Tilena and I left home Saturday Afternoon at 3 pm. It was 81 degrees and sunny. We made it to Savannah at 1030 p.m. and spent the night with Christy, Carlton Emma Grace and Parker. Grudgingly, we left there about 10:30 on Sunday Morning. A hard days drive brought us into Monterey at 1000pm Sunday Night. The last three hours were in the snow...not an everyday experience for a salty ole cracker like me. Particularly in the most mountainous terrain East of the Mississippi. We took the first photo here from atop Monterey Mountain Monday Morning.

The second photo shows the time of the morning (9:21) and the temperature (13). Getting up that winding road in the ice and snow was a trick. God is Glorious when we listen to him. I really had no intention of buying an all wheel drive Saab the previous month when I started car shopping. But I did prayerfully consider all options and was awfully glad to have it on this day.

The third photo is a shot looking South at the bottom end of the "holler" where my Dad and all his siblings were born and raised. That is the historic Jackson River flowing through there. We had just driven over an icy one lane rickety old ancient bridge to get to this point.

The fourth shot is mid way up the holler (about a quarter of a mile above the Jackson River) headed East from the highway. The shot is looking "down holler" to the West. We were steadily climbing a slippery icy snowy lane headed up to the top of the holler. Believe it or not, we made it up to the old two story farm house about a quarter mile on above this shot. The new owners have restored the place and it is absolutely gorgeous. The house itself sits next to a small creek at the edge of a steep shale cliff which runs on up to the top of the mountain.....and I forgot to take a photo.

As we left Monterey following Darlies funeral, we stopped about halfway upthe mountain and took this photo of the Town of Monterey. I think you can see what draws me to the place. If you can imagine these places in the Springtime with wild flowers covering the slopes, Summertime with the multi colored greens, or most impressively the Autumn reds, yellows and oranges blazing away. It really is one of God's great works. Cold cold cold cold cold cold....but stunningly beautiful.

I'll tell more about the details of the trip later, right now I must tend to the grill. We're having steak, baked potatos, pork sausage, green beans, and Cuban bread....yeah Terry, I'm grilling outside barefoot and in shorts....hear there's some weather up your way.....

Don & Co.