Tim’s Ford State Park

October 31, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Just south of Lynchburg, Tennessee on Highway 50 is Tims Ford State Park. The Tims Ford Lake is one of the prettiest lakes in Tennessee.

One of the first places we stopped at was the dam. The dam overlook area is a must-see. It’s a pretty place.

The Tims Ford Dam was named after an early Ford crossing the Elk River near Winchester. A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream can be crossed by wading, or inside a vehicle getting its wheels wet. A ford may occur naturally or be constructed. Fords may be impassable during high water.

The dam provides water supply and flood damage reduction downstream on the Elk River, primarily for the town of Fayetteville, Tennessee.

The lake is huge and encompasses 10,700 acres with approximately 250 miles of shoreline.

Just down the road from the dam was a house with a lot of ducks and turkeys running around inside the fenced-in yard.

Black Cayuga Ducks

The Black Cayuga Duck is a rare breed of domestic duck that is believed to have originated in Cayuga County, New York in the early 19th century. They are known for their distinctive black plumage that shines with a greenish sheen in the sunlight. Black Cayuga Ducks are also known for their hardiness and adaptability, and they can thrive in a variety of habitats.

Black Cayuga Ducks were first introduced to Tennessee in the late 19th century, and their populations have grown steadily over the years. Today, they are another one of the most popular types of ducks found in Tennessee. I have never seen any of these all-black ducks before.

Chinese Geese

Chinese geese are large, domesticated geese originally native to East Asia. They are not native to Tennessee either, but they have been introduced to the state and can now be found in many areas. I have never seen any Chinese geese before.

Chinese geese are known for their distinctive appearance, with their large size, knobbed black beaks, stripe down the back of the neck, and brown plumage. They are also known for their hardiness and adaptability and can thrive in a variety of domestic habitats like ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Chinese geese are a popular sight in Tennessee today. They are often seen swimming in ponds and rivers or foraging for food in fields and meadows.

Muscovy Ducks

Muscovy ducks are large, domesticated ducks normally native to Central and South America. They are not native to Tennessee, but they have been introduced to the state and can now be found in many areas of the state. Today they are a common sight in Tennessee. I have never seen these ducks before.

They are known for their distinctive appearance, with their red warty faces, fleshy knobs on their heads, and dark, glossy plumage. They are also known for their hardiness and adaptability, and they can thrive in a variety of habitats, including farm ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Tims Ford Lake was designated a Bill Dance Signature Lake on Dec 21, 2021. Rich likes watching Bill Dance.

The lake is beautiful and so are the fall trees. We saw a couple of fishing boats on the water, but it was a chilly day.

Tims Ford State Park is beautiful. I’m glad that Tennessee State Parks have free entrance. We enjoyed seeing such a beautiful area.

Thanks for traveling with us. I hope you enjoyed seeing Tims Ford State Park in Tennessee.

 

Have You Seen the Yellow Rubber Ducks in Jeeps?

October 12, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

So what do they mean?

Traveling around the country as we do, we have noticed some of the other people in RVs that tow Jeeps behind have their Jeep windshield dashes covered with little yellow rubber ducks.

I’ve never asked anyone about it before, but often wondered what the reason and significance of it is.

We had to make a trip to the Newmar Parts and Service Center the other day and I immediately saw these little rubber ducks for sale all over the store.

We don’t have a Jeep, but I wanted one anyway, mostly because it says Newmar on it. I have a Newmar. If you are going to collect something as you travel, why not cute little yellow rubber ducks?

I decided to research and find out more about this strange infatuation.

Duck, Duck, Jeep

According to an article at parade.com, Jeep Ducking was started by one woman in Canada in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She just wanted to spread some kindness and put a smile on a stranger’s face.

She placed a cute little rubber duck on the hood of their Jeep with a note that said, “Nice Jeep,” sat in her car, and watched their reaction. Sure enough, they smiled, took the duck, placed it on the dash, and drove away.

She did it again, and again, and before she knew it, other Jeep owners were doing it too. It took off like wildfire.

They began “ducking” other Jeeps and also spread the word through Facebook and Instagram. The trend took off like wildfire and now there are over 68,000 members in her Jeep ducking Facebook group. The trend has spread now all throughout Canada, all 50 states, and even countries like Spain and Australia. It just shows how easy it is to get on board with a simple act of kindness! — parade.com

You’ve been ducked

Evidently, Jeep owners are a tight community and are “ducking” other Jeep owners. Some have their own “duck pond” on their dash. They keep all the ducks they get and buy new ones to give away.

Do a Google search for “Duck, Duck, Jeep” and you’ll get more than 20 million results!

And it isn’t just Jeep owners anymore. Everyone else got jealous and wanted to collect cute little rubber duckies on their dashes too. According to Car Talk, ducking has become very popular and widespread.

The trend has spread well beyond Jeeps. Drivers of other marques, looking to get in on the fun, have started ducking each other. We have seen examples of Bronco ducking, Mustang ducking, and some particularly inventive Toyota-loving wags are selling green rubber ducks with pointy ears for — what else — Ducking Yotas.

I found several great articles that helped explain the simple concept of Jeep Ducking to me. Car Talk, Readers Digest, and Parade are just a few among the millions.

So, if you drive a Jeep, don’t be surprised if someone “ducks” you.

What a great way to spread kindness in a world that needs it. Kindness is a ripple effect. It spreads from one person to another, and soon it can change the world.

Thanks for reading and coming along with us on our travels.