Well,  we got a late start today (imagine that! ).  Weather early on was pretty dismal.  Spent most of the morning packing up and loading gear for the trip home…just to get that outta the way. We may need to get back early to watch Itty Bitty.  Also had to catch up on some stuff going on back home.

Stopped at Sugarlands Visitor Center to grab a couple of gifts and started heading north for Cosby.  That’s when things got crazy. Got a text from Pumpkin Head that she had checked with Itty Bitty’s pediatrician about her latest platelet count.  All they would say is that she needed to call the doctor at Children’s and consult with them.  Needless to say,  Pumpkin Head is pretty freaked out at this point. For those who don’t know,  Itty Bitty has ITP and her platelet counts are having to be monitored closely.  Loonie and I rushed back to the room and got everything ready to go….just in case.  We waited and waited and were just about to hit the road for home when Pumpkin Head called and said Children’s wants to wait and see where the numbers are at next week.  Depending on the results she may have to go in for another treatment.  So, for now, it’s hurry up and wait.  Turns out that the pediatrician could have given Pumpkin Head the news immediately and saved us all the anxiety. Insane.  Fortunately,  at this point Itty Bitty is ok.

On the heels of that news the skies turned blue and dry. With a bit of daylight left, we decided to head to Greenbrier and see what kinda pics Loonie could get along Porters Creek.  This is such a pretty area.  And much less visited than other areas in the park. We’ve been here a couple of times before and it’s near the top of the list to return to in the spring sometime.  It’s supposed to be fantastic for the wildflowers.  We were here in June one year and there were tons still in bloom.  Beautiful!  Porters Creek itself has such a different feel to it.  Much more calm than Big Creek.  Really nice.  Just what the doctor ordered after the anxious hours earlier.  Headed back to the room to finish getting things ready to head back home.  The return to Cosby and Hen Wallow Falls will have to wait for another day.

If you happen to be the praying – type, please say one for Itty Bitty.  We would sure appreciate it.

More to come …