Seven Islands State Park, Thursday, 10-1-2026: I Can't Believe They Went! (published 10-4-2026; article #577)

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?

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman: 25 Years of Teaching (published 6-2-2026; article #560)

 

 

 

 

 

Close-up photographs by M. Fearghail, on Wednesday, 9/14/2022, at 1:15 PM. I had placed the Playmate Igloo cooler on our subdivision road near our driveway.

Introduction

Given the title of this article, why am I showing the above front and back images of a Playmate Igloo cooler? The conclusion will explain.

Welcome, dear reader, to the 140th entry in the Family Topic Section! My wife, the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, has retired from full-time teaching after 25 years. This article honors her service as a teacher.

The Historical Context

To set the historical context, on Thursday, 9/30/1999, my wife and I returned from five years of Christian missionary service in Russia. While transitioning back to stateside life, my mother's unexpected and serious health condition in December blindsided us. Hospitalized initially in Rogersville on Tuesday, 12/28/1999, by God's grace, she recovered well enough to return home on Saturday, 4/15/2000, after two subsequent hospitalizations in Kingsport. Mom was hospitalized a total of 110 days.

Forestalled was our prayerful plan to transition into stateside, church-planting mission work somewhere in East Tennessee. We needed to live no more than roughly an hour's drive away from both sets of our aging parents, especially my mother. Thus, we took secular employment after my mother returned home from the hospital. For less than a year, my wife worked for JCPenney. Located in the Knox Center Mall, the store was within walking distance from our Knoxville apartment. We only had one vehicle, a 1988 Nissan Stanza, which I used to drive to and from my job in Powell.

On Thursday, 3/22/2001, we bought our truck, a 1994 Nissan XE. The next Monday, 3/26/2001, my wife started teaching at Parkway Academy in Sevierville, Tennessee! Her younger sister, next in age to her, was already teaching there. My wife started teaching special education students.

My Wife Retired after 25 Years of Teaching!

The years and the miles rolled by. Until the end of the 2021-2022 school year, my wife and her sister carpooled. (The conclusion explains how we figured out which year.) Each one drove two or three days a week. The one-way trip was approximately 32 miles and took at least 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

In time, my wife switched from teaching special education students to teaching science. Later, when a vice-principal position became open, my wife was offered and accepted the position. She started serving as both a teacher and a vice-principal.

During 25 years of teaching, my wife received the teacher of the year award several times. Despite occasional frustrations with students, their parents, and coworkers, she enjoyed teaching.

Hopefully, my wife helped several of her students learn how to “turn right and go straight” in life. As an example, the article from 6/15/2022, about our car-buying experience, mentions my wife's reacquaintance with a young man who had been one of her students. He was a salesman at the dealership and appeared to be “turning right and going straight” in life.

Last Friday, 5/29/2026, was the last day of the school year for the teachers and staff. The students were already on summer break. On a half-day, my wife called just after 11 AM to say she was on her way home. The day marked not only the last day of the school year but also my wife's final day as a full-time teacher. She has now joined me in the retirement phase of life.

Dear, I am proud of your service as a teacher to children in Sevier County. Surely, you helped an unknown number along the right path.

What Will She Do Now?

Normally, yesterday, Monday, 6/1/2026, would have been the first day of my wife's two-month summer break with a return to teaching in early August. The day, however, was her first day of retirement. As an aside, Monday was also the first day of meteorological summer and the 230th year of Tennessee statehood.

On Monday morning, my wife helped with the usual Monday dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming, which I have usually been doing alone. Early that afternoon, as usual, she left to visit with her sister, who lives nearby. Finally, to my shock, she had a 3:15 PM annual appointment with her gastrologist! Outside and away from the phone, I missed her 2:25 PM call. Once inside, I called her around 3 PM. She was already at the doctor's office! Her explanation was that she had suddenly remembered the appointment while visiting with her sister. At least she didn't fail to tell me about the appointment.

This morning, my 2006 Nissan Frontier took both of us to an ophthalmologist's office down Chapman Highway. In late March, on the day that would have been her father's 88th birthday, she discovered a sty inside her lower left eyelid. Visits to and prescriptions from her primary care provider and an optometrist did not completely vanquish the sty. After the preliminary examination and vision test, the ophthalmologist determined that her sty was gone! Both eyes were fine. The itch in her left eye could be from the eye drops she was using.

Perhaps I will coax the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman into writing another article, reflecting on her 25 years of teaching in Sevier County. After all, she, as a coauthor for this website, has only written one article so far. It was 'MATER FUN with 'MATER LADY (published 8-29-2022; article #351; Mrs. Appalachian Irishman article #1). Dear, this is the 560th article on this website. I have written 559 of them. Will you write at least one more? I imagine that you have stories to share about teaching.

Otherwise, we will see what she decides to do. I may nudge her into taking a few day trips. Retirement is not vegetation (i.e., inert existence). The article from 5/15/2022 is about the start of my retirement. I have been keeping very active. Chores around the house, neglected during my working years, are being done. I hike as often as I can. Further, I enjoy writing articles on this website. Finally, I look for opportunities to minister as doors open to me.

Conclusion

So, why does this article include the front and back images of a Playmate Igloo cooler? Well, allow me to explain.

