Found - Family

Both Laurie and I are interested in our family histories and we've gathered a plethora of family related items, articles and documents over the past few years.  In addition, off and on we have subscribed to and participated in both the Ancestry.com as well as 23andme.com on-line sites.  While it is interesting to learn that our genetic roots lead back to Scotland, England, Germany, Ireland, Sweden...and most recently Iceland in my case, the real payoff takes place when you discover family and begin communicating with them...    

What better way for us to start a 13 day road trip than to actually visit 'found family', in this case via 23andMe... So off we headed to western Tennessee to meet Laurie's 'found' cousin, Meggen, and her family!

This is Meggen's family's home which is just a bit south of Paris Tennessee.  The family lives out in the country on a nice piece of property.    

I took this photo of Laurie and Meggen shortly after we arrived.  Meggen had just gotten home from work and apparently Belle (the pointer) was really happy to see her.  

Meggen and her husband Bradley have a lot of critters...and both Laurie and I love critters.  Tucker aka "Tuck" is more or less the 'house dog' and his favorite place for cuddles is in Bradley's lap.

This is Bravo.  Despite the presence of so many canines, he is about as 'chill' as a cat can be.  Its like he owns the place!

Meggen and Bradley's farm includes a flock of chickens and one very busy rooster.  Laurie has always wanted chickens but 'sadly' our POA doesn't allow for farm animals.  We both do love fresh eggs and Meggen told Laurie that almost all of her chickens lay eggs with a greenish tint.  FYI, Laurie almost never buys white eggs...

Meggen and Bradley live on a nice parcel of land...wooded acreage with plenty of pasture land and privacy.

Lots of dogs!  This is Gabby and he is an old boy.  When Meggen and Bradley bought the farm, Gabby had been living there for quite a while...so he actually came with the farm.

While both Bradley and Meggen also work elsewhere, he in manufacturing and she in health care, they raise Katahdin sheep on their farm!  Neither Laurie or myself had ever heard of this breed.  This breed was developed by a breeder in Maine...so it is an American breed.  They are a cross-breed involving African Hair Sheep with various meat breeds, principally the Suffolk.  

The Katahdin breed are easy-care sheep.  In addition, they are resistant to many common parasites.  They grow a hair coat with little wool which molts naturally in the spring...no sheering needed.  Meggen and Bradley raise them for their high quality meat, selling off all of their lambs every year.  Meggen does have 4 sheep that have been given names...and those will not be sold!

Note the large black and white sheep in the middle of this photo.  It's the ram in the middle of his 'ladies'.  He is a Dorper ram...the Dorper being a South African breed that was created by the South African government to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of that country.  While his 

'harem' of Katahdin ladies average 145 lbs., Dorper rams can weigh 230 lbs.

When raising sheep, goats or other small farm animals, coyotes abound in Tennessee so its a good idea to provide them with a protector.  In this case he is a Great Pyrenees whose name is Buck.  Buck does like a bit of human attention, especially if one of us would pick the burrs off his coat, but he is not a house dog...not his thing.

When owning a farm with critters to care for, an ATV is pretty much a necessity!  Meggen and Bradley rode down from the house to check out their flock of sheep.  They drove the ATV and we rode down to the pasture on a golf cart. 

After visiting the family at the farm, we headed into Paris Tennessee for a family dinner and gathering...

We got together with everyone at Moustos Pasta and Grill.  This restaurant is family owned and has been in business for over a decade.  With over 1,400 reviews on TripAdvisor, the restaurant has a 4.6 out of 5 rating.  As the focus was on meeting 'found family' I didn't take photos of the food, however both the food and service were very nice.  This restaurant has 2 locations in the area now, with another one opening soon.  Website: https://www.moustospastagrill.com/.  Unfortunately, this restaurant's website doesn't feature a menu which is a bit strange.   

Our family gathering included Meggen's son Collin, his wife Jordan, Meggen's mother Alice, then my better half Laurie, Meggen's son Alex at the head of the table, then Bradley and Meggen, then their son Sam...and at the end of the table their son Isaac with his girlfriend Kimora.

One final photo from our visit with Laurie's found family.  Laurie is at the left, then Meggen, and then Meggen's mother Alice.  Alice's mother was Laurie's grandmother's older sister on the paternal side of Laurie's heritage.

