Back in the Mountains

 This week Trish and I are back near Waynesville at the SWAG, the Great Country Inn of the Smokies, where I tell stories and we lead hikes each day.  This is the land of my childhood and the memories here are rich indeed.

Spring has arrived here and we seem to be alternating days of rain and sunshine.  The rhododendrons are spectacular and the grass is green.

On one of our clear days we had a beautiful hike up to Hemphill Bald where we overlook Cataloochee Ranch and Ski Area.  The Ranch has recently been purchased by the SWAG owners and is being remodeled as a family resort area.  The day was clear and the views were long.

Walking in the other direction we saw a small wren fly out from under a root beside the trail.  We discovered that she had built her nest under that root and there were four beautiful eggs in the nest.  Maybe they will hatch before we have to leave at the end of the week.