Since 1994, I have been writing brief notes about daily events in desktop calendars. I could not find, in recent calendars, where I jotted down when my wife's younger sister retired from teaching. I was trying to figure out how many years my wife had been driving to and from work alone. Thankfully, my wife recalled that she started driving alone in the August 2022-May 2023 school year. Her sister, thus, retired in May 2022.

How did she figure it out? She remembered that it was around the time that she hit the Igloo cooler! I took the two photographs above and started a draft article for my wife to finish about the incident.

You see, on Tuesday, 9/13/2022, at about 6:35 AM, my wife called. She was minutes away from the house on her way to work. In the morning darkness, on Ellistown Road, she ran over an Igloo cooler. At the time, I was up, making coffee and breakfast. Quickly, my 2006 Frontier took me to the location. In the darkness, I managed to dislodge the Igloo cooler out from under our car. Our 2012 Sentra was not damaged. It wasn't funny at the time. It is funny now. By the way, I gave my wife a “deadline” to finish the draft, which I started, no later than Saturday, 10/15/2022. She never bothered to finish it. The story, however, is now told in this article!

The title of the draft article, which my wife never finished, was simply going to be “Playmate Igloo Cooler, 0; 2012 Nissan Sentra, 1.” Now, dear reader, you know “the rest of the story!”

Visiting Family in Kingsport, Tennessee (published 5-27-2026; article #559)

Introduction

Road trip! It happened to fall on the long Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday, 5/23/2026, the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I took a day trip in my vintage 2006 Nissan Frontier to Kingsport, Tennessee, and back.

Welcome, dear reader, to the 139th entry in the Family Topic Section. Buckle up, and let's hit the road!

“Uncle” Skyler's High School Graduation Last Friday Evening

The article from 6/11/2025 explains why I call Skyler, my great-nephew, “Uncle Skyler.” A soft-spoken young man, his intellect and congeniality still impress me.

Last Friday evening, Skyler, who turns 18 early next month, graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee. The ceremony took place inside the Buck Van Huss Dome. I was tempted to attend in person with his immediate family. The 8 PM start of the two-hour ceremony, however, changed my mind. The one-way drive would have been about 86 miles and taken roughly an hour and 50 minutes. If I had left shortly after the ceremony, I would have returned home close to midnight.

Instead of attending in person, my wife and I watched the ceremony, televised on a livestream. (Both televisions were on the livestream channel.) On YouTube, we watched Dobyns-Bennett High School — Graduation 2026, Dobyns-Bennett Athletics, 5/22/2026. The complete broadcast took two hours, 15 minutes, and 45 seconds (2:15:45). At the 1:50:19 timestamp, Skyler's name was called. The clip shows him accepting his diploma and saluting his family as he walks off-stage! I downloaded the following snapshot of Skyler saluting:

Congratulations, “Uncle” Skyler! Your great-uncle and great-aunt are proud of you! We know you will do well as you continue your education at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) this fall.

Saturday Trip to Kingsport

Bound and determined to look “Uncle” Skyler in the eye (man to man), shake his hand, and congratulate him in person, my wife and I left our house at 10:20 AM the next morning, Saturday, to see Skyler and other family members who live in Kingsport.

Last Sunday's article promised that the forthcoming article (this one) would answer the following questions: “Why was the highway patrol officer right behind us with lights flashing and siren blasting but did not pull us over? Why did we wind up at my first cousin's house when we were trying to get to our niece's house?”

The drive northward, along the two-lane section of Highway 11W before reaching Rutledge, was going smoothly. Well, that was until a highway patrol officer raced up to the rear bumper of my truck with lights flashing and siren blasting! I thought, “What am I doing wrong?” I wasn't speeding or driving erratically. Confused, I turned into the gravel parking lot of a small business and thought the officer would follow me. Instead, the trooper sped past us at a high speed. I still wonder where the fire was! At least I didn't get “cuffed and stuffed.”

For the answer to the second question, blame it on a total communication breakdown between the pilot (me) and the navigator (my wife)! I had a Google Maps printout of the route from our house to our niece's home. From there, we would go to the nearby home of my brother, closest in age to me, and his wife. Afterward, we would visit my first cousin and my next-to-youngest brother, who lives with him. Misunderstandings while riding, however, flowed like water on a rainy day. Confused, we finally found and arrived at my first cousin's house, not our niece's house as intended.

My First Cousin's House

Before starting our trip, I called Shanna, our niece, to let her know that we were on our way. She agreed to call her father and my first cousin to let them know about our plan to visit them after first arriving at Shanna's house.

The article from 8/10/2023 highlighted Waymon's visit to our home, and it honored his parents, my Uncle George and Aunt Blanche. The last time Waymon and I saw each other was on Saturday, 6/15/2024, as mentioned in the 6/20/2024 article.

Around noon, my wife and I stopped at the Subway restaurant in Mount Carmel. After eating, we misunderstood each other and the map, which I had printed out. At the junction, we should have continued left on Highway 11W-West Stone Drive to get to the home of Shanna and her husband. Instead, we turned right onto Netherland Inn Road! Confusion set in as we tried to find what wound up being Cousin Waymon's house.

