Day 48 ~ 09/22/16

Put about 150 miles on the bike today.  Went through the Great Smokey Mountain National Forest.  Went up to Clingmans Dome which is the highest point in Tennessee.  An interesting fact is that they say that the view has been reduced by 40% in the winter and 80% in the summer since 1948 due to human pollution.  It’s the whitish haze you see in the pictures. Sobering isn’t it?  My thing is that every time I am privileged to enjoy a moment like this it makes me realize how insignificant I really am in the grand scheme of things.  And how humans allow the, when you step back, petty things in life to intrude on their lives and diminish the joys they have been given.  I.E. Although you have seen me write about the tires on this journey, the joy and privilege of being allowed this time in our lives makes me humble.  How grateful I am for the family I have and the people that have touched my life, however briefly, over my lifetime.

Wish I could have taken a video of the people around this elk. It is the beginning of rutting season. There are signs all over the place warning you to stay back a safe distance as this time of year these animals can be especially aggressive. The video of people scrambling for cameras, running forward to get that special shot. OMG. Funny and wildly stupid.

Mom and dad were checking out the night lights of Pigeon Forge. I was afraid, very afraid.

Good grief, all this just to play golf