It was great meeting everyone and we loved the farm visit with all the critters.  The family has an open invitation to come and visit us at the eastern end of Tennessee!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for our family gathering!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie

A Neighborhood Gathering

It had been fairly slow and quiet in the neighborhood lately...but then one of our newer couples decided to host a gathering for residents within a block or two of their home.  The host's home is just a wooded lot (the last one) between their house and our home.  Instructions were to bring chairs.  We also brought coleslaw and 'rainbow' vegetable and pasta salad.

This photo captures the back of the home and the size of the backyard of our hosts where our neighborhood gathering was held.  It was a warm day but between the overhang under the porch and the shaded corner of the yard, it was comfortable for all.

This little West Highland White Terrier is named Sassy and she was the center of attention for much of the evening.  Sassy is our host's dog and she is much loved.  Lots of petting, scratching and loving.  Laurie certainly got her dog fix!

This was the masculine half of our host family.  Since his name is Dave, it's easy for me to remember.  His wife's name is Cheri. (I am terrible with names and always have been) As you can see, Dave also served as the chef for this event.

Most of our neighborhood rests on boulders and rocks, a real challenge for builders.  As you can see, Cheri and Dave made good us of some of the boulders that came from their build site.  Those birds fit nicely in with the rocks and the greenery.

The food...and there was a lot of it...was served on these tables under the screened porch.  For those that are used to me taking a lot of food photos, sorry to disappoint you but with one exception, shown below, I failed my usual routine. 

As a committed carnivore, I had to take a photo of the protein that our host, Dave, had grilled for the group.  As you can see, we had hot dogs, hamburgers and bratwurst.  I can assure you that I definitely got my fill!

I took a couple of photos of the neighborhood group at the gathering but I know that none of the photos included everyone that was there.  Origins of the group range from New Jersey to Illinois to Florida and out to California.

Cheri, our hostess, was the organizer for the gathering.  She planned to have the group play croquet and most of the attendees tried out their skill in this old time lawn game or sport.  Dave (our host) did take a little heat from Cheri for not cutting the lawn a bit shorter.  What the heck, it made the game more challenging for the participants!

FYI, croquet was first played in England way back in 1856.  Today this sport or activity is governed by the World Croquet Federation.  The USA has a related governing body.  There are several recognized types of games that are played and a World Championship does exist.  

So...just how close to Dave and Cheri do Laurie and I live?  See the white showing through the woods.  That is our house.  Like Laurie and me, Cheri and Dave hope that that wooded lot stays as it is.  Unfortunately, there aren't any guarantees that it won't be built on.

Tellico Village and Tellico Lake were developed via the Tennessee Valley Authority's Tellico Project.  Through that project, 22,000 acres were acquired through eminent domain law.  The lake flooded several Cherokee archeological sites and many private land owners and farmers were forced to give up their land "for the public good" and at a "fair price".  Almost 60 years later, some former landowners still resent the land grab.  The resentment was worsened by TVA's sale of much of the land to developers who have long since built the community where we live.

That bit of history ties into the photo of the hole in the ground.  It's on the lot between Dave and Cheri's home and ours.  It's an old well, which probably provided water for a home or farmhouse that sat at or near this site.  For us it was an interesting find.  Another related find was an old concrete highway marker found on a lot just across the street from Dave and Cheri's house.  In the winter when the leaves are off the trees, in our back yard Laurie and I can see where a small road used to exist.  Time marches on...

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

More Food - Dining with Friends

Laurie's sister and brother-in-law have flown the coop back to St. Louis Missouri... So what did we do to keep busy?  To no one's surprise, it's more food and dining out.  

One of these days, I may actually publish a blog post that isn't food related but almost every social event these days seems to involve food!  We'll have to get back on the road again in order to interchange history, architecture and countryside views with restaurant visits.

But for now, get out the Pepcid, Rolaids and Tums as we eat our way through parts of East Tennessee.   

Once again, we returned to the Blackhorse Pub and Brewery in Alcoa Tennessee.  This time we brought our neighbors, Sue and Steve, with us.  I can assure you that East Tennessee is a big and welcome change for them after living in California for many, many years.  Laurie and I are hard at work introducing them to a number of the area's dining sites...

As you can see, Blackhorse Pub and Brewery is a big place!  You might also note that when we arrived, the restaurant and bar were not very busy.

While we did imbibe in a nice mild Blackhorse Blonde Ale ($5.00), we really don't drink much beer.  However, for the beer lovers out there, you should know that the Blackhorse Brewery offers 6 'standard' beers, an apple cider and something called the Side Hustle Sour.  In addition, they also brew 5 seasonal beers and 10 'specialty' beers.  You can learn more about these offerings at https://www.blackhorsebrews.com/our-beers.  

