Happy 35th Birthday Jared!

August 31 -   Happy 35^th Birthday Jared!  At 9:00 this morning I thought about the fun I was having 35 years ago at this time.  At least he popped out pretty fast and hasn’t stopped since. 

 

The sun was shining and the campers were getting up and around.  It looked like a nice day.  I cooked the last of my scrapple this morning and made Bill 2 eggs and then we headed down to the bathhouse.  It really was not in bad shape.  I think since so many people didn’t arrive until dinner time and later they didn’t use it much.  Of course there were no sites to rake.  Bill needed to use the leaf blower to get the dried grass from the sidewalks and walkways so less would be tracked into the bathrooms.  I came back and put the awning out and our chairs so we could sit out and read.  I read and he went in to watch TV.

 

Bill halfway up the side of the dam

Once Bill rested I told him I’d like to go for a walk up the dam to get some pictures.  Once we got up there I wanted to take the trail walk.  We saw a bear cub partway up a tree.  What a surprise!  He just sat so still and looked at us.  I had been taking photos of the trail so I got some photos of the cub on the tree and then when he got down and ran away.  How exciting!  I finally got to see a bear, be it a small one. (click on my photo album to see more)

 

The creek behind our camp loop

After lunch I went to use the WIFI and see if I received a response from Wal-mart.  Nope!  So I called Radio Shack and Target to see if they had the appropriate AC converter and they did not.  I used my laptop to call Walmart online and was on hold 15 minutes.  I was afraid I’d get down to my call and lose the signal.  She checked the item listing and agreed that the part should be there so the only thing they could do is send an entire new cooler and I would use the box to return mine.  Well, all I intend to do is take out the part I need and send the rest back.  Problem!  Isn’t there always?  They could

My bear cub

only ship to the same store or to my home address.  I explained we are leaving here and need it in Fernandina Beach and she said she could not send it to a different store but she could send to an address so I gave her the address for the state park we will staying at for 4 nights.  It darn well better get there!  We have no place to store that cheese without electricity.  Tomorrow I have to call the park and let them know it is coming and to check the expected date of delivery.  The fun never ends.

 

I called Jared but had to leave him a birthday message.  I posted a blog and worked on some photos.  By the time I got back it was almost time to shower and go out to dinner.  I wasn’t in the mood for a long drive someplace so checked the AAA book and there was an Italian place in Stuart’s Draft that was recommended.  Sanzone’s is a family run place and nothing fancy from the outside but our meals were terrific.  Bill loved his chicken cordon bleu and I had the special of stuffed flounder.  It was stuffed with crab, shrimp and scallops.  So good.  We shared a tiramisu and it was also very good.

 

We sat outside and did phone calls and emails before making a stop at Food Lion and then back to the RV.  I got to talk to Jared before we left.   Bill caught up on fall baseball at West Orange so life is good.  When we got back it was raining and we figured the Saturday night program was cancelled.  It was pretty miserable out.

 

We watched a show and then Bill went to bed and I did my usual reading in the recliner and I dozed off.  I heard some noise and got up and saw all kinds of flashlights and people out by our RV.  I woke Bill and I opened the door to ask if there was a bear and of course there was one, he came through right by our site TWICE and I was reading or sleeping.  Darn!  Bill went back to bed but I turned off all the inside lights and turned on the outside lights and sat for about 45 minutes just watching.  I was too tired to keep my eyes open so gave up and went to bed. 

Trip to town

August 30 -   Light duty today!  No sites to rake just a touch up on the bathhouse since we only had 2 campers last night.  Then I headed up to check the email and it said our cooler was delivered.  I had asked Linda if she’d like to go in with me if it came.  Once I got back I radioed her that I would be ready to go in an hour after lunch and a shower.

 

I made my salad and left out Bill’s veggies and sandwich items, showered and in an hour was ready to go.  Linda and I both had a few things to pick up at Wal-mart but I went to pick up the cooler first.  I had told myself I’d be home in 2 hours so I could cook my roast over the fire pit.  Well, there was a lady ahead of me and we both asked several employees passing by for assistance and finally someone came.  Once the first lady was done it was my turn and they brought out the cooler, checked my ID and gave me the receipt.  Then I had to wait in line at the deli, and I had a problem at checkout with my deli coupon.  The stupid cashier and then her supervisor couldn’t grasp the concept that the deli coupon required a 1 pound purchase and my meat was 1.03.  How often does the deli clerk hit it right on the mark?  The supervisor actually took the meat back over to the deli to check on it.  Finally I met Linda back at the door.

