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Sunday, May 31, 2009

More Nashville

First I wanted to share a picture with one of my sand dollars. If you recall I had found two of them and I was at a loss as to what to do with them. We put one on our inside welcome sign. The other is outside and I really need to get a picture so I can show you.

We went Nashville again, downtown this time. I saw on the map they have a riverfront park. So we went in search of it. We found it, across from all the 'famous' bars and I have to say I wasn't impressed with the park. A lot could be done with it but today it had mostly homeless looking guys hanging around. I could smell dead fish. Fort Nashborough is there, http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=F043, just a replica but they've put bars up everywhere to keep folks from getting to close.


Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville. Jim took this picture and in the background you can see the AT&T building

The Cumberland River


Ft Nashborough cabin



Another Cabin

Plants like these were everywhere, the city was quite lovely


Across the river is The Titan Stadium and this sculpture. No matter where we go we find these odd sculptures.
We had to drive around to find a parking spot for our truck. Parking meters everywhere and fee parking lots. We found a free spot.....then we walked down 2nd street, but it's just full of clubs and restaurants. Only a few shops.
We both had seafood for lunch, fish and chips for Jim and I had fish tacos, we both had a nice cold beer to wash it down. Sat outside and watch traffic and people go by. We walked back up the street and stopped in one shop that sold western wear and boots. Oh My! even discounted and sale prices were ridiculous!
Our drive home was a long one, part of I-40 east was closed. Stopped and fueled up at $2.18 a gallon. It was to warm to sit inside so we sat outside for awhile. Jim did a few things to get ready for our trip tomorrow. We're heading over towards Memphis in the morning.
Dinner for Jim was leftover stir fry and I had a hot dog. We're watching a Harry Potter movie. Perhaps I should make popcorn!






Saturday, May 30, 2009

Angels and Demons

Yesterday after lunch we went into Lebanon, Tennessee to the Roxy theater and saw Angels and Demons with Tom Hanks. Great movie! There were only three of us watching....why is it they play the movies so loud? I wear ear plugs and it's still to noisy.

once home I watched my soaps and piddled on the computer. I think I read a magazine. Real exciting life we lead!

For dinner I fixed chicken stir fry which we enjoyed with a glass of wine. The movie Batman Begins was on AMC so we watched that. Started to watch Roadhouse but I decided I'd rather sleep. We were in bed by 2230.

I was up at 0650 this morning! Did some yoga and had my coffee before Jim got up around 0800. I had fun texting Anne, I sure miss her......Scotty too!

Spent some time outside reading magazines before lunch. Jim was inside doing his thing on the computer then he fixed the sky light blind in the shower. I did a load of laundry and had lunch....

just another day in paradise! please click on an ad...we get paid when you do!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Nashville

Yesterday we went into Nashville. I didn't care where we went as long as we got out of the house. Jim had programmed Camping World into the GPS and that was our first stop. We wandered all over the store but didn't buy anything.

We drove right past some interesting stuff so we headed back that way and found the Opry Mills Mall. It's a big mall! http://www.mapnashville.com/nashville_oprymills.html We wandered around and noticed that this mall is doing well. Only a couple stores closed. I think the anchors were the oddest, a Imax theater at one end and Bass Pro Shops at the other. We had lunch at the Macaroni Grill. Delicious! We spent some time looking around Bass Pro Shop but again we didn't buy anything.

As we left to go home it started raining on us! Can't go a day without rain around here.

For dinner we had BLTs, watched some TV and played on the computers. In bed shortly after 2200. I slept well and I trust Jim did. At least he didn't toss and turn and bother me! LOL I was up at 0615 this morning. I had to turn on the fireplace to get the chill out of the air.

I have some grackles at the bird feeder this morning, also a dove on the ground. I've seen a small sparrow looking bird but I haven't been able to identify it. Robins are everywhere!

