It’s been a busy week, but I’m never too busy to heap praise on the one person who is a true treasure in my life…my Mother. We observed Mother’s Day for all of the Moms in our family this past week and, like most of the country we went to a local restaurant. Our group was large – there were 20 of us, including six beautiful ladies who had achieved motherhood status, but seated at the place of honor was my Mom, the matriarch.
She is genuinely loved and respected by all of us and deservedly so. Growing up on a small farm where she learned that hard work and strong faith will take you a long way she, along with the rest of her family, faced down a Depression and War with a perpetual smile on her face. She is emblematic of the Greatest Generation. That smile has never left that face.
Mom raised my brother, my sister and me with the same regard for the traditional values of deep faith, love of family, and strong work ethic that were instilled in her. Those values were infused in us, not by preaching, but by example. Discipline was rendered when necessary, but always rooted in love and guided by a sense of what is right and proper. I’ll never be able to thank her enough.
Mom was always available. She didn’t hover over us, but if there was a need for a Cub Scout Den Mother, a Room Mother at school, or someone to drive kids to the theater, she was there and was as interested in the lives and activities of the other children as she was in us. I’m always asked by my friends about her well being and to pass along their regards. They too remember that smile.
With two sons who were eventually to grow over six feet tall, one could imagine the need for food around the house, and mother was the best I ever saw at putting a lot of food on the table…and fast. I’m not talking about canned soup or peanut butter, but great meals like pot roast, meat loaf, fried chicken, and all the stuff that makes meals like that even better. To this day, I have never tasted a better potato salad, cole slaw, or banana pudding than what she produced in our kitchen. Her famous Chocolate mayonnaise cake is one to die for. We grew up happy and healthy.
She wouldn’t want me to give out her age, but most would never guess it. In recent years she has had her share of joint replacements, and even a broken leg, but none of those challenges kept her down for long and she is still able to get around as well as anybody. Mom plays bridge with her friends, and is always ready to travel as evidenced by trips to Florida and Louisiana last year for family weddings.
So here’s to you, Mom. As we observe Mother’s Day this year we send big love, big hugs, and sincere thanks from your three kids, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren to the one who sits at the head of the table. We’re blessed beyond words.
Mom’s grands and great-grands at the table
And a big salute to all the Moms from Easin’ Along.
I have posted quite often about finding new and fun-filled ways to stay active on our slow walk through the golden years, but this past weekend I participated in an activity that was fun-filled, but definitely not new. Ease Along with me here and I will tell you about a great time with great friends, some old and some not so.
Camp II is an annual outing hosted by the members of the Appalachian Anglers Society, a group that is dedicated to the sport of trout fishing and the formation of strong friendships while enjoying the great outdoors. This venerable organization came into being in 1957 when a group of fly fishing enthusiasts decided to have a fishing competition. The winner would be the member of the group who caught the largest native trout on a fly while fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and would receive a trophy to be awarded annually.
Tellico River – Cherokee National forest
In addition to the fishing competition, the members also participated in an annual camping trip to relax and enjoy each other’s company. The outing became known as Camp II. The origin of the name is somewhat a mystery, but the consensus is that many of the members had gone to summer camp as youngsters and were now going to camp once more as big boys. Over the years the trophy eventually was retired, but Camp II has survived and grown. I observed my 30th birthday on my first Camp II and have been a proud member(and Past President) of the Appalachian Anglers for over 38 years.
Anglers – Ready to fish
Our campout has been held at many different sites along streams known to produce trout in great abundance. Many of my friends are of the belief that Camp II is a fixed place and my response to that is always “Camp II is a state of mind”. Nevertheless, for more than 30 years Camp II has been held in various campsites in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains, Tennessee.
For approximately 20 years McNabb Creek Campground has been the site of Camp II primarily because, as an established large group, we are able to reserve the campground exclusively for the entire five days of our event. McNabb Creek Campground is adjacent to the stream known as North River and is a short distance from the larger Tellico River. It is always held on the weekend before Mother’s Day because we actually had Camp II on Mother’s Day once and we’ll NEVER make that mistake again. Camp II is open from Wednesday until Sunday and several of the campers actually stay the entire time but, for most, it is a two-day event. The number of campers has varied over the years. At our peak, we had close to 100 campers, but as some of the veterans gave up camping, the number dwindled down to near 30. In recent years a lot of younger members including the grown children of several Anglers have joined us and the average number of campers is probably around 50. This year the crowd was large. I kicked myself for the years I had missed.
