Greg’s Truckload

Volume 13

Somebody hit the brakes. The leaves are coming down so fast, and it has been so warm. My mind is not in sync with the fact that it’s leaf season. I’m still wearing short pants and sleeping with the windows open. My memory tells me it should be quite a bit cooler than what we are having. Oh well, I’ll consider that one of the few benefits of global warming.

Time to shake it off and get at it… 321 go. We had just finished fall break, and that was a breath of fresh air. Florida and north Georgia did not work out with the 2 hurricanes that hit the area. Still, we found adventure at the Big South Fork National River Recreation Area in Kentucky and Tennessee. It is a vast wilderness area with activities galore and a real lack of crowds you would typically see in the smokies or Red River Gorge areas. It is considered some of the best horseback trail riding east of the Rockies, and we found that to be true as we went on an 8-mile trip on the Tennessee side. Southeast Pack Trips were terrific, and our group was small, just the 4 of us, 2 others, and the guide. The trail took us down steep valleys and up the rocky mountain tops.

The Tennessee Walkers we were riding kept a nice pace, and Bobby, the guide, kept reminding us about our form and how to avoid getting so bounced around when we were moving fast. They offer up to 7-day trips, which sounds like quite an adventure, although a bit much for us, plus there are so many other things to do in the area. I’ve read about the Honey Creek Loop Trail, and it has been on my list for a long time. Now was the time to check this trail out. We visited the park ranger station, where we could stamp our national park passport book and ask the ranger about the trail. He tried to discourage us from hiking this particular trail, stating that it was the most challenging trail in the park by a long shot. I didn’t want to hear that and didn’t want the family to either. Somehow, I talked them into it and told the young ranger he needed to toughen up. Not really, but I wanted to. The trail started off pretty easy but did get rough when it went deep down into the gorge and revealed the cliffs and rock shelters we were previously walking on top of without knowing. Then it went back up, then back down. Then it went up and down about a dozen more times. Looking at the GPS map, it appeared we were repeatedly coming back to almost the same spot, but because the terrain was so rugged, the only way was to go around the cliffs. The sights were spectacular, some of the most significant rock overhangs I’d ever seen. The trail was part of the creek at a couple of points, and we were thankful it hadn’t rained much. At one point, it reminded me of the Baths, a geological point of interest in the British Virgin Islands, as it was a bunch of massive house-sized boulders all stacked and leaning on one another with knee-deep water below. So cool. Soon, everyone in the group was asking how much farther, and I didn’t know.

I did know that towards the end, there would be a very steep incline that would take us back to the ridge top, but according to GPS, we should have been there already. When we did return to the car, GPS indicated we hiked about 25% farther than the trail description said it would be, and I thought Sara might punch me in the teeth. We returned to camp, and I made a fire and fajitas. The next day, we broke down camp and returned home with a sense of accomplishment after our adventures. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Big South Fork, feel free to reach out, and I can get you in the right direction, depending on what activities you’re interested in doing. I’ve only scratched the surface here. I’ll tell you about my 4-day canoe trip at another time.

Our most recent dinner party was for a group of 11-year-olds. Sammy’s birthday and the burning of the donkey. Jack burgers, donkey dogs, Sammy salad, and chippy chips were enjoyed by all. As well as the candy from the pinata, with the rain on Halloween, we only had 8 trick-or-treaters, so we put all the leftovers in a pinata. It was a great last-minute addition to the party. The kids also launched miniature pumpkins from the giant water balloon launcher and popped balloons on the donkey’s rear end with a throwing spear. The winner took home a 3D-printed donkey trophy. As a finale, we let Sammy torch the massive donkey while everyone sang, this girl is on fire. Fun was had by all. Afterward, we didn’t hesitate to take down Halloween décor and move it to the attic while bringing down the Christmas décor for setting up over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Speaking of which, that’s only a few weeks away. We will return to Natural Bridge State Park for dinner and a hike. I planned to join the tri-state hiking group after the Thanksgiving hike to the Indian Staircase but got the date wrong. It’s Saturday after, and I thought it was Friday. Oh well, they have so many great hikes planned. If you haven’t joined their group, you should check them out. They have many group hiking opportunities throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.

Peak leaf color is done, and they are falling fast. This is a reminder to keep objects out of the lawn so that I or another lawn guy doesn’t have a bad day hitting your weekend garden tools, kids/pet toys, etc., which can be very dangerous and costly to all. The drought is over, and we are in for a wet fall ending. This might cause delays in leaf processing. It is also time to get out the last turf fertilizer of the season. As the temperatures cool, the turf will not use as much of this energy for growth as much as storing it for overwintering, just like a hibernating bear would do. Come spring, it will wake strong and full of energy.

Also, out in the yards, I’ve seen many of you taking advantage of warmer weather and getting up outside holiday lights, and I’ll be doing the same soon. I love taking a drive to see all the lights and decorations. When the time comes, I’d love it if you would share your favorite neighborhoods to see the best displays. Let me know, or even better, post on the truckload Facebook for all to see. I’m also looking for recommendations for weekend travel over the holiday break while the kids are out of school.

I plan to film the November meal of the month this week, so keep an eye out for that soon. The theme is Fall harvest. That said, it’s also that time of year when I think of returning to the gym. I’m excited about this, so I’ll put on a podcast and jog the treadmill for as long as possible. They say that regular exercise is the most critical thing you can do for your health, granted you have a halfway healthy relationship with food. From the looks of the lines at fast food joints and what I see everyone purchasing snacks at the fueling stations, that might need to be addressed by some. I can’t say much; at one point, I smoked a pack a day, lived on Mountain Dew, and 75% of my caloric intake was nonsatiating sugar and carb-loaded liquids. Unfortunately, permanent damage has been done, but I will do my best to reverse what I can. Change is good for individuals and society as a whole. In a different chapter in the book of health, another growing concern of mine is the abundance of microplastics. I’m sure you’ve heard of them and that they are unavoidable, but I will take some precautions. Not freaking out about it or anything, just some easy fixes. I’ve never been one to purchase bottled water, but I do use refillable Nalgene bottles. I plan to switch those to stainless steel. The Tupperware is changing to glass, and I’m also researching reverse osmosis water filtration and other means of filtering down to 1 micron. Are microplastics of concern to you?

If you’re looking for something to watch, it’s familiar but new to me. Anthony Bourdain’s PBS series The Mind of a Chef has been super fun and entertaining. Many of the episodes feature chef Edward Lee, and one of those is about the 7 ways of cooking on fire. Fantastic. Check it out if you’re looking for some culinary inspiration.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and an excellent beginning to the Christmas season. Keep on truckin’.

Oh, yeah. If you find anything here worth sharing, please forward it to someone who might enjoy it. Cheers.