The Grand Canyon of Tennessee

For years, I have heard about this part of the Tennessee River between Chattanooga and Guntersville, AL that is often called the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee." Monday of the trip is always a day of rest but this time, I got coerced into getting on the jet ski and locking through Chickamauga Dam and riding 40 miles to Hales Bar and back. It was my first time in a lock and surprisingly, wasn't as bad as I feared. We had gone to Panera in Chattanooga to get a nice, gourmet sandwich for lunch and when we got there, our friends, Susan and Jerry had thoughtfully brought along a bottle of chardonnay to complement the meal. The ride back to Chattanooga seemed a whole lot shorter. I really did not want to do this but I figured it was better than going to the Aquarium again!

Office Mess

 

The children at Pickwick

The children at Pickwick are an interesting story. Kendra, the only girl, in the pictures is a product of the Memphis area Big Sisters program and was matched with our friend, Owen, several years ago. Since then, her brother Karlos, and cousins Courtney and Jonathan have joined the merry band. Earlier in the year, we were approached by Owen to see what we thought of the idea of bringing the children to Pickwick for a day of fun on the water. We finally found a date and everyone was all excited--especially Dean. Unfortunately, he was so excited, he fell on the way down to the dock and broke two ribs and got to go to the hospital in Corinth. The children were fortunate to have their day at the lake made anyway w/out Dean. A dear friend, Susan, came over w/her boat to take them for a boat ride on the lake while her husband took Deano to the hospital. The children are from inner-city Memphis. They have impeccable manners and are all doing well at their respective schools. They are so fortunate to have their Big Sister, Owen, and her most supportive family. It is one thing to talk the talk but Owen and Reid have walked the walk trying to make a difference in the lives of these wonderful children. Dean cannot wait to get well and have another opportunity to see the bright eyes of the children at Pickwick someday soon.

So Much Water Under the Bridge

It's been a long week of recovery from the Tennessee River 600 mile jet ski run to the big fall at Pickwick where Dean broke two ribs and storm damage from a flash flood at City Center. The TNRiver600 was marred by bad weather for most of the ride and the most water damage was suffered at home by the storm. Not only did it damage quite a few businesses including Dean's office, it also ruined the carpet in his car which was left in the parking lot. We still don't have that fixed! The biggest disappointment was that he fell and hurt himself as we were going down to the dock to take the Phillips' children for a day of fun on the lake.... However, we were bailed out by our good friends, the Edmonds, who divided their talents and one took Dean to the hospital in Corinth and Susan brought their boat over to take the children for a boat ride on Pickwick Lake. I think these pictures should tell a lot of the story.

Camille Come Home!

It has been a long time (Christmas, 2008 to be exact) since Camille was home in Bumble. She will be home tomorrow for a weekend of gentle pampering and pool time. Favorite restaurants and walking trails are on the agenda. Favorite people and puppies are part of the plan. Old friendships and habits will be renewed. We cant wait!

It Takes Two Hands to Handle These Whoppers!

 

Paradise in Our Own Neigborhood

Can't post any pictures of it but after I got home from Tahiti I got the wild idea to start using our neighborhood pool to get a tan and relax. I talked BJ, my friend who happens to teach kindergarten and needs the relaxation therapy, into going to check it out one day. We were the only people there so it was like a private pool w/no maintenance on our end. We went back the next day and liked the idea so much, BJ brought us some noodles for the pool to sit on (and work out) and we were really getting into this. By the third week, Beth O. had run out of excuses to join us and finally gave in and started to join our swim team! She has been bringing her adult neice and the four of us have solved all our problems and are working on other peoples. I think what finally convinced Beth was the day we counted 28 other people in the small pool w/us on a very hot day and she couldn't stand it any longer! After curiosity got the best of her, the crowds have quit coming and we have the pool to ourselves for most of the day. I say "day" because whaqt started out as a two-hour tanning session has stretched to 6! We used to start at 10 am and now we are having so much fun, we are starting the day's fun at 9:30. It is shaping up to be one of the most memorable summers of my life. The good part of this is that we work out constantly by moving our arms and legs and some dog paddling races. We look at the kids that show up sometimes and laugh because they are not ours or our problem. Our kids were never problems. To make a long story short, no cameras are allowed.