Autumn's Arrival Occuring in Georgia

Finding a leaf-littering roof upon returning from the road and seeing a 10-day forecast with no highs over 80 both suggest that fall really is arriving. Autumn color changes won't occur significantly in Georgia for a couple of weeks, at least, and our brightest hues remain more than a month distant. Still, change is in the air, and the homemade apple pie that helped welcome Nathaniel and me home from our travels truly did fit the season.

I'm glad to get to enjoy a week or so of early autumn at home before traveling again. Beginning early next week, things get busy again, beginning with a trip to Johnson City, Tennessee to hunt squirrels, fish for trout or smallmouths and attend a Southeastern Outdoor Press Association conference. Johnson City is well north of here and higher in the hills, so maybe there will be a few hints of color there.

The next trip takes me in the opposite direction -- well South of New Orleans, in fact -- and I don't expect fallish temperatures in the marsh. That's OK. The fishing for bull reds is supposed to be red hot during early October. Reds are seriously fun to catch, and I have high hopes of catching some "eater size" reds along with the heavyweights and bringing home a cooler filled with delicious fillets.

I suppose I'd better quit daydreaming about days ahead, though. I have lots of fish stories to write this week!

Tennessee Fall

As I survey my calendar and plans that are beginning to take shape, it appears I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Tennessee beginning in a couple of weeks and continuing through the fall. No complaints. If I have to be away from home, Tennessee destinations rank high on my list of choices.

Tennessee travels begin in Townsend at the edge of the Smokies. Nathaniel is performing on the "Pickin' Porch" at Wood-n-Strings Dulcimer Shop on August 25. He'll be teaching workshops throughout the day and doing a concert that night, but we'll almost certainly sneak in some Smokies trout fishing on Friday and maybe even on Thursday on our way across the mountains. Some streams are just too pretty to drive right past.

After that I might be headed to the Cumberland River to target  heavyweight cats and see the giants the pros bring to the scales during the Big Cat Quest National Championship, which is out of Clarkesvile. That plan isn't set in stone yet, but I love catching catfish, and I always have need for pictures of big cats.

Late in September, Nathaniel and I will be in Johnson City for the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association conference. Conference days are already full, but we're already scheming a mountain cast and blast for smallmouths and squirrels before the meeting officially begins.

Last stop (that I know about so far) will be at the the Museum of Appalachia, where Nathaniel will be performing as part of their annual Fall Homecoming celebration. Between the museum being almost on the banks of the Clinch River and there being a tremendous amount of other good water between here and there, it's hard to imagine that trip not including a little fall fishing as well.