A few new toys…

We’ve acquired some new toys this year and most of them have been for me! Finally replaced my circa 1992 Trek 1400 with this sleek Trek Madone  3.1 WSD. Wow, gears on the handlebars instead of on the down tube….



I’ve been carrying a Nikon Coolpix for several of years.  It easily fits in a pocket for quick access when running, hiking, biking and other outdoor activities and in a small purse when out and about. The camera was beginning to squeak and groan when in use, most likely due to moisture from sweat or rain.

This year for my birthday, I got a new Coolpix (thanks Daddy, you are the best!!).  This one is shockproof (with qualifications of course), waterproof (which I haven’t had enough nerve to try yet) and has a built-in GPS (still working on learning that).  It too takes great pic and HD video too.



Lastly, we just purchased a grown up camera, a first for both of us since film SLR cameras faded into the history books.  Lots of technology to catch up on, but we will have to wait.  John’s son is using it for  a photography this fall...

  

Happy 2012 and Happy Birthday Sonya

Last night we celebrated the New Year with our friends the Cissnas.  New Year's Eve is Sonya's birthday and over the years, we have had several occasions to ring in the New Year and sing Happy Birthday together (most memorable is a camping trip in Cades Cove - cold, bitter cold, freezing comes to mind).

The festivities were quiet and cozy, snacks, pizza and a competitive game of Hearts. Sonya and Mac are pretty serious about their Hearts, John and I are not.  Some day we will be able to give them a run for their money but last night was not the night.  We lost miserably, 529 to 423.  I attribute our poor performance to the new deck of cards, stiff and difficult to shuffle .... I'm just sayin'.

Sonya and me in her new kitchen.  Mac has been remodeling in between his other activities.  He does the most meticulous work!!

John petting Barkley the Cissna's Weimaraner rescue dog as Mac looks on

Seems like the Smith family is not the only one with a tradition of ice cream birthday cakes.  Mac picked this one up at Baskin Robbins, white cake with vanilla icing.  It was delicious! 

Okay, let the games begin...

John studying his options

Mac doing the same

Sonya trying to decide if she can go "low 50"

Me showing my hand...."see I told you I didn't have anything good"

Today we took it easy, a short walk in the morning and took in a movie midday.  Our pick was "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".  John had read the book, I have not.  We agreed that the movie was a 2 thumbs up , John was  surprised at the graphic depiction of the violent parts.

As our day winds down, we are looking forward to country ham, biscuits and black-eyed peas for dinner.  Southern food at it's best. 
  

Happy New Year from us!

Wednesday, wednesday...

Short work day today, I love these days!!  Wednesday Farmer's Market was in progress when I arrived on Market Square for my scheduled appointment a Salon Visage.  Yes, today is hair cut, er, styling day.  Picked up this beautiful bouquet for the incredible price of $10 but really didn't have a place to put it while I saloned so the girls behind the desk placed it in water and put it behind the desk until I was done. Nice...

New hair, all is good with the world!

Cooking at our house...

In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate our first anniversary.  While my sweet husband has many standout traits, one of the best is his cooking.  Never mind the fact that I usually have clean up duty, coming home to the smells and sounds of dinner percolating on the stove is just the best!  

                                  Tonight's dinner, cabbage, grilled chicken and grilled vegetables

Over the last year, John has become more creative with his culinary efforts using new spices, big splashes of balsamic vinegar and even a little salt.  This year he has been tasked with cooking healthy to help me loose some his efforts from last year. It will be an adventure...

Mid-August and the heat goes on...

Mid-August has finally arrived and in this area at least, we are on our 60th day of 90+ degree temps.  Really!  I am officially over watering my outdoor potted plants, most of which look something like this:

Petunias have long since burned up and almost nothing is blooming

Once again we will not be traveling at the end of August.  We passed on Will's backpack trip to Oregon for a couple of reasons, mostly because I have been working full-time for only 3 months and I am building vacation, some of which I will carry into 2011.  With that said, we look forward to a couple of weekend get aways and have begun the conversation for 2011 vacations.  Half the fun of travel for me is the dreaming and planning.  This process gets me through the months of daily routine. Besides, John and I tend to develop inertia when we don't plan. 

