Gayle's Blog

  Gayle Balaban Brokker/Owner

                                                                            The Best Spot Realty  423-785-7768 

I live in this community and look forward to helping you find your place in it!  Give me a call and I'd be happy to show you around.  Taxes are low, the schools are great and property values are a value right now!  Besides, I am an experienced tour guide.  Call me today!  Marinabroker@aol.com

What wonderful sounds an sites and smells are in Collegedale, Tn this time of year!  I am not going to try to tell you a story, simply let you look at what I collected today from around town in the fall season.. By the way, this weekend was homecoming weekend for Collegedaale Academy and a lot of folks were in town to enjoy the season and many special events and old friends.  There were several concerts and a gymnastic exhibit that I know of and  many other events that I haven't caught up with yet.

The ballfield at SAU behind the Fleming Plaza buildings and Collegedale Post Office.

Old Camp road on the way to the scuppernong vineyard.

The duck pond in Collegedale, Tn.

The Nature Nook by the Greenway

University Dr. heading north Collegedale, Tn.

By the outdoor theater.

So, if you have enjoyed the tranquil tour of Collegedale, Tn. and think that you might like to pay us a visit, please call me and I'll show you around.  It's a great place to be!

This is the quaint little Post Office in the tiny enclaave known as Apison, Tennessee.  Sandwiched between Collegedale, Tn., McDonald, Tn., and Ooltewh, Tn. this tiny little community is a quiet, country place to live.  The houses are mostly modest.  There is not much of a "town" per se, yet there is convenience to all that it's neighboring towns of Collegedale, Tn. and Ooltewah, Tn. have to offer and yet still is a great place to raise a horse as well as a family.

This is the Apison, Tennessee elementary school.  Good education as part of the Hamilton County system and yet plenty of frsh air to breathe and room to run.  Safely tucked away in the east part of the county, this small community remains relatively crime free.

The main turn off to get into Apison, Tn. is this intersection of Apison Pike and Bill Jones Road.

One of the big commercial enterprises in Apison, Tn.

Main Street in Apison, Tn.

Tri-Communities Fire Department Station #3 located accross from the Post Office and in front of the elementary school.

Right turn from Bill Jones Road in Apison, Tn. takes you onto East Brainerd Road and the back of Collegedale, Tn.  The elementary school and Baptist church are on the right.

If you have a desire to come to a sleepy, country community in Tennessee and yet remaain within 15 minutes of a major mall, 20 minutes of several big hospitals then please call me and I'd be happy to show you round.

I was recently on a forum and someone asked about Delano Tn. and Benton, Tn.  Unfortunately the forum prohibited me from answering about a lisiting that I have and the River Ranch in Benton would fit them perfectly.  I decided to post another blog about the area so that the chance improves that people will find this undiscovered aand convenient area.

Tell me, where are you going to find something like this.  This happens to be a 6.82 tract of property that is for sale.

Brethtaking!!!  This is a view of Star Mountain in Reliance, Tennessee whicj provides the backdrop of this field in Delano, Tennessee.  You will love it here if you like moderate climate, convenience and country living.  This parcel is within 15 miles of I-75 which will take you anywhere that you could need to go.  If you are interested in knowing more about this part of Tennessee and discovering land for sale in Tennessee, please, please call me.  I am falling in love with this area and it would be my pleasure to show you around!

I haven't written about the Poos in a while, so, here's an update:

MARILYN   She is home now at 16 months old.   She is growing coat to go back in the show ring.  She is turning out to be an intelligent, athletic and highly independent girl.  Stuning to look at.  She came home with 4 points and a HUGE bill for me to pay.  Taking care of coat is not my forte so we struggle along.  Today is supposed to be Marilyn grooming day.

SAGITTA  She is 18 months now and ever my little agility queen and early warning detector.  You know that thos dangerous squirrels require a prompt alert.  She has wonderful structure and the most fabulous coat I have seen on a Poodle.  Unfortunately it is dirty a lot of the time because she is the ultimate tomboy! She loves water and mud.

RICOH  My stallion is now 28 months old and is FINALLY growing up.  He is my lover boy and loves me and the girls.  I took him out of the conformation shows because I wanted him to mature.  I am slowly regrowing his coat.  He loves to go out with Mommy in the car and we frequently go to McDonalds in the evening for a quick burger.

Here is Katie, my little old lady trying to avoid Marilyn!

I began feeding them a totally raw diet about 2 months ago and boy are they flourishing!

<div style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; visibility:visible; margin-right: auto; width:450px;"><embed style="width:435px; visibility:visible; height:270px;" allowScriptAccess="never" src="http://www.myplaylist.org/mc/mp3player-othersite.swf?config=http://www.myplaylist.org/mc/config/config_red.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=270&playlist_url=http://www.myplaylist.org/loadplaylist.php?playlist=52312801" menu="false" quality="high" width="435" height="270" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" border="0"/><BR><a href=http://www.myplaylist.org><img src=http://www.myplaylist.org/mc/images/create_red.jpg border=0></a><a href=http://www.myplaylist.org/standalone/52312801 target=_blank><img src=http://www.myplaylist.org/mc/images/launch_red.jpg border=0></a><a href=http://www.myplaylist.org/download/52312801><img src=http://www.myplaylist.org/mc/images/get_red.jpg border=0></a> </div>

Yesterday I wrote a blog about Palisades Park, N.J. back in the day.  Well, Jim Albano asked me to post it to the North Jersey group and well, being the techno nerd that I am I erased it while I was trying to post it over, so take II.