Once we arrived at Waymon's house, we realized what we had done wrong. The car that Waymon usually drives was gone, but his other car was there. Thinking that neither Waymon nor my next-to-youngest brother was home, we continued to try to find Shanna's house.

Later on, we found out that my brother was at Waymon's house and that Waymon had taken a day trip to Luttrell, near our house, to visit a friend from grade school. (Years ago, Waymon, his parents, and his brothers lived and farmed in Luttrell.) My brother was cleaning up, noticed us parked in the driveway, but wasn't available to open the front door or step outside. The next day, I called Waymon and spoke with my brother and him. We laughed about the travel misadventures from the previous day!

Our Niece's Home

Trying to find the home of Shanna and her husband without help was becoming impossible. Thankfully, Shanna came to the rescue! She found where we parked on West Center Street and led us to her place. We arrived at 2 PM.

As a humorous aside, since we left the Subway restaurant around 12:30 PM, we must have wandered around west Kingsport, with a stop at Waymon's, for around an hour and a half, driving about 13 miles, trying to find Shanna's house!

Shanna's husband was still at work, so we missed seeing him. I did get to look “Uncle” Skyler in the eye (man to man), shake his hand, and congratulate him in person! Skyler, a tall, stoutly built, and handsome young man, will do well in life by God's grace.

We also enjoyed seeing Shanna's mother, Kathy, and our great-niece, Hailey. A high school graduation and early birthday party for Skyler would start at 5 PM. Plans were well underway. After an enjoyable but briefer than hoped visit, my wife and I left and started toward my brother's house.

My Brother's Home

Thankfully my brother Clark and his wife live only about three miles northeast of where Shanna and her family live! I had been to their house twice before, first, while bringing our father back from a medical appointment in Johnson City, and, next, while returning home from a week of work-related training in Johnson City. The house was easy to find.

Once inside, Clark and his wife enjoyed hearing about our confused effort to find Shanna's house when we stumbled upon Waymon's house instead! Clark and his wife were in good spirits and seemed to be in good health. The Veterans Administration (VA) has funded contractors to renovate their house. We admired the improvements. All that remains is to remodel the living room.

My brother, an eight-year Air Force veteran, contracted multiple sclerosis after serving in the Gulf War (August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991). Thanks to God's grace, he is still able to get around fairly well. The VA-funded renovations to his home are taxpayer dollars being well spent. I am proud of my brother and his service to this country. His wife honors him by helping care for him.

On the Way Home

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photographs while visiting with family. The images, however, are forever etched in my memory. Wanting to return home around 5 PM, we started backtracking our way home on Highway 11W.

My Parents' Gravesite

We stopped briefly at Howes Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery to visit my parents' gravesites. A tent and early attendees meant that a graveside service would start soon for someone recently deceased.

A few drops of rain were falling when I took the following photograph at 3:54 PM:

If we had time, I would have brushed away the grass clippings and cleaned the monument. The artificial flowers were in good condition.

The Homeplace

Continuing west toward Rogersville, we took a brief side trip to the homeplace. We did not stop, due to time, but drove slowly around the driveway, which circles behind the house.

Dad's apple trees were starting to put out apples. Granny Wood's grapevine was coming back nicely. The articles from 3/16/2026 and 3/27/2026 were about recent yard work at the homeplace. I saw the need to kill the roots before the scrub trees come back. The bushes need to be trimmed again before long.

I wish we had time to visit with our neighbors and my friend Bill. Those visits, Lord willing, will be on a future trip.

Conclusion

We continued an uneventful trip back to our house. This time, a highway patrol vehicle did not suddenly appear on my truck's rear bumper with lights flashing and siren bellowing! I did, however, enjoy passing a slowpoke.

My wife and I returned home at 5:17 PM, three minutes shy of a full seven hours away from home. My vintage 2006 Frontier had racked up 195.5 miles, with the odometer reading 200,704.5 miles in the garage. Molly, our “old puppy,” was glad to see us.

My truck wasn't tired. I was not tired. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, however, exhausted, was in bed by around 8:30 PM. I did all the driving, dear. Why were you so tired?

But seriously, folks, I wish the trip to Kingsport didn't take so long. If so, we would enjoy more visits with family up there. Perhaps we will arrange a get-together in Rogersville soon. We will see, as the Lord wills.

National Day of Prayer: Final Roof Inspection for the Gordon Homeplace and Our Niece's Walters State Community College Graduation! (published 5-13-2026; article #555)

Introduction

Every day should be a day of prayer (1 Thess. 5:17). Did you know, dear reader, that last Thursday was the National Day of Prayer? My desktop calendar informed me. If interested, you could visit online the National Day of Prayer: 2026 National Prayer. My daily prayers include praying that this nation will humble itself before God and return to the biblical worldview, centered in Christ. Only then will God uplift the nation.

Last Thursday's prayerful adventures began with the final roof inspection and estimate for the Gordon homeplace. It concluded with our niece's uplifting graduation from Walters State Community College!