Currently our discussions center around two main destinations, both have to do with long time dreams.  The first is backpacking on Baffin Island.  While our dream has centered around exploring Ellesmere Island, the trip is cost and time prohibitive and we can't find a good way around these roadblocks (we have been looking for almost 10 years).  Baffin Island, located on the east side of Greenland, is roughly a bit south of Ellesmere and fits our time and cost objectives nicely. The scenery on Baffin is probably better than Ellesmere with magnificent glaciers, mountains and river valleys.  We think this trip would be similar to our spectacular 2001 backpack in the Gates of the Arctic in the Alaskan Brooks Range, only we would be dropped at the start of our hike by boat instead of float plane. 

Our other vacation option is Egypt.  On my "must do" list for almost 35 years, Egypt would be a dream come true.   Who wouldn't want to wander through the land of the pharaohs and pyramids, float down (up) the Nile, shop in the markets and maybe ride a camel? The culture, the food, the land, we think we would be remembering this experience for many years to come.  Where we will end up is really any one's guess.  I know John would like to take a trip with his mother and siblings and this is in the discussion too. 

Meanwhile, we remain in Knoxville. We have a busy couple of weekends coming up so today we ran some errands and did some of that stuff that has to be done.  Yesterday I worked 1/2 day (1 of 4 Saturdays a year I have to do so).  After work we jumped in the car and headed to the tourist town of Pigeon Forge to hit the outlet malls. The town was crazy busy with back to school shoppers and end of  summer vacationers, traffic was bumper to bumper.  While we enjoyed being close to the mountains, getting to Gatlingburg on the outskirts of the national park was  not something we were willing to sit in traffic for.  So we walked around Five Oaks Outlet complex, looked but didn't buy too much.  We did stop at Harry and David's to pick up these jars to goodness:     

Salsas and pepper/onion relishes

We ate a "gray hair" dinner (5:00 PM) at the Applewood Farms Restaurant (also in Pigeon Forge) and were home by 7:00 PM.  By all accounts, we had a nice weekend.

What a week…

I have been feeling bad this week, really, really bad. Aside from sharing my germs at work on Monday and Tuesday, I have been horizontal in a more or less semi-conscious state. John, being the good person he is, took care of dinner every night, by either cooking or bringing home take out. We got by okay. Seasonal allergies he told me.

Today John is feeling bad, really, really bad! He has discovered that calling me via cell phone from the other room nets a drink or snack without having to get up. I am now in charge of carryout. Poor John. As he sinks into the flu, I am on the road to recovery. Don't worry I tell him, it's just seasonal allergies.

I looked out the window this afternoon and saw this…

He hung around for a few minutes then was gone as quickly as he arrived. This may explained what happened to these guys who showed up a few weeks before Easter…

These bunnies either escaped or were released in the neighborhood. They lived near our house for a week or so. I was so sad the day they disappeared. On the other hand I did not take them in. We also have a raccoon and skunk that live in the fringes of the yard. I am thinking about requesting wilderness status for our backyard.

Finally, we got out on the Cumberland Trail in late March, our first backpack in 6 months. The trail will eventually traverse the state of Tennessee in a somewhat north to south direction. We hiked from Cove Lake to La Follette. The section was challenging but quite interesting. The link to the Picasa photo album is : http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandbeverly74/CumberlandTrailNewRiverSegment320212010 . Our friend Will tells me I labeled the section incorrectly (New River) but I am lazy so it may or may not get change.

Unpredictable storm on the loose…

I have been wearing a path between the TV and window today, listening to the latest weather updates and watching for the first flakes to appear. Todd, our local weather guy is predicting 4-8 inches and we have a couple of sleds in the basement just waiting for the storm of the decade.

After listening to hours of dire accumulation projections, I did the very thing I most hate to see people do in this situation, I panicked and went to the grocery store. I am not really sure what prompted the decision to go as I was just there yesterday. Somehow it seems that joining the frantic rush to grab loaves of bread and cartons of milk is part of the snow experience.

