Here's One for Brother Mike

I see big brother has been writing again.  Only glanced over the new blog entry last night but will return to it this morning and read it in detail  I always love to read his stuff.  It's full of info about my family that I either didn't know or has a point of view I hadn't thought of.  Mike and I are both baby boomers, that generation of offspring that began at the end of WWII and continued into the early 60s.  But within the boomers there are also generation gaps because things changed so rapidly after the war.  Things that were so true for his group, born in the mid/late 40s are just not the same for my group born in the mid/late 50s.  Sometimes we compare notes about our childhoods and I find it very interesting that even though we share the same home and family, we had very different lives as children.

One thing we do share though is a love for being outdoors.  Most people think I'm crazy to sell everything and take off in an RV to travel around the country and live in parks, but once when someone asked me where I was off to next and I said, "Maybe Arizona.  Wanna go?", I heard Mike say yes.  I think if circumstances were different in his life, he and Linda would jump in an RV and take off.  Only if he could take his beloved fishing boat along though.  Mike and fishing are almost inseparable.  Well, I pull a small car behind my Seeker.  And some people have travel trailers or 5th wheel trailers that they pull with trucks.  But it would be hard (and probably illegal) to pull a car and a boat behind your RV I think.  Then this past weekend I stayed at Poole's Knob in Lavergne, TN and saw the answer to Mike's problem.  So now there's no excuses about having to leave your boat at home, Big Brother.  Get you a rig like this and hit the road!

Love ya, Mike!

Alabama Rest Stop

A lot can happen in a week!

Left The Bend on Wednesday, the 5th, and drove a little over 100 miles to meet up with some friends from the Women's RV Forum at Gunthersville Lake.  Sara and Nan were already there and as I drove up I could see some excitement at our campsites.  Seems that while the girls were sitting by the lake talking a flurry of bird activity alerted them to a 6 foot timber rattlesnake  within feet of them!  When I pulled up some men from the staff were taking care of this little problem.  Need I tell you that the thought of driving on out without even stopping crossed my mind?  I spent the whole summer in the woods on the river and the only snakes I saw were the pets that the naturalist brought in to show the kids.

After all the snake excitement died down and I got into my site and set up we all got together to visit and hear some exciting details from Nan's trip to Alaska this summer.  She's been on the road since May and still won't be home for at least 2 more weeks.  Then it was time to get the 4 legged babies out for a walk and visit.  Sara has a lovable mix breed named Nicki.  This was his first trip in the rv.  Nan has a pair of Min Pins who are old pros at traveling.  She even has an outdoor playpen for them and they seem to love it.  And of course Gus was in the mix.  He even tried to make friends with Nicki and I think they hit it off pretty good.

Most of the first day was spent chatting and going to lunch in Gunthersville.  We went to a place called the Rock House and the food was wonderful.  ReadyToGo, another member of the forum who lives in Birmingham drove up for the day and took us to the restaurant.

After lunch we visited a little while then each went off to attend to different matters.  I was full and tempted to take a nap but instead opted to go to the Walmart in Scottsboro and do some geocaching along the way.  The next day, Friday, started off slow and chatty again until I decided I was being too lazy.  I needed to get my kayak out and clean it good before putting it up for a few months.  And as long as I was getting it out why not take one last paddle over to a nearby island where there happened to be a cache?  Got all my gear together and loaded Gus up for a ride.  Then I climbed in but didn't do a very good job of launching and wound up in the water instead of in the boat.  Gus of course stayed in and dry.                                                    And Sara had her camera at the ready!Oh well, it was hot and I wanted to get wet anyway.  Second try was the charm and soon Gus and I were on our way.  The island was only a mile away so it was a short paddle for me.  It was sunny so I used my PFD as a shelter for my boy.  He has gotten used to this since we did it that way on the Chattahoochee.  He likes to lay under the jacket and down between my ankles.  He almost looks innocent here, don't you think? 

The island was called Goat Island had 2 caches, but we only needed one.  At first I thought the cache would be on the far side so we paddled around the island and searched around these large limestone bluffs but realized this one was on top of the bluff and meant walking a trail across the island so we opted out of this one.  Next I paddled on around the other end of the island and found an easy place to tie up and walk in about 40 yards to the cache.  Gus really enjoyed running around loose on the island and climbing over some rocks.  Granted he doesn't climb the really big ones any more, but you could almost forget he's 14.  That was until we got back in the boat and he climbed back into his space and went to sleep while I did all the work getting us back home.  Then it was time to scrub the kayak down and put it away for a few months.  Next on the agenda was to scrub Gus which I don't have to tell you was not high on his list of things to do.  We finished the evening with a great meal.  I cooked pork chops on the grill that I got for Mother's Day.  Sara cooked corn on the cob on the stove in her new rv (first meal prepared on the stove), and Nan brought some really great cole slaw and a grape salad. 

