More Rain and Ken Brooker

It was raining when we took our morning walk around the campground.  I carry a huge umbrella so I can take pictures without getting my camera wet.  This rock along the campground road has a miniature forest atop the moss.  I tried to take some closeups, but they were all blurry.

It was raining cats and dogs as we approached the tent campground.  This is looking up to Site 9.

 We did not see a soul, but I could hear music coming from the tent in Site3.

As I worked my way around the campground, I spotted Andy waiting for me at the registration kiosk.

It eased off a bit as we went back down the campground road.

There was a fast moving stream running through the picnic area toward Big Creek.

We stood on the bridge and watched the creek for a while.  I looked down at the wet deck and realized I could take a selfie. One arm is holding the camera to my face while the other arm is holding the lens cap out of the picture. It is an extra-large umbrella.

We had a real treat today during a pause in the rain. Ken Brooker and his son William, the Cataloochee campground hosts came to visit.  Ken was anxious to meet "the famous Spence" from this blog.  Spence regaled him with a few anecdotes before we left for lunch.  I did have the presence of mind to take a picture of the two of them first.

Robert Spence and Ken Brooker

While we were eating lunch at Carver's Apple House, I asked Ken to compare the real-life Spence to the Spence he knows from my blog.  Ken responded that Spence is even more colorful than I make him out to be.   It was raining again when we left Carver's.  Ken and William were going to rent some four-wheelers and then head to Elkmont to watch the synchronous firefly lighting phenomenon.  You can see it too on Youtube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWkzQqO7Ro or 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOjTMkyfIA I went outside to check for some synchronicity here in Big Creek.

My brother Thurston is currently in Baltimore refurbishing a house his daughter Jessica and her husband bought recently.  My sister Barbara drove up from Southern Maryland to see him and gave him a copy of  Big Creek:  A Closer Look at a National Park. I am flattered that he was so thrilled to get it!

One the Radio:

Gatlinburg Police Department called the park to Bo On LookOut for a white Dodge Caravan with her 21-year-old child on board.  A woman had reported that a Hispanic man took off with her son and was heading toward the park.  Several Rangers responded with their locations to say they would be watching for it.  One asked dispatch to call Gatlinburg to asked if the man might have a weapon. Gatlinburg responded that they didn't know if there was a weapon, but there was Meth on board.

A park visitor reported that one of the horses in the Cade's Cove pasture was having trouble standing up. A Ranger went to check and told dispatch to call the horse-riding concessionaire to come check on the horse.  She was lying down in the pasture, would try to stand up, and then lie down again.

Get the Book

Big Creek: A Closer Look at a National Park