We had several of them. The moment where the busyness stopped. The visiting stopped. The running around all came to an end, and we enjoyed the moment together on the banks of the Watauga River, reading, and enjoying being together.
All photos are copyright ยฉ Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.ย
My wife and I are collecting rocks. It’s not a big collection, but it is growing.
Each rock was chosen from the Watauga River just outside of Johnson City, TN. I grab one every time we visit. It’s my tourist moment. As you can see, we have three here in the photos below. That represents three trips staying on the river. There is one more on our “other” balcony, and sadly, during the fatigue of one of our moves, I left four more behind with our home in Terrell. Perhaps at our next trip, I will replace the lost ones to the move.
All photos are copyright ยฉ Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.ย
I think the owners have gotten their money’s worth.
Needless to say, we never made it down to the bank of the river, to sit, and enjoy the setting on Christmas day. I did brave the steps leading down. Heidi informed me that anyone attempting that stairway was crazy. So now we know.
These birdhouses have a great view of the river, and are geographically located next to bird feeders to meet all your bird’s needs. However, they are without heat.
We couldn’t go down by the river because we were watching the children. So we opened up the double doors that overlook the river, moved the recliner into the doorway, and made the best of it.
Heidi actually had to point this one out to me. It’s sitting next to the fire pit where we stay on the river while visiting family. It took a moment for me to see what it was. But once she told me it was a seat, I saw it. Before that, I just thought it was another log waiting to be thrown on the fire. Glad I didn’t do that.
See XingfuMama for more posts.
One can’t help but ask: was it really necessary to put a gate up and a sign? It seem obvious to me that one should not head out on the dam. But I’m not 14 either.
The character of the country cabin.
Sometimes, the fog cooperates…
You know my love for visual texture. Like so many barns in Tennessee, this barn has it.
Next to the cabins where we stayed in November, there is a small dam which has fallen into disrepair. The dam is now just a wall, with a hole in it.
BTW, for those who don’t understand the idiom, “a hole in the wall” is usually a reference to a small bar or restaurant that is considered a gem because of the services provided. It’s not something that you would look at and desire, but the service and food exceed the appearances. The idiom is lost because in our time, restaurants try to appear to be holes in the wall when they are not.
Top 10 Nomination for coming year.
Getting a sense of a place is something I think many of us miss when we go on vacation. That is what I was aiming for in the following pictures, getting a sense of our cabin. This was on the eve of Thanksgiving, as we sat around with the family, enjoying our time together.
Apparently, stacking rocks next to a river, has become some sort of fad. I first discovered stacked rocks at the Llano River in Texas earlier in the year. You can see my post here. While walking along the Doe River in Elizabethton, TN, the boys and I discovered a single pile of rocks. That was enough encouragement for the boys to start their own stacks.
The next day, while sitting around the fire on the Watagua River, I had them make three stacks of rocks around the place for me to find. Both boys were quite clever in hiding their stacks. Andy actually had one stack down in the river itself. The only way you could see it was standing on the bank right above the stack. Joey was also just as clever. He had the stack I could not find, on top of the AC unit upstairs next to our balcony. I should have known he would think outside the box. He’s quite good at it.
Here are the pictures from the Doe River.
We go to see family. We stay there because it’s the price of a hotel, with a much better view. Sometimes, we actually find rest. But it’s really surprising the number of times we have been to the water’s edge during times of trouble. I think I know what the writer of Hebrews meant when he wrote that Abraham wasn’t looking to the land he was promised, but a heavenly home, whose builder is God. That is where true rest if found.
