The day after Helen and I returned from a wonderful (and wet) weekend camping trip with our church, we packed up again to spend a few days with some dear friends. Readers have met these folks before, and they are friends we made when we moved into a new neighborhood upon our return to Knoxville. Our youngest son was born ten days after moving in, and we lived there for twenty-one years. I cried when we moved out but left the neighborhood with great memories of great times with many great people.
Some of those neighbors moved on as well, but we stayed connected, primarily because six ladies in our group have spent a week together at the beach for forty years. The husbands stayed home to babysit in the early years. Now, we gather for dinner to catch up. It’s been a sad two years, however. We lost two of the husbands to illness, and we miss them immeasurably.
One of the ladies in our group shares a lovely home with her sister in the Blair Branch community near the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. She graciously invited us all up for a time of fun, companionship, and a birthday celebration for one of our friends. I promised (sort of) that I wouldn’t say who.
The Blair Branch community is adjacent to the famous Blackberry Farm, a four-star resort that draws well-heeled guests worldwide. Anne, our hostess, enjoys the opportunity to visit Blackberry and bring her guests with her. She booked us in for a day to check it out, and we jumped at the chance. The weather was great, and we needed the exercise.
Blackberry Farm is a unique resort, and the owners have worked hard to make it as complete a farm-to-table operation as possible. Extensive vegetable gardens supply many of the items found on the menu, and chickens, turkeys, and other game fowl provide fresh poultry for guests.
We visited the gardens and looked over the varieties of vegetables found there. Beets, cabbage, kale, and carrots filled the rows in one garden, as did zinnias and other flowers for the tables. Paw-Paws grew in one corner of the field but were not yet ready for picking. It’s an impressive operation.
In addition to our garden walk, we visited the kennel to meet the new puppies born on the Farm. These are not ordinary puppies but a specialized breed, the Logotto Romagnolo. As the name implies, Logotto Romagnolos originated in Italy and trained to hunt. Because of their keen sense of smell, these animals eventually were used to search for truffles in the Italian hillsides. Blackberry is in the process of preparing some land to grow truffles for the resort and keep these pups busy.
We entered the kennel area and immediately had one of the dogs rush out to meet us. They are lively fuzzballs and cute as they come. The trainer interrupted his session with one young pup to give us a bit of information on the breed and the operation of the kennel. He explained that the dogs are in high demand and sell for many thousands of dollars. Once sold, the trainer accompanies the dog to its new owner, wherever that is. He told us that he had delivered them all over America and to many foreign countries. At this point, there is a waiting list for Blackberry Logotto Romagnolos extending out over six years.
After our information briefing, we visited the newest pups in the kennel. Helen got to hold one, but he was a furry handful, and I couldn’t get either Helen or the puppy to remain still long enough to focus my camera.
After our afternoon on the Farm, we returned to Blair Branch to continue our time together. A roaring fire added much to the cozy atmosphere, and the conversation lingered long. We did much the same around the breakfast table the following day after Bloody Marys helped spice up the chatter. (Photos courtesy of the other Joe in the group.)
Oh, we finally got around to celebrating the birthday, but not before a mystery person stole a slice from the Red Velvet Cake that Anne prepared from scratch. We never discovered the culprit, but I did take a picture of the birthday person…the name remains withheld, but clues are everywhere.
In summary, everyone enjoyed a delightful time together, and the time for Easin’ Along came all too quickly.
Please join us next week. Helen and I are taking you to Edisto Beach, SC.
Joe, you and Helen know how to live! Staying connected with friends the way you two do is admirable and that picture of the ladies together says it all. Such joy.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Good morning, Suzanne,
They’re great friends and, although we don’t party like we used to, we still have fun. Great to hear from you! Joe
What a wonderful get-together. Kudos to the women for having regular meetups for over 40 years (and kudos to the men for babysitting during that time)!
Those Logotto Romagnolo pups are absolutely adorable.
See you at Edisto Beach!
Hi, Donna,
The best thing about spending time with this group of friends is that we know each other so well, we can be relaxed and casual. It’s such a joy.
If someone happened to turn their back, I would have had a pup in my backpack. Precious!
You’ll love Edisto. Have a great week! Joe
I enjoyed reading about our fun weekend! Very lucky to have these friendships!
Good morning, Anne,
So grateful to you for hosting. It’s always a joy when we have time together. See you at the Meat Loaf dinner!
Joe, you said “some” of the other neighbors moved on, as well. Does that mean that there are others who still live in the neighborhood where you all became friends? Only asking because it’s unusual for families to remain in one place for so long in today’s society. (Alan and I celebrated 40 years in our house just last month and we consider ourselves an oddity.) Don’t you just love those oh so comfortable friendships that allow you to pick right up where you left off, no matter how long between visits?!
Good morning, Mary,
Two out of our group remain in that wonderful neighborhood, and they were living there when Helen and I moved in. It is a wonderful place to raise children and remains so for grandchildren to enjoy. Congratulations to you and Alan for finding your “forever place.” That is all too rare nowadays, but it’s great when it happens! Thanks for stopping by!
A wonderful get-together indeed, Joe! How amazing for the ladies to meet over 40 years on a regular basis, that is quite incredible. It is hard to move and not feel sad–it was this week last year that our house went under contract and there was no turning back. This area of the Great Smokeys looks gorgeous and that cool dog is truly remarkable. There is nothing more delightful than spending time with dear friends. Have an enjoyable week!
Terri,
There’s an old saying that is so true–“Bloom where you are planted!” I know that you and Hans have found a place that is right for you and that you both will flourish there. I also find it hard to believe that Helen and her gal pals went for a week at the beach for forty years, but there was no holding them back. She would come home and ice down her jaws they were so sore from laughing and talking. Helen always said, “We were so cute!” Fun times with great friends.
What a delightful gathering of good friends! One of the hardest things for us about selling our Oregon home was leaving behind our community of close friends that we’ve had for more than 25 years. These were friends we did everything with, from dinner parties to camping trips to helping each other out with projects; from being together in celebration and hilarity to supporting each other in life’s challenging moments. There’s such an ease in long term friendships! We feel fortunate in that we’ve made wonderful new friends here in Florida, and we’ve been blessed in finding so many wonderful friends in our travels, but our Oregon friends are still very much a part of our lives, even though it’s just been through phone calls for now. How blessed we are to have so many loving, fun, generous people in our lives! I love this post, Joe.
Laurel,
I heartily concur with your words that there is such an ease in long-term friendships.” Like you and Eric, we’ve hiked biked, camped, and beached with these folks and, most importantly, we can relax around them. We were blessed that all of our children were in the same age range and they continue to remain friends. We are blessed indeed, and, in a few weeks, we’ll have our annual “Meatloaf Dinner.” I can’t imagine that anyone would look forward to my cooking, but I make a mean meatloaf and this has become a tradition. You’ll read about it! Great to hear from you! Joe