May 17, 2025 - a great day!  I spent the entire day "digging in the dirt" for 73 million year old, invertebrate marine fossils, and I loved it.  It was a beautiful, sunny day.  I was shaded at the dig site (a long winding 4-5 foot deep creek bed) by overhanging trees on each side of the creek.

Upon our arrival ( I invited granddaddy to go with me 😇 ), we were met by Mr. Josh who is the resident paleontologist.  Mr. Josh made us feel very welcome and gave us lodging in the Intern's cabin.  We had the cabin to ourselves because no interns were working during this time.

My first dig of the day was from about 9 AM to Noon when we took a break for lunch.  During lunch Mr. Josh talked about the journey to become a paleontologist and shared some stories of his past experience in South Dakota.  Sophia and I discussed possible sites we would dig after lunch. 

The Coon Creek dig site is a long, winding,  four to five feet deep creek.  Most all of the fossils are embedded in the dirt bank on each side of the creek. 

I dug at several placed along the creek bank and found a number of fossils intact and a few very interesting partial fossils.  Most of the fossils are very fragile and great care (and lots of patience) is required to remove them intact.  

It was both a fun day and an educational day.  I learned so much from the stories told throughout the day by all involved and I am looking forward to my next trip - where I won't forget my pillow 💤 next time.

Digging at Coon Creek

 January 17, 2025 - a great day.  I spent the day “digging in the past” at Coon Creek Science Center in Adamsville, Tennessee.

This was my second visit to the dig site and Mr. Josh, the all around good guy and resident paleontologist, really made my granddaddy and I feel welcome.  He let us stay in the Intern Cabin which was air conditioned and we each had our own private area.

The Intern's Cabin

                                                                                                                                            My Bed Area

After the first dig in the morning Sophia and I discussed, over lunch, where we would dig later that afternoon and what we hoped we would find. After returning to the same spot along the creek bed, we ended up not finding anything interesting in that spot (insert dig pic 1 off to side) ; however, further down the creek bed we ended up finding several intact clams. After the excavation of said clams we sifted through the gravel and found 5-8 shrimp fossils, as well as another intact clam laying on the bank.

After we had dug enough for the day, we walked about the creek talking about nothing in particular, and Sophia showed me a small section of the creek where water had eroded the creek bed and formed a small cove-like formation where small fragments of shells littered the ground.

I look forward to my next visit - where again I will - “dig in the past!”

We Moved The Cabin

Wow, an awful lot has happened in our lives since my last post in January of this year.

Jill and I have moved into our little cabin and almost completed the addition.  We enjoy the space and really find it accommodates our needs very well.  Ethan and Evan spend nights with us and they are also comfortable.  There are two more things we would like to add to our little "homestead" and those are a water well and a geothermal heat source.

2014, a new year with new challenges and opportunities. Jill and I look forward to the adventures that await us in 2014.

The grandchildren are a constant joy. The make us laugh daily and teach us so many of the important lessons that time will erase if we aren't careful.

We have added goats to our growing little farm. I think we'll name it “Green Acres” from the 1960's television show of the same name.  

The goats are sharing their pen with the chickens and so far no problems - other than - the goats want to live in the chicken coop which really upsets the ladies.  We are going to raise the goats (meat goats) for their meat.

Christmas went well and the kids really enjoyed the family time and the presents.  There was lots of family present this year because we celebrated Jill's daddy's 80th birthday early this year because he was going to be out of town in January on the day of his birth.

Jill baked the case with a western theme and it was enjoyed by Eddie and all those present.  Jill is a very talented lady.  She put an eatable wanted poster on the case which had him wanted by the Mississippi Fish and Game Commission for all the illegal fishing he did as a boy.

Ethan got a tablet computer, very safe and kid friendly, which he will us as he continues with his home-school lessons.

The adventure continues.  We hope to sell our home this year and move into our cabin.  Like many others we need to downsize and we are adding an addition onto the cabin to enable us to be comfortable as we go about our day to day activities.  Included are some photos of the cabin addition under construction"

As you can see, I had some really great help.  I could not have, or would not wanted to have, done it without them.

