Together

 For many of the typical busy American reasons, we have not had the whole our family together in one place since the marriage of our third born, six years ago. 

"As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.
 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
 and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His 

 precepts to do them." (Psalm 103:15-18)

So, by God's grace, we have five children and sixteen grandchildren. We are indeed blessed to have seen them and feel the fullness of them happily running around in the same space. Their personalities are as different as night and day. Take for instance this little girl. She is rare to not smile and make friends with anyone, young or old.

This little guy is a bit more serious, though I'd say too new to know much of his personality. Will he be like Mom or Dad? Time will tell.

She likes her daddy, especially around new people, but she warmed up after a bit.

To think that she is a big sister to the one in the frontal pack.

Yep, he is the younger brother of his smiley sister.

It is a joy to see them content.

Mamaw and Dad catching up.

Some in that family don't smile as much (I am not telling every detail of who they belong to.). There is just too much to take in.

Our daughter and our oldest grandchild who recently turned 13.

Her little brother is a bit small for his age but he makes up for it in smarts.

Our oldest grandson is recently turned 12, but you would not know it if you stood beside him at 5'9" tall.

Bright light somewhat distorts her smile.

From the picnic pavilion is this view of the lake. 

The young ones were truly fascinated by the train.

The train moves along next to the shore where Canada Geese, Mallards, and numerous fish reside.

Having 4 sons and one daughter, we only have one son-in-law.

Number #2 and number #8 of my oldest son.

Our two youngest sons being dads on the playground.

Dad and Mom with their oldest and youngest. Makes me feel old to realize that our son just turned 40.

Womenfolk are usually the last to eat.

Here is further confirmation of their fascination with the train, though I think that a boat had their attention at the moment I took this picture.

Here is a better perspective.

I was cautious and did not take out my phone to take pictures while on the lake. With my three oldest grandchildren, we canoed to the other end where there is a dam and a cascade.

My second favorite picture of the day was taken by my daughter as I took five grandchildren from my two oldest children for a spin about the lake. Something about the lighting and water makes the canoe appear to be hovering.

A passerby helped us out so that all 28 of us could be in the picture together. It is a near impossibility to get everyone to look toward the camera with smiles and eyes open, so I included the two best attempts.

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

More Intimate Group

 When I speak here of the siblings, I mean the 5 sisters and 3 brothers that make up the oldest generation presently alive. Here is the oldest sister and third brother's wife catching up.

Aunt and niece are standing with two cousins of different siblings sitting. It strikes me how many of these people because of distance, time, and individual lives don't talk apart from this gathering. and at least two here present have not been around for several years.

My wife stands with her youngest sister's daughter whose daughter was seated left in the last picture. My wife is the seventh out of eight siblings.

The banjo player is the third-born's son. They tell me that he had not been to a family reunion in ten years. He played banjo, fiddle, and guitar while sitting around, giving his cousin in orange (the fourth born's oldest son) some pointers as he tries to learn the banjo. The youngest sibling observes.

I enlarged this one so you could see their hats saying something about outlaws. They are really aunt and nephew. Which would you guess is older? She is 4 years older than him and 3 years older than the banjo player. My wife had a niece who was nine months older than here, and therefore, about 5 years older than the 8th sibling. Imagine having an aunt 5 years younger than you.

Numbers 6 and 4 siblings

The orange shirt's wife

The thing about this smaller group was that there was far more and longer conversation than I remember in many a gatherings.

The fourth sibling's husband is in the foreground.

Cousins with the redhead's grandchild.

8th and 7th siblings

Someone suggested that we sing, so I googled, "Rocky Top", and sang it as my nephew (-in-law?) played it. A few added their voices on the chorus. Then I sang seven verses of "Amazing Grace" as he played, and many more including the oldest sister sang along.

Learned from their mother, each of siblings says, "Well" with characteristic accent and various sibling specific meaning. She has that far-off look in her eye that appears just before she says, "Well," meaning 'who would have thought it." 

My wife with her great niece. The Historic Gibbs Cabin in the background is actually an ancestor of the clan, which a good number of people from East Tennessee can say.

I hope we may have more of the siblings, children, grands, and great-grands in attendance in the future and retain the substantial conversations and music/singing. Family is a gift from God.

Deep in a Holler Thicket

The best and most reasonable way to negotiate a rhododendron/laurel thicket along a creek is to walk in the creek. Barring that, we plunged into the thicket. They were smiling. I knew what was coming. Lovely creek, I'll have to say.

A variety of Indian Pipe, I think

Galax a bloomin'

Escargot on a stick?

Pitch Pine owing to the three needles per bundle and medium spikiness of the cone (extreme spikiness would be Table Mountain Pine but not found in this habitat) 

New growth on a Big Leaf Rhodo is very pink and sticky.

Rats, I should know what it is but can't remember- covered the forest floor. Wintergreen?

Blue Spotted Salamander (1)

Slugous grossus

It's about the texture, man.

Matches my shoes, man. Somethin' is always tryin' to eat your lunch.

Spotted (Striped) Wintergreen, Chimaphila maculata in seed

 Dwarf (?) Rattlesnake Plantain

 I am determined to identify a species on these next three (2). Lichens come in many weird and fascinating forms.

Really, they do.

Even looking like some lettuce that I eat

A fern grove- He was at least a temporary fern lover, owing to the fact that he could stand upright and not be battered by bush branch and leaf for the first time in an hour.

All sunshine and openness for the present.

Pond Mtn Peak- Look carefully and you can see the word "POND".

Virginia Spiderwort, Tradescantia virginia- This was an amazingly tall, large-leafed specimen at about 3 feet tall with 1 1/2 foot leaves

Wet weather stream near the top of the ridge, obviously always moist

Early bloom

Flaming Azalea- I don't see much of that in these parts.

Mountain Laurel

Straight up fungus- Golden Waxy Cap (3)

Survival with a smile: The expected cruise back down the poorly maintenanced trail turned out not to be a cruise either. Hurricance Helene fell hundreds of trees along this ridgetop. Here we head down the ridge and things begin to lighten up abit. It was a fun but grueling adventure. As one of them said, "A memory made." These kinds of memories toughen and render appreciation and caution in the woods. I am thankful to have shared it with two accommodating brothers in Christ for the shared adventure and fellowship.

1. 29 Types of Salamanders in the United States! (ID Guide) - Bird Watching HQ

2. Consortium of Lichen Herbaria

3. 38 Yellow Mushrooms and Fungi (Identification And Edibility)