Around the Home…plus Family too

It’s been a rainy but uneventful spring season…at least so far.  We’ve had lots of rain but the spate of nasty storms around the Midwest and Southeast has skipped by us.  All the rain means that our water bill…a huge increase in rates this year…stays relatively low.  When we need to use the sprinkler system for the lawn and gardens, I suspect that the bills will take our breath away. 

Time for repairs, upgrades, etc.  Some home care items cannot be avoided.

One issue that needed to be addressed was the condition of the small balcony or deck off our primary guest room.  The posts and spindles were built with untreated wood and despite painting them a couple of times, the paint was peeling off and they were beyond saving. 

In the second photo you can see that one of the spindles had rotted out.  Others weren’t as obvious but several had ‘issues’.  In addition we learned that the primary posts were loose as they had deteriorated at the deck level.  We’re sure glad that guests didn’t lean on the railing! 

After having the old railings, posts and spindles removed and replaced, not only does the ‘balcony’ look much better, it is now a safe place to be.  Another lesson learned in this process was that the price of raw materials and skill labor is significantly higher than it was just 3 or 4 years ago.  We hear about inflation and rising costs in the news but ‘living it’ truly brings it home.   Nevertheless, one’s home is a key asset that has to be maintained…

When Laurie pointed out the blossoms on our Japanese maple tree, I was surprised.  I had no idea that these trees produced blooms.  Either this year was ideal for the tree or I had overlooked these delicate blossoms (soon to be seed pods) in previous years.  Typically individual Japanese maple tree flowers feature 5 red or purple sepals and 5 whitish petals.  These trees will also produce a ‘fruit’ in the form of winged samaras…or ‘helicopter type’ of seed pod.  Despite the fact that we’d had this tree for 14 years now, I don’t ever recall seeing a seed pod…but it looks like this is the year!

The side yard between our home and our neighbors is scheduled for some drainage and reconfiguration.  When we have heavy rains they tend to wash away the mulch in our garden.  Despite that issue, our 3 weigela bushes have managed to thrive and put forth these bright red blooms.  I believe our weigela are the “Sonic Bloom” variety.  We will have to monitor these bushes over the next couple of years as they can grow reach up to 5 feet in height as well as in width.

I included this photo of the back of our home just because I love the 'chill' look of the house with all the variations of greenery and the flowers framing the structure.  We do have a small red azalea bush too…but it’s hidden at the lower right of the photo.  Our back yard is like being in a small and peaceful woodland…

Other than flowers and bushes, we aren’t in a neighborhood where crops could be planted.  Of course we could plant tomatoes in pots on the deck but they don’t look great once they’ve yielded their fruit.  Consequently Laurie decided that we’d stick with herb plantings.  First of all, they just keep growing if you cut them back and secondly they add a nice pop of green to the deck.  Then of course we do use most of the herbs in cooking.  Another plus is that about half of the herbs are tough enough to survive an East Tennessee winter.

In the first photo from left to right the herbs are: dill (under the tower), sage, mint, sage again, germander and marjoram. 

In the second photo from left to right the herbs are: French tarragon, thyme, basil, spearmint, chives, mint julep and rosemary. 

Now for a couple of family photos.  Laurie’s sister Bonnie sent Laurie photos of two of her granddaughters all dressed up in their high school prom dresses.  Then I asked Laurie to have Bonnie send her a photo of the girls when they were much younger…

They sure do grow up fast don’t they?  In the first photo Avery is at the left and she was 8 years old.  Delany was 9 and a half and posing already.

In the second photo Delany is 17 and a half and Avery is 16.  Both are of course driving, both are into sports in a big way and both are good students.  From little girls to young women in only 8 years!

Here is Delany’s pre-prom formal photo.  She is a dedicated volleyball player who’s hopefully working toward a college scholarship.  Compare the pose in this photo to the one when she was 9...notice any similarities?

I love this classic photo of Avery… I’ll bet that you can guess what her sport of choice is and even what position she plays!  Another scholarship in the offing?  

We’re wishing both girls…both young ladies…success in everything they choose to do.  Time does fly!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Early Dinner Destination and More

We were out and about in the mid-afternoon following an appointment with the ophthalmologist.  Time to wander on into Farragut Tennessee to try a relatively new restaurant and to check out businesses are occupying a large structure at the busy intersection of Kingston Pike/US Hwy 11 and Campbell Station Road…close to the Turkey Creek shopping area.   

