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Monday, July 30, 2012

WOW I've been lazy!


Since last I posted we have moved to Ft Knox Kentucky.  The Army has a campground here, Camp Carlson.  They didn't have a full hook up site so we ended up with this spot on the back row with no sewer and no way to get our satellite dish to find a signal. Next morning they called and said we could have a full hook up, we declined because as you can see it's a lovely site.  And we don't have any neighbors.




Ft Knox as we were driving by

Let's see, what have we done....well we've read books, sat outside when the weather permitted, walked Boo, checked out the Post Exchange and wandered around on base looking for a restaurant that was no longer there.

Today we drove into Louisville to a PetSmart to get Boo some dry food.  Ethyl got us there with no problems.  Then we asked her to find a Panera Bread and we enjoyed our lunch.  Jim had a roasted turkey avocado blt and a peach shake while I enjoyed a Greek salad and water.

When we got home Boo was glad to see us, Jim took a nap and now we're having our afternoon coffee

Life is Good



Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.  ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Monday, July 23, 2012

Sunday at Home

Not a very exciting day but we did manage to get some chores done.  I did laundry most of the day.  I like having my own washer and dryer, it means I don't have to schlep to the laundromat.  Stripped the bed and we had clean sheets to sleep on...Ahhhh

Jim dismantled the ceiling fan and took the blades outside to clean.  We use the fan a lot and it can get a wee bit dirty.  He also put up the hooks for my new measuring cups.



see the Flur de Lis?

we've put them to the left of the oven using clear hooks.  I'll have to take them down when we travel but they sure are pretty and shiny

We had spaghetti for dinner with a salad and afterwards Jim did the dishes. We watched TV and ended the day with a PBS showing of Inspector Lewis



Sunday, July 22, 2012

Saturday in Knoxville

Yesterday was pretty much driving around the area!  After lunch we headed to Walmart for some fuel and paid $3.35 for diesel.  Not to bad considering everywhere it's 20 cents more!

Then we headed downtown except Ethyl took us elsewhere.  Apparently there's more than one Volunteer Park in the area.  We finally found the area in question and there are some interesting places but we didn't see anything to make us want to get out and wander around.  Mostly bars, restaurants and bistros.  And the streets were jammed with cars so parking would have been difficult.  We drove by the University of Tennessee and the stadium.

Then Jim indulged me by driving all the way to Earth Fare just so I could look around.  Didn't find what I was looking for but we did pick up some granola and cereal.  From the store to home was a thirty minute drive.  But it was on different roads so the scenery was different.

As for NOTHING on the schedule for today, I've already done dishes and two loads of laundry and will be stripping the bed and doing two more loads of laundry!  Plus dinner, think spaghetti will be served today.


Jim posted this on Facebook so I thought I'd repeat it here:

"We thought we'd explore old Knoxville and the River Front Park yesterday, so put on our walking shoes and hit the road. Old Knoxville is pretty much a bunch of old warehouses and business that are now bars, coffee shops, and restaurants...and construction is going on at the Park. Pretty much a bust as far as sightseeing goes, but Linda got to go to an Earth Fare Natural Grocery store, so she's content!! Nothing on the schedule for today...Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg tomorrow. It's a tough life, but somebody has to live it...and we volunteered."

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Cades Cove

We are now staying at the Raccoon Valley RV park in Heiskell, Tennessee.  This is an Escapees park located north of Knoxville.  We drove over the Great Smoky Mountains Thursday and enjoyed the drive!  This particular stretch of interstate was lovely.  The drive took about 4 hours and we made two stops.  The first was just to stretch and relax.  Jim hasn't had to drive in mountains for a couple years and when we thought about it all our driving has been at sea level....rarely any hills.  At one point we were heading up at 25 miles per hour!

We set up as much as we could in the heat and saved the rest for later.  Our trikes ride on the bed so they were the last thing we took care of after dinner.  I made cole slaw and easy bake enchiladas, we both love this dish and it's so simple to make if you have the ingredients on hand.

Yesterday we left the house around 0930 and drove over to Townsend to visit Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains NP.  It was spitting rain and there was a lot of cloud cover.  The drive was fairly easy using Ethyl, our GPS.  I was totally turned around and lost!


We stopped for a late breakfast because Jim skipped it at home.  I had coffee and pancakes while he chose two eggs, ham, grits and a biscuit with sausage gravy.  Oh and coffee.  They had Smuckers Jelly on the table and I tried the Apple Cinnamon on my pancakes...very tasty but won't be buying because of the HFC.

When we came out the sun had come out and the day turned out pretty!

As we drove into the forested park there was a river on the right and who can resist this?  I took several pictures



The sun is coming over the top of the trees


Just before you enter the 11 mile loop drive you can see the campground and the horses you can ride through the area

wild turkeys

John Oliver Cabin, the oldest in the Cove



Back of the Primitive Baptist Church


stone wall

I loved all the stone retaining walls throughout the drive.  They've been there so long they blend into the surrounding areas with the lichens and ferns growing on them

We stopped at Apple Valley Farms for another meal!  I had a tomato sandwich with chips and pickle washed down with apple cider.  Jim had meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans with a biscuit and washed down with iced tea.

