Catoosa Hiking and UT Plateau Discovery Gardens

above:  yellow fringed orchid at Catoosa 

Catoosa Hiking and UT Plateau Discovery Gardens 

Saturday August 2, 2025

Catoosa Photos HERE 

  Saturday our plans changed suddenly. Uncooperative weather and road closures had us looking into Plan B on Friday night.   We got up Saturday to an overcast day with blessedly cool temperatures of seventy-one degrees.   Instead of going to Alarka, NC we headed to my beautiful plateau and Crossville.  I had wanted to visit Catoosa for wildflowers. I wanted to visit Plateau Discovery Gardens.   No crazy road closures or crowds there.   We ended up having a very nice day, and a relaxing one.   We went out to Catoosa and just took my jeep since we weren't planning on the usual long day exploring there.  We'd be hiking so we didn't need the side by side. 

    We did great navigating the maze of roads that leads to Catoosa WMA. Today we didn't take a single wrong turn!    The drive out was pretty and quiet.   We saw zero other hikers today. Not a soul swimming or boating on Daddy's Creek.   The temperature was 69 degrees on the plateau when we first got there.  The cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and almost no bugs was much appreciated.  

       We saw lots of yellow composites, some purple heal all,  daisy fleabane, orange coneflowers, and pink rose gentians along the roadsides.  Wildlife today was a few deer, a hawk, and a few butterflies and dragonflies.     We've had an owl hooting in the trees in the wee hours of dawn right behind our house lately!  

       Below: Heal All blooms by the road

Below: a butterfly on some DYCs 

Below: Joe Pye Weed is getting started in the roadsides and fields 

Below: Otter Creek looking pretty today

Below:  not much of a view out across the plateau on this overcast somewhat hazy day

Below:  Narrowleaf Mountain Mint. It is a very unusual plant for the mint family! 

Below:  Rose Pinks... members of the gentian family. 

Below: small headed blazing star

Below: main attraction of the day... hundreds of yellow fringed orchids

Below:  close up of Platanthera ciliaris

We made our hikes at Catoosa and went further on some trails than we had previously.  For all our extra effort we didn't see anything of interest on the new sections of trail. At least not this trip.  We had a good time. Never saw a single snake thankfully, but we wore our gaiters and snake boots just the same.  We did not tarry as long as usual in Catoosa since we had another destination or two in mind.  

       We hiked back to the jeep. Got out of that hot gear and headed down toward Daddy's Creek to eat lunch.   The entire time we were there we saw exactly one other jeep. It had pulled down to the stream, but they didn't attempt to ford it for whatever reason.   It was a tricked out jeep with knobby tires for four wheeling, but hey... 

   We sat there and enjoyed the view of the river along with the quiet.    I usually see a few folks swimming here in Summer, but not today.    I told Kenny after surveying it that I believed my stock jeep would ford Daddy's Creek today. The water levels were certainly low enough.  He had his doubts.  I said "We could go out this way and hit Hebbertsburg Road then get back on the interstate at Crab Orchard."  He didn't want to do it. He was of the opinion we should head back out the way we'd come.    In the end he couldn't resist trying it. I should have done it myself.  

He didn't think to lock it in four wheel drive before starting into the stream.  I have a skid plate under my jeep. Today I was especially grateful for that.    I have a video included of the crossing and the convo that transpired.  It isn't a great video, but its kinda funny.   It also has the sound of boulders groaning and grinding as we ford the stream.  It was like nails on a chalkboard.  It set my teeth on edge.      Once we made it across Kenny backed up like he was going to turn and go back through.  I protested.  I reminded him we made it through with a stock jeep. Good for us. 

Past success doesn't guarantee future success.  I did not want to tempt fate further and ruin our day.    He saw sense and we proceed onward to Fairfield Glade somehow.   It was a good decision.

If you skip ahead to 3:17 seconds on the video I know the grinding and groaning of the rocks is right there.  Eerie sounding. 

  Plateau Discovery Gardens

Discovery Gardens Photos

Discovery Gardens Directions 

   Once in Crossville we stopped at Beall's for me to run in and buy a black blouse.    We then got back out on Hwy 127 and headed toward Plateau Discovery Gardens.   Kenny decided to try the directions Google Maps was suggesting. It routed us across Northside Drive which we had never attempted before.   It cuts of a corner and avoids town.  It also is very, very pretty out through there.   You'd almost forget  you were in Crossville city limits!  