Well it's time to get dressed and start my day!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Rainy weather

We've had rain every day since our arrival in Lebanon and yesterday we were treated to a thunderstorm! that was fun....I spent the day doing laundry and ironing. When I take the sheets off the bed I wash one at a time in our small washer. So it can take awhile to wash and dry them. I also washed the duvet cover.

I watched some of the French Open and my soaps. Jim worked on the roof trying to fix a wire for the TV and satellite dish. It would be nice if he wrote about what he's doing because most of the time I haven't a clue! He was at Walmart when the storm broke here.

Had afternoon coffee and read a couple magazines. Dinner was awful! I bought some ham but we didn't like the tough salty cut. I won't buy that again! We also had steamed potatoes and sliced tomatoes, these were good. Jim did the dishes for me so I could watch Jeopardy, gotta love him!

We watched reruns of NCIS and we were in bed shortly after 2200. It's good to be back in the CTZ!

This morning I was up with Boo at 0530 but went right back to bed. I guess I went back to sleep because I didn't get up again until 0715. Did some yoga and had my coffee. Breakfast is over, the dishes are done and here I sit....

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Lebanon, Tennessee

Yesterday I was up at 0630! I guess I was eager to get on the road. Jim was up at 0800 and after breakfast we got busy and packed up. We were on the road by 0930. We had long drive through the mountains and rain was forecast. We did well in avoiding rain. After we hit the Tennessee border we ran into a short downpour right when we planned to stop at the welcome center! We just kept driving.

We made a total of three stops and arrived at our destination around 1330. We're back in the central time zone! It didn't' take us long to set up and we sat outside enjoying a cold beer. As we sat there the rain started. While we talking Jim and I decided to eat out. Memorial Day is one of our anniversaries.

We came in, showered and dressed for our special dinner out. We went to Outback and ordered margaritas, then coconut shrimp and we each had a steak dinner. We even splurged and brought home dessert. It was a lovely meal and we both can't believe we've been together for 35 years.

once home we changed in our pajamas and relaxed. Jim went to bed around 2130 and I followed about a half hour later. The long drive, drinks and dinner did us in and we slept well.

Today was just another day in Paradise. We went grocery shopping, I ironed and did laundry and Jim fixed our rear window blind. He also did something to the bike rack that included sawing and banging. ? I fixed spaghetti for dinner, along with bread, wine and a salad for me.

I spoke with Karen this evening, that's twice this week we've spoken. She's always a treat to talk to. She sent me pictures of Smokey, her Pomeranian via phone. Karen loves to dress her Smokey!

I'm watching Angels and Demons on the History channel. Interesting program discussing the current movie, the book and the church.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day

Or is it? I remember when Memorial day was the 30th of May. It was a day to remember those who gave their life for our freedoms. It was a day to visit the cemetary and remember those who were no longer with us. It wasn't a three day holiday

I hope you thanked a Veteran today and I also hope you took the time to remember




Memorial Day History
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
General John A. LoganLibrary of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy redThat grows on fields where valor led,It seems to signal to the skiesThat blood of heroes never dies.She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.
There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.
Restore The Traditional Day Of Observance For Memorial Day
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Click here to read this petition.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Sunday

Sometime during the night I awoke to hear the sound of rain. It was such a soothing sound I went back to sleep and didn't get up until almost 0800! I waited until Jim got up and then made some sausage and biscuits for breakfast.

then we just hung around watching the rain and watching war movies on TV. After lunch and the dishes were done one more time I decided I wanted to go to the Farmers Market for some tomatoes, cucumbers and ham. Jim shaved, we changed clothes and drove over, which took about 10 minutes.

After I made these purchases for our dinner we came home and after I put away the food I changed into shorts. The rain had stopped and it was heating up.

We never did have dinner but we enjoyed a glass of wine. Boo had his dinner and I walked him while talking with Anne. We'd been texting and I thought I'd surprise her by calling!

Jim finally made himself a bowl of noodles and I fixed myself a salad. Now we're watching Ben Stiller in Night in the Museum, gotta admit, it's funny.

