June 19th-Home Again...Jiggity Jog

Drove from Macon, Ga to home. Gas prices range from $4.19 to $3.86.
We picked up Dixie from the Vet and came on home. There was a huge shovel poking out from behind our canal hedge! Oh My!


It is huge and they are dredging the canal.



Two guys work it. One to scoop and dump the sand/sludge on the banks. The other guy sits on a chair and when the barge needs to be moved, the bucket lifts up the big anchor poles high enough that the chair guys puts a pin through it.

Then the operator uses the bucket to pull the barge along, then reset the anchor poles and start scooping in another patch.

Everyone's sprinkler stuff in the canal is broken. We saved the end filter thing. The canal water is really muddy.

June 18th-Up and Over

We decided to go over the Mountain to Cherokee through the park. We hadn't done this for years. They are paving the road to Gatlinburg and so the left lane was blocked. It took 45 min just to get from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. Finally started up the park. Speed maybe 35 mph because of the grade and turns. I was happy to go slow, but Blaine doesn't like to follow anyone.



Motor cycles everywhere. There must have been a rally or conference somewhere. I guess we must have seen over 200 and they travel in swarms of at least 6. We went past Clingman's Dome. In past years we might have climbed to the top, but with my bum knee, no.




Beautiful views.



Beautiful wildflowers.



Once over to Cherokee we set to go to Blairsville, Ga where my clerk has built a house. Several of our Winston Park people have bought land/build there. Teachers and police retire there.

She lives on Mountain Top road and it reminded me of the road last year to the cabin S&R rented. Narrow and up. We never did find the house and Blaine was afraid to travel on the road. We plugged in how to get to I-75 at Atlanta. We went from a 2-lane 35 mph road to a 12 lane 70mph road.

We discovered that we are not mountain people, but hill folks. Can't imagine why/how anyone could drive on those roads and if there were the slightest bit of ice, we would slide off.

June 17th, Tuesday

We came to Gatlinburg today. Weather is beautiful and not that busy. The 'season' doesn't start till the 4th of July.

Christmas Place is wonderful for all of the ideas and colors. Since we have a room at the Hampton, I can wander to my hearts content as Blaine has a place to rest and I can walk home.

This evening we went in to Gatlinburg. This year they have street musicians. Old Timey bands, cloggers, dulcimer players. It's a nice addition. It was a test of my walking. Up/down and uneven surfaces. Nothing tempting me to buy...except the taffy, the fudge, and the funnel cakes. I got past them all.

My pictures won't load with the motel computer connection. :-(
I was able to upload some photos to Flickr.

June 16th Monday

Travel day. Did the laundry and then left town. The goal was Gatlinberg, but I had such a headache that we stopped in Berea, Ky. It was another 2 hours to go otherwise.

I wish someone would post pictures of their painting or their new house or at least TALK about it.

June 14-15

Arrived Saturday afternoon. We went out and visited Mom. They had just put her to bed so she was alert, but it was bedtime. We then went to visit Dad. he was in bed too, but his eyes were closed and not communicative so we left. Went and visited with Aunt Lillian. She told stories about her brother Ernest who seemed to be quite the rounder.

Sunday AM we popped out to see Mom again. She was dressed nicely and parked in the dining room for the church service being held by a man with a huge beard who quoted scripture about sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Kinda past their rod-wielding days. Spouted on with how the father needed to choose their children's friends and who they dated because it was the men who would be the leaders. ARGH!!


Next we went back out to visit Dad. He was dressed and in the formerly know as the game room. It was time to eat. He was looking at the newspaper and had a Popular Science Magazine.

He doesn't sit at the tables with the others, but has a single table tray they scoot over for him. He's a loner.

One of the men was singing 'Ain't going to rain no more' and the little lady next to him said even she knew that song. She wasn't THAT old. She was in her 80's. She was shamelessly flirting.

The meal came, ham, green beans w/ onions, mashed potatoes and gravy, coffee, milk, iced tea, and ice cream. The ham and beans were pureed. He tried one taste of the ham, drank his milk, then ate the ice cream. End of the meal. Everyone knows he has a sweet tooth.


This afternoon Steve and Thi-Thi came for a visit. We went out to see Dad again. He was in bed again and Very grumpy. He would not be sociable and yelled at Thi-Thi to go away. We left to go see Mom again. She was up in the front hallway watching. We talked at/to her and left to drive with S&T to go by the Riverside house and the Lake Clare home (It's a real dump. Just awful)



We're in a sever storm watch on a Sunday evening with not much to do but watch Tiger struggle with his bum knee. I know the feeling.

Friday the 13th

We decided to head to the Grand Ole Opry and see if we could see a show this year since last year didn't work.

Parking was easy. You park at the Opry Mills, a shopping mall. We got our tickets and enjoyed the outside entertainments. Celebrity look-a-likes, live music, the souvenir store. I didn't get anything. Resisted getting Carrie Underwood's CD.

The seating was unusual in that it was like a padded church pew bench style. Everyone could fit. Very casual.

The 2 hour program was broken into 4 half-hour segments and was live on 640 WSH am radio and for satellite radio and probably recorded for TV with commercials for that segment's sponsors.


The MC's were the really older stars. Jeannie Seely, Little Jimmy Dickens (who must have been 4 foot tall and was 87 years old) Jean Shepard, and the Riders in the Sky who were hilarious.

Everyone one was friendly and seemed genuine.
Songs were tuneful and not a rude or suggestive tone anywhere.

I got my picture take with 'Minnie Pearl' and saw 'Hank Williams' and
someone in a fancy cactus decorated suit that someone who knows country would probably know who it was supposed to be. I had to ask about Hank Williams I'm so not country. We loved the whole experience.

Now. On to Huntington.

Vacation Sat thru Thurs

Arrived in BH.
Mac's Recital with Leader of the Pack and Thank Heaven for Little Girls.
Rah-Rah Camp- Hey little cutie in your blue and gold suitie!




Many deaths in WOW.
CJ went over to the Dark Side.
Blaine's round trip 10 hour drive back to CS to check on camper. Gas
water heater was left on.
Walk through the house






S & R's Signing of the 100 papers then the happy dance at Briton.


'Shot' in the knee went well.
Cleaned outside fridge/cupboards and Kids swim in DEEP pool.






Took down the dreadful curtains so R could make a dress like Scarlett did
in Gone with the Wind.


Arrival of Tonya and another trip to Britain.
Helped Steve chainsaw tree limbs.
Still...what colors?
Laundry.
Cut off from WOW...withdrawal. Crystal is dead right now.
Left Thurs AM for the North.
Stuck in a 30 accident back up. Appears to be just a motorcycle.
Blaine in the doghouse because all of my cute little water bottles for the trip were consumed in BH! :-(
Ended up in Macon Hampton/Cracker Barrel.
Nirvana!
A Shopping area surpassing The Loop a half mile from the motel.

WOW

Here are our WOW characters. I haven't gotten to play
CrystalBlue for awhile.





CrystalBlue




This is Penguin's Pizzacake.
He has a 'ride' now, so
we need more picts.






Here is the grandest of all...Swuteimsayin. He
is an awesome Mage. He also has a steed.
We need updated photos there too.

Missing are Ludicris Speed, Kreecher, and Pony Princess.