Colonists from Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas came here on yearlong expeditions to hunt deer, otter, beaver, and elk for trade with Europe and the Cherokee. These skilled woodsmen became known as long hunters, the most famous of whom was Daniel Boone of Kentucky (and later Missouri!)
Long hunters in this region worked either alone or in small parties from fortified farmsteads called stations. One such settlement, Kasper Masker's Station, was established north of Nashville around 1769. During his time fellow long hunter Uriah Stone explored the river that now bears his name. Long Hunter State Park is situated in three units along J. Percy Priest Lake, an impoundment of Stones River. We stopped at the Couchville area visitor's center to pick up hiking maps. The other facilities are located at the nearby Bakers Grove and Bryant Grove areas. Seven trails traverse a variety of wildlife habitats, including unique and interesting cedar glades, home of the Tennessee Purple Coneflower, found nowhere else in the world.
We hiked a portion of the six-mile Volunteer Trail, named in honor of all the people who have volunteered their time to build the trails at Long Hunter. And hiked all of the Day Loop Trail, a four-mile trail that winds through hardwood forest and along the shore of J. Percy Priest Lake (quite a crappie fishing lake around here.) The return trail followed a high bluff overlooking the lake and took us through a cove with spring wild flowers. Bob picked up two cookie wrappers that were littering the trail. Next to the second one he found a twenty dollar bill! So dinner was paid for by our six-mile hike.
There were some nice views of the Lake along our two hour and twenty minute route. But the trail was tame compared to Monte Sano's trails. There was a bevy of boats in a big cove of the Lake with partying young kids all floating in a mob. Those boats were worth some big bucks for such young kids. Bob found a tick on his hand back in the truck and now we have the heebie jeebies.
We drove back to Lebanon and went to China Buffet. I pigged out on Champagne and Peanut Butter Chicken. They had cute little cream puffs for dessert. It's Big Paper Day so we stopped at Shell and got gas for $2.01/gallon (down a nickel) and a paper. Back home by 4:45 in time to watch Tom Purdy win his first PCA Tournament, the EDS Byron Nelson. It brought back great memories of Bob and I on an expense paid trip courtesy of EDS. We went to Dallas to watch the tournament as an employee perk. That was the year the fires from Mexico had the Dallas skies filled with smoke.
We read the paper and worked two difficult crosswords; the New York Time and the Los Angeles Times. I had a message from Glenda and called her back. We chatted for a bit. Always good to hear from her. She said there was a big party at our old house in cedar Hills with a band in the garage and everything.
It's 9:17 p.m. and 57.6 degrees. It was 72 degrees today, sunny and breezy with a mile-high blue sky. The great weather has returned!