Seven Islands State Birding Park: 9-21-2023 Hike (published 9-24-2023; article #431)

Introduction

Sunday afternoon greetings to all local, regional, national, and international readers, especially to you, dear reader! I trust in the Lord that you are well.

This greeting, by the way, does not include the “crawlers” or “bots” from Singapore! I have tried without success to stomp those “crawlers.” Website analytics for the past 30 days as of 9:30 AM last Thursday, when I started the draft of this article, showed 19,400 views from Singapore, extremely high. Total views from other nations were far more typical. The other totals were as follows: United States 2,320, China 257, Hong Kong 154, Russia 91, United Kingdom 86, Germany 71, Canada 67, Greenland 53, Thailand 51, Israel 48, India 28, Ukraine 25, Netherlands 13, Sweden 13, France 11, Iran 7, Belarus 5, Switzerland 5, and other 82. Singapore, please stop “crawling” my website! Don't make me fly over there to stop you!

For local and regional readers, are you enjoying the early fall weather? Northeast Tennessee surely needs rain. Trees are dropping leaves, not because the weather is cooling, but due to the lack of rain. Fall colors won't last as long or be as beautiful this season. I still enjoy fall. It's the start of my hiking season.

Last Thursday, this Appalachian Irishman took a civilized hike at Seven Islands State Birding Park (Tennessee State Parks, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation). This 53rd article in the hiking topic section describes the park and trail map, mentions a few details from my hike with two photographs, includes my podcast (the 7th episode on hiking), and concludes with a point of peaceful reflection.

The Park & Trail Map

The Seven Islands State Birding Park website indicates that the land was acquired in 2002 and that Seven Islands “became the 56th Tennessee State Park in July 2013.” (There are 57 state parks. Savage Gulf in Grundy and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee became the 57th park about this time last year.) Seven Islands “encompasses 416 acres along the French Broad River” and has “more than eight miles of natural trails.” The park is in southeast Knox County. I took the Midway exit 402 off Interstate 40 East to get there.

I began to remember the winding and narrow two-lane roads, as my 2006 Frontier took me closer to the park entrance. I had been on them before in my 1995 Nissan pickup. Entering the parking lot, I remembered that I had been there. My hiking log, which I started on 4/23/2000, doesn't record any hike at Seven Islands. I do recall, however, that I had taken a brief hike there after completing a work assignment in the area. The year was probably 2005 or 2006.

I wish that the park provided printed trail maps. They're handy for showing trail distances and routes as you hike. The trail map is on the information board only. It really doesn't matter, since you can't get lost! Just figure out the trails on your own.

Source: Seven Islands State Birding Park, Park Map.

If you open and enlarge to about 240% the Park Map in a web browser, you can see the trails and the legend well enough. I downloaded the map to include it in this article. The parking lot is just to the east of the Bluebird Barn. I walked through the barn, noticing various items. The fancy outhouse and the information board are a few steps beyond the west (or exit) side of the barn. Small information signs around the barn describe the plant varieties, birds, and birdhouses in that area. Beside the barn exit, there is an area where children can play on a slide.

My Hike with Two Photographs

I wanted to cross the bridge over the French Broad River, so I chose that trail, if you can call it a trail. It is called the Bobwhite Accessible Trail. (I never saw Bobwhite access it.) The legend states that the trail is nine-tenths of a mile long. It's a wide asphalt trail! You could drive a small car on it. My “bionic” right foot endured the pounding on that asphalt. That foot prefers to walk on dirt, grass, or carpet! It doesn't care for concrete, asphalt, tile, or any hard surface. My right foot didn't complain too much, however.

I started the civilized hike (as I call the trail) at about 12:45 PM. The weather was warm and mostly sunny. The temperature was in the mid-to-upper 70s Fahrenheit. Clouds built up during the hike. I hoped for rain. I would have been glad to hike in the rain, since we need it. It never did rain. It hasn't yet.

Having pounded my “bionic” right foot to the bridge, I laughed when I saw the sign! It warned me to watch out for ice on the bridge! (I'm sure that's important in winter.) I joked briefly with three folks who were at an observation area on the bridge about the danger of ice on that warm day!

Having crossed the bridge, my “bionic” right foot led me to the grass and dirt Island Loop Trail. The legend says that it is a 1.2-mile trail in total. At the fork, I decided to turn right (or northwest). (Always take the right fork in life, y'all!) The trail presented several great views of the French Broad River.

At 1:29 PM, I took the following photograph while still on that right (or northwest) trail. I never did see the Bigfoot that must have built the Bigfoot house in the image below!

Yes, I know that a human or humans built this lean-to from nearby tree branches. My hiking theology asks, “Who created the trees, from which the lean-to was made?” My full answer is in the third article from 11/16/2022 on the teleological argument for God's existence in the ongoing Christian Evidences series.

