Not a minute of sun today.  Dammit.  I shot so many wonderful things and will have to retrace my route again one day in sunnier conditions.  Here’s my approach to weather:
* sun – shoot as fast as you can – it may not last
* grey – shoot & grumble
* rain – shoot & curse
* snow – park & cry

I know — some of you are waiting on dog photos — here’s just one then.  This is from a typical pull-over & let ’em rip break.  This is what the crew looks like as they wait for me to get my act together (treats, toys, get Grem’s special collar on, etc.).  They’re waiting for the big “ok” which means they can leap out of the van for exploration and retrieving:

Nothing special about this photo — just a typical selected spot that’ll work for us.  It extends further left and right and behind than this photo shows.  Just about any place that has new development (box stores, fast food, etc.) has nearby undeveloped fields.  Sometimes with grass — sometimes just a mix of weeds and dirt — which is also fine:

I haven’t given you any food shots in a while either.  So here’s a classic donuts-on-the-dash shot — TN lists & maps — had to load up on the sugar & calories for an intense day in Nashville.  These donuts were from a Shipley’s in Madison.  Maple nut (so-so) and Bavarian-filled (better but not all that remarkable):

On with the “important” stuff now.  This huge sign is from Clarksville:

Also from Clarksville — evidently a converted barn.  The sign referred to it as “Skyline Lanes at The Barn”:

Lots of interesting mid-century modern stuff in downtown Nashville — including this:

One of the Jim Reed car dealership buildings in Nashville must have originally been a nice oldie.  The only thing peeking through now that I noticed were these two columns:

More Nashville.  The Sunshine Shop could use a little TLC:

This guy and an old printing press are installed as a pole sign at Midtown Printing:

It’s hard to miss this place:

Their sign:

It’s truly a miracle that the Fox’s Donut Den sign was saved, restored & reinstalled.  It seemed doomed when the mall decided to “update”.  As you can see, the mall is one of those big & bland designs — at least this one has some stone incorporated.  But all the other signs are backlit plastic & dull as hell.  The developers “let the people decide” whether to keep the old sign or create a new “replica”.  The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the old sign.  I posted a close-up of the restored sign over at Flickr tonight:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/4504535012/

This sign is from the Ragland Bottom Motel & Restaurant in Sparta.  It was hard to tell if either enterprise is really still in business:

This sign in Nashville — at the factory where Mrs. Grissom’s Salads are produced:
http://www.mrsgrissoms.com/The_Grissom_Story/

And so, when in Rome, and since I’d never had the product before, I made a special stop at a Publix supermarket just to pick up some Mrs. Grissom’s.  There was also a jalapeno-added variety but I stuck with the classic as depicted on the sign.  I got a new type of Wheat Thin cracker (Ranch, new to me anyway) to accompany.  Sensational combination it turned out.  I was really expecting the “salad” to be gross.  But it was sweet, not too sweet, and tasted very much like the cheese in the classic holiday cheese & nut ball.  I might have to get some nuts to go-with tomorrow since this container is going to last awhile.