Final Roof Inspection for the Gordon Homeplace

In January 2000, my wife's parents, her sister, and our niece moved into their new house, which is 3.5 miles away from our current home. (We moved into our new house on 6/7/2003.) The roof, over 26 years old, needs to be replaced. According to my sister-in-law, in September 2024, her father allowed a roofing business, at the time replacing a roof for a neighbor's house, to inspect his roof. The inspection recommended a new roof. My father-in-law received an estimate, but he didn't follow up. Since Paw Gordon passed away recently, arranging a new roof fell upon the family. I had already arranged two inspections on Friday, 5/1, and Saturday, 5/2, and received two estimates.

The 12/23/2024 article focused on the new roof at the homeplace in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Last year, the article from 4/9/2025 was about our new roof. Lusk Roofing & Guttering Co. had done excellent work replacing both roofs.

Last Thursday, Arlie Lusk, owner of Lusk Roofing & Guttering Co., finally had time to provide the third and final roof inspection and estimate for the Gordon homeplace. It was good to see him again. When I arrived at 1 PM, Arlie was already coming down from the roof! (I understood that he would get there around 1:10 PM.) A cordial and conversant gentleman, Arlie and I are the same age. Aside from discussing the roof, Arlie and I caught up on life and talked as if we had known each other for decades. I was back at our house around 2 PM with enough time to change into a suit and tie for our niece's graduation.

Around 2:30 PM, I received an email with the estimate for the new roof. As I suspected, Arlie's estimate was lower than the two previously received estimates for the same quality of work. The Gordon homeplace is on the roofing schedule. The day to replace the roof will soon be determined.

Niece's Walters State Community College Graduation

The 70th commencement for the Walters State Community College Health and Science graduates was last Thursday at 4:30 PM. My wife, the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, had left work early to attend with me. The ceremony was at Walters State Community College's Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center in White Pine, Tennessee. The location is about eight miles southwest of the main campus in Morristown.

From the house, we left in my vintage 2006 Nissan Frontier at 3:05 PM. The 47.5-mile drive took around 50 minutes. (We traveled from I-640 East to I-40 East to I-81 North and onto US-25E.) A text from my youngest brother indicated that his family and he were in section P. We found them after navigating through the crowd of attendees. The sister of my brother's wife was also in attendance.

The college president, during his welcome and opening comments, stated that 735 graduates were in the class. The ceremony was scheduled for two hours. Thankfully, the guest speaker was succinct, speaking only nine minutes. The presentation of diplomas took less time than expected. (Some graduates did not attend the ceremony.)

Near the end of the presentation, Ariel, our niece, the oldest daughter of my youngest brother and his wife, walked across the stage to receive her diploma! She graduated Summa Cum Laude, one of 120 graduates to graduate “with the highest praise.”

At 5:23 PM, with magnification at level 10 on my cell phone camera, I photographed our niece as she started walking off the stage. (I tried to capture the moment when she faced us, but I missed it by a fraction of a second.)

In another two minutes, the graduation ceremony concluded. It was a moment of honor and pride for the family to witness our niece walk across the stage.

Previously, on Sunday, April 19, our niece was one of several graduating students honored during Walters State Community College's annual honors banquet, which celebrates academic excellence. The web page “Walters State Honors All-Star Students,” Walters State Community College, News, 5/5/2026, states that Ariel Ferrell of Rogersville won the Natural Science Chemistry Award. Further, the column “WSCC honors three Hawkins County students.” The Rogersville Review, Weekend, Staff Report, 5/9-10/2026, reports, “A handful of Hawkins County students were among the honorees when Walters State Community College celebrated academic excellence at its annual honors banquet April 19.” The Natural Science Chemistry Award went to Ariel Ferrell, Rogersville. The following image and caption are from the news article:

Ariel Ferrell of Rogersville won the Chemistry Award at WSCC’s annual awards banquet on April 19.

After the ceremony, my brother and his family, my wife and I, and my brother's wife's sister drove separately southwest to the Captain's Galley in Dandridge. (For us, it was roughly a 13.5-mile backtrack along I-81 South to I-40 West.)

The Captain's Galley specializes in fresh seafood. For an appetizer, my brother ordered raw oysters on the half shell, which he apparently loves. His youngest daughter bravely sampled a bite without turning green afterward! The rest of us declined.

After dining, the seven of us stood outside and conversed for a while. The weather was sunny, breezy, and a bit cool. Before leaving, I asked our two nieces to accompany me to my truck. First, I turned on my radio station, WMWF Classic Rock Radio. (It is a collection of songs from my Apple iPod connected to the truck radio.) The Scorpions' song “Wind of Change” happened to be playing. The song's inspiration came from the Music Peace Festival in Moscow, Russia, on August 12 and 13, 1989. The festival preceded the fall of the Berlin Wall later that year on November 9, 1989. The Scorpions released the song, included in their album Crazy World, on November 6, 1990. Just over a year later, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) fell on December 25, 1991, when the Soviet flag flew over the Moscow Kremlin for the last time. Less than three years later, my wife and I moved to Moscow, Russia, on October 1, 1994, to begin our five-year, cross-cultural Christian missionary work. The Scorpion's “Wind of Change,” thus, has a deep meaning for me, as I explained briefly to my nieces. Upcoming birthday gifts for our two nieces will include selected songs from my radio station, WMWF Classic Rock Radio. Young folks need to be educated in truly classic rock music from the 1960s to the early 1990s. That's my opinion. Please feel free to make it your own!