Having walked that right (or northwest) loop, my “bionic” right foot wanted more! So, I hiked the shorter left (or southeast) loop. I conversed briefly as we passed with only a few other hikers. I enjoyed the solitude. Only the Good Lord was with me.

I saw several pawpaw trees and stepped over quite a bit of pawpaw fruit that was ripening on the ground. I should have picked some to eat in the woods or bring home.

At 1:51 PM, having completed the shorter left (or southeast) loop, I took the photograph below at a fork in the French Broad River. The trail fork is a few yards behind me. A picnic table (not visible) is a few feet to the right of the image. Thanks, Lord, for reminding me of your living water of salvation! (See John 4:10-13; 7:37-39.)

The entire Island Loop Trail, grass and dirt, is wide and well maintained. It is mostly flat with only a few gentle slopes. If I hike Seven Islands again, I'll try the Hickory Ridge Loop Trail (eight tenths of a mile), since I may be able to get a good workout by hiking up the ridge. The Seclusion Bend Trail (2.7 miles long) also looks interesting.

My Podcast

Starting back on the asphalt Bobwhite Accessible Trail, I found an observation area near the middle of the bridge. I decided to record an extemporaneous podcast episode. Are you ready to hear what I said? I thought so!

The Appalachian Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube) episode is Seven Islands State Birding Park: 9-21-2023 Hike (published 9-24-2023; episode 19). I started recording at 2:05 PM. As the description indicates, “I stated, incorrectly, that this is the Seven 'Rivers' State Park and that the bridge crosses the 'Holston' River. My mind was in full retirement mode, apparently!”

I hope that you enjoy that brief episode of about three and a half minutes. I was standing where the French Broad River runs through it! The final segment, which I recorded at 2:27 PM, shows the two deer that I saw while near the Bluebird Barn. Can you spot the deer?

My total time on this civilized hike was an hour and 51 minutes, from 12:45 to 2:36 PM. Any day in the woods is better than not having been there.

Remember, fellow hikers, that the Lord is the source of living water! See John 4:10-13; 7:37-39. Also, please remember to take the right fork in life! That's my hiking theology.

Conclusion

I happened to notice that last Thursday was Peace Day. What's that? The United Nations (UN) on “International Day of Peace: 21 September” (United Nations) states:

Each year, the International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more.

The UN wants only twenty-four hours of non-violence? This world needs peace, all peace, not just more. The UN can't provide it. Who can?

The Prince of Peace can if we let him! This article concludes by encouraging you, dear reader, to study Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:14, and Ephesians 2:14 in their full contexts. You may already know the Prince of Peace. If so, we are related spiritually in Christ. If you don't, please get to know him. You are welcome to use the Contact Form on this website to begin a private and confidential email conversation.

How to Pronounce “Appalachian?” This Podcast Helps! (published 9-13-2023; article #430)

Introduction

Greetings, on this warm and mostly sunny day, in early fall. Meteorological fall started on the first of this month, as always. I don't accept the astronomical beginning of fall, which can vary by three days. This year, it occurs next Saturday. Thank you for dropping by.

By the way, if you are from Singapore, please help me stop those Singapore “bots” (or web spiders) from crawling my website! They increase view totals, but they are not legitimate. I'm trying to stomp the spiders, but they keep crawling.

Around these parts of northeast Tennessee, folks -- who were raised here -- know how to pronounce “Appalachian.” Interlopers, however, who come into this area, legally or illegally, often mispronounce the word. This article -- the 26th entry, under the topic section “Appalachia - Upper East TN” -- will, once again, try to educate all interlopers.

After all, this website is called “Appalachian Irishman.” This article wants all readers -- family, friends, national and international viewers, and even enemies (if I have any) -- to pronounce “Appalachian” correctly, as we do, in these parts. Listening to my embedded podcast, below, is crucial!

Important Note

This article explains the pronunciation of “Appalachian,” as folks in northeast Tennessee say it. I know that Appalachia is a huge region. See, for example, “About the Appalachian Region,” on Appalachian Regional Commission (arc.gov). The first paragraph states:

Appalachia is made up of 423 counties across 13 states and spans 206,000 square miles, from southern New York to northern Mississippi. The Region’s 26.3 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia.

That document includes the following map, “Subregions in Appalachia,” which denotes the five subregions of Appalachia.

“Subregions in Appalachia,” in “About the Appalachian Region,” on Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). ARC Web and Privacy Policy, Copyright Information: “the country, state, and regional maps on this website, which were created by ARC employees, are in the public domain and may be used without permission.”

As you can see, northeast Tennessee is in the south central subregion. Don't you just love how “guvrmint” bureaucrats like to divide us folks! Who decided to designate the five subsections? Inquiring minds want to know!

