Porter’s Creek Trail

(Here is my write about about our trip from last week.)

Click here for pictures.

On the way to breakfast, a bear ran out in front of our car (that makes 4 in two days!) We went to breakfast at the Log Cabin Pancake House and had the special for $11.25 each. It came with eggs, 2 pancakes, bacon, and a drink. I noticed the lunch specials have gone up to $11.95 from the $9.95 from two years ago.

Then we went back to our townhouse and prepped for our hike. We ended up at Porter’s Creek Trail at 9:15 am. We hiked for about 2.5 miles and it was uphill all the way. We finished around noon and then stopped at a place to put our feed in the river. After relaxing for a little while, we went to Food Lion to pick up some red sausages and sauerkraut for lunch.

We saw some flora and fauna along the way.

Things we saw:

• Maidenhair Fern
• Christmas Fern
• New York fern
• Southern Lady fern
• America Spikenard (close relative to wild sasparilla)
• American Jumpseed (aka Virginia Knotweed)
• Cardinal Flower
• Beechdrops
• Solomon’s seal
• Indian Cucumber
• Southern Harebell
• Jewelweed (orange and yellow)
• mushrooms
• Caterpillars
• Millipedes
• Squirrels
• Mayfly larva

Our lunch was delicious! We relaxed around the townhouse after lunch.

In the afternoon, we went to the pool and relaxed. The hot tub was nice and hot which relaxed our muscles. The pool was cold when you first got in it but then it was okay. In the evening we watched movies (Days of Thunder, Top Gun, and Guardians of the Galaxy).

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Treetops Resort 2024

(Here is my write about about our trip from last week.)

For pictures, click here.

We left home at about 8:15 am. First, we went to breakfast at Waffle House and then returned home to finish packing the car. We took our time and went through Townville, Clayton, Dillard, and Cherokee since we couldn’t check in until 5 pm.

We stopped at a few flea markets and a yard sale on the way. It was nice to get out and browse. We bought a few things at the yard sale. When we got to Franklin, we had lunch at Ingles. I got a meat + 1 vegetable and a drink for $7 and Don had a 4 vegetable plate and a drink for $7.

Once we got to Cherokee, we stopped at the Oconoluftee Visitor Center to buy our yearlong parking permit for the national park for $40. Then we went up the mountain towards Gatlinburg and stopped at Newfound Gap to look at the views.

When we got to Gatlinburg, the traffic increased. There must have been a jeep rally today because we saw tons of jeeps all day long!

Since we were early, we decided to take the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail which is a scenic drive. Along the way, we saw 3 bears! One bear walked right in front of our car!

We got to the resort at about 3:30 pm and were able to check-in. We got room #328 which was amazing! It was a townhouse on floor 3 so the kitchen and living room were downstairs and then we had to walk up a flight of stairs to the 2 bedrooms with full baths. There was a half bath downstairs. Our balcony looked right over the beautiful creek.

Once we got settled, we ran to Food Lion for supplies and snacks.

The first evening we sat on the balcony and watched the sunset. We saw a turkey across the road having dinner. The temperature dropped enough for us to put jackets on. I sat and knit until it got too dark to knit.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Veteran’s Day Education Program

A friend posted this on Facebook today and I thought it was a wonderful resource for teachers.

“We’re calling on K-12 schools and educators to join Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) for Honor Their Courage! This unique educational service-learning program offers students the opportunity to learn about the history, sacrifices, and realities of military service members and veterans while fundraising to support injured veterans.

Register your school, join your school, or register your classroom individually and gain access to veteran-inspired activities to help you create an engaging, interactive lesson plan for your students. We have a variety of activities, videos, and learning opportunities for all ages — just pick what works best.”

Yesterday’s Yarn Dyeing Adventure

Yesterday I decided it was time to dye some yarn. I’ve been wanting to dye yarn since March but due to unfortunate circumstances, I don’t have a kitchen. I finally decided I would try to dye yarn on my back deck so I found the electric portable stove that was in our camper. I gathered my supplies and worked outside. 

My main goal was to dye some speckled yarn for the Spector sweater that I wanted to make. I have 3 skeins that I needed but I wanted purple speckled yarn as the last skein I needed. It is for a KAL that starts in September. 

I also wanted to dye some yarn to make the Ghost Horses sweater and I have been looking for the right yarn for a year. I finally decided I might try to dye the yarn I wanted. 

It took most of the day because it seemed to take forever for my water to heat up but once that happened, the dyeing process went well. 

I also decided to dye some mini skeins with some dye that I hadn’t used before. I wasn’t sure of the exact color that the yarn would turn out. 

By the end of the day, I can say I was happy with all of the yarn! 

Today the yarn dried for me to take photos and share it here. 

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Butterflies and Hummingbirds

I love my butterfly bush and love watching it grow. Every fall or winter, we cut it back to about 2 ft. above the ground. Then in the summer it almost grows as tall as the house. The beautiful purple blooms make me smile. This week I’ve watched swallowtail butterflies and hummingbirds stop to have a meal. 

Original photos by Pat Hensley