While still near my truck, I gave Ariel her graduation present from my wife and me. I also gave her younger sister a collection of recent editions of The Rogersville Review newspaper, which we had been saving. Sports section articles about Cherokee High School track and field competitions included Lilliana's name and her athletic performances.

My wife and I love our nieces, and we are proud of their scholastic and athletic accomplishments. More importantly, we rejoice that they are two fine Christian young ladies, raised by godly parents. Their futures will be lived in service to the kingdom of God.

Conclusion

Remember, dear reader, that every day should be a day of prayer (1 Thess. 5:17). Did you pray last Thursday during the National Day of Prayer? Did you pray today? Are you praying at this moment?

Dear God, we adore you. You, the eternal and one true God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are the creator and sustainer of everything temporal. The depth of your scheme of redemption, which offers everlasting life freely through your Son, humbles and amazes us. We confess our sins to you freely, and we ask for your forgiveness as we strive to follow your will. Thank you for the salvation that you offer in Christ. Help us walk worthy of the high calling that we have in him. Please return this nation to the biblical values upon which it was founded. Further, please bless our families in your service, especially our two nieces mentioned in this article. In Christ's name, Amen.

Paw Gordon Passed from Temporal to Everlasting Life (published 2-13-2026; article #543)

Rose Mortuary: Obituary: Jimmie E. Gordon (3/24/1938–1/23/2026): family photograph

Introduction

This 137th entry in the Family topic section is a tribute to my late father-in-law, Jimmie Gordon (3/24/1938-1/23/2026, age 87). His middle name was Eugene, but he did not prefer it. I called him Paw Gordon.

Saddened by his passing, we rejoice that Paw Gordon has transitioned from temporal to everlasting life. We will miss him, but we will see him again. As Christians, that is our certain hope in Christ.

My Father-In-Law's Transition

The article from 1/9/2026 (about my 205th House Mountain hike on the previous Sunday afternoon) included the news about Paw Gordon's hospitalization from Monday, 12/22/2025, to Sunday, 12/28/2025. Once home, he was weak but getting along fairly well for twelve days. Looking back as a family, however, we realized that my father-in-law's slow transition from temporal to everlasting life had started before Thanksgiving. Back then, Paw Gordon started sleeping more during the day and not wanting much to eat or drink. The new cold virus—which he contracted during his time at home between the two hospitalizations—was not a contributing cause of his passing.

Due to his increasingly languished condition, on Saturday, 1/10/2026, an ambulance returned my father-in-law to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Over the course of thirteen days, my wife, her two sisters, our niece, and I took turns sitting with Paw Gordon. The medical doctors and staff provided compassionate and excellent care. They did all that they could to help my father-in-law recover and regain his strength.

Temporal life, however, must end, so the soul can transition to everlasting life. With eight family members surrounding his bedside, my father-in-law made the transition on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 6:12 PM. Waves of emotion, from intense sorrow to joyful happiness, flowed among us. Paw Gordon, a mild-mannered and godly man, had gone heavenward to be with the Lord.

The Visitation and Funeral Service

Paw Gordon's complete obituary is at Rose Mortuary: Obituary: Jimmie E. Gordon (March 24, 1938–January 23, 2026). The next Monday, family members made the arrangements at the funeral home. Three days later, on Thursday, my father-in-law's body was ready for the family to view. Sorrow mixed with joy as we contemplated that he was no longer suffering but was experiencing everlasting bliss.

The visitation was from 5 to 7 PM, and the funeral service took place at 7 PM, both at Rose Mortuary on Friday, January 30, 2026. Light snow started falling in the late afternoon and became heavy throughout the evening. During the visitation, snow began to collect on grassy areas and vehicles. Family members and friends of the family found comfort in each other. The photographic display of my father-in-law from childhood to old age, including beloved family members, brought back memories and prompted conversations.

I was honored to conduct the eulogy for my father-in-law. My remarks focused on Paw Gordon's faith, devotion to family, and service in the military and church. Paw Gordon's Christian faith brought saving faith to those around him who listened. The faith of his Christian wife (Phyllis Ann House Gordon, 4/10/1941-4/30/2017), daughters, and granddaughter evidences the influence of his faith.

Further, my father-in-law was a devoted family man, providing both financial and spiritual support and guidance. Paw Gordon was a source of calm stability for his family during difficult and pleasant times.

Finally, my father-in-law served his country, his family, and God. His service in the United States Air Force was honored by the flag that draped his casket. As a husband and father, Paw Gordon led his family in Christ spiritually and was a good provider for their physical needs. Most importantly, Paw Gordon served God. As one of two shepherds, he shepherded the flock in Etowah for many years. When my wife and I served as Christian missionaries in Russia, the Etowah Church of Christ was one of our financial supporters. In that sense, brother Gordon carried the gospel to Russia. God, through our evangelism, brought several, including atheists, to Christ.

During the eulogy, I also read the two-page tribute that my wife wrote to honor her father. After the service, she placed her neatly folded tribute in the breast pocket of her father's burial suit.

