Today is brought to us by the letter "F"

Action babies!

Festival, food, fun, funnel cake, french fries, fresh-squeezed lemonade, frolicking in rocky streams, fabulous friends...as Ashleigh rightly observed, yesterday was brought to us by the letter F!

(Ash asked the million dollar question that stumped everyone at the festival information booth: "Why cover a bridge?")

Yesterday, in a departure from our usual work-at-home mornings, Ash and I decided to pack up the boys and venture into the heart of Carter County for the first day of the Covered Bridge Festival. Nary a booth was set up, but, there were still enough tasty festival food offerings to make us crow with excitement. As a vegetarian, however, I must admit that festival food is really not the same showboat of extravagance that it once was. No redneck burgers ("With real fried bologna!"), chicken-on-a-stick, hot dogs, or BBQ pork for me. Instead I was left with the fried food group: fried oreos, twinkies, sweet potatoes, veggies, crazy fries, and-- wait for it-- DEEP FRIED MOON PIES!

I am an adventurous girl, but not bold enough for fried moonpies. All told, it was a wonderful day, and it reminded me yet again how nice it is to live in the same town as friends! NowI just wish all my faraway friends would move closer....

Remember that old Tennessee tourism commercial: "Come to Tennessee, we're playing your song..."

Well, now we can promise not just your song, but also some deep fried magic in our neck of the woods!

Liam and Loki and some down home good times:

This last photo is of a woman we met while eating lunch by the stream. She's been rasing the baby duck (the one she has her hand on). In this picture, she's trying to introduce her baby duck to the mallard. Duck play dates!