The siding on this is old (70 year old) telephone poles.  Neither the bugs or the weather is pose a problem for this new addition.  The wood will eventually (about 2 years) turn gray as it weathers.  When it has changed it's color we will apply a stain to match the front of the cabin and it will all blend in nicely with its new surroundings.  We have planted lots of dogwoods to replace the ones we cut down in order to make a place for the cabin.

We will post additional photos as our progress continues.

Be Thankful for your Liberty!

As we reflect on the many things we as Americans have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, surely at the top of that list is our individual and collective liberty.  Sadly, each day brings evidence that our liberty is under attack and at risk of being irreparably eroded.

We, the American people, are at a cross-road in our ongoing struggle to maintain our liberty and equality of opportunity so enshrined in our founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, and the United States Bill of Rights.

Once before in our history we stood at just such a cross-road.  The ideals of liberty and equality were threatened. The nation was in danger of being torn apart.  The nexus of that threat, to our new republican democracy, was slavery.  The union was divided then - just as it is today.  The moral issue of that day was slavery. Slaves were considered property and were essential to the economic future of the southern states.  Lincoln held that all men were entitled to the protections of the founding documents and were entitled to enjoy their liberty and equality of opportunity and that this basic natural right was denied to slaves.  President Lincoln position was that slavery was wrong and must be abolished in all states of the new union.  It took a war to decide the question, of that day.

Today, we struggle with an epic conflict of incompatible ideologies.  We find the ideologies of progressivism on the one side, and the liberty and equality enshrined in the founding documents, on the other side.  These two ideologies are diametrically opposed, and we, like those before us, must make a decision concerning the direction our ongoing experiment in representative democracy will take.  Do we want a welfare state where half of our society is dependent on the other half for their sustenance and quality of life, or do we wish to support and encourage individual responsibility where all are free to exercise their natural right to enjoy liberty and opportunity.  Welfare enslaves the spirit and creative ability of all human beings.  Individual responsibility frees the human spirit to thrive and take advantage of that “opportunity for all” so enshrined in our constitution.  Today 47.1 million people are on food stamps.  That is 1 out of every 6 people and 1 out of every 5 families on food stamps.  (USDA - August Food Stamp Report)

Pierre Samuel DuPont, a supporter of the French Revolution, observed: "Any man aspires to liberty, to equality, but he cannot achieve it without the assistance of other men, without fraternity."  James Madison, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, frequently, in his contributing essays to the Federalist Papers, talked about unity of purpose and resolve of principals, if we were to accomplish the goal set out for our new nation in our founding documents.

In 1931, Alexis de Tocqueville, the French politicl thinker and historian said: "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."

Today we are compelled to make an honest and informed decision about the direction we are to take as a nation, and we must do that in concert with others who seek to restore liberty and equality for all.  We must by intellectual arguments, not with guns and bullets, persuade those who would embrace progressivism as the way we are to go that their position is self-destructive.  We must resolve to be guided by the ideals and principles found in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights to propel us forward into the 21^st Century as free men and women - enjoying the blessing of liberty that is the birthright of every American citizen.

Our liberty is being stripped from us daily by executive orders, judicial decisions, and administrative rules and regulations.  Our blotted federal government seeks to perpetuate itself by shackling our citizens, not with chains, but with a multitude of entitlements designed to keep the recipients dependent and voting into office those who will keep handing out the “free stuff.”

Today Congress has made that discovery.  I encourage you to act today.  Write, call, or visit your elected representatives and let them know you will be making an informed vote.  Let them know you will vote for those who support limited government and the principal of liberty and equality for all.  Together we can restore that for which we are most thankful – our liberty.

Much has happened since our last post.  For starters Jill and I are hosting two exchange students for the school year.  Youngtoe Choi (left) is from Soul, Korea and Fang Yan (right) is from Xiamen, China.  Both are in the 11^th grade and both are doing very well in the academic and social life of the school.

 

We also began home-schooling Ethan using the curriculum of the K12 program.  The curriculum is very well designed and digital tools are very well (and appropriately) integrated into the course work.  Thus far, Ethan is doing very well and is eager to begin his studies each day.  The schedule is very flexible which allows us to fit the instruction to our time and Ethan's eagerness at the moment for a particular subject.  Some days he just needs for fun time before he begins his studies and some days he just is in no mood for spelling, and we can accommodate those things.