Not a very exciting day, but that's how it is sometimes!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

We played tourist today

I was up at 0645 this morning! I had time to do some exercises before I made my coffee. Of course I could exercise every morning before I have my coffee but why should I spoil the morning? LOL For breakfast I had some pancakes and juice. Jim got up around 0900. I really should wake him earlier but he does love to sleep!

While he had his coffee I made the bed and tidied up the kitchen. Then I Boo and I went for a walk. On the way back up the hill Jim joined us. Once we got back to the house we changed and headed to downtown Asheville. We found a parking lot and paid our fee. then we just started to walk around. There are antique shops, coffee shops, restaurants and tourist shops.

As we walked around I took these pictures. Our day was overcast so they aren't the best.


I just liked the jumble of the railroad ties holding this hill back....wonder how long it's looked like this? or how long it will last...
a lot of the buildings have beautiful brickwork, this is the fire station

Just a pretty tree

More of that fancy brickwork

Sidewalk art in front of the Ed's place


barrel planted with flowers
We had lunch at Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria, http://www.barleystaproom.com/ Decent pizza if a bit overpriced. We had a Greek Pizza and some really good beer. After strolling around town we made it back to the car park with time to spare so we stopped in a wine store. There was a tasting going on so we tasted a few. Jim quit after two but I did all five. Didn't have anything I couldn't live without. But we did find a wine we'd been looking for. Not the same vineyard so it may not be what Anne and I like...Time will tell....
Once home we both took a wee nap. Afternoon coffee was had outside. Still haven't had dinner but I am getting hungry!
We're showered and watching BBC America, Torchwood just ended and now it's time for Primeval...





Friday, May 22, 2009

Star Trek

I got out of bed this morjning around 0715, outside the temperature was in the upper 50's, inside lower 60's so I turned on the fireplace just to take the chill out. An hour or so later I decided to make pancakes and sausage. That woke Jim up! We had a tasty breakfast.


I did a load of laundry, made the bed, did the dishes. We had plans to go to a movie this afternoon and after a lunch of salad for me and a burger for Jim we left for the short drive to the theater.


It is in a new section being built that includes condos and shops with covered parking. Restaurants are being built and of course the theater. I'm betting a grocery store will be included! That way the 'village' will be self contained.


Anyway the movie we saw was Star Trek. What fun! I don't remember the exact date the TV series started but Jim and I have enjoyed the Star Trek phenomnon for about 35 years.


For dinner we had fish, risotto and corn. Afer dinner we tried to watch a movie on loan from Sonsearae. Tropic Thunder was not our cup of tea and after 20-30 minutes we stopped watching.


Now we're computing and playing games.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Moving Day

Today we moved to another campground. We couldn't extend our stay at the last one and Jim found a space for us at Bear Creek
http://www.ashevillebearcreek.com/map.html

Since the drive was only a short one we packed slowly and left around noon. About twenty minutes later we were here. Once we set up I decided to have dinner for lunch. Jim agreed and he grilled some steaks and I baked some potatoes and sauteed some onions and mushrooms. A glass of red wine and I was a happy camper.


this is one of our views
This azalea is planted near the office. Beautiful sight to see when you arrive at a new place. Picture was taken with my phone
After lunch we headed to the Verizon store. We needed to get our bill adjusted and take advantage of a savings for vets. We got the charges taken off our bill and blocked Jim's phone from getting text messages (we were being charged for them). Then we asked about the discount and we got it! By showing his DD214 we get a discount of 15% every month on our bill. If you have a DD214 and a Verizon account get thee to the store and use this code: 117818
Just down the road was a strip mall with a pet smart so we stopped to pick up a flea collar for Boo. This area is full of ticks! Jim took one off his leg and twice we've found them on Boo. I hope it was just the last campground but to be sure I got the collar. The smell is giving me a headache!! I plan on keeping it on him during the day and removing it at night.
Then we went to World Market....boy have they got a sale going on...but we didn't buy anything, not even wine.
We came home and found more people had checked in. But there are a lot of sites left unoccupied. This is a hilly area and the campground is on different levels. Quite a few trees and it's maintained nicely. But we can hear the interstate and earlier I heard airplanes. We'll see how peaceful it is this weekend.
I had a salad for my dinner.

