Hunger games.....

For those fans of Hunger Games,  a trip to this area would  likely bring you back to some of the scenes  in the deep woods.    We headed over to Dupont State Forest.   There is a 

handout at the Visitor's Center giving directions to some of the accessible  location scenes.    Our destination was Triple falls, where Katniss finds a wounded Peeta camouflaged in the rocks.    

We had intentions on continuing to the next falls as well but it was muddy, steep and drizzly along the path.    

This was a very wide path but still very steep, which the pic doesn't capture.   I've been pushing for hiking poles and they would have been very handy slogging uphill  and slipping down.

I was surprised to see that the massive numbers of rhododendrons were still in bloom....I had expected the season to be over but there were budding flowers scattered about.

The humidity was very high between the raindrops and we were properly dampened ......fortunately, we arrived right after the downpour and the groups of young people in the parking lot were thoroughly soaked.   There are tours that shuttle the interested around to other locales but many of the scenes (cave) were filmed on a set.

We headed over to Brevard....a lovely culturally rich community nestled in the hills.   It is home to the Brevard Music Center which is a summer program for gifted young musicians.    We have always wanted to attend one of their concerts but so far, our schedules haven't meshed.

We stopped for an early dinner at a favorite place.   Last year we had brunch outside but this time, we ate on the porch and watched the rain.   Marco Trattoria serves northern Italian dishes.   I had the most perfect salad...... An entire stalk of Romaine lettuce (trimmed) with perfectly seasoned grilled chicken and a warm butter, cream , Gorgonzola and Applewood smoked bacon sauce drizzled over ......it was decadent.!!

Paul had one of his favorites....clams with linguine.    It was the perfect

finish to the day.

Addendum:     I have not been happy with how my pics look on the blog....I do some light editing but they still looked dark and small.....then the lightbulb went off in the old brain.... and I made them BIGGER .....voila !   They look better....or at least I think so.    Blogger has changed significantly and I have still been using my old methods of adding pics and  narrative.....it looks like I need to keep up with the times !!

Exploring.......

So you were expecting pictures of far-off vistas from the mountaintops?  

 We have done some wandering but having to argue and plead with the Sync Navigation system on the Ford takes all the concentration we have and the scenery takes a back seat to trying to get to our destination.   It is very frustrating and even tho they did an upgrade, it still gives us fits and we find we need to use our phones when we get to the point of wanting to rip it out of the dash and say bad words.    

Anyhow, we did manage to find our way to the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival yesterday........lots of music, LOTS of food and a variety of refreshments containing alcohol.    I was surprised at the  number of stands that sold brew beers, hard lemonade, hard cider and fruity wines in foil pouches.   We stayed with water, both to drink and to wipe the BBQ sauce off our faces and fingers.   

The ribs .........

We're back in the land of robins......we don't have them in our backyard or anywhere in our part of Florida.   But they are in abundance around our site and reminds me of Connecticut with the birds and trees.    The day before, we were having lunch at a golf club (investigated, didn't play) and a delightful little Bluebird (of happiness, I'm sure) perched on the windowsill beside our table.   Not long enough for a picture but it made my day.

Last evening we headed over to the Flat Rock Playhouse to see a production of the Spitfire Grill.    It was outstanding and the lead had an amazing voice.   Ellen Burstyn had this role in the movie version but I don't remember hearing about it before.     While wandering the grounds, we came across this gorgeous tree.....I have never seen this before and others were asking about it as well.    It is a Royal Purple Smoketree and the leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall.  The flowers create a beautiful haze.    I think it is usually shrub- sized but this one and another were very large.   

 

On Friday night we wandered over to Hendersonville nearby.    This area is big with retirees so I expected to see a 'Village-type' crowd at the weekly Friday night street dance.    There were the grey hairs but also, many many families, teenagers and all ages.   The restaurants and shops were inviting and the weather was perfect.    We're so used to being surrounded by the Medicare crowd that we really notice and relish the mingling of the ages.

