Father's Day

Three generations gathered for Father's Day on Sunday. We are having so much bird activity up here that we decided more birdhouses were in order. So, after brunch (prepared by yours truly) the three men took charge of installing 2 bluebird houses on the bluff. Although we are overrun with goldfinches, chickadees and hummingbirds, we shall see whether the bluebirds might be interested as well.

Lisa and I spent a quiet, after brunch couple of hours. I am finishing Barack Obama's autobiography Dreams From My Father, and the second floor deck was an excellent spot to relax and enjoy the breeze. Lisa's quiet time was interrupted when Will decided it was "tickle" time - I'm not sure who squealed the loudest!

Later in the afternoon, Jim and I spent a few hours with Arlyn Ende and Jack Hastings in their home, Deepwoods Studio. Arlyn and Jack are both working artists - click on their names for more information. Arlyn and I met through the Obama campaign. Jim and Jack, being fellow cynics, got along famously. For me, it's such a treat to be in the presence of two people who have lived creative lives - they just see the world from a different perspective and, I think, see things that more practical souls like me don't always see.

We leave for Montana tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the cooler, less humid climate and to seeing our Montana friends. As always, you have an open invitation to come see us!

Will's Birthday

Can you believe our little boy is 5 years old already?!?!! Wasn't it just last year that we were rushing home from San Diego because he was making an unexpected early arrival? WOW - If time flies when you're having fun, we must be delirious!!

Will's birthday party was at the almost-finished new house. The most exciting gift, by far, was the trampoline. Jimmy, Lisa and Ros (otherwise known as "Little Papa") spent two hours Saturday morning getting it put together. And, Will wasted no time getting his jumping legs in gear. Even Mom got in a few flips - hope your knees are ok, Lisa.

Marci and Ryan (or as Will says, "Rymie") made the biggest hit of all. Weeks ago, Will had asked them for a Star Wars sword, and, of course, they delivered. When Will opened the package and saw the sword he said, "Wow, Marci and Rymie, you're awsome!" The sword turns green and red, deploys with mock bayonets around the handle, and makes a magical sound that sounds for sure like "The Force".

We got him his first bicycle. The latest trend in bikes for beginning cyclers is not to use training wheels. The pedals are removed, and the child learns to balance first without pedaling; then, as he learns balance, the pedals are put back on and off they go. Will kept trying to find the pedals and didn't seem too keen on the whole process. This will take time!!

Mimi and Little Papa gave him a 4-wheeler - battery powered, light-weight, and definitely 5-year old friendly. And, notice that he does have the helmet on! Right now, there is a vacant lot next to their house, so he should have a great time 4-wheeling it around.

Happy Birthday, Will!!

More Smokey Mountain Memories

I just got a couple of great pics from my son-in-law, taken from his fishing day in the Smokies. There are so many beautiful places in the park. One of the great side benefits of fly fishing is the stunning beauty of the surroundings and the peaceful stillness waiting for the elusive trout! Thanks, Ryan, for sharing your photos.

Our final night in Townsend we were treated to a wonderful meal prepared by Marci. I must say, she has become a wonderful chef. She and her dad really shine in this department. I may never cook again!!! The meal was delicious and low carb - well, except for that Sweet Potato Pie!

I know you won't believe it - but, the Turkey Meatloaf was really delicious and was topped with a yummy sauce. Maybe Marci will share her recipe on her blog??

We are back home for one week before heading off to Montana. Our summer birds have settled in, particularly the goldfinches and hummingbirds. I'm enjoying every minute of being here, looking forward to Montana, but already missing Monteagle.

Good Times in Townsend

Since we came down from Mt. LeConte Wednesday, we have been staying in a great place on the Little River in Townsend, TN. The family "compound" is owned by a family who is staying in our place in Montana this week. What a neat home exchange for us!! In addition to the main house, there is a 3-bedroom log cabin and two fishing cabins along with about 1000 feet of riverfront footage on the Little River. The log cabin, where we are staying, and the two fishing cabins are shown in this picture to the left. The porch on the log cabin, as you can see below, is within a stone's throw of the river and is furnished with rocking chairs. What a great way to spend the day.