Farmers Market, Mall and Panera Bread

Yesterday I was up at 0715 and it was chilly so I turned the fireplace on. The low was to be in the 40's and I slept very well. I wonder how long this 'cold' snap will last?

I stripped the bed and started washing the sheets. King size bed and an apartment size washer means I wash one sheet at a time. I tried doing both sheets one time and the jumbled mess convinced me they couldn't possibly be clean. This simple chore can take all day if you don't stay home. We didn't!

We'd seen signs for the Farmers Market on the interstate so we decided to check it out. Boy is it huge! http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/shopping/farmers-markets--tailgate-markets/index.aspx We walked through the main building looking at produce and local foods, preserved, canned etc. They tell you where the produce is from. Then cantaloupes smelled heavenly and the tomatoes smelled like tomatoes! yum! We didn't buy anything because I didn't need any thing, but we're here through the Memorial day Holiday so I can go back. Maybe I'll remember to take pictures. There were a few craft booths. The most interesting craft I saw was jewelry made from seeds. Watermelon and pumpkins seeds were painted and crafted into flowers for earrings and pins. Other small seeds were used for accents. Clever idea!

After we left the farmers market we headed to the mall. What a sad place. about a quarter of the stores were closed. I don't think we saw 2 dozen people. I know the economy is bad but I don't think this mall will survive much longer. As we drive around town we have noticed a lot of strip malls and perhaps this is where the shopping is done.

When we left the mall we headed to Panera Bread for lunch. The location was on the tourist map we had. There was no problem locating it and across the street was an EarthFare market! Yay! We had sandwiches for lunch, Jim an Italian combo w/chips and I had a Mediterranean veggie w/chips. We ate almost every bite only sacrificing some of the bread. For drinks we had tea, for me iced green tea and Jim had a iced chai latte.

Then we went to EarthFare 'the healthy supermarket'. Food wise I didn't spend a lot of money, again, I didn't need much. But I did find some Bento Boxes and bought two. I've been looking for quite some time to find them, a bit pricey but we'll use them for community dinners. With the bamboo trays they'll be sturdy enough to sit on our laps if need be.

we also bought fuel $2.19 a gallon and picked up some dog food and snacks for Boo.

Once home we got everything put away and Jim put the fitted sheet on the bed and transferred the next load to the dryer. Apparently it wore him out so he took a nap :)

I watched my soaps and for dinner I made a mixed veggie salad and shrimp scampi for dinner. After I finished my wine I did the dishes, then showered. Jim played a game and I watched NCIS all evening on the USA channel.

We went to bed shortly after 2300. Since it wasn't supposed to get cold last night we had the ac running, I still got warm.....

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Chimney Rock, North Carolina

The temperature when I got up yesterday was 49 inside and 46 outside. So, the fireplace was turned on to warm it up in here. I don't like getting out of bed to such chilly temperatures but it's better than being to hot. I'm finding I like the cooler weather better than hot afternoons.

We decided to take one of the scenic drives yesterday and we enjoyed it very much! I would have liked to seen more flowering bushes and trees but I guess we're a bit early/late for that. We did see some pretty colors in the yards of homes we passed and apparently North Carolina has planted up their interchanges. The flowers were blooming there.

The route Jim choose took us into Chimney Rock Village.
http://www.rutherfordtourism.com/aboutus/chimney_rock.php Since we were hungry we stopped and had lunch at a diner, Genny's I think. I had bbq pork sandwich with fries and Jim had a breakfast. It was to cool to sit outside on the deck overlooking the Broad River.