Then there is "T-Bone."  Like all the rest "T-Bone" was a throw away who found his way to our front door and instantly found a new home.  He and Jill were immediately attracted to each other and still are.  His personality will come very close to that of our dog "Bubba-D" who reciently died.

 

It's time to begin the day of studies so that's all folks until the next time.

 

Meet Thor

It was 6 A.M., very quiet outside, beautiful day when all of a sudden we heard someone pulling at the screen door and making a sound that was at first hard to identify.  Maybe it was two cats getting ready to fight, maybe a flock of geese flying just overhead?  We do have lots of geese that fly directly overhead, circling and joining up with other groups all headed to who knows where.  Whatever it was, we did not immediately recognize the sound.

Jill opened the door and there stood Thor ready to be held and spoiled.  Thor will forever be a mystery.  He is 6 week old Siberian Husky and when he arrived he had a full belly.  What makes his appearance a mystery is that we live 800 feet off an "out-of-the-way" county road. It just seems unlikely he would have found his way up our dive-way even if someone had let him out on the road, and it is even more unlikely that anyone would have brought him up our driveway.  Folks around here don't just walk or drive up someone's drive at 6 in the morning.  So, we will ponder the mystery while enjoying the puppy.

The Bounty of the Harvest

Jill and I got up early this morning and went to the garden to pick beans.  Considering the beans were planted in "new ground"; I think we did well.  The photo shows a portion of our harvest - there will be more to pick next week!  The homemade sourdough bread (2nd. plate) will be enjoyed during our reflection time this evening when all the work around our placed if finished for the day.

We harvested 50 carrots all of which look like these. We found they grew just as big and straight when grown in 2" pipe as they did in the 3" pipe.  The 2" will conserve soil and space (in our window sill during the winter months).  We did find that the carrots were more difficult to remove from the 2" tubes because the growth compressed the soil around them, but just a few more shakes and they were released.

That Rascally Varmint

I saw a fox coming up from the woods this morning.  He/she approached within 50 feet of the house, looked around, and casually walked over to the property next door.  The sight of the fox gives me pause about the chicken coop and chickens I was planning.  I alerted my neighbor who does have chickens. All chickens in the neighborhood must be on the alert.   They must ban together for protection.  Perhaps the chickens could form a civil defense force to stand guard against the onslaught of the fox…that rascally varmint.

The days pass quickly and each one presents a new challenge and new opportunities.  The challenges of graduate school confront me daily and the opportunities to exert a positive influence on the lives of my grandsons are also present daily.

I just read a short essay by Leonard E. Read (I, Pencil) which is a study of the free markets in action.  If you want to understand the free market concept; I invite you to click on the link and spend a few minutes devoted to awareness.  I also recommend “The Law” by Frederick Bastiat for an understanding of what freedom means and how we can so easily loose it – not because it is taken from us by force, but because we give it away by our inaction.

Ethan

Evan

Our grandson Ethan will graduate from kindergarten tomorrow.  He is a very smart young man and Jill and I look forward to doing so many things with him this summer.  We have new kites to be flown, and tree houses to build.  Evan is at the “Big House” today learning to use the telephone (he’s 10 months old and just about has that phone thing down pat).

More later as developments occur.

Spring 2011

I have neglected the blog for almost a year as I pursued so many other things that both interested me and demanded my time.

Bubba-D, our good dog died since I last posted.  Bubba-D was truly a friend to all – a “good old dog”.

I still manage to maintain a 3.96 GPA after completing 25 semester hours of graduate school.  I have only four more courses - required to complete the degree.  I expect to graduate in the fall of 2011.  My degree will be a Master of Education with a concentration in Educational Media and Technology.  I look forward to applying my new found skills in some venue that will allow me to ignite the passion for learning in young and old alike.  Jill and I are traveling to Johnson City, Tennessee this weekend where I will be initiated into two honor societies; Kappa Delta Pi and The Golden Key International Honor Society.  The Kappa Delta Pi event is on Thursday evening and the other event on Saturday evening.  We will be staying at the oldest home in Tennessee (The Hawley House) which has been for the past many years a Bed and Breakfast.

