In my last entry I talked about the significance of family reunions. In mid-June our whole family, including my wife and I, our five children and their spouses, and our sixteen grandchildren, gathered in a rented picnic pavilion at Steele Creek Park in Bristol. The last time the siblings had all been together was before more than half of the grandchildren were alive. The picnic pavilion was adjacent to a playground and immediately above the little train and paddle boat dock. I brought my canoe and took seven different grandchildren and two children over the course of three trips out onto the lake. Two families went over the hill to the splash pad. There was abundant good food and conversation. As I said to all, it did my heart and my wife’s good to see them all there together and talk to them. I have a few pictures of the event at “Together.”
Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
A Family First
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Outdoors, tagged Children, Family, Family Gathering, Family Reunion, Grandchildren on July 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Time is A Passin’
Posted in Family, General, tagged Family, Family Reunion on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »
A family reunion is meant to be a longstanding celebration of family ties in history of shared people and events. But time rolls along and the people who attend change by choice and peril. This year’s reunion for my wife’s family was smaller in number than any that I remember possibly ever in the 43 years, most of which I have attended. If I count correctly, there were twenty-two people there. Five of the siblings and three of their spouses were there. Two of the siblings not in attendance were for health reasons. Check out some of the interactions at “More Intimate Group.”
First Advent Celebration 2024
Posted in Advent, Day of the Lord, Family, General, Grandchildren, Person of Jesus, tagged Advent, Christmas, Faith, Family, Grandchildren, Hope, Jesus on January 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
First Advent Celebration is a better moniker for the day that most people called Christmas. It more precisely indicates what we are celebrating, the first coming of the Savior, in the flesh. So, I am developing the habit of remarking Blessed First Advent Celebration to you or Blessed Advent Celebration. The word “First” is included, of course, because God says there will be a second advent: “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:28) This is also the reason that Advent Celebration is adequate (1), since any proper consideration of and thanksgiving for His first advent will lead to consideration and anticipation of His second.
Besides consideration of His coming and the result of rescue from sin based on the death of the God-man, we remember His many ancillary benefits: family, material provision, friends. My wife and I enjoyed the consideration of eight of our grandchildren at our eldest son’s house. If you would like to participate, click on meet and greet of these “Developing Youngsters.”
- …and easier to say and be understood,
Making a Splash
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, tagged Cooling off, Family, Grandchildren, Splashpad on August 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The best way to make a splash with the grandchildren is to find something fun to do that they find so. After working with my son-in-law and friend on a concrete project, their mother suggested that I take the two grands to the local splashpad while her and Mamaw went to a bookstore. That sounded good on multiple levels to me. Check out a few pictures at the “The Pad“.
An Easy Day?
Posted in Camping, Exploring, Family, General, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Exploring, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors on July 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »
What do you do on a day after achieving a serious goal? Rest, celebrate? Sure, that works, but how do you rest and celebrate? Frequently, circumstances dictate what you do, but I had the joy of spending it with grandchildren, yet again doing what I love to do, explore in the woods. Together with their father and mother, we went to Diana’s Baths and then Cathedral Ledge, and then I was on the road again. See for yourself at “The Baths“.
Posterity Extended
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, tagged Blessing, boy, Grandchild, Posterity on April 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Last Friday, 4/19/24, we were blessed with a 14th grandchild, a boy weighing 8 labs and 21 inches long. May God bless the child and his parents in raising him.
Beloved of the Lord
Jedidiah by name
May God bless and afford
Wisdom and godly fame
Know God’s salvation soon
And serve Him with fervor
For Zeal is a great boon
Mixed with truth and ardor
Beware of a false zeal
And man’s empty wisdom
Of pleasures that appeal
And every works system
Bind truth and love to you
A warrior for the right
A freeman, Francis, true
At peace, yet fit to fight
88
Posted in Birthday, Family, tagged Birthday, Family, Siblings on March 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »
My wife has seven siblings and she is number seven. Last weekend five of the siblings got together along with spouses and other family to celebrate the oldest sister’s birthday. The oldest brother, who will turn 90 soon, was there. We are thankful that all eight siblings are still alive, along with my three sibling brothers who we ate with on Saturday evening. Check out some pictures of the party at “88“.
A Baker’s Dozen
Posted in Blessing, Family, Grandchildren, Poem, tagged Blessing, Grandchildren, Poem on February 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »
There is no way you could have been cheated on a dozen if you receive thirteen, thus the Baker’s Dozen. It feels like a number of abundance and integrity. So, I am announcing the arrival of my thirteenth grandchild on Sunday, January 28. I have written each of my grandchildren a blessing poem. I pray and poeticize for my grandbabies in the light of both my Savior’s grace and protection and my society’s darkness. God has overcome this world, and it is right that I asked Him to overcome it on behalf of my family.