Camp II – Circa 1984Camp II 1997Camp II 2016Camp II – McNabb Creek Campground
Because I gave away or sold much of my camping equipment when Helen (adorable wife) and I downsized, I haven’t camped out in a long time and have missed several of these outings. Last year I decided to end the streak of years with no Camp II and would go for a day trip to make up for some lost time. Another reason was to drive into the National Forest along the Tellico River which is one of the most beautiful, scenic, and relaxing trips in the entire world…no exaggeration. I couldn’t wait to hit the roadand when I arrived at the campground it was like a reunion with a long lost love.
This year I loaded Freddie (car) and took off on a Saturday morning. Once I reached the edge of town, I inserted my CD of “An Evening with John Denver”, a tradition I began in the 1980’s when I would take my two sons camping. The music helps to mellow me out. My boys always teased me about it, but before long they were usually singing along with me as John would belt out “Grandma’s Feather Bed”.
The weather forecast was a little “iffy”, but I wasn’t going to let a threat of rain deter me. I have always driven down Highway 411 to Madisonville rather than take I-75 because I love seeing the fields and farms and because Madisonville was my mother’s home. Many summers were spent there on my grandparent’s farm tending to horses, cattle, and chickens. I always drive by the old home place…and smile. By a strange coincidence, John is singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
When Madisonville is behind me, I begin looking for a familiar curve in the road because once it is rounded the mountains come into full view. The scene always gives me a lift and I stopped along the road to take a picture. Here is that scene.
Along the road to Tellico Plains
Tellico Plains, Tennessee is a small town that seems to me a place that time forgot. I remember many trips here in the 1970’s where the activity level was much higher than it is now. There were a few taverns, a small grocery, and an old drugstore where we would buy our fishing permits. Those are long gone, but the old charm still remains. Personally, I would like to see it a little busier, but not much. Even though there is a bypass, I always take the old road through the center of town.
From there the road takes you to the entrance of the Cherokee National Forest and follows the Tellico River to the mountains beyond. Again, the beauty of this drive defies description, and it always takes me a while to get to the campsite because of continuous stops along the way to take pictures or enjoy the view from some of the overlooks. Today there were quite a number of fishermen wading in the stream – a few had a stringer with large fish attached.
Fly fishing – Tellico River
By the time Mr. Denver cranks out “Poems, Prayers, and Promises” I am stopping at Bald River Falls to take pictures and take in this magnificent waterfall. The recent rains had added to the volume on this morning. There were many visitors with their cameras out including a sizeable motorcycle group out for a ride. Here is a photo of the falls and a few pictures of the scenery along the river.
Bald River Falls
I arrived at the McNabb Creek Campground for another Camp II experience…my 38th year as an Appalachian Angler. It was short stay but, as always, an enriching one. One day in these woods surrounded by like-minded friends is worth a thousand days in a multitude of other endeavors I can think of. I have listed some of the highlights of this trip below.
A larger than the usual number of campers this year, including much needed younger members to keep the event going.
Walking through the campground and shaking hands with a lot of old friends, most of them not seen since last year.
Richard Gettys firing up his huge grill for the evening’s dinner of steak and lobster.
A hike to the Civil War era Donley Cabin with some fellow Anglers where we met three campers from Florida and shared some information about the area to give them places to explore.
Donley Cabin – Cherokee National Forest
After saying goodbye to fellow campers, making the drive over to Bald River Gorge and Holly Flats – the best campground in the Eastern United States.
Riding in Freddie all the way up Waucheesi Mountain to the fire tower at an elevation of 3,692 feet for an unequaled panoramic view of the surrounding peaks and valleys.
Waucheesi Bald – Cherokee National Forest
Capturing a picture of a brilliant native azalea.
Making the annual stop at Green Cove to buy provisions for the ride home. This small grocery in the middle of the mountains is a treasure.
Driving back along the river one more time for a second chance to view Bald River Falls.
Native Azalea
Singing along with Mr. Denver to “Rocky Mountain High” at the top of my lungs…and substituting “Smoky” for “Rocky” in the lyrics.
We’ve had an active year up until this week but, with nothing really noteworthy to share with readers since our trip to America’s Heartland, I thought it would be a good time to pen a few thoughts about retirement since we began Easin’ Along this path sixteen months ago. I will also observe my 69th birthday this year and, while I’m not sure if that adds anything to this assessment, my age undeniably factors into my thinking on almost everything.
In August of 2015 I called it quits. The decision to retire was complicated by only one thing…I enjoyed the job I had at the time. After almost twenty years as a small volume home builder, I had made a transition in 2008 to doing some home inspection work for both HUD and the State of Tennessee that eventually evolved into a part time position. While home building was rewarding in many ways, it could be stressful and often required long hours under all types of working conditions. The inspection work however was like a new burst of freedom. I was given a nice truck, a list of properties, and the enviable task of driving throughout the incredibly beautiful countryside of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina without a care in the world. Nevertheless, I had an itch to travel, and I was still in good health, so I decided to take my stepfather’s advice and see the world (or at least America) before I was “dragging one leg behind me” as he likes to say.
