Road Trip: Camp Walland

We call this place…

…Camp Walland…(Named after the town my parent’s now ‘live’.)

First a little back ground.
Yes, I’ve traveled and lived all of the world but…
…When I was a ‘youngin’…
...My grandparents lived in a trailer behind a large shop where they had their Antique/Junk shop.

Note…I will discuss the trailer and how it humbles me and makes me think...in another blog…

They were busy saving money for the house of their dreams, which they built bit by bit with their own hands. A three story log cabin in the woods near a lake. (Another blog which I hope to describe how wonderful my life/childhood is/was and well rounded)…

My Mom and Dad wanted something similar for their own Grandchildren and Children to come ‘home’ to. We don’t have a home town. Never have.
…So here we are in what I like to label as the Butt Fucked Egypt, BFE 'middle of nowhere’…The foot hills of the Smokey Mountains in, Tennessee.
My parents moved here 2 and 1/2 years ago when my Father retired from his job on the east coast of Florida, where Disney World was an hour away and the beach a few blocks. I was upset at first…the area had a lot going on for it as a great place to visit…
Last year was the first time I had been here and my Parents introduced me to this place and I fell in love…
…as a place to visit…
…not live!…
Near Pigeon Forge, DollyWood (not as clean as Disney World but still cool) and of course a few min. drive from the Smokey Mountain National park…with swimming holes and ‘rapids’ for us to frolic in.

You drive up the long pebbled driveway and you hear the ‘chirchirchirchirchir’…
…As the pebbles crunch under the heavy tires...slowly, as to not ruin your paint job on your vehicle.

It’s a medium size red brick home, not expansive by a ‘rich’ persons standard but large enough to fit all of us middle income folk…
…When you walk through the front door you are welcomed with tasteful and livable antiques, colourful carpets and I think anyone entering would feel right at home. There is a large indoor living space, with mustard yellow walls where my Mothers art work graces the walls and hallways. 5 bedrooms, an art studio, a large living area, a fabulous purple kitchen and nooks and crannies galore.

…When you walk through the garage however you are met with signs my father has made in his anticipation of having all his GrandChildren visit him at the same time in two years…





All my siblings were there…
Stefania, Mother of Lars, age 2. Husband, Thomas.
Leonard, Father of Brett, 8 and Cara, 6. Wife, Beth.
Thor…single no children at the moment.

On the door to the kitchen

The Un-Holy Trinity that is Me, My-self and I. Mother to BrownNut, 9, LoveBug, 7 and LittleGuy, 6. No Husband.

Also there is my friend and rolling partner sister wife neighbor Kat. Mom of Tiny, 5 and Fatty 3. No Husband.
…and my adopted sister/cousin Janet. Mother of George, 3 weeks old. Husband, Thomas.

You walk out back and you are greeted with a pavilion’esk’ porch.

My Dad made a long farm table, and 2 ‘pup’ benches…My Grandfather had a long ‘pup’ bench and he always sat at the end of it with his GrandChildren to the right of him. He sat their with pride as he teased us…as does my Father now...

My Mom painted the table, some chairs and the benches…in her whimsical way...

Gardens abound, flowers and vegetable…

Len and Thor are crazy ass fun Motherfuckers, just like me.
Stefania and I are the antithesis of each other…most people probably would never recognize her as my sister…I love her though as I do the rest of my family…small moments at a time though I have found…Another blog to go with…
http://behindthebookscover.blogspot.com/2011/07/family-dynamics.html

Thor had been designated…
…Camp Activity Director and Counselor by my Father.

We parent’s were to stay out of the way.

Thor’s idea of a good time is teaching all the children how to shoot bee-bee guns and bow and arrows…safely…so they can go on a hunt for…

…PIGZILLA…

…as stories were told about this monstrous creature that lived in the woods the children cowered and shouted with glee.

One evening Thor and Kat took them on hunt…no Pigzilla was found although I think a trap was made and traces of his existence were observed.

…The hunting continued as the Children learned where food/meat came from…NOT the grocery store…on one afternoon and the next morning as Len and Thor took shots at birds, squirrels and cute bunnies tasty rabbits…
A bird was killed and the bird dog King Charles Cocker Spaniel, Skippy got a hold of it…it ended up as a dog treat mess…
…But the cute bunny tasty rabbit was another story…as all the Children gathered around to see how an animal becomes food…

The Children stood around as Len, skinned and gutted the cute little bunny tasty rabbit…not scared at all I as talked about how it was a perfectly normal part of life and death…and again where humans get meat and how it’s prepared….
Of course my daughter, BrownNut wanted the pellet…the girl who enjoys wearing her coon skin hat around on a daily basis.


Ok, so at Camp Walland fresh herbs grow in abundance so it was as I have described a ‘tasty rabbit’…we also had Chicken that night…3 of them.











Yummy, cute bunny tasty rabbit...





We had many a day trips as well...