A Little Day Trip to Max Patch

A beautiful day in October led me and a few friends to Max Patch.

Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail in Madison County, NC | Welcome to Madison County, North Carolina

Come along and see what we found. Better yet, head up there yourselves in about two weeks, it will be even more amazing.

I started with the out-of-focus picture so the rest will make me look like a pro!

Hint, don't try to do a close up with the iPhone when you have it set to zoom.

Who says Fall is without the pretty pastels we enjoy in the Spring? Not here.

Notice the strange "blooms" on this ground cover. Anyone know what it's called?

And if you get hungry...mini watermelons?

I love yellow flowers in the Fall!

 

Fuzzy little creature on the trail. I heard if it is black on one end it means a hard winter, if black on the other end it's a mild winter. What if its black on both ends? Hopefully, it means it will be a tropical winter!

The view from the top is like this for 360 degrees.

 

Imagine what this will look like in two weeks!

Cindy having too much fun!

Gail - said "oh, my wig!" LOL

Mom - always a lot of fun!

And Yours Truly, wishing you a wonderful Fall!

 

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Mountain Memories Series Part One

For a long time, I've thought of writing a book about my mountain heritage. I know there are many of those out there, and everyone thinks they have a story to tell, but I might just do it. I thought I'd start by blogging some random parts, and maybe someday I'll be able to combine all of those parts into something self-published.

My hometown is often the topic of conversation, because a town with a Spanish name in the hills of East Tennessee just seems strange. Then there's the country girl accent that I can't hide, no matter how hard I try. Del Rio, which means "from the river," was previously known as Big Creek, and that's a long story for another time. This little mountain community is surrounded by the Appalachian mountains and situated along the Cherokee National Forest; as a matter of fact, the "gov'ment" as the locals say, still owns a big part of our little mountain. They call our little spot in the world Spice Wood Flats. The origin of the name is still a mystery to me, my extensive Wikipedia research turns up nothing, although I did learn that spicewood is another name for sassafrass, which is a pesty little shrub that grows across certain regions of the state. I don't know if we are one of them, I'll have to ask the arborist in the family, my dad (now that he's recently retired, he spends a lot of time sitting on his back porch thinking about something, I'm pretty sure he's thinking about spicewood and sassafrass). I bet he's even making sassafras tea as I write this.

When giving directions to Mom and Pop's place, I tell everyone that they live "as far back as you can go until you just go in circles around the mountain."  If I could draw a picture or map showing you how to get to our place, it would look like one of those trees you drew in kindergarten - you know, the ones with a trunk (that would be the main road, which wasn't paved until my grandmother was in her 60's) and the top of that big round tree (usually drawn like a circle with extra curves) would be the road we live on  - in other words, you end up right where you started. You can't go any farther or you'll fall off the edge of the earth. Some who have driven there really believe that... If that tree were a clock, our land lies between two and four o'clock. Now, you should have no problems coming up for the holidays.

P.S. My brother and I (and the other 8 to 10 kids on the Spicewood Flats route) rode the short bus -because the long bus really would fall off the mountain in the curves if the roads were slick after a rain or snow. I learned all I ever needed to know and more about life on that short bus, so don't make fun!

Stay tuned.

What's Up Besides the Temperatures?

 Blogging has taken a backseat to enjoying our new neighborhood.

COME ALONG WITH ME FOR A WALK

(gotta work off those burgers)

 

 

 

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY

AND COOL OFF

and RELAX!

 

HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR WALK

See you soon!

Christmas Future

My blogging seems to be going the way of my diet...and exercise...I just can't seem to be consistent at anything I do. How in the world have I stayed married for 22 years (to the same person-yes)?

I would like to blog about our Christmas and share all of our fun with you, but there are two reasons I can't do that yet:

1. I lost my cord that allows me to upload my pictures from my camera ( the one time I didn't take many with my iPhone).

2. I'm still waiting for the rest of Christmas.

You see, I'm from the sticks -aka STIX. Del Rio is a beautiful little place in the far-east (East Tennessee, that is), not far from Hot Springs, NC. I lived there until 5th grade, and my parents moved back there a few years ago. The road they live on is wide enough for one car, mostly gravel mixed with a little mud, and makes a circle at the top of the mountain; so in other words, its at the end of the road, the top o' the world, TIMBUKTU. It's also part of the Cherokee National Forest.

