The End of the Rainbow

The picture above does not quite capture the beauty of the rainbow that seemed to come straight down to the hood of the car as I drove along I-80 approaching Roanoke, VA, on my way home from two days in the Cherokee Forest. This was actually the third of four such rainbows that appeared one after another along the highway during a hail and thunder storm that lasted for hours as I drove slowly along, at times barely able to see. I finally pulled over both for safety and to try and capture this third rainbow. The first one was even more dramatic as it appeared to actually touch the ground on the side of the road. I fear that gawking at these awesome spectacles may have helped cause the dreadful tangle of 3 big rigs further up the road that slowed traffic to a crawl for over an hour and it's probably fortunate I pulled over when I did.

The two days I spent with buddies David and Tom in the Cherokee Forest were filled with many other wonders of nature that were a healing balm for city-sore eyes and ears. The first night we were treated to a symphony of forest creatures, frogs, insects and birds, as they wove their voices in and out through the whispering trees. David made us try and guess which voices belonged to which species and how many different tones each family were producing.

We had spent most of the daylight hours driving around and seeing the main attractions of the terrain and then settled in with a nice campfire to enjoy the sounds of the forest accompanied by a spectacular light show of fireflies, the first of the season that David had seen. It was also the first day it was warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirts, and we sat comfortably in the fragrant open air without even the worry of biting insects. Time seemed to stand still and then suddenly it was 3:15 and we decided we had better get some sleep. My tent was cozy and I slept well, not even waking up once, although David and Tom thought I was a sissy for not sleeping out in the open like they did. Maybe next time!

The next day we arose at 8am and went in to Tellico Plains for a hearty country breakfast, then spent most of the day driving around the area, up to the highest peak, and visiting two Indian museums and Fort Loudon, a recreation of the original outpost. I learned alot about the sad history of this region and the former Cherokee nation capital that now sits underwater, flooded for a reservoir after the government moved the Cherokees to a reservation in North Carolina.

It started raining in the late morning and continued raining until the next morning, at times with very high winds and the occasional startling thunderbolt. We came back to camp in the late afternoon and decided we all needed a nap, so we spent a couple of hours each in our own cocoons, listening to the sound of the rain and the increasingly high winds. About 7:o0 we arose and began to prepare for a long rainy night with no campfire, huddled under Tom's tarp with our chairs and David's camping candle and kerosene lantern as our only lights. Just as we were about to start mixing the cocktails a ranger walked into the camp and shone his flashlight around, looking for evidence of alcohol or other illegalities. It was like deja vu all over again, but luck was with us as we had not yet brought the goods to light and we spent a few awkward moments chatting with the ranger about the impending storm. He reassured us that the tornado watch had been canceled, although we could expect high winds and alot of rain, which indeed was the case. We were most afraid of trees falling on us, and discussed which way it was best to run in the event we saw one falling, but fortunately they all stayed put. We told ghost stories and other tall tales as we sipped our forbidden cocktails and tried to keep the tarp from flying away.

The wind and the rain finally got the better of me and I went to my tent around 1:15, more afraid of a flood than anything. I lay awake for quite awhile watching an intense light show on the ceiling of my tent from the constant lightning that was strangely unaccompanied by thunder. It rained so hard for so long that at last I really had to get out to make an outhouse call and prayed that it would stop for just awhile. Finally it did let up for a few moments and I managed to pull on my rain gear and struggle out of the tent, but just as I was making my way out it started raining very hard again. I didn't think I should try to hike the 100 yards uphill to the outhouse, so I must confess I had to just take care of business behind the camp, praying I didn't fall or get washed away before I could get back in the tent. When I finally made it back into the tent I had to change clothes because I was soaked, but I was so worn out I managed to sleep away the rest of the night.

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and this part of the world anyway seemed washed clean as we made our way back into Tellico Plains for a final breakfast before we went our separate ways. It was a wonderful 48 hours that I will long remember and the four rainbows that I witnessed a while later seemed to promise that the good times are not all in the past.

Tom, David and me in Tellico Plains, TN

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
- Paul Williams