By the way, we always have a celebration dinner the night we hike down from LeConte. Most years, we go to The Peddler in Gatlinburg and have a big old steak. This year, since we were in Townsend and didn't want to drive the 20 miles of winding road from Gatlinburg to Townsend after dinner, we took our host's recommendation and had dinner at the Dancing Bear Lodge. The property is beautiful, the accomodations quite luxurious (think kingsize featherbed) and our dinner was of gourmet quality. And, best of all, their rates are really competitive, so we would be very quick to recommend them for a weekend retreat. We think it's Blackberry Farm on a budget, so check out the link.

Marci & Ryan got here on Thursday night late. And, since we had the room, we put out the word that we were here. Sort of the "if you build it, they will come" strategy. So, on Friday Molly and Mark and their 1-yr old daughter, Loretta, joined us. If you were at Marci and Ryan's wedding in 2005, you will probably remember Molly as one of Marci's bridesmaids. Molly and Mark got married in December after Marci and Ryan's August wedding, and Marci was in their wedding.

Ryan wasted no time getting in the water. However, with a water temperature of 75°F and daytime highs of 95°F, the fish were pretty sluggish. So, Ryan and his friend Bill decided to look for the wild trout upstream to Elkmont inside the Park this morning - early - 5 am??? No - none of us got up to see them off. At this posting (6 pm) they have just returned and have had such good results that they are going back out while there is still daylight and the fish are biting.

The water temperature felt just fine to Jimmy and Will, so they took off in the tubes to float down the river. Three hours later they were waterlogged, and Will is still recovering by taking a rather lengthy nap. Jimmy slightly resembles a lobster - the sun was out all day and was very bright.

Late yesterday afternoon, our friends, Connie & Dennis, from Chattanooga called to say that they were in Knoxville and wanted to come over to see us. They had their 4-yr-old granddaughter Ryleigh and Napoleon (Nappie), their 4-lb papillon, with them. Since we had an extra fishing cabin open, they spent the night. Will and Ryleigh had a great time together. Their rare quiet moments were spent playing computer games on PBSKids.org. Otherwise, they were chasing each other and being typical active pre-school kids.

We said goodbye to Connie, Dennis, Ryleigh and Nappie this morning, and the rest of us will go home tomorrow. We have had a fun family week and we are grateful for the time we have together.

The LeConte Hike

This was the 25th anniversary of the hike up Mt. LeConte to LeConte Lodge. The first hike up was when Jimmy was 9 years old - in the early April of 1992. (We missed 2 years - once when I broke my leg, and another time when we lost our reservation). That first hike was accomplished by Jim and Jimmy in 9 inches of snow and, as Jimmy reminisced yesterday, he really was ready to just lay down and die before he got to the top. They made it, needless to say, and they were hooked and invited the girls to go along the next year.

So, what a thrill it is now to have 3 generations making the hike. Five-year-old Will hiked the entire 5-mile trail, both ways. In honor of the occasion, Will was invited to ring the dinner bell that evening. We made it up in 4.5 hours, spent the night at the Lodge, and then back down in 3 hours. I think Will was the only one who wasn't at all sore last night when we got down. Last year, at the age of 4, Will hiked all the way up the mountain, with the encouragement of his 11-year-old very pretty friend, Kensi. Kensi wasn't hiking with us this year, so we were concerned that his motivation might not be as strong this year. Everytime Jimmy asked him if he wanted to ride in the backpack carrier, he declined. We were so proud of him!!

We used the Alum Cave Trail both ways. This is one of 5 trails which lead to the summit. The elevation gain is 2,560 ft up to Mt. LeConte at 6,593 ft. The first landmark is the stairs through Arch Rock. This rock formation covers 33 man-made steps under the arch to the next section of the trail.

Alum Cave Bluffs are about half-way and we always stop there for lunch on the way up. Sandstone bluff overhangs provide shelter if needed and the views from the bluffs are really beautiful.

Just before the bluffs is a rock outcropping covered with heather which we have come to call "Squirrel Rock" over the years. Will learned the reason for this nickname this year and successfully fed a few friendly squirrels some pretzels. They seemed most grateful.

The last mile or so of the trail is spectacular but very rocky and the trail narrowly clings to the side of the mountain with cables attached for handholds in the most treacherous sections. Of course, Will held the cable with one hand and his Dad's hand with the other.

We were lucky this year to have a beautiful sunset at Cliff Top. Maybe one out of every 10 years do the clouds clear enough for sunset. Sunset was at 8:50 EST, so we hiked back down just in time for a final hot chocolate before bedtime.