As a point of levity just before I ended the eulogy in prayer, the cell phone of my wife's youngest sister started ringing! Embarrassed, she quickly silenced it. I said, “Now, that was funny! Paw Gordon would be laughing now if he were here. Thank you for providing a touch of humor.” It was a fitting moment of humor, bringing laughter to the solemn occasion.

The Graveside Service

The interment service at Greenwood Cemetery had been scheduled for the next day, Saturday, at 11 AM. The snow, however, that began to fall heavily on Friday evening continued overnight and throughout the day on Saturday. Back roads were unsafe for travel. In the afternoon, I measured six inches of snow with it still falling. The morning low of 18 degrees Fahrenheit climbed only to 22 degrees for the afternoon high.

The practical decision was to postpone the graveside until Monday, 2/2/2026, at 1 PM, when the back roads would be safer to drive. As an aside, the groundhog did not see his shadow on that cloudy day.

On Monday, the early morning low of six degrees Fahrenheit warmed under a cloudy sky to a balmy 34 degrees by the late afternoon. At the graveside, the temperature was around 28 degrees with a brisk northern wind blowing.

Immediate family members arrived early, so the interment service started at about ten minutes to 1 PM. I was honored to deliver the graveside eulogy. To begin as a humorous point, I asked my youngest sister-in-law if her cell phone was off. With family laughing, she said, “It is in the car.”

Being brief due to the temperature and cold breeze, I read comforting thoughts from scripture with concise comments. Passages that I selected were John 14:1-6, I Corinthians chapter 15 (the great resurrection chapter) verses 50-58 with a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:8, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Due to the weather, the Tri-County Veterans Honor Guard was unable to attend to present military honors at the graveside. Without disappointment, the family understood, and we expressed thankfulness to the aged veterans who serve in the honor guard.

Conclusion

Several years ago, my father-in-law wanted to build a wooden bridge with rails to span the narrow creek behind the house. He wanted to be able to drive his riding mower across the bridge to mow on the other side of the creek. Over the course of days, Paw Gordon and I built the bridge. For me, the bridge, still standing and in good condition, serves as a memory of Paw crossing the spiritual bridge from temporal to eternal life.

During the funeral service, closing thoughts came from 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NIV). Quoting Isaiah 64:4, the apostle Paul wrote:

However, as it is written:
  “What no eye has seen,
  what no ear has heard,
  and what no human mind has conceived”—
  the things God has prepared for those who love him—
     these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Everlasting life in heaven is what we in the temporal realm have not yet seen or heard. Mentally, we cannot quite fathom it. Everlasting joy, however, is what God has prepared for those who love him. Brother Gordon loved God. In spirit, he now sees and hears what we will one day if we join him.

The ultimate purpose of life is to love and serve God as a Christian and to be with Jesus, along with all our saved loved ones who have already crossed the bridge and reached the everlasting other side. My father-in-law has crossed over. Are you ready to cross over?

If you are not ready, please reach out to me using the Contact Form on the right side of this website's main page. I am a former poor beggar who found the Bread of Life. I would like to share that Bread with you.

House Mountain Hike #205, 1-4-2026: Clearing the Dark Clouds (published 1-9-2026; article #542)

Introduction

Can hiking clear dark clouds from your mind? Yes, it can, and it did for this Appalachian Irishman last Sunday afternoon, 1/4/2026!

Welcome, dear reader, to the 83rd entry in the Hiking topic section. Also, as the 136th entry in the Family topic section, I will first explain the dark clouds. Why haven't I been out in the woods hiking since Saturday, 11/29/2025 (as described in my 12/1/2025 article)? Weather conditions, more pressing needs, dark clouds, and other activities delayed my call to the mountains. The mountains, by the way, are always calling.

The Dark Clouds

The first dark cloud arose before last Thanksgiving. My 87-year-old father-in-law had not been feeling well. His health was of special concern last month. (The 2/13/2025 article was about his hospitalizations early last year.)

An appointment with his specialist on Monday, 12/22/2025, led to Paw Gordon's subsequent emergency room (ER) visit that evening. After over 12 hours in the ER, which was ridiculous, he was admitted to the hospital the next morning. Thankfully, my wife's two-week Christmas break started on that Monday. In shifts, family members stayed with my father-in-law around the clock. Hospitalized through Christmas, he was discharged to home on Sunday, 12/28/2025. The family postponed the Christmas celebration until last Saturday.

Thankfully, my father-in-law's hospitalization was due to prolonged dehydration, nothing worse. Dehydration, however, is serious. Paw Gordon's symptoms, including an extremely fast pulse, were due to being dehydrated for so long. For further information, please read “Dehydration: Signs, Symptoms, and Effects,” WebMD, reviewed by Minesh Khatri, MD, 8/5/2025. In short, you can lead a person to water, but you can't make him drink. My father-in-law has set before him the goal to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day.

The second dark cloud appeared on the day that the hospital discharged my father-in-law to return home. My wife came home, back from sitting with her father at the hospital, and felt under the weather. I took her to a nearby medical clinic on Tuesday, the eve of New Year's Eve. Thankfully, it was only a nasty virus, which she must have picked up at the hospital. Recovering at home, she was well enough to return to teaching this last Monday. My “long-suffering” wife, however, did not enjoy her two-week Christmas break!

