A Trip We Will Remember
We are back and it was a great trip! We pulled out of home pretty much on schedule, my son driving and my husband riding shotgun, with the back of the van loaded with all the essentials...and the back seat…where I sat loaded with all the necessary traveling paraphernalia. You know…"Irish Cream" flavored coffee, gourmet trail mix, a comfortable quilt, a good book, and my pillow. I am always the navigator (do they really think I do a good job or do they just feel sorry for me in the back?), so I have to keep my mind on the trip and pay attention to road signs. We decided to go all state highways versus the interstate and it was a wonderful drive. The scenery was great, always something to look at, and a lot of little towns along the way which are always interesting to me. About halfway, my husband changed seats with me, and thanks to my pillow he had a good nap, while mother and son successfully made our way to the Davidson River.
When we pulled into the guard hut the campground was almost full but as always God is good! We got the best campsite out of the 170 or so sites...site 136. It was secluded from the neighbors, had a hill and walking trail right behind us and was close to the water supply and more importantly close to the bathrooms. I discovered, even before camp was set up, that if I scaled the hill and followed the walking trails, that there was a lot of wood to be had for our campfire. So, I became the official wood gatherer (?). We unanimously decided to go back into the town of Brevard, eat some lunch, buy a few flies from the fly-fishing store, call my nephew and niece-to-be, and then come back and set up camp. We did exactly that...ate a great hot lunch at the "Pisgah Fish Camp", stopped by the local grocery store, then the fly-fishing store, called the kids to let them know which site we were at and then back to set up camp. The boys set up the tent, then the awning over the picnic table, then suited up in their waders, grabbed their fly rods and head for the uncharted waters and unsuspecting trout in the Davidson River. I got to work…had plenty to keep me busy...setting up camp, gathering fire wood, getting a fire started and thinking about dinner. I decided to focus on the tent first...laid out the air mattresses, unrolled my son's sleeping bag, laid out my blankets for my husband and I, threw in pillows, and placed our duffle bags at each spot designating where each person would sleep, making sure I was in between the two strong guys! Then I moved on to the table/food set-up. Russell had bought me a plastic fall table cloth with a flannel backing. We also had matching plates and napkins, of course, all in the fall theme. I covered the picnic table, set the cook stove at one end and set up plates, napkins, silverware, cups, drinks, and snacks at the other end. Even though we had an awning over the table, the breeze ushered in a few BIG, colorful leaves to the table as if it adding a few finishing touches. Very, very fallish!! My attention then went to the hill and gathering wood to start the fire..."the hill" ended up being my challenge of the weekend. The ground up the hill was damp which made it slippery and it was a little steep for me, balance not being one of my better skills. I would scale the hill then walk the trails collecting wood. Coming down the hill was a little more challenging especially with an armload of wood. Okay, okay...it wasn't only coming down the hill..I had a little trouble getting up the hill also! So I spent the weekend tumbling down the hill ( but never dropping my armload of wood), tumbling backwards as I tried to get up the hill (but alway succeeded in getting up no matter how many tries), and walking like I was a few decades older than I am.. the result of the tumblings and using muscles I didn't know I had. Hey, I did provide entertainment for all though. All that aside, I got our fire started (it was cool enough we had to have it day and night), the kids arrived, Chad and Meagan, and with perfect timing the boys returned about the same time from their adventures to the river. We grilled chicken breasts, cooked garlic green beans and had fudge, walnut brownies with fudge icing for dessert. The boys went back to the river, and that evening we played cards, visited, talked about fishing lessons and made plans for tomorrow and yes, of course, there was me as the entertainment (had to keep that fire going)!
That is how the weekend went...visiting with each other, walks, fly fishing and lessons (Chad and Meagan hadn't fly fished before), good food and lots of it...just an all around peaceful, memorable, relaxed weekend. It was a heart-warming sight...my son, Russell, tall, lean, a very good fly fisherman, one who makes the sport look so easy, taught by his dad...Chad, eager, persistent, ready to try it all, being taught by Uncle Russell...Meagan, sweet, quiet, has a love for nature and a very gentle spirit, out there talking instruction from Uncle Russell. All five of us together, encouraging each other, trying something new together, family...dad, mom, son, uncle, aunt, cousins…family making memories. God gave us the best of the best, God gave us nature...the change of seasons, clear, cool, crisp rivers, fresh mountain air.. .love..Chad's for Meagan, a son's love for his Father, a mother's love for her son, the love of husband and wife, a aunt and uncle's love for nephew and niece.. play…fishing, walking, card playing.. work...cooking, gathering wood, keeping order...humor...jokes, stories, and a middle aged woman tumbling down a hill...a weekend surrounded by plenty of what is good and simply, a weekend to be remembered.
