. . . a part of something greater

Sometimes one should become a part of something greater than their self.

That's what happened to me a number of years ago when my wife and I were at the Cades Cove Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We decided to make a commitment.

I had written earlier about passing the donation boxes in the park and not contributing, or at most a dollar or two.

At times I felt guilty because I truly enjoy the park and its amenities.

Well, at that particular time, I let myself get backed into a corner by one of the attendants at the center. She talked me into becoming a member of the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

For my one year donation, I received a water bottle, a membership card that allowed for discounts on purchases in the park and we also began receiving the Smokies Guide, a quarterly publication about activities in the park. We also began receiving a slick "Smokies Life" magazine with insightful and intriguing stories about the area.

I maintained my annual membership for a number of years and then decided to step up to the plate. I purchased a lifetime membership for my wife and myself.

We could pay it off over a few years and have added benefits. That was great and I knew the organization was forever making the park a better place to visit.

This past Easter trip we decided to stop at the new Oconaluftee Visitors Center just outside Cherokee, NC.

The facilities were amazing. There was a nice porch with rocking chairs overlooking the farmstead and the mountains.

The inside was spacious and inviting and entertaining. I really enjoyed our stop. Checkout this You Tube video.

As I was standing there, taking in the beauty of the facility, I came to realize that my wife and I had a part in its construction.

By becoming a member of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, we had become a part of something that was far greater than we were.

And that was a good feeling.

Next post: June 5, 2012

Boiled peanuts, a Smoky Mountain treat

The first time I ever ate boiled peanuts was a long time ago. I believe it was at my inlaws residence in Hattiesburg, MS somewhere around the early 1980's.

At the time I didn't know what to think, but I took a bite and was hooked.

I've eaten a lot of them since that time and mostly they were purchased from the same spot in Cherokee, NC.

Each year we go to the Smoky's two, maybe three times. And when we pass through Cherokee, we're always looking to see if Jack's Boiled Peanuts is open. 

They are located on the east side of U.S. 441 which is the main drag heading toward Gatlinburg.

We can always find them open June through August, and sometimes as early as March and as late as September.

When the tourist season winds down, they do to.

One year when we stopped I talked to Jack and I recall that he said at that time they cooked up some 16 tons of peanuts. That was back ages ago when the economy was humming and people traveled more.

Even the National Park Service reported that  annual visits to the Smoky's this year has dropped to under the average of 10 million visits a year.

This past Easter visit, Jack said that last year they managed to cook up six tons of boiled peanuts and were hoping to get that up to nine tons this year.

We do our share, as much as possible. 

What I'm going to say is not as bad as texting and driving, but could be considered a hazard.

I am nomally driving and I put a towel down in my lap and a paper plate on top of it.  The peanuts are in a bag, usually between the two front captain's chairs.

I just reach over and get some, put them on the plate and manage to ply the little critters open with my hands and teeth and eat them as we journey up to the New Found Gap.

Been doing that for years with no adverse affects, other than being stuffed with the goodies.

Next post: May 29, 2012

A couple of whimsical bluegrass guys

I love bluegrass music.

Especially the banjo. And you can also throw in the guitar, fiddle, harmonica and mandolin. There are a number of other instruments that go to making up a good group of performers.

And if you go to Waynesville, NC, you will also enjoy the whimsical look of their pickers and grinners.

Wifey and I, on a previous post, were looking at some artwork in a local studio.

And then across the street we found another bit of artwork. Really cute, interesting stuff.

It was two characters almost out of the old country "Hee Haw" TV show of the previous century. 

"Hee Haw" was a really enjoyable show (for Southerners, anyway) when entertainers of all sorts and their very curvy and pretty lady friends (not necessarily Minnie Pearl)  took to the stage on Saturday nights with their corny jokes, musical genius and vocal offerings from then-current well-known singers.

Just off Main Street in Waynessville were these two characters just standing and sitting there. I guess one of them was about seven feet tall. The other a tad shorter and relaxing on a stool.

The two were part of the display of "Ole Time Music" which is part of a public art program. They were made of recycle items and fabricated from previously used industrial equipment.

We stopped for a few minutes to take in the artwork and enjoy the creativity of local artisans to celebrate the area's heritage.

Next post: May 22, 2012