Family Feed

I can vaguely remember the time before the pond was built in the holler up near where the old house on the hill set that ((I'm told) housed Uncle Rudy and his wife (name?).

I believe it was a government project meant to bring water to the wildlife in the area, but I could be totally off here. It has withstood the test of time, although there have been quite a few trees that have fallen into the water at the far end (that I hope to drag out somehow someday).

But you would be hard pressed to find a more relaxing spot than to sit on the bank listening to the multitude of birds singing in the trees. The bank facing the camp draws the evening sunlight and it warms the body on a cool day.

Although they're not huge by any measure, there are many bass in the…

This is a picture of Grandma’s house, painted when I was a child. We spent a week there one summer, and some friends (another family) went with us. The woman painted this picture. It was hanging in our house for decades and we recently had some prints made of the original. So I have one hanging in my home now.

I realize that most of the pictures I have are from the past 25 years or so. I'd love to see anything you have- ANYTHING that relates to past or present with our coal branch family!

Traveling to Mammy's one year with dad, sitting beside him in the passenger seat when we rounded a turn next to the railroad tunnel.

Dad suddenly brought the Ford Galaxie to a stop in the middle of the gravel road. It was night time, but the headlights from the car pierced the darkness around us.... until he shut the car off and turned off the headlights!

As I sat there in complete darkness, I waited for him to explain what we were doing here in the dark surrounded by... who knows what?! My mind playing tricks on me.

"Put your hand in front of your face." Dad broke the silence. "Okay", I replied, waiting for something magical to happen...

"Can you see it?" He asked.

Dad and I used to walk those hills often. We always went in the Fall because Dad wanted to hunt Ginseng. He liked walking by the cabin, and I think there was an old school bus there then that was used for youth retreats. He loved it there.

We got into chiggers one year when we were out walking. Not good! We got bit from top to bottom. Dorothy washed all our clothes and gave us ointment, but we suffered for weeks afterwards.

But we still went back the next year and many more……😊

The cabin located on the far eastern side of the property has been the home for youth groups and men's retreats since its completion in 2010. But times and youth groups change, and the allure of primitive camping doesn't seem to be there for today's softer, technical and more docile generation.

So we're trying options. I will be making my first attempt at turkey hunting this weekend with a longtime friend (who knows what he's doing!). We're hoping to take advantage of beautiful spring weather to call in the Gobblers while trying to avoid snakes and ticks (which happen to come heaviest in Spring, unfortunately).

Any opportunity I get to spend time on Coal Branch is time I treasure. The memories "flood my soul" remembering my best times spent with Dad walking the hills and logging trails. The cabin itself is located on the spot Dad and I picked out…