Both of these pictures were taken at the gate of Chimney Rock Park. Gardens flank both sides and there's a lot of rosemary along with other plants that will look lovely later in the season.
After lunch we headed down to the river. There is a path you can follow along the bank. The water is crystal clear but shallow. Jim and I both took pictures

If you look in the lower left corner of the picture above you can see the bottom. There are pockets that are deeper and I looked for fish but didn't see any


Watching the water rush over the rocks is simply refreshing! I love the sound it makes


Here you can see the river rushing over the rocks in the background while the foreground is relatively calm. I'll bet the water is icy!


Looking upriver, this was taken with my phone camera


one of the calmer sections. I think the bridge is the road to Chimney Rock Park
We strolled the shops but didn't stay much longer. We headed over to Lake Lure to check it out,
http://www.townoflakelure.com/. What a gorgeous area! The lake is quite big and the activity we saw at the public park indicated they were getting ready for the Memorial Day Holiday. As we drove around the area we saw lake homes perched on the hillsides overlooking the lake. I'll bet the views are well worth it!
Highway 9 is a winding, undulating road with hairpin turns and has to be fun in a sports car or on a motorcycle. If you're in the area, try driving it. The scenery is gorgeous and I'll bet in the fall breathtaking with the changing leaves.
The drive took us back into Asheville near the Biltmore Estate and Village. We thought we'd check out the Village but didn't stop. Looks modern and I'm sure all the shops are overpriced. We just headed home. Jim asked about dinner and I gave him his options and he chose pizza. So we stopped at Bi-Lo. What a nice store. I got one of their cards so I could get in on the savings. Jim found his favorite beer Leinenkugal's sunset wheat. I got some Dos Equis along with the pizza.
At home we changed clothes and put away our purchases. It was to early for dinner so I stuck the pizza in the fridge. Jim sat outside with a cold beer then came in and took a nap. I watched my soaps and had a cup of coffee.
We had our pizza around 1730. It was very tasty! We both showered and settled in for an evening of TV. NCIS, I sure didn't like the way the season ended! The Mentalist and the last hour of Dancing with the Stars. You could have knocked me over with feather when Shawn won! She must have a huge fan base because the other finalist were better dancers in my opinion.
Our bed was calling to us and we climbed under the comforter just after 2300. It's great sleeping in these cooler temperatures.






Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It's a wee bit chiily here

When I got up yesterday around 0730 the inside temperature was 53 and outside it was 43. Great for sleeping but I did turn on our fireplace to take the chill out of our home on wheels. Even Boo is sleeping under the down comforter! Also good oatmeal weather and that's what I had for breakfast.

After Jim got up he checked his emails and made some phone calls getting reservations made then he started putzing around. Finished setting up outside, tried to figure out what's wrong with the kitchen faucet. For some reason it doesn't have as much water pressure as the other outlets.

I did a load of laundry trying to get a tea stain out of my white shorts, so far no luck on that. Polished off some leftovers for lunch, macaroni salad and steak fries. Jim finished the pulled pork that Anne gave us.

Jim hosed off some of the road grime from our trip here, darn rain made our shiny new wheels yucky! I watched my soaps, made some snickerdoodles. For dinner we had leftovers, I had the beans and rice and Jim finished the stir fry and rice.

I did dishes a lot yesterday and even Jim got in on one sink full. After dinner I showered and got set to watch Dancing with the Stars. What a show! The three remaining couples are all good. At this point I don't have a clue who will win. But I'd like to see Tony and Melissa win.

Once the sun goes down it cools off quickly, by the time we went to bed just after 2300 it was in the mid 40's outside. I'm so glad we have the down comforter! Don't need to run the furnace....