Our eventual destination on this occasion was this restaurant.  It’s called the “35 North Bar and Grill”.  Originally the complex was intended as a brew pub with rotating food trucks…but apparently that concept didn’t catch fire.  Now at least half of the building is all about this ‘new’ restaurant.

It was early yet and two other businesses are located adjacent to “35 North”.  Time to explore before dining…

The Summer Moon Coffee Shop is located at one end of the building.  It turns out that Summer Moon was founded by a family and their friends in the Texas Hill Country.  From an initial coffee shop the company has expanded via family friends licensed locations in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston.  Recently the company has expanded in more Texas locations as well as in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Kenosha WI, Fayetteville AR as well as Knoxville!  The company now has more than 50 locations…

This coffee shop is spacious and has a warm welcoming feeling.  Summer Moon coffee beans are still roasted in Texas Hill Country in wood-fired ovens that were built using the time-honored process used by 19^th century coffee masters.

After our meal at “35 North” we stopped by Summer Moon again…and this time Laurie ordered a treat for herself.  She had a hot Summer Moon Latte and she really enjoyed it.  I did observe that Summer Moon offers a number of related items for sale…such as t-shirts, mugs, etc.

The Summer Moon Coffee Shop is located at 104 North Campbell Station Road in Knoxville/Farragut Tennessee.  Phone: 865-671-0428.  They are open until 8 PM Monday through Saturday.  Summer Moon’s website is at Summer Moon Farragut, TN (summermooncoffee.com). 

Our next stop was the Park+Alley Marketplace.  It’s billed as a one stop shop for both home goods and good homes.  Customers can shop a nice selection of home décor, luxury textiles, gift sets and even some vintage finds.  Up to this point, it sounds like another stylish home décor shop.  Laurie did make a small purchase…

Where Park+Alley Marketplace runs off on an interesting tangent is that the shop is also home to a boardroom where their team of full-service residential real estate agents meet with home buyers, sellers and investors to address home ownership goals in East Tennessee.  The founder and owner of Park+Alley is Crystal McNamee...and she's behind the counter in the second photo.

It is an interesting shop and an even more interesting concept.  Customers can also shop on-line.  Park+Alley staff also stage or style homes for customers.  Phone: 865-895-0037.  Website: SHOP | Park+Alley Marketplace (parkandalley.com). 

Now for our early dinner at “35 North”…

“35 North” offers a pleasant setting for outdoor dining.  Given that the restaurant is located at such a busy corner with heavy traffic on both roads, the outdoor area was surprisingly quiet.  The inside dining area definitely fits the ‘Industrial’ style with the open ceilings with metal, HVAC conduits and lighting, all offset by tan/brown floors and wood topped tables.  TV’s abound as well… 

The big circular bar with its metal accents and TV’s certainly dominates the core of ‘35 North’.  The bar is on a higher level than the dining area, which adds to its design ‘dominance’.  The bar is light and bright with all the windows reaching up to its high ceiling. 

Another design element that we’ve noted in the last couple of years is ‘bottles of liquor’ as art…adding a dramatic touch to the bar area.  If it looks like a lot of liquor, it is!  The bar menu at “35 North”, (if I counted correctly) lists 113 whiskeys, bourbons and ryes.  Plus there is a significant list of other liquors including Scotch. Vodka, gin, tequila, cordials and liqueurs.  Of course other adult libations such as beer, specialty cocktails, wine and champagne are available too.  

Time to eat… We started with this impressive serving of Burrata Bruschetta. ($12.00) A huge oversized champagne style container was loaded with fresh tomato, garlic, chopped basil and parmesan cheese with a lettuce base.  It was topped with a ball of burrata cheese and a balsamic glaze and it came with those crostini’s.  We could have added shrimp for $5.00 but decided not to.

FYI for those who don’t know…burrata is an Italian cow’s milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream.  The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and clotted cream, giving the burrata an unusual soft texture.  Stracciatella is yet another cheese which is made from Italian buffalo milk.

This was a nice way to start our meal and it was filling.  We have one critical observation and that relates to the container that everything was served in.  It was so tall you can’t see what you’re doing as you try to scoop out the goodies inside.  Very awkward indeed...

Other appetizers did catch our attention.  My favorite alternative is the Fried Deviled Eggs. ($9.00) The deviled eggs are hand breaded, fried and then served with pepper jelly, egg yolk mousse and fresh jalapenos.

