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Knoxvillians who take that "every home is a castle" business to new extremes.

by Betty Bean

When you've got Buddha, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary lined up in your front yard in orange bathtub shrines next to a black and white cow that started life as a 250-gallon kerosene tank, you're bound to attract a lot of uninvited guests, but Bobby McNeal kind of figures it's an occupational hazard. John Hitch, on the other hand, was a little scared that his passion for turning his back yard into downtown Mayberry might cause him to be considered a crackpot, but so far, the response of those who come to see Aunt Bea's kitchen, Floyd's Barbershop, Wally's Gas Station, and the Bluebird Diner has been quite positive. And when somebody says Julia Tucker's home is her castle, they mean it literally, and she, quite frankly, doesn't really give a damn what they think.

On first examination, these three Knoxvillians don't seem to have much in common. But when you take a closer look, it is easy to see that they are kindred spirits with a shared belief that home is more than a place to lie on the couch and watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire. For them, life is art and home is the palette.

July 20, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 29
© 2000 Metro Pulse