Saturday morning everyone pulled out and heading in different directions.  I made it all the way to Merriwether Lewis campground where I hid out for the night.  I love it out there because it gets soooo dark at night.  And it was so cool that night that I had to close the windows.  Fall is definitely in the air in Tennessee.

What's next?

I'm holed up near Nashville while I take care of some business on the rv, get the oil changed in my car, and deal with house matters.  I'll be back in Hohenwald by next week seeing the family for a visit.  Planning a trip to Maine for Cacey's wedding which will also be a girl trip with Ann.  Can't wait!  And after that??????

Kitchen Mods

With only 3 weeks left here at the Bend, I realized I needed to get back in gear on my changes.  Yesterday I worked on painting the table my brother made for me.  Will need to get more paint and finish that up this week.  Did get to work on some changes in the kitchen. 

Here's my new surround at the stove.  Went to Lowe's and bought 2 12x24 faux ceiling tiles that I put up on the wall to the left of the stove top and at the backside.  I chose the watery looking pattern instead of the traditional ceiling tile look.  I think it has more of a retro 50s look that I like.

Here's the main counter area.  I HATED the old wallpaper border.  Ivy?  Really?  I got lucky and found a set of vinyl placemats at Marshalls for $7 (less the over 55 discount since it was Tuesday) that had a metalic look that went well with the metal tiles.  Decided to keep the hanging rack but did away with some of the items I had there that I really don't use.

Gotta have room for the toaster oven!  And please overlook the red grippers on top of the oven.  Some days I can't open a thing without them.

And here's the view out the back window.  The metal strip across the top of the border is faux metal strip that comes with the faux tin tiles.  The adult chocolate milk now holds dishwashing soap.

New Neighbors

With only 3 weeks left here at the Bend, I was really surprised to see the new neighbors that set up next to me for the night.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them if I were in Arizona or Nevada, but there's not much off road camping around here.  Pretty awesome rigs.  What was really awesome to me was that the kids were all girls with the exception of one boy.  So the dads are teaching the girls to go for the gusto in their camping styles.  You rock, dads!

I Don't Know Nuthin Bout Birthin Babies, Miz Scarlet!

Probably one of the most memorable lines from Gone With the Wind, well, except maybe the final line.  Still, it does sum up my experience with childbirth.  I have never given birth.  It just wasn't in the cards for me.  In fact, there is research being done about Factor Five Leiden (a blood disorder I inherited) and pregnancy issues.  So maybe it wasn't meant to be.  My years in the classroom gave me enough of a taste of raising kids to make me think not being a mother may not be such a bad thing.  But I am a grandmother.

While you are scratching your heads on that one, I will confuse you even more by saying that at 48 I became a great-grandmother.  Ah, the perks of being married to an older man.  You see, my stepdaughter and I are the same age (well, technically I am 6 months older) so when she became a grandmother I became a great-grandmother.  But that's really splitting hairs.  Aiden and Addy (yes, twins) think of me as Granny Vickie and I love them dearly.  They never question the fact that they have so many grandmothers.  Maybe some day they will and I will do my best to help them understand.  Mostly I will hope they always remember their PawPaw.  They were almost 3 when he died, but they were the world to him.  He was just so excited they day they were born and he got to hold them.  Since then 5 other "greats" have been added to the family.  I know he would have had the best time taking them hunting and making things for them in the woodshop. 

My brother Mike thought for a long time that he and Linda would never have kids.  In fact, the doctors had pretty much confirmed it, so they sold everything and moved to Florida to start their own business.  First thing they did was have 2 boys!  Now big brother is looking forward to his first grandchild, a girl, in December.  I already know a couple of things about this little girl: her name is going to be Michaela, she will go fishing with her grandpa as soon as she is able to hold a fishing pole, and her grandpa Mike will make her anything she wants in his woodshop.  And her grandmother Linda who is the craftiest person I know with a needle, will keep her covered in crocheted and handsewn quilts and clothes.  And she will be lavished with love. 

Isn't it funny how this birthing thing works out? 

Seven and Half State Parks - in 4 Days

It's been a busy week but eventful.  My last post I talked about needing to go somewhere.  Well, I went somewhere alright.  After a long hike last Sunday morning with a group of campers here at the park, Gus and I cleaned up, packed up, and drove across Atlanta to big brother Mike's house.  Of course Linda had one of my favorite foods waiting for me: homemade pimento cheese!  She's the best.