Magdelena of the tower (1)
May God give you of His power
As He directs you to each place
May you be endowed with His grace
As Mary who followed Christ well
Much of His resurrection tell (2)
Share the true Gospel to and fro
Living it wherever you go
Faith, assurance of things hoped for
Conviction of unseen before (3)
May God grant it early to you
And may it spread to not a few
Miss Francis ready for battle
Resist evil acts and prattle
Pray in the Spirit, armor on (4)
Know God’s Word which you stand upon
- Magdelena means “woman of the tower”
- Matthew 28
- Hebrews 11:1
- Ephesians 6:10-18
Thanksgiving 2023 Reflections
Posted in Blessing, Exercise, Family, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, Thanksgiving, tagged Family, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Thanksgiving 2023 on November 28, 2023| 2 Comments »
The link does not include pictures or descriptions of the night before soup dinner, the flag football game, or the other meals and late evening discussions, but it does include details on things that I directly participated in and could take pictures of. I went hard at the flag football game and have the sore muscles to prove it. I realized that I am the last of my generation to be playing, the next oldest being in his early 40’s. I am thankful to have an active life. Check out my pictures and commentary at “Active Thanksgiving.”
A Pleasant Weekend Visit
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Cave, Family, Grandchildren, Outdoors on October 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Last weekend our fourth-born, his wife and daughter came to visit. We enjoyed playing, talking, eating well, singing hymns, caving, church, enjoying a sunny day in the park, and a fire in the fire pit. Check out a very few of the things we did at “A Lovely Weekend“.
A Gorges Place
Posted in Camping, Ecology, Family, General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Bushwhacking, Camping, Cascades, Ecology, Escarpment, Gorges, Hike, Waterfalls on September 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Yeah, I didn’t spell that wrongly. It is a play on words. I went on a two-night camping trip with my older brothers and their wives at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County, NC. As the name implies, it has some very rough real estate. In fact, it sits on the SC border where the escarpment drops out of the mountains into the Piedmont. The gorges are not what I usually think of as a gorge (1), however, since there are no cliffs in the park that I saw. Instead, they are steep-sided and steep-graded draws where creeks have worn down to bedrock, leaving cascades and the occasional freefall waterfall. Because of how fast the mountains drop away, Transylvania County has 250 waterfalls. That gets me to wondering how a waterfall is defined (see “Cascades, Not Falls“). What is the minimum height limit? What is the minimum slope of cascades? Does water have to leave contact with the surface in a cascade to be counted? There is little doubt that the various creeks have multiple waterfalls, but how are they counted? One thing that I observed in the Visitor’s Center while comparing labeled pictures of waterfalls and trails marked with waterfalls in the park was that most of the falls in the park don’t have trails to them. That sounds like to me an excellent excuse to go back and bushwhack more. The combination of geology, topography, aspect, and prevailing winds results in significant rainfall and runoff. The average annual rainfall in Upper East Tennessee where I live is about 44 inches. In Morganton, NC, where I used to live, it is 51 inches. In Gorges State Park, the average annual rainfall is 91 inches, making it nearly a temperate rainforest. That is all good for the waterfalls, but the particularly shallow topsoil still causes the tree cover to be predominated by drier slope varieties like pines and certain oaks. However, seeps here and there are lush with a profusion of hornworts, ferns, orchids, and many other wildflowers. Check out all of the gorges lushness at “Gorges State Park.”
- “gorge- a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it” https://www.bing.com/search?q=gorge+definition&form=ANNTH1&refig=31b0bb6c75e64e7bb332c55d569e5433
Family Reunion 2023
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, tagged Family, Family Reunion, Grandchildren, Reunion, Siblings on August 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Check out the pictures, friends, at “Scarlett Reunion 2023.”
A Little Play Time
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Brithday, Canoeing, Caving, Family, Grandchildren, Kayaking, Outdoors on August 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Billed as a one night stay over on the way to elsewhere, the plans got changed by circumstances to be the main event. Instead of just Thursday night, the visit extended to late Saturday afternoon. It was a welcome surprise, but what do you do on the spur of the moment on days expected to have rain.
So, Thursday evening I went out to a little Chinese restaurant with my daughter after the children were put down for bedtime. Friday morning I went to work while my wife, daughter and her husband and two children went to the Hands-On Museum/Gray Fossil Site (which you may see a sampling of from a former visit at “Hand On and Gray Fossils“). Saturday my son-in-law, granddaughter, one of my sons, and I went to Appalachian Caverns before lunch and in the clearing skies to Steele Creek Lake to canoe and kayak after lunch. At the same time, my wife, daughter, and grandson went to a used bookstore and out to eat. It was fast paced but fun. You have to pack in the memories whether the sun shines or not. Check out some images at “Under and Over.”
Looking for Opportunities
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, tagged Family, Grandchildren, Visit on June 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
One son is passing through and requests lunch at his older brother’s house. We get wind of eight grandchildren all at the same location. It is one of our joys of moving to East Tennessee, that we have more access to more grandchildren and not substantially less access to fewer. So, we left the house at 8 AM on Saturday morning and spent most of the day with two sons, two daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren. We even had a bonus added onto the end. See pictures and reflection at “Every Precious Moment.”
