The Fall that Almost Was!

 Light patterns on fallen leaves, Wesley Place, Knoxville. This was my fall.

For most of my adult life Fall has been my favorite season. 

I've always carried a camera with me as I go through daily life. (My family refers to it as my "growth.") I've found some of my best photos that way. But I always especially looked forward to getting away for a few days in the fall to go looking for pictures in the north Georgia mountains. Most years I've been able to do that.

But not this year. And not because we no longer live in north Georgia.

We had a really beautiful, but seemingly brief, fall in the Knoxville-northeast Tennessee area this year. Lots of luscious color. But did I get out for even one day of photography? I did not. I hoped to go. I intended to go. But because of poor planning and poor circumstances and the brevity if the color season, it did not happen. Not this fall.

At my age, one becomes very conscious that if one misses out on something, there's an increased possibility that the opportunity may not come again. I'm optimistic, and not at all morbid, but I'm fully aware that if I live to the age of 100, I've already used up more than 86 percent of my life. So I value the opportunities I have and try not to miss any of them. 

But this was the fall that almost was. And I'm feeling just a little bit bereaved.

James Rice Mill, Norris State Park, Tennessee.

One of the things I had planned to do was to get a better photograph of the old mill at Norris State Park.

The mill was built in 1798 by James Rice and sons on Lost Creek in Union County and moved to its present location on Lower Clear Creek and restored when Norris Dam was built. It was undergoing some new restoration when I made this photo. I wanted to get back to photograph the completed restoration in fall color, but didn't make it. Maybe next year. . .

(Leaf photo: Fujifilm X-H1 camera, 90mm f2.4 Fujicron XF micro lens. Mill photo: Fujifilm X-T20 camera, Fujicron XC 16-50 f3.5-5.6 OISII lens.)
 

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:    photography     travel    Tennessee    Knoxville    Norris State Park    James Rice Mill     Fujifilm X-H1 camera     90mm f2.4 Fujicron XF micro lens    Fujifilm X-T20 camera      Fujicron XC 16-50 f3.5-5.6 OISII lens