We had our joining ceremony (commonly referred to as a “marriage”) on June 21, the ripest, longest day of the year — the summer solstice.  It was absolutely perfect and very uniquely “us”.  I will soon be sharing ways we tried to keep the day “green”.

For now, I’ll share some photos containing much green in the form of moss and trees! Seriously, the Smoky mountains are a moss lover’s fantasy land.  And the waterfalls — AH! Breathtaking.  It was a wonderful way to get away for a few days without going too terribly far.

I invite you to relax and imagine the smells and sounds that accompany these photos…I finally found Indian pipes!  A plant that does not photosynthesize. Largest spider I’ve ever seen in the U.S…Don’t fall in!Salamanders lived in holes in the benches!
There were also many historic buildings to tour.  The run on this grain mill was particularly long and impressive.  I saw a bear!
We went on an aerial tram our last night in the mountains (these photos are courtesy of Mike since I was holding on to our tram quite tightly)…