As I’m mentioned previously, Laurie is now using a medication that has impacted her ability or desire to eat very much food at a time.  After the bruschetta she felt that she was getting full.  Consequently she ordered a small Caesar Salad with a parmesan crisp. ($6.00 small/$10 large) Added options include Portobello mushrooms ($2.00), chicken ($3.00), steak ($4.00), and shrimp ($5.00).

Likely choices for her next visit, (without an appetizer), include the Grouper Po Boy with lemon caper mayonnaise, shredded lettuce and pickles. ($16.00) Alternatively she might be tempted to order Avocado Tacos…flour tortillas filled with crispy avocado, red onion, slaw and a spicy dill yogurt. ($12.00)

For my meal I order the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with hot (spicy) honey, pickles and mayonnaise. ($13.00) All sandwiches at “35 North” come with French fries.  From this exploratory food venture, I discovered that I really don’t care for spicy honey on a sandwich.  It was OK but that ample hunk of fried chicken breast was ‘lost’ to the honey.

Note: I was tempted to order a burger…that was until I noted this statement on the menu. “All burgers and steaks are cooked medium to mid-well”.  What the hell?!  I’ve experienced the burger issue before but I’ve never seen this limitation on steaks.  If it isn’t medium rare, I’m not ordering it!

That medium to mid-well limitation made me look at the rest of the menu to see what I might order on a second visit.  The Roasted Chicken…herb roasted chicken with heirloom carrots ($18.00) and the Pork Belly and Kimchi Fried Rice with yum yum sauce were the most likely options.

Admittedly we barely touched the menu at “35 North”.  Despite the red meat limitation, we’ve decided that it is a viable option for another meal in the near future.  “35 North” is located at 11321 Kingston Pike in Knoxville/Farragut Tennessee.  Phone: 865-355-6698.  Website: 35 North - Knoxville, TN (the35north.com).

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Party Time and a Little More

Laurie is finally rid of her boot as her ankle has healed.  But we’re still hanging around home.  The good news is that, with Daylight Savings Time, now its light until about 8:30 PM.  Given that fact, the odds of us upping our local explorations/adventures in the near future are greatly heightened.

In the meantime, it’s all about our home and our neighborhood…

Recently, our neighbors Sue and Steve were hosts for a neighborhood gathering for the folks who live on our street as well as similarly named streets.  So our street is ‘Way’, another is “Circle”, another is “Lane”, and yet another is “Trace”.  I only took a few photos.  This first picture shows that almost everyone focused on something happening off to the left of the photo. 

Note: I estimate that there were about twice as many attendees at this neighborhood gathering than are shown in the photo.

This is Dale… He walks his "Westies", aka West Highland White Terriers, past our home a couple times a day…and as is evident in the photo, Dale is a musician.  With his guitars, microphone and sound system, he was the focus of the group in that first photo.  Not only can Dale play the guitar, he can sing too!

Note: Both Laurie and I ‘tend’ to carry dog treats in our pockets whenever we’re headed to the mailbox or hanging around in the front yard.  It’s how we get our dog ‘fix’ without having a dog.  The local dogs look for us now whenever they pass by our house.

I did neglect to take photos of the 3 plus tables laden with food.  Everybody brought something to share.  Our contribution was a big bowl of KFC ‘nuggets’ with a variety of sauces.  There were meatballs, little sandwiches, veggies, chips, casseroles, desserts and more for the crowd to nosh on…

We did get rained on for a short time.  Most of us hung out on Steve and Sue’s front porch or in the garage.  However Wayne made do/adapted as necessary given the situation.  Comfortable in his chair under his umbrella, he continued to enjoy a variety of the food offerings available.  That's what I call multi-tasking!

This was a pleasant neighborhood event and everyone had a chance to meet new people and spend time visiting.  I suspect that it was successful to the degree that we’ll see other similar gatherings in the summer and fall.

…now onto our home and various changes and views. 

This photo shows the front of our home looking from our driveway.  Note those 2 large reddish loropetalum bushes to the right side of our porch as well as that tall straggly looking almost red hued loropetalum bush to the left of the photo next to the magnolia. 

A year ago we thought that they had been killed due to a cold winter...but they came back.  This past winter, we had a prolonged and unusual December cold snap and there wasn’t a sign of life from those bushes for several weeks into spring.  But Mother Nature triumphed again and they are staging yet another comeback.  

Once they look healthy enough to survive a shock, the two at the right will be cut way back as they are both too large and too tall.  We may eliminate that tall straggly one and plant flowers or a different bush. 

