FRIDAY-JULY 15
Crossed the Georgia- North Carolina about 8.5 hrs after leaving Plant City. The rain had been falling for about a couple of hours so the roads were shiny and slick. We followed our road up into the mountains, headed for Highlands. The road turned in to a two lane with severe winding curves. Most of the way up, we had the cliff side and the locals were riding my bumper pretty good. Even with the wet roads I was trying to keep a constant speed much to Donna’s dismay. She was quite tense and critical of my mountain driving skills and called me a flatlander (rightly so) multiple times and wanted me to pull over so she could drive. A definite white –knuckle experience on her part while I felt I was doing pretty well controlling the roller coaster ride. Some of the road grades were easily 25% slope with blind curves and a 12” drop off the surface before the cliff. We finally made Highlands, NC and drove through this little village shopping area. A SUV started to back out of its parking space on the right so I stopped. At the same time a SUV started backing out on the left. They were getting closer together and I started honking. The left one stopped and the right one just crunched right into it. They both pulled back in and we kept going. No need for a witness as they were both pretty stupid for not looking the other way. We passed through Cashiers (pronounced cashers) to continue to Sapphire Valley. Our cockney GPS voice kept us on track until we were in the middle of a curve with nothing but rocks and trees and it proclaimed we had reached our destination. “That’s it! You’re here! Stop the car!” We pulled in to a local real estate office and were given directions to find our timeshare. The check-in point is almost six miles back and then the resort is two miles back the way we came. We arrived about 5:30 at the condo. Nice older flat, 1 BR/1 Bath, open plan. Got the groceries unloaded, clothes put away for our week stay. We had snickered at the warning signs about keeping the lids screwed on the cans for our safety and for the bears. “Yeah right”, we kidded. “Bears. That would be cool to see one.” There is no internet service and also discovered that Nextel does not have service in the mountains. This will be a quiet week and focused on activities instead of social networks and email. Donna’s Blackberry does get reception and can work as a wireless router for her work laptop (only work related site access). After a quick bite to eat, I got up to take a peek out the front window and roaming around in the parking lot was a juvenile black bear! Grabbed my camera and took several quick shots. A larger bear appeared and chased off the little bear from the cans. The little bear moved across the lot while the larger bear helped itself to the open can. The pictures are pretty blurry; some because the camera settings are pretty generic and some may be because I was out near the lot ready to run back if the bear(s) took interest in me. They didn’t but it was a great introduction to conscientious waste disposal in the mountains.
SATURDAY-JULY 16
We went to the Community Center, back by our check-in point to get wireless access so I could share my bear pictures via email with my family. After downloading the pictures and sending them we went to check out the Rec Center facility; work out room, tanning bed, massage room, video game arcade, ping pong tables, pool tables, horseshoe pits, Indoor and out door pools, hot tub, lap pool and snack bar. We went for a walk down a nearby creek (called the ‘river walk’). The cool of the woods and taking in the sight of wild flowers, ferns, pines, oaks and seeing the mountains with mist floating near the top was very relaxing. We went into to Cashiers to go to the one grocery store for miles, Ingles. What a surprise. We expected a country style store with off brands and local treats. What we found was a very modern store that was product accommodating as any Publix, Kroger, HEB or Safeway. Plenty of “designer type” specialty items, fresh produce, and literally just about any basic grocery necessity you would need. After picking up a few additional items to go with our groceries from home, we went to get some lunch at a little local place called “Rosie’s Café”. It had 4 booths, a table and three stools at the counter. You order at the register, self serve drinks and have a seat. Rosie took the order (bacon cheeseburger and fries) and brought the half pound burger with local tomato, lettuce and home made fries to the table. Tasted like the burgers and fries my mom made when I was growing up. Amazing diner meal experience. After unloading groceries Donna and I went back along the river walk and got some pictures of the woods, the creek, flowers, mushrooms and berries. Between the two trips I ate close to a pint of Blackberries. Still early in the season so they were a bit tart but still good. Donna didn’t like the seeds so she declined to share. Some small patches of blue finally started peeking through the clouds so we’re optimistic for good weather for our hunt for local waterfalls tomorrow. Came home and settled in for some SyFy programming and I checked the parking lot during the commercials to see if the bears would return. We started watching about 7. Finally about 8, the small bear was back. He walked across the lot from my unit and proceeded to unscrew the lid to the can with teeth and claws. He reached his head in the can and emerged with a full plastic bag. He moved over a small ridge off the pavement and I moved in to get some more pictures without using the zoom. I got within about 25-30 yards and got much better shots. Then he looked up and came back on the pavement in my direction. Donna was watching my back to make sure the bigger bear didn’t come up from behind me. As the bear took a couple of steps I started to turn around to get back to my walk way. Donna reminded me not to run and not turn my back. The bear turned away and back to the cans. Several other guests were out taking pictures and watching the local resident. Finally the bear went around the end unit of our townhouse quad and disappeared. No big bear tonight. Missed the big part of the movie but getting this close to a bear was worth missing something that will be on again. So, an enjoyable full day experienced here in the mountains. Tomorrow, waterfalls! 