 

I recently resigned my employment as a technology help desk specialist.  After being promoted to instructor, I decided the demand on my time was just too much.  I left in good standing and may return in the fall when there is not so much to do around our home.  I discovered that doing “call-center” work from home can be far more demanding and challenging that it might first appear.  After all, there are tree-houses to be built and grandsons to be taught some of life’s lessons – what could be more important than that?

  We will increase the size of our garden this year.  In addition to our “pod” garden, which has been very productive for us for the past 2 years; we will be growing bush beans in the traditional way.  We will also, for the first time, be growing carrots in 3 inch tubes.  We started some of the carrots this winter in the house and placed them in the window seat which extends for 20 feet across the room.  The windows’ catch the morning sun and the carrots are thriving.  We may have stumbled upon a way to grow carrots 12 months out of the year.  The greenhouse was a big help and all of Jill’s plants survived the winter in fine shape.

My bid for a seat on the local school board was unsuccessful.  I include a link to one of the web sites I created during that campaign, just to preserve the effort. Campaign Web Page 

I will post an update after we return from Johnson City, Tennessee.

Summer 2010 - It Is Humid

June 13, 2010, so much has happened since my last post.  Sherisa and the baby (Evan John) are fine.  Evan will be born July 1st.  We are going to the hospital today for a tour of the delivery area.  We will decide what part we will each play in Sherisa and Evan's big event.  Jill or I one will be in the delivery room for this cesarean birth.  Jill was with her when Ethan was born so I may be there this time, for Evan.

This year we planted only tomatoes and a few squash plants in our garden.  A few pepper plants, but nothing like in past years when we tried to grow the whole variety of vegetables.  I think this fall we will remove the blackberries from the garden and put them in an area adjacent to the greenhouse.  They tend to spread out and make it difficult to navigate to the tomato plants.

We recovered the greenhouse and hopefully came up with a solution to prevent the covering from being blown or torn off again, as it was last winter. We still have to trim the front and back to make it look neat, but I believe we have it secured at the bottom, on both sides in a way that won't come loose.  Jill has planted "monkey grass" on three sides and her usual scattering of wild flowers.  You can see some more pictures of our garden this year, if you click HERE

Ethan began Mandarin Chinese lessons with a tutor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and he is doing really well.  He also completed a one week camp at the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga.  He made several musical instruments and had a really good time and more importantly - he began his journey into the world of art and the appreciation of art in all its forms.  Check out his week by clicking here: Hunter Museum of Art  He has his own blog now and we invite you to check it out at www.EthanJamesKutz.Blogspot.com

I successfully completed my 1st semester of graduate school with a grade point average of 3.85 and was very relieved.  I have enrolled in two accelerated courses for this summer, which will keep me very busy.  You can read further about my grad school experiences at www.jamesepowers.blogspot.com  I also entered the race for a seat on the Bledsoe County School Board and you can view my political blog at: www.votejimpowers.blogspot.com

New neighbors next door are very nice and always willing to help and surprise us with gifts of firewood and excess bedding plants.  Good neighbors are a true treasure.  I am going to wonder out in the yard and see if I can be of help to Jill with any of her many projects.  Until that day....Jim

A Walk In The Snow

Jill, Ethan and I just back from our walk in the snow this morning. I really snowed hard last night and covered the tree limbs and everything else it could find to sit on with 4 inches of soft, fluffy, dry snow. When we returned from our walk, we put a few more logs in the stove, Jill made some hot chocolate and we laughed at the photos we made. It was a good walk!

My studies are going well and I am pleased to have learned so much, so fast.  I am now able to do a number of "digital things" I could not do just a month ago.

I activated my Facebook page again and you are all invited to visit me there.  Just send me your email address and I will invite you.

Until the next time

Jim

It Is 2010

2010 Wow! - We all made it.

For me, and the Powers Family, 2010 holds the promise of undiscovered truths just as 2009 presented us with challenges, rewards for the challenges we faced and met, and the increased awareness of our limitations and potentials.

In 2009, Jim graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelors degree in University Studies, John, Sherisa and Ethan moved from California to Tennessee and Jill, bless her pretty heart, keep us all focused and moving forward.