In the picture showing the front of the house, you can see that despite a stunning growth spurt in our neighborhood and the area in general, we still have some woods adjacent to our home.  When we first moved in almost 15 years ago, we had woods right across the street, behind us and beside us on the right/garage side of the house.  Much of that has disappeared…

For now at least we can take comfort and appreciate the remaining forested areas.  The first photo above was taken from the front porch on the left looking along that side of the house.  The second photo, taken by Laurie, shows the wooded area on the left side as taken from the back yard.  The third photo shows the woods on the left as viewed from the front porch…and that final photo is of the one wooded lot right across the street from the one next to us. 

In the last 2 photos above, note the new homes peeking through the woods…

Laurie took this photo in our backyard.  That house is behind us and it wasn’t there just a few months ago.  It will be completed soon and we’ll have more new neighbors.  That lot was completely wooded but we are lucky in that there still is a nice dividing fringe of woods between the houses and now that the sun can reach the ground and do its job, the undergrowth will thicken up.  Laurie saw our neighborhood fox the other day and once construction dies down for a bit, perhaps we’ll have an occasional visit from our local deer herd. 

Mother Nature and a passing bird probably ‘planted’ these pretty wildflowers that popped up in Laurie’s circular front flower bed.  The bees and butterflies liked them…so they stayed.  I’ve been unable to identify them but they are very decorative and pleasing to the eye.  If you know what they are, let us know...

The rose-breasted grosbeaks are back!  Laurie managed to capture a few photos of these colorful birds at our feeder and our water source on the deck.  Sometimes referred to as a ‘cut-throat’ given the coloration under its head, this large seed-eating bird is a member of the cardinal family.  As usual with birds, the male is the colorful member of the family. 

An average maximum life span in the wild is a little over 7 years but in captivity they can live for up to 24 years.  Rose-breasted grosbeaks flee to warmer climates in the winter, where they range from southern Mexico through Central America and Cuba to Peru and Venezuela.  These birds are plentiful and are classified as a ‘least concerned’ species by wildlife experts.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave 

Forty-five Years and Counting!

On spring day 45 years ago, Laurie and were married…exactly one year after our first date.  Time flies!  We recently celebrated our 45^th Anniversary.  This milestone earned us a first class celebratory meal in a first class restaurant…

The first photo shows the parking lot side of the Foothills Milling Co. Restaurant in Maryville Tennessee.  The second photo shows the front door to the restaurant.  

The original Foothills Milling Co. location was opened in 2001 in Wears Valley, located between Townsend and Pigeon Forge Tennessee.  That location actually featured a working mill in the restaurant.  The tourist traffic in that area was just a small reason for the restaurant’s early success.  In any case, in late 2006 or early 2007, this family operated restaurant relocated to this site in downtown Maryville.

So what is this old car doing in the Foothills Milling parking lot?  There was another restaurant at this location prior to the move by Foothills Milling Co but, even before that this building served as a Studebaker and later, an Edsel auto dealership.  I like old cars but I’m no expert.  This appears to be a 1925 Studebaker Standard Six.  A nice touch of the past…and whimsy too.

The bar is small and quite cozy.  Since dinner reservations are critical here, there are probably relatively few folks cooling their heels with an adult beverage before dinner.  In addition to the bar, there are separate spaces for small group or private gatherings.

The restaurant’s atmosphere is elegant or upscale enough as befits its menu and the quality of the food.  Southern charm is evident in the white linen napkins and tablecloths…fine dining in a casual relaxing atmosphere.  The suggested dress ‘code’ for the restaurant is business casual.  Most folks were wearing slacks and collared shirts and the ladies were mostly in slacks and nice tops.  Others were actually a bit more casual or more formal. 

To help us celebrate, we were accompanied by our new neighbors and friends, Sue and Steve.  Wisely, not too long ago, they fled California for calmer climes and a higher standard of living here in eastern Tennessee.  They live right across the street from us.

Then of course, they 'had to' take a picture of Laurie and yours truly… Honest!  I am smiling! 

Isn’t that old brick wall a great backdrop?

Warning: Some of the following photos aren’t the greatest.  I forgot my camera and the lighting was such that I couldn’t see if the photos Laurie took with her phone were clear or not.  They looked good at the time… FYI, I only had one glass of wine!

Adult beverages were ordered and our server told us that we would be served an ‘amusette’, a starter designed to stimulate our palates.  Sue, Steve and my bride were all served little fritters with greens and a sauce, the name of which I can’t recall.   All three of my dinner partners raved about the fritters.

Since I avoid greens due to my meds, the server suggested that she could serve me a strawberry drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with goat cheese.  It was very good!

