Geocaching Fun

We took Cheryl and Jay on their first geocaching adventure yesterday and they seemed to enjoy it. Their son, Will, came along too. We went to eight different sites, which was the most David and I have ever attempted in one day. We found six of the eight. One had too many muggles around and the other we gave a good try, walking way out into the woods and getting scratched and bitten by insects and never could find it. We finally gave up on that one. It was a fun day and the weather was nice. Below is a photo of Jay and Will with the treasure box they found in the woods behind them. This one was located in a park, behind the softball fields and they had to jump over the fence to go get it. You could actually walk all the way around but it was quite a distance and I think they wanted the thrill of jumping over the fence. There are a lot of caches hidden around here so looks like we'll be making more trips to locate them.

New Additions

We bought a couple of new things for our new site. We have been wanting a table and chairs for playing games and eating outside and decided a card table would be best since we can fold it and store it away when we don't need it. Also the other night our friends, Cheryl and Jay, invited us over to their RV site to sit around the fire. They have a chimenea and we liked it so well we decided to buy one as well. We had a fire in it last night and some of our other neighbors came over to visit and just sit around the fire. It was nice. Cheryl and Jay are coming over this afternoon and we are taking them geocaching. They had never heard of it so we told them about it and they want to go so it will be fun to introduce them to such a fun activity. Afterward they are coming over for a hotdog supper and we may even play Mexican Train with the dominoes. You can bet we will have the fire burning in the chimenea. I always thought chimeneas were neat looking but wasn't sure how well they worked but they really do put out a lot of heat. We have missed our campfires since moving to this park. There are no fire rings here but they do allow you to have a campfire in a safe place but no one ever does. The chimenea seemed to be the perfect solution for us. Looks like we are going to have another absolutely beautiful Carolina day!

the card table with the chimenea in the background (it looks so tiny in this photo)

the chimenea with a fire burning inside

Busy Week

It has been one busy week for me. I have not even had a spare moment to sit down and blog about anything and the things that have kept me so busy have been mundane and not worth blogging about. One thing I did on Thursday was drive up to North Carolina to see our grand daughter, Hannah, in a Reader's Theatre at her school. It was a cute little program showing how they make reading a fun thing that the students enjoy. It is always such a pleasure to see her!

This is Hannah's 2nd grade class up on stage performing a story for the audience

A Cereal Crisis

I've run into a little problem recently. I am not sure if it is a local problem or if it is like this everywhere. David and I are not big cereal eaters, however, every now and then we like to eat a bowl of cereal. I try my best to buy cereal that is not full of sugar but this has become more and more difficult. One of the best cereals available is puffed wheat... very cheap, no sugar, and full of good stuff. I could buy a large bag (yes it came in plastic bags) for about 50 cents. The last bag I bought was earlier this summer and I noticed it was the last bag on the store shelf. Since then I have not been able to find puffed wheat or puffed rice anywhere! I have searched in no less than 20 stores and it is not to be found. Last week when I was looking yet again I decided to purchase spoonsize Shredded Wheat instead. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find any cereal that is not loaded with sugar??? I couldn't even find shredded wheat for the longest time.... they had it but it was not the original type... they had it frosted, cinnamon, strawberry, mapel and brown sugar and vanilla creme, but it took forever for me to find a box of just plain old regualr shredded wheat. I did find a box and bought it... at $3 a box. A far cry from the 50 cent bag of puffed wheat. How sad that most cereal today is nothing but a box of sugar. I'm still on the lookout for puffed wheat!

The Birds

Since we moved into this RV park we have noticed something interesting. Around 6:00pm each night hundreds of birds flock to the tree tops that line the drive coming in to the park. They are so loud and just keep coming and coming. I guess they must roost in those tree tops at night. It is fun to watch them fly in and the noise they make is almost deafening. I don't know what kind of birds they are but they all appear to be the same type, black or dark in color.

