Now I know that sounds like two words that you wouldn’t usually use in the same sentence; but the little girl I am talking about is not your usual little girl.

My little granddaughter fell out of bed and broke her collar bone. Her mom and dad rushed to see what had happened, and she didn’t even cry; she said, “Just let me rest for a few minutes.” Her dad said he thought they needed to go to the emergency room, and sure enough it was a broken bone. Her mother started crying, and she told her not to cry, it would be alright.

Now, the sight of all of those strange looking x-ray machines in an ER still intimidates me, but you know what this little four year olds reaction was? She looked around and said, “This is fun!”

While they were waiting for the doctor, the nurses kept coming by and seeing this little girl sitting there, they would come in and say,”OHH, you want a popsicle, honey?” And as soon as she finished one, another one would come by and give her another one.

When she got home that night, she asked her dad, “Wasn’t this a fun day, Daddy?”

I have always known how special and unusual she is, but her courage and strength through out this ordeal amazes me. Do I admire this little four year old girl? Yes, I do!!!

For some time now I have wanted to hike to “Gentry Creek Falls”, but time never seemed to meet opportunity until recently when I had a chance to do just that.

The area’s hiking club had a hike planned and I just happened to have the day off and so we set off in venture of the falls. Armed with my walking stick, water, and lunch, I joined the others, and we began our two and a half mile track. The day was hot and humid, but not unbearably so. The incline was mostly uphill on the way there, and we crossed several creeks; the bridges had been taken out, and I began by being careful not to get wet, but by the middle of the hike, I gave up on that, and decided to just walk through it. I joked at one point, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just swim upstream”?

I kept getting distracted by the plants and wildlife, and I kept stopping, wanting to take pictures. My co-hikers were extremely patient and persevering  with me. One of them teased me that we only had eight more miles to go. I told him I knew it was only a five mile hike, and he said, “Yes, five miles one way”.

When we had just approached the beginning of the falls, one of the hikers said, “Look up, Shelia, you made it!” I looked up ahead and there in the distance it was; as beautiful as I had always thought it would be! I had seen pictures before, but this was my first time seeing the real thing. I grabbed my camera first thing and took a long distance shot.

When we arrived at the falls, we just stood there for a while admiring it’s beauty. No wonder it had drawn photographers from all over the globe to photograph it’s beauty. What a local treasure!!

We each found a nice rock to sit on and have our lunch. You can’t buy atmosphere like that. The earthy smell, the serene quietness, the gentle fall of the water.

All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back out of the woods. The incline was more downhill this time. But it actually seemed as if we crossed even more creeks on the way back. But the water felt great, and I felt as if I were a kid again with the added bonus of no one standing there saying, “Get out of that creek!”

We made it to the destination point and we all said our good-byes. They were strangers at first, but now we were bonded by our love of nature. Tired, but happy, we parted ways, and wished each other happy trails until we met again.

If you haven’t gotten your blueberries yet, there is still time to make the trip to see Miss Ellen in Shady Valley and fill your buckets with sweet, ripe, blueberries fresh off the vine.

Nestled in beautiful Shady Valley surrounded by mountains, Miss Ellen’s blueberry patch is a local favorite. Her phone number is (423) 739-3835.

After filling your buckets with fresh blueberries, you might want to visit one of the area’s local hang-outs to get a burger and fries. You are sure to have worked up an appetite, and a visit to the “Shady Valley Country Store” might be in order. It is a favorite with motor cycle riders looking for a quick bite to eat after having tackled the “snake”; a winding mountainous road that whips around curve after curve. More than a few have been bitten by the “snake”, and ended up with a few fractures to prove it.

Shady Valley is also home to the “Cranberry Festival”; an annual festival featuring a parade, arts and crafts, quilt judging, music, air plane rides, and a play later in the evening. The money raised benefits the local school.

Surrounded by mountains, there is only one way out of Shady Valley without crossing a mountain. Once in Shady, you can look around and see mountains in every direction. Happy trails!!!