Tennesse Mountains

Sorry TXboy, I guess it is just me and you that remember how to read!

I just returned from a trip to Knoxville, TN with the youth delegates from the Nebraska Conference of the UCC. This was for our national gathering of youth from the entire USA for the National Youth Event, held every 4 years. It was a long drive (18 hours), but well worth it.

On Sunday, I was able to go up into the Smoky Mountains about 50 miles east of Knoxville, to visit my cousin and her husband, who retired from California a few years ago, and built on some property his grandfather had given them years ago. They live on the side of a mountain, on a road (?) that deadends at their property. They built their house from the trees that they had to cut down to make room for the cabin. He still speaks quite bitterly of the atrocities that occurred during the "War of Northern Aggression!"

He said they have lots of turkeys around, and if you walk up on the ridge, you can find razor back wild hogs, that have been crossed with wild Russian Boars years ago, they are supposed to be quite nasty. He also showed me where the bears had drug out some garbage that he failed to secure a few days ago. They had also had a mountain lion on the roof of their house last spring, watching the neighbor's horses.

He likes to target shoot pistols, and has a collection that range from Glock, military 45, 30 cal, and down to 22. He also has his own winery, and is establishing a reputation for that. He brews his own beer, he calls it Flat Tire, it is supposed to be better than Fat Tire. He gave me a pint to take along for hunting season, as well as a gallon of wine. He doesn't make moonshine yet, but most of their neighbors do.

I think he would fit in pretty well with our group.

TX boy and I will be pounding nails and doing lots of screwing this weekend. (on deer stands)

talk to us, the old farmer