On Monday the three of us loaded up and drove to Richard Russell State Park where Mike and I walked the frisbee golf course to find a geocache I needed.  Well, not the whole course but up to hole 13 of 18.  After that we found a marker about the lost Confederate gold.  Very interesting stuff.  Tuesday morning we headed north on I85 to visit some parks and a museum in the easternmost corner of Georgia.  Tugaloo State Park was nice although Mike, the fisherman, was distressed to see the low water levels on the lake.  I enjoyed hiking the nature trail and finding another geocache.  Next we visited Tallulah Gorge where I completed my second canyon challenge.  Oh, my aching knees!  After lunch we drove to the top of Black Rock Mountain where I took the long way around the 2 mile loop trail but did find a geocache at 3,640 feet.  By that time it was nearly 4pm and I was soaking wet with sweat.  Glad Mike drove us home and even gladder to find that hot shower waiting for me. 

Wednesday morning I took off on my own to finish my tour of easternmost parks: Moccasin Creek, Unicoi, and Smithgall Woods.  Another full day of hiking trails although they were much easier than the ones the day before.  Wound up driving home through a hard rainstorm.  Believe me, I was quite happy to get back to the house where I indulged in another hot shower, another one of Linda's delicious hot meals, and chilling out in front of the tv with Mike. 

Thursday morning I tried to sleep late but Gus wanted to talk an early walk, so I decided to go ahead and pack up to head back to camp.  I enjoyed a brief visit with Mike's oldest and his wife who just learned they are expecting a girl in December.  Everyone is very excited about that upcoming event.  I didn't get to visit with Mike's youngest, and I was really looking forward to seeing all the changes he's been doing to his house.  Maybe next visit.

Gus and I got on the road after lunch and made a brief stop at Panola Mountain State Park.  I thought it would be an easy hike for Gus to do with me since the trail was an old golf cart path.  Unfortunately the trail was nearly a mile long and after about 200 yards Gus just layed down.  We headed back to the car and came on home to Seeker.  Was glad to see that all was just as we left it. 

So I'm over the cabin fever now.  Only 4 and half weeks till I leave here.  The weather is getting better for campers so I expect to be busier soon.  Two campers have already pulled in today!  Time to check the campsites!

Cabin Fever

     I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted, but there really hasn't been any news to blog about.  In fact, it's so hot that I have not really cared for getting out the door much lately.  We've had two weeks of warm morning, hot by noon, thunderstorms through the afternoon, then rain into the early evening.  I am still planning to kayak down from Whitesburg on the Chattahoochee but with those afternoon storm cycles I haven't dared.  Looks like that has moved out so maybe I can get out there this week. 
     The past two weekends I have been working at the gate house while the regular guy was out.  It's not hard work and there is an air conditioner so not such bad duty, although I did somehow manage to get a spider bite on my shin yesterday.  Funny to me that some folks worry about me kayaking down a river or climbing a long trail and what might happen to me.  Then I sit still in a little guard house for the weekend and get a wicked spider bite.  Life's ironies make me smile.
     It has been a busy week for Gus at least.  On Thursday I gave him a bath and he looked so clean and white.  Most of the time his feet are orange from all the good old Georgia clay.  Late that afternoon I took him out to walk and do his business.  When we came back in I noticed something on his front paw so I put him in the shower to wash it off but it wasn't coming off.  He had somehow stepped in pine sap and gravel and the pads of his feet were all caked up with the sap and small gravel.  And the more I tried to clean it the more he tried to bite me.  I finally wrapped him in his quilt and took him to Petsmart where a couple of groomers helped me get his feet cleaned up as good as we could.  Of course he had to be muzzled because he was fighting this all the way.  Friday he pretty much layed around all day.   Then I went off to work all day at the gate house on Saturday.  I did come home at lunch to walk him and he seemed ok.  But after work I came home to find he had been sick.  At both ends, so to speak.  Even up on the daybed.  Yuckkkkk!!!
     Well, I just had to pull all the linens off and tossed them outside until today which has been housekeeping day.  Spent the whole day cleaning and doing laundry.  Now the house is back together and Gus is no longer sick.  I think maybe he chewed on his paw while I was gone and that pine sap upset his stomach.  Whatever it was I'm glad it's passed. 
     So the house is clean and all my chores are done.  The sun is shining and the sky is blue.  I really need to go somewhere.  I've got cabin fever!