Holiday Road

Wouldn't a pair of these guys look sooo cool on either side of my driveway!? I just love this thing! There actually was another one but the store selling them was closed so I could not get a price. Not that I could probably afford such a luxury but hey, one can dream.

So, I had a very enjoyable weekend in Tennessee. I drove up to Nashville Friday and bought some clay and other supplies from a dealer downtown. The trip started off kinda crappy because it was raining and stormy most of the trip, I made one wrong turn in Nashville and had find an area to turn around and then when I arrived at the clay place, they overcharged me twice! The main owners (2 women) were not particularly helpful or friendly, which I think is kinda crappy, especially considering how much business I was giving them but fortunately, their help was very, well, helpful, and got things straightened out. When I pointed out the second overcharge the owner just tried to brush it off, telling me that clay was just more expensive. The young lady ringing the order up spoke up though, and insisted that the price should be lower, as I was ordering enough clay to get a bulk discount. I wonder if she got jumped on later for helping me. At any rate, I believe I will think twice before doing business with them again. Making a mistake on pricing isn't the issue; the attitude of the owners was what put me off.
So, anyway, I left Nashville under a tornado watch and after crawling through heavy traffic, finally got back out on the highway and headed south.
Fortunately, it wasn't too far a trip to Mouse's (the man from TN) house and I arrived there right before dark. On Saturday we roamed all over the area, going to several antique stores (where the lions were) and I found a really nice wheel-thrown bowl. The town close to where he lives actually has the old, literal town square surrounded by shops and restaurants. It was nice and had stopped raining, so we could walk everywhere.
We visited one state park and this 'protected area' with this water fall. I'm not sure what the difference is between a state park and a 'protected area' but it was very pretty and we got in a good, moderately strenuous hike. Mouse is very accommodating and took me to several places and stores he thought I might like.
There was lots of variety in ferns and moss. I should have got more pics but didn't. Oh well. You can't tell from these photos but the leaves were changing some and it seemed more colorful.
The trip home yesterday was nice and sunny but now it is rainy and cold here. So much for working on the siding. Maybe I can work up the enthusiasm to work on that stained glass window.
It was very nice to get away and see some new things and I enjoyed visiting with Mouse but of course, the question comes up about distance and logistics. He is about 2 1/2 hours away. Not a horrible distance but not in the next town either and we both have strong ties to where we live. I think we like each other enough to ponder the situation, rather than just say, the heck with it, your're too far away. But what do you do? Keep seeing each other and set yourself up for eventual heartbreak when it won't work out or wait to see if it just peters out before you get that attached to each other. Is it stupid to even put yourself in such a situation? I guess if my past is any indication, it will either work out without much effort or something will happen to bring it to a conclusion, if it is not meant to be.
Well, I need to get back to work! The rain has slacked off some but I think it will be back.

*Lindsey Buckingham