Leaves

We went looking for leaves yesterday and we had a beautiful drive. We started at Norris Dam and went across the mountain to Cove Lake. We took a walk through the woods at Cove Lake. The restaurant was closed so we decided to drive through Powell Valley to Cumberland Gap. We were driving beside the mountains all the way and the sun was shining on the leaves...all orange and red and russet and yellow. so beautiful...The only restaurant in the little town of Cumberland Gap was closed so the ate a corndog and a milkshake at the old drugstore. The town was full of high school students who were carrying pumpkins around. They were decorating the town for Halloween. They said it would be pretty at night with all the jack-o-laterns lit.
We came home by way of Clinch mountain. There were beautiful views and no crowds there like the Smokies. The leaves in our yard are still beautiful...When we got home, Mike was mowing our yard and mulching leaves...It don't get no better.

Nice October Weekend

David Burka had a birthday on Saturday, Oct. 7 . He and Melissa arrived in Knoxville on Thursday night . On Friday morning, Gpa and Gma took them to the trail for their "spend the night at Mt. Leconte trip". First we stopped at the Apple Barn for a birthday breakfast. We drove to the Mt. Leconte trailhead and left David's car; then we drove them to Newfound Gap where they hit the AT trail. We walked a ways with them, but the trail was too rocky for us. We drove to Clingman's dome and walked up to the tower. It was beautiful and clear with clouds coming and going...very cold and windy on top of the tower. The leaves have changed on Climgman's Dome...all gold and yellow.The hikers got back here in Saturday night in time to eat white beans and cornbread and slaw made by Gpa. They went to church with us Sunday morning and we took David to Austins for the senior meal.

Weekend in Greenville

Gma and Gpa drove over the mountain to Greenville on Friday. We went by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah; just a few trees had color, but it was beautiful on the Parkway. It took us all day to get there. When we got to Greenville , Joquita was in the kitchen with her new stove in the middle of the kitchen floor. Butch had gone to Home Depot to get a fitting for the stove. Joquita had a big dinner planned for all of us, but she didn't have a stove to cook on and Butch cut the wire to the microwave while he was working on the stove. Well she had cooked beef in the crockpot, so she moved the microwave to another plug to heat the rest of the dinner. She fed us in shifts while Butch and John worked on the stove. She managed to serve a delicious dinner anyway. When Laura and Julie and Joe came with an apple pie that Laura had made, we had dessert. Butch worked on the stove from 4:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. and next day until noon. He and John rested on the couch after that and watched eight football games.
On Saturday morning we girls and Joe went to the Race for the Cure. Joe ran the first race in 23 minutes and he and Laura and Julie ran the second race in 29 minutes. It was a beautiful day in Greenville . We had some of Butch's famous ribs for dinner Saturday night. Joquita and Amy and Gma went to a play in downtown Greenville...INTO THE WOODS.
On Sunday Butch took us to Clemson to church with Laura. Laura gave us a tour of Clemson, a beautiful college town, and we visited her apartment. She's up three flights of stairs so she gets lots of exercise.
On Sunday afternoon we all went to downtown Greenville which is a beautiful park. We walked on the paths by the river and checked out the shops and the ice cream parlors. People were strolling and lots of them had their dogs with them. Flowers were everywhere and outdoor cafes..such a pretty place.
We had a wonderful time and we got to see our granddaughters. They are more beautiful than ever . Oh yes, we met Cameron. And he does look like Brad Pit.