Bobbie (Sonner) Such and her husband, James Such, have lived in Chattanooga sine 2016. They started their family here and are parents to 4 young children.
Bobbie is a registered art therapist, but not practicing at this time. She pulls double duty between Talking Water and raising the kids.
James works at a local foundation repair company and tackles projects whenever free.
Bobbie is the point-of-contact for most Talking Water activities.
Our Chattanooga story really started in the 1930s with Bobbie's grandmother, Sandy (Shoemaker) Sonner. She grew up on Signal Mountain, but life moved her away, she married, and she raised 6 children.
Sandy's oldest son (and Bobbie's father) is John Sonner. He and his wife, Karen Sonner, are youthful free spirits living a semi-nomadic lifestyle, but sincerely love John's mother's hometown.
John continues to work in IT and Karen recently retired from decades as an elementary school teacher. Karen utilizes her green thumb as the "arborist" of the group.
Their faith in the vision of Talking Water is what allowed this project to begin in the first place.
The whole family is crossing our fingers that fate brings Ken Sonner (John & Karen's son/Bobbie's brother) back to Tennessee soon as well.
Ken acts as our lumberjack. Although his current career involves sitting behind a desk, he frequently takes breaks to carry heavy supplies and to tend to his animals.
For now, he prefers to be known as a man of mystery...
Ken contributes a patient & strong teen to the family business.
James & Bobbie contribute 4 smaller team members.
They all enjoy swinging hammers and stacking wood, but some are more coordinated than others.
Merlin is the youngest member of the team! He joined our family in December 2023 at around 5 months old.
Merlin is at Talking Water as often as possible. He is working on manners, but is a good young man and loves getting attention from guests.
The idea for Talking Water was born during family reunions in the 1990s. So many great moments happened when people were able to slow down and spend time together in beautiful (and weird) settings. We chose places with character and natural beauty. We spent days exploring what the local area had to offer and we shared meals and loud conversation/music/games in the evenings.
Those family reunions made a particular impression on Bobbie. She loved watching relative's faces light up with delight and getting into her own antics on these trips. Over the years an idea formed. Wouldn't it be wonderful to make space for people to experience these light hearted moments together?
That dream of creating a retreat grew bigger with time, fed by our family's addiction to DIY construction and interest in design. Chattanooga's gorgeous mountains gave us the perfect setting.
Now, we ask our guests to bring the company, laughter, meals, and open spirits with them. Whether traveling alone or with people of all backgrounds, we wholeheartedly welcome you.
There's many good times to be had!
Talking Water Nature Retreat
6405 Suck Creek Road (Highway 27), Chattanooga, TN 37405
Copyright © 2023 Talking Water Nature Retreat - All Rights Reserved.
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