The first day of 2010 was dreary here on the top of the mountain, and this night promises to be very cold, in the low 20’s. The fire is lit in the wood stove, lots of wood brought in to prevent the trip outside to the woodshed at night, and we are all at peace with each other and the world around us. Oh…I forgot to mention that Sherisa is pregnant and Jill and I hope for a granddaughter…but will be thankful and blessed with a boy or a girl.

I have been accepted into the graduate school of Education at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and I am very excited about the possibilities.

Our dog Tag “came up missing” don’t know where he went or who took him, but we think of him and hope he is well. Bubba D is in poor health, but is still with us - and - more spoiled than ever.

We look forward to the challenges and rewards of 2010 and wish all our friends and family a prosperous new year.

Jim

Got Snow

The first snow of the year fell last night. One and a half inches of the white stuff covered our place on the mountain and just thrilled our 4-year-old grandson Ethan. He made snow angles, ate the snow from the front yard (who knows what was in that snow) and squealed with delight when he hit “gann-momma” with a snowball. Later in the day he and momma and “gann-momma” went to get the Christmas tree and that was a success. We get a “ball” tree each year, and plant it as a windbreak across the front of the property. It will be enjoyable to watch them decorate the tree with all the old ornaments that have been collected over the years. Ours is always an “old fashioned” Christmas filled with things from the past, memories from the past, and our favorite recipes. Friends will drop by and it will be good.

This week was fairly uneventful. John, our son-in-law, drove back to California for 3 weeks to begin his orientation on a new machine his company is developing. He will return for Christmas, and then be gone for another 6 months or so as he oversees the installation of the new machine for various clients all over the globe. I completed my final course and submitted my e-portfolio for grading. I am looking forward to the challenge of graduate school and all the new experiences that will bring.

Our good dog “Tag” ran off two nights ago. The neighbor’s dog also went missing, at the same time. They must have gotten together and went exploring, and lost their way. Our efforts to find them so far have not been rewarding. We all hope that after they have had their romp, they will return.

I am considering making a weekly blog entry to summarize the events of the week – I will give it some more thought.

Until that day,

Jim

Thanksgiving - 2009

Thanksgiving is a national day – it is our nations day – a day we set aside, by both tradition and edict, to give thanks to our God, our Creator, for all the many blessings we enjoy, as a free people, in a safe and secure nation.

It is all together fitting that we give thanks, not only to our Creator, but to all those man and women, throughout the ages, who have served and who now so honorably serve in our armed forces, who put themselves in harms way, so that we might be free. As we have read so many times – freedom is not free. We all know, and must always remember, our freedom was purchased for us by the blood and sacrifice of those who came before us, and our fellow countrymen today. Each generation must make a payment on that freedom and we today must acknowledge that debt and make our own payment, in any way we are called upon to make that payment.

The world’s great religions are at war again, as they have been for so many hundreds of years. It has always struck me as a great tragedy and contradiction that we kill in the name of religion – any religion.

It will be my prayer this thanksgiving that your God, whoever that God may be, will grant you peace of mind, peace of spirit, and a sense of understanding and acceptance - of the God - your neighbor may worship – wherever your neighbor may be!

Jim

A Change In Direction

Yes, I am making a change in direction - no more log cabin building for Jim!

In just a few short days, I will complete my undergraduate studies and will have earned a Bachelor of University Studies from the University of Tennessee at Martin.

The last 30 hours of that degree I earned “online”, and it was by far the most challenging and difficult. Those last 30 hours sparked in me an intense desire to know more and share that knowledge with - all those who seek knowledge. I had a good GPA (Grade Point Average) so I decided to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and if I scored high enough, to meet the requirements of the graduate school, I would apply for admission. Well, I did score high enough and made application and was accepted into the program of study for Master of Science in Education and Related Studies. The related studies will be Criminal Justice where I have a varied 30-year experience at both the street level and the command/administrative level.