 

We drove to Stuart’s Draft to The Cheese Shop.  Linda wanted a log of longhorn and I wanted longhorn and baby swiss and 10 packages of trail bologna.  That was just from the deli.  I had some other things to get that we don’t really have at home so we finished there and went to Food Lion.  Linda stayed in the truck and made phone calls and on the way home I stopped and filled the truck with diesel.  By the time we got back it was too late to start a fire so I quickly put my roast in the oven.

 

I really enjoyed my time with Linda.  We got to girl talk about our husbands and RV’s and kids.  It was her first real break from Fred so I think she enjoyed it also.

 

Once we got everything out of the truck we opened the cooler.  Bill said it was not as big as he thought it would be and we found that the AC cord that was supposed to be included wasn’t.  That is a big problem.  I put most of the bologna in the little fridge we already have and took the 2 logs of cheese and 1 ring of bologna to the house that the summer rangers live in.  There is only one still living there and she has a full size fridge.  She was just getting back when I arrived and said it was fine to store the stuff there until we leave on Tuesday.  At least the problem is solved until we get to Ft. Clinch.  We have the DC plug to run the cooler off the truck battery.  I tested it for about 30 minutes and it was cooling down really well.

 

While I was out I emailed Wal-mart.online about the missing cord.  I also called the store to see if they have them for purchase which was no luck.  I was tired when I finally got back and it was about 7 so my dinner smelled done.  The carrots could have cooked longer but Bill’s potato and my Vidalia onion were delicious and the roast was very good. 

 

Our campers were finally starting to come in.  We seem to have a lot more tent campers than normal.  By the time we went to bed we still had 3 empty spaces.  The new group couple arrived and the lady, Robbie, stopped by.  She told us our upsidedown bird is actually a Nuthatch.  Mystery solved.

Boring day

Nobody gets by Bill

August 29 – It rained all night again and was still drizzly this morning.  When we saw a bit of a break we headed out to get our work done.  The bathhouse was not bad since there were only 3 campers last night but we needed to change the light bulbs.  While Bill worked on that I raked the one site that left and then went to work on cleaning the last 5 fire pits.  That was a job and a half.  It was all so wet from the rain that it weighed a ton.  Some were so deep that I found broken bottles and cans in them.  While I was working on my job Fred came over to assist Bill with the lights and brought a ladder.  It ended up that the same light was out in the men’s as the ladies and after changing all the bulbs it was decided they were out due to a problem with the timer.  I was pooped so just sat and had a beverage and cooled off.

 

I went to check email after lunch to see if we received one from Wal-mart that our cooler had come in but it hadn’t.  I was able to track it via Fed Ex and it had left Charlotte, NC so who know how long it takes to make it here.  I had planned to do a load of wash but both washers were tied up so I just did some email and headed on back.  I ended up calling Karen via the computer and we talked for an hour.  Bill thought I left and went to pick up the cooler.

 

It was clearing off a bit but not a super nice day.  Word is the weekend is supposed to be hot so will see.  I like the cooler weather since we’ll still have some heat when we get home.  We just lazed around and read.  After dinner I went back up to check the email again from Walmart, but there was none.  Will try again in the morning.

 

We watched our TV show and then read.

Lunch and a Movie

August 28 – It had rained a lot during the night and this morning there were no signs of it letting up.  Since we planned to go to a movie we decided to trudge on and go clean.  Two campers left before we went out and that left only 3 for the night.  It was a good day to clean and pinesol the floors.  I hate that smell but I cleaned my bathhouse and the family one and then did the floors.  Bill ran an errand and was later starting on his.  I walked with my umbrella to check the 2 vacated sights for trash and they were spotless.  One left a mesh bag with some split wood in it that I brought back to use this weekend.

 

After a short rest we got ready to leave about 11:30.  After stopping a Lowe’s for new magnetic vent covers we had lunch at Wendy’s.  The new Panera was open and packed.  Oh well, my berry almond salad was excellent.  Today’s movie selection was Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters.  We were the only ones in the theater so we could talk about it the whole time.  We liked the movie and had a decent understanding about it since we saw the first one.  I love the whole mythology thing so it was right up my alley.

