Smoky Mountains

So I have just entered Nashville after spending 2 nights camping in the Smoky Mountains and a brief visit in Asheville, North Carolina. Cataloochee in the Smoky Mountain National Park is absolutely beautiful. It is home of a diverse group of plants and animals. The National Park Service works to manage the preservation of native species to the area. Some of the successful wildlife reintroductions in the Great Smoky Mountains include the river otter, Peregrine Falcon, and three species of small fish. All of these species were reintroduced because they had been eliminated from the park at a point in time. There was an experimental release of elk into the park in February 2001. Over hunting and loss of habitat eliminated these animals from this region in the 1700's. It was a great pleasure to be able to share a home with these majestic animals for a few nights. A little nerve racking at first, but I found myself captivated by the clear water streams and thick forest canopy. I hiked to camp ground number 39 and 40 while I was at the park. It was very nice being able to share memories with my friends during the first part of my travels. The last night camping I spent the night in a hammock. It was a bit chilly as soon as the sun rotated out of our hemisphere, but watching the starry sky was well worth the chill. We woke at 4 am and hiked back through the woods in darkness to catch the elk grazing in the foggy field. Even with my 100-400mm I could not get close enough to photograph any details. I realize I would have needed a 600-800 or larger and a 3000 dollar tripod. Oh well, they were better in person than any photograph could capture.

We then left for Asheville. There we sat under a bridge and shared tunes and rested our heads from the early morning daze. It was quite relaxing watching the water go by. It would be nice If everyone would take the time to focus on what is around them. It's hard while working a job every day for the rest of your life. It takes a lot to break free. I fell in love with Asheville. The whole city provides fresh organic food and everyone is so nice and happy. Such a wonderful place. I am considering moving there when I get back. I have always wanted to live in the mountains and I think I could be a successful working artist there. I also really enjoy being able to play music on the streets. I recorded a song while I was there . . .


After we finished with the video I headed to Nashville and started the beginning of my solo trip. Once I got to Nashville I was greeted by my old friend Jessica Lee. She is always a pleasure to be around. Her bubbly personality is medicine for lifting your spirit. Her and her sister Rachel showed me around town and took me too a few places. I have 2 favorite places here. 1) is Bookman and Bookwoman, an independent used book store. There I bought Man Against Myth by Dunham. Here is a quote from this book,

'"The unhappiness of man," wrote Baron d'Holback, "is due to his ignorance of nature." It is a profound truth, and the future of mankind undoubtedly turns upon it. Knowledge is, of course, a satisfaction in itself. We are likely to feel that even if we cannot avoid the blows of circumstance, there is some consolation in knowing what hit us. Yet how much greater the satisfaction would be if we had no need to be consoled, if our knowledge of the given circumstances were transformed, by further knowledge, into control over it!"

Wrote in 1947

2) Percy Warner park was also one of my favorite spots. It has a great over look of the city and we saw a hand full of deer on the long drive up the mountain. I'm really glad Jessica took me around and showed me these spots.

I am now going to head to the coast of Virginia to find some free disperse camping. Time to read, paint, and play music.
-SBM

I need help

Good day internet patrons. I have stowed away all my belongings in the far corners of Marietta and am preparing my travel necessities for my month long escape. I am very excited to escape a routine way of life and capture the world from an outside perspective. I will be sharing my travels with the world as I find myself entering new situations and discoveries. I hope to inform and educate as well as provide my photographic talents to those whom wish to enjoy. I plan on trying to stay traveling as long as possible, but my funds are limiting. I am open to sleeping on couches and camping as ways of shelter. I will learn to cut my costs, my waste, and act as a responsible human on this beautiful planet, Spaceship Earth. I am very appreciative of any friendly help I can get along the way. As much as I hate the idea of money I have created a Donate button for paypal on my blog. Any funds are a help and will go directly to helping me continue my travels and my education. In return I will post my findings, photographs, and video's all for free. I just need help getting by. Prints of my work will also be available through www.scottmckibbenphotography.smugmug.com I am also taking suggestions for traveling and you can be a part of the very photograph that could be hanging on your wall. 4 days till my departure and there is still very much work to be done. If you lay your head on the East Coast and have an interesting discovery, lifestyle, organization, non profit or philosophy to share please contact me.
Thank you so much for everyones help!
-Scott B. McKibben

Changes

What a shame . . . We have reached a point where our own ignorance, greed, and insensitivity has lead to a point of disaster. My plans for moving to New Orleans have changed. I have looked in to going and helping and "due to the high volume of volunteers [they] are no longer accepting applications." I am concerned for the health of those helping and the education being provided about the harmful side effects of working with such toxins. The chemical agent being added to the oil has many catastrophic side effects and we will see a lot of damage in the future because of this. I blame not only the government and BP for this disaster, but I blame myself and other humans for not putting forth all of their interests into alternate fuel options. We have had our chances with the auto manufactures and the public was more concerned with their gas guzzling suv's, sports cars, and trucks. So for now we choose oil which is spewing out rapidly into our oceans, destroying our wildlife, poisoning our food, and feeding the flame for the fate of our future. I know I want this to change.



Instead we will probably point fingers for a while and not take responsibility for our own actions. There needs to be more government action and less blame game. Also, somebody needs to take the typewriters microphone and pass it to Obama. I can't hear him talking in circles clearly.

On the contrary, my lease ends on the 30th of June. I have arranged for myself to take forth all of my energy in my documentary to help educate humans on what it is that is happening and why. I will be traveling to Canada hoping to stir an interest in my project and to receive grants and funding. I just need the means in which I can focus 100 percent of my time on this project. I will be stopping by the Buckminster Fuller Institution to learn more about Bucky and to talk with them about what it is I am trying to do.

I will use this trip as the stepping stone to constructing a hard outline of what the project will offer and to help educate people along the way. I will keep a consistent video blog of observations and experiences through out my journey.

Please help me in my travels. I need places to stay, people to talk to, topics, and any information that can be of help for making a change. Please email me at scottmckibbenphotography@gmail.com

On a more light hearted note, I will also be cataloging my music endeavors along the way. Hoping to create a video blog series devoted to american music. I will play my own tunes as I travel as well as film the others I encounter. If you live on the east coast and are interested in meeting me to be a part of this project please let me know.

There is a lot to come from me in the next few months. I am also happy to say that my website will be going up next week. After months of hard grueling work Dave Berzack and myself have come to a closing with my website as well as his Nerdcore Rap Spoof video. I hope these projects bring us success in the future.

I just wanted to give a brief overview of what there will be to see in the next coming weeks and am very excited about sharing my travels with the world wide web.

Till next time,
SBM