Living the Dream in Retirement
There is something magical about Tennessee that draws me back year after year. With the Great Smoky Mountains as a backdrop and overlooking Wears Valley, the view from my cabin is ever-changing. Rising early to watch the sunrise – this year with a rooster cock-a-doodle-doing in the valley and enjoying a glass of wine while witnessing every sunset is a priority for me. It’s a perfect way to bookend a day in Tennessee and never disappoints.
Road trip 2021, arrived on Memorial Day hours early for my Wears Valley cabin check-in. Already in nearby Townsend it was time to let my vacation begin, starting with an impromptu wine tasting at Cades Cove Cellars, stocking up on wine…. since I was there anyway. Next on to drive Cades Cove Loop, 11 miles, one lane/one way road. The 11 miles is leisurely and slow-moving easily 2-3 hours which lined up with my check-in and a perfect choice as this place is everything I love about Tennessee. My #1 Tennessee trip goal is to see a black bear every trip – hopefully more than one. Photos never truly capture the majestic mountains, abundant meadows and that sky above… what I’d imagine heaven looks like.Â
And on this first vacay day, I had my first bear sighting, check!
Today has been a mix of light rain, cloudy with infrequent bursts of sunshine and hovering in the 60’s. Â Add to that a grueling day of yard work yesterday and I decided to give my back and shoulders a much needed break…. and paint.
While I completed my first wine bottle tree in recent weeks, I’ve purchased another and have been drinking wines in clear bottles so I could complete and display it in Summer 2021. I admit to making sacrifices for my artistic endeavors.
That said, I also had several garden items that desperately needed a facelift as well as a set of canisters that I’ve been dying to paint. Â Here are the results of a fun, albeit messy day of painting.
In a few hours I mark my 65th birthday, the second during the pandemic. I saw this quote today and it resonated.
My weird, fun, twisty, happy and quirky life in a sentence.
A walkabout in my garden on the last day of April, finds signs of life everywhere, from bulbs to perennials to sprouting cilantro from last years wind-blown seeds.Â
Today was sunny, a perfect day to spend outdoors working in the yard. I noticed these blooms and grabbed my phone to capture these beautiful images. Then I picked a bouquet….
My name is Reo and my mom helped me with this blog post, she’s best kitten mom ever.
