It was a very hot day but once we got up to the observation point, the views made it all worthwhile.  It would have been so nice if we could soak our feet in the water.  Or taking a bath under the waterfall :) 

MOUNTAIN MUSIC

Sunday, July 8th - It was a beautiful day and we decided to sit back and enjoyed this performance of folk music.  We even joined in when the audience was asked to create lyrics from their favorite colors and together everyone sang.  According to the brochure, some of today's music maintains a similarity to the 19th century styles dominated by fiddle and banjo, with a blend from varied influences.  The music was brought to the mountains from the early settlers and over the years evolved into distinct styles from diverse ethnic groups of European and African identities.  

Peaks of Otter community began in 1766.  There were 20 families in the mid 1880s.  Visitors came to see the abundant wildlife (we did not see any), the high mountains, and as hunting destinations.  For hikers, the area offers extensive trail system and three peaks - Sharp Top at 3,875 elevation, Flat Top at 4,004 and Harkening Hill at 3,364, for conquering.  The visitor center was closed so we did not get to see the exhibit of early life in the mountains and the development of the Appalachian trail.    

Saturday, June 30th - After Ruby Falls, we went to Rock City and slowly "hike" up to the top of Lookout Mountain.  The view from the Observation Point was spectacular.  With the help of the plaque at the base of the See Seven States Flag Court, we could only see where the States were just in general directions.  It was time for lunch so we sat down on the Cliff Terrace patio listening to the music, enjoying BBQ pork sandwiches and cold lemonade.  These are the New Binkley Brothers playing one of the songs on their CD, "Old Chattanooga" or was it "Ragged but Right"?  For a second there I got so excited that we were being entertained by ZZ Top but when I saw they were not sharp dressed men, I knew they could not be from the same band!