    It took us round to US 70 N which is also a pretty drive.  I love this area. It is so uncrowded by comparison to other places we visit.   We finally came in sight of the Plateau Discovery Garden sign and turned in.    It looks like you are turning into someone's driveway.   It is a former residence that has been turned into UT property for  horticulture experiments.  

      We parked and saw not one soul there the entire time. No staff. No other visitors.  It turned out to be magnificent and bigger than we'd expected.   I could not believe I'd waited so long to visit this place.   It is a hidden gem.    I guarantee you I'll be back again.  

    

Below:  the office where you first pull up and park. 

Below: Swamp milkweed in the rain garden is one of the first things we saw! 

Below: river oats... yes we have them in Tennessee. The first place I ever encountered these was Scotts Gulf along the Caney Fork River drainage in Summer.   These are pretty from an ornamental stand point. They also have a dense, tough root system that helps control erosion.  They are native so they don't take a lot of maintenance to help them survive.  

Below: Swamp Rose mallow growing in the rain garden.  beautiful and delicate!   It is native to Tennessee.  We have wetlands in Alcoa and Blount County where wild cotton blooms. It is also in the mallow family. 

Below: observation platform with seating at the gardens.   It is surrounded by lovely shrubs, trees and flowers. 

Below: one of the planter boxes at the discovery gardens around the platform.  I see dusty miller, purple queen, lantanas, angelonia, and celosia. 

Below:  Rose of sharon in bloom. This is a very old variety of flowering shrub. 

Below: a look at one of the gardens.  I think this one was the sensory garden.  Tactile things. Visual things.  Scented things. Tasty things!  Many culinary herbs, lambs ear, grasses. I have found out that many culinary herbs are also mosquito repellant!   

Below:   purple coneflower, white coneflower, and black eye susies. 

Below: this fascinated me.  strawberries, marigolds, and herbs growing in and on haybales!  

Below: Tall purple top verbena 

Below:  another childrens section of the gardens.  

Below: lilies were still pretty, but way past peak.. The one shown below was my favorite.  

Below:  the rose garden was beautiful.  The ones shown below are my favorites. 

Below: hibiscus garden was an explosion of color!

Below: one last look around the scenery in general. Crape myrtles, hydrangeas, golden shrubs, elephant ears.   Such a gorgeous place! 

  We concluded our walk around the gardens and headed back to the jeep.  I had big ideas for the day about going to Meadow Lake park and Obed River Park today.  Those had to be shelved.  We were tired and had the drive home to face.    Plus those spots deserve visits of their own and not a rush job because I'm tired.    It might be possible to fit both into one day, but I have a feeling I'm going to need a weekend or two separate visits 1. because I am so nosey and 2.  I will get to Meadow Lake Park and want to do erry single thing there.  Kayak paddle, swim, hike, etc. and I'll lose track of time! 

 

    I highly recommend Plateau Discovery Gardens.  They have something different at different times of year.  Fall Gardeners Festival is coming up fast.   Tuesday August 26, 2025 9 am to 3 pm Central Time. 

Daily Dose of Aggravation: Turning Into Grandma Edna

 

Daily Dose of Aggravation:  Turning Into Grandma Edna 

July 31, 2025

 My Grandma Edna was a good lady. Kind and helped people and tough. As she got older she got bad about having way too many of different grocery items.  She was great about remembering every anniversary, birthday, and sent sympathy cards, cheer cards, get well cards.  She was on the ready at all times because she had a Hallmark Card store in the phone stand.  She was bad about having so many and so disorganized she'd just go buy more rather than hunt through them.  

The Thing Box

  One of the ways she stayed at the ready for gifts for birthdays or any occasion was the Thing Box in her bedroom.  It meant that she had an endless supply of picture frames, knick-knacks, make up compacts, nail polish, costume jewelry, handkerchiefs, and the like.  We kids loved to dig through the Thing Box and she seldom minded.  We asked before we just took stuff.  

       I have heard my mom say many times in recent years "I'm turning into Mom!"  and then she'd laugh and tell me what latest thing she'd done to qualify.   I have noticed over the past decade that I am getting more like Grandma in the over run of grocery items.  I'll get organized. Swear I'm done with being like that, and then in time my cupboards get back into a mess.  

     I was fixing supper this evening and part of the meal was fried chicken.   Kenny sometimes likes barbecue sauce with it.   I looked in the fridge to find none.   Only a partial bottle of ketchup.   No worries!  I remembered I had just purchased a bottle on sale at Food City last weekend.  I got it out and as I turned the Lazy Susan I noticed, 1, no 2, no.... 3 bottles of Heinz tomato ketchup.  Oy! I've done it again.   My thought process is this. Oh well, it isn't eating anything sitting there.   It will get used up. 

