Smokies hike

Kenny and I met our friend Chris, her daughter Amanda, and sister-in-law Belinda in the Smokies today. They were visiting from Wewahitchka, FL to see the snow --- they have not been disappointed! We stayed in the lower elevations and hiked to the Greenbriar School and the Walker Sisters' Cabin. Teachers should never complain about their classrooms when they see something like this! One teacher taught all grades in this one room. Those wooden desks would not have been very comfortable!

The 5 old-maid Walker Sisters refused to leave the Greenbriar area when the national park took over. They were allowed to live out their days in this cabin until the last sister died in 1965. They were highly self-sufficient and ran a successful farm by themselves. Some other hikers took our photo on the porch of the cabin. From left to right: Kris (me), Belinda, Chris, Amanda, and Kenny.

As we were hiking we enjoyed seeing the plants, fungi and lichens along the trail. Here are Dog Pelt and Smoky-eyed Boulder Lichens on a rock along with some pretty moss. Chris and Amanda are interested in nature and photography, so we had a lot of fun even though there were no wildflowers in bloom yet. Amanda and I spotted a log spanning a creek that had fresh bobcat tracks in the snow on it. The great thing about being a "nature nut" is I can always find something interesting when I'm on a hike. Nature is never boring if you just keep your eyes open. It is even more fun when it can be shared with others who are as interested as I am! :) Chris and I met through my website when she was looking up Florida wildflowers, we started corresponding and sharing photos of flowers last year. Kenny and I got to meet her family when we were in Florida in Dec. So, that proves that it is possible to meet nice people over the internet! :)