Quick visit from Nick

 I caught my typical "four days after air travel" head cold Friday. I thought it was allergies from flower pollen. NOT. But they ARE still pretty. These are birthday flower replacements because the first original roses died on day 2( markdowns don't usually die so fast). 

Nick and kids arrived around 5:30 pm Friday. Nick was invited to participate in an ordinance with a good friend here in Cedar, so he came with the three younger ones. Just overnight. Rachel stayed home with her Mom. It's just a fast trip. They will ALL be back here for Thanksgiving.

The Little ones like car time and travel for the extended tablet benefits . Ha.

All three on tablets. I was not a fun grandma. No games or stories from me this time. Just sneezing in my room. 

Flipping frogs is similar to tiddley winks, so Nick taught them that game. They had read about the game in a story book at home, so it was nice to have some practical application. 

Heading home from AGW

 

Not a cardboard box. But it looked like a box when you just walked by it. It's wood. And very expensive art. Nice paintings and textiles, too. Gail and I took in an art exhibit at the airport in Knoxville. After we had lunch at the nearby airport Hilton hotel. We got dropped off at the airport after we wandered thru a big scrapbook store in Sevierville, TN. I've never seen so many stickers. Ever. A lot of their stock was really old.

We had a long Airport wait, Gail and I, so I napped and read and walked. Our flight was on time ( yay!).

But we still got into Las Vegas, NV fairly late, got our car, got a burger and drove home to Cedar in some pretty stiff wind. 

We dropped into bed about 1:45 a.m. Zzzzz

Poor Gail had to drive all the way to Spring Creek on Tuesday. And it had snowed that morning! But not West of Cedar, so she had a clear drive home.

More views of the cool, non- cardboard box.

Knoxville airport bears.

Gail saw an actual bear on our trolley ride. I missed it.

Sunday November 10 in Pigeon Forge

 Lots of driving and fun.

We went to "The Island." However, we FIRST slept in and had  a late breakfast.

We had such a lovely and comfortable cabin. Book furniture. Like it was made for me. Bear decor everywhere. This wasn't IN our cabin, but would have fit.

Barbara Buller was our driver. She and Donna are partners in crime. (They go to estate sales together)

Views from the cabin.

Fun deck! We enjoyed it each morning.

View to the left

View from driveway area. Tall, tall foundations, perched on sides of "Rocky Top" mountains here in Tennessee. 

We spent Sunday at the Apple Barn and Cider something. We spent time at "The Island" and rode rides. Fun! 

We did the big, 200 foot tall ferris wheel at sunset. Beautiful.

Donna and Eve on Merry go round.

Apple cider time!

Ate dinner ( and browsed her gift shop) at Paula Deen's restaurant. So good! Way different than the one in Savannah, GA. 

Home early enough for a game or two, but we were all tired out.

Silly Gail.

Ride 'em, Donna!

Donna and Eve Autrey.

Amy and Donna. Amy lives in Tennessee now, but met Donna in Aviano when they both lived and worked there.

Both directions had pretty pink clouds.

Wendy. She's sad because she didn't get to ride the Merry-Go-Round with the other silly ladies. Wendy is another Aviano friend.

The Island had a Baby Bellagio fountain, With rocking chairs all around it. Lots of shops, kiddy rides, but also a good "Soaring over California -type" ride I really enjoyed. Twice. 

Me and a hat I didn't bring home. It's big.😁👨‍🌾

Quotes from Paula Deen's store. Cute stuff. 

AGW 2024 Pigeon Forge TN

Long LONG airport delays (2+ hours). But I found this cute poster on an airport walk.

 So many people! So much traffic! So many trees. Love it.

So much fun. So few participants.

Donna, me, Gail, Eve Autrey, Barbara Buller at the cabin( so cute!). Donna's Aviano friends Amy and Wendy surprised Donna and joined us, too.

Breakfast at the cabin

Alpine Slide, chair lift and views

Big lunch

Craft fair

Trolley ride through town

Another ride down the slide

A FANTASTIC show by Dolly Parton's Stampede crew. 

Cards til midnight.

Skyland Ranch overlook area. The Smokies were taller than I'd  expected.

Upside-down building.

Sideways building.

Titanic museum.

King Kong on Building.

Skyland Ranch Alpine slide. We rode twice. It was a good one!

At the Sky Land Ranch

At Dolly Parton Stampede dinner PRE show.

This is the closest we got to Dolly Parton.

More of the Skyland Ranch Western Show and overlook areas.