Ha! I told you I’d get around to writing something not about music!

I spent a wonderful past Wednesday with friends back in the Tri-Cities. I went to finish a project I can’t talk about yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to fill in the details for the three people who actually read this blog sometime in the near future.

If you’re ever in eastern Tennessee or thereabouts, I highly recommend stopping by Bays Mountain Park http://www.baysmountain.com/ for an afternoon. They have barge rides, camping areas, a wonderful tourist center, plus a brand new Planetarium you just have to see to believe. For less than you would pay for a burger, you can spend a wonderful half-hour learning all about the cosmos on a dome projection screen that puts you right in the middle of outer space. How realistic is it? I got motion sickness and nearly barfed all over the new carpet. But it was totally worth it, and yes, I’m going again as soon as I get back down there. I’m just going to take a Dramamine next time.

Bays Mountain also has a nature center and programs designed to introduce people to nature. They have bobcats, raccoons, a raptor center, wild deer, and wolves. If you don’t see anything else, definitely stop by the wolf pens and say hello. They have eight wolves and each one is gorgeous. Lucky me, I was fortunate enough to get the chance to help the keepers feed the wolves (a special treat) and I’ve never had more fun sticking my hands into squishy, bloody meat. Just grab a handful and toss it over the fence, and the wolves jump and beg like dogs. Like big, happy, hairy dogs big enough to ride like horses. But I wouldn’t advise it.

I’d never been fortunate enough to see a wild wolf before, but here you can get close enough to look into their eyes. Until you’ve done that, you have no idea what it means to be a part of nature. Their eyes gleam like moonlight, and there’s something so intelligent and alien there, it’s indescribable.

The herpetarium has plenty of snakes and reptiles for those of you who like creatures of the slippery, scaly variety. If you’re lucky, you may get the chance to meet Daisy the possum. She was hand-raised from a baby by one of the park employees, and loves attention. And marshmallows.

This only touches on everything Bays Mountain park has to offer. Hiking trails, lakes, rivers, wildlife. It’s all there. Just be respectful of nature and you’ll be welcome.

I spent most of my day there, finishing up the super-mysterious top-secret project, and then went out to dinner with what ended up being a truckload of friends. Mexican food has never tasted so good. Thank you La Carreta on Kingsport’s Stone Drive. Wonderful service, wonderful food.

I didn’t get home until after two that morning, and the drive back nearly killed me. It was totally worth it.

Plus, spending a day out in nature, away from home and work, put my mind in a place where it was happy to play. And play always means good ideas. Good ideas mean new stories, and yes, I’m working on yet another story. I couldn’t be happier.