Gatlinburg - 2015

 Every fall, Bob and his best friend Sam Owens, head to Gatlinburg for a week (well, almost) of eating (mostly, I think) and hiking in the Smoky Mountains.

 They missed last year. Sam was in an automobile accident and wasn't able to go. The year before was posted here.

 As always, I warn Bob not to send me any pictures from the Pancake Pantry. He knows how much I love their french toast with cinnamon sauce. Does he care? This is how my day began, with these three photos in my inbox ...

 I'd pass on the bacon ... but I could scarf the rest of this down in mere minutes!

Sam Owens

 Sam, you could have prevented these pictures being taken, couldn't you? Or might you have stopped them being sent?

Day 1 - October 1, 2015

10:35 am 

 Sam along the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to Sweet Heffer Trail. Round trip: 3.5 miles.

10:55 am 

View along the trail. Overcast and some rain.

10:55 am 

Bob along the trail

11:50 am 

Sam on the AT

11:57 am 

11:57 am 

Robert

12:58 pm 

1:04 pm

 Bob said they saw this 11 year old Shiba Inu on the trail "with packs on. Too cute!".

5:35 pm

 Their evening meal at the Best Italian Restaurant. "Yummy," said Bob. "Rain, rain and more rain. Thunderstorms earlier."

Day 2 - October 2, 2015

 Is this fair, I ask you? Two days in a row of that luscious Pancake Pantry? Two days sending me these vile pictures? They are two tormentors!

 Bob, that smirk is really not very cute!

10:27 am 

 "Five rainy and cool miles today," Bob said. "Nancy gave me a hooded rain jacket that promptly tore out the left side before we even started the hike. Maybe  too many meals at the Pancake Pantry? Sam said I looked homeless."

11:04  am 

11:11 am

11:11 am 

11:22 am 

11:22 am

Sam descending the trail through Arch Rock.

11:32 am 

"Alum Bluff Cave. 2.5 miles from the parking area. Under the bluff we stayed dry and ate lunch. High and dry ... otherwise rain all day," Bob said.

11:32 am 

11:40 am

11:40 am 

12:09 pm 

12:22 pm

 "Look closely at the highest peak on the right ("round keyhole") and on the left ("square keyhole")."

12:50 pm 

12:50 pm 

"Sam crossing a timber bridge on the Alum Cave Bluff Trail."

12:52 pm

Day 3 - October 3, 2015

 Getting the day off on the right foot ...

[Note: It is apparently my lot in life to have to see this every day those two are on vacation!]

 A rainy day for the guys. These first shots are of the Ownby Cemetry in the Green Briar area. Bob said they hiked "probably less than three miles."

10:33 am 

10:54 am 

10:54 am 

10:55 am

Bob said, "What a wonderful final resting place in the woods."

11:11 am 

12:09 pm 

 "Old log house built 1934-1936 by the Smoky Mountain hiking club?" Bob wrote.

12:34 pm 

12:39 pm

"Stream along our hike."

Day 4 - October 4, 2015

 Should any decent man (i.e. me) have to put up with this, day after day, four days in a row? Yes, it's the Pancake Pantry ... again!

11:37 am 

11:39 am 

11:39 am 

12:22 pm 

 "Wild turkey in tree"

Zoomed in view of the turkey.

1:04 pm 

1:05 pm 

 "Foot timber across raging water and boulders about 25 feet below. It bounced as Sam crossed. Robert was not crossing!"

1:05 pm 

 "They re-routed the path apparently two years ago to this much higher and narrower foot timber."

1:41 pm 

 "A tree that a bear has clawed the bark off of."

1:41 pm 

 "Bear claw marks apparent. Look how high they go."

2:33 pm 

2:33 pm 

 "Ramsey Cascade Trailhead"

"Deer picture. Eyes and ears looking right at the camera if you can find it. Mama deer and her two fawns feeding on vegetation. Also saw some 28 turkey during our various hikes. Four miles total today," Bob said.

Zoomed in view of the deer.

Day 5 - October 5, 2015

 Can it be ... yet again? Yes, one final trip to the Pancake Pantry ...

... and that delicious french toast with cinnamon syrup.

 And I assume this is Sam's breakfast. It looks like they're both going to have the strength to make it through the day.

 So, now the long ride home begins and thus ends this blog.

Germantown Pretzel Festival - 2015

 It's an annual rite for us, though Mom said she could no longer walk well enough to cover the distance necessary. So like last year, Tom and I continued the tradition.

