Paw Paw Hunting Highlights Day One In Southwest VA

This is the weekend of the 11th Annual High Knob Naturalist Rally, so on Friday, I headed over to stay at the Cabin and head up to High Knob Saturday morning.

Since I was going to the rally I was taking my Dad's Toyota, I had to meet him and Terry in Gate City, because they had drop Lester off at the Vet. The reason they are going out of town for two weeks (he is being boarded while I am babysitting Bax). 

Headed into Virginia.

So, after switching vehicles I headed to Fort Blackmore and the Cabin. Because I drove the Toyota I had to hike in a mile...uphill. Even though I had to carry stuff it was a pleasant hike with plenty of wildflowers. 

Headed toward Fort.

Start of my hike up...

...the creek ford...

...the second gate.

Iron Weed...

...late season Oxeye Daisy.

The old cabin...

Final section up...

...through the last gate...

...to the Cabin.

Once there I got my backpack together and grabbed the fruit picker and headed up the ridge to look for Paw Paws. I did find a good number but what I else realized I was at least a week late. There were bunches on the ground and turns out that what I was told was true, it was a good year. 

Headed up...

...the trail in search of...

Paw Paw tress...

...& their treasure.

Once past the gate starts what I call

...Paw Paw Alley.

The second barn.

After I got back I grilled a deer steak, built a fire and a course some wood knocking and Squatch calls. This was my first solo trip to the Cabin and I liked it.

The old grill is still going...

Fire time.

It is Squatch call time...

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.