Our local Kroger was a zoo. From mega Mercedes to beater Chevy, every space in the parking lot was full. I circled around a few times and as the first snow flakes fell, I finally found an open spot. Surprisingly, carts were in abundance and the checkout lines were not too long but people looked rushed and shopped at a determined pace.

After a few near cart accidents, I got out with more groceries than we can quickly eat and have now settled in for a long evening’s wait. The ground is covered but the snow has tapered off. Our most recent precipitation has been in the form of rain and ice and Todd is beginning to waffle, maybe earlier snow predictions were a little high, maybe a few inches is all we will see. So my sled and I wait, and wait, and wait…

A little catch up before the end of September...

The month is about to get by without a post, it has been a real blur. We have had too much rain, too little sun and not enough time outside. Running has been going well though, even if it mostly occurs in a muggy, cloudy cauldron. The weatherman is promising blue skies, cool temperatures and low humidity for this week. I am holding him to it.

For the most part, day to day stuff has kept us occupied. I am still unpacking as we continue to downsize, consolidate and organize. I blew through a couple of adventure books, Rowboat in a Hurricane (Julie Angus) and Walking the Gobi (Helen Thayer) and currently have my head buried in Desert Queen, a biography of late 1800's adventurer, Gertrude Bell. For fun, we slipped in a little playtime here and there, bicycle rides, dinner with friends and time with family.

Last weekend we participated in the 9th Annual Neighborhood Bike Ride with friends Will Skelton and Kim Robinette and this weekend we hiked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (photos of both trips: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandbeverly74). Although the hike was strictly for exercise, we were treated to several nice vistas along the way.

Chestnut Top hike as mapped by Garmin Forerunner 305

Chestnut Top elevation chart (also measured by the Forerunner 305)

In the Townsend Y parking lot preparing for the hike

After the hike we walked down to the Little River to inspect the results of the weekend flooding. We were treated white water rafters enjoying the swollen river.

Good times at the Dunlap house...

John has his favorite riding partner back, at least for today. Lee is in the saddle again after several years of non-interest. Lance and THE TOUR are to thank for this. The younger and the older spent a lot of time in front of the tube cheering the riders and analyzing the race. At some point they started talking about riding together. A couple of rough starts and today was that day.

Lee

John and Lee

Meanwhile, I spent a fine morning with the family at the Knoxville Zoo. Daddy ran into a few people he knew from when he was an active volunteer (several years ago) and the 6 kids behaved beautifully. Good times were had by all.

Derek (Auntie Sue's son), Daddy and Carol

From left: Mikaela and McKenzie (twins), Roman, Nathan, Stacy holding Taylor, Uncle Joe holding Levi and Daddy

facebook...

A few years ago, I created facebook page for the purpose of checking out the hype and following a couple of people who are doing some rather interesting things. I rarely checked the page, I figured anyone who can blog, facebook and twitter, had way too much time on their hands.

Some 3 months ago, I ran into an old high school friend. She was all abuzz about the upcoming class "mini" reunion and suggested I connect with her on facebook to get the details. I sent a "request" to be her friend and within minutes, received an "acceptance" along with pages of 24 or so of other old classmates, who would also subsequently "add" me as a friend. In the ensuing several months, my friend list has doubled.

So now I know that Philip in Greensboro is leaving on a cruise today, Susan is taking pictures of new property listings and Allyn is watching the rain on Market Square. Slowly I am becoming reacquainted with names and faces that slipped my mind so long ago. It's like reading the the novel "What Happened to Dick and Jane?" about a group of kids who graduated from high school together and grew up. I am so addicted. At least I can "hide" the mindless games, polls and applications that fb friends seem so fascinated with and "defriend" the people whose posts I find annoying.

A little research indicates that, 35 and up is the fastest growing user group on fb. Facebook is becoming a social network for us old folks... So friend me at http://facebook.com/smithposts

Running, bugs and such...

Another cool morning, I had little trouble getting myself out the door by 7:20 AM. It was a nice run, longer than yesterday but nothing to go on and on about. I am a perpetual beginner when it comes to running, in a cycle of sorts...building up, getting distracted, building up, getting distracted. I don't expect to be a particularly notable runner, I am not a particularly good athlete but I would like to level out the start ups and slow downs. It's a mental thing.