The Statues

If the site of that big house out in such a rural area in a remote part of the state was not a shock to me while I was out riding around then what I saw next certainly was. Just a few feet north of where the house sits I came upon some magnificent statues. I grew up Catholic so seeing a statue of the Virgin Mary is nothing new to me, but this is the Bible Belt, and Southern Baptists are the norm here so this site seemed a bit out of place as much as the house did. I had to go back and find out more. There is a wrought iron fence around the large field where the statues are located but the gate is not locked and the sign encourages visitors so we went in to find out what all this was about. When I first saw it I thought it may be a cemetery but it is not. It is a dedication to the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ placed there by Vietnamse refugees who came to this area. These are gigantic statues! Larger than what you would see at most churches, they tower over the field. I don't think they have anything to do with the large house, there is a farm between the two, I don't have any details so they very well may be connected somehow. It just seemed odd to me to see two things so close in such a remote area, two things that are so out of the normal in this part of the country. Two things I just happend upon randomly while driving around one day.

it is so much larger than it appears in these photos

Virgin Mary extends her hand as a young Jesus gives a peace sign

there are 2 plaques at the base, one in English and the other in Vietnamse

Out of Place

Earlier this week I was out driving around, tyring to get to know this area when I stumbled upon the house in the photo below. I have seen many big, beautiful homes in my travels over the years, many that are more magnificent than this one, but something about this one stood out enough that I wanted to get a picture of it and blog about it. You see here in this area there are a lot of trailer homes and older homes. It is a very rural area out in the country on the outskirts of Greenville, SC. Driving down this particular road you see nothing even remotely similar to this house and then suddenly there it is, right on the roadside, standing in all its glory. It seems so out of place here. I don't know a thing about it, I just found it interesting, not so much because of the house itself but the location of it is what intrigued me. Just a few feet farther on down the road was something else that caught my eye and I will blog about it next time.

Raindrops Are Falling

update:

A total of about 5 raindrops is all we got then the sun came out and there was no more rain! Oh sigh! Now what really perturbs me is this... I have heard on the news just over the past 24 hours that the Army Corps of Engineers and the government are to blame for much of the water shortage. Yes, lack of rain is the ultimate reason, however, apparently there are some fish and mussels that are on the brink of extinction and need the water in order to flourish and be saved so the COE on orders from the government has been releasing billions of gallons of water each day from the various lakes to go downstream into Florida and Alabama in order to save these fish and mussels. I am all for saving life that is becoming extinct but not at the cost of humans having to do without water. It is predicted that Atlantans only have 80 days of drinking water left... then what??? All for saving some fish and mussels, come on! Now I understand why the COE lakes were so low all summer and why I could see the results daily. Sorry to be up on a soapbox today but I needed to vent about this. If what I am hearing is true, and I have no reason not to believe it, then I think it is ridiculous to be putting fish and mussels ahead of human needs when it comes to water. OK, that's my 2 cents worth!

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What is that sound I hear outside? Oh, I believe it is the sound of raindrops! So far that is all it is… just a few drops... but it is the most we’ve seen in a very long time. The drought is really bad here in the southeast. So far the state of South Carolina has not issued any mandatory water restrictions but I feel it is only a matter of time. Both North Carolina and Georgia have mandatory water restrictions and I am sure those reading this blog have heard on the national news just how serious it is in the Atlanta area. Five million people in metro Atlanta have less than 2 months supply of water left. The lakes all around have nearly dried up. We spent all summer at Lake Hartwell and I could tell daily that the water level was receding. Debbie, remember our site when you and Rusty visited? Well a week later the water level there had receded about another 30 feet or more. You could hardly see any water from that site by the time we left there. The beach areas at all of the campgrounds had dried up early in the summer and the sandy areas went way beyond the markers for the safe swimming area. It’s bad! So hopefully this rainfall that is in our area now will be of some help. Hopefully it will amount to more than just these few drops.

The Front Porch

Got the front porch decorated and set up and wanted to share with you what it looks like. We find it very comfortable and relaxing. I've still got a few more things to do but this is it for now, even decorated up for autumn and Halloween.

A Grist Mill

Located just down the road from where we are currently living is an old grist mill. It is located right on the roadside and grabbed my interest the first time I saw it. I had to dig to find out all I could about its history. I finally found it online and wanted to share the info with you today. Gilreath’s Mill is one of the few remaining mills in South Carolina that recalls the vital tradition of rural industry. The mill is a two and one-half story frame building with a steep gable roof. Built in 1812, Gilreath's Mill was built and operated by Joel Bruce on land he owned between 1801-1840. At first, this two-story mill was a corn mill, but after 1890, it became a flour mill. Washington Taylor bought it in 1873, and then in 1890, P.D. Gilreath became the owner of the mill. Gilreath's Mill remains in the ownership of the Gilreath family even today.Other rooms on the present building include two gable-roof sheds attached to the north of the original section. The water wheel, separate from the mill, is southwest of the structure. Production of cornmeal and flour was essential to the people living nearby and therefore to the economic structure of the area. An example of the production levels of the mill is found in the South Carolina Industrial Census of 1860. Owned at that time by John Heller, the mill produced 1750 pounds of cornmeal and 60 bushels of flour. Value of this annual yield was $1750 for the cornmeal and $420 for the flour. Cornmeal and flour were strong commodities on a statewide level. In 1882, for example, Gilreath’s Mill was one of 720 grist mills in South Carolina producing 22% of all manufactures, second only to cotton products. The mill was an integral part of the social and economic setting of the area. A means of procuring staple foods, Gilreath’s Mill was also a place where people could congregate. Listed in the National Register May 28, 1976. Also known in the past as Heller’s Mill, Bruce’s Mill and Taylor’s Mill. The photos below are all ones I found online and I don't know who took these photos so can't give proper credit to the photographers. I have only passed by it several times a day but have not stopped to take any photos yet. It is not in a good location to just pull over and walk around since the road is pretty busy.

