June 20, 2015 - Sunbeams in Site 7

 It was a dark and dreary morning, afternoon, and evening. Actually, the sun did pop out between the heavy clouds one in a while. I must have predicted eminent rain ten times today. I never went anywhere without my umbrella. It never did rain for real even though I felt a few drops once or twice. I’m going to stop forecasting the weather.

It was Monday for Spence and he dropped by for a coffee refill after he had cleaned the toilet building in the horse camp. There is not enough ventilation in the toilet buildings and the walls are always wet with condensation in damp weather. He wiped them down today. The park visitors track in mud and forest debris on the wet floors. After coffee, we headed to the campground and Spence headed to the picnic area toilet building to repeat the cleaning. We could hear him blowing debris off the sidewalks while we were in the campground.

Andy finished planning our trip for the rest of the year. We leave here on June 29 and head for Maryland for some family visiting. We still have not done some of the sightseeing I had hoped to do this year. We have not gone around the opposite end of the park. We haven’t visited the banjo player who lives on Tobes Creek Road either. I don’t know where the time goes.

Ranger Heath stopped by in the evening and gave me some files about Search and Rescue so I can learn about all the training and requirements that go into it.

I did not take many pictures because it was so dark and dreary. I did capture this little brown mushroom growing alongside the path in the campground.

 

This two-year-old in Site 10 saw the camera around my neck and wanted me to take his picture. He must get it taken regularly because, when I picked up the camera to my face, he started posing. I did not get a good picture of the little model though.

 

We took the opportunity to walk around the campground when the sum came out briefly. People were starting campfires and making a lot of smoke with their wet wood. The sun came through the trees and turned it into a special effect. There should have been an angel or some other kind of alien appearing in Site 7.

 

We were headed toward Site 12 when I realized there were three sets of legs under a small tarp. We decided not to go any closer and wake them up. I hope it doesn’t rain tonight; they don’t look very well protected.

 

On the radio

A ranger came on the radio and asked dispatch if there were any permits for a wedding at the overlook in Cades Cove. It brought too many questions to mind. Did the ranger come upon a wedding?  There was a permit for a wedding, but it was at one of the churches. Would the ranger bust up a wedding for lack of a permit? Would he wait until they were done and them chase them away?  Would they get a ticket?