Nooks and Crannies

As opportunities arise, we will share some small "nook or cranny" that we have discovered along the way. The search is as much fun as the actual enjoyment of the nook or cranny! I suspect most will have a historical flavor. Some aren't exactly a nook or cranny, nor unknown....

In November, 2007, when we went to Philadelphia to see our new granddaughter, Kathryn Rose Kaskey, (visit here for lots of pictures) http://picasaweb.google.com/Andria2222

It didn't take her long to become UK's youngest and most precious fan!

We meandered our way back to Chattanooga, with a visit to Gettysburg where we sat at Little Round Top and visited all the sites of that terrible battle and drove the length of the Skyline Drive and visited Lexington, Virginia.Skyline Drive had some very scenic vistas and lots of deer, but having spent almost ten years in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina we weren't too impressed. My dearest friend, Larry Collins, who died in an ultralight aircraft crash in 1998, always told me I had to make that drive. It was one of his favorite trips that he made annually in the fall and I had always promised him someday I would do it.

After coming down the mountain, it was early evening and we decided to check out Lexington, founded in 1777. Goodness, were we surprised! It's a very small, old town that is steeped in history. Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is here








as is Washington and Lee Universityfounded in 1749. We had time for a tour of Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall"Jackson's home, and quickly decided to spend the night and explore more the next day. We saw the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee when he was president of the university after The War and where he died and is buried. It is a very interesting town filled with authentic shops and things to see and do.

The Book Corner

If you read much, you have probably read a Ken Follett book or two. One of my favorite books of anyone is his "Pillars of the Earth." Set in the 12th century in medieval England, it is a wonderful story about a small town and the building of their cathedral and the lives of those involved. One of those books you really hate to finish. I read it many years ago, and just reread it a couple of months ago. Wonderful. And NOW, he has published the sequel, although the setting is a couple of hundred years later. A must read is "World Without End!" Perhaps an even better book. We usually wait for books to come out in paperback, but it was Christmas and Anne knew how I would like it. A BIG gripping saga whose biggest disappointment is that there is an end to it. I miss reading the book. Wonderful story! If you read, don't miss these two books!

"Catching up "

Well, months have passed since my aborted task to become a blogger. Anne and I made the move to Chattanooga (Hixson actually) and we are settled in. My original intent on this blog was to offer my opinions on pressing issues of the day. It was meant to spread my opinions on many subjects -- politics, flying and its risks and reporting on drunken pilots and poor maintenance, and careless mechanics, and general shortcomings we run across in everyday life. BUT, after a couple of reviews from family who thought I was concentrating excessively on the negative aspects of "life" and upon subsequent introspection I have decided they were probably right. I just don't have the "fire in the belly" to concentrate on negative things or ineptitude, or bad manners, or surliness, or the tragedies and bad things in life. So, I shall abandon those crusades and simply report on the more pleasant and positive issues of the day (I hope). No guarantees though. And I labor under no assumptions that this site will be the first thing everyone checks in the morning! More likely, once a year if I'm lucky.

We moved to Chattanooga for a "new adventure." After ten years on the mountaintop in North Carolina, we had seen and done about everything there several times and decided we weren't ready to spend the rest of our time rocking on the porch looking at the Smokies. We wanted the weather to be about the same and to be close to a big lake and a larger city with the usual attractions. Growing up in Flint, Anne still enjoys seeing lots of snow, but I have no such passion! Chattanooga was really the only choice, so we made a few short trips here and were really impressed. The Crossroads of Dixie. Chattanooga sits along a seven-mile bend (Moccasin Bend) in the Tennessee River and the deep ravine here is known as the Grand Canyon of the South.

Lake Chickamauga is three times the size of Lake Fontana, the weather is moderate and still has the four seasons. And real estate prices were surprisingly cheaper. Population of Chattanooga proper is about 160,000 and it touts itself as The Scenic City. No state income tax is great, although offset by a 9 1/4 % sales tax. We moved the end of August and are still truly amazed at how friendly and welcoming every single person has been that we have met. Although we made some wonderful and dear friends in NC, we thought people in general there were a little more clannish and less welcoming to strangers. One of the big issues was all the Floridians with bags of money coming to western NC and driving up real estate prices and thus property taxes that became onerous to those local people.

We wanted a bigger home to hopefully accommodate family and grandchildren in the near future. We found that in a large subdivision in a suburb of Chattanooga (Hixson). Our tree-filled back yard slopes down to a small cove off the lake. Property between our back yard and the lake is owned by TVA and will never be built upon. We can walk to the lake in 5 minutes or drive to the marina in ten. Hospitals and the usual shopping necessities are less than 10 minutes away and the largest mall in Tennessee is about 20 minutes away.

(Some of the following information is thanks to Off The Beaten Path, by Tim O'Brien.)