As usual I forgot to take photos of the appetizers until after they'd been ravaged... This was the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. ($10.75) It consisted of fresh spinach, artichoke hearts and cheese...accompanied by pita bread.  It was OK.

We also ordered Chips and Beer Cheese for the table. ($9.00) The beer cheese had a decent twang to it but it was too thin and there wasn't enough of it for all the chips. 

Both Steve and Sue had hamburgers but I'm not sure which one of the 10 available burgers is shown in this photo.  They seemed to enjoy their meals.  Blackhorse's basic burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle is $13.95.  All burgers come with one side.  It was reported that the onion rings were quite good...and there were plenty of them!  

Probably the most interesting hamburger...which also has to be a challenge to eat without wearing it...is the Hangover. ($15.95) That particular burger includes bacon, pepper jack cheese, a fried egg, Bloody Mary aioli, lettuce, tomato and onion.  

Laurie decided to order a Flatbread creation for her meal.  In addition to the 7 'standard' flatbread offerings on the menu, patrons can design their own. ($13.00 with 4 toppings) Laurie went for mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions and mozzarella cheese with red sauce.  She said that it wasn't that great but since it was her 'design', she said that the outcome was her fault.  

FYI, there are 11 'specialty' pizzas on the menu as well.  Plus, as with the flatbread entrees, you can design your own.  A 7" specialty pizza is $11.75 and a 12" pizza costs $18.50.  We would design our own 12" pizza...typically sausage and pepperoni...and it would cost $16.75.

I just didn't feel like a hamburger, a flat bread creation or a pizza.  I dismissed the entrees on the menu as well.  It was the sandwich...non-burger choices...that drew me in.  I settled on the Prime Rib Sandwich...with shaved beef prime rib and Monterey jack cheese served with au jus and a horseradish sauce. ($16.95) For my side...12 different choices...I went for the 'pub chips'.  I finished my meal but I wasn't too impressed with any of it.  The 'shaved prime rib' was a bit tough and lacked much flavor.  The au jus didn't help.  I guess I should have ordered a burger.

Our previous visits to Blackhorse Pub and Brewery had been more satisfying so we aren't deterred from returning for another go at the menu.  This restaurant is located at 441 North Hall Road in Alcoa Tennessee.  Phone: 865-448-5900.  Website: https://www.blackhorsebrews.com/menu/alcoa-menu. 

So what does one do shortly after having a sizable meal?  Of course the answer is seek out more food!

Therefore, our next stop was for dessert.  the good news was that it takes over 45 minutes to drive from Blackhorse Pub and Brewery in Alcoa to the Tic-Toc Ice Cream Parlor in downtown Loudon Tennessee.  Tic-Toc makes fine ice cream and it's a popular local feature in Loudon County.  We've been patronizing this ice cream parlor since we moved to the area more than 15 years ago.  Of course, they can't rely on our business for survival as our visits are limited to 2 to 4 times a year during Tic-Toc's open months.

As you can see, Tic-Toc was very busy.  It was a warm day...but not miserable... and it was in the early evening when we stopped by.  Customers were lined up, both inside and out.  Living in a community that caters, but is not limited to retirees, we hadn't seen so many young folks in one place for a while.  Nice...

I didn't take photos of the treats we purchased for our dessert.  A photo of ice cream in a cup or in milk shake form doesn't quite capture the glory it imparts to one's flavor buds... But here is the menu just for your consideration.  Note: This is not discount ice cream...

Tic-Toc Ice Cream Parlor doesn't seem to have either a website nor is it on Facebook.  This establishment is located at 504 Grove Street in Loudon Tennessee.  Phone: 865-408-9867.  You can learn more and check out the reviews on both TripAdvisor and Yelp. 

I started to say that this post isn't all about food...but then I realized that it really was!  Nice doggy!  This husky is named "Shadow" and it turns out that he is a frequent visitor at Tic Toc.  He lives just across the railway tracks behind the old depot in Loudon.  However he has learned that folks like him, (he is a charmer), and therefore they give him treats, bits of ice cream cones, a little ice cream, etc.  He wasn't with anyone...he just drops in and enters the store with customers as they open the door.  The staff got him to leave at one point but he was back inside within a couple of minutes.  We petted but didn't feed Shadow.  He is a bit of a 'chunk' and is in no danger of starvation.  Probably needs to go on a diet.  Once he got his quota of treats and attention, he just headed home.  We saw him crossing the tracks and going up the hill... 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Fried Chicken Plus…

We do love good fried chicken!  The problem for us is that the seasoning has to have some distinct pop of flavor.  Kentucky fried chicken (crispy) is one of our safe dining destinations when we’re home or on the road but we’ve also had great fried chicken in local restaurants here and there over the years.  It is a road trip favorite meal…

This is Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken’s location on Lovell Road near the Turkey Creek Shopping Area in Knoxville/Farragut Tennessee.  This is the second Knoxville area Gus’s location.  In the past we’ve eaten at their Sutherland Avenue restaurant but this much newer location is much closer to our home in Loudon County.

