great smokie campout

chris was too busy with quarter close to come with us this time so we brought along friends.   there was lots of stream play, lots of campfire circle chats, and lots of yummy high calorie camp food.
we stayed at smokemont-a smokie mountain campsite just northwest of cherokee.  it stormed right before we pulled in.  the air was so deliciously cool and moist- a welcome respite from hot atlanta summer days.  we set up camp and had trouble starting a fire because all the kindling was too damp.  so instead of hotdogs roasted on spits we chopped the franks up into a pot of baked beans heating up on the coleman stove.  the kids caught fireflies and then settled into bed after s'mores. 
i was worried john would have a bad night.  the trip had actually been canceled then merely postponed because of a fever and respiratory thing he had just fought.  but i worried in vain.  camping suits him.  and he slept like a log both nights-only waking twice to nurse- with a clearly breathing nose i might add (my friend suggested that the environment was working on him like a large cool mist humidifier).
we had bacon and fried eggs  that next chilly morning and the big kids and mj set off on a hike.  we tried to catch up  to them later (crossing many a log bridge- a seen in picture) but must have chosen the wrong trail so we turned around only to find them back near the campsite stream jumping.
we chose our campsite with only the upmost care considering the priorities of everyone in the party - foremost being that of easy stream AND bathroom accessability.
after several attempts to tube down the rocky (imagine getting gently stoned on the bum) the kids gave up and we headed out to check out mingus gristmill and oconoluftee visitors center/mountain farm museum. 
at both attractions the kids sniffed out the water and promptly got wet.
we headed far enough into town to load up on text messages and voicemails and to let loved ones know we were all doing fine and that no, we hadn't spotted any black bears.
our fire we was much more impressive the second night.  So we grilled some meat and veggies.  the neighboring camper's kid joined ours for hide-and-seek after some more s'mores.  the kids were good and tired the second night so they didnt put up a fight when we announced bedtime. 
right before bed i had the thought to tuck everything under the eating shelter.  that ended up being a good idea.  it started pouring at about 2 am- right about the time I needed to get up to pee.  my prayers for a break in the downpour were answered, but it was only a brief break.  i felt the kids blankets and they felt damp.  thankfully they didn't notice until sunrise.  with the help of about a gallon of lighter fluid we had a morning fire going to dry up everyone's bones.
we had a skillet of sausage eggs and potatoes for breakfast and set to packing. 
on the way out we stopped in cherokee and bought  what totaled to be a pound of fudge- my favorite was the maple pecan...yum
upon returning home we unpacked the cooler, pitched the tents in the side yard and driveway and created a laundry pile in front if the washer that still looks close to insurmountable. 
the tents dried quickly and were packed away just in time for john to nurse down to a nap.  about five minutes after i had settled into my delightfully comfy bed our family alert system (aka mary jane) announced loudly at the foot of my bed that george had gotten a bite from a squirrel.
but that is a story for another post.