a picture of the water wheel... looks like some of these photos were taken during the winter months

you can see how close it sits to the road

the door still has the name of PD Gilreath painted on it and I see it each time I pass by

Campbell's Covered Bridge

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day and David and I took a ride to a nearby covered bridge. Cambell's Covered Bridge is the last standing covered bridge in South Carolina. It was built in 1909 over the narrow Beaver Dam Creek. It was built by Charles Irwin Willis and named after Alexander Lafayette Campbell, the owner/operator of a grist mill located near the bridge. The bridge is 35 feet long and 12 feet wide, so it is a relatively small. It has been restored twice since its completion, with the most recent being in 1990. It is a quaint little spot. We didn’t see any signs of the grist mill but there was a pretty little well nearby and we ran into a delightful couple from New York who told us there is a little cabin nearby as well. We couldn’t get to it due to a very muddy trail. I did spot a perfect location to hide a geocache so looks like we may be making another trip there in the near future. The bridge was picturesque and I took the photos shown here.

So Cute!

Last night as I was getting ready for bed Millenni came into the bedroom and wanted up on the bed. I reached down and picked her up and put her on the bed then continued getting ready. After a few minutes I turned around and couldn't find her anywhere. I had not heard her jump off the bed so knew she had to be close by. Suddenly a little black head peeped at me over the pillows. She had crawled down behind all the pillows and made herself a nice cozy spot for sleeping. Unfortunately we had to spoil everything for her so we could get in bed too but she found another spot and we all quickly fell asleep. I thought she looked so cute peeping over the pillows I just had to grab the camera and take a picture of her to share.

Too Busy

Sorry I have not blogged in a few days. I have been so busy and have not had time to write anything. I went to visit my Mom and spent the night with her then we went to visit a dear cousin of mine who has only recently been diagnosed with cancer. Apparently it is so far gone the doctors sent him home and said any treatment would only hasten his death. So sad! Today we moved from Lake Hartwell to a more permanent site on Lake Robinson. We are not sure how well we will like it here but will give it a try. It took forever to get the RV lined up just right under the awning and aligned with the porch. We finally managed to get it in to our liking though. Now I am so tired I just want to go to bed and get a good nights sleep. I will try to blog again soon.

An Interesting Menu

Yesterday David and I went out for breakfast at a local greasy spoon restaurant. I won't mention the name or location of the place but it was not far from where we were camping. Every time we passed by the parking lot was full so we felt it must be pretty good. We were not even sure it was a restaurant. The name was painted above the door but there was nothing to indicate what was inside. We went in and got our table and were looking at the menus when I saw something I have never seen in my life. There I was reading along trying to decide what I would order when I came upon... fatback! I have heard of fatback before but I thought it was something the old-timers cooked with, throwing a little piece of fatback in their beans to flavor them up. But this fatback was being served with biscuits and gravy and people were eating it. Needless to say we didn't order it but I almost wish we had just so I could have seen how it is served. I am sure I wouldn't have eaten it but it would have been interesting to see. David asked our waitress about it and she said almost everyone who eats there orders it. ICK! I can't imagine eating that. So that was a first for me to see it listed on a menu in a restaurant.

