Fall Creek Falls, TN

Last Friday after work I drove up to Tennessee for a YSA Retreat at Fall Creek Falls State Park, hosted by one of the stakes nearby. It was an interesting adventure getting there. I missed an exit in Tennessee, and the recalculated route took me on a little highway through the sticks of Tennessee, and it seemed to last forever. I finally got to the town that the address used, but I couldn't find the state park anywhere on the TomTom. So I had to stop and ask. "Turn left, and go straight up the mountain, and after a while it will be on your left." It's pitch dark - I can't see any mountains! So I turned left and drove...and drove...and drove up this windy little mountain road. I'm already late for registration and quite probably lost, so I'm laughing at the situation. Battling hysteria. Did I mention it was twenty-five degrees outside, no cell reception, and a storm blowing in?

Anyway, I finally found the park, and finally found the conference center and inn. I didn't find the dance all that exciting, so I went to my hotel room and watched NCIS and Say Yes to the Dress (with Alyna, though we didn't know it at the time). The other girl who was supposed to be in my room never showed up, so I had it all to myself. On Saturday, they had three classes in the morning - Tennessee Mormon History, the Atonement, and Perspective. All were pretty cool. Then they provided sack lunches, and we had free time until dinner and the stake president's talk to us. I had really hated driving in the dark the night before, and I wasn't having that much fun anyway, so I decided to leave early. But not before I saw some of the park.

It was snowing on Saturday when we woke up, big flakes swirling down onto the lake. It was quite beautiful. I found I was quite excited by the snow and the refreshing cold (mountains are okay to be cold, beaches are not). This was the view from my balcony in the morning:

I went to see the main waterfalls (Fall Creek Falls), and then the two small waterfalls (Cane Creek Falls, I believe). It was beautiful. Absolutely freezing - like 20 degrees - but I had two jackets including my Scotland sweater. And I ran some, to keep warm. I loved this area, and I definitely plan to go again sometime when it's warm and green.

So it was a good little retreat, even if it wasn't particularly social. I didn't really meet anyone, although I did say hi to Sam Briscoe. We think we're related, but it's rather distantly. His family did live in Idaho, though. He also knew Matt from his mission in Houston.

Snow, snow, snow!

My opening days at BYU in 2009 have been covered with a snowy white blanket.  As much as I have thus far enjoyed my classes this semester (it looks like it will be pretty fun), I would say that the snow is much more memorable.   It started snowing pretty heavily Monday afternoon, at which point I was happily not called into work, because I hadn't yet contacted my new foreman, Max.  By Monday evening, I figured I really probably ought to help my crew and get some work hours in.  I learned via text messages that our crew (the pruning crew) was meeting at 2 am Tuesday morning!  yikes!  So I went to bed right away.  

    Despite the earliness, I enjoyed the first four hours of snow removal.  We work on the stairs, so I got a very good leg and arm workout.  I was in a very interesting mood, laughing at everything.  Sometimes I would just think of something random, and start laughing.  Like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  One of my favorites was when Sam Braden asked Dave, "Can you turn the rear heater from "hot as Hell" to "burning sun"?" It was hilarious.  I also enjoyed knocking snow off the branches overhead onto my friend Heidi.  Heidi told me that of the last 20 hours, she's been shovelling snow for 11 of them!  It's crazy here!  

  I'm planning on taking a nap before my 4 o'clock class, and to go to bed early so I can repeat this funness tomorrow morning.  Yay.