Friday, August 3o
Terry and I set out early this morning for Elizabethton to hang out with family over the long Labor Day weekend. As a bonus, Dad and Janice were in town as well and had procured a cute, two bedroom Airbnb right on the Watauga River as a gathering place which is where we spent the majority of our time. Considering it was the kick-off to a holiday weekend, traveling was easy and traffic was relatively light. We arrived mid-day and both Grandmother and Phyllis were anxiously awaiting our arrival.
After catching up for a few minutes, we hopped back in the car and headed down Broad Street where Dad and Janice were staying, just five scant minutes from Grandmother Ginny’s house. Super convenient.
The setting was just beautiful. A covered pergola sat next to the river and that is where we enjoyed the air conditioned breeze as it skirted across the river, the hypnotic sounds of the water as it rippled across the rocks and the soothing, zen like atmosphere. If I lived on the Watauga, I don’t think I would ever leave my house.
We visited for a few hours until it was time to put plans into action. Dad and Phyllis were gearing up for Friday night lights. They headed to Sammon’s for pre-game hot dogs before watching the Elizabethton Cyclones take on Morristown West. Grandmother had a hankering for Black Olive so we headed there while Janice elected to relax riverside with a book and a sandwich.
Terry and I hadn’t eaten since around 11am so we were famished. Grandmother ordered her go-to favorite meal, chicken marsala, I chose the penne Alfredo and Terry went the appetizer route with fried calamari and French fries. Just as we were finishing up our meal, a gentle rain started to roll in. We checked the radar map on our phones and decided to just wait it out. Minutes continued to tick by and it finally looked like we had a slight abatement so Terry decided to get the car and swing back to pick us up. He made it halfway across the parking lot before the heavens opened up with a deluge of rain, lightning and blinding wind. So we became a family divided. Terry hunkered down in the car while Grandmother and I sat on a bench in the restaurant and watched the torrential storm. Needless to say, the game was cancelled and in a bit of irony, Dad and Phyllis were both dry as a bone having left the stadium before it began to rain while Terry, Grandmother and I were soaked to the bone.
Jill, Josh and Levi also made the trek to East Tennessee but due to some car issues, rain and heavy traffic they didn’t arrive until close to midnight, tired and road weary.
Dad and Grandmother chilling by the river.
Dinner at Black Olive.
Saturday, August 31
Josh and Levi were up early this morning fishing in the clear, arctic waters. The boys fished for hours and I don’t know how their extremities managed it because the water was absolutely freezing cold. It reminded me of being a kid and jumping into the spring fed Franklin pool and the breathless scream as your skin made first contact with the water.
Around 11am we joined everyone for an amazing breakfast. Dad pan fried Tennessee Pride sausage, made homemade, creamy sausage gravy, drop biscuits and had diced chunks of watermelon. With full bellies, we convened riverside once again to enjoy the gorgeous day outdoors. While Josh and Levi did a little more fishing, Jill joined them in the river for a little wading and came out with numb toes.
Late afternoon, we piled into several cars and made our way a few miles down the road toward Stoney Creek for dinner at Rico’s Pizza and Subs.
We moved our full belly’s back to the river where Josh and Levi fished along the bank as the sun waned. We all enjoyed watching the wildlife, a family of ducks, geese flying in formation, cormorants and even an enormous osprey that hung out in a tree on the other side of the bank.
As the evening air cooled, Levi made a fire for a little outdoor ambience as we watched the sun go down. The wood was a tad wet so we endured quite a bit of smoke before it finally caught and warmed us through.
Sunday, September 1
Sunday morning, while we all slept in, Josh and Levi again headed upstream and walked the river fishing. Because of our leisurely start, it was late afternoon before we joined everyone. Hamburgers were planned for dinner but the grill was a tad inoperable so Josh, Jill and Levi, converted the fire pit into a modified campfire for hot dogs, toasted buns and baked beans. It all worked out beautifully.
As the sun began to set, a fog ebbed and flowed on the river as the sky erupted into a rhapsody of color.
Monday, September 2
What an absolutely glorious weekend! We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to get together with everyone again. Thanks to Josh, Jill and Dad for use of some of their photos.
One last glimpse of Grandmother’s beautiful English garden and one last hug before getting on the road.
