August 1 - The Rainy Ride Home

Well, after I typed last night’s blog we had a little problem. It was starting to rain and get windy out so Bill wanted me to bring in the awning. No problem! Then it started raining harder and he remembered the cactus was sitting out in the rain and I had taken the globes off and didn’t want the water to get inside and ruin the electric, so I put the awning out a couple of feet to keep me dry and get the cactus. Then as I tried to bring the awning back in, it went out. I tried several times and it would not come in but kept going out. Geez! So Bill called the guy we called when we first arrived in Savannah who dealt with our battery issue and he said he could have someone out to work on it at 8:30 today. Well, that meant we would not be on the road by 9. We worried when the wind got worse and the awning was rattling that we’d end up loosing it all together, but when we got up it was still there.

Bill let me sleep til 8 since there was really nothing we could do in case he needed to order something and we might not get to leave as planned. So we had our cereal and I did up our dishes and the RV tech arrived on time. I was telling him about the awning motor having been replaced when we first got the RV, and yada yada and he was pushing the same button Bill and I pushed and the awning went in. He attributed it to a wiring issue but as long as it was in, we could pack up and get on the road and have our RV guy at home look into it. Too bad we didn’t give it one more try. Oh well.

We didn’t get on the road til 10:30. Bill had to put air in 3 of the RV tires, which is a slow process. I hitched on the first try and then on our way out Bill took our keys to the park to the office and we were officially on the road. We had found the best way to get to the I-95 on the south side of Savannah but it took a while to really be on the way home. We stopped at noon for a multi-purpose stop. I bought peaches, Bill bought lunch at Wendy’s and we all got a potty break.

We ran into rain the first time around Jacksonville. We also started having trouble with the passenger windshield wiper. The rain got worse and the wiper got worse so Bill told me to turn them off and get off the road. I told him I couldn’t see to get off the road if I turned them off, so he repeated himself and I pulled over. He was working on the wiper and, oops, it wasn’t turned off, but lucky for me he didn’t have his hand on it. I tried not to smile since there he was, out in the drizzle, trying to fix it. It stopped raining as soon as we got back on the road and luckily when we stopped for fuel Bill worked on the wiper again and then I finished getting it back in the track. We still need a new wiper. Good thing we got it fixed as we ran into a lot of rain in the Daytona area and then again from Maitland to Ocoee. The weather sure made our unloading and parking a pain. We got to the house about 6:30, unloaded pretty much everything but the refrigerator and freezer and then took the RV back to the warehouse. I was not at my best parking this time. I was tired and couldn’t get my right and left straight, but Bill managed to get me into the space and we emptied the fridge, called First Choice to deliver some Chinese for dinner. We got to eat at 8 and it was yummy.

Then I looked at all the bags of food and clothing and laundry to be emptied and put away, ugh! But it was a great trip, a super experience and we look forward to the next time.

July 31 - Visiting Savannah One Last Time

Bill says today is the real D Day. We had our normal Sunday breakfast and then set to getting things ready to leave tomorrow. We took down the bird feeder, the cactus, the lights, the clothesline, the dog pen and put them all away and then the ladder. We loaded all of our scrap wood and things we thought would help with the fridge cooling issue in the truck to take to the dumpster. By then we were soaking wet from the humidity. After a cold drink we showered and headed to the VC to turn in our shirts and badges. On the way we did stop at the dumpster and the lid was shut, so I opened it and there was a raccoon inside. I told Bill he would need to put the climbing limb in for it that was along side the dumpster, as they get in there frequently when the lid is left open. When he looked in he said there were 2. Sure enough when he put the limb in I went for the camera and we just stood there and watched the 2 just climb up and out and slowly walk away into the woods. It was really pretty neat.

Bill, Rangers Ron and Patty and Kelly

At the VC we got to say our goodbyes to Ron and Patty. Ron hadn’t realized we were done and apologized that he wasn’t prepared for us. He gave Bill a book and a Ft Pulaski patch and gave me a really nice glass ornament of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and a patch also. He’s going to send us letters of recommendation for future park applications but also said we could always have the parks call and give him as a reference. While we were there in came Cathy and her husband Tim. She was off today but came in to tell us good bye. She is so nice and we really enjoyed working with her in the bookstore. She gave me her marinara sauce recipe that I will try very shortly after we get home. They have a place in Bradenton and we hope to see them when they are in Florida.

We went to the fort to see Nancy and Wanda. Wanda manages the bookstores and we wanted a Cockspur Lighthouse patch and a magnet and when we went to check out she asked it that is all we wanted and I said yep and she said take it. I think she really appreciated that I always offered to do extra for them in the bookstore whether it suited the rangers or not. I hate just sitting all the time so I did stocking and cleaning and straightening. I think too she appreciated the baked goods.  Nancy was getting ready to range guard for the musket demonstration but we did get a quick hug and good bye and I gave her our card with our emails, etc. We both told Tramas and Brian goodbye just before they did the soldier and musket demos, so it was time to head back to the truck.