Our drive home seemed longer than the trip earlier!  Boo was glad to see us as it was past his dinner time.

It was a wonderful day, beautiful drive with the love of my life....couldn't ask for more.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Bright Sunny Days

Means the temperature goes up!  As long as the AC works I don't mind.... :-)
We've been just hanging around the campground.  Reading, playing games and doing life's little chores.
Saturday we did drive over to the mall and have to admit it was nice seeing all the stores they had...so many malls we've visited lately have had a lot of closed up shops.  Jim was able to get some coffee at Bed Bath and Beyond so he's a happy camper.  This store has 20% off coupons that you can get by mail, email and now on your smart phone.  Well Jim spent about 30  minutes Saturday morning trying to print one!  We have a wireless printer but sometimes the wireless signal isn't the best and it can take a few attempts to get everything on the same wavelength.
the pond drains across the driveway into the woods
.
After the Mall we headed to Barnes and Nobles where Jim had cheesecake and ice coffee.  We both did some reading then we just drove around and saw some pretty older homes.  This area is quite lovely.  We're both enjoying the hills and curvy roads

I don't think we went anywhere on Sunday.   I do recall a brief rain shower.  I fixed Ginger Bok Choy Stir Fry from the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook.  It was real tasty!  I love trying new recipes 

sunrise 16 July


Today I've been doing laundry, I stripped the bed and washed the sheets.  We also took Boo to the groomer for a long overdue haircut and nail trimming.  He looks so much better! 
Boudreaux

We made a run to Walmart for vitamins and then Camping World for a clear, sewer elbow.  

Jim put some bleach in the fresh water tank yesterday and today he's draining it.  We don't use that water much but it's been sot hot lately that I thought it could do with a sanitizing.

As you can see, never a dull moment around here!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.  ~Doug Larson

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Chores and rain

How is it that two people can create so much laundry?  My day started with it and as the day went on I added dishes to my chores.  Calgon take me away!

We had clouds and rain this morning but when the sun came out I snapped a few pictures and we also managed to take Boo for a walk in the afternoon



When we sit outside we can see this pond with the fountain.  It's quite nice and has some ducks and you can fish but you can't keep them



a few chips and dents, but our home still rolls down the road!



If you know me, I can't be without plants for very long.   My lettuce is doing well and I've enjoyed a few salads.  The back pot has basil and cilantro....but the cilantro doesn't have a chance!

Another gully washer of rain in the afternoon was entertaining.  Because of the red soil it looked like Mother Earth was bleeding.  We could see the water rushing down to the pond.

I've put up two feeders on my windows.  One with seed, the other for the hummingbirds.  So far no takers.  I've heard some birds and I'm hoping some song birds will find the feeder.  We're backed up to the woods and I asked the owner about deer and he said  he hasn't seen any the last couple years....so far I haven't seen any wildlife except the ducks at the pond
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Friday, July 13, 2012

Roebuck, South Carolina

Where is this city you might ask....

Yesterday we left Columbia later than we normally start a trip but we were only going 105 miles.  This was mostly on interstate but with the hills it was a pretty drive.  You know how interstates can be....straight lines and boring.  Well this was up and down and curvy!

We're staying at the Pine Ridge Campground (no not in the Dakotas!) just outside of Spartanburg, South Carolina.  Beautiful place with a catch and release pond, pool and nice size sites.  Check it out here, http://www.pineridgecampground.com/.  The monthly rate is awesome plus electric.

Didn't take us long to set up and we sat outside enjoying a cold beer, which may not have been a good idea...

Not sure if Jim chose this area because of R J Rockers http://www.rjrockers.com/verify.asp but on Thursdays they have tastings at the brewery.  We left around 1600 so we could get a bite to eat before the tasting at 1700.  Well we didn't find anything so we ended up eating at Cribb's Kitchen on Main http://www.cribbscatering.com/...It's part of the brewery.  We sat at the bar and had a draft (16 oz)  and a sandwich.  Jim had burger while I chose the veggie panini.  Jim had their Son of a Peach but said it was different from the bottle he tried earlier in Beaufort.  I had a Lite Rock Ale.

After our meal we headed to the tasting and tour out back.  For five bucks each we got a pint glass with logo and 4 tickets to try 4 beers.  Supposedly you got four ounces per ticket, well they were very generous and it looked like 6-8 ounces per draw.  We went through the line twice and gave away our other tickets!  I tried the Patriot Ale and the Bell Ringer Ale.  Jim had another Son of a Peach and a Bald Eagle Brown Ale.  Oh, the tour was short and interesting.

I don't think I need to drink any beer for awhile!

