Piper was fascinated with the smells and sights of the Smoky Mountains.

Most of the time he was curious, but quiet…with one exception.

He did get a little vocal when he got wind of this guy.
Since he has grown up around the still waters of ponds and lakes,

the rushing water of mountain streams was unfamiliar but interesting…

especially when it churned up a foam.

He likes doing the stuff that we like…walking out onto rocks in the middle of streams, and

climbing up to little waterfalls.

We had a blast watching him. He’s grown – and grown up – so much. It’s hard to believe that this week marked a year

since we brought him home.

If you drive as far as you can down the Treemont road, which is about five miles,

then walk another half mile,

you come to some beautiful cascades. Standing on the trail watching the water roll over boulder after boulder is really a sight to see.

But if you make your way down the steep bank,

and walk out onto those rocks, it’s even more breathtaking.

It’s one of my favorite places. You really don’t realize just how big those rocks are

till you get down there and stand on them.
This time, as we were walking back to the car,

Joel took note of a still pool amidst

the rushing water, so we climbed down another steep bank

to get a closer look. The only problem was…

we had to climb back up.

Lyndsey was interested in seeing the Walker sisters’ cabin, so Thursday afternoon

we made the 1.7 mile hike from Metcalf Bottoms to their home place.

Joel and I have been there several times and have favorite places

to rest once we arrive.

John and Margaret Walker reared four boys and seven girls there. Six of the sisters,

four of which are pictured here, lived their entire lives in the three room house. There were two rooms downstairs,

and one upstairs…well, up the ladder,

that had one little window next to the chimney.
Then, Friday afternoon, we visited the cemetery not far from our cabin, where they were laid to rest

along with their parents. As always, there was a little flower by each grave.

When we go on vacations, we eat out a lot…

but not in restaurants. We like to spend most of our time outside, and

that includes meal times. Wednesday, Piper was with us,

and enjoyed his own peanut butter sandwich.
Then it came to me that it would be a shame to come all this way and not wade in at least one stream.

So I did…and Piper came along.

We didn’t go far (after all it is December) … just under the bridge to the other side and back.
When we were done, I handed Piper off to Lyndsey so I could navigate the rocks. Besides, Piper was done. And when a dog is done playing in water…

he shakes. Bwahahahaha!!!

Love that dog!

Sunday morning, by the time it was getting good daylight,

we had been on the road for about an hour. Joel, Lyndsey,

Piper and I were headed to a cabin in Wears Valley in the Smokey Mountains.
Because we weren’t scheduled to check in until after lunch on Monday,

we had reserved a room at the Read House hotel in Chattanooga for Sunday night.

This was Piper’s first time to stay in a hotel, and he loved every minute…the room, the elevator rides and the two block strolls to the park

where we were instructed to take him to relieve himself.
Actually, we all enjoyed our stay at the Read House. It was comfortable, relaxing, and quiet. And, Monday morning as we were making our way out of downtown Chattanooga, I decided to google the Read House. Not only did I discover that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in America, I learned this: “If you are seeking out a haunted hotel that has a long history of exciting supernatural and paranormal events, the Read Hotel in Tennessee is the place to be! An avid ghost hunter will shoot for room 311, but it is very unlikely that the individual will make it through the night…”
We stayed in room 303. Who knew? We chose the place because it was pet friendly. But, I can tell you one thing…..I am now sure that ignorance IS bliss.