A Quest

Aunt Wanda, Nila and Judy came for lunch a couple of weeks ago, and we looked at old pictures. The photo below is one of my mother, Zella Mae Peters, on the left, and her sister, Floy. As I didn't know just where it was taken, I asked Bob, the fount of all knowledge down here, and he told me it was taken in the Smokey Mountain National Park. I did a little quick research on the web and found it was located on the line between North Carolina and Tennessee. So, Tom and I set off to find it. And we did! Here I am at the same spot. If only my cousin, Susan, Aunt Floy's daughter, had been with me. I'm going to have to track her down and see what we can do. Of course, Mother and Aunt Flo look like they were barely out of their teens in this photo - so I am old enough now to be their mother. But let's not think about that too much....

The park is about two hours from our house and can be a day trip - as long as you don't go on a Saturday in July. Which, of course, is when we went. We had lots of time sitting in traffic to gawk at the beach-like atmosphere of Pigeon Forge. It was full of amusement rides, Ripley's Believe It or Not, hotels, souvenir shops, and one building that, I swear, was upside down. I never did see what it actually housed, as all I could do was stare. I want to go back in November and explore the whole town! I was too stunned to even take my camera out of the case, but I promise, next time I will.

In the actual park, I regained my composure enough to take a few photos. It was a speedy trip, and I quite literally hopped out of the van to snap these, and then hopped back in. So these are the kinds of photos you can take in Smokey Mountain National Park without even trying. On a Saturday in July.

The dogs had to go along, of course, and they were really, really good. They are such good travelers. The only problem we ever have is that Minnie and Chotti fight over my lap. Did you ever hold a dog in your lap in the car for eight hours? I have.

But one look at this face, and you can see why we couldn't leave them at home.

Now that we're down here, we're finding that there is so much to do and to see. Every few days brings a new discovery, opportunity, or adventure. Even if it's only in the backyard.

Clinch Mountain Music Fest

Why I thought the mountains would be quiet, I'll never know. There's always something or other going on down here. This event was held in the middle of June, and so this post is long overdue, but I thought I'd post it anyway for those of you who like good, old-fashioned music.
The Clinch Mountain Music Fest is a three day event held at Natural Tunnel State Park, downtown Gate City, and the Carter Fold, and features three days of - well, what else, music! Friday night's show is at the park amphitheatre, and the Carter Fold holds a show on Saturday night, with Gospel on Sunday afternoon. Saturday's main attraction is held in downtown Gate City, where the streets are closed, two stages are set up, and vendors come out to sell food and souvenirs. Above, the Scott County Courthouse was the site of the stage on the west end of town.
Two blocks were closed to traffic for the festival.

The main stage was on the east end of town and featured bands all day long. I apologize, but I lost my program and I don't know who this band is. Shame on me! But they played some great tunes...... ...enjoyed themselves.....

....and were really good....... ......you can tell, because the cloggers took to the street. Tom and I have been watching the cloggers at the Carter Fold. Our next-door neighbor, Anna Bell, is a great clogger and gave us a lesson the other night on the front porch in her barefeet. It's going to take us awhile to get it. But we will.

During a shower, Tom and I headed for the pickin' tent and ended up staying there longer than anywhere else. This is where folks brought their own instruments and sat down together to make music. It was great. Tom is already practicing for next year, and he will be playing at next year's Clinch Mountain Music Fest.

Y'all come.

Uncle Fred and the House on Gravely Road

If you've read the previous post, you know that John Fred Penley recently celebrated his 80th birthday. Uncle Fred lived in Kingsport in his young life, and then moved to a farm outside of Glen Rock, PA, with his parents in the 1940's. This spring he moved back to Kingsport and is now living in Holson Manor Nursing and Rehab Center. Uncle Fred has cancer, but is doing pretty well. This is Fred and his wife, Betty Collins. They met while Betty was taking care of the children of Aunt Betty Forbes Maskewitz in Vermont.
Pictured below are John T. and Jennie Forbes Penley in front of their home in Gibsontown, Kingsport, TN. Unfortunately, this home has been torn down.

John and Jennie Penley and most of their family are shown on the steps of their Gibsontown home. Fred is the boy sitting on the bottom step on the left, Vernon (always called Cotton) is sitting right. Lovely is above Fred and Marge is above Cotton. The two little boys in the middle are Jimmy in the center, and Edna's son, Lee Peterson, to the left. Cindy's Dad, Roy, is standing left. The top row is Edna, Jennie, and John T. The only child missing from this photo is Bonnie, who was born in between Edna and Roy.
While living in Gibsontown, John arranged to build this house on Gravely Road. Naturally, it looks very different from what it looked like in the 1930's when it was built, but it's great that it's still standing. Uncle Fred and I knocked on the door and met the young man who lives their now. His mother lives across the street.

Although you can't see it in these pictures, there is small building behind the house where Grandma Penley used to house lodgers.

Uncle Fred said that he was about eight-years-old when this house was built and he was the "water boy." He ran down the hill to fetch water from a spring for the builders. A Mr. France was the builder, and Poppy, Edna's husband, Lee Peterson, and Marge's husband, James Edwards, helped to build it. Uncle Fred said that Poppy bought up several old houses that weren't being lived in, and used that wood to build this house.
I'm so glad that Uncle Fred told me this story, as I would have driven by this pretty little house and never known that it was part of our family history.

Uncle Fred's Birthday

John Fred Penley celebrated his 80th birthday on August 5th, 2008, at Holston Manor Nursing and Rehab Center, Kingsport, TN. His sister, Lovely, was on hand for the festivities, along with her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Sandy; sister-in-law Bertha Forbes, and her daughter, Brenda; and niece, Cindy, and her husband, Tom. Several staff members also stopped in to wish Uncle Fred well, and enjoy a piece of birthday cake. Tom brought along his guitar for a little music, and Uncle Fred joined in singing, "Keep on the Sunny Side," a Carter family favorite. We had the party in the home's lovely atrium.

Uncle Fred enjoys the music.
Aunt Lovely, Cindy and Tom pose with Uncle Fred, the birthday boy!

Two of Uncle's special caregivers admire his birthday cake.

Fred's nephew, Michael Templeton, and wife, Sandy, pose for a photo.

Fred's niece and cousin, Brenda, (it's complicated!) is in charge of Environmental Services at Holston Manor and keeps a close eye on him. Brenda is pictured with her mother, Bertha, who is the sister of Fred's late wife, Betty, and also the wife of his Uncle Simon Forbes.....which is why Brenda is both Fred's niece and his cousin! See, I told you it was complicated.
We all enjoyed cake, ice cream, coffee, music, and watching Uncle Fred open his birthday presents.

Fred is the second son of John T. and Jennie Forbes Penley, the younger brother of Cindy's Dad, Roy Penley. He moved from Abbottstown, PA, to Kingsport just two weeks after Cindy and Tom moved from Dallastown to Gate City.

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