For you shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out it's roots by the river.
Jeremiah 17:8
When we pulled into the guard hut the campground was almost full but as always God is good! We got the best campsite out of the 170 or so sites...site 136. It was secluded from the neighbors, had a hill and walking trail right behind us and was close to the water supply and more importantly close to the bathrooms. I discovered, even before camp was set up, that if I scaled the hill and followed the walking trails, that there was a lot of wood to be had for our campfire. So, I became the official wood gatherer (?). We unanimously decided to go back into the town of Brevard, eat some lunch, buy a few flies from the fly-fishing store, call my nephew and niece-to-be, and then come back and set up camp. We did exactly that...ate a great hot lunch at the "Pisgah Fish Camp", stopped by the local grocery store, then the fly-fishing store, called the kids to let them know which site we were at and then back to set up camp. The boys set up the tent, then the awning over the picnic table, then suited up in their waders, grabbed their fly rods and head for the uncharted waters and unsuspecting trout in the Davidson River. I got to work…had plenty to keep me busy...setting up camp, gathering fire wood, getting a fire started and thinking about dinner. I decided to focus on the tent first...laid out the air mattresses, unrolled my son's sleeping bag, laid out my blankets for my husband and I, threw in pillows, and placed our duffle bags at each spot designating where each person would sleep, making sure I was in between the two strong guys! Then I moved on to the table/food set-up. Russell had bought me a plastic fall table cloth with a flannel backing. We also had matching plates and napkins, of course, all in the fall theme. I covered the picnic table, set the cook stove at one end and set up plates, napkins, silverware, cups, drinks, and snacks at the other end. Even though we had an awning over the table, the breeze ushered in a few BIG, colorful leaves to the table as if it adding a few finishing touches. Very, very fallish!! My attention then went to the hill and gathering wood to start the fire..."the hill" ended up being my challenge of the weekend. The ground up the hill was damp which made it slippery and it was a little steep for me, balance not being one of my better skills. I would scale the hill then walk the trails collecting wood. Coming down the hill was a little more challenging especially with an armload of wood. Okay, okay...it wasn't only coming down the hill..I had a little trouble getting up the hill also! So I spent the weekend tumbling down the hill ( but never dropping my armload of wood), tumbling backwards as I tried to get up the hill (but alway succeeded in getting up no matter how many tries), and walking like I was a few decades older than I am.. the result of the tumblings and using muscles I didn't know I had. Hey, I did provide entertainment for all though. All that aside, I got our fire started (it was cool enough we had to have it day and night), the kids arrived, Chad and Meagan, and with perfect timing the boys returned about the same time from their adventures to the river. We grilled chicken breasts, cooked garlic green beans and had fudge, walnut brownies with fudge icing for dessert. The boys went back to the river, and that evening we played cards, visited, talked about fishing lessons and made plans for tomorrow and yes, of course, there was me as the entertainment (had to keep that fire going)!
That is how the weekend went...visiting with each other, walks, fly fishing and lessons (Chad and Meagan hadn't fly fished before), good food and lots of it...just an all around peaceful, memorable, relaxed weekend. It was a heart-warming sight...my son, Russell, tall, lean, a very good fly fisherman, one who makes the sport look so easy, taught by his dad...Chad, eager, persistent, ready to try it all, being taught by Uncle Russell...Meagan, sweet, quiet, has a love for nature and a very gentle spirit, out there talking instruction from Uncle Russell. All five of us together, encouraging each other, trying something new together, family...dad, mom, son, uncle, aunt, cousins…family making memories. God gave us the best of the best, God gave us nature...the change of seasons, clear, cool, crisp rivers, fresh mountain air.. .love..Chad's for Meagan, a son's love for his Father, a mother's love for her son, the love of husband and wife, a aunt and uncle's love for nephew and niece.. play…fishing, walking, card playing.. work...cooking, gathering wood, keeping order...humor...jokes, stories, and a middle aged woman tumbling down a hill...a weekend surrounded by plenty of what is good and simply, a weekend to be remembered.
For you shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out it's roots by the river.
Jeremiah 17:8
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