On another note, I discovered a bug in the house when I returned from the run. I was leaning over a chair to open the blinds and caught movement on the floor below. The room was pretty dark but I made out the shape of a bug, a really big, ugly bug. Until this moment, my knowledge of monster bugs has been limited to exotic creatures pinned to mount boards. But this bug was clearly alive, on his back, legs flailing in the air. My stomach dropped, we both can't stay in the house. What am I going to do now??!

Immediately I called John at work. Yeah, what is he going to do from the lab but dish out this sage piece of advice, "put a glass over it and I will take care of it when I get home." Covering this bug with a glass is not going to get rid of the bug but since there was zero chance of me doing it, I did as he suggested and covered it with a plastic see-through cup. Every time I went in the room, I checked on the monster bug. Around mid-afternoon I thought he might be dead but by the time John got home, he was kicking again. You gotta admire a persistent bug.

John scooped him into the cup and headed outside. At this point I wasn't sure whether this was a catch and release story or the big splat. I grabbed the camera and John released him on the porch. We tried to take some photos but the bug was wasting no time putting some distance between us and him. We (John) finally put him into a hosta garden and we laughed about bringing him home from Iceland. No way he could have crawled in our suitcase....could he?

A quarter for size comparison

The great escape

Leaving Iceland...

Our last day in Iceland came too quickly, it was really just a morning. We returned our rental car and got a ride downtown. Again we split up for sightseeing. John and I walked the streets of Reykjavik, ducking in and out of stores but finding nothing we really wanted to buy.

We spent an hour in the Settlement Museum, which houses the remains of an authentic Viking Long House. The remains were discovered while digging for a parking garage. It is the first evidence of habitation in Iceland and dates back to 871 AD.

Iceland is an incredible place to visit and in one week, we just scratched the surface. With that, some final pictures of Old Reykjavik.

One final view of the bay from our 9th floor window at the Nordic Hilton

Shops and restaurants in Old Reykjavik

View of the bay

Sculpture to honor the Faceless Official

The Settlement Museum building

We ate lunch at the Hivoti Restaurant, fish and chips again. Charming but not as good as last night

Church of Halligrimur is a landmark in the city centre of Old Reykjavik. The structure is undergoing repairs and is completely behind scaffolding so we could only get a hint of the magnificence.

Ring Road Day 7-Selfoss to Reykjavik...

Late last night, we added Icelandic pony riding to our plans for the morning. I am not a horse person so I was apprehensive about the prospects. Nevertheless John, Kim and I met after breakfast and headed to the barn. Will chose to go jogging instead.

At the barn, three ponies had been selected to "match" our abilities. John climbed on a spirited white pony (he grew up with horses), Kim had a fine looking tan pony (she has had riding lessons) and me, I have no experience, my pony is an easy going 22 year old who, as it turns out, has a gas problem :-) So help me, the 5 year old in me couldn't help but laugh every time he let one rip!

With a guide in the lead, we are off on our ponies, bouncing in the direction John and I walked last night. I clutched the reigns, struggling with my fears and and discomfort. The ponies walked for some minutes as we adjusted to our new ride, then the guide asked if we were comfortable going faster. John and Kim were ready to go...so we did. Our ponies broke into a trot and then into the beautiful gait that is so characteristic to Icelandic ponies, the Tolt gait.

I learned that a slight change to my saddle position and pushing my feet forward will result in an almost smooth ride. I learned that my personal fear of stumbling on rough ground does not translate to my pony having the same problem. I also learned that I will never really be a horse person. All in all, it was a good experience but not something I will likely repeat in the near future!
We rode for a little over an hour. John and I wanted to burn our clothes when we climbed off the ponies. Instead we wrapped them up in plastic bags and wondered if they would make it home without smelling up everything we owned. Back in the car, we were off in the direction of our next stop, Pingvellir National Park and in search of a gas station.