 

A fine dinner

We made a quick stop at Wal-mart with a short list and then headed home.  It was still raining.  It stopped as we got home so while I made dinner Bill went out and cleaned several fire pits.  Bill will finish the rest tomorrow while I rake after we do the bathhouses.  Being there were no more leftovers I had to cook and it was a pretty meal as well as a tasty one.  I poached tilapia filets with lemon slices, made a multi-rice pilaf and steamed mixed veggies and topped them with olive oil and dill krauter seasoning.  Bill was complimentary although none were high on his normal list.

 

The rain started up again after I went to visit the folks from last night to take them the information about our apartment and airbnb.  I sat and visited for a while and the rain was getting worse so I high tailed it home.  Glad I had my umbrella, jacket and water proof sneakers!  Then it was journal time and TV time.

Winery Trail

August 27 – We leave 1 week from today and there are still places we want to go and things we want to do.  Cleaning bathhouses is not one of them but we did our duty.  The campground is pretty empty but will be full again on Friday for the holiday weekend. 

 

Once the raking was done we decided to go on some of the wine trail on the east side of the mountains.  We went up and over the same route we went Saturday night with everyone.  We stopped at 3 wineries and a hard cider place.  The Wintergreen Winery was nice and I was the only one tasting so she didn’t charge.  I left with one bottle.  They were out of several and will be bottling later in the week.  Next was the Bold Rock cider tasting room.  There is no fee for the tasting and I did all 4.  Two were a champagne style and 2 were more like beer.  I went with the first 2 and got a 6 pack of 3 each.  These will be for special occasions (or when I run out of wine).  Then we moseyed up the hill to Hill Top Berry Farm and Brewery.  Their products were fruit wines and meads.  I’d never tasted mead and ended up bringing back a bottle of pumpkin mead.  The wines were OK but I promised myself I’d limit to one bottle per place.  Our last stop, bear in mind Bill stays in the truck waiting, was Cardinal Point Winery.  This was the only place where I was not the only taster.  It was also the only place that did only dry wines.  I normally ask but since the wine list was so long I figured I could just skip to the good stuff.  Nah!  I did buy one as a gift but its way too dry for me.

 

There were more wineries along the road but it was getting late and I wanted to stop at the peach orchard (which was over priced and the peaches were hard as rocks) and this little “country store”.  Bill went in with me and it was full of antiques, jewelry, knick knacks and paddy whacks.  We most enjoyed the candy room where we reminisced on the ones we had as kids that you don’t normally see anymore.

 

Once we got this far we were close to Waynesboro so we drove on it and made a stop at Sharp Shopper.  Muenster was the cheese of the week so I got a whole log to take home.  We didn’t buy much else.  I had Bill stop at the Dollar Tree and was very excited to find in their seasonal section a huge supply of items I could use for our campout in September.  We’re doing a Hawaiian Luau theme so I got leis, fancy straws, wall decorations and table decorations.  Now all we need are the table cloths, plates and napkins. 

 

We made the last stop at Kroger then headed for home.  It was closing in on dark so we hurried and ate our leftovers and went out to rake the site that left early and walk the loop.  We met a really nice couple who are interested in coming to Florida for 2 months this winter.  I told them about our apartment and that I thought it was open for the month of January.  I told them I’d bring my card of with my info and the airbnb web address.

 

I stayed visiting so long that Bill left and our show was half over when I got in.  We watched our shows for the rest of the evening.

Volunteer Luncheon

The elusive Upsidedown bird.  I swear I did not turn the
photo around.  He is quite bizarre.

August 26 – With the luncheon today we weren’t going to get to anywhere.  Oh well.  After cleaning the bathhouse Bill said he’d do the couple of sites while I made my corn soufflé and got my shower.  After putting my dish in the oven, Bill was back and we decided to measure the height again of the RV.  There is an overpass of 13’6” that we would go under when we leave it we could.  Well it’ measured 13’51/2”.  Now we will check if it lowers once we hitch up.  I think it should drop a couple of inches.  The bad new is after the measuring I noticed that on the side of the roof where the 2 tank vents were, there was only one and it was broken off and damaged.  There was no damage to the AC unit so we can’t figure how we could have hit something to do the damage in the middle of the side of the roof.  Then those vents are $60 each!  The vent holes were a mess so we have to take it in for new vent pipes before I can put the vents back on.