SUNDAY-JULY 17
Perfect start for Sunday; slept in until 7:00, had Juevos Rancheros for breakfast with a pot of coffee on the side. We plotted the route to see 4 waterfalls today, all of them within about 15 miles from the condo. Got to the first Park about 9:30. As we pulled in to the lot, we noticed there was a $2 parking fee required. Neither of us had any dollars and there was no where to accept plastic. So we drove back to a convenience store about 9 miles back, got some change and tried it again. We got our parking tag and set out for a ½ mile walk up to the observation area. We met an older couple from Seminole, Florida (an hour west of Plant City). The woman told us about a trip to Minnesota and her experience walking across a creek on some rocks. Yep, she slipped and fell in. The husband chimes in, “The water was about three inches deep and instead of just walking the rest of the way in the water, she gets back up on the rocks and tries it again.” “Successfully”, she added. About ¾ of the way there, we found a break in the trees that looked out over 6 ridges of mountains with the furthest probably 10 miles out. At the observation area, the Whitewater Falls was pretty impressive. This water fall at 414 ft. is the tallest waterfall not only in the South but in the Eastern US. Yes, even higher than Niagra Falls, 244 ft higher and approximately equal to the drop of Victoria Falls in Africa. It had an upper portion and a lower portion with both equally beautiful. There was also a lower observation deck and Donna and I took the 154 steps down and I got a couple more pictures. Now there were still 154 steps up to get back to the trail to get to the lot. A few stops and lots of breaths (we are in altitude, you know), we got up the steps and back to the car. About 5 miles back toward the convenience store, we pulled in to the next park. Packed the water, the camera and the walking sticks, we ambled over to the big “You Are Here” map. Round trip to Rainbow Falls and back is three miles and the difficulty was rated “Strenuous”. Oh great. With a year barely passed since Donna’s second ACL surgery we had been hoping for easy to moderate. Donna was ready to go. So we moved along toward the falls. The sound of the rushing water could be heard over a mile away. We moved aside for faster groups but kept pressing forward. We even walked over a couple little creeks on rocks and logs. A little over a mile in I moved down to get pictures of a smaller fall called Turtleback Falls. Still, there was some good volume of water rolling over some big pieces of granite on this “little” waterfall. A couple of guys were swimming in there and actually climbed up and moved in out of sight behind the falls. Looked cool (literally) especially as the temp climbed towards 90. We moved up around a curve in the trail and the noise was really loud. Rainbow Falls, about 125 feet high was absolutely worth every step of those 1.5 miles. I climbed down the steep sides to the boulders at the bottom of the falls and got some really good shots while enjoying the light mist floating down on me. Donna stayed in the shade up on the trail about 200 yards up the mountain side. She was already feeling the effects of the up and down hike over roots, wet rocks and mud with various degrees of steep. The heat was also a factor so resting was a good thing. The 1.5 mile hike back was as I had expected; twice the time getting in. The water we brought in was already warm but it was wet. We reached the first creek about 3pm and filled up one of our bottles, drank that cool mountain water, (Zephyrhills spring water never tasted this good), filled up the bottle and continued on. We stopped a few times after getting a little over heated, sat on logs and rocks, drank more mountain water, regrouped and moved on. Donna was amazing. She was definitely winded, sore and hot (I won’t lie, I was too). But I kept encouraging her to take her time and we’ll make it. About 4 pm we slowly returned to the parking lot, anxiously anticipating the soft car seats and AIR CONDITIONING! The activity with less air to do it in just really takes every ounce of energy you have. I had planned to cook chicken breasts tonight, but that wasn’t in the realm of desire. So we drove to Ingles and got a quart of mountain chili and a couple of salad bar custom salads and went home. Donna’s so tired she isn’t even complaining about having to watch Swamp People on the History Channel. Almost time for the Bear to return in his quest for garbage cuisine (7:55). More pics if he returns. Women’s World Cup is on and kept checking for the bear’s return. I don’t think the bear will come tonight because some (insert inappropriate choice word here) from across the lot, 4 senior AARP members have decided to wait for the bear in front of the trash can bin. They keep looking around in amazement and wonder where the scavenger is. So what do they do? Keep talking loud and pace around the parking lot. The fact they were out there made me want to stay away. Oh well, no bear, the US women lost a close one and Donna is running a slight fever. Think it was a little over done today. We will take it easy tomorrow. Probably spend the day at the Rec or Community Ctr. playing pool, loading the pictures online, catching up on emails, maybe even doing a little reading. After a full day of relaxing, we’ll see if we are up to seeing the other waterfalls and sights in this area.
