September 12 finds us on I-40 traveling from Knoxville to Nashville. Our summer-fall travels are ending and we will be at home before evening.



From Schenectady, NY and a wonderful 4days with our Florida winter park friend, Elsa and her doggies Katie and Barney, we began to fall south for real. Our second two day stop was in Winchester, VA at Candy Hill Campground. We first stopped here in 1981 on our way home from CT and a month for Roxie to learn Slingerland Multisensory training to teach dyslexic children.

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From Untitled

The remainder of our trip was spent visiting family. We spend Labor Day at Americamps Campground, Richmond,VA….almost in the middle of frantic I-95. We visited with Jim and Carolyn Marston one morning.



We had a lot of time with our sis/law Sharon in her one year old townhome. It gave us a good feeling to see her in such a comfortable home. Her son Chris and family visited us on Sunday. Our great nieces have just graduated from home school. Susie and Chris have very mature daughters.   See slideshow of Richmond Marstons.


From Richmond we dropped into East TN to visit with Charles’s cousins Katherine McNeil, husband Paul, and Ruth Morgan. Paul Mc Neil and Ruth’s son Bill completed the family get together. One afternoon and evening will provide us with many memories. Old Brick is the1804 home where Ruth now lives. Gun powder for the War of 1812 was made there and floated to New Orleans.



Katherine and Paul McNeil built “new brick” on the property ten years ago.Both homes have total back sides of windows that let us feast our eyes on the beautiful Douglas Lake that swallowed up the French Broad River when TVA built the dam years ago.The ancestral home was our home for one month in 1964 while we waited possession of our home in Dandridge¸TN. Charles had taken his first teaching job. Our son was born in October.  See slideshow: Old Brick, Noe's, Dandridge, TN

From 2009 13 OH TN

While in Dandridge we also visited with Jane and Danny Noe. Jane’s folks were instrumental in getting a band director to Dandridge. Jane was in that first band. Her parent’s are now gone and we want the connection to remain. Janie and Danny live in the family home with a much loved view of Douglas Lake.  See slideshow: Old Brick, Noe's, Dandridge.


A friend in Nashvile peeked our interest in Charles’s ancestry in Dandridge. Here he found Blackburns, Rankins and her relatives, Inmans.

From 2009 13 OH TN

As we roll we have one last fuel fill up before landing at home. We will reclaim the yard; retrieve the house plants from a special neighbor, and dust the cobwebs away after a two month vacation from them. In just a month we will be off to Chattanooga, TN and a week of Maestros at a fun week of Music Camp.

When we return in late October we will encourage fall in our trees. Eventually those leaves will give in and float down.. Charles will mulch them in time for us to arrive in Florida for the winter.

It is always fun to have you along. We love to hear from you.