Photo Album - June/July 2016

Just a few images taken over the course of a couple months around the Southeastern United States.

Northwest Georgia

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this photo was taken from in an unincorporated area of  Chattooga county, Georgia called Taylor Ridge. Taylor Ridge, named after Cherokee Indian chief Richard Taylor, runs roughly forty miles through Northwest Georgia and is composed of sandstone on one side and hard chert on the other - leading to differing types of flora on either side of the mountain.

Coming south from Chattooga county, and just inside Floyd county, if one veers from the beaten path of Highway 27 you'll find yourself in the rustic countryside of Armuchee (pronounced Armurchee by the locals) and Johns Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Sparsely populated and no signs on the main highway advertising hiking or camping or the like it is an area filled with barns, creeks that at least appear they'd be good for tubing or kayaking, quaint churches and rolling hills, leading up to small mountain peaks that bear resemblance to the taller and more vast Smokies further to the east. There are also multiple hiking opportunities in the area, mostly accessed by the Pinhoti Trail including Horn Mountain, Rocky Face, Dick's Ridge, Taylor Ride, and Little Sand Mountain.

Summer Festivals Around The South

Liver Mush Festival - Marion, NC

June 3

I had liver mush once. It was in the general area this festival was taking place. I'd spent a couple days in Asheville, NC and was driving back home and stopped at a roadside diner to get some breakfast and liver mush was on the menu and, of course, I had to try it. The taste is nothing really out of the ordinary. It is rich and greasy and has a flavor not unlike regular ol' patty sausage, which is common across The South. One could also say it has a flavor resembling blood sausage or, perhaps, even a light in texture meatloaf. It was pretty good.

This festival takes place in beautiful Marion, NC and celebrates the conglomeration of different pig parts and cornmeal with such events as Best Dressed Pig contest, a Liver much sandwich eating contest, a Pig Calling contest, live music and a corn hole tournament as well. The grand prize for the Best Dressed Pig contest is twenty-five dollars.

Mountains of Music Homecoming - Virginia

June 10-18th

Nine counties, four cities and over and fifty towns. Over an eight day period the hills and mountains of Virginia come alive with the sounds of a musical heritage that traces its roots back to the European and African settlers that arrived there hundreds of years ago. The Crooked Road that links these municipalities is the marker you'll need as you travel from town to town to see acts such as The Crooked Road Ramblers and Flatt Lonesome, just to name a couple. But music isn't the only draw to this eight day hoedown. In the Central Zone in Cedar Bluff, there is a Community Quilt Challenge, and in Haysi, in the West Zone, there is a folk art exhibit by painter Shawn Wallace. What I've mentioned here is just a tiny snippet of a truly vast experience and exhibition. Find out more here.  

Spring/Summer Fashion Glimpse

Summer style can absolutely be as interesting and potentially dynamic as cold weather clothing. But first, one has to have the initiative to undertake endeavors requiring more effort than simply throwing on whatever breathable, non-confining rags are lying around to cover up the human anatomy that will get you arrested if left exposed - or made fun of.

Pants

Vineyard Vines Oxford Breaker Pant

Personally, I'd never dream of wearing the above shirt with those pants - or the loafers either - but the pants are nice. Roll them up a bit and pair them with some canvas sneakers, Chucks, or even some brown flip flops. Throw on a striped tank-top or a thin T and you've got yourself a suitable outfit for springtime.


Deus - James Slim Fit Chino

Can't go wrong with a pair of versatile dark blue chinos. They'll of course fade if you wash them regularly. So I recommend putting them in the freezer for a night or 2 to freshen them up - which is what I do with a pair of blue corduroys I have. I'd wear a mint green button-up over these.


Express - Chambray Cotton Jogger Pant

Don't wear these pants with loafers, or wingtips or anything of the sort. Don't wear them to a wedding, or a funeral for that matter - unless it's funeral for a guy that only wore sweatpants and wouldn't be caught dead with his shirt tucked in, maybe then - If you want to pay homage, maybe. There ARE people like that. I say wear these relaxed, but refined take on intermingling of chinos and gym wear should only be worn to brunch, to the mall or to a sports bar, and only with sneakers/tennis shoes.


Shirts

Oxford Lad Triangle Light-weight Button-down Shirt

Beautiful shirt. Gives off an attitude of artful sophistication and a nod to the vibrant colors of summer.

Essentials: Summer Blazer

The Summer Blazer, though unnecessary in terms of pragmatism, makes an already distinguished fellow a gentleman. It turns casual Saturday nights out for drinks to Nights on the Town and is sure to turn more heads than your v-neck t-shirt alone.

Zara - Linen Blazer

This linen blazer is the perfect accompaniment to khaki slacks and, of course, blue slacks or even a t-shirt and jeans. It's light weight, small lapels and built in pocket square would make you stand out at any wedding or backyard cookout at the boss' house. You won't find as stylish a blazer as this for under $100 and though many would consider Zara a budget clothing company their clothes are more well-made than many other more expensive garments I've owned...