Monday, May 18, 2009

Gloomy day for travel

After Jim got up we made the decision to hit the road. Rain was predicted in both locations so we just took our chances. We packed up and we were on the road at 0930. We made a stop around 1130 and had a bite to eat, I didn't plan this well....but we managed to eat. Still no rain, this is good. We decided to make one more stop after we got across the state line in North Carolina. The welcome center on I-26 is on a hillside and it's just beautiful. Especially with all the flowering trees and plants.

This picture was taken with my phone from the welcome center. As you can see we're getting up in elevation.

Just after we got back on the road it began to rain. Not a heavy rain at first, just a misty rain. Then we ran into showers which slowed us down. Jim did an excellent job of going up and down and around these hills. The elevation finally got to around 2000 feet and I kept watching the altimeter. 2300 feet was the highest. A lot different from the coast! Ears popping and crackling. I'm sure the views would have been spectacular but the mist and rain were obscuring them.

We arrived at Hominy Valley RV Park in Candler, NC around 1300.
http://www.passport-america.com/campgrounds/united_states/north_carolina/candler/hominy_valley_rv_park/ A light rain was falling which made it very chilly to set up. This campground has 5 sites and cost $15 a night if you belong to Passport America. We do, that's why Jim chose it. Right now we don't know how long we're staying. It's a beautiful area and Asheville is just up the road. There are 4 rigs here and Jim spoke with one guy who said they plan to spend the summer here. I'll get some pictures and post them now that the sun is out.

We spent the evening in. Jim spent several hours researching our path to Colorado Springs. We need to be there by July 1st. I like all the stops he picked and it should be fun exploring and visiting the various places he picked. Only one stop is a repeat, but we only overnighted in Wichita last time.

I fixed red beans and rice for dinner last night. We both enjoyed it very much. When we set up the tv was on the USA channel so we just left it there. Reruns of some favorite shows kept me entertained while Jim surfed the net. After dinner was over I turned on the fireplace to keep us cosy and warm. Our predicted low was going to be around 37-38 degrees.

We went to bed shortly after 2300 and I was fast asleep all snug and warm under our down comforter.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

A day of not doing much!

Saturday was a long day for me. A lazy one too! Other than dishes and laundry I don't think I did anything all day. Jim finished cleaning the truck and it looked great for awhile.

The morning was gloomy and overcast with a threat of rain. By noon the sun was out and our afternoon heated up enough to turn on the AC. We both had leftovers for lunch, Jim had a pulled pork sandwich and I had macaroni salad.

After lunch Jim went back outside and I watched a marathon of NCIS shows on TV. As a matter of fact we watched them all evening too!

For dinner Jim grilled some burgers and I made Steak fries in the oven. Around 1800 the rain started. Little bands of storms went through all evening. We did hear some hootin' and hollerin' and Jim checked, the belly dancers were doing their thing at the pavilion. Boo thought they were to noisy!

In bed shortly after 2300 and thus ended my day of not doing much!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Sad Morning

Yesterday I awoke with the realization that our good friends were leaving. So I jumped out of bed and started my day. I needed coffee before I could face their departure. I knew they wouldn't leave to early but I at least wanted to be dressed! Anne and Scotty had already packed up the outside stuff so it didn't take long for them to get the car hooked up and get on the road. They both came over and Anne had gifts! For me a pair of earrings she made with shells we found on the beach. I wore them all day. For Jim (me too) she brought some pulled pork. Boo got his last treat. Also she gave me her Christmas cactus.....we'll see how long I can keep it alive! My pictures aren't the best, but I tried...

Anne waving goodbye :(
All ready for the road!

