Flexibility in Burkesville, KY

Last evening the lovely Robin and I took a long driving tour of Burkesville, KY (quite an accomplishment in itself, in a small town). One of the highlights of the tour, believe it or not, was the sign for Hamilton's BBQ in town:


The eatery's posted hours are "USUALLY open at 9 am Thur-Fri-Sat." Refreshingly honest, flexible, and unpretentious.

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Evening Walk in Paradise Valley

Today was the first full day of Fall, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to take a walk this evening, though the day was fading fast.


So, with everyone gone from a busy weekend and the lovely Robin and I back on the camp grounds after dinner, I ventured out as the sun set and the moon rose. Chilly but pleasant. I heard an owl call (but didn't hear my name). A squirrel warned every creature in the woods of my progress, seemingly step by step. A brisk walk. A vespers prayer.

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Camp Paradise Valley on Dale Hollow Lake

I spoke this weekend at the Asbury University Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF) retreat, held at the SA's KY/TN Division's camp--Camp Paradise Valley--near Burkesville, Kentucky.

It is a beautiful camp, deep in a valley (maybe that's where they got the name) straddling the KY/TN border (the state line runs through mid court on the basketball court, as shown in the photo above).

The camp also enjoys access to the area's sprawling Dale Hollow Lake, which only adds to the beauty of the place.

The weekend was blessed with beautiful weather, too. Saturday afternoon gave the students a chance to play dodgeball and other games. No injuries were reported, probably because I didn't play.

The campfire circle on Saturday night provided opportunity for singing, sharing, and s'mores. With all that, really, who could ask for s'more?

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Hot Rod BBQ, Burkesville, KY

On the recommendation of a local, our friends Doug and Debbie Burr hosted me and the lovely Robin for a meal at Hot Rod BBQ in Burkesville, Kentucky.


Hot Rod BBQ is only open for business Thursday through Sunday...and a sign inside the eatery said they would soon be closed Thursdays as well. Must be the economy.


Never one to pass up a chance to eat barbecue ribs, I ordered a half rack with baked beans and (a new addition to the menu) green beans.


The ribs were nicely cooked, tender and tasty. The "mild" sauce, which I tried on half the slab, was vinegary rather than sweet. Not my taste, but the ribs really didn't need the sauce, so my enjoyment wasn't hindered at all.

Cleanup was a cinch, as everything was served in and with disposable items. The service was quick and polite...though when someone (don't worry, Doug, I won't mention who) started to exit without paying, our server was right behind. We might have escaped but decided not to chance it.

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On the Border

The lovely Robin and I arrived this afternoon at The Salvation Army's beautiful Camp Paradise Valley, on scenic Dale Hollow Lake.


The camp is situated in a valley (maybe that's where they got the name!) that straddles the Kentucky/Tennessee border.


We are here for the weekend with a group of students and volunteers from Asbury University and the Salvation Army Student Fellowship, under the leadership of our friends, Majors Doug and Debbie Burr.


I'll be speaking tonight (Friday), tomorrow, and Sunday in the camp chapel (though the lack of phone and Internet service may mean this post won't appear until later, perhaps after the weekend).


But we're so blessed to be a part of this lively group in this lovely setting. We are praying for and expecting God to show up in the beauty and splendor of his holiness.

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Old Mission Peninsula

A couple summers ago, my kids and grandkids vacationed with us on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City, Michigan. This photo, of my son and his son walking together in the lake near the Old Mission lighthouse, is one of my all-time favorites.

An iPhone-as-Camera Downside

One of the many reasons I love my iPhone is that it takes excellent pictures, eliminating the need when I travel to pack a camera. Less weight, less baggage, less to remember, less to think about...especially compared to the Nikon camera and lenses I carried each day on our 1987 trip to Israel (the photo above, taken by the lovely Robin--using yet ANOTHER camera--gives only a glimpse of the camera and bag, both hanging by straps from my neck).

So on our most recent travels, it has been a delight to use our iPhones as cameras (though we remove the SIM cards to be sure we don't incur any unexpected charges from incoming texts, calls, etc., while in a foreign country).

Still, we did discover one disadvantage on our 2010 trip to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt, which we have kept in mind ever since. While I was actually exploring INSIDE one of the ancient pyramids at Giza, Robin wandered around the amazing site with friends. At one point, however, she wanted a photo of just her with the pyramids in the background, and our friends were off doing something else. But that's not a problem, as there are numerous young boys at the site, eager to perform nearly any task for tourists, in the hopes of getting a tip for their efforts. She started to ask one of the boys to take her picture with her iPhone, when it dawned on her...the device (unlike many conventional cameras) may just have been too tempting for the kid. He could have run off with it and disappeared into the crowd, losing not only the phone itself, but all the pictures she had taken in the previous days of our tour.

To date, I think that may be the only disadvantage we've discovered in using the iPhone as our small-but-high-quality travel camera: you can't hand it to just anyone to take your picture.