As per Gus’s website, they are the current reigning champion of the National Fried Chicken Festival.  Also the Travel Channel has ranked Gus’s as the 12^th tastiest restaurant in America to ‘chow down’.

Despite its obviously casual almost ‘bare bones’ appearance, Gus’s is a sit down restaurant with friendly wait staff taking your order and delivering the food.  While we were there they also had a steady flow of ‘to go’ customers.

The menu is very straightforward and brief.  There are 3 different ‘starters’, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and Fried Pickles.  Customers can order their chicken ala carte…by the piece…as a ‘snack’ (chicken only: 2 piece white or dark, and ‘mixed’ with 8, 12, 16 or 20 pieces of chicken.  Then there are the meals or ‘plates’ which include varying quantities of chicken, including ‘tenders’, as well as baked beans, coleslaw and a slice of white bread.  Alternate ‘sides’ include seasoned French fries, mac ‘n cheese, greens and potato salad.  FYI, Gus’s does serve beer.   

As I mentioned, the dining area décor at Gus’s is minimalist.  These ceramic chickens and other miscellaneous items were noted on a shelf high up on the wall.

The founders and creators of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken were from Mason Tennessee.  Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt and Maggie started selling chicken ‘to go’ out of the back door of a tavern they operated starting in 1953.  With the support of the local community, they opened their restaurant in Mason in 1973.  Both “Na” and Maggie have passed but that restaurant is still serving their chicken...

The first photo above shows Laurie’s meal.  She ordered the “3-Piece Dark Plate”, (2 thighs and a leg), with the usual sides of baked beans, coleslaw and that slice of white bread under the chicken.  Laurie prefers the dark meat but she doesn’t really like legs so I ‘had’ to help her out.

My meal was the “3-Piece White Plate”, (2 breasts and a wing).  I switched out the baked beans for the seasoned fries.  We both enjoyed our chicken and our sides…my seasoned fries were very good and the slaw holds its own too.  I didn’t write down the prices, they aren’t posted on the website and my receipt wasn’t detailed.  Nevertheless, the pricing was very fair and we got more than enough food.

It should be noted that these restaurant’s full name is Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken.  It is not Nashville hot fried chicken.  The heat in Gus’s chicken is fairly low key…just enough to be different.

The only negative we have ever noted about Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is that it isn’t all that great leftover the next day.  The light breading or the process used to cook the chicken seems to cause the meat to be too dry to be a great leftover.

Then there was this sign.  It explains why that slice of white bread is placed under the chicken.  It’s what Napoleon and Maggie did in the beginning at the back door of their tavern and it’s now a tradition. 

The menu at Gus’s also includes 5 different types of pie, all of which are baked daily.  They include pecan, chess, chocolate chess, sweet potato and old-fashioned coconut.  We have yet to try any of them.

So why is “Na” and Maggie’s restaurant referred to as Gus’s?  Their son Gus (aka Vernon) and his wife Gertrude, were the ones who not only continued the legacy but were part of Gus’s continued success. 

Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken is located at 126 Lovell Road in Knoxville Tennessee.  It is right across the street from Costco.  Gus’s is open 7 days a week.  Website: Knoxville (Farragut) | Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken (gusfriedchicken.com).  Currently this chain has about 40 restaurants across 13 states.

Time now for another ‘dog fix’ for Laurie!   

This is Flurry, the latest neighborhood dog to be spoiled by my better half.  In that second photo she’s liking her ‘lips’ after receiving and eating a milk bone.  Laurie keeps a sealed container of large and small milk bones on the front porch ‘just in case’ she has the chance to pamper another pooch.

I’ll end with Laurie’s first ‘harvest’ of the season.  The only edibles that she grows are herbs from her planters on our back deck.  In this case she’d harvested tarragon, basil and sage, which she bundled and hung up to dry for future use.

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave