I woke up to a wildly flapping awning, grey skies and a stiff breeze; awning "in" should improve the weather I thought, and so it did. This campground is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and the wind tends to funnel down the gap in the hills half a mile up the road, but once the awning was in, the wind dropped and the sun appeared so at at least I now know how to control the weather these days.
Today was the family visitation but first we had to head out to Wal Mart for some supplies, which was no great problem. We left the Tadpoles in bed with strict instructions to get up, make their beds and be ready for the off on our return. I had a quick chat with “Ozark Jim”, our neighbour, who has a rather nice custom built Winnebago motor home and a 650cc “scooter”, and off we trotted. A while later, on our return and having warned them we were nearly there, the Tadpoles let the side down with only one bed made, sheets and pillows still on the floor, and the other one not touched. Mrs T hit the roof (quite rightly) and said Tadpoles were sent in disgrace to the Bathhouse whilst we sorted the trailer out. It was very peaceful for the remainder of the morning, I can tell you, with the feeble excuses proffered being brushed aside, and the laptop computer hidden from from the miscreants.
Then it was time to visit the relatives, my uncle and aunt who'd left the UK in 1971 for a couple of years and never returned. Not that I think dear old Blighty was really the problem but the opportunities are so good over here if you have the wherewithal to take them, which Roger and Pauline did. I hadn't seen Roger in probably 20 years and Pauline the best part of 40, so it was good to meet up with them. Roger, being my mum's younger brother, looked and sounded much like my mum but also like my elder and younger brothers, which I suppose is what ought to happen but it's still a bit uncanny, though. Pauline was much as I remembered her and despite the passage of time had hardly changed at all. Their house was lovely, if a little on the large side for the two of them, in a nice part of town and was occupied by three enormous Golden Retrievers and an imported cat. Pauline helps run a rescue service for Retrievers, hence the dogs, and she inherited the cat from an Aunt in England, and I have to say all managed to rub along very well. I have to mention the enormous fish in the pond, too, because the Tapoles were agog. We exchanged photographs and reminiscences, as you do on these occasions, and then had a lovely meal at a local restuarant courtesy of Roger's company; it's OK, it's his company.
During the meal, Roger had ordered the Calamari as a starter and the big tadpole tucked into it, quite unaware that he was eating squid; he doesn't normally eat fish so we were surprised he'd taken such an interest in it. A few mouthfuls in and he was looking a bit green and, looking up, he said “I thought this was bread”. Calamari, Ciabatta, well you can see how it happened...... He's recovering now.
Still no rain and still exotic temperatures, we drove back to the campground watching the lightning light the clouds above the mountains. We battened things down and I sat out watching the storm lighting the clouds but here in the foothills it stayed dry and calm. Of course it did, I didn't get the awning out!
Tomorrow we head up into the mountains and to the tacky delights of Pigeon Forge. Where else but 3000 feet up in the Smoky Mountains would you find a half scale model of the Titanic? I'm also hoping to get to Newfound Gap, about 5,000 feet up and on the border with North Carolina and on the Appalachian Trail. If you've read Bill Bryson at all, you'll know about it. Check in tomorrow for more exciting adventures of Toads in trailers.
No comments:
Post a Comment