Scotty looking way to happy.....he always has a smile
After they left we did some chores and hung around the house. Boo was confused when I took him out, he ran to the site next door and Anne wasn't there! There was a threat of rain in the forecast so we decided to get fuel ($1.99) and pick up some groceries after lunch. Jim got the directions for the nearest Walmart online. We found it with no problem but the Murphy station was across the street from the store and wouldn't take our loaded walmart card. Come to find out they only accept them when the station is on walmart property....we still saved on the fuel.
On the drive home we had some sprinkles but we never did get the rain forecasted. Jim spent the remainder of the afternoon cleaning up the truck. He vacuumed it out and cleaned the outside with Dri Wash so it sparkles!
I watched all my soaps and I think I have all the story lines straight. For dinner I fixed Chicken stir fry with broccoli, onion, celery and garlic. Served over rice, yummy! After the dishes were done we settled in for an evening of TV. But not much of interest was on so we watched You only live Twice with Sean Connery. What fun to watch the gadgets in the old 007 movies!
We could have watched a Sinbad cartoon movie outside at the pavilion. Jim said they set up a screen so folks could watch it outside. There are quite a few more rigs here for the weekend, but it's far from full. We even have neighbors to confuse Boo!
I've seen a male ruby throat hummingbird at my window feeder. First hummer I've seen in awhile. Lovely little birds. I'm looking forward to the battles we'll see in Colorado Springs. Those hummers put on shows every day! My hanging feeder is still sitting on the table with no takers.
The sky is overcast this morning and thunderstorms are forecast all day so I'm not sure we'll do anything.....


Friday, May 15, 2009

Last Day with the Scotts

Yesterday was our last full day with Anne and Scotty. After lunch we decided to go into Columbia and do the Riverwalk, http://www.riveralliance.org/. Several miles of paths wander along the river that is used by walkers, joggers, bikers and weary tourists. Jim and I took many pictures and a few of them are here.


First I wanted to share a picture of the sand dollars we found on the beach the other day. I've never found one, so having two in almost perfect condition is remarkable

The first part of this Riverwalk is part of the city water plant and power plant. So there are falls and dams involved.
Anne and I walked over this area and watched herons and turtles in the water. We also saw Canadian geese and other small birds

A shot of the river looking south. There was a threat of rain but it never did. And during our walk we were glad to have the clouds!


Some of the rocks in the river



some pretty flowers blooming


Miss Anne posing for me in the area dedicated to Christopher Columbus

As we walked along the path we could see white flowers in the river. These are spider lily's and they can only be found in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenocallis_coronaria none of us could get a decent picture of one.

Jim took the following pictures, he and Scotty walked a few miles further than Anne and I.

The dam


Statue of Christopher Columbus


a view of the river from the pathway


this is the railroad bridge in the foreground, in the background is I-26

the path meanders through lush forest in some places


rapids can be seen almost everywhere along the river. It's filled with rocks and boulders
Anne and I figured we did 3 miles round trip with our walk. It was lovely but hot and humid. We sat in the truck with the ac running to cool off. Jim and Scotty showed up about an hour later exhausted from their hike. We all agreed a cold beer would have been welcomed but we didn't have any with us! So we just headed home.
I'd love to do the whole trail but on my bike. Maybe next time we're in the area!
Once home it was time for dinner. Anne had a pork roast in the crock pot and she started pulling the meat and cooked some corn on the cob. I made a cole slaw and before you know it we had dinner on the table. We had to eat inside because our tables outside were in full sun. Where is a cloud when you need one? Our last meal together was a good one. We all love Anne's pulled pork!
After dinner we slowly did dishes, then it was time for pina coladas.....we've come to love them at happy hour but we all agree we should have fewer of them. Can't imagine how many calories they have but they sure are yummy.
Next up Anne and I walked Boo, we didn't want our time together to end. Back home it was time for the guys to have dessert, ice cream and cake. No pictures of this event! Just looked like a repeat of last night....
At dusk we were chased in by the mosquitoes, thus ended our last day with the Scott's. We'll miss traveling with them, it's been fun sharing our travels and meals.












Thursday, May 14, 2009

Laundry and surfing

Yesterday we did chores....these will never get done if we don't do them! I started our chilly morning by baking blueberry bread. It warmed up the house and made it smell heavenly. After breakfast and washing up the dishes I stripped the bed and washed the sheets.

