Apr 26
The day before yesterday James got out in the yard with one of those large bubble wands and did some work. I also fulfilled a longtime wish and finally got a Les Paul. I had been wanting one for years and years and finally found a great deal on one. Here are some more good pictures of James making bubbles.
I love the new guitar. It doesn’t make me play any better but it does sound much better than any electric guitar that I have ever owned. Plus it’s pretty. Makes you wanna play it.
written by mark
Apr 21
I pulled some pictures off of the camera from last week and found these few of Stella crashed out in her swing. Tonight is “Thunder Over Louisville” and we are pretty much hanging out around the house today. It’s supposed to get up to 70 degrees today so I will probably get outside and do something at some point. Might change my brake pads or go to the driving range or something. I think we are having a ham for Thunder. That will be gooood. Ummm, ham.
written by mark
Apr 12
After I got back to the cabin from Deal’s Gap, we all jumped in the cars and drove to the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – and to the Newfound Gap observation area specifically. This is where my little morning detour had taken me earlier in the day and I thought the rest of the tribe would like to see it. I didn’t know that the Appalachian Trail met up with this gap and several other facts that I hadn’t taken the time to read while I was up there earlier in the day. Here are some great pictures from the afternoon drive.
After the drive we went and had dinner at a nice restaurant that we had already dined at earlier in the week – but this time I had some pie. Very good day for Mark.
written by mark
Apr 12
Today I was able to get out in the morning and drive my bike over to Deal’s Gap on the Tennessee and North Carolina border. There is a stretch of road there nick-named “The Dragon” for the massive amount of switchbacks and curves that it has in an 11 mile span. Here are some great sites with more info on this wonderful piece of pavement:
Deal’s Gap Wiki
Motorcycle Playground
Dragonslayer Photos
It was only a 75 mile ride but I missed a turn and ended up in the middle of the Smoky Mountains National Park. The missed turn was not a total waste because I happened upon an observation point that the whole family would return to later in the day and I saw a bunch of great scenery along the way. At 9am and 5000 feet it was cold up in the mountains and I was not too happy about how long it was going to take me to get out of the park and to a gas station. I ended up taking Little River Road and grabbing the Foothills Parkway over to I-129. The Foothills Parkway is a beautiful ride in its own right. I took a few pictures from the top of the Foothills Parkway on the same disposable camera I used for my pictures of the ride down the Dragon. Oh yeah, did I mention that I also forgot to pack my camera in my tank bag? So the trip started out rocky – but it ended up completely awesome. Here are some pictures from my morning trip over to Deal’s Gap and riding the dragon.
written by mark
Apr 11
Today we slept in a little bit. Mom and Dad got in late Tuesday night and we all needed the rest. After we went and had a great Italian lunch we went shopping at one of the outlet malls in Pigeon Forge. Rain and thunderstorms were supposed to be with us the whole day, but it held off until late in the afternoon. Here are some more pictures.
written by mark
Apr 10
The cabin we rented for Spring Break is pretty sweet. We have a nice view, plenty of room and great amenities. Here are some great pictures of the cabin.
We spent most of the day today walking around in Gatlinburg and ate a pretty rank Mexican food lunch/dinner at “No Way Jose”. Severe intestinal repercussions ensued. I bought Kayleigh and Sharon some neat rings at a Celtic shop on the strip and we picked up some taffy and chocolate at one of the candy factories.
written by mark
