My First Stand Alone Beer Review...Depot Street's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Of all the things I have written about on this blog, I haven't reviewed beers. Yes, I have done a number of Top 5's (Here is one on Imperial Stouts), but no straight reviews. Well, I am reminding that with my first review of Depot Street  Brewing's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout. For those who don't know long before Yee-Haw and others Depot Street Brewing, out of Jonesborough, was a spearhead of the craft brew revolution in East Tennessee. 
So I picked up a special brew, the Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout, at Libation Station. Well, it poured well and had a nice dark color the way an Imperial Stout should be. It also had the great roasted malt flavor of these full-bodied beauties.
I will say it was a very good Imperial Stout, but it did lack in the Bourbon Barrel department. It just didn't have a real Bourbon Barrel taste so it is not on the same level as Oskar Brewing's Bourbon Barrel Aged Ten-Fidy or Wicked Weed's The Dark Age (I will be reviewing these two). I will say it is one of the best beers I have had from Depot Street and the Wood Booger Rating is 4.25.

Day Trip Blog In Southwest Virginia

Well, today I made a quick trip to Southwest Virginia to move some (heavy) stuff from the old house to the Cabin. We put it in the barn and I hope I dodged the Hantavirus. However, this trip allowed me to test out my refurbished  Canon PowerShot SX 720 HS. I mentioned it arrived last Friday, but I hadn't really got to shake it down.  I got some nice pictures and got to use the camera connect that allows me to move photos to my phone and then to Google Photos, pretty convenient. While it is not the same camera it seems like it will do the job, I am glad to have it back.

New Place For Asian Cuisine & Some KFC

When you think of Asian cuisine you don't think of Rogersville, but it has two Asian restaurants as of writing this, the newest being Asian Cuisine (no I am not making that up). It is billed as a Chinese, sushi, hibachi and Thai food resturant...that is a lot of hats in one place.
Asian Cuisine is located in the old Pizza Hut building (it moved over next to Big Lots). It was strange to see the old Pizza Hut with an Asian look, but it was nice.

But any restaurant is about the food. I first had the Wonton Soup and it wasn't the greatest as it was way too salty. For my main course, I had the "Happy Box." I got the Hibachi Chicken and Scallops with sweet carrots and mushrooms. Besides that, the "Happy Box" also came with two Crab Rangoon, six California Rolls, Pork Egg Roll and Fried Rice. While I have had much better Japanese style food this wasn't half-bad.

Overall, it is not too bad and it is a welcome addition to the food scene (if you can call it that) of Rogersville.

Since I am talking about Rogersville eating establishments I decided to try the Nashville Hot Chicken at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). I love hot chicken as one of my favorites is Rocky's in Asheville. Let me say KFC's isn't Rocky's. The coating is average and very hot, but it is better than the Georgia Gold.

Spring To Fall...Compare & Contrast At Laurel Run Park

Spring and Fall, one signals rebirth while the other is beginning of the end of this cycle.
For waterfalls, it is also a picture in contrast. Spring the season when waterfalls are at their best while fall sees cascades at their lowest point. So, since I was recently at Laurel Run Park on the Fall Equinox this is a Compare and Contrast blog on its five main waterfalls from spring to autumn.

The water crossing in spring...

...about dried up in fall.

Laurel Run Falls in April...

...& September.

Little Laurel Run Falls roaring in the spring...

...in autumn not as much so (but still a nice pool).

In April, Lower Kiner Hollow Falls was quite impressive...

...in September you wouldn't know it was a waterfall.

Middle Kiner Hollow Falls was also something in the spring...

...just a trickle in the fall.

It is hard to believe that Upper Kiner Falls looked like this...

...& five months later like this.

Fall Equnox Day Hike At Laurel Run Park

Well, today I celebrate the Fall Equinox at Laurel Run Park in Church Hill. Now, anyone who reads this blog knows I follow Meteorological Fall (start of September) instead of today, which was the start of Astronomical Fall. 

I hiked about four miles and the main takeaway from the hike the lack of water on the cascades of the park. I am going to write more about this, but Laurel Run Falls was low flow and most of the other waterfalls were just a trickle. 

But, Laurel Run Park is always a nice place to hike. Still, any day on the trail is better than one that isn't.

On another matter as some know my beloved Canon PowerShot SX710 HS camera broke and I have mostly done this blog, since June, using my phone. However, I sent my old camera in & just yesterday, Canon said they couldn't repair it but sent me a refurbished newer model (PowerShot SX720 HS). But guess what it was here when I made it home...nice!

The Wood Booger Has To Remind People...Leave No Trace!

This edition of a Leave No Trace rant I have been meaning to do, again, for a few weeks, but unfortunately, I can do it anytime...because of trash on the trail.
The reason this has reared its ugly head again was a recent trip on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the area of Camp Creek Bald. I hiked up the road to the Summit of Camp Creek Bald and down the AT. On the way, I collected trash including a liquor bottle at a campsite on the AT. I collected so much trash I had to go back to the car before I continued the hike. I did find a cool fold up mini-sitting pad at Camp Creek Bald.

Well, my day of collecting trash wasn't over. Once off the AT and on the Blue-Blazed Trail (old jeep road) I found a styrofoam cooler. Then I found more cans and plastic bottles at Jones Meadow and on the way back to my car.

Then I had another hike on the AT from Tanyard Gap to Allen Gap. I didn't find a lot of trash until I reached the Spring Mountain Shelter. Here I found trash, including a whole, uneaten meat stick. While that was bad (this is why shelters have bear problems) at an Allen Gap Campsite I found a bottle of ranch salad dressing...a full bottle!

Okay, so here is the thing fellow hikers and anyone enjoying the outdoors, just haul your s**t out and Leave No Trace...humans!