Life has been so insane with construction, deadlines, edits, decisions . . . all at once . . . that even though we escaped for only four hours, it was good.

Lake Chatuge Marine hosted Len and I months ago on a press trip. Today, we booked a four-hour escape on a pontoon boat. Len even got his boating license for the occasion. What a man will do to captain a boat?

We saw dogs on paddleboards, kids on floats, and fog on the mountains. The rush that went through me when I remembered this is my backyard was palpable. Never in a million years would I have thought Hiawassee or Hayesville would have made me happy. Len and I are happy - Logan and Billy are happy - Ty and Maddie are happy - and everything is as it should be. It’s good to be home.