Some people know how to rub it in

Mysterious, not really. It was about one of our favorite mountain locations
(Photo taken a few winters ago)

A few days ago my wife received a rare text message on her phone.

She doesn’t usually text anyone and was wondering exactly what it was and from whom it was.

The message: “Guess where we are?”

We should have known, but our brains were off kilter. After giving the message a brief thought for a minute or two, we filed it into the back of our minds and went about our business.

And the days marched on.

We should have known. There is someone who calls periodically and always seems to bragging about the fact that they are in one of our favorite places.

The person was my aunt, who’s just about nine months older than me.

She called to remind us of the message and immediately I knew where she was — Gatlinburg, TN

Her family lives in Kentucky and they make it to the mountains more than we since they’re only about a four-hour drive.

Sometimes I think I envy them, living so close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

But, if we lived closer to the mountains than we do, would be visit as often, or less. I don't know.

Last year we visited the area five times. This year, only two, with maybe another visit before the end of the year, but that’s going to be a stretch.

They were in Gatlinburg last weekend and said the weather was OK, but there were too many PEOPLE. She said it was the most they had seen during any of the October trips that they had taken.

I like the area, but I don’t like mob crowds.

She said it took them about four hours to drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, which included a side trip to Clingman’s Dome.

Still, that’s a long time, since the trip can normally be made in about an hour.

So the next time we get a “Guess where we are? text message,  it won’t be a mystery.

Next post: October 27, 2015