It probably doesn't surprise you at all that Will is wearing an Obama shirt. He, of course, got plenty of comments, not only about his shirt, but also about the fact that he had hiked the entire 5 miles. One of the adult hikers asked him if he was for Obama, to which Will replied "I'm just for America, because I speak American!" Honestly, I couldn't be more proud of my grandson - a child who knows his own mind and isn't afraid to speak out. When I asked Will who was going to be the next President of the United States, he held up his hand and said, "I Am!!" So, you heard it first here - Will for President!

If you are ever interested in making this hike, I will be happy to talk to you about what we have learned over the years, including the best way to get reservations, which are very tricky to get. We also are happy for friends to make the hike with us, so just let us know if you want to go along. We usually go in early June, and will be going until our legs refuse to carry us. While I doubt that we will break the 1,001 trips made by Margaret Stephenson, who hiked the LeConte trails until age 86, we certainly expect to have quite a few more trips!

Memorial Day Weekend

Yes, I know . . . it was last weekend!! But, I just wanted to share what I did for the weekend. I've had a busy week!!

Jim was in North Carolina on his annual golf trip to Springdale. His team won the tournament! On Thursday, I went to Sparta and picked up Joy to come for a "girls" overnight at my house. She had not seen the new house, and I wanted her to have plenty of time to see it. I caught her in the elevator. She finally mustered up the courage to take a ride by herself.

We explored the surrounding area on Friday morning and stopped for lunch at the Blue Chair in Sewanee. Their carrot cake is the best, so we shared a single slice.

After lunch, we headed down to the Sequatchie Valley where a friend of Jimmy's owns a Pickett's Trout Ranch. He supplies organic (no antibiotics), farm-raised rainbow trout to restaurants and fish markets on the order of about 25,000 per year. The fish are raised in lakes fed by an underground stream that comes out of a cave just behind the house, and the water is really cold!!

Jimmy and Will were there for an overnight campout and for a competitive hash run on Saturday. Jimmy was preparing the route for the hash run Friday afternoon and asked if Joy and I could help out by entertaining Will for the afternoon.

We hung around the trout ranch for about an hour, fed the fish and played with the five dogs, one of whom chased every stick Will (or anybody else) threw until the dog was totally exhausted. Will won the endurance contest, but passed out in the car within 5 minutes of our trip to Sparta.

Will and I got back to the trout ranch in time for the cookout - hot dogs and hamburgers - and the tents were pitched and ready for a good night's sleep. For my part, I headed back up the mountain to my cool, comfortable, insect-free bedroom. After a good night's rest, I went back down to pick up Will before the adults had their hash run and this time Will spent the night with me.

We spent the afternoon working puzzles, water painting, reading and of course, riding the elevator. We decided to treat ourselves to McDonald's for dinner and then stopped at the park where there were some other children playing on the playground. This must have been parents' night out because all the kids were there with their grandparents.

I found out that Saturday night in the park is a big deal for the locals here, where everyone gathers to chat and wave at their neighbors who are driving by on the main drag through town. It sort of reminds me of the old folks (I think I am one now) sitting around the courthouse square in Sparta. Anyhow, it was a great time! We stayed until dark and Will had no problem being ready for bed.

I took Will back down to the trout ranch once more to meet his parents for the trip back to Chattanooga. Shortly after I got back, Jim called to say that he was on his way home from North Carolina. My friend, Connie, whose birthday was on Sunday, called to say they they were having a cookout Sunday afternoon at their house in Chattanooga, so I drove down and met Jim there and spent the night at their house.

Whew!! What was going to be a rather quiet weekend turned out to be quite a busy one. But that's the beauty of the retired lifestyle. Anything can be put off to the next day and often does! I somehow manage to get done what needs to be done, and I'm grateful to have the flexibility to live like we do.

Will's birthday was yesterday, and I have some great pictures which I will post shortly.

Springtime in the Cumberland Mountains

There's really no more beautiful sight than the Cumberland Mountains in bloom. The bright yellow forsythia usually starts the blooming frenzy, followed shortly by the dogwood and red bud trees in April.

This week, the mountain laurel is in full bloom and the bank coming down our driveway is covered with these glorious blossoms!


Natural landscaping at its finest!

Every window in this house frames nature's work of art, and this is the view I have from my dining room window.

These beautiful blossoms will be gone by next week - just in time for the rhododendron display.