Rushing Rivers and Random Acts of Kindness

Jack and I have been blessed with a random act of kindness that began at the Leaf Turning Festival. Without warning, a man that had been chatting with Jack whipped out a tiny video camera and began interviewing him about his lifestyle and book. The video of the interview is now on youtube. As my friend Susan pointed out, there’s a great deal of irony in a man who lives without technology being “introduced” to her in Florida via the all the technologies that were required to get Jack onto youtube.

Gayle has only one full day with us. When I asked her what she’d like to see in her short time here, she immediately responded, “Jack.” Gayle spent her career teaching writing, and is enthralled by Jack’s writer’s “voice.” She then overheard a phone conversation with Mary about the muck, and offered to gather “garden gold” with us.

Gayle is an avid gardener on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where the soil is very sandy. She figured that she could bring home a bucket “gold” from the second place that precious metal gold was discovered in the country. She said that her children wouldn’t be surprised if she arrived home with this treasure, as they used to have to ride in the car with her collected soil additives of the animal excrement variety -- until they finally refused to ride with a car full of doo-doo not in their own diapers.

When we finally left the comfort of our rockers by the fire, we didn’t go to collect meadow apples from Mary, but we did head in the direction of Jack’s house. On the way to Jack’s we visited Charlie and Deborah. Gayle left their place sorry that she couldn’t stay for Saturday’s Bluegrass Halloween party. Upon being greeted by Jack you’d have thought that his book was on the New York Times Best Seller List as thrilled as Gayle was to meet him and have a tour of his home.

We stopped at Mamie’s for a chat where Mamie informed me that it’s time to dig our sweet potatoes. Gayle had a good laugh at Mamie’s assertion that every time there’s hard work to be done, I have a sudden need to go visit grandchildren in far-away places and send Richard to do provide our share of the labor. I suggested that Mamie should be happy that I’m not the jealous type (only because Mamie is almost ninety-years-old) and that I allow my man to keep company with her in my absence. Her blue eyes twinkling, Mamie replied, “You should be glad I’m not younger, or I would have already taken your man.” Mamie with her quick wit is one of the best things about Coker Creek.

Gayle loved the lunch on the river that we shared at Tellico Kats, and is excited about bringing home bread from the wonderful Tellico Grains bakery in downtown Tellico Plains. On her next visit, she wants to try fresh vegetables grown and prepared in Tellico by the Town Square Café owners. Gayle thought she was almost in heaven riding on the Cherohala Skyway and hiking to the upper level of Bald River Falls. She had me open the window on the trip so she could enjoy the rushing sounds of the river.

She’s about decided that at Coker Creek Village should be the location of her next family reunion.