Anyone who's spent the least amount of time with me realizes there are two subjects you don't broach unless you have time for detailed ramblings. One is my involvement with the reknowned non-profit organization, The First Tee. The other is my cherished Eastern Tennessee get-away, Monteagle. And since I've just returned from the latter, having conducted my second consecutive photo seminar in as many years, I felt moved to explain what it is that's so special about this Smoky Mountain paradise. But the more I thought about it, the more difficult it became to put into words. So I've resorted to exceeding my usual spartan number of individual blog pictures to illustrate my point. Even this, however, has proven futile. A mere thirteen photographs could have easily been three or four times that number, considering I took more than 700 photographs during my most recent visit. But I still don't think I can adequately do Monteagle justice.
The apparent physical beauty is a given. Towering trees, flowers, winding paths and gentle breezes certainly are a start.
And then there are the activities: swimming, biking, hiking, tennis and a myriad of lectures, lessons and seminars.
There's hardly an idle moment, unless you so chose. There are relics to discover like a birdhouse on a bike, or snag some tadpoles below Moses Rock or just leave your bicycles to cross the creek.
But when you get right down to it, probably one of the most magical things about Monteagle are the people. The exuberance and innocence of the of children, the joy of family, the unspoken respect spanning generations, and a warmth that permeates everything, whether it's a cheerful hello in passing or a handshake and a smile welcoming you to Evening Vespers at the Chapel.
In reality, after much analyzing as to the "magic" of Monteagle, it was at a porch party one evening that a long-time Monteagle resident made the succinct observation, "Monteagle isn't a place or a thing, it's a state of mind".
As I headed back to my lodging that night, I only wished I'd thought of it......."a state of mind". Amen to that!
This post is dedicated to the "sparkling" Kathryn and that dazzling Dollar doll, LeNora, whose combined support spur me on to make this blog better (I hope) with each subsequent submission.
