Green is the prime color of the world...

...and that from which its loveliness arises." ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Lately I’ve finally started to settle into the new rhythm of my summer here in Tennessee. My house feels like a home, my coworkers are friends, and I’m comfortable in this new environment (which is surprisingly very different from Minnesota). I’ve figured out how to shop for groceries that will actually give me nourishment and I’ve been pretty decent at cooking that way, too. I can also finally say with confidence that I have become tolerant (key word, tolerant) of the climate here—very hot and very humid. However, while the day is hot, because we are in the mountains the nights are on average about 20-30 degrees cooler than the peak of the day, and higher elevations have never recorded a temperature above 80. I guess that’s where I’ll do most of my hiking.

On the 15^th (was that already over a week ago?) I had the privilege of participating alongside other volunteers and employees in a photography workshop led by the current Artist in Residence of the Smokies. After a brief intro and talk we went on a short hike and she gave us pointers of things to watch out for in nature when out shooting. She is incredibly talented, and what a wonderful way to spend a Monday morning! Here are some of my photos below. As you can see, the theme of my summer photography will most definitely be the color green.

Later in the week I was lucky enough to participate in a two day National Park Service Operational Leadership training, which focuses on hazards and risks in the workplace and how to avoid and/or manage them. I learned a lot of useful information that will not only come in handy at my job this summer, but jobs in the future, as well.

It’s hard to get around without a car, so unfortunately last weekend I didn’t get to go hiking. But I did spend some quality time with my camera at Cataract Falls and the nearby Fighting Creek nature trail, experimenting with water movement and long exposures. It was a lot of fun! Here are some of my favorite shots.

  

When I’m not participating in workshops or classes during the week, I’ve been taking online training at work. I’m finally getting into learning more about web design, and I also have been doing a couple graphic design projects using Adobe InDesign, which has been a blast. And I get to learn more about the park in the process! In the rest of my free time I’ve been attending weekly trivia at the local brewery (our team actually won last week after we bet all or nothing and ended up with a question based on the periodic table—thank you, four semesters of chemistry), exploring local bookstores, practicing my instruments (shout out to Dr. Lin J), and reading.

I miss all of you so much back home and I look forward to seeing you again! But for now, the Smokies await.

Love, Lindsey.