I just need to keep quiet and don't do anything to draw Kenny's attention to it or he will fuss at me.  

    It seems that just thinking that thought is like some sort of great Galactic Beacon like Silver Surfer working for the Destroyer of Worlds... Galactus.   

Above: is Silver Surfer's surf board which is a beacon to draw the destroyer.  My thoughts of deception are the beacon that draws Kenny's fire.  

Below: Galactus eating a world (Kenny is Galactus... my destroyer) 

   I set the barbecue sauce on the table and called him to eat dinner.   Kenny is VERY particular. I may have mentioned this before.   I am not kidding.  He said "I need barbecue sauce with my chicken." I responded "I've got you. It is already on the counter top."  He glanced then took a closer look. 

"We don't have any Sweet Baby Ray's ?"  His favorite kind.  "No. I don't think so.  This is the same thing . Sit down and let's eat." He wasn't having it.   He first checked the fridge in disbelief. He then moved on to the dreaded Lazy Susan where the excessive bottles of ketchup were living.  "Good Lord, Dana! You've got three unopened bottles of ketchup in here!!"  I was digging in the pantry for my life. 

I produced not one, but TWO bottles unopened of his favorite Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.  

Yes, I've been busy accumulating again.  I thought of how unfair life is and how I cannot get by with a thing that he doesn't find me out.   I did what I usually do and laughed like a hyena.  I pleaded Edna Syndrome.   He laughed so hard at me he couldn't be mad.    It is a running joke.   He is overly  particular. I am Forgetful Jones and just buy more of stuff.  

Below: Forgetful Jones-- Me. 

Below;  Granny Painter on the left and Grandma Edna on the right.  I love her and miss her. Miss them both!  

 

Gee Creek Rematch Hike with Michael 

Friday July 25,  2025 

Dana Koogler and Michael Lindsey 

Gee Creek Photos Are Here 

Gee Creek Directions are HERE

  My grandson Michael asked me what I was doing on Friday? He has been dating, working, and busy now that he is driving.  He wanted to spend time with Nanny and I was all for it.  We planned to go hiking.   Originally we were going over toward Cherokee and Alarka Falls.   

Some things occurred that made me think better of it.   I asked him if he'd like a 'rematch" with Gee Creek?  Back when he was nine we hiked there.  He fell and blacked his eye. It took five years off my life he hit so hard.  The trauma nurse in me was afraid he'd broken his orbital bone. Thankfully he just had a nasty black eye and it hurt.   He agreed that yes, he'd like to have a do over.   We planned to hike to the falls and swim.  

     We stopped off for an early lunch at 11 am at Midway Milkshake in Etowah.  It was our first time trying it and it was good!  We got there at 10:45 so we had fifteen minutes to kill before they opened.   We walked over to Starr Mountain Outfitters to look around and shop.   We each got a tee shirt and I got a sticker for my water jug.  We walked back to the jeep to stow our new purchases then went to order lunch.   Midway Milkshakes is worth a stop.  It is a burger joint and fast food, but it is such a nice setting and the food is good.   They have clean restrooms around the side of the building.   This place is cool. Starr Mountain Outfitters is always worth a stop also.

  They have constructed a mini golf by the outfitter store called Midway Mini Golf. All this is along Hwy 30 west 3 miles out from Etowah on the way to Athens.  

    Once we had  lunch over with we headed on down Hwy 411 south to Wetmore. I did good this time and hit the turn onto Gee Creek Road with no problems.   We had to stop and wait for the Hiwassee River excursion train to finish passing before we could continue to the trailhead.  

   Our day was overcast and it drizzled rain on us just barely two or three times today.   It felt great since it was hot and humid.   We arrived at the trailhead to find two other cars there ahead of us.    We passed those folks on their way out as we hiked in.   My new knees functioned great, and I did fine with my breathing and oxygen levels despite the uphill climb and the heat.   

   No one fell today. Matter of fact at age 16 Michael helped ME negotiate the terrain safely.

He is far more savvy now than he was then.  He recognized the spot where he fell and laughed calling it the "shit eating spot".   I laughed so hard I had to stop so I didn't fall.  The stream was flowing awesome.  One thing I noticed was the almost total lack of any flora along the trek.  