MONDAY-JULY 18
Very laid back day. I slept in until 8, Donna was up 7ish. Ate some fruit for breakfast and watched local news and weather and then the Today show to keep up with World events. (Promise, no political perspective to be shared here). Donna was ready to get to the waterfall we missed, The Narrows. It’s about a 5 minute drive and less than a ½ mile stroll down the path. Walked to where the path ended and only saw a little area where the rocks sloped down and made some bubbles. It looked like it would be a fun place to walk out and slide down on the rocks but the “No Swimming” signs had taken those ideas away. Donna suggested walking down to the rocks to see if there was anything else because what we found was really a disappointment compared to yesterday’s falls. Sure enough, I went down to the rocks and there was a small but impressive 15-20 foot high waterfall. The slope down was shallow enough so I convinced Donna to come down to the rocks so she could see it. While I had made my way down to the rocks, she had tried a path toward the sound only to be blocked by a tree. I went back up to help her down. She did not put on her ACL brace so she was not as confident in using my shoulders to support and steady herself to step down. She sat down so she could scoot closer and reach a natural step. Problem is when she sat down, she sat on a root with her left cheek that snagged her jeans shorts. She made it to the path and turned around to reveal about a 6 inch rip just to the inside of her left back pocket. Quite embarrassed (? We were the only ones there), I was able to get her down to see the falls. After going back to get a change of shorts, we went to the community center and spent some time uploading pictures, checking mails and facebook. Back to the condo for a little TV and a nap before dinner. A local restaurant was having a special BBQ and local music event so plans were set. A guy comes up from Georgia each Monday and cooks his pulled pork, beans and slaw on the grounds. He offered a homemade vinegar based sauce and a commercial sweet sauce, the two sides and bottomless sweet tea. The band was a local woman singer, a guitarist from Niceville, FL and a local acoustic guitar player. Played for an hour and a half with selections from Marshall Tucker, Loggins and Messina, Allman Brothers, Traffic, Little Feat, Iris Dement (needed some work), Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline. Quite the variety on the country side. Families were encouraged to attend. There must have been 10 to 12 kids, visitors like us from ages 4-12, most bare footed, just running around off the deck and having a great time. Reminded us of what it’s like to live in a small town environment and be able to let the kids go play without having to worry about their safety. About half way through the show, the kids pulled up chairs to make a front row and really had a good time with the music. They were all quiet and well-behaved just enjoying the scene. They were the entertainment; dancing, singing and playing little maracas sounding plastic eggs with the band’s encouragement while the band provided background music. After the show we came home for a DVD, The Lincoln Lawyer (good one). No bear again tonight, but they did empty the cans today so being a local, I’m sure he knew the schedule. Looking to get a good rest and maybe try to hike to some more falls and get some more pictures tomorrow. 
