Just the Usual

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So, what did I do today? Just the usual. Every time I come to the Smokies it seems as though I have to check these things off my list: *Go to the Chimneys picnic area *Drive through the Smokies *Stop at the overlook on the Gatlinburg bypass. Check, check, and check. The photo is of the road in the Chimneys picnic area. Oh, when my dear mother of blessed memory and I would come to the Smokies in the late 90s, I’d bring a change of clothes to go wading in the water. In the summer, a cool creek is fabulous. That was then, this is now, as the S.E. Hinton novel title said. When I walked close to the bank today, the thought crossed my mind: “am I sure that I can get back up from here?” A thought for older age…but I was down there anyway. Over near Cherokee, North Carolina I saw some elk meandering across the road. One lagged behind, thinking the grass on that side of the road was just as tasty as the grass on the other side. It was pretty sparse as far as an elk gathering goes: one time, when I was returning from Cherokee, it took about 15 minutes to get through the ELK traffic jam. No, not cars causing the problem, the elk coming out in the afternoon! As I drove along there was another elk in the creek by the side of the road, enjoying itself. There were a couple of people in the parking area, a safe distance away, taking pictures. Everyone was happy. I’ll be leaving for home tomorrow. I’m not sure I’ll get home tomorrow (even though it’s only about 250 miles away), because I’m not in a big hurry. I just have to be home before my medication runs out…which, coincidentally, is Thursday, right before the holiday weekend begins! There’s still a little more to tell, though…like the famous politician I met…. The photo is the shady road in Chimneys.