LeConte Descent
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Family, Hike, Mt. LeConte, Nature, Outdoors on May 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I was going to call this “The Downside” to go with the last entry, “The Upside“, but downside has too many unpleasant connotations. There was one downside, however. As of the last entry, we stood atop Cliff Top of Mt. LeConte, 6.6 miles into the trip. Given our chosen route, we still had another 9.0 miles to go, and it wore sorely upon us. Trillium Gap Trail (TGT) was definitely the better downhill choice, but we should have hiked across to the Rainbow Falls trailhead from the TGT-head rather than leaving that traverse for late in the day. It was a pleasant walk with things to see, but, tired as we were, I did not take as many pictures. Click on “LeConte Descent” to see what notable things we saw.
The Upside
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Family, Grandchild, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hike, Mt. LeConte, Outdoors on May 28, 2023| 1 Comment »
Continuing the story about a Mt. LeConte hike this past week (see “Approach Day“), we arose just after 5 AM and got away at 6:15 for a one-hour drive to the trailhead. I had wanted to hike Trillium Gap and Rainbow Falls Trails. My daughter asked me about how they are different. I said Rainbow Falls Trail is shorter, steeper, and rockier. She said that she would prefer to go up on a steeper trail since coming down that way would be more painful on her knees.
So, carrying one pack with food and clothing and water, about 25 pounds, and carrying a second pack with her son and water, about 35 pounds, we started off. I record our progress with commentary and pictures at “Rainbow Falls Ascent“.
Approach Day
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Hike, Memories, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Family, Outdoors on May 27, 2023| 1 Comment »
I was chosen to take the place of my daughter’s hiking partner who had other responsibilities crop up. We were slated to take a 16-mile hike to Mt. LeConte in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the next several blog entries I am going to lay out the gist of the trip. The first day was travel and rest. Pictures of our lodging place are included at “Cabin up the Crick” along with a little flashback surprise.
A Quiet Weekend Visit
Posted in Delights, Family, Influence, Photo, tagged Family, Grandchildren, Visiting on April 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
You can make plenty of plans, but circumstances may superintend them all. We had planned so many things outdoors when we were to visit our son for the weekend. We did do one chore before it rained. On Friday evening before supper we plopped a fourteen foot section of telephone pole into a four foot hole and tamped in dirt until it was solid and plumb. It rained lightly thereafter, so we ate supper and played with our granddaughter. The next morning we tamped in a second pole to within six inches of surface level before the rain came. So, instead of more outdoor activity, we went to a Book Barn of used books in a warehouse. I found a few good reads. Between the periodic hard showers pelting on the metal roof, the hypnotic classical music, and the row upon row of books it was quite relaxing. That evening during supper we watched a nice PG movie. Sunday morning we were challenged by a sermon from Acts 4 on praising God for the bright and dark providences. I hope to make further comment on that at a later date. After a big lunch we talked a few more hours before driving 4 hours home. Times with family can be so short but so meaningful. I hope that it encouraged our son and daughter-in-law as much as it did us and made our granddaughter as happy as it did us. Click on “Little Visit” to see a few pictures.
A Few Quick Miles
Posted in Exercise, Family, General, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Covered Bridge, Exercise, Family Time, Mountain Biking, Tweetsie Trail on April 19, 2023| 2 Comments »
A little too quick and more than one or two miles. My middle son and I went mountain biking this morning. Because there are several public trails nearby and one under the main road 1/2mile from his house, it is easy to get on multiple and various surfaces. This is the second time I have ridden with him. I have been trying to get into shape by riding a steep hill behind my house. It has increased my power, but riding with my son involves endurance. I am always lagging behind. So, I guess we keep it up and I will build endurance, too. If you can endure my pictures and commentary, check it out at Multiple Surfaces.
CreatorWorship 
A Sevier Day
Posted in America, Cultural commentary, Education, Family, General, Grandchildren, History, Liberty, tagged Colonial History, Family, Grandchildren, History, John Sevier, John Sevier's Birthday, Marble Springs, Re-enactors, Tennessee History on September 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »
My puns become more severely bad by the day. Yesterday was the 278th birthday of John Sevier, tavern and mercantile owner, frontiersman, farmer, military leader, governor of the State of Franklin, and first governor of Tennessee. He was incredibly energetic in every aspect of his life having won all 35 battles he led/participated in, raising 18 children by two wives to adulthood, carving out 4 separate farms in SW Virginia and E Tennessee, serving as a magistrate or representative or governor almost non-stop up until his death in 1815.
The event, called Sevier Day, was a re-enactment at his favorite farm, Marble Springs, in South Knoxville. One gentleman acted the part of John Sevier and gave an informative, interesting auto-biographical monologue in the rebuilt cabin. There were Revolutionary Re-enactors, a blacksmith, colonials cooking, a restored loom and the restorer demonstrating weaving, dancing demonstrations, and long rifle and musket drills. Making it more worthwhile for my wife and me, our oldest son, wife, and seven grandchildren were there. With all of that excitement, I direct you to my pictures and commentary at “Sevier Day.”
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