03/13/2022
It’s damn near impossible to put it into words…
The stories will live on for lifetimes to come…
Your influence will continue to travel the world through time and space and people even though you’re not here…
The amount of lives that one man can touch is simply astounding…
The 1st time I ever visited Smokey’s Farm (Cherokee Farms) I was just 15 years old…
I went with a group of friends & was absolutely hooked 💗 I did everything I could to get myself out to this magical land as often as I could… Everyone could feel how special it was just to visit…
I’m gonna take you on a journey for a moment… read the story 1st, then with your eyes closed, go down your own memory lane & let it take you wherever it will 💕
The anticipation grows as I ready my camping gear for the weekend… I haven’t even left yet and I already want to stay longer… I grab clothes for warm weather, cold nights, windy nights, rainy nights… you just never know how fast the weather may change on that old ridge… it’s like it’s own world out there… I pack my car and send a few last minute messages to the crew to make sure everyone is lined up.
I don’t worry too much about how much food to pack bc I know the Walmart is near by and I’ll probably have to make 10 trips before the weekend is up anyway… I hop in my ride, buckle the belt, and turn on my driving music… I usually start this trip out with some classic Allman Brothers Band… As Ramblin’ Man blares in my speakers I can’t help but sing along… this hour and a half drive is always just what I need… I roll my windows down and put on my shades. If I timed it right, I’ll be there just in time to get my tent up and catch the sunset. The familiar turns and curves on this old road are like a second home to me. One of the only places I don’t have to use navigation to get to. As I pass the road signs and see Lafayette, I get a little butterfly flutter in my belly. Already excited for what lies ahead… I’m suddenly remembering that I’m headed to a dry town and I better grab a bottle before I get too much further. Nothing too crazy, just a little nip of something & maybe I’ll grab a bottle of Scotch for a special old man… As I pull into town, I’m too excited to even bother stopping at the store, I probably have something to munch on anyway, I’m just ready to get there… I roll over the train tracks just one step closer to that deep sense of freedom I’ve been longing for… I make a left hand turn and suddenly feeling that rush of gratitude flood my heart space 💗 This is one of my favorite roads to drive on, it’s short and sweet and just the right amount of country. As I make my way to Walnut Row, I turn into the top gravel of the drive… I pull over to the side a little and put it in park. I immediately unbuckle my seatbelt and re buckle it behind me so it doesn’t beep… i crack a nice cold beer and take a sip… I roll down every window and turn my radio up nice and loud… I put her in drive and take my time pulling down the long stretch of gravel that’s been calling me back before I even knew where I was going… Smokey doesn’t like when you go too fast on his road & I’ve seen how hard he works to maintain it… So I roll slowly and respectfully down the gravel drive admiring this beautiful, peaceful land. Trying to savor every moment that I have with it… Cause somehow deep inside, I know what an incredible honor it is to visit a place like this. Part of what makes it so special, is the knowing of one day, that it may not be not be available to visit just any old time… So for now, I make sure to enjoy it moment to moment… As I roll on back the winding road following the creek, on past the welcome center I start to look for a tractor or a golf cart that may be busy at work doing something. With a place like this, there’s always something that needs done… These special places of the world have to be maintained by someone, and the land couldn’t have picked a better owner. I’ve heard stories from the man himself that there wasn’t much here when he 1st got started but a big old mess and a whole lot of opportunity. And to see what it is now and how he’s shared it with so many people, it is just such a special gift 🎁 No one is on the road now though, so I drive on back… I take another left and make the final decent… That much closer to putting my toes in the grass 💚 As the road opens up to the hills and the ridges I feel right at home. My face gets brighter, my heart gets lighter & my worries start to melt away… I park at the stage, and walk up the hill to stretch my legs a bit… As I look out upon this landscape, I’m reminded how small I am in this great big world… And how lucky I am to be sitting here right now… I inhale and exhale as deep as I can…. The sky here is bluer, the stars are brighter, the grass is greener, the fires are warmer… Everything just feels better when I’m here… How can a place like this even exist? With a whole lot of hard work & good intentions, the right kind of energy comes along and attracts the right kind of community. When they form a bond, they discover that they can move mountains, descend caves and achieve feats that feel impossible to others… But more importantly, they can just be themselves when they are visiting this place. This land is meant to be shared, it’s meant to be loved… It’s meant to inspire and connect… it’s meant for growth… It’s the stuff that legends are made of 💗
This bond between this man and his land is something few will ever experience for themselves. Even fewer men will ever bother to share it the way he did. Not many people extend the kind of welcoming hospitality that Smokey could lend. Those sparkly blue eyes, that coy grin, his rugged denim shirt, that old hat & mason jar, his bandanna… Always prepared for whatever may arise. He always had a good joke and some way to make you laugh. He had an amazing way with children & they were drawn to him just as most people were. It’s impossible to know how many lives were touched and will continue to be throughout eternity of time… For love like his, it never dies… it just multiplies from person to person and evolves into more love… May we all take lessons from this amazing & unique human that we knew as “Smokey” (Larry Caldwell) May we keep his lessons close to our hearts and continue to share them with the world. May we all have a little Smokey inside of us that lives on forever. May we never forget the kindness he bestowed upon so many others and may we do the same in our own lives. Rest easy Smokey, you will NEVER be forgotten ❤️
