Atomic Speedway

Lisa and Jon went to Nashville and left the kids with us ... so, of course, we took good care of them! Took 'em to the dirt track and kept 'em out until almost midnite. For the first hour or so of qualifying, the track is actually muddy. They drive regular street cars around and around on it to dry it out before the actual races. The red one is a Lincoln Town Car. They also used an old pickup truck .. Quite an eclectic evening.

Lisa Neilans Blair and her friend Jon in Tennessee

Lisa and Jon and Karah and Zach came to see us ... we had a fun filled few days!

Lisa's visit

Zach gets his ice cream cone from the server at Tic Toc parlor. Turns out the guy is a former race car driver at the dirt track! Karah is sporting her flower "tattoo" from a vendor at the Smokies ball game.

This lovely spot in New Mexico is within biking distance of Cathy and Nancy's house. They both seem to really enjoy the weather, the terrain, their friends and their lifestyle in Dixon.

Home in New Mexico

Cathy and Nancy's temporary home is on the best building site on their land, so it will have to be removed before they build their dream home. They seem quite comfortable there but are excited about planning the new place.

Welcome to Dixon, and the heart of the town, the Dixon Cooperative Market.

CoOp Grocery

Nancy is on the board of the local co-op grocery store in Dixon. It is a wonderfully stocked, eclectic sort of place, perfect for the lifestyle of the town.

Their own marimbas

Cathy and Nancy have their own marimbas at home ... Nancy even taught me to play a very simple rhythm piece. Loved it!

Marimba practice

After dinner, we went with them to a marimba band practice session. Each of the seven (?) band members could play each of the seven different sizes of marimbas, and it was an energetic, vigorous, marvelous evening!

When we were out West in June we met Nancy and Cathy in Santa Fe for dinner in a wonderful restaurant.

Caterpillar and Bike Wheel Shadow

Last month, in Dallas, Sheela found a caterpillar on the scorchingly hot sidewalk and rescued it by placing it on the cooler grass.

Sunil plays tennis, too

Sunil took a few good swings at the ball, too.

Yes, we were playing beside the net, not across it. It saved us quite a few steps during the learning process.

Tennis with GrammyLyn

This year Sheela brought her own tennis racquet and she and I got in some good licks with the ball.

Catch-up photos from Sheela's visit

We truly enjoyed the NWA flight from Dallas to Knoxville. We were given a bulkhead seat so we could take our leisure along the way!

Just a pretty sight

The lichens were even more intense yellow than shows in the photo. All along the trail were so many kinds of soft mosses, frilly ferns and colorful lichens as well as the glossy mountain laurel and rhododendron leaves.

Moon at Sunset

An additional bonus for us was the moon floating through the sunset-touched clouds ... seen from the peak of Mt. LeConte.

Cozy Abode

The cabin Joan and I stayed in at the lodge. The dead trees are the Fraser Firs that are being decimated all through the park by a small insect ... the other trees are beginning to fill in the spaces, though, so it doesn't look quite as dreary as it did last year when Brian and Tracy hiked up here.

Orange mushrooms

These glorious 'shrooms were "blooming" on a dead tree stump along the trail to LeConte Lodge.

Our reward (besides a wonderful, warm, home-cooked dinner) for making it to the top of Mt. LeConte was the beautiful sunset. I was able to successfully use the "night photo" option on my Canon ... the aperture stayed open for the sunset, then flashed to show me.

Busy as a ...

I just love this bee picture, so here it is! He was beside the Alum Cave trail on my way to Mt. LeConte Lodge last week.

Mummified!

After golf camp/ rec camp the kids had a party; one of the games involved wrapping each other in paper towels. As an added touch, Sheela has a sucker stick in her mouth (no, that's NOT a cigarette!!)

Sheela's visit, cont'd

While she was with us, Sheela learned to weave on Karin's old loom. The gray, blue and white fabric was done by Karin about 25 years ago. Sheela added more, then we took the old one off and re-strung the loom for her to start a new one all her own. She finished it and presented it to her Mom as a gift. Perhaps they will use it as a wall hanging?

Standings

Sheela and her friend find their names on the standings at the end of the match. (Note: 36 was the maximum score because the kids picked their balls up after 12 tries on each of three holes. Sheela's 34 was pretty good ... !)

The tournament

Sheela really has a sweet swing on the golf course. It is a pleasure to watch her play!

Golf Camp tournament

Sheela and "GeeJay" * are ready to go. John volunteered to help out with the tournament the kids participated in at the end of golf camp week. *GrampaJohn

Sheela "Rocks the Juke Box"

Our sweet, shy little girl really got into our country music CDs. "Don't Rock the Juke Box" got her up and going!

When Sunil goes wading, he goes all the way! Coincidentally, I liked the logo on his shirt ... appropriate. On the way back up the trail he is sporting his new bandanna as well as his hat from last year.

More Charit Creek

Just a great trip, all in all!!

Spooky Spelunking

On our hike to Charit Creek Lodge Sunil took a spelunking trip into a deep split between two huge boulders. Flashlights are always fun!

While Sheela was here, we investigated a bluebird nest (in the birdhouse on our mailbox post) that had been inactive for about two weeks. Although we were sad about what must've happened to the parents, it was fun to be able to see the eggs in the nest. Sheela took one home, carefully packed. Her friend Megan took one home, too, but hers broke.. it was still in a ziplock bag, so she wisely refrained from un-zipping it before she disposed of it.