So what's the problem, you ask. The problem is getting there in 10 inches of snow!!! Waiting for the big meltdown.

Merry Christmas - Better Late Than Never!
Kim

Top Down Road Trip

We have been discussing motorcycles for a few years now. One year he wants one, the next year I want one, and this year we both did. We even went to the motorcycle store and "tried some on."  Fear of the other drivers won out, probably somewhat due to my experience working in the ER, and we decided against it. 

Then one day, I was just minding my own business, driving down the highway on one of those nice warm Spring days we had in March, and there she was, shiny, clean and calling me to "come back, just take a look, what could it hurt?"

TWO DAYS LATER:

Our first trip of Spring

started in Morristown (me, Jay and Pearl)

Drove up 25E then 11W north to 

Rogersville

Then took 70 N

to Eidson, TN

To

Pressman's Home

For you HOME SCHOOL MOMS, this would be a great educational trip, just Google "Pressman's Home, TN" to get some history behind this place. 

On to 

Sneedville, TN

then for some reason

I failed to take any pictures

in Thorn Hill and 

Washburn
(as you can see many of my pics are blurry, taken on iPhone because bringing a better camera never crossed my mind).

 By this time, my forehead was getting sunburned, so where on earth in the middle of nowhere do you stop to buy a sun visor? Why, the Clinch Mountain Winery of course.

And yes, I bought a bottle of 

Plum Sweet Prissy
Plum Wine.

Still unopened.
Just waiting for someone to share it with.
(I bet it's "plum" good)

Visited my friend

Cindy on the way, who lives on a hill

in Washburn and has a magnificent view. I am inserting a photo here that she took, because I knew she had one

 (or twenty-seven million)...and I'll just post her picture here too while I'm at it.

We made our last stop

at the top of Clinch Mountain on

25E

2 hot dogs $3

Days like this are what I work for. Knowing my family is healthy and happy - I'm so blessed and thankful for what I have been given. I hope you enjoyed the trip, and take one of your own soon. Call me, I'll lead the way.

Here I sit in my living room with my laptop watching the Today Show and decided to update my blog. I have been at work for 7 days straight and am beginning another week off. I love this schedule.
I have been dieting for 11 days now and have managed to stay within my calorie goals almost every day; but while working this week, I have not made enough efforts to work out like I should. This week contained some long days and I found plenty of excuses. I tried to work out in the mornings but the one day I did that I only made it 15 minutes, I was so weak and sluggish every move seemed like a chore. I could blame my facebook addiction, but if it weren't that, I'd find another excuse. I just hate exercise. I don't mind it so bad while I'm doing it, it's the getting started part that's hard. I did make it one time in the evening and did 40 minutes of weight loss yoga, and that felt great. The last week before I went back to work, I made it to a class at the gym and Patty, the awesome instructor, was kind enough to stay and do the workout even though I was the only one who showed up. In my heart I was hoping she would just cancel it and I could get on the treadmill, but NO! It was a step aerobics class and she wore me out - even though I spent half the time marching in place. She did cut it short, THANK GOODNESS, but I still had a great workout and my calves were sore for days.
I am trying to put together a hiking club of sorts. Most of the clubs that are out there are hard core hikers who go every weekend and backpack and I just don't feel like I'd be up to their standards. I am recruiting some facebook friends and acquaintances to join me on an occasional hike, which will likely involve a picnic, so not sure how much weight loss will occur as a result of these hikes, but building friendships and fellowship will surely be worth it. Our first one is planned for Tuesday to Clingman's Dome and I think Selina mentioned the Chimneys. Sounds like a good day to me, and I hope you can join us.

Hope you have a wonderful day!
p.s. please check out the blogs I am following on the left side of the page. The first one at the top is a cousin of my friend, Vivian. He is in the army in Afghanistan and his blog is much more interesting than mine...