Jim spent time on the internet looking for our next campground. He's not having any luck finding a spot for the Memorial Day weekend. Everyone that he's called have been booked solid.

Anne was also doing laundry and we walked with Boo down to the laundry room. This campground is just so peaceful with so few people here! I can't imagine what it's like when it fills up, if it ever does.

I watched almost all of my soaps and I think I know what's going on......Jim had a headache after all his research and phone calls so he took a nap. Once he got up he asked 'what's for dinner?'. Anne and I hadn't figured that one out as we both needed to go grocery shopping.

Jim headed over to visit with Scotty and Anne came here to discuss our plans. We decided we needed to eat out and pick up some groceries. So we all changed into our 'city' clothes and headed to Pelion. Not to many choices for dining and the first place didn't appeal to us so we went to Hansen's Cafe where we all had a good dinner.

Then it was off to IGA to wander the aisles and pick up what we needed. Jim needed ice cream and pretzels! Once home I put our purchases away, Jim did up the few dishes and nuked a snack cake for him and Scotty. We grabbed Boo, the ice cream and cake and headed next door for dessert. I didn't have any but Anne, Scotty and Jim enjoyed the ice cream.


Scotty digging in
Anne trying not to look at the camera

Jim wondering why I need to take his picture while he's eating
This campground has a resident Goose that travels and guards three ducks. At dusk they come around and eat bugs. I saw them in the yard and thought a picture might be fun. I went out and almost immediately the goose started towards me with his head to the ground! I managed to take this picture before heading back inside.


When they all hung around the patio we decided that they wanted to be fed. Anne gave me some state crackers and I went outside to feed the critters.



The goose took crackers from my hand but I think he disliked Jim taking his picture because he hissed almost every time before he took the cracker.




The crackers were gone so they headed off into the sunset....our evening entertainment was over :(

Inside Jim and Scotty were working on Scotty's GPS and computer...don't ask me what but I managed to snap this picture



We headed home and discovered our internet was out. A Hughes problem, but no matter we used the wi-fi here or at least I did. Jim played games once he showered.
I've put out my hummingbird feeder but so far no hummers. Maybe it's to early in the season for them. My bird feeder sits on the picnic table and again, no activity. I can hear birds in the woods. The squirrels haven't discovered it so that's a plus!
So far this morning I haven't seen the sun. A gloomy start to our last day with the Scott's. Tomorrow they'll head out to continue their travels north while we head west for the summer. We'll meet up with them again in October when we'll be parked alongside them in the valley.






Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Swansea, SC

Yesterday we slowly packed up and left Charleston around 1030. We weren't going far so there wasn't any hurry except maybe to miss the rain. We headed northwest to River Bottom Farms RV Resort and Campground in Swansea, South Carolina. www.riverbottomfarms.com

We made a stop for a bite to eat and in no time at all we arrived.....after a couple wrong turns....but the drive through farm country was lovely! :) It didn't take long to set up and the guys had a beer and we ladies walked around the area. There aren't many campers here and there's a row of them under the trees that I think live here.

this is one of the ponds, there are four catch and release ponds

When we checked in we learned about this rooster and his protectiveness towards a stray kitten. They weren't together at this time but Anne and I saw both of them

Our rigs parked side by side. as you can see the sites are quite large


Anne, Scotty and Boo



Jim looking good!
It was a relaxing afternoon and for dinner we had shrimp scampi along with a loaf of French bread and a bottle of wine. We ate outside and it was wonderful sharing a meal with our friends. We sat out after dinner for awhile, but eventually I had to go in and get the dishes done.
First I showered and then I did dishes. NCIS was about to start and I didn't want to miss any of it. We also watched the Mentalist and flipped back and forth checking out Dancing with the Stars. Ty Murray went home.....next week I think the contest will be between Gilles and Melissa. Shawn is good but not relaxed enough. Personally I like Cheryl and Gilles.
last night the temperatures dipped into the 50's and I slept well under the down comforter.