I'll be back to the home of Josh and Talia Gates! As usual, it centered around treat quantity and treat quality, and boy oh boy, specifically their boys Kye (7) and Zane (3) did had the treats! Josh Gates, husband to Talia, father to Kye and Zane, son to a preacher-man, former Army Ranger, current worldwide mountain climber, and CEO of Saturday Down South certainly brings a lot to the table as one of Jasper Main Street's new board members.

Josh and me, Miss Bankhead

 

I let Mike take most of the notes for this interview because I was busy following Kye and Zane around the house and the yard playing. After all, he gets the paycheck for all the work I do so he can handle one little interview.

 

Mike drove on to the property, and when I exited the backseat of the car, I was immediately greeted by 2 human boys running toward me. If you know anything about me, you know I love treats, most humans, and all children, especially Kye and Zane. They entertained me the entire time I was in their home.

 

I found out some interesting things about the Gates family. While Josh didn't grow up here, he did arrive as a senior in high school in 1999 when his dad assumed the position of pastor at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Curry. He left soon after his high school graduation with no plans to return to Jasper while he traveled to military hotspots as an Army Ranger.

 

Meeting Talia, originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, at Samford University, Josh and she would eventually marry and with the help of Sandy Prevost settle in Jasper in 2014.  Sandy, Downtown Jasper property owner and developer and wife to orthopedic surgeon, Mark, knew Josh's parents.  The Prevosts encouraged the hospital to contact Talia, an OB-GYN doctor, to consider Jasper as a place to join a practice and raise a family.  In part, we have Mark and Sandy Prevost to thank for Dr. Talia Gates of Walker Women Specialists for working and living in our community.

The whole Gates Family loving on me.  

Thanks to Kye, Josh, Zane, and Talia!

 

Josh has climbed to the summit of three continents to date:   Kilimanjaro, Africa;   Aconcagua, South America; and Denali, North America.   While Josh has climbed three of the seven summits of the world (the highest peaks on the seven continents), his fourth summit was to take place in Nepal.   However, the pandemic postponed his plans until this Fall.   If he reaches the seven summits, he will be the first Alabamian to do so.

Josh Gates reaching the Summit of Denali, 

the highest point in North American

 

In lieu of Mount Everest and because of the pandemic, Josh took up the gauntlet of teacher to Kye and caretaker to both boys while he was working from home and Talia was still seeing patients. While Kye did enjoy Josh as a teacher, he clearly preferred Mrs. Chloe Brown Brom at T.R. Simmons Elementary School. Sometimes dads get thrown under the bus; I've done it to Mike many times.

 

This family, with their Jasper Main Street dog bowl full of fresh water, welcomed me into their home, and they are dedicated to planting their roots in Jasper in a purposeful way so that Kye and Zane and countless other children will someday benefit from their efforts.   #jaspermainstreet #flourishwithus #tbp #pawtographslaterdahling