 

The invite to the luncheon was a bit sketchy and so I packed a bag of plates, bowls, plasticware, drinks and tablecloths.  Bill and I were the first to arrive after the “host”.  We’re never early, what a shock.  It was not a very organized event, as some volunteers never got the message and some just got it this morning and it was a bit last minute to bring something.  The host brought 8 hotdogs and one couple cut up hotdogs in their baked beans and that was the extent of meat for the meal.  There was plenty of other food items so no one left hungry.  Several brought 2 dishes and that was a good thing. 

 

A couple of the regional forestry people there but no one went to any trouble to introduce them around and there was a couple who used to volunteer but hasn’t for 3 years, so it wasn’t a very comfortable social event.  We did our duty and got home at almost 2.  After putting everything away we discussed if we had time to go into town, but instead we went to use the WIFI and Bill washed a load of rags.  I made some calls through the computer and ordered a new roof vent and called the upholsterer to see when my couch will be picked up.  They are on vacation.  So I hope to hear back from them this weekend. 

 

Dinner was leftover grilled items and leftover corn soufflé and sliced tomatoes.  As we were finishing up Larry, one of the volunteers came by to get my recipe for the corn soufflé.  We stood outside and chatted with him for an hour.  He’s really nice and offered for me to go with him one night on a bear run.  He patrols the areas that bears are most likely and scares them off with a paint gun.  Some nights he’s out til 1 or 2 in the morning.  I’d need to take a nap before I go.

 

We watched the season enders of “Glades” and “Longmire” and I caught up my journal and expense journal.

Work, work work

Better photo of the upsidedown bird, he's blue

August 25 – Sunday is always the busiest day for us.  We finished our Sunday breakfast then headed out to get a start.  That was the worst my bathhouse has been.  There was so much water puddled from the one shower that it sprays too far back and won’t drain.   I swept and swept!  I also just don’t understand not getting your trash in the can but leaving it on the floor 2 inches from the can.  I had to replace 10 rolls of TP, the most I’ve had to do at one time.  By the time I finally got finished Bill was already out raking.  He starts at 1 and I start at 18, but today 18 was slow leaving so I skipped to 17 and worked my way around to meet Bill. 

 

We got them all done but 18 since they were still slow leaving.  I found .03, a door mat and a dish cloth.  As usual Bill came back with .01.  My hip was killing me from the sweeping and the raking.  It was time to sit with a Lipton Citrus Green Tea and relax a while until lunchtime.

 

After lunch I took 2 loads of laundry and headed up the hill.  I learned that when I’m on gmail I can use my connection to make phone calls!  Kam failed to tell me that.  So I called one of the campgrounds we wanted to book for the trip south.  I also ordered a 40 quart cooler by Igloo that runs on AC/DC from Walmart online.  It will be in on Thursday so that works out perfect.  We can put it in the back seat with all the meat and cheese I will be taking home and we can squeeze in drinks for us.  It will actually be used for food storage on future trips due to the shortage of fridge space we have.

I posted a couple of blogs and I emailed Nancy with our final menu for the campout.  Once we leave here I can call her and that will be much better. She’s going to start calling everyone to get the menu assigned.  It will all come together.

 

When I got back Bill said Fred was by and said there’s going to be a volunteer luncheon tomorrow at noon.  A potluck.  I went through the cupboards to see what I had on hand to make.  I decided on corn soufflé.

 

I got a good fire started in the grill pit and we used the metal grate I found a few days ago abandoned in a site to grill on.  It lies right over the pit so it’s closer to the fire.  We grilled chicken, Italian sausage and thick bologna slices.  I put some carrots in a foil packet first and let those cook some before starting the meats.  The meat was all good but I could have cooked the carrots longer.  Now we have leftovers for a couple of nights.

 

I had asked Bill this morning if he’d drive me out to the main road where I saw an abandoned apple tree so I could see if they were any good.  Now I thought if there were any apples I’d make an apple crisp.  We went out and there were apple.  Not the biggest or nicest, kinda neglected but I picked quite a few.  We tried one at home and they are granny smiths.  Not really good for cooking but I made a crisp for tomorrow with some.

 

Nothing much on TV tonight so I finished my book, “Oinks”.  It was a true story and so funny.