Folks -- in the Appalachian Yankee states of Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania -- often pronounce “Appalachian” with the soft sound, unlike we do, here in northeast Tennessee. That's their right. It's still a fairly free country -- at least for now. This article does not critique how they say the word. It does, however, critique Appalachian Yankees, when they try to impose their pronunciation on us here! Y'all up north say it how you choose. Honor how we, down here, choose to say it -- even if we visit or move up there!

Previous Articles

This website has made two previous attempts to educate, on how to pronounce “Appalachian.” In fact, the very first article that I published is titled “How to Pronounce 'Appalachian' (published 3/6/2006; inaugural article).” That article, of over 17 years ago, still draws views, almost daily. It's still the most viewed article, on this website, with over 12,540 views, as of 9/12/2023. It has garnered 35 comments, so far. I wrote the article, with my sarcastic tongue placed firmly in my cheek. Notably, the wiser Merriam-Webster Dictionary now defines “Appalachian” as “a native or resident of the Appalachian mountain area.” Seventeen years ago, the definition was “a white native or resident of the Appalachian mountain area.” Did my article motivate those folks to remove the word “white?” I hope so!

The other article, written about three years and nine months after the first, revisited the inaugural article. It's titled “How to Pronounce 'Appalachian' - Revisited (published 12-12-2009; updated 11-20-2022).” The article is my reply to two comments, on the first article. You'd have to find and read those comments, in the first article, to understand the revisited article. As of 9/12/2023, this article has had over 1,755 views.

Those articles include only my written instructions. This article includes the embedded podcast of my verbal guidance.

Two Other Podcasts

Before getting to my podcast, I thought that I'd present podcast instructions, from two other folks. My comments follow each episode.

Yesterday, I searched, on Norton Safe Search and Google, by “How to Pronounce 'Appalachian?'” Each search provided thousands of results. The first result, on both platforms, was: “How to Pronounce Appalachian (2 Correct Ways in American English),” on SpeechModification (YouTube), by Christine Dunbar, 1/27/2022. The episode is two minutes and 36 seconds in length. Yesterday, it had over 14,480 views, with 35 comments. The speaker, in fairness, states that both the hard and soft pronunciations are correct. Her opinion is that the soft pronunciation is the most widely used. (Of course, only the hard pronunciation is correct around here!) Interestingly, Christine Dunbar admits that she's from the Midwest! Early in the episode, she states, incorrectly, that the Appalachian mountains are only in the Southeast. A comment, of two months ago, corrected her error. How could a Midwesterner speak with authority, on how folks, in these parts, pronounce “Appalachia?” Despite appearing somewhat confused, at the end, Christine Dunbar did a good job, explaining the hard and soft pronunciations.

The second result, on both search platforms, was “How To Pronounce Appalachian,” on pronunciationbook (YouTube), 9/14/2011. It's only 10 seconds long. Yesterday, it had over 343,165 views and 279 comments. The male voice nails the way folks, in these parts, pronounce the word! It's short, to the point, and spot on! I like it. It presents only the hard pronunciation.

My Podcast

Drum roll, please! Are you, dear reader, ready to listen to my podcast presentation, of how folks, in northeast Tennessee, say “Appalachian?” I thought so.

On Appalachian Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube), it is published today! See “How to Pronounce 'Appalachian?' This Podcast Helps! (published 9-13-2023; episode 18).”

The episode is five minutes and 22 seconds in length. My Irish blarney got a bit long winded, as I spoke extemporaneously. If any of y'all know, please explain what a “far tar” is! I've climbed several, over the decades.

Conclusion

If you, dear reader, were raised around these parts of northeast Tennessee, then you know how to pronounce “Appalachian.” If you've moved away, especially into a Yankee state, don't let those folks make fun of how you pronounce the word! Let them pronounce it the way that they do. Just keep saying it, the way that it rolls off your tongue naturally!

To any interlopers -- who have come into this area, legally or illegally -- pronounce “Appalachian” the way that we do in these parts! Don't try to chide us, into saying it the way that you do!

Two previous articles -- on 7/28/2022, about Cades Cove, and on 4/4/2023 -- highlight Donnie Laws. The 4/4/2023 article introduced him, on this website.

Donnie Laws East Tennessee Outdoors (YouTube) is an Appalachian treasure trove of episodes. As of today, he has 705 episodes. Subscribers number 164,000. I highly recommend, as you finish reading this article, that you watch “Appalachia Mountain People Talking and their way of life #Appalachia,” on Donnie Laws East Tennessee Outdoors (YouTube), by Donnie Laws, 2/14/2023. It's just over 20 minutes long. As of today, it's been viewed over 276 thousand times. The episode includes the audio recording of John McCaulley (1880 - 1961), who lived in Cades Cove. Mr. McCaulley and my paternal grandfather were born in the same year.

Well, now that I've peeled “them thar taters,” I reckon that Mrs. Appalachian Irishman is “fixin' ta mash 'em.” Y'all keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there, ya hear?