Change of plans

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We woke up to pretty heavy rain. We Californian's were pretty pleased to see it for once. We spent a short time wandering around the grounds - the kids fed the catfish and played with the dogs - before the yummy pancake breakfast Alynne made for us all. After breakfast, we all piled back into the car and headed to North Carolina to Gabe's sister, Joanne (and Tom's) house in Asheville. Once we got there, Gabe and Rece had a chance to catch up with family.

Mary, Danny's partner, brought their young kids (Ely and Lilly) over and they kept everyone entertained. Joanne and Gabe had some time to talk. Charlotte made Gabe a birthday cake from scratch and Sam got to compare notes with Savannah, Joanne and Tom's older daughter. Savannah made a great chicken pasta dish and we spent the day relaxing and chatting.

10. What does the word "smial" mean? It's Tolkien's word for the holes that hobbits live in. What's funny is that Tolkien made it up and both Gabe and I would have sworn it was a real word.

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Photos

Gabe and Joanne
Sam captured this fun shot