When I was a pre-teen I lived in N.J. and one of my greatest thrills was going to Palisades Park in Bergen County.  They had rides and several roller coasters.  My friend and I thought that we were in heaven if we got to go which incidentally was a bit of an undertaking.  It was about 70 miles to the North but even then Jersey was congested on the Garden State Parkway.  Then in 1962 Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon came out with a song called "Palisades Park" and I wore out the record.  It was a tale about a teenage boy who took his date to the park and they rode all the rides, did all the doing and when they were on top of the ferris wheel he kissed her and they fell in love.  He seemed to be depicting a love trance.  Of course the music was quite lively and it just psyched me up to want to go and do; you know the way teenagers have to be on the move.

Well, it experienced it's demise because of it's success.  So many people liked to come that the streets of Ft. Lee N.J. where gridlocked and the parking was not to be found.  Eventually the city took it by eminent domain and the site now boasts a high rise condo complex. 

Well, it's fun to look back and although I am far from a teenaager, I can still remember what Palisades Park represented for me and I drift back in time. 

BTW< Jim and I have been friends on AR for about a year and boy has his blog and his business taken off.  If you want to know what is happening in North Jersey, he be da' man!!!

http://searchbeta.playlist.com/tracks#palisades%20park

Benton Shooters Supply a Candyland for gun enthusiasts!  Located on Hwy. 411 in Benton, Tn. this place is a mecca for all those that enjoy firearms.  They have pistols, long guns, revolvers and antique guns.  Additionally they carry all types of ammunition, field clothes and of course targets, cases and tree stands. People come a long distance to shop here and their prices are quite good.

This one is not hard to figure out.  Located right on Hwy. 411 in Benton.  They sure have pretty views!

A wonderful place to live with views to die for.  If you have an interest in visiting, call me!  I'll show you around.  Remember there are no income taxes here!

Today I had ocassion to visit River Ranch and I took a scenic drive and explored more parts of Polk County and the Delano and Benton areas.  I thought that I would like to share more photos of this sleepy, growing community that I am slowly falling in love with.

This is County Road 163 or also known as Bowater Road.   This happens to be the turn at the Chestuee Baptist Church sign to go to the River Ranch.  Bowater is a big paper plant located on Highway 11 in Calhoun, Tn.  You may remember reading about a rather large and devstating chain reaction crash on I-75 in Calhoun.  This made national news and was blamed on poor visibility due to steam from the Bowter plant.  It happened during commuter hour in the morning.  Since then they have put up big fog warning signs with lights on I-75 in the Calhoun area.   They are regulated to give different warnings depending on conditions.  Calhoun is actually in McMinn Coutny, Tn., but, in this area many counties border each other and you frequently cross back and forth between counties.  Bowater is a large paper plant and they owned huge amounts of land in the area at one time.  They logged the land to process paper and then evetually sold it off to private individuals at dirt cheap prices.  Many recreation areas and subdivisions are on former Bowater property.

Can you imagine getting any sleep in the corner bedroom?  This old house is lived in and is situated precariously on McMinn County Rd. 750.  I pass by it on the way to the River Ranch.  Of course it was here long before the road was established and would not be allowed today.

This is the view to the Eaast on Athens Rd.  Star Mountain is in the background.  It is part of the Chilhowee mountains which connects to the Appalachians.  North Carolina begins right on the other side of the mountain.

Cows graze at the side of Athens Rd.  Much of the land is still farmlnd, yet a busy highway into "civiliztion" is only minutes away.

A quiet county road; McMinn County Rod 977.  It was a gorgeous day for a ride out in this neck of the woods!

A quiet spot by the Hiwassee.

I just posted on Jim Albano's blog.  He is a North Jersey Realtor on AR.  For some reason it just inspired me to post about Palisades Park, N.J.  For those of you who don't know Jim it is worth checking him out.  In the one year that I have been here I have watched him and his blog grow and he has always been so considerate.

Well, I am originally from N.J. and Jim and I josh back and forth about what he likes in Tennessee and what I miss about Jersey.  It just got me to thinking and wanting to take some of you down memory lane.  I remember when I was a kid I thought that it was the biggest deal to get to go to Palisades Park.  My girlfriend next door and I were pre-teens and we would google at the boys and ride the rides. I remember winning some kind of preposterous stuffed animal one time. I just loved the rides.

Well right about that time, Freedy Cannon came out with a song, "Palisades Park".  It was a tale of a teen date at the park and riding all the rides until he took his girl on the Ferris Wheel and kissed her and they fell in love.  For some reason I thought that was just so exciting and romantic and I drove my mother nuts just palying that 45 over and over and over.  It inspired me and energized me.

Well times have changed.  Ft. Lee is not the same nor is Bergen County.  It is not 1962 and Palisades Park is now a high rise condo project, but, even though I am not the same either, the teenager in me thanks Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon and Swan records for the best summer song ever!  I sure do miss a lot about those days!

Apison is a small community that is a sub suburb of Chattanooga and I guess a suburb of Ooltewah and Collegedale Tennessee.  It is difficult to know the boundaries of Apison; it threads itself around Collegedale, Ooltewah and the south part of Bradley County Tennessee.  There is a small post office located off of East Brainerd Road and there is a Hullco center and a small antique/trading shop but not much other commerce per se.  There are however, acres and acres of picturesque farmland and McMansions mixed in with more moderate country style homes.  It is convenient to Collegedale, Ooltewah and the lower part of Cleveland.  It is a quiet community and part of Hamilton County Tennessee so the property taxes are low.  It is still possible to buy a moderate priced home in this desireable area and have the best of everything at your fingertips  Come by and see us.  I'd be happy to show you around!