There are lots of attractions nearby, the most notable probably being Rock City on Lookout Mountain. I have always assumed that was a sort of tourist trap, but it is certainly worth a visit - touristy yes, but beautiful views and an interesting 3/4 mile hike. From Lovers Leap, one can supposedly see seven states. And while on top, don't fail to drive through Fairyland. Lookout Mountain is also home of Ruby Falls. Lookout Mountain was the site of the battle subsequent to Chickamauga and part of the overall Battle of Chattanooga. On top of the mountain is Point Park, site of the crux of the battle and also now has a Battles for Chattanooga Electric Map theatre. Also atop the mountain is Covenant College. The college owns and has restored The Castle in the Clouds resort hotel which is now their main building. Don't forget to ride the mile-long Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, built in 1895, with a 72% grade at the top and the best ice cream in Chattanooga. Signal Mountain is also an interesting drive - it has its own little town or community up on top. A word of warning -- there are about three access roads to Signal Mountain. Erika and Frances will attest to this -- the last trip down the winding turns are SO sharp, while navigating downone particular curve, I plowed right into the back of our own truck! :)

Of course the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield National Park is here (actually in Georgia) where we found a large monument to Lt. George Washington Landrum of Cincinnati, but that is another story. During the era of WW II, Chattanooga was a heavy industry town -- lots of factories, foundries, metal working plants, and lots of industrial smog and pollution. In the 50's and 60's, those industries moved away and Chattanooga was NOT The Scenic City. Being the home of the first licensed Coca Cola bottling factory, "old money" was plentiful and many of the city's leaders initiated plans to revitalize the city and concentrate upon tourism as a chief means of income for the area. And they have been wonderfully successful. Attractions include a downtown filled with tourists on any good weather day sampling food in all the trendy local restaurants. The Chattanooga Lookouts are a AA farm team of the Cincinnati Reds MLB team and they have a beautiful new stadium. The Tennessee Aquarium is touted as the premier aquarium in the South. Once the only way to cross the river downtown, the Walnut Street Bridge, circa 1891, is considered the longest pedestrian walkway in the world. In 1993, when the new bridge was built, a $4 million renovation turned it into a great place for a stroll and for sightseeing No cars allowed. In late September every year, there is a Wine Over Water Festival held there. Coolidge Park on the far shore is a wonderful grassy place for picnics and sunbathing and for taking a ride on a beautifully restored carousel complete with the calliope. The paddlewheeler, Southern Belle, goes for nightly dinner cruises up and down the river at dusk for a really nominal fee. You can sit up top and watch the city slip by to the accompaniment of another old, original calliope. The North Shore is reminiscent of a "hippie" area (to us old folk) but has great restaurants and is rapidly becoming a most interesting place to visit. And while there, DO NOT miss Frankensteen's -- the best little breakfast nook anywhere -- just don't go on weekends -- too crowded. The Bluffview Art District is a hip, classy little neighborhood of arts and dining. Visitors here must not miss Rembrandt's Coffee House ( wonderful chocolatier and lunches). Housed in a restored classic revival mansion, The Hunter Museum of American Art offers the most complete collection of American art in the Southeast. The area also offers a glass studio, sculpture garden, bed and breakfast, and numerous small, trendy restaurants. And everybody in Chattanooga eats bread from the Bluff View Bakery! Every June, the river here is the site of Riverbend Festival and attracts about half a million people during its nine day run. Five different stages offer top flight music from all genres. A great day trip downtown is the Chattanooga Zoo. The Creative Discovery Museum will entertain children AND adults for several days! Although a big Coca Cola city, Chattanooga is home of the Moon Pie which, along with an RC Cola, has been lunch for many a Southern boy! And yes, there really is a Chattanooga Choo Choo! It sits downtown in the old art deco terminal station (very similar to Union Station in Cincinnati). The 85-foot-tall freestanding brick dome is the largest of its type in the world. Simply awe-inspiring. The site features restored train cars, landscaped gardens, and Victorian-era shops and restaurants. If you want, you can eat dinner in the club car, or dine privately in your own car, or even spend the night in your own luxurious private car. The phrase "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was coined in 1880 when the railroad initiated the first service from Cincinnati to the Crossroads of Dixie and of course, greatly popularized by Glenn Miller. There are other railway points of interest around Chattanooga including multiple places to ride the old steam-driven trains and view railway facilities. And again, for the kids and young at heart, there is Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park nearby. An old-time version of amusement parks as we used to know them.

Also downtown is the old, restored Tivoli Theatre - a beautifully restored movie theatre from days gone by. In the summer time, amphibious WW II "ducks" will take you for a daring ride through downtown straight into the Tennessee River. The Tennessee River, thanks to the TVA and a long series of dams, and thus, among others, created Lake Chickamauga and Watts Bar Lake, allows one to travel by boat to the Gulf of Mexico or to Chicago and beyond. We probably won't be making that trip however on a pontoon boat!

There are simply too many other smaller attractions to mention. Like the tour of the George Dickel whiskey distillery nearby! Or The Lost Sea, 30 minutes up I-75, is a huge underground cavern 300 feet below the surface that has a 4-acre underground lake, with glass-bottomed boat tours, whose depth has yet to be discovered!

