Introduction
Greetings, dear outdoor enthusiast, and thank you for stopping by on National 10-4 Day (National Day Calendar). I hope you are 5-by-5 on the side.
Three days ago, I can't believe my wife and her sister, who lives nearby, accepted my offer to get out and enjoy a nearby state park! In my article two days ago, which embedded my audiovisual episode, I lovingly chided them for not hiking House Mountain with me on Tuesday, September 29.
This is the story about our family hike last Thursday at Seven Islands State Birding Park, near Kodak, Tennessee. Reflecting back, my article from 9/24/2023 was about my most recent hike at the park. It includes a link to the park map and an embedded audiovisual episode from the bridge.
Seven Islands State Park with My Wife and Her Sister
The morning of Thursday, October 1, started off normally. The weather was still too warm, but it was sunny and a good day to get into the woods. Half-kidding, I suggested to my wife that her sister and she could join me in an outdoor adventure at a nearby park. I recommended Norris Dam State Park, Big Ridge State Park, or Seven Islands State Birding Park. Just after noon, as usual, my wife drove over to visit her sister for a few hours. I started working on my previously referenced article and episode.
Just after 1 PM, my sister-in-law surprised me by calling and saying my wife and she were on their way here. They wanted me to take them to go see the birds at Seven Islands State Birding Park! Amazed, I replied, “Well, come on over! I'll saddle up my hiking gear and fill water in an extra canteen.” (My wife already had her water container with her.)
Where Were the Birds and Fish?
All three of us left the house in my 2006 Frontier at 2:14 PM. Slowed by interstate traffic, we arrived at the park and started “hiking” around 3 PM. Signs near the parking lot and barn identify plant and bird species. Birdhouses are in the area.
My sister-in-law said she didn't want to hike. She only came to see the birds. “Where are the birds?” she asked. There were none in or around the birdhouses. With the temperature in the upper-80s Fahrenheit, they must have been resting in shady areas away from view.
Undaunted, I encouraged my wife and her sister to “hike” the wide, paved trail. It leads to the expansive bridge that spans a section of the French Broad River and to dirt trails on the other side.
We reached the bridge after our hot and sweaty “hike” along the paved trail. Several viewing areas jut out slightly from each side of the bridge. We paused at several to enjoy the view. At one location, my sister-in-law looked for fish. Not seeing any, she asked, “Where are the fish?” “Well, they're hiding in there somewhere,” was my reply.
I knew a picnic table under the shade of trees was not very far from the other side of the bridge. “Let's go a few more yards to sit and rest at the shaded picnic table,” I encouraged. Once at the picnic table, my skeptical wife realized that I knew what I was talking about. “See, there is a picnic table here!” I said.
Photographs and Audiovisual Clip
While my wife and her sister sat and rested at the picnic table, I stood nearby and took the following three photographs at 3:47 PM:
That's my wife on the left. Her sister, eleven months younger, was playing with her semi-intelligent (i.e., smart) phone. My trusty canteen is on the table between them.
A few feet west of the picnic table is a French Broad River outlet. There had to be fish in there, but I never saw one.
Standing at the same location as above, I turned, faced directly west, and photographed a wide section of the French Broad River. The view was magnificent. It's better when you see it in person.
Are They Still City Girls?
After taking the above photographs, I decided to record an impromptu audiovisual with permission from my wife and her sister. Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube) now presents Seven Islands State Park, Thu., 10-1-2026: I Can't Believe They Went! (pub. 10-4-2026; episode 48). It's almost two and a half minutes long. I hope you enjoy it.
If you listened to it, did you catch how my wife responded when I asked if her sister and she were city girls? Logically, it was a non sequitur. That is, the reason she presented for being country girls, not city girls, was irrelevant and added very little support to her conclusion.
Dear, if the city of Etowah, Tennessee, where you were raised, has a population smaller than the city of Rogersville, Tennessee, how does that make you country girls? Rogersville is my hometown, but I was raised in rural Hawkins County.
Conclusion
Let's see if my “long-suffering” wife will reply to my critique of her logical non sequitur! I'm just joshing you, dear. I love you. I love your sister too. Don't stop cooking those country suppers!
I hope, dear reader, you have enjoyed this 141st entry in the Family Topic Section. It is also the 93rd entry in the Hiking Topic Section. After all, I did take my wife and her sister on a “civilized” hike last Thursday.
I'm 10-10 on the side until next time. Keep turning right and going straight out there, ya hear?
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