Monthly Archives: August 2014

Early Mornings—Opening Your Daily Canvas

Posted on August 31, 2014 by merlinjr01

It is a little after 0600 here in Middle Tennessee, and, as I routinely do on Sunday mornings I am sitting on the front porch with a fresh cup of coffee easily within reach (and my note pad, writing this). … Continue reading →

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“Camper Report – Riverside RV Retro 177 “White Water” Update

Posted on August 16, 2014 by merlinjr01

In May, we purchased a new Riverside RV 177 Camper from our local dealer. We took it on a “proving trip” to Fall Creek Falls, after which I posted “Camper Report – Riverside RV Retro 177 White Water.” Since then … Continue reading →

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Eavesdropping on Distant Galaxies – The Green Bank Radio Telescope

Posted on August 9, 2014 by merlinjr01

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) at Green Bank Despite forecasts of possible showers, Sunday morning in East Fork Campground began with low fog over the mountains and patches of blue sky above. Morning coffee was accompanied by a totally … Continue reading →

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“We Have Our Own Train Right Here!” (The Durbin Rocket)

Posted on August 8, 2014 by merlinjr01

Or, How I Discovered the Durbin Rocket The sky was bright blue with a few decorative puffy clouds. A great blue heron waded in the Greenbrier River to our left as we passed. Ahead lay a straight stretch of track. … Continue reading →

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Fun Camping and Horsing Around

Posted on August 7, 2014 by merlinjr01

East Fork Campground – Camping the way it was meant to be. There are not many campgrounds where you can have your morning coffee accompanied by the not-to-distant sound of a coal-fired locomotive venting steam, or a pair of short … Continue reading →

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Durbin WV – A Town that Railroads Built, Left Behind, and Resurrected

Posted on August 6, 2014 by merlinjr01

Durbin, West Virginia grew up in the late 1700s in the densely forested Allegheny mountains of then western Virginia. The town is located in Pocahontas County, between the East and West Forks that form the Greenbrier River. The need to … Continue reading →

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A Trip Back to Hog Jaw Valley Part 1

Posted on August 5, 2014 by merlinjr01

Prologue How can you not want to explore a place named Hog Jaw Valley? It is a remote, rural, agricultural, sparsely populated area where Don and I were “thrown out” of two places. And why would it remind me of … Continue reading →

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