Graduate school and the academic challenge it presents will be great, and the challenge to secure a teaching job, because of my age (I will be 70 when I graduate) will perhaps be even greater, but I remain optimistic about the future and my role in that future. There are jobs available in the public and private sector and in the developing online “open university” environment. I am particularly interested in the prospect of integrating technology into the classroom, wherever that classroom might be, and I believe it can and increasingly will be anywhere. I support the idea of a universal degree program- a degree earned by online or in classroom study, at any university in the world. I have joined Teachers Without Borders and support the Millennium Develop Goals, of the United Nations, (and that is about all I support of the United Nations) and the role education can play in the realization of those goals. From Nigeria to Indonesia to the established pedagogies of Europe the quest for knowledge is growing, and is being quenched by the far reach of technology. Technologies that are being used as tools not just delivery devices.

On every continent the untapped resources of the human mind and spirit await the opportunity to actualize their full potential, and I intend to be a part of that process. I invite each of you to join me on my journey of discovery by subscribing to my blog. I will be talking about much more than education, on that blog, and I welcome the opportunity to learn from your comments.

Winter Is Walking Up The Mountain

Yes, it is true. Winter is walking up the mountain. We have cleared the morning glories from the greenhouse and let the sides down and stored all of Jill's plants in there, hoping they will winter-over well.

The leaves are showing all the varied colors and have begun to fall and carpet the ground. We have wrapped the exposed pipes, cleaned up most of the garden and done all the "chores" that need be done before winter arrives in full force. I believe we will have a hard winter this year.

I will soon finish my undergraduate work and graduate from UT Martin this fall. The past 18 months have been very challenging and demanding, but I will finish my undergraduate studies this fall and receive my Bachelor of University Studies degree. I plan to enter graduate school this coming spring and pursue a Masters of Education and Related Studies degree and then teach Criminal Justice at the college level.

I have returned to my genealogy investigations in my spare time, on rainy days when I can't get outside. All of the firewood needed for the winter has been cut, and most of it split. John, Sherisa and Ethan have settled into life in the cabin and all is well on the mountain.

It's June Already

It's June and we have added another super, a honey super, to hour bee hive and the hive is thriving.

We have completed, except for the covering, a 12 X 16 greenhouse, which we built for about 1/3 the cost of a commercial kit and expect it to give us a "jump-start" on our spring garden and to offer protection to Jill's plants and flowers during the winter months. Jill can move from her cramped, small, and dark potting shed to the greenhouse to pot her plants and flowers. She plans to landscape around the greenhouse with flowers and rock scapes and yard sculptures, of various kinds.

We have added another load (19 tons) of crusher run gravel to the driveway - an 800 foot drive way and the county E911 service has renamed our driveway Powers Lane. Good, it is a name I can remember.

The garden is producing as expected. The compost bin is serving us, and our garden, well and the plants are very healthy. We have already gotten squash and raspberries from the garden and the carrots will be ready in another week.

Rabbits Released - Blueberry's Planted & Screen Door's Hung

It has been a busy two weeks despite the incessant rain.

Jill successfully raised (rehabed) the baby rabbits to the point where they were eating clover and could be released back into the nearby "wild." The blueberry bushes we ordered and were planted and the screen doors, which should have been hung, and rehung, last year are finally in place and look pretty good.

I will begin a compressed semester at UT Martin in an upper division criminal justice course (have to write some legal briefs in this one) and I am getting ready. I look forward to the challange and expect a good outcome - translation - an "A."

More when time allows.

Jim

Green Walking Up The Mountain

Green Is Walking Up The Mountain

Folks who live in the mountains will be familiar with the phrase: “green is walking up the mountain.” It means that the leaves turn green in a progression from the valley to the top of the mountain. It’s logical really. It is warmer at lower elevations (the valley floor) than it is on top of the mountain. Plants will typically, in our area, get green and bloom, in the valley, about 3 weeks before they do at our place.

In our garden the compost in the compost bins is ready for use this year and should return dividends of much larger and healthier vegetables. We have added raised strawberry beds this year and are also adding blueberry bushes to our garden. In addition we are adding 1 hive of honeybees (Carniolain), which are not aggressive and resistant to a number of problems that plague honeybees.

We have added a cabin for Ethan (grandson) since our last post and we are looking forward to seeing him enjoy it for many years. He is moving here in a few months (and bringing his momma and daddy with him) and we expect to teach him some helpful mountain ways.