Vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Part 1.

We love the Smoky Mountains. My grandfather owned a cabin in Franklin, North Carolina. I have many fond memories of staying with him and all the places he took me. Todd's family vacationed there too, when he was a child. When he and I got married, we went their on our honeymoon. We go as often as we can.
My brother owns a cabin in Blairsville, Georgia. Blairsville is a gorgeous little town and we love being there, too.
Nathan loves going to Meeks Park to swim. It is also a great place to exercise as the park has a wonderful trail that follows along a creek.
Uncle Howie loves to take us to all the sightseeing places. One day we went hiking up to Duke's Creek falls.
Once we got to the top, Nathan was disappointed. I realized that he thought we would be climbing the waterfalls as he did at Dunn's River Falls when we lived in Jamaica. Oops!

Nathan and Uncle Howie posing in front of the waterfall.

Uncle Howie, Nathan and Todd.

He found a walking stick on the way up. He borrowed his dad's knife to whittle.

On the way back down, we had to test our balancing skills. There was a fallen tree across a small ditch.

He did it. But, only after mom showed him how. I can't figure out why no one took a picture of me.

Even though he was disappointed that he couldn't climb the waterfall, he had a good time building a dam with another little boy.

We stayed in Blairsville for a week. We enjoyed lots of great restaurants, golfing and going to the movies. Our second week was spent camping on the banks of Deep Creek. Part 2 coming soon.

All Stars!

I got my computer back from the shop with it's new hardrive and with the same problems I put it in the shop for. The new hardrive didn't fix the problems. I think I see a new computer in my future. (Smile)

Anyway, we officially finished Nathan's first ever baseball season last night. They had their last game Thursday and beat the Ray's. They finished 10-6. Not bad in my opinion. Our league has three minor B teams and each coach was able to pick 4 players to take to an All Star tournament. My son was one of the players chosen as an All Star from our team. I am as proud as I can be and he is as excited as he can be. Monday begins practice and he will be trying for the catching position. Last night we had a pizza party for the team and handed out individual trophies. Nathan is pictured above with Coach Steve presenting him with his trophy.

Todd was assistant coach of the team and had a great time and learned a lot of patience. Before the night was over one of the parents, who took pictures of every game presented Todd with a framed 8x10 of him and Nathan.

He was instantly moved to tears. In the picture, Todd is coaching third base and Nathan is running home. It is a memento he will forever treasure.

We are looking forward to the All Star tournament that will be held the first weekend in June and possibly to fall and winter ball.

Happy 45th!

Happy Birthday Todd!

He was most happy about the baked ham and homemade carrot cake his mom made him. I was pretty happy about it too.

Margaritaville

While my in-laws were here we hit most of the tourist attractions. Margaritaville was of course the biggest tourist trap we visited. While there are three locations on the Island, we went to the one here in Montego Bay.

Although, we ate lunch there we really went for the boys to swim. That would be the big boys as well as the little boys.

Margaritaville is really a party place, especially when we have a cruise ship in port. It is virtually impossible to get in on those days and if you manage to get in you won't be able to hear yourself think much less try to talk to the person next to you. They play the music so loud and the DJ really tries to get people going. Thankfully we were able to go when we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

We ate lunch first and so the boys had to wait to get in the water until we were done. They got a little impatient but I think the wait was worth it for them.

Margaritaville's biggest attraction is their large, extremely fast water slide. Grammy and Tripp went up to check it out and to take some pictures.

Like most tourist traps, the food was over priced. My cousin April told me that the conch fritters are really good at the Margaritaville in Key West. So, we tried them here.

She was right! They were really good and were priced at about US$8.00. They were really crispy and the sauce that comes with it has a little spicy kick to it.

Then the real reason we went. They have a slippery floating platform and two water trampolines that have a tube connecting them. Few people succeed at crossing the yellow tube with out taking a dive.

Bubby taking a rest on one of the tubes.

Jacob shooting out of the water slide into the sea.

Brothers take a rest.

Bubby diving off of the slippery platform.

Daddy and Uncle Tripp slinging Bubby off the slippery platform.

Sumo wrestler wanna-bes.

Todd doing a back flip.

Tripp standing on his head. Really it's a back flip.

We had a nice time. All the boys had fun swimming and being silly. Grammy, Pappy and I had a good time watching and taking pictures. Next time we may eat at home before we go though.

They're Here!

We arrived at Sangster International Airport a few minutes before arrival time. Todd dropped Nathan and me off and he took the car to the car park. That's the parking lot here.

Nathan sat down and played his Nintendo DS while waiting for his DeeDee and Grandaddy to come out of customs.

"What, mama!?"

Bubby was glad to see his DeeDee.

Todd and Daddy share a hug.

Group shot.


Three happy people.

Nathan helping his daddy load the loot.


DeeDee strapping in until she can get use to riding on the left side of the road.