I had seen numerous cranefly orchids there in the past, but today none were out. I felt sure we were a good two weeks early for those.   We passed the ruins of the old quartz and silica mine, but opted to visit those on the hike back out.  

    Before I knew it we were at the falls.   The obstacles I'd been dreading were behind us safely and simply.   It was hot and the water looked and sounded amazing.   I put my backpack and trekkers aside. I donned my water shoes and took a few moments to take photos and video.   Then we both got in the pool at the falls and swam!

Below is a photo of the main falls of Gee Creek.  It is a little less than a mile one way to reach it. 

above Michael hasn't gotten in just yet 

Below:  I am in the water with the Go Pro taking photos and video. He has found a good sized fish he's looking at. 

Above: I am swimming on my back with the blue skies above.  This is one of my favorite things to do.

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Above and below: Michael in the plunge pool 

 

         Below: underwater shot of the pool. It isn't perfectly clear, but it is clean, healthy and feels great! 

  On Thursday evening before this trip I was very depressed.   I was having a sense of hopelessness and loss.   Today's hike along with the companionship of my grandson, the exposure to nature at its finest really put the spark back in me.  It was exactly what I needed. I remember exactly the second I recaptured that inspiration and vitality.  Grandchildren are my link to the future and help make me feel alive.  They bring me so much joy.  Just as nature does.  Putting the two together is a perfect combination.   

         I had a moment of seeing the deep green moss, verdant forest canopy, blue skies, sunshine, sparkling, cold water on my skin.   It returned me to center.  I do not worship the creation, but the Creator and this is where I find closeness to Him.  Seeing my eldest grandchild still wanting to spend time with me and sharing the experience was quite satisfying.  Michael told Kenny once we got home about "Nanny didn't want to leave today!" meaning he had to drag me out of the woods!  It made us all laugh.  Some things ..the essence of who we are at our core never change. 

I am the one in the family who loves the water the most.   I am a Leo for my zodiac sign.  The lion with the sun as its ruling heavenly body.  A fire element. Maybe I need the water to balance me out.   Kenny is Cancer which is a water sign, but  he hates water more than everyone in the family!  He needs my fire.  Maybe Zodiac signs are just nonsense. 

               Below is a video of swimming at Gee Creek Falls that really turned out good. 

It is shot with the camera and the Go Pro in the water!  

           

       Once we satisfied our swimming at the falls we discussed what else we wanted to do today? I was no longer interested in going up to Starr Mountain flower looking since I was early.  We decided we'd be satisfied exploring spots downstream we passed on the way in.   That is what we did.  I was so proud of Michael. At age 16 he helped ME navigate the tricky spots and it was so much easier.   The "shit eater" spot where he took a spill he handled like an old pro. I had been dreading it and instead it was over before I realized it.  He instructed me exactly how I should do it to be safest.  It made a big difference.  My new knees work great, but they will never again be as flexible as the ones the Lord gave me to start with.   The hike out was a piece of cake.  We took plenty of time to stop and look at whatever we chose.      

   He was fascinated with the old mining sluice so we focused on that.   He wanted to crawl through it.

 I was against it at first, but upon studying it I found it looked doable and sturdy.   I had a head lamp and the Go Pro lights it up. I offered to do it with him, but he turned me down.  The drop off on the other side is no joke.   If we ever do it it would be best to start on that end and come out upstream near the cascade.   

      It was odd that the first cascade we stopped at to get in another pool of water was way warmer than the water at the main falls!  It was bathtub warm! 

Above and below: another small cascade with a pretty water hole we enjoyed.  It was very warm. 

Below is the old mining sluice box.   This shot was taken with my Canon camera. 

Below: I am standing at the sluice looking up at the above ground part of it 

Below: this cascade sits directly in front of the sluice and is the water source to flush things through.  It would be very dangerous to stand near it during high water.  

Below: this shot was taken with the Go Pro.  It really lights up the interior despite how tiny it is!  You can better see the interior walls and the water. 

Below: a close up of the stream.. an isolation shot of the creek just before it enters the sluice

Below: water from the stream flowing into the sluice tunnel. 

  We played around here. Michael went to the far side. Lay down on the end and waved back at me through the tunnel. It is on the video, but is hard to see. 

Below is a video of this part of our experience.  It was playful and fun.  

    

    We had such a great time today.   I am happy that my grandson still wants to spend time doing things with me.   Here is how we started out. 

