Yesterday

Early morning mist at Cove Lake State Park.

Yesterday I took off for the day.  I got an early start and spent the day around LaFollette, Tennessee, visiting my mother and my cousin.  I had never been in my cousin's backyard and was I ever amazed!  The pictures will show the reason.  She and I had a wonderful visit and enjoyed our lunch at the Cove Lake State Park.

The day began with this fiery sky.



This mama has her "ducks all in a row."



We had a delicious lunch at Cove Lake State Park.
What a view!

Cove Lake State Park
LaFollette, Tennessee



My cousin's boat below her house.  She lives on the lake.



The breath taking view behind her house.

I would want to sit on my deck everyday with such scenery.

.

Crossing Paths

The tranquil river view George was enjoying as he sat there
smoking his cigar.

Sunday Clint and I were scouting out potential fishing spots. We headed out for a spot on the Clinch River. I was familiar with this river access from long ago, my famiy had often fished there.

As we pulled down the little gravel road to the river, the first thing we noticed was an old truck. I do mean old truck.

There was a man sitting on the river bank smoking a cigar, enjoying the majestic river view with his best friend Fred. The man went on to explain he was not fishing that day, he had only brought Fred so he could cool off in the river.

The stranger's name was George, he said he had moved to this area from southern California two years ago after having visited a friend here. He made the decision after the visit here to move here, saying "it was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen." He left some famiy members behind in California. In his past he told us he had worked as a carpenter and a mechanic. I couldn't have agreed more with George's statement about this area's beauty. I was thinking of my own desperation to return home to Tennessee.

George's best friend Fred cooling off in the Clinch River ... I had said "Smile Fred" as I
snapped this picture.  Contrary to the way he looks in the photo,
he was very friendly and lovable.



Oh, about that truck ... I had noticed it had a California
tag in front.  It was a 1952 Ford and was not just
any old truck ...



George's truck had been used in the production and
promotion of the hit TV series

Sanford and Son.

 George made an impression on us. We left wondering about George's "story". Clint and I are always wondering about peoples' "stories". Often we say, "I would love to know his or her story." We all have a story. They are so darn fascinating to me. Within minutes of meeting George, I was thinking he was an interesting character. Yes, it did cross my mind that he would have been a good blog subject but he was there enjoying the peace and solitude of the beautiful day and I wanted to respect it. Our entire encounter only lasted about 20 minutes but Clint and I are still talking about George and Fred. It's still a mystery to me why this stranger has made such an impression on us. We can't explain it.




Just had to pull up the old Sanford and Son theme song. My mom and I used to laugh together when we would watch it. It brought a smile to my face as I just listened to it and watched it.

.

In Remembrance of Snow

Here it is February 25th, 2012, and we have had very little snow here in east Tennessee.  Suzy Snowflake made only brief cameo appearances.  We are now only days away from March.  We are approaching spring when  "a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love".  I always think of that Tennyson verse every spring.  This is a farewell post to anymore thoughts of snow for this winter.

Can you see the owl face in this photo I made
from our porch light?

My daughter pointed the owl image out to me.

A scene from our Great Blizzard Trip of 2009.

We had just left this McDonald's somwhere
in South Dakota off an interstate.

The visibility was better in the photo than
in reality.

We were headed to Omaha.  A convenience store employee handed
me his card and asked me to call him when we made it home safely.
We had stopped there for gas.

I called him when we had made it safely home to Texas.

In my wildest dreams I would have never dreamed
I'd find myself in Deadwood, South Dakota.

We spent three wonderful nights here,
the hotel food was fantastic!  It was several degrees minus zero.

Clint's Thermapedic pillow that was in
the car trunk froze into a solid boulder.

It was quite funny to me!  No pillow fights, either!  :-)

Our goal, we made it to Mount Rushmore only to be greeted
by an irate park employee who yelled at us about parking.
What a greeting after such a treacherous drive up the mountain.


There was not another soul around and we are being yelled at about
our parking?  I yelled back and asked, "give me two seconds" and snapped this photo.


I could not even see a human, just heard her yelling.

If you want to build a snowman,
I'll help you make it, 1,2 3 ...


~Suzy Snowflake

Last year in Plano, TX, we had quite a bit of snow. I made this little snowman, he was about 11 inches without his forelorn top hat. I have to tell you, the 11 inch tall snowmen are much easier to make. I brought in snow from outside in a plastic container. I made snowballs for the body on the kitchen counter and then put them in the freezer.

If you want to build a snowman,
I can help you make it, 1 2 3 ...


~Suzy Snowflake

Pleased with their shape and size, I then decided on materials for the head and body. I got out some mulling spices and picked out two cloves for the eyebrows. For the eyes I chose some dried peppercorns from the mulling spices A bit of dried orange peel made a cute little nose and another dried piece gave him that crooked little smile.







"Tap, tap tapping at your windowpane
To tell you she's in town."


~Suzy Snowflake





I alway loved this little video and song when I was a child. Suzy Snowflake originally aired on Chicago TV in December 1953 on "Garfield Goose and Friends".

"I haven't long to stay."

~Suzy Snowflake