We have sat around most of the day. Mama and Daddy brought four suitcases and most of it was stuff for us. I sent mama a list and she brought everything we asked for and everything she thought we needed or wanted. It is wonderful having them here. Nathan is off school Thursday and Friday for his mid-term break so I think Thursday we will go to the Ultimate Jerk Centre and Friday we will probably take him to the Yacht Club to swim.

Powa Wata

The church in Lucea held a dinner fundraiser to buy a new set of drums. The menu was chicken, goat, pork, rice and peas, tomato and cucumber, and powa wata (power water). Powa wata is sometimes called mannish water. At first, I thought it was some sort of homemade alcoholic brew, but come to find out it is a soup. It is a soup made out of goat head, goat feet and goat entrails. I must confess I was not man enough to try it.

Sis. Mel was in charge of the cooking.

Everything was cooked outside over an open flame.

One of the cooks washing up a cook pot.

Todd was served a cup of powa wata.

By the look on his face, how do you think it tasted?


One of the helpers serving juice from a red stripe bucket with tin foil over it.

Nathan collecting rocks.

The serving bowls covered with a large cloth.

Waiting to be served.

Todd said the powa wata tasted better than it smelled. According to him the smell was pretty bad. It was late when we got there so, we got ours "to go." They fixed us two "to go" boxes with fried chicken with a sweet sauce over it and some pork. And they fixed one with pork and curry goat for "Pasta" Todd. On the way home, Todd sipped on his powa wata. I guess he was trying to acquire a taste for it. We stopped at a roadside fruit stand and bought some mangoes. When we continued the drive home, Todd no longer had the cup of powa wata.

Nathan decided he was hungry, and Todd told me to get the dinners out and try the chicken. Fried chicken should be safe enough. We all tasted it. Good enough. Nathan loved it. The pork tasted good, some pieces were a hairy. I avoided them. Todd ate the curry goat. Nathan and I tried it. It was not something I want to get use to. As we continued driving, I commented, "That sweet sauce over the fried chicken tastes pretty good." Nathan said he thought so, too.

Todd said, "I didn't tell you about the big pan of sweet sauce, did I?"

"No you didn't," I said. "What about it?"

"There were four large fish heads floating, in the sauce pan!"

Impromptu Puppet Skit

We have a missions team here this week and they are be doing puppet skits in some of the schools. We have a puppet stage that was given to us and Saturday, Todd and Nathan, drug it out and figured out how to put it together. I thought it would be this little, dinky, flimsy, pitiful thing. Was that enough adjectives for you? After they called me to come help them figure it out (which I was absolutely no help) it turned out to be the Taj Mahal of puppet stages.

You can imagine what happened next. Todd and Nathan had to try it out with the pitiful puppets that were given to us, as well. Nathan really got into it. He has never been one to get real excited about anything. Well, unless it's a new Power Rangers DS game. But, you know he doesn't like to sing, dance or take part in any of the arts. So, when he grabbed two puppets and wanted to do his own puppet show for Todd and me, we quickly got the camera and started taping. His skit is about an owner who has lost his dog. I interacted with him to keep him going while Todd got tickled.

DISCLOSURE: At one point during the taping Todd completely lost his mind and casually moved the camera my direction. Since, I was still in my pajamas, with bedhead, I quickly waved him off. But to my complete and utter embarrassment, you will still see a glimpse of ugly.

Flagaman

Last Sunday we were invited to Flagaman Assembly of God. Flagaman is on the south coast of the island and it took us about two and a half hours to get there. We left before eight o'clock because we wanted to leave enough time to meet the pastor at ten thirty. Especially since we didn't know where we were going. Our directions were like this: After you go through Black River, you will come to a round about. At the round about take the left and go until the third right and I (the pastor) will meet you at the post office in a small town called Barbary Hall. Todd had been to this area before but still wasn't positive exactly how to get to Black River. Even with the map we took a wrong turn. There are few signs and when there are signs and they indicate which way to turn there may or may not be a road. But, after we made it to Black River and took the left turn at the round about and were looking for the third right turn I asked Todd, "Can you imagine my mama doing this in southern Chile with a blind husband and two small children?" She went up another notch in my book that day. Anyway, we found the right turn and even found Barbary Hall but we couldn't find the post office. We finally stopped a lady and asked her where the post office was. She told us that we had passed it. She said, "When you go back it will be on your right after the Salvation Army." We thanked her and turned around. I told Todd, "I didn't see a Salvation Army." He said, "I didn't either." So, on the way back we looked a little harder and sure enough we passed the Salvation Army and a little ways further we found the post office. I told Todd we could have found it if they would have told us to look for an outhouse with a post office sign on it!

Barbary Hall Postal Agency

The pastor was there waiting for us and lead us up the mountain to Flagaman. The church was really nice to be located in the middle of nowhere. The people were very sweet and kind and they were very appreciative that we came to visit.

I sang.

Todd preached.

I don't have a picture of Nathan being a good boy.

Here is a sample of their Jamaican praise and worship. I tried to discreetly tape this during the offering. The leader is the pastor of the church and the little boy playing the drums is his ten year old son that taught himself to play. I thought he did pretty good for never having a lesson.