TUESDAY – JULY 19
Good night’s sleep has us ready to seek a couple of waterfalls and a sliding rock. With a healthy breakfast of two strips of bacon in a hot dog bun and topped with salsa, I am now ready for the day. The first destination was to the Iron Bridge made famous for its appearance in the movie “Deliverance”. (Cue the banjo). Even the guide made a banjo reference. Donna hasn’t seen the movie so the subtle hints made no sense. We will get it soon. Anyway, looking for a place to park out of the road, I went over the end of the asphalt and scraped the underside of the car pretty good. We were concerned I was now stuck. (Cue the banjo and guitar.) High revved the car in reverse and was able to get back on the road. Burning smell left us concerned but no leaks. So, we walked on the bridge and the sight is amazing. The beautiful rushing water over the rocks, cutting circles over time into the stone. Water was extremely clear and cold. The trail down to the water was shallow enough that Donna was able to get down to the river and walk on some the huge pieces of granite in the middle of the moving water. After several pictures we decided to move on to the next falls. This place has very limited parking just off the road;5-6 cars maybe, and it was full. Sliding Rock was next on the list so now it is our second stop. Very close to the road as was indicated by the squeal of kids not far off. The trails were wood- framed and had steps in some places to help guide walkers to the rocks. 2-3 minutes tops and we’re by the river still following the sounds of laughter and rushing water. Maybe 8-10 kids were taking turns gingerly moving across the rocks trying not to slip until in the slippery spots in the water flow. Then one by one or two and three at a time, they slipped down the rocks into the shallow pool at the bottom. There was even a 4 ft tube in the middle of the slope which seemed to be a favorite stopping spot for the kids. We watched for about 10 minutes and then back to the car to try the original second stop. Got back and there was one spot open. Woo Hoo! Parked the car making sure I had plenty of pavement in front of me and set off for the falls. Once again, maybe three minutes to the falls and they were worth the return. About 40 ft. tall and split in to two, the falls were really nice. Others were swimming to the base of the falls in the pool and crawled up in to the shower. It looked fun though many mentioned the water was cold. Taking pictures was probably the wiser of the decisions but when I come back for another visit, I will have to take the shower. Tomorrow’s journey is planned for a forest called Panthertown which is also called “Little Yosemite”. This 14,000 acre area is older than Yosemite, but the mountains aren’t quite so large. Every pamphlet we have read said get a map or you will get lost. We got a map at the local hiking shop. While we stopped to get a bite, we plotted out the first couple of hours with multiple water falls on the route. It will be steep in and out but the forest is predominantly a valley with very easy hiking or so we’re told. We’ll know tomorrow. After our late lunch of BLT with Sweet Potato Fries, Chicken Quesadillas and a hot Spinach/Artichoke and Cheese concoction called Mountain Dip, we moved on to see some falls visible from the bridge by a lake levee. Couldn’t get a great angle for my pictures but some of the shots are passable. Feeling fairly fatigued, we’ve settled in for some bad mercenary movie on HBO. An ice cream cone and early to bed for what will be a great day in one of the ancient forests of the world. 
WEDNESDAY-JULY 20
Up close to 7 this morning to get a good breakfast, coffee for me, go over the map again and check all the stuff filling the back pack; water, snack bars, compass, extra shirt and shorts, rain jackets, camera, trail stools and Nextel phones. Though Sprint /Nextel has no signal for cellular service for calls or text, they have a feature to work as a set of walkie-talkies. They were helpful a couple of times. We left for the forest about 8:30 and after a winding paved road and a short unpaved road (my little Hyundai is getting quite the experience in off road traveling) we arrived at the open parking area. A group of hikers and their dogs were coming up the path making remarks about the last climb being pretty tough. Once again we checked the map, checked the compasses (though they didn’t agree with the location of the sun), checked the back packs, Donna put on her ACL brace, grabbed our walking sticks and down the road we went. The path was not as steep as most of the paths from our Rainbow Falls trek but then again we were just getting started and full of energy. The day started overcast and muggy, temps in the 80s. The ground everywhere absolutely sparkles with all of the mica literally everywhere. Flecks of silver, black, gold make it tough as a tourist not to try to pick up every rock with the hope that maybe, just maybe the stone will be gold. Sigh. Spend the time hiking rather than getting dirt on your hands is my suggestion. We got to the first marker post that marked the path to the first water fall, Wilderness Falls. The grade got a little steeper and while many of my path pictures don’t show it, the paths were filled with roots, mud, granite of all sizes, wait-a-minute vines, ferns and bushes and plants of all sizes. As we got closer to the falls, we could hear the water running over the rocks. We got to where we could see the top of the rocks but not really see the business end of the falls. I could see where a path was created by the flow of water as it moves down through the woods , but it was very steep and had a flat vertical piece of granite about 6-7 feet tall at the bottom and maybe a two foot path below