Clearing the Dark Clouds by Hiking House Mountain

Last Sunday afternoon, 1/4/2026, I finally scratched the itch to hike! Even though it was too warm for this time of year, the clear blue sky called me to take my 205th hike on House Mountain State Natural Area.

With an additional desire to visit with my wife and her family at her father's house, I only hiked up and back down the west trail. The hike up took from 2:12 to 2:47 PM, 35 minutes. (This must be my slower normal, since the at-fault driver failed to yield to my right-of-way on Tuesday, 3/29/2016. My surgically repaired right foot and knee still slow me down.) As a bit of “crowing,” near the first of the six upper switchbacks, I passed a group of three young hikers, a male and two females. They looked to be in their 20s. Also, hiking up the west bluff, I thought, “Surely, they will catch up to and pass me.” Instead, they arrived a few minutes after I had reached the west bluff. I nodded to the young man. He grinned and nodded back. Unspoken and to his understanding, I was saying, “This 65-year-young man just out-hiked you!”

I photographed the following northeastern view from the west bluff at 2:51 PM. The rock outcropping was behind me. The ridge trail, which I didn't explore, begins along the right side of the image. The large rock, which I touch to check my time, is in the foreground.

After only seven minutes at the west bluff, I started hiking down and out along the west trail, up which I had hiked. Now below the ridge with the west bluff just behind and above me, I photographed the following at 3:01 PM. The view looks toward the southeast.

I was standing on a narrow rock outcropping. The trail continues to the left and down in the image. Not very much farther down are two rock formations that require me to scoot down on all fours. Before my left shoulder, right kneecap, and right heel were surgically reconstructed, I could walk down those steep areas on two feet.

Having hiked down the six upper switchbacks and the four lower switchbacks, I trekked through the final section, crossed the wooden bridge, and finished the trail at 3:50 PM. An hour and 38 minutes in the woods was better than not having been there!

Conclusion

After the hike, I joined my wife at her father's house. Her sister, who also lives there, and her youngest sister, who was in from Nashville, were also there. I told them that I had cleared from my mind the dark clouds of my father-in-law's hospitalization and my wife's subsequent illness by hiking House Mountain for the 205th time. I hope that I encouraged them to likewise clear away those clouds from their minds.

Of course, wouldn't you know it? The next day, when my wife returned from Christmas break to her teaching job, her sister, who lives with their father, came down with that new cold virus (COVID-19)! Two days later, my father-in-law tested positive for it. Well, we are clearing these new dark clouds. Our niece, the daughter of my wife's next-to-youngest sister, has been working remotely from my father's house and helping care for her sick Papaw and mother. Nearby, I have helped as needed. Thankfully, both are recovering from that pesky new cold virus.

Until next time, dear reader, please ensure that you are hydrating yourself properly and keeping your immune system strong. I look forward to another trek into the woods soon! Of course, today, we are getting much-needed rain.

Saturday, 6-21-2025: My Sister-in-Law's Birthday, a New Fly-Killing Record, and the USA Bombed Iran (published 6-23-2025; article #530)

6/22/2025, 1:59 PM, photograph by M. Fearghail of our Willert Home Products: Enoz Flyswatter (made in the Philippines)

Introduction

Greetings, dear reader. Last weekend's events were certainly interesting. Do you want to know more? I thought so!

As the 135th entry in the Family topic section, I begin with my wife's sister's birthday party on Saturday. Shifting gears to the 121st entry in the Humor topic section, I share our fly-killing war that started after the party and continued until early this morning. Finally, moving to the 73rd article in the Poly-ticks section, I mention the USA's bombing of Iran that happened late last Saturday evening.

My Wife's Sister's Birthday on Saturday

Last Saturday morning, I awakened at the unusual time of 5 AM, instead of just after 6 AM. Wondering why I was awake an hour early, I knew that my wife's sister's 61st birthday was that day. Before falling back to sleep, I said to myself, “Sabrina must have just now gone to bed.” Retired, she goes to bed about the time that my wife, even on summer break, wakes up. My wife hits the hay about 9 PM.

The birthday celebration started at 2:30 PM last Saturday. Seven family members and three guests, a mother and her two sons, legal immigrants from Guatemala, were in attendance. The boys, about ages five and six, provided ample entertainment. The three household cats found hiding places.

After the delicious home-cooked meal, my sister-in-law blew out seven candles on her choice birthday chocolate and peanut butter pie while we sang happy birthday to her. Seven years old was a stretch of the imagination! My wife's sister is not seven. I wished her a happy 41st birthday. Well, she looks to be about 41 years young. That means that her 37-year-old daughter is about 18.

Now, before I get into trouble, my wife looks to be about a year older than her sister, whose birthday was last Saturday. I hope that last sentence keeps me out of the doghouse!

New Fly-Killing Record!

Our fly-killing war lasted two full days, from last Saturday through yesterday, Sunday. It ended early this morning. The following is a record of each day. On Saturday, I broke my longstanding single-day record of total flies killed!

Saturday, June 21

Twenty-one flies killed in one day had been my record. Until last Saturday, that record stood for about 43 years. I set the record when I was roughly 22 and my youngest brother was around nine. At the homeplace on a warm summer day, we were in a fly-killing competition. I killed 21 flies. Close behind me, my brother killed a total in the upper teens.