Below is an image of when Michael was about nine months old. I toted him on my back to take him hiking.  I had to take a bottle, diapers, wipes, his "dissy" blanket, and "Dopsy" was the name he gave his pacifier.  I carried that little Sumo wrassler baby on my back many a place.   He was adorable then and turned out to be a tall, slender, handsome young man. 

Here is a trip report to one of my visits to Gee Creek Wilderness where I was solo and went up as far as the uppermost falls.   It is in sequence and really shows what's up there and it is worth a look.   

  We hiked out like a breeze. It started to drizzle rain on us, but felt great.  We got back to the jeep and there was only one truck left in the parking area. It was directly behind my jeep.  Michael got his dry clothes and changed in the front seat.  I stood under the hatch and changed.  I looked all around and studied that truck. I could not see a soul in it.  I believed it to be empty. There is another trailhead there at that spot and I assumed they must have gone up Starr Mountain Trail. We didn't meet anyone else on the way in as we were leaving.    I dried off and draped a towel round my shoulders.  I tried to hurry up. It does seem like being naked is an invitation for someone to roll up on you.   I was uneasy so I laughed and told Michael I'm just going commando ( no under pants) no one will know but us. We're just going home."  He laughed and I jumped in the vehicle and we fired it up to leave.  As I was turning to pull out the truck behind us started up and turned its lights on.  Hells Bells!  This is pretty much par for the course of my life.  Nothing for it now.  In the words of Larry the Cable Guy "Lord, I apologize!" 

        

Mia and the Commode

 

         My granddaughter Mia is now age four and a half.  She will turn five in October.  She is potty trained, and has been for some time now.   She went through a spell of feeling she needed to strip naked to use the toilet.   We have passed that now and move on to other interesting quirks about toileting. 

   Mia is a little bit of a germophobe.  She is totally freaked out by the idea of the toilet getting clogged and overflowing.    Who can blame her?  I'm recording some of the funny things she has done to be able to recall them and laugh later.   

       I heard Gabe tell  her yesterday "Mia, you need to go in the bathroom and pick up some of that toilet paper you have all over the place. The trash can is running over and it is falling in the floor. Why did you feel you needed to use SO MUCH toilet paper? Why did you feel you could not put it in the toilet and flush it? Were you scared of the toilet getting clogged?" To which she responded "Yes. I am."  

     Sure enough the trash can was a mountain of toilet tissue.  He wasn't kidding.  

Her response to him that ended this exchange was "How dare you speak to me about that!" but then she looked at me and cut her eyes and grinned.  She was leaning into her wicked side.  

   We were outdoors and Gabe and Mia were playing on the swing set in my back yard.  She jumped down and yelled "I've gotta poop!" and headed for the house. Gabriel spoke to her and said "Girl, please remember to FLUSH the commode when you are done."  and I added "Yes, and please try not to clog the toilet again with so much paper". She went from being on a dead run to go do a number two... to fussing and yelling at us and running around in circles while she fussed.  She got her point across. "Don't talk to me about this EVER AGAIN!"  Once she made her proclamation she finally headed indoors to use the bathroom.

        I went by the bathroom a few weeks later and noticed the toilet was not flushed, but needed to be.

Mia had struck again.  When I tried to flush it the toilet acted like it was going to overflow. It was clogged.   I went round to my master bath and got the toilet plunger and quietly went to work unstopping it.   Gabriel came by and asked "What are you doing?" I explained and asked him if he wanted to learn how to use the plunger in case of an emergency?  He nodded yes.  He knows it isn't if, but when it will be needed.   We were in the bathroom with the door half shut and being very quiet.

We could hear Mia in the living room watching cartoons and playing so we believed we were safe to proceed.   About the time I started plunging the toilet and demonstrating to Gabe how to do it, Mia appeared .  She popped in and looked at us both accusingly.  "What are y'all doing?"  Gabe's eyes got big as saucers. Neither of us wanted to poke the bear today.   After her Don't ever talked to me about this AGAIN!" declaration we knew better.  

    Mia is anything but stupid.   I had to think fast.   " I'm trying to unstop the commode where I clogged it from using too much toilet paper. I'm real bad about doing that."  Gabe is behind Mia grinning, but daring not laugh.  She looked at me and seemed to agree that yes, I did have a problem. and she trotted off satisfied that she was not being accused.  

     Once she was safely out of ear shot we both lost it and laughed.   I am a weak woman to be scared of a four year old and to allow myself to be bullied by her, but I do.   I am a peaceful soul and it is just easier to make it about me and claim it as my fault than suffer her wrath. 

    

     Below is a funny video by Betty Butterfield talking about commodes.