it. I couldn’t get a picture from here so I left my pack and stick with Donna and slowly made my way down to the two foot path to get in a position for the pictures. I worked my way out to a large rock below the slight falls and snapped a couple shots. I decided to move down to the next slanted big rock to get a better angle. This rock was covered with slick algae and I started slipping down toward the edge. I rolled over on my knees for more friction. I stopped and knew the knees would be skinned, so I took a couple more pictures while there. I crawled on my knees back to the overhanging tree branches and worked my way back to the path. I used the phone to let Donna know I was on my way back as I was down there for a little longer than I had planned. As I came back to the granite wall, I noticed another path past the wall. I went up that path and brought Donna back down as it wasn’t nearly as steep or tricky. So she did get to see this fall from a safe vantage point. We backtracked to the main path and on to the next water feature, Frolicking Falls. I found a path to bring her down because she needs to see this beautiful fall. These aren’t as big as the ones we had seen the previous two days, but these were in absolutely natural settings away from the beaten public path. The air at the bottom of the falls was cool with the slight spray and the shade providing the perfect conditions. The next fall was a bit further in the forest. We walked over paths of sand (?). The mica in the sand looked like glitter in the sun breaks in the canopy. It seemed strange after walking over roots, compost of rotted leaves, mushrooms, and mountain rocks for the past four days, walking in this sparkling sand was a bit of a surprise. Soon enough were back under the trees and back to the expected forest path floors. Came to a creek with some rocks lined across. I volunteered to go first to find the most stable stones. There weren’t many and I struggled to keep my balance a couple of times but did make it across. Donna did her best not to laugh as I was trying to be helpful. Knee brace and all she moved quickly and hardly a wobble on the loose stones and was safely across. The brace became a liability as the straps started to rub and scrape her leg to the point where walking at all was painful. Uncomfortably, I agreed to her taking the brace off providing we were more slow and careful in approaching slants, slopes and angled steps. We followed the sound to Granny Burrell Falls. The path we were on paralleled the water flow without seeing a clear path down to it. So I had Donna wait near a steep opening where we could see the water but not the source while I continued down the path looking for a safe way down. I found one and walked back toward the opening where Donna had been. I got on the phone and told her I found a way and I’d lead her to it. Glad I called as she was already gone down the path. Finally caught up to her and led her down to the rock sided water way. No slippery surfaces, plenty of room to walk and get to view the falls. This was by far the smallest of the water falls and least impressive, but once again, this is a natural feature untouched by anyone. The sky thundered and Donna said it’s time to get out of the creek bed. Even a little bit of rain can change the unimpressive water flow to a dangerous torrent. Out of the creek bed, back to the path and on our way up and back toward the path out. The heat, the altitude, the slope, taking time with a brace-less knee and the fact we have been hiking for nearly five hours didn’t help our pace. Breathing was pretty tough, but the rests with water and the snack bars seemed to rejuvenate the flatlander spirit to make our way back up the mica sprinkled path to the car. And yes, I did get more dirt on my hands… We stopped by Ingles to get another salad bar salad and ice cream then home to cook some chicken breasts. After dinner, I checked the parking lot, no bear, so we settled in to watch a DVD “I am Number Four”. Ice cream and enough action to keep us awake after a long day was just right.
THURSDAY-JULY 21
Recovery day is on the agenda today; laundry, dishwashing, gathering our things together for loading the car and prep for check out tomorrow. Slept in until 8. Donna was already up and got the coffee ready and had the local (Greenville, SC) news on to keep up with whatever national news they reported. The CBS channel we’ve been watching must be a Media General affiliate because their format mirrors the NBC affiliate in Tampa; Slogan “On Your Side”, Vipir weather, Theme music, even the format is identical. Different but the same. I decided to get creative this morning and make a first attempt at making bacon and cheese omelets. The first one was ugly but Donna said it tasted fine through smirks when I mentioned presentation being an important aspect of the meal. I added jalapenos to the second one and it looked a little better. And she was correct, it tasted just like an omelet. The next effort should be prettier therefore should taste absolutely awesome! Today’s big plans were to access the internet, look for some souvenirs (other than the pieces of quartz and mica already collected). Now, I’m told we have three more Falls to see today. As a recap so far, we have seen 10 different waterfalls so we will add today’s targets to the list and as a grand finale drive up the tallest mountain in the area and take in the view. Well, as most times with definite plans, today’s changed with a glance at the local map. Waterfalls are on the agenda for the last day. The first falls were not on the list. They were at the bottom of a lake spill way style dam. It was too steep for Donna so I went down to bring back pictures. The falls were on the small side but the backdrop