She found out.

Okay, Madison did not find out that Scott was going to propose marriage to her but she did find out that there was going to be a photographer waiting for them both at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fair enough - when you are on a trip with your loved one, why not capture the two of you in a beautiful setting?

At sunrise. At 5,000 feet. In 20 F degree weather.

Sounds good to me.

Madison took off her jacket, got into position, and asked me, “What do you want us to do?”

To which I replied, “I don’t know - hey, Scott, what do YOU want to do?”

And … he did!

Doing the post-proposal photoshoot, the two were impressed with both the view and the snow that was up there. It seems they have never reached such literal heights in their corner of Mississippi before and Scott remarked that this was the deepest snow he had ever seen in his life!

Things like that make me happy, though, as I am able to share the beauty of my backyard, the Smokies, with people seeing its wilderness like this for the first time. And having a dusting of snow at the Gap is icing on the . . . well, mountain!

We were lucky - the weather that brought snow came in a couple of days earlier, which gave the rangers in the park time to make sure US 441, the road up there, was safe for passage. Usually, when there is a threat of snow and ice, the rangers close the route between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC.

After a short time at Newfound Gap, we moved to Morton Overlook for some more fun!

I still find it amazing that these pictures may someday be part of this scenario:

Man and young girl together. He shows her these pictures.

Young Girl: Who is this lady and man, Daddy?

Man: Those are your grandparents the day Poppa asked Grams to marry him, honey . . .

Pretty cool when you think about it, eh?

Congratulations to Madison and Scott - may your life together see more happiness and health than anything else! And, per my custom . . .

Mazel tov, you crazy kids!