More Details

OK, so for a few more details about our new campground. The sites each have a metal awning that covers your RV plus is wide enough to cover the deck, which is also included. How nice!!! The management seems to be pretty lenient in the fact that they allow you to plant flowers, landscape etc…I really like this idea. I like having flowers and a nice yard and that is one thing I have missed since we became full time RVers. We are also allowed to have a storage building on our site if we want. This will be especially convenient. Our particular site also has an area behind where I can plant some vegetables and herbs. That is going to be so handy and now I am looking forward to spring time when I can plant some flowers and veggies. Everyone there seems to take pride in their surroundings and keeps their yards nice looking. We lucked out by finding a site available that is on the lakeside. We will have a nice view out the kitchen window of the lake and mountains in the background. It will be nice to have a deck too. There is a laundry room on the premises so that will be handy. The area down by the lake is pretty. They have picnic tables and chairs for the enjoyment of the people in the park. Most of the people there are full timers who are there long term. We feel fortunate to have found this campground. There is a little park very nearby on the lake and I took some photos from there as well.

This is our new site. You can see the lake in the background. The RV will fit under the metal covering.

our view from the back

a view of the lake with the mountains in the background

another view of the mountains and the lake

taken from the nearby park

another photo taken from the park

A New Place to Live

Sometimes things happen in our lives that are totally unexpected but just seem meant to be. All this past week we have been camping at Springfield on the lake. The campground has been virtually empty all week long. On the loop where our site was located there was only one other camper and they happened to be in the site right next to us. It seemed rather odd that all the other sites were empty and the only two campers happened to be side by side. We each did our own thing all week but never spoke more than just a simple hello. Last night was to be our last night there and it also the last night of the other couple. I was putting something in the basement of the RV when the lady came over and asked it I would mind taking a picture of her and her husband together before they left. She said they had been there all week and had taken a lot of pictures but didn’t have any of them together. I told her I would and during the course of our conversation we told them we are full time RVers . It just happens that this couple also are full time RVers and told us of the park where they are living on a lake near Greenville. We have been living in this are for more than a year now and had never heard of this park. We have been to a lot of parks and all have been lacking with the exception of the nice Corps of Engineer Parks on Lake Hartwell. Jay and Cheryl are the couple who told us about this other park and we are thrilled to find out about it. Today David and I drove up to Greenville to check it out and found a lovely site on the lake that we have decided to take. This will be a more permanent spot and we plan to at least spend the winter there if not longer. I will go into more detail about the site on a future blog but for now just wanted to let you know that we are moving.

Laugh of the Day

Today I thought I would share a funny little story with you about aging. As you know, this year I turned 50. I also decided to stop coloring my hair. All my life I have thought silver hair is just beautiful and felt one day I would have that pretty color. I was spending a small fortune coloring my hair and decided to let it go natural. I hated the in between colors so opted to have it all cut off and just let it grow out in its natural color. Well not long ago a new grocery store opened up near the campground we were staying in and I went on Grand Opening day to check it out. I noticed this store had a card you can use to get a discount on some of the products you buy. I had my cart full and was ready to pay and found one of the managers and asked if I could get a discount card at the check out register or if I had to go to the service desk. He told me to go ahead and get in line and he would get one for me. Off he trotted and I got in a self check-out line. He returned momentarily and asked in a rather timid way if I would like to have the "senior" discount card. I could tell he was having difficutly in asking me and was very careful how he worded it. I smiled and told him I would be delighted to have it, so he went off and got it for me. (the senior discount gives you an extra 5% off on everything you buy, so heck yeah I wanted it!!!) I had to laugh about it and laughed even more when I had a while to digest it all. You see, earlier this year when I was still a blonde I had to show my ID in order to purchase alcohol. You must be over the age of 21 and I was asked several times this year for my ID before I could make the purchase and just a few weeks later with silver hair I was being asked if I wanted a senior citizen discount! Good thing I am not one of those people who are hung up on getting old. Yes, I am 50 and I have silver hair and I am proud of it! I guess my days of being asked for my ID to prove that I am over 21 to buy alcohol are over and instead my remaining days I will be asked if I would like the senior discount. LOL. Life is good and only gets better with age!

me as a blonde

me with my natural color

Big Bird

No, I'm not talking about the big yellow bird from Sesame Street but this is still an awesome big bird. You guys probably get tired of me blogging about various birds I see but I find them rather facinating and these photos came out so well I wanted to share them with you. I glanced outside and saw this big beautiful heron walking along the lake shore right in front of the RV so I grabbed my camera and went out and took a few pictures. He's quite handsome. If you click on each photo you can see him more clearly and can even see the pupils of his eyes!

Site 44

We moved yesterday to a different campground. Our moves will be weekly now rather than every two weeks. We have camped in this campground many times before but this is our first time on site 44. It is a lovely site with a large front yard area and a view of the lake in front and to the side. David has really become good at backing into sites now. I remember how we struggled in the beginning but now he does it with ease. We are going to enjoy this site!