My baby is 23!

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks (?) Catens!

Bluegrass Underground

Vince Gill & The Time Jumpers

Talk about some talented musicians!

So cool!!!

Beekeepers Extraordinaire

So thankful for our little Will!

Isha

Joe and I marked another thing off our bucket list

(not that we won't do it again) -

we paid a visit to Isha.

Wow!!!

The centerpiece of this 1200 acre retreat on Harrison Ferry Mountain

is Mahima Hall -

a 39,000 sq. ft. free spanning dome -

the largest mediation hall in the Wesstern Hemisphere!

It is unbelievably big and beautiful.

I took some pictures,

but alas, was informed that that is prohibited.

It was with great sorrow that I deleted them.

From the outside, it's big.

When we peeped through the windows,

we discovered it is massive.

It is amazing that something like that has a McMinnville address!

Not only did we oooh and aaah over Mahima Hall,

we also went on a hike.

The trails to the waterfalls were blocked due to renovation,

but we were able to take in the cliff views.

There were some pretties along the way -

Mountain Laurel

Lots of beautiful ferns,

including huge Cinnamon Fern

 And there we were just walking along,

"When what to my wondering eyes should appear?"

Lady's Slippers Orchids! 

Pure joy! I could hardly believe it. I haven't seen any in YEARS. When I was a young girl, every spring, we would gather these flowers by the dozens from the woods around our house. We would make lots of bouquets to enjoy and to share. The flowers were a marker for me that warm weather had really arrived. Truly, one of my sweetest young girl memories.

So many of them have been dug and sold that in many areas they are very endangered. They are quite particular about their growing conditions and are very difficult to transplant. So, what was often the case, they were dug to be transplanted - with the common result being that when they were removed from their natural habitat, they died. Clear cutting has also been a major culprit.  They are so unusually beautiful.

Hiking at Rock Island State Park

This pic was taken from HIGH above the water just above the Sand Bar.

Yes, those are fish - big enough that we could see from a long way away.

A Day for Mothers

A little (a lot) of vomit is what Mother's Day is all about! You would think with all the years of experience we have between us, that we would have known better than to continue to try to quiet a fussy little boy with candy, fruit, cheesecake, etc. Serves us right! Oh, and I guess I've just presented another piece of evidence that it's always the mother's and her mother's fault!

Tennessee Mountain Home

 Sittin' on the front porch on a summer afternoon

In a straightback chair on two legs, leans against the wall
Watch the kids a' playin' with June bugs on a string
And chase the glowin' fireflies when evenin' shadows fall

Honeysuckle vine clings to the fence along the lane
Their fragrance makes the summer wind so sweet
And on a distant hilltop, an eagle spreads its wings
An' a songbird on a fence post sings a melody

Walkin' home from church on a Sunday with the one ya' love
Just laughin', talkin', making future plans
And when the folks ain't lookin', you might steal a kiss or two
Sittin' in the porch swing, holdin' hands

In my Tennessee mountain home
Life is as peaceful as a baby's sigh
In my Tennessee mountain home
Crickets sing in the fields near by

--Dolly Parton--

Springtime on Dumplin' Mountain Road

And this photo was taken here on May 13th:

A Nice Way to Spend a Sunday