The best part of the hike ... Sunil and Sid met us toward the end of the hike and relieved us of our packs. Thank you, Sunil and Sid!!!!!

The clouds rolled in and out all the way down in the morning.

Mt LeConte continued

Because of the rain, the waterfalls crossed the trails.

The Sharmas decide to break out the ponchos for the first part of the trip down.

Even when it isn't actually raining, the middle-upper part of the trail is almost almost always foggy ... read: in the clouds!

The pink flowers are probably Carolina rhododendron.

Most of the access trails to the Lodge come together along a short ridge that I call the Fairy Forest.

This is the cabin Karin, Sid and Sheela shared at LeConte Lodge. It faced ours which was across the "Main Street".

Mt. LeConte more miscellaneous

Sunil had the upper bunk, Grammylyn slept below. The bucket held our drinking/washing water, and the enamel bowl was our "sink." John had his own single bunk, which pretty well finished filling up all the available space.

Ah, the charm of a kerosene lantern at night.

Karin sporting her LED lighted-cap. She is ready for any eventuality.

Sid was already relaxing of the porch of their cabin by the time I made it up the trail almost three hours later.

Mt. LeConte hike miscellaneous

Yep, the trail definitely hugs the steep mountainside. Karin and Sunil.

The Alum Cave Bluffs Trail has gorgeous views.

Up close, the mushrooms offer their own charm.

White rhododendron blossoms add beauty to the hike. This scene was from the first bridge from the parking lot.

John, Lyn, Sheela, Sid, Sunil and Karin at the beginning of the first day, cheerful and energetic.

Mount LeConte "Official Photo"

Here we all are, having not only made it to the top, but having also survived the overnight storms and actually wearing our available-only-at-the-top LeConte tees!

Sunil earns his bear badge!

Sunil and Grammylyn hiked the Laurel Falls Trail and were rewarded with a great bear sighting. A mama bear was digging into a rotten log fairly near the trail, and her two cubs were gamboling nearby. (BTW there were about 100 other people on this easy trail, so we were safely in the middle of a huge group while we were watching the bears.)

More Village festivities

Sheela met one of the clowns ... he offered her a "big eyeball" and she took it! He had expected her to shriek and jump away, I'm sure. She enjoyed it all the rest of the day ... and the rest of week, too, in fact!

These are our famous "Tellico Tappers" who entertain the Village regularly. They are all at least 50 and one of them is 80! They can all kick as high as their shoulders, and I admire them greatly.

Just a general overview of the Independence day "doings" in the Village. There were at least three hours of music ... from the local dulcimer band to Irish dancing to folk songs to rock'n'roll to big band sounds. Not to mention the hot dogs and barbecue sandwiches and ice cream and popcorn and...you get the picture! John and Sheela and I were seated in a group of about eight of our friends and neighbors, and of course we saw many more folks we recognized throughout the evening.

Climbing wall

We attended our local festival (right in the Village) on July 3rd. Sheela got another step higher than this, then called it quits when the next "rock" twisted around loosely in her grip. She went higher than anyone else - while I was standing there, anyway. Fun!

Outdoors again

Once again, Sheela and I did our traditional sleep-out-on-the-deck adventure. The first time, we had to bail when an unexpected rainstorm came up; the next time we managed to stay out all night. BTW, I was sleeping on every throw rug and comforter I could find in the house!

Un-photographed

We also swam in the indoor pool at the wellness center, played a bit of tennis at the rec center, and walked a lot around the neighborhood. Playing with the dog next door ("Laney") has also proved to be a lot of fun.

Indoors time

Mmmm....she made brownies for us ... which we enjoyed with ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel and/or chocolate sauce!

Sheela loved the squeegee/lambswool tool, so I "let" her use it on all the windows!

This is the year for learning to knit. (In addition to the loom weaving and finger weaving that she already knew how to do. Oh, and a little crocheting, too.

Cooking

Of course, I always like it when Sheela jumps right in to help me cook. We collaborated on a yummy spaghetti dinner.

Next to Heaven

Sheela and I thoroughly enjoyed a horseback ride in the Smokies. Just the two of us, no group, no leader. Stunning views. (This is the same place we went during the SmithKith reunion.)

Perfect day, topped off - of course - by an ice cream cone at the fudge shop in Townsend.

Dinner on the Deck

Sheela and GrampaJohn enjoy an informal burger meal on the deck. The blackberries were for dessert later, served straight out of the bowl!

Sheela's here!

She's here and we've been very, very busy.

In fact, we're on our way out right now but here's a teaser photo...more to come!

Blackberry picking was almost the first order of business ... they are yummy this year!