a trip to the great smoky mountains, well sort of.

the afternoon view from the balcony

our first morning before breakfast

you can see why the Cherokee Indians named this place, 'the land of blue smoke'

the sun began to peak out with yellows, oranges and red within the clouds

crepuscular rays peeked through as the sun 

after the sun rose, i finally sat down to eat breakfast and enjoy the view

once the sun started to break through the clouds, it was time to go inside.  
it was too bright for us to sit and enjoy the deck, but what a view!

Last week we traveled to Tennessee to visit the Great Smoky Mountains.  We booked the cabin very far in advance for a belated 5 year anniversary getaway.  But to our utter disappointment the last two weeks the United States government has been partially shutdown.  not news to those who live in the US.  Not only does that mean non-essential government workers are on furlough and may not get paid, it also means that national parks and monuments are closed.  As the trip came closer we hoped that things would change.  For selfish reasons we were both disappointed about the national park closings.  That meant that we wouldn't be able to hike, bike or horseback ride in the Great Smokey Mountains as we had planned.  

None the less, we always make due of any situation.  We decided to do what God commands us to do.  "Be still and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10.  Joe and I are busy, busy people.  Staying still and being still can be hard for the pair of us.  We took this verse as our commandment for the weekend.  Well for some of it anyways.  We of course had to get out of the cabin and adventure a little.

The cabin was nestled on the upper-most ridge of the resort with magnificent views of the Great Smoky Mountains and Mount LeConte.  We listened as God rustled the leaves in the old trees resting on the mountains edge while the birds sang sweet songs.  In the wee hours we rocked back and forth on the rocking chair, sipping our hot coffee while taking in the views of one of God's many great creations.  We relaxed and enjoyed this beautiful cabin that was ours for four glorious days.    it was our time to listen.