We made a quick run to Chu’s for a Sunday paper and then home for BLT’s for lunch. I made extra bacon this morning since we were out of lunch meat. We had some fruit, carrots and a cheese stick to round it out.

After lunch we went stopped at Wal-mart for a new egg crate pad to use in the truck for the animals and then we went into Savannah to Paula Deen’s Store, which is right beside her restaurant, Lady and Sons, or whatever it is. We did a little last minute shopping and checked out the Nathanial Greene monument in the square where we parked, and on the way back decided on our route for tomorrow. So many of the streets have those beautiful low hanging trees that we needed to have a good plan for our exit. We stopped for a few things at Walgreens and then Bill topped off the gas tank.

We relaxed for a bit and read the paper and Bill took a nap. I cut the egg crate for the back seat and we put it in the truck. We went to dinner a little early as we had things to do still when we got back. I still had some credit on my Crab Shack gift card so we went there and there was no waiting since we were there about 5:30. Bill had pork bbq and I had a steamed shrimp and crab cake dinner. Again the crab had too much filler but it was seasoned well and the shrimp were good. We drove to Tybee to see where Cathy and Tim live and they are just about as on the beach as you can get. She said we are welcome any time and if they are gone in December when we come back she’ll leave us a key. Not that we’d go to the beach in December but it’s nice that she made the offer. I could walk to the lighthouse every day!

It was getting gray and rumbly out so we changed clothes quickly when we got home and set out to finish our prepping for tomorrow. I greased the hitch while Bill took the slide stabilizers down, then we put the bike rack on and the bikes. We put the sheet on the back seat for the girls and all that is left is for Bill to drain the tanks in the AM and put the hoses away. Tonight before bed I will turn the recliners around and pack up the laptops. We’re going to stop for lunch so will only have cereal bowls and the bacon rack to wash and put away. I’ve put the antenna down and secured the bedroom TV so we hope we get going at a reasonable time.

We have certainly enjoyed our time here. So many new friends that we hope to keep in touch with and meet again. So many great experiences that we would never have had any place else. We really do like it here, if it just wasn’t so darn hot!

July 29 & 30 - Time is Running Out

July 29 – It was my last day in the entrance station. I did all of the blogs through yesterday and some email so won’t be finishing the trip blog until I get home on Monday. The morning went pretty fast and it has gotten really hot again so it was not fun facing the sun in the booth all morning. The afternoon in the VC was pretty slow. There were 4 of us on duty until 3, then Patty left for the day and the other volunteer left. Bill and I were on our own until our quitting time. Joel came up from the fort until closing time. Nothing exciting went on so I read a while then tidied up the bookstore, then read, then tidied up the break room. I don’t think anyone does any cleaning there if the job isn’t specifically assigned to them. Wonder how clean their homes are?

Before making dinner I put a pineapple cake in the oven for the rangers. I also made a new cookie dough as Bill wanted something to take Reiter and Jennifer at breakfast tomorrow since they won’t be coming to the fort. Then I made pork chops for dinner with some sautéed apples and we finished the waldorf salad and had the rest of the fresh green beans. After dinner I baked the cookies, frosted the cake, did a load of wash and then we took up our outdoor carpet and put it over the truck bed to dry out.

Then I got my shower and reset the alarm for EARLY tomorrow. At least I don’t have to fix breakfast!

July 30 – D-Day! We got up extra early to have breakfast with Reiter and Megan. Jennifer was ill and was not able to make it. We had a nice time and Reiter and Megan appreciated the cookies I took them. Reiter took a picture of us and is supposed to email it and one he took in the VC the other day.

Everyone enjoyed the pineapple cake today. It was a long day as I didn’t have much to do until after 11 since the bookstore was being inventoried and by the time they got it done and ready to open up it was later than expected. We didn’t really say our good byes to anyone but Megan today. She left at 4 and will be gone for 2 weeks, so we invited her to Florida anytime. She’s such a nice person. She and her boyfriend are going to Colorado for a week and she is working at her other job for a week and then will go to 1 day a week at Ft Pulaski until at least after Labor Day. We have to go in on Sunday to turn in our volunteer shirts and badges so we will say good bye to the people we missed then. So today wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be with the good-byes. We also want to make a few last purchases at the bookstore as they have some new inventory in that we might be interested in.

It slowed down a lot by 4:30 so Patty let us leave at 5, so that was nice. She apologized that she didn’t get to have a little going away for us as Ron had possession of the Kroger card they use to buy food for these types of things. We told her it was fine, I had taken in a cake so that was enough.

We managed to get our outdoor carpet cleaned and put away along with the grill and a few other items tonight. Then I fixed hamburgers, roasted butternut squash and salads for dinner. We watched an episode of NCIS while the laundry washed and then put it in the dryer on the way out to walk Xena. I made my last deposit in the recycle bins and stopped at the VIP room and got my fridge and freezer items out and brought back. The fridge is really getting empty.

Bill cleaned the kitchen and I cleaned up the computer desk in preparation to pack up the laptops. There’s quite a bit to get ready tomorrow before heading into Savannah one last time.