Waterrock Knob, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC

After church on Sunday and the wonderful sermon by Dr Mike Odom in Maggie Valley NC, we went for lunch at a picnic area outside Waynesville and then trundled off to follow the Blue Ridge Parkway back to Maggie Valley.

En route we found lots of lovely scenic views over the mountains. The aim was to get to Waterrock Knob which is 6292ft high. Harvey did us proud and we pulled into the visitor’s centre, and then climbed the last half mile up to the top. We were very aware that there were bears and snakes around and a lot of people were talking about the way they should be handled if seen. One guy there had gone armed with a knife! He’d have to get very very close to make that one work!

It was steep climb over rocks, stones and tracks.  We had our walking boots on and were stopping often enough to have some water.

Tim demonstrated how to breathe when climbing or doing any exercise.  He’s got all his tips from his mate Brian.  As I was climbing I could hear Tim practising behind me. S-l-o-w breath out! S-l-o-w breath out! Thanks Brian.

Please don't put this one in darling!

Ah, that's better!

Anyway, it was a good climb and once we were at the top Tim decided to sit over the edge on a rock to try and get a good photo of where we had left Harvey. I daren’t look……. sometimes boys just have to be left to be boys!  At least we had written our wills before we left the UK.

View from the Knob.  Harvey is just above centre-right in this picture

We were just about to leave the top when the heavens opened. We were so hot. It was actually refreshing and we got soaked. Our goal was now to get down without slipping in the mud or on the rocks. One person ahead of us had climbed in her bare feet and another in flip flops!!!! How?!

On top of the world!  In the rain.

Anyway, it was a fantastic afternoon, and back in Harvey we made a cup of tea, while Tim stood on the roof for a photo opportunity.

An earlier peak with a view.

Y'all goin' ta church?

Being Sunday, and us being good Christian folks, that although we were on holiday, we thought we would NOT give God a holiday!  So we got up in good time, packed our things and went off to find a church.
A mile and a half up Maggie Valley, North Carolina, we found one.  First Baptist Church of Maggie Valley.
We had checked it out last night, to see what time the service was.

We weren't sure what it would be like.  But it was great!

We didn't think we would bother with Second Baptist Church, - if there ever was one.  The only other one we saw was "House of Praise" on the other side of the main street.  It was about the size of a large wooden shed or mobile home.  Now, we all know that size is not the most important thing with God, but we just didn't think it was up our street.
We got to First Baptist Church of Maggie Valley, NC just on time.  The pianist was warming up the ivories, and the choir had been rehearsed.  We entered just as the minister Dr Mike Odom was giving the notices for the week.
Then the pianist struck up "I Stand Amazed in the Presence", a familiar one for us.  This was followed soon after by "I Heard an Old Time Story - Victory in Jesus", another old time favourite from way back when.
Mrs Pianist skilfully played "It Is No Secret" during the offering.  Her fingers deftly rippled up and down the keys with incredible dexterity.  A slight honky-tonk, country pianist, with a touch of the blues.
Then the pastor Dr Mike Odom got up to preach.
Well.....!
We heard a wonderful sermon about Abraham.  It was like eating a fine steak dinner.  Every mouthful was beautifully delicious and nourishing.  He preached for about 30 minutes and we hung on to his every word.  He delivered a stonking sermon that would have been well suited for any major conference or seminar.  And here we were, in little ole Maggie Valley, North Carolina coming away like we had been very privileged to be there.
It will live with us for a very long time.
They closed the meeting after one hour, and the members remained behind to vote in a new worship pastor.
We left feeling wonderfully blessed by this little church in Maggie Valley, NC.

Games of chance!

We are beginning to settle down into our honeymoon now.

The proof is that we sat indoors last night and we played Yahtzee.  For those who are unfamiliar with the game Yahtzee, is a game of chance with a little bit of strategy (but not a lot).  Mostly, it is a matter of the way the 5 dice are rolled.  You take it in turns and have three rolls of the dice. 

You gain points for certain combinations of the 5 dice.  It’s a bit like poker, if you get a run of three dice, that’s good.  But not as good as if you get a run of 4 dice.

The ultimate is to get a set of 5 dice with the same number, which is called a Yahtzee.

Obtaining a Yahtzee is virtually impossible, and the odds of you getting one in a game are low.

Tonight my darling wife suggested that I teach her to play Yahtzee.

I was, of course delighted to show her the game.  We started with a trial game to just get the hang of it.

She threw three 6’s at her first attempt.

Wanting to encourage her, I began to explain that she could put the 3 x 6’s in her 6’s column and get 18 points, or she could try again and see if maybe she could get 4 x 6’s for “Four of a kind”.

Nope!  My darling wife threw them again, and got two more sixes.  A Yahtzee on sixes.  On her first go!  Could I match it?  We were about to see.

I realized that her luck was up, and mine was struggling.  My hopes of winning immediately began to dwindle when she went from score to score plopping big numbers in the right boxes, while I couldn’t even get 3 x ones for love nor money.

I don’t want to sound grumpy at this point, but the point of teaching my dear wife to play Yahtzee was for me to win and her to lose.

But she managed to throw a subsequent Yahtzee really easily. 

And then another!  Three Yahtzee’s on her first game!

The game ended with a disastrous losing by me and a victory for my dear wife.

My luck seemed to have run out.

The proof. (French score card tho)

This was confirmed the following morning when I went to the washblock.

The men’s washblock is laid out a bit like a school toilet block.  In through the door, and there is a row of ten traps on the left hand side.  Opposite, on the right hand side are ten shower cubicles.

As I walked up to the block I saw a man of about my age go into the block ahead of me.

A minute or two later I entered the washblock.  I looked around at the lines of painted white doors, which were all shut.   

Which one should I choose? 

There appeared to be no one else in the washblock, but I knew I had seen a man go inside a minute or two before me.

I pondered the game of Yahtzee last night and thought about which cubicle to use.

Opting for trap 3, I opened the unlocked door, only to find a huge American sitting on the bog with his trousers down round his ankles! 

He hadn’t locked the door!  Silly man!

I made my stumbling apologies and shut the door for him, and went in trap 6 instead.

Never again will I take part in games of chance.