Leaving for my sister-in-law's birthday party last Saturday, I saw four or five flies in the kitchen windows. I decided to kill them once I was back home. Arriving home about 30 minutes before my wife, I killed 15 flies! When she got back, my wife killed one. Before night fell, I found and killed 15 more pesky flies! My new record, set on Saturday, June 21, 2025, my sister-in-law's birthday, was 30 flies killed in a single day! That shattered my old record of 21. The total number of flies killed last Saturday was 31.

Sunday, June 22

Sunday, the next day, the fly-killing war continued. It started early in the morning and lasted until sunset, with breaks for worship, phone calls, and such.

As an aside, a dear friend, Dorothy, Jay's wife, turned another year older on Sunday. I won't give out her age, but I do understand that you can “get your kicks at age 66,” with an apology to the legacy of jazz musician Robert William Troup Jr., who composed the Route 66 song in 1946.

Focusing back on the flies, from where these flies come and how they get in, I do not know. Each window is down, sealed, and locked tightly. We quickly open and close entry doors. Recently, I inspected every air vent. On Sunday afternoon, I reinspected the ones in the kitchen, dining room, and entry hall. These flies usually congregate around the kitchen windows. We, however, have found them near the windows in the living room and dining room.

On Sunday, the number of flies killed totaled 50. My “long-suffering” wife killed 22, and I sent 28 to the grave (i.e., the trash can below the kitchen sink). That was a two-day total of 81 flies killed. I missed tying my record, set the previous day, of 30 flies killed in a single day by two flies.

Today, Monday, June 23

Early this morning, about 5:30 AM, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman found and killed two more flies that were hanging out on the television screen. Once I awakened just after 6 AM, she informed me. Until the publication of this article today, we have kept our eyes out for more flies, but we haven't seen any. Our fly-killing war is officially declared to be over! The grand total of flies killed was 83, 25 by my wife and 58 by me.

Our weapon of choice, in the above image, was our Willert Home Products: Enoz Flyswatter (made in the Philippines). The image below shows our handwritten tally of kills by date.

My new one-day record of flies killed does not come close to the online records of fly-killing professionals! Check out the following about a record from 1912: “The Canadian girl who killed over 500,000 flies,” Things That Talk, From the thing, Fly Swatter (undated). It states that in 1912 Beatrice White, a teenager, was Toronto’s champion flyswatter. She swatted and killed over a half-million flies in a citywide contest to stop the spread of disease. Further, a record from 1934 is found at “The Sultan of Swat,” Virginia Living, by Bland Crowder, 722/2009. It states, “Young E.T. Collier didn’t make Guinness [World Records], but he did make the papers in June 1934 when the Virginia Department of Health highlighted his impressive fly-swatting record in a news release designed to warn people about the hazards looming with summer housefly season.” Finally, I found, “There are no flies on her! Chinese pensioner who has spent eight hours a day, seven days a week for the past 14 years swatting bugs... and kills up to 1,000 a day.” Daily Mail, by Lizzie Edmonds, 4/27/2014. It tells about an 80-year-old Chinese woman who swatted and killed flies every day for 14 years.

My new one-day fly-killing record is 30. Can you imagine killing a thousand flies in a day?

As a political aside, a nation, to be a nation, must have secure borders. Otherwise, it is not a nation. Our house is secured against the elements and critters, both crawling and flying. We put down the recent fly invasion. Our house is secured again. Do you understand the political analogy?

The USA Bombed Iran Last Saturday Evening

It was Saturday evening, our time (EDST). In Tehran, Iran, it was after midnight on Sunday. The time zone difference is 7.5 hours. After last Saturday's birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and the fly killings, my worn-out wife sacked out at about 9 PM.

While channel surfing about thirty minutes later, I was surprised to find that President Trump had ordered an airstrike on targets in Iran. I listened to his brief televised statement at 10 PM. One of several sources is “US inserts itself into Israel’s war with Iran, striking 3 Iranian nuclear sites.” The Associated Press (AP), by Sam Mednick, Aamer Madhani, and David Rising, 6/22/2025.

The conclusion to my article last Friday includes the following:

The root to current national disunity and global conflicts is found in the great dragon, Satan. Nationally and globally, if everyone would turn to the Lord and follow the biblical worldview, the great dragon could no longer lead the world astray as he does now.

Then, I had no way of knowing what would happen the next evening. I have heard that a majority of the Iranian people disavow their national leadership. My sympathy extends to those people. I pray for peace between Israel and Iran, for peace in the Middle East, and for worldwide peace through the Prince of Peace.

Conclusion

Last Saturday, was it happenstance that my sister-in-law's birthday coincided with the beginning of our fly-killing war and the USA's bombing of Iran? I reckon so. It will be a birthday to remember.

Last weekend's events were indeed interesting. Thanks, dear reader, for dropping by to read about them.

By the way, as of the publication time today, we have not seen any more flies, except the two that my wife killed early this morning! Well, one fly did get in through the door to the garage when one of us opened it. That, however, counted as a routine fly killing, not part of the fly-killing war that ended early this morning.