Moving out!

Greetings! I heard that this blog's host closed on his/their house today and they are moving out soon! I'm sure he will be innernet challenged for a few days, so I thought I would update his millions of readers.

The Book Corner

The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. A fictional account of the time of King Arthur and Camelot. It is unusual because it is told from the perspective of his sister, aunt, and mother, the women in his life. But it's a great read for the guys also! 'One of those big spell-binding books you know you are going to enjoy -- you might even want to save it for cold weather!

Temporary delay in posting

For those millions of readers out there who continue to check futilely here for more of my excellent opinions, I must offer this excuse.

Anne and I are in the process of TRYING to move to Chattanooga, or rather a suburb, named Hixson. We have a contract on our current home and a contract on the home in Hixson. Now as long as our buyers don't back out we will be moving on 8/17. Obviously, in the meantime, we are going to be very busy. I assume we will keep the same e-mail address, so my blog will probably not be very active for a month or so.... We will let you know as things develop.

Thanks to buddy Frank for this bit of irony

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing. Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3
area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens and a certificate of completion for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower (a reduction in workforce) for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was "out-sourced" to India.. Sadly, the End.

However, sad, but oh so true! Here's something else to think about:

Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages. Toyota has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last quarter's results: Toyota makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

The Book Corner

Every week, we will recommend a book that one or both of us have greatly enjoyed. But be aware that my dear wife is pretty dubious of my "blog undertaking" and probably prefers to remain anonymously and quietly in the background! But I know some of her favorite books and authors. As for me, I read mostly history and historical novels and quite a few folklore or "feel good" type books -- Jan Karon's Mitford series I really liked and usually any book about Southern or Appalachian life. So, it goes without saying, Tom Clancy is a real favorite, along with Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum, and many others.

So, the first book on the list is "Cold Sassy Tree." Cold Sassy Tree is a 1984 novel by Olive Ann Burns. Set in a fictional Georgia town called Cold Sassy (and based on the actual city Harmony Grove, now Commerce) during 1905-1906, it follows the life of Will Tweedy, and explores themes such as religion, death, and social taboos. This is a good, funny, heart-warming, sad, poignant tale of a young boy growing up in the South. The sequel to the novel is Leaving Cold Sassy, which was published after Burns' death. Personally, I did not care for the effort and tone of the sequel at all and would not recommend it.

Always give your customer a little more

How many times do we see new endeavors, be it a restaurant, an airlines, a dry cleaners, or a service business, that start off with a big bang in delivery of goods and services only to fall miserably behind as time goes by. A new restaurant, for example, cannot do enough to please their customers, their food is fresh, their service is timely, their surrondings are spotless, and their waitpeople (don't you just hate that word and all it connotes?) just gush with friendliness and turn back-flips to please the customer. The food is always fresh and crisp, arranged meticulously on your plate, portions are impressive, etc. But then go back in a couple of months and the place is filthy, the waitpeople surly, the food stale, the lettuce brown and wilted. And don't even THINK of going into the bathroom! And the even sadder thing is that many reading this will say, "Well, so what's new? That's just the way it is now, get with the new worldly ways!" It's a shame the younger generation has never experienced real customer service people,CLEAN bathrooms, COURTEOUS salespeople, and even quiet, smooth-riding automobiles. They know things as they are today and not how they were in a previous generation.

That's one reason so many small businesses fail -- they cannot deliver the goods on a long-term basis whether it's service or a resale business. They get tired very quickly of the effort required, their customers turn away, the business goes under, and then they eventually think of some other way to make a few quick bucks and the cycle starts anew. In the meantime, their old customers happen upon another new business and rave about it to all their friends and THAT cycle starts anew. Entrepreneurs today think that once they get the business started, they can just sit back and watch the money roll in without any further real effort from them. They don't understand that their work has just begun.

And while we are speaking of customer service or customer relations, did you ever notice two things?

First, the clerk you are having a problem with is invariably named Stephanie, Jennifer (not Jenni), Crystal, Tiffany, or Seychelle.... or Somesuch.

Second, how on earth do desk clerks at a decent hotel learn to be so snooty? You would think they are the queen's child and you are applying to stay in their home at no charge. They don't have a clue as to the difference between efficiency and pomposity and arrogance and, as we say at home, snootiness! You're a desk clerk not the keeper of the queen's palace for goodness sakes!

Don't take my word for it. Just pay attention.

Introductory Post

New subject posts will be added weekly at a minimum on every Wednesday. First of all, let me assure EVERYONE that my main motivation for setting up this blog is to simply see if I can do it and manage it, not to spread my views and solutions to the world's problems. We all know I am much to humble for all that! If you will tolerate an occasional rant, you might find some good books to read and a fact or two that is surprising. Everyone knows that some of my rants will be about commercial flying, jumping off bridges and out of airplanes, and just generally taking what I consider to be unreasonable risks, although I would not classify riding in an airplane as an "unreasonable" risk. And I AM aware that the world must have those risk takers.