To the lake we go!

I woke up at 5:30 AM feeling restless. I cleaned up the past blog posts in the living room while Shelley slept. Around 6:30 AM, Faye greeted me with a cheerful “Good morning!” and went back upstairs. She stayed until 7:15 when Allison and others came downstairs. They prepared the kids for school and saw them off. Shelley and Allison took Jack to school. They walked in a local park and returned home around 9:45 AM.

I ensured the bike rack would fit on Shelley’s car. I couldn’t find the key or anchor bolt, but they weren’t needed to mount the rack. Since Jordan won’t be riding, I won’t need to pick up the bike when we meet him next week.

I packed and prepared for the day. When Shelley returned, we relaxed briefly. By 11:45, we began our trip. We stopped at a large C-Store (Buc-ees), which Shelley had never visited before.

Tennessee traffic eased up near the Alabama border. We arrived at Buc-ees around 1:00 PM and found it larger than expected. We refilled the gas tank and went inside for lunch and snacks. Shelley found it overwhelming when exiting the restroom. I agree—their arrangement is distinctive.

I ordered the barbecue brisket sandwich, the Shelley’s pulled pork sandwich, and a side of barbecue sauce. The brisket sandwich was the best I’ve ever had. After lunch, we drove to the lake, taking a scenic route that was 10 minutes quicker. The drive was eye-opening, with narrow roads and depressed properties.

We arrived at the lake at 3:40, 10 minutes before Allison. The lake cabin has an entrance gate from the road and a long, narrow driveway. We quickly unloaded the car and parked in a distant lot so Allison could park at the entrance. Our timing was perfect, as I was parking when Allison arrived. We unpacked, assigned rooms, and headed to the dock for a pontoon ride around the lake.

For dinner, they prepared a spicy taco bar, but it was too hot for me, so I had leftover pizza. We gathered at the fire pit, made s’mores, and relaxed. By 8:00 PM, I was tired and called it a night. I worked on a blog post in my bedroom and went to sleep. It was a long day, and I’m ready to rest.

 

Carry on my friends, carry on!