About the same time that the ‘amusettes’ were served, so was this basket of house baked bread!  It was the best bread that we’ve had in a long time and it was served with top notch local butter…soft and easy to spread!  After we wiped out the first basket of bread, our server brought us another basket to demolish.  I do believe that Steve and I both consumed 80% of a basket of bread each! 

When it came to ordering the food, Sue and Steve had more control than we did…but it was our anniversary so we had an excuse!  In any case, for an appetizer they just spilt a bowl of She Crab Soup that was finished with a splash of sherry.  It was very well received.

For my appetizer I ordered the “Buttermilk Curry Pork Meatballs”…Berkshire pork meatballs with yellow curry and served with warm naan flatbread.  I didn’t leave anything behind, even the naan of the curry sauce.   Very nice indeed!

Laurie also ordered an appetizer…but the photo was too bad to even consider using in this post.  In any case, she ordered something she hadn’t had in a long time but always loved.  Her choice was the “Escargot”…a half dozen French helix snails stuffed in roasted garlic button mushrooms and served with lemon and a slice of grilled French baguette.  She really enjoyed her choice but she has since told me that she prefers the escargot in a garlic butter sauce and that, for her at least, the mushrooms were unnecessary.

Next…in order for us to ‘cleanse’ our palates before the main course, each of us were served a small dish of high quality sherbet.  I was trying to recall the last time I was served sherbet as a palate cleanser…and we decided that it was the last time we dined at Foothills Milling Co.  Another nice touch by the restaurant.    

Now on to our entrees!  Sue ordered “Maple Leaf Farms Duck Two Ways…seared duck breast cooked to medium beside a pecan and apple smoked leg quarter and served with soft polenta, roasted brocolini, and a port cherry reduction.  By now both Sue and Steve were quite happy and impressed with the quality of the food and service at Foothills Milling Co.

Steve went in yet another direction with his dinner entrée.  He ordered the “Low Country Shrimp and Grits…with jumbo shrimp, Benton’s bacon, creole white wine cream sauce and creole sausage over creamy grits.  Another dinner winner!

My better half…my bride for the last 45 years…ordered what she usually orders on special occasions.  This time her entrée was served in a different format from the way she usually orders her favorite.  She had the “Tempura Lobster Tails”…cornmeal tempura fried…with jasmine rice, sourwood honey sriracha aioli, sweet Thai chili sauce, sesame roasted mushrooms and baby green beans.  She gave her celebratory meal ‘two thumbs up’ but she did reach her ‘food limit’, ending up taking a lobster tail and some rice home.  I had it for breakfast!

As I perused the menu trying to decide what I’d order for my entrée, I looked at many options…Steak and Potatoes; Cedar Planked Salmon; Short Rib Stuffed Meatloaf, Horseradish Crusted Grouper, Danish Baby Back Ribs…and several other possibilities.  I told our little group that I saw several possibilities but bemoaned the lack lamb on the menu.  An adjoining table overheard me and told us that lamb chops were available and that in fact, they’d ordered them for their entrees. 

Happy me!  So I ordered the Lamb Chop for my entrée!  It was served on a bed of rice of some sort…which worked very well with the medium rare chop.  Since I am avoiding greens, our server told me that they could offer me roasted carrots instead.  My meal was excellent!   

This sweet beverage, a fancy latte, was Laurie’s ‘dessert’, and yes, I also indulged in a dessert.  In my case, I had an excellent blackberry cobbler with some first class ice cream.  In both cases, dessert was definitely an ‘overkill’!  However Laurie finished her liquid dessert and I ‘forced’ myself not to waste the cobbler.  We forgot to take a picture of the cobbler…

The Foothills Milling Co. Restaurant is a first class dining destination.  We have never had a finer meal anywhere in the Knoxville metropolitan area!  Service was tops too.  Hannah, our server, was very helpful and knowledgeable… 

Foothills Milling Company is located at 315 South Washington Street in Maryville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-977-8434.  They are open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 4 PM.  When I called for a reservation a week before our dinner, I was told that we could choose between 5 PM and 8:30 PM.  This is a popular and highly rated restaurant!  Learn more at Foothills Milling – Foothills Milling Company.

I’ll bet that you thought that this blog posting was done… Wrong!  Laurie felt a need to take a ‘selfie’ of us to mark the big event.  Just for the record I’ve also attached a ‘professional’ photo that was taken 45 years ago.  We do look a little different now…time marches on!

We’re looking forward to our 50^th Anniversary!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what we’ve been up to!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie