1049 November 15, 2023 Rainy Day Shenanigans

I donned Tim’s bright yellow raincoat and set off on my morning walk.  It was amazing to me that although it had been raining for several hours, the canopy of trees is so dense that there were still dry patches on the pavement.  It did stop raining while I was out.

I stumbled upon small pond where I found three birds hunting in the water; a great egret, a snowy egret, and a wood stork.  I had fun watching them and taking pictures.  They took off one by one to roost in the treetops.

I walked the gravel trail along the park road.

It wasn’t a very nice day to play outside. We tried riding our bikes but it was chilly and raw and spitting rain.

We decided to venture into Savannah and go to the movie theater. We saw Killers of the Flower Moon. Martin Scorsese directed the film. He spoke on camera before the showing. He talked about how the crew worked very hard with the Osage Indian Tribe and with historians to tell the story as accurately as possible. In the 1920’s, at least 20 Native Americans and probably more than 100, were killed in Osage County, Oklahoma. Oil was found on reservation land and the Osage Indians became very wealthy. Neighboring ranchers became greedy and carried out plots to inherit the oil headrights. This movie was an intense 3 1/2 hour sobering tale of murder and avarice. Another chapter in our nation’s history dictated by materialism, self righteousness, and selfishness. This was a moving and powerful story.

We grabbed dinner on the way back to the campground. The movie stayed with us and we had lots to talk about. It really made us think.

School pictures; Oliver second grade and Austin kindergarten…sure to bring you smiles.

1048 November 14, 2023 Quiet Skidaway

What a peaceful place to take my morning walk!  I planned at walk the Sandpiper Trail.  There was a notice saying that a bridge was out on the trail but I figured I would walk as far as I could.  I didn’t get very far at all.  The trail was flooded!

I finished my walk on the paved roads in the campground.  I love the tall live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and the low growing palmettos. 

We drove to the nearby Publix for fresh water.  We also bought mangoes, papaya, beets, figs, snap peas, and avocadoes.  As I out our groceries on the conveyor, I thought that we had purchased an unusual combination of foods!

At lunchtime, we packed our bike bags and rode the rough trail back out to the observation tower.  We enjoyed our picnic but because it was windy, we didn’t climb to the top.

Tiny crabs skittered in the sand beneath the raised boardwalk.

This is the remainder of a shell midden. Hundreds of years ago, this area was inhabited by Native American peoples. One of the main components of their diet was oysters. They discarded their shell into great piles or middens. These middens leach calcium into the ground. This allows plants to grow in the less acidic soil. Often, cedar trees will thrive near middens.

We biked the remainder of the Big Ferry Trail because we enjoyed it so much yesterday.

We rested for a while this afternoon and then took our bikes and rode from the campground and into the surrounding neighborhood.  This is a very ritzy area, with lovely large homes and beautiful churches. The bike path was marked with NO TRESSPASSING signs at several of the gated communities, forcing us to turn around.

It was cloudy and windy today.  Tomorrow’s forecast calls for a chance of rain.  We will see what the new day brings!

1047 November 13, 2023 Skidaway Island State Park

I walked the commercial parking lots while Tim did his yoga and strength workouts.  We left Lumberton at about 8am. 

We shortly crossed into South Carolina and then a couple of hours later, we were in Georgia.  We did not expect to be so far south so quickly. 

We arrived at Skidaway State Park in early afternoon.  We rested and then we took our bikes and cycled through the park.  The trails are hardpacked sand, albeit with lots of live oak roots, and we rode through the woods. 

We biked to the overlook tower where we had expansive views of the tidal marsh along the Skidaway Narrows.

Cool neon orange fungus.

We saw no gators although they are known to live in the slough ponds here.  We saw no bobcats either.  Nor did we see dolphin in the river.  We did see lots of squirrels still hustling to horde acorns.

I was prepping dinner when Tim caught sight of this beautiful buck walking across the road and into our site.

We have another couple of days to explore here!

1046 November 12, 2023 We Need A New Plan

Rain and wind persisted throughout the night. We were lashed by driving sideways rain and the wind was howling with wind speeds at 25mph.

When Tim looked at the weather forecast for the Outer Banks, it showed rain and high winds until Friday. UGHHH…what a nasty forecast! We had planned to hang out in Hatteras for several days and then we wanted to take the ferry to Ocracoke. Now what? We were disappointed but it was not worth staying at the beach if we were not going to be able to enjoy it.

We decided to drive inland and head south on 95. While Tim drove, I was looking at forecasts for Edisto and Hunting Island. I was also searching for campsites. I finally found a site at Skidaway State Park beginning on Monday.

As we approached Fayetteville, the rain stopped and we had a few glimpses of sunlight. By the time we arrived in Lumberton, it was warmer and we had actual sunshine.

We parked for an overnight at the Lumberton Walmart and we are looking forward to being near Savannah!

1045 November 11, 2023 OBX Another Happy Place

I took another walk around the Cherrystone Campground before we continued our journey.

We began the day with a trip to the Cape Charles Farmers Market. We found a nice fresh loaf of sourdough bread.

We continued down Highway 13 and filled the RV with diesel fuel…only 3.99 a gallon!!! Tim drove through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

We stopped in Virginia Beach to go to the Office Max. I really hate doing stupid things. The first day in Cape Charles, I intended to work on the blog. I searched everywhere for the power cord for my laptop. There are not that many places it could have been. We live in a really small space and it is important to put things away; where they belong. I just could not find the charger. I thought I remembered using it in Kyle and Allison’s house. Apparently it had been laying in their living room for days. Life on the road has a few disadvantages. There was no place for me to receive mail. I did finally google how to charge a laptop without a power cord. I was able to use our power bank. It was however painfully slow. This was not a sustainable solution. I chose to get a USB C charger. I took it out into the RV in the parking lot and plugged it into the laptop…BINGO! Now I have a way to charge!!! Sometimes it is the little things!

We drove another hour or so into North Carolina and to Morris Farms. We always stop here. Today we got some cider and a few stocking stuffers.

While we were driving, I worked online to get a Off-road Vehicle Permit and a Beach Fire Permit. We stopped at Bodie Island Visitor Center and got our maps and paper copies.

We arrived at Oregon Inlet at around three in the afternoon just as the first raindrops fell.

We rested while it rained. At 4pm we let air out of the Jeep tires and took a ride on the beach.

Nice hot tomato soup with salad and crusty sourdough bread was a perfect end to a good day.

1044 November 10, 2023 Kiptopeke and Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge

I took a morning walk in the campground. It was 57 degrees but the sky was leaden and there was a bit of wind that made it kind of nippy! I did 2.25 miles.

We packed the cooler and drove the Jeep to Kiptopeke State Park. We walked the pier and then walked 2 miles along the bay.

Before we left Atlanta, Austin gave each Tim and I a lovey. We were to take them with us and sleep with them and then we were instructed to bring them back in December when he will give us each new lovies to take. We thought it might be fun for the lovies to go adventuring with us. We sent this picture to Austin today.

We took the Jeep to the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. We had our breakfast and then got on our bikes.

We had a nice headwind and it was chilly. We really missed the sunshine today! I did 3 miles before turning back. Tim continued another two miles to the end of the paved bike trail. We both had a nice gentle push from behind and the tailwind really helped on the way back!

We enjoyed some quiet time this afternoon.

We headed back to Cape Charles to The Shanty for dinner. Friday is date night!

1043 November 9, 2023 Cape Charles

We got up early and packed a cooler with breakfast. We were eager to get out and explore. We took the Jeep into the town of Cape Charles.

There are lots of cotton fields ready to be harvested.

We parked along the water and got out to walk the fishing pier. We then walked along the beach.

We found a picnic table and enjoyed our breakfast by the water.

We got on our bikes and cycled to the nature preserve.

We biked into town, looking at all the new shops and browsing in a few.

We decided to have a late lunch at a small café.

We ended the day with a light supper of lettuce wraps. Another good day!

1042 November 8, 2023 Just Us

It was time to move on. The days have been warm enough but we had quite a few chilly nights in Maryland. It was a reminder that winter is on the way!

We traveled through Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It was a beautiful ride. The leaves here are a little past peak but still lovely. We have always loved driving here. We used to say that we could feel our blood pressure drop as soon as we passed over the Bay Bridge. Many of our earliest adventures were here. We vacationed with my family for many years in Ocean City. Beginning on my thirtieth birthday, we started visiting various towns and inns and bed and breakfast establishments all along the shore.

Our destination today was Cape Charles, Virginia. Cherrystone Campground was the very first place we ever camped in a rented RV. We had always said that someday we wanted to buy an RV and travel the country. That year, about 20 years ago, Tim surprised me with the gift of a week in a Class C Camper. It was here at Cherrystone that we fell in love with the RV lifestyle. We were immediately hooked.

It is the off-season and so there were just a few other rigs in the campground. We had a site overlooking the bay. We walked the piers and the park, enjoying the sunny evening. We are glad to be back!

1041 October 10- November 7, 2023 Maryland Visit

We had to drive to Snellville to get our RV out of storage and then we were traveling north.  We went as far as Henderson, North Carolina.  We stopped at Skipper’s BBQ for pulled pork and hushpuppies and green beans and lima beans and collard greens.  Tim and his family are from Henderson.  He grew up eating BBQ from Skipper Forsyth’s.  It smelled delicious and Tim was starving.  When I came out with the bag, he had set the table and poured the wine.  We ate right there in the parking lot.  We drove a couple of miles and stayed overnight at the Cracker Barrel.

On Tuesday, we arrived in Reisterstown.  We stayed in the RV at Kyle and Allison’s house.  Every night, I had dinner ready when they got home from work.  Tim and I took care of the yardwork.  Kyle and Tim stripped the dining room carpet and then spent days prying the linoleum from the kitchen floor.  We got it all prepped and Kyle was able to finish laying the hardwood.  I did some painting too.  Another thing that we always have to do when we go home is take care of our healthcare.  We had some appointments and we got caught up on all the recommended vaccines for “seniors.”  We tried to do as much as we could but we also had lots of fun visiting.  I got to spend lots of time with my mom.  I had lunch with she and my sister.  I saw several friends for lunch dates and we saw many of our couple friends as well.  It was nice to go home and see everyone!

We also took a short three-day road trip to Mansfield, Ohio to visit with family.  The first evening, we had dinner with my Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Ken.  The next morning, we drove around the town visiting various spots that I knew from my childhood.  We saw my grandparents’ houses, my grandfather’s workplace, the church where I was baptized, and the Mansfield town square.  That afternoon, we went to visit Aunt Kathy and Uncle Don.  My uncle is undergoing chemotherapy.  He has the most amazing attitude.  I sincerely believe that attitude has a lot to do with healing and wellbeing.  He is a man of faith who prefers to lead by action and example.  He is an inspiration.  We were grateful to be able to spend this time with loved ones that we rarely see.

The most exciting news is that Kyle and Allison are expecting a baby boy in March.  This is bound to change the way we travel!  Right now, it means that we will not be going west this winter but instead, we plan to stay on the east coast this fall and then after Christmas, we will go to Florida for a while.  We want to be in Maryland in March to help!

1040 September 13- October 9, 2023 Atlanta Staycation

After months of travel and weeks of frustration, and then driving lots of miles in a very short number of days from Edmonton to Atlanta, it was nice to be at home with David and his family.  The day that we arrived, the kids got home from school and saw our Jeep parked along the curb.  They charged into the house full of excitement.  We welcomed all the love and hugs! 

On Friday evening, the kids begged us to sleep out in the roof top tent.  We set up in the driveway.  We packed the sleeping bags and pillows and blankets and lovies and snacks and books and we had a wonderful evening.  Grandma and PopPop and Oliver and Austin all cuddled together in our nest.  On Saturday, we baked gingerbread cookies and then I had a sleepover with the boys in Oliver’s room.  Austin sleeps in the trundle bed every non-school night.  I slept with Oliver in his big bed.  We read lots of chapters of Captain Underpants.  Sunday was swimming lessons.  It was great to see how much the boys had gained in their swimming skills since our last visit in the spring.  The afternoon was spent doing all sorts of painting and art projects. 

The boys were off for fall break the following week.  On Monday, David and Dre, the boys, and us drove into the city to the Atlanta Aquarium.  The highlight of the day was the dolphin show. 

On Tuesday, Dre had to go back to work.  David joined us and we took the boys to the zoo.  I fed the giraffe hoping that the boys would do it too…but not this time!

Wednesday, we had tickets to the Braves game.  We all made it all to the end of the game.  It was a disappointing loss.

Thursday, Tim and I took the boys for an overnight camping trip in the Jeep and tent.  We went to Stone Mountain and the boys practiced casting with their new fishing rods.  We got a couple of nibbles but no fish.  We had fun at the playground.  We cooked quesadillas on the grill and roasted marshmallows and enjoyed the campfire.  It was a great first real camping trip!

Saturday, we hiked in the woods where the kids splashed in the creek.

By Monday, we were all happy and tired and the kids went back to school. 

We spent the next two weeks helping with carpool and swimming and doing some household chores and yardwork.  In the evenings we played games and read books.  Austin really likes to cook and he helped to make spaghetti and meatballs.  He also liked to help cut strawberries and stuff for salads.  Oliver doesn’t really like to eat and other than making cookies, he didn’t join in on our meal prep.  We had more sleepovers and went to the playground.  The boys are 5 and 7 and so much fun! 

We were all very sad when it was time to leave but we are all already counting the days until December!