Our evening was filled with TV, games and a wee bit of rain.  We called it a night around 2130.  I heard some rain during the night and we got up to overcast skies and more rain this morning.  Fit's the mood for this Friday the 13th.

We had pancakes and sausage (Morning Star Farms) for breakfast today.  Not sure what our plans are for today but I'm sure we'll find something to do

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Columbia, South Carolina

After the storms and rain of the night before, we awoke to overcast skies.  But the clouds didn't stop us as we made our way downtown yesterday morning.  The cooler temperatures helped  tremendously.  I wanted to see the capitol building and take a few pictures...we were pleasantly surprised to discover this beautiful complex!  It sits on 18 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds steeped in history!

Confederate Monument

George Washington Monument at base of steps

Palmetto Regiment Monument

Strom Thurmond Monument


Confederate Women's Monument


General Wade Hampton Monument


African American History Monument

African American History Monument


Spanish American War Monument
We strolled the grounds around the capitol and around every corner there was another monument to another war and the men lost.  We only spent a few minutes inside and wow is it beautiful!  They offer a tour and I'm sure that would be interesting.  I picked up a brochure to help with the names of the monuments and discovered we missed a lot in this huge complex..There is a lot more to see but we saved it for another time.  I didn't realize there could be so much to see and do in this area.  When we pass this way again we'll plan better

We stopped for lunch at Panera Bread where Jim had a turkey/bacon sandwich with chips and a pickle which he washed down with a strawberry smoothie.  I had a Greek salad that was very tasty and an apple which I brought home.

Then it was off to Walmart where we fueled up for our trip today.  We also stopped at Lowe's where all we needed was a light bulb but we both found something we needed!  Jim got a new Dremel, which has been on his wish list for a long time.  And I found a new Pony Tail Palm
I think I'll leave this one in the small pot!  The last one I had got way to big to transport around.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Pizza!

We're staying at Weston Lake Recreation area for just three nights here in Columbia, South Carolina.  It's a very pretty complex for military personnel and their families.   Pine trees and undulating roads so it doesn't look like a cookie cutter campground.  The Lake is a good size though we won't be using it.  Fort Jackson is just down the road and we made the mistake of driving onto the base....Supposedly you can drive through and save time...Well the front gate was all blocked off with no detour signs!!!  After driving around for about an hour we finally found an exit after asking....Nice way to see the base and it is quite lovely.

We needed to find a Bed, Bath and Beyond so Jim let Ethyl (GPS on phone) know and she took us right to it.  We got a canister for our Soda Stream and Jim got a soda flavor.  Then we went in search of lunch.

As many of you know we like to search out Pizza, breweries and wineries as we travel.  Yesterday we stopped in at Za's Brick Oven Pizza, http://www.zasbrickovenpizza.com/ for lunch.  I did a search for it and after reading the menu decided I had to go.  You see, they have soy cheese as a topping!  No beer on tap but we both chose South Carolina beers and enjoyed them.  They were new for us.


 South Carolina Beer, mine was the red ale and Jim had the Light Rock
Roasted veggie, soy cheese pizza for me!
I had an 8 inch pizza and almost ate all of it.  Jim opted for a larger one so he could take half home and enjoy it another time.  I did take two slice home and had it for dinner along with a salad
Jim had a Zeus
Shortly after 1900 last night we lost power.  A thunderstorm came rolling though and made some noise and it did rain softly all evening.  We read, played games and tried to shower....I say try because apparently the power is needed to pump water in this campground!  And no we couldn't use our water because there wasn't enough in the tank.

Just before 2130 the power came back on in time to cool off before we went to bed.  Not sure how long it rained but I did hear it at least once during the night

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Is it hot enough for you?

Boy, it's been awhile since I wrote!  Sorry about that, but we haven't been doing much because of the heat.  Most of this last week we've had temperatures go up over 100 and along with the humidity it's miserable outside.  

We've done a few drives and seen a lot of beautiful, beautiful scenery.  I think I mentioned before that Jim was stationed in this area way before we met.  He's always liked the low-country and now I see why.  All the marshes and waterways, I'm sure, are ever changing.  I'm sure the seasons affect them also.  

We've spent the hot part of the day inside either reading or playing games on our computers.  Jim also mapped out our route for the next month or so.  Of course I approved all the stops!  We have to head to the mid west and see about some repairs on our rig.  The living room slide wouldn't go in without a push from Jim and it works but there is something wrong and I'd rather have it fixed.  We also have some issues with foggy windows.

Parris Island is a beautiful base but I'm sure the recruits don't see it.  They're to busy becoming Marines!  We saw one graduation and we've seen several companies jog pass the campground.  Male and female.  We also seen the men and women march by with full packs.  Boo doesn't care for any of this!  It wakes him up, which wakes us up....because they do all this between 0630 - 0700....I have no idea when they get up and start these excursions. 

Today we'll be packing up and getting ready to leave tomorrow.  Heading inland, seeing new sights!