In addition to riding motorcycles, we love to walk. We are members of the American Volkssport Association. It is America's walking club. They have sanctioned walks all around the Nation, walks as close as Nashville, and as far away as Alaska. It's a fun way to stay fit by building up Kilometers and getting awards for events. Some walks you register online, others have a walk box at the start point, usually a business like a hotel or some other type of shop. On this day, we are walking in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Oak Ridge Tennessee has a uniqueness to it. If you know its history, it's easy to understand why. It is home to America's Atomic Energy and Weapons programs. Components for the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were built here, named the Manhatten Project. Oak Ridge was created from nothing on the banks of the Chinch River in 1942. It is currently home to the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It includes the 1.4 Billion dollar project, the Spallation Neutron Source, and Titan, one of the world's largest supercomputers.
We are here to walk 5K's; the American Volkssport Association Secret City walk sponsored by the East Tennessee walkers. It was perfect walking weather, low 70's with no humidity. The walk box was located at the downtown Marriott. The walk wanders through a very picturesque part of the City, through a park and past the Oak Ridge High School.
The highlight of the walk was the AK Bissell Park, which contains the Friendship Bell. Surrounded by a Japanese Garden. The Bell was funded by American and Japanese corporations, individuals, and scientists to honor all those that served in World War 2. It is meant as a spot to pray for peace and freedom.
Oak Ridge is just one of those places in America that should not be missed. A symbol of American power and presence base on intellectuality brought about by science. A city created straight out of American ingenuity. Plus, it's a fun, beautiful place.
After my sons' success last week, it was my turn this weekend to get a deer. It’s the biggest one I have ever harvested. An 8 or 9 point depending on the opinion of the odd horn and my first with a muzzleloader. Never seen so much activity. The 300-acre tract across the road from us was logged last spring, I think that drove the deer into the cover my place offers. I have hunted with my muzzleloader for about 5 years now and never had much luck always getting my deer during gun season. We had some unusually cold weather this past week, which I think made a big difference also. 
To tell you the truth, I’m not much of a trophy hunter. I really don’t enjoy killing these majestic animals. I have spent more time watching them than shooting them. I’m not a vegan or even a vegetarian, but I understand our food supply chain, which is very cruel to the animals that we eat regularly. 
This deer actually had a good life, and I’m sure he has left his prodigy walking around. There are more deer in the US than when Columbus landed. Plus, they taste so good. So I try to get 1 a year for the freezer. I might not even hunt if I weren’t a property owner. I feel it’s sort of an obligation to help keep the deer population down, which is a big problem in TN. Coming home, there must have been 5 Roadkill deer in the 50 miles I had to drive. 