I mentioned that food is one of our biggest expenses. I don't think I mentioned that our second biggest expense is gas. Gas is available mostly at N1 stores, which are comparable to our combo gas station, convenience and fast food stores. N1's are scattered across Iceland and accept debit cards, credit cards and krona...but they didn't take our US credit cards. We ended up buying Innkorts, prepaid gas cards available in 5.000 kr or 10.000 kr (roughly $50 or $100 US). We balked at this amount for our first gas purchase, but figured we could use it at other N1 stations. Ha, a half tank top off for our Kia Sorento cost $50. We never let the car get close to empty, I think we would have cried at a $100 fill-up.

On the other hand, the food at N1 stations is very affordable. We figured this gas stop would be our last chance to try the famous Icelandic hot dog so we did. Hello hot dog, why didn't we try you sooner! The dogs have lamb as an added ingredient and are lower in fat than their American counterpart. A string of sweet, brown mustard and maybe s spoonful of chopped onions are perfect toppings. For approximately $1 US, this is the best deal in the country!

Finally we are on the road to Pingvellir (Parliament plains) National Park, our big stop for the day. Pingvellir is the single most important historic site in Iceland, the place where Althing (Alping), the legislative body that represents all of Iceland, was held annually in an open-air assembly between 930 AD and 1798 AD. The plains and surrounding area were designated as a national park in 1928 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.

Like just about everything else in Iceland, a ton of history is attached to historic site. If you are interested in learning more, I have attached the official website. http://www.thingvellir.is/english/history/

Pingvellir is also known for its volcanic activity. A boardwalk (above and below) is built in the Almannagja fault. Volcanic rocks rise on both sides.

Oxararfoss cascades though a crack in the impressive lava walls to the floor of the fault. The falls are part of the Oxara River, which winds through Pingvellir National Park.

A view of the plains and Oxara River from the Almannagja fault.

A flag of Iceland has been placed on the likely spot where the law-speaker of the Althing stood, facing the rocks, and recited the laws of the land.

A church has been located on this site since 930 AD. The current church dates back to the 1850's. A parsonage and graveyard are located next to the church.

Exploring Pingvellir occupied most of our afternoon so we had to hurry toward Reykjvavik to see the last two sites on our list, the Blue Lagoon and VikingWorld Museum.

With more than 300,000 international visitors annually, The Blue Lagoon is probably Iceland's best known attraction. Svartsengi, a nearby geothermal plant, pumps pressurized water from underground, runs it through steam turbines to generate electricity, then pipes the hot runoff into a Lagoon that has been carved into of a lava field. The water is very rich in silica and sulfur and said to have relaxing and medicinal properties. Average water temperature is 104 degrees F.

The parking lot for the Blue Lagoon was packed with cars and tourist buses. Unfortunately, we did not have time to partake in the waters but enjoyed the viewing deck and walking around.

Last stop before hotel check in, VikingWorld. The museum houses the Icelander, a replica of a Viking longship. In 2000, the ship made a historic journey from Norway to Iceland to Greenland to America to celebrate the millennium of Leif Erickson's journey to the New World.

Finally we arrived in Reykjavik and the lobby of the Hilton Nordica. Our seven day tour of Iceland was over. Good news, the hotel is sold out and we have been upgraded to the executive floor. Nice room, great bathroom and beautiful bay view from the 9th floor. We didn't have much time to enjoy the room, Raykjavik was waiting to be explored.

Will, Kim, John and I drove downtown together but decided to go our separate ways again for dinner. John and I had a fish and chips place in mind, Will and Kim had vegetarian food on their minds. Although we had to walk up and down the street several times to find Icelandic Fish and Chips, it was so worth the effort. The organic bistro serves this very traditional dish with a healthy twist, spelt and barley fish crust and roasted potatoes. We added a side salad with locally grown greens and left the bistro just full enough. Delicious!

We spent a little time walking the streets near the waterfront. Most stores were closed but restaurant and bars were busy!

On the drive home, we were lucky enough to stumble across this incredible Viking ship sculpture by Jon Gonnar Arnason. A combination of ocean, mountains and sunset provided an incredible photographic opportunity.

Sunset from our 9th floor window.