Niece Julie and her house-mate Patty came for the weekend while John was away. We talked non-stop except for when we were sleeping. We were pleased the Blue Ridge Parkway was open again, after having been closed because of trees downed by Hurricane Irma. There wasn’t much wind at our house, but it was a different story high on the ridges.

Saturday was perfect for seeing Waynesville in tourist mode. The town was clogged with people who were wandering in and out of shops. We went in one that I hadn’t been in before and then drove for views of the mountains from the parkway. It was sunny with pretty clouds high in the sky. We drove one section, stopping at several overlooks. On the way back home, we drove through Maggie Valley, where I pointed out the restaurant that grandson Nathaniel had worked in this summer. Patty saw an advertisement for a rock shop and expressed interest in seeing it. I had no idea it was there. We looked at all the gem stones, bought souvenir rings, and saw a child enjoying his search for treasure in a bucket of stones.

After we got home and John returned, we heard a clap of thunder. The heavens opened, and we were treated to a deluge. We saw a rainbow from the back porch, with the end reaching the earth in neighbor Joyce’s yard. It was the closest I’ve ever been to a rainbow. The driving rain splattered us until we moved chairs back and retreated. From the front porch, we watched the grassy ditch change into our personal stream. It’s not often we get perfect weather followed by a spectacular storm, all within a few hours.

Although we were together for parts of three days, I didn’t snare a photo until we were going to church. The toy camera is one-eyed, making every selfie attempt a gamble. This is the best I had to show for a relaxing weekend of fun and laughter.