Rain, rain go away....

"It's raining, it's pouring, the ole man is snoring...!" 

A rainy day like today takes me back to childhood and the old rhyme we used to sing when the rain would keep us inside on a day when we would rather be outside, but it also takes me back to a day 9 years ago....and the anniversary of 9/11.  It wasn't raining outside that day, but after the Twin Towers were hit, it was certainly raining in our hearts.  We remember those who lost their lives on that day and those who lived through the horror of it firsthand.  It has left a scar on each of us, and we will never forget.

Even tho' we will never forget, life does go on....and our lives are no exception. We had plans for this day, but the rain has changed those plans...instead of enjoying the great outdoors and lots of scheduled activities, this is our view for the day. No mega zip line, no greased pig races, no carp wrangling...at least not today, tho' I understand the fire is going getting ready for the mega (170 lbs) pig roast. Since we are confined to indoors today, how 'bout I share some photos of our adventures earlier in the week?

Tuesday night we, along with King and Jackie Fulton,
made our way over to Jonesborough, home of the International Storytelling Museum. The Cranberry Thistle, a quaint coffee house, hosts storytelling every Tuesday night.  On this night we heard three local storytellers, along with a story by the visiting StoryTeller in Residence for the week at the museum.  What a fun night!  If you are ever in the area, it's a great bargain (5 whole smackeroos) for an entertaining and relaxing evening.  Did I mention they have wonderful scones?  Jonesborough itself is a neat little town to stroll around.

Thursday was the day chosen for our traditional Ladies Day Out, and we didn't have far to go to find a great place for lunch....the Coffee Company.   After a yummy lunch we strolled through the "downtown" area, and then went on the hunt for bargains, along with the obligatory stop at WalMart (the RVer's best friend).

Later in the afternoon, "Mark the-train-man" took us for a ride on the narrow gauge railroad up the gorge...through two tunnels...to the first trestle with beautiful scenery and wonderful views of the river all along the way.

Yes, we did have one brave (?) soul (Rusty) who ventured across the trestle without the benefit of a safety line.  But he's a former Marine, so we weren't surprised....probably would have been more surprised if he hadn't!  The rest of us just watched from the safety of good ole terra firma.

And then my honey took me out to dinner....at a little roadside cafe

where we enjoyed the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich we had ever had.  Great ending to a great day!

Yesterday dawned with beautiful blue skies and fluffy white clouds....

just calling out to us to get out and enjoy the day...so we did, taking two hikes...one up the rail trail to gather some wildflowers for my pressed flower cards and one up the river to enjoy God's handiwork.

Besides the beauty of the river, there were other sights that made us smile....like what we named "Butterly Shoals"....

and these wild daisies bravely hanging on against the coming fall....

This has been a lengthy and photo-laden post, but I ask you, "What better way to spend a rainy day, than remembering all the fun events of the past week....unless it would be to curl up with a good book and cup of coffee?"  Oh, wait......I think I'll do just that, so until next time.....here's to rainy afternoons!