of the water flowing over the wall made it look pretty cool. On to the next falls, Bridal Veil. At one time the state road was built behind the falls. They trickled over the edge of the rock. Not much in the way of falls but Donna pointed out they are supposed to be light and easy to see through like a veil. I tried to fill an empty water bottle by holding it under the fall. After getting my left side completely soaked and having less than half of the bottle filled, I decided that would be plenty. Dry Falls was a couple miles further down the road. Decent parking instead of just a gravel pull off was a big surprise. The privies were quite rank and natural urges were almost overruled. Even breathing through my mouth was nasty! This place was a developed location; observation decks, wooden steps and chain link fence to restrict the bold visitors. What an amazing waterfall, the path led down to behind the falls. I can’t even guess how much water was flowing over the edge. Many pictures later we moved down to the Cullasaja Gorge Upper Falls. They were a good fall and had a deep pool at the bottom. Several people were climbing up the side of rock with a rope and jumping off the side of the cliff, about 30 feet. Some of the kids jumping off sounded like they hit pretty flat but they came up hooting and yelling and swimming back to the rope. I considered it but I didn’t have an extra set of clothes. (Hey it works as good as any other excuse). The lower falls were supposed to be tough to see. We found out why. There was a one vehicle gravel pull off and it was filled with a van and a boat load of people taking pictures. We pulled up to the next pull off and I could hear some fast water down in the gorge. Once again, the slope was steep and I went down to find some falls with my camera. I wasn’t disappointed. They weren’t the high falling type but they sure were pretty. I was able to get down to the river and walk rocks out to the middle to get in front of the water. So we missed the big one you could see about a half mile out but the little ones I did see right next to the water and feeling the spray was worth missing something I may see the next visit. Last stop of the day, Glen Falls. This one had three different levels on a hike of about a mile down. Neither of us had envisioned another hike, but hey, it was only a mile. This was another publicfied (a good GW word) falls area with wood box steps and observation decks. The first deck was at the head of the falls where the water starts over the edge. Hennyeh. Next deck was about another quarter mile down. This was the falls directly below the head. Good looking falls. The next quarter mile was a bit more challenging. Steeper steps down, and the air was so thick, I felt like a cold bottle of water in a hot kitchen. Breathing was pretty tough and actually that was the hardest part of the hike. The center falls were absolutely the best. I couldn’t get a good angle from the deck so I crawled off the deck and walked out on the rocks just past the trees. Got a couple of good shots. Still needed a better angle so with the camera around my neck, I ventured out onto a couple of rocks in the fast water. I found a spot and braced my right knee against a big rough hunk of granite and the left leg against another big rock out further in the stream. I held on with my left hand and focused and snapped a couple of shots with my right. I figured the scraped knees will heal especially after seeing the pictures. Donna had enough hiking and warned me the trip out will be rough. So I moved on down the last quarter mile to the bottom. The path had no steps was almost all roots and rocks and the slope was pretty steep. Using both hands I worked my way down the slope of leaves and roots to the sound of falling water. No deck, no good angle for a picture but I wasn’t coming to the bottom for nothing. I found a big, long stick and used it to help steady me on a moss covered log. About three steps out, my foot slipped and I started to fall opposite my support stick. I grabbed the camera with my right hand and fell in on my left side. Where I was the water was slow and only a few feet deep. I saved the camera, scraped my left knee and calf and walked over to a small sand bar. Fortunately it was solid. I took the obligatory two pictures and headed back up. When I got up to deck 3, I was pretty wet and winded. Donna was patiently waiting for me and we started up. That ¾ mile back up took close to an hour. The air was still, thick, close to 90 degrees and we had to climb out of the valley. Donna’s lungs were burning, her heart rate was way up, she was getting over heated (she literally does not sweat) so we made lots of breathing and water stops. We finally made the top. Lungs hurting, legs hurting, scraped legs and knees but we made it. Got to the condo and into the shower while Donna sautéed some green peppers, onions, and squash with some smoked beef sausage. I was writing today’s journal until supper was ready when Donna said the bear was back out in the parking lot. So I got within 15 feet while he was checking out the cans closest to my steps. He didn’t stay long but I got a couple of pictures, better pictures than the previous two visits, before he sauntered off down the hill behind the cans. Dinner’s done, one more ice cream waiting and ending the day with the season finale of Swamp People. We definitely appreciate cultured entertainment; bear in the trash, Cajuns gator fishing and looking forward to the debut of American Hoggers. We’re expecting a long but uneventful trip home starting on the road by 7 to get home a little after 5. This has been a long overdue time to relax, but as with most vacations, we are looking forward to getting home to recover from so much relaxing.