Three days after leaving the work force, Helen (adorable wife) and I took off on a five week trip (detailed in Easin’ Along posts) just to allow us to scratch the travel itch a bit and allow me to decompress a lot. I then returned home to a “Now what?” state of mind and proceeded to stare at the walls for almost two weeks when not peering into job openings posted online. I knew that there had to be more to retirement than this. Ultimately, those instincts proved to be right.
Retired and hitting the road
Now, going into a new year and sixteen months after hanging it up, I have drawn a few conclusions about life as a retiree and want to share my thoughts and am eager to have yours as well. Please know that these thoughts and conclusions are unique to me so I invite you to use the comments section below to add to or expand on anything you read here.
Things I Miss About Working:
There are things I miss a little and some things I miss a lot….here’s a few of the ‘misses”.
1. A regular paycheck. It wasn’t just about money. Every check was an acknowledgement of hard work and that every penny I ever received was earned. I always had a sense of pride whenever I was rewarded with pay for my efforts.
2. I miss friends I made through working. Over my many years of building homes, I met many incredibly fascinating people. Some were not well educated, but nonetheless very intelligent, extremely skilled, and always hard working. While a very, very few were perpetually adrift, most had the same hopes and dreams for themselves and their families as I did. The vast majority were simply good people and fun to be around. After the housing meltdown in 2008 I lost touch with a lot of them…very sad.
3. I miss being required to keep up with technology. As a home builder I was exposed to computer applications, used primarily for estimating and financial data, but most of that was done by someone other than me. When I was hired for inspector work, I was in a whole new world. I was hired online, given a laptop, a smartphone, about ten passwords, and required to begin and end my day on a computer. A year passed before I met my boss…we communicated by email or text. I had to catch up quickly and took a couple of weekend courses in MS Excel. In retrospect, it broadened my horizons greatly. I now work real hard to stay connected which is why I created Easin’ Along.
4. I miss being in daily contact people younger than me. My association with younger workers helped keep me abreast of so much of what was happening in the world today. They had a vast amount of information about sports, pop culture, technology, even politics. Admittedly, I was shocked about how much of their knowledge came from television and social media and how little came from reading, but that’s the world we live in.
5. In a small way, I miss the fact that Friday doesn’t mean as much anymore. I always looked forward to Friday.
Things I Love About Retirement:
1. I love that I don’t have to be in a hurry all the time. When working, I always seemed to be in a rush whether it was squeezing in a movie, a weekend trip, or another meeting. There was an endless and pervasive sense of being tugged in another direction.
2. I love that I have time to focus on what’s really important. My health is important – I had not participated in regular exercise in years. I now go to the YMCA four times a week. My faith is important. I am able to attend church activities and enjoy them immensely. My family is most important and I am able to commit time to them without worry of neglecting some work requirement.
Health is important
3. I can explore things that have always interested me…and a few that never occurred to me. Rather than endure a class required by my insurance company on “ladder safety” or a corporate mandate to learn how to avoid harassment in the workplace, I can take a class on photography; write a short story; or learn about the history of blues music, an art form that previously wouldn’t have been given a second thought.
4. I love that I have the option to react spontaneously when an opportunity for fun or for learning comes along that is too good to pass up…I can grab it and go as we did recently by visiting friends in the mountains.
5. I love it that I have finally been able to shrug off all guilt about taking an opportunity to sit, do absolutely nothing, and savor the moment. As an old Tennessean once shared with me, “Sometimes I sits and thinks…and sometimes I just sits”. I can do that now.
6. I love that Monday mornings aren’t quite as frantic as they used to be.
There are still things I need to work on. I need to make better use of my newly acquired freedom and reach out more often to friends who are important to me. I’m an introvert with an intense dislike for the telephone and avoid it like the plague. Picking up a phone to make contact with someone is not easy. I try to have breakfast with someone at least twice a month, but that’s not enough. I want my friends to know that I haven’t cut anybody off…please stay in touch. I’ll try to do better.
I also need to be more supportive of worthy causes. There are plenty out there and lack of time is not an excuse I can use anymore. Again, I intend to work on it.
From the beginning of our weekly postings we said were embarking on a “Slow Walk Through the Golden Years”. In all honesty, it took some time to recognize what a beautiful walk this can be and adjust our pace in order to slow down and enjoy the journey. Yeah, we miss a few things about working, but believe strongly that slower is better, and that retirement is an awesome gig.
To summarize it all after the first full year, there’s no turning back now…we’re truly Easin’ Along.
