I’ve been away

My son took me on an adventure, and what an adventure it was. One thing that I do not do, is announce when I am not going to be home for an extended period. For short excursions the dogs are inside and I really would not recommend any one coming inside with them. I just tell when we’re back and share the adventures.

We left here on Monday, July fourth headed for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. My son driving his Dodge pulling the camper and me following in my Jeep Compass. Oh, and we took Bella with us. She was riding with me secured in the back seat.

I’m getting better at that following thing. I not only watched for his turn signals, but was watching traffic behind us in an attempt to anticipate my son’s moves. The trip up was relatively uneventful. Well, as long as you don’t count the syringe that Bella found at the rest area we stopped at. I showed it to the maintenance worker who thanked me as he got it up and secured. Other than that, we were good, even when we left the interstate and traveled the back country roads. It didn’t take my son long to have me fully and totally lost. I didn’t have my phone set up to tell me where we were going, I was simply following.  Finally we arrived at the camp ground and once in place and set up my son walked up to the office and made sure they knew we had arrived.

I called my mother to let her know we had arrived safely then walked Bella around the camp ground. This campground has full hook ups so we could leave Bella in the camper when we went anywhere, with a bowl of water and the air conditioning and radio blasting. Opening a blind let enough light in and I had brought along one of the small blankets they rest on  here at home so she was all set.

After she was taken care of we walked the couple of blocks over to a Cracker Barrel restaurant for supper, or dinner if you will. Our meal was nice, my son doing what he has done so many times before, asking the server what their favorite meal was and to get him that. She was really unsure until I told her that he would be fine with her choice no matter what. I kept to my usual of chicken and dumplings while I don’t recall exactly what the chicken dish was she brought my son. He did like it and told her so, which made her feel much better. They had brought me a plate filled with enough food for three people. I got a carry out plate and took what I didn’t eat back to the camper.

I knew there was a concert in a park that was a few blocks up from us so after resting we walked up to catch part of that concert and then the fireworks afterward. Josh Turner was the artist and from what we heard put on a really good show. We stood for a while afterwards waiting on the fireworks. I had thought they would be at the park. When we didn’t see any even as we heard explosions, we turned to head back to the camper. As we walked it was then we saw the fireworks being fired off over closer to the main drag. We watched them as we walked back to the camper. Stopping only to watch the grand finale.

When we reached the road that would take us to the campground we stopped cold in our tracks. All we could see were blue lights at the entrance to the grounds. I didn’t count, but it looked as if there was six or more police vehicles at the entrance. They didn’t stop us from entering, as we walked we could see more emergency vehicles on the far side of the grounds from us. Part way in we came up on someone who was watching the goings on. They told us that someone had been stabbed and they were searching for the attacker. We hurried back to the camper, I walked Bella directly behind the camper and as soon as she was relived, I hurried back. Once inside my son locked the doors securely. After a while my son got the text message that the assailant had been caught.

What a way to start an adventure.

I look at it this way though. We made it safely to our destination. We were not in the campground when the trouble happened. We had been protected and kept safe. For that I am very grateful.

a small section of the campground

behind the camper…