 We actually went to the pretzel festival twice - both in the morning and again in the mid-afternoon. In between visits we returned to visit Mom and delivery her a loaf of bread that she always buys from a group of church ladies. This year we picked up ($4) a nice loaf of sourdough bread. We also went out to eat before returning to the festival.

 As usual, the Historical Society of Germantown offered desserts in the train depot at Veteran Park. Tom opted for a thick slice of blueberry pie and a bowl of ice cream. The money-taker was Julia Smith, who we all knew from the Hometown Laundry (many years ago). I got to talk with her briefly and get a very nice hug.

 We sat on the bleachers for a while and listed to Spttin' Image, two identical brothers from Greenville, Ohio who played mostly country. A group of young girls danced to the music in front of the stage.

 Then, after delivering the bread to Mom, we had lunch at Fazoli's in Moraine. Their current $5 lunch special is a nice deal: a choice of many main dishes (Tom chose spaghetti with marinara; I chose Fettuccine Alfredo) and a salad and drink.

 Finally, back to the festival for another hour or so mid-afternoon. The crowds had increased though the sky remained cloudy and there were even a few spits of rain in the area. The food vendors seemed to be having a profitable day.

 My favorite gals every year are those that man the Miss Molly's Bakery & Cafe booth. I never fail to stop and visit with them and take my annual picture. A great, smiling group!

 We didn't arrive early enough this year to attend the opening ceremonies. Tara Hastings (TV2 weather person) again opened the festival. Traffic was the usual ... bumper to bumper, and few places to park but those far away. Still, what a pleasant walk through the sidewalk-lined streets of Germantown.

Ha Ha Pizza

 "If you go to Yellow Springs with Tom today," my brother said, "you've got to try Ha Ha Pizza."

 I didn't know if he was joking at first. He thought it might be "Aha Pizza". Well, I looked it up on the net, saw that it was indeed Ha Ha, and asked Tom whether pizza sounded good. Yes it did. So we added pizza to our first stop when we got to Yellow Springs.

 It's a little joint, located on Xenia Avenue just south of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road (Dayton Street). We arrived with the rain right behind us and found a single parking spot out front.

Considering how busy the joint was - standing room only - we got a table quickly. We ordered ... and then we waited.

 Our pizza (a 16" with mushrooms and onions) was right-out-of-the-oven-hot and as delicious as can be. Clearly they use fresh ingredients. No canned button mushrooms here. We washed it down with soda (Tom chose Dr. Pepper; I had a Pepsi).

 Then, amid a cold rain, we walked to town and checked out Mr. Fub's Party, a toy store Tom remembered from years ago (he's a real toy aficionado) and then settled into Dark Star Books (pictured above). Tom loves books - maybe even more than Star Wars - and would have willingly spent the rest of the day there. They have great stacks of used books, hard-to-find titles, and even a large selection of comics.

 We hurried home, then, to a homemade apple dumpling and a game of Michigan Rummy. A great day but one that went far too quickly.

Apple Dumplings

 A rite of autumn is a trip to Crossroad Orchard in Miamisburg. This year we came home with a bag of Cortland apples. They're middle-of-the-road, neither tart nor sweet, but the interior is solid and white as snow and I thought they'd make perfect apple dumplings.

 I used a very old recipe from Betty Crocker. Though we have and enjoy several others, this recipe is fairly straightforward and the result is delicious.

 What I love best about this recipe (and have since I was a little kid), is the thick red sauce. It's a moderately sweet apple dumpling.

Apple Dumplings

The Sauce:
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 drops red food coloring
1/4 cup margarine

Combine all ingredients except the margarine and cook five minutes. I bring it up to a simmer and then start the five minutes. Take off the heat, add the butter and sit aside (stir again before using later) 

 The dumplings made and ready for the red sauce

The biscuit dough:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening (I use margarine)
1/2 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients, stir thoroughly. Cut in margarine. Add milk all at once. On a lightly floured surface, roll to a 18x12 inch rectangle. Cut into six even rectangles.

Assemble:
 Add 4 or 5 apples, pared and cored, shared among each square.
 Sprinkle with additional sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (use your imagination!)
 Fold dough around apple pieces. Squeeze a bit into a round ball.

 Place in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch ungreased pan. Pour red sauce over top.

 Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes. Test that apples are done.

 The recipe calls for the dumplings to be placed an inch apart. They'll rise and "grow" together as they bake. Much of the red sauce will be absorbed into the dumplings but they'll be enough left to dip it onto each dumpling when served.
 Best served warm. They can be refrigerated (or even frozen) and then re-heated in a microwave.
  Vanilla ice cream makes a great addition. But they're also perfect just as is.