Fly Fishing in Tennessee

I'm sure that my "regular" blog followers recall that I am married to Mr. Yinzerfishing of YouTube fame, so you can be assured that he wasn't wasting anytime introducing Joshua to the love of the sport. 

In fact, he was sure to make sure that Joshua had the right equipment, which not only involved a rod

but also a crash course in fly tying, all of which the little guy loved!

Pretty life-like, isn't it?

Today, we headed out to the Holston Dam so that they could practice the necessary skills of fly fishing.

While Joshua worked on his casting technique,  I entertained myself taking in the beautiful views

 as well as enjoying the antics of some very active ducks in the water. 

These waterfowl were pretty unique 

and they appeared to be having great success at finding fish, (much to the frustration of those who were not).  

We decided to move along and check out the top of the dam, which offered spectacular views. 

Then we headed to the "Weir" to try their luck.

While the guys set about enticing fish, I had a walk about to enjoy the intriguing views. 

This unusual layout is designed to aerate the water in order to assure survival of the brown trout population.  The sound of the rushing water was really quite calming, and the entire layout was fascinating to observe. 

In the end, no fish were caught, at least not by these two.   But we certainly enjoyed the beauty of our surrounds, the gorgeous weather, and, more importantly, quality time spent with our grandson. 

You really can't ask for much more.  Although Joshua would probably tell you that catching a fish would have been nice! 

Until next time!

 

Gallivanting in Blountville

 We finally made it to Bristol to visit our grandson, Joshua.  Becky set us up with an AirB&B located in the same building complex as her's, making it super convenient to spend as much quality time as possible!   If you've been following my blog, then you might recall that every waking minute is generally planned by Joshua when we make these trips.  Well, we've been a bit more laid back this trip, but certainly haven't been lacking in entertainment!

We rolled into town and wasted no time exchanging delayed Christmas gifts 

before moving on to a small combo birthday party celebrating a little late for Joshua, and a tad early for his mom. 

It was a grand time, for sure.

Yesterday, Marty and I had a chance to explore a bit of the area while Becky and Joshua were at an appointment, so we headed the few miles to Blountville.  We parked on the side of the road, and began the short walk through town.  First stop:  Anderson Townhouse, built in 1792, originally housing the first town commissioners, all whom had served in the Revolutionary war. 

We walked by Cannonball house which, more than likely, has an interesting history considering the name, but there was no indication of just how it came by it. 

Across the street, a house stood with a large stone featuring an inscription of the ten commandments.

The church was adorned with a nativity

and the Wise Men were still on the move, despite being past the feast of the Epiphany. 

This old log church was built in the late 1700s and moved to this location. 

Here stands the Delaney House built in 1802

adorned by this clever letter box.

The Old Deery Inn has a strong tie to the Civil War, when the women and children of the town huddled inside during the Battle of Blountville.  

A veteran's memorial stands in front of the Sullivan County Court House on the same street. 

This building was constructed during the Revolutionary War, although it did receive interior damage during the Civil war when it was torched by Union Soldiers.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day, and the temperatures were in the mid-50's, making exploring pretty comfortable.  After our brief adventure, we met up with Becky and  Joshua and drove into Bristol, just to walk around a bit and to get some dinner. 

We finished the day with a game of Clue.  

Joshua was thrilled to have solved the crime in what seemed pretty short time.  

I'd say that was a pretty grand day.....wouldn't you?