We're still in love with our new house......It is so roomy and convenient and comfortable and pretty........did I tell you that Andy and Mason decided to name it ?    Being boys, being enamored with Star Wars, Avengers, Transformers and everything good vs. evil,  after seeing a picture, they tagged it "The Black Raven".......!!    Sounds rather ominous but have to consider the source.....had Lizzie named it we'd probably be driving around in Tinkerbell !!     (no offense Lizzie.....I know that you're growing up but I think you still like Tinkerbell.........but Hunger Games or Harry Potter just doesn't have the right visual as a name).    I suspect "The Raven" has stuck but doubt we'll have one airbrushed on the back.

Mr Fix-it.......

....... did his thing again and we now have a refrigerator that works as it is supposed to.    But, this required him to wiggle into small space in the belly of the beast, hold a flashlight while troubleshooting various circuit breakers and wires and correct some mis-wiring issues.    All the while, his trusty assistant was offering words of encouragement while reclining in the shade.....we make a good team.      Getting into that spot was one thing, but  getting out was even more of a challenge.    (for those of you wondering, the blue pool noodles on the corners avoids a trip to the ER for stitches when you bang your head into those sharp points.)

While reclining in my chair in the shade of a lovely tree about 10 feet from our door, I happened to look up when a pesky insect buzzed me.......well, obscured by the dappled sunlight and shades of green, was this condo in the making.....the hornets were very industrious  and 

had managed to complete a lovely structure about 6 inches in diameter.    They really are amazing and the design is exquisite  but unfortunately, they picked a bad location to build their house.      
Paul came out armed and ready with his long range hornet killer.

Being naturally pessimistic and cowardly, I vetoed this idea as one we might not win.......I opted to alert the managers and let them do their dastardly deed for us.    We're still waiting.....  it rather puts a damper on enjoying the ambiance of the outdoors for the moment.   

We actually carry the hornet and wasp spray as security measure against 2 legged intruders.     It has a long range, is very toxic and easy to use.....vs. the possibility of shooting myself in the foot with something more lethal.    However , the best protection is to avoid  places that might harbor those situations  (such as parking in remote areas or unsavory Walmarts).   

We're basically hedonistic and prefer the luxury of spacious, scenic, welcoming campsites surrounded by the elderly and their small white dogs.    

Ahh, mountain air.........

No pics today.....rainy, gloomy, cool yesterday and today.   And we love it ! It was 56 when we arrived last evening in Flat Rock, NC, about 30 min from Asheville.    We have camped here a few times and find it clean, comfortable and convenient for exploring.     It rained overnight and it was like sleeping cozily in a tent with the raindrops.
The drive over was long.... again P did it all as road conditions and rain were too intimidating for me to practice and for him to monitor.    We got off the interstate for awhile and followed Georgia's Antebellum Trail.    We caught just a glimpse of some historical sights and plantations.....must add it to the "to-do-someday" list.

Today it is time to catch our breath, organize and get comfortable and maybe have a bit of the wine in the cool mountain air.

Maiden Voyage

In November of 2006 we departed in a new-to-us motorhome for a 3 month journey. We left with a lot of enthusiasm and confidence. A few miles down the road, the refrigerator decided to quit and despite attempts at repairs along the way, we ended up using it as a cooler with lots and lots of ice until we got to Denver. That issue was resolved but it never ever worked well and was a big annoyance. Fast forward to today. We drove off with enthusiasm and more wisdom this time and a few miles down the road, the LARGE shiny Kitchenaide refused to work as forecast !!! It works only on generator power while driving. If just using the engine, it turns off. This time it is not a major problem as we can run the generator while tooling down the highway and when we are in CG's , we can just plug it in and it works fine. I had a moment of deja vu and panic when I found it off.......I had loaded it up with prepared meals, a freezer full of salmon, tilapia, chicken but no ice cream (darn, we are being sooo good ). A call to our Tech at Lazydays gave us a few ideas to try and we will wait untl we are settled to investigate. But we understand only too well that's "it's always something" !!



We crossed into Georgia and are enjoying a relaxed evening after traveling about 275 miles. P did all the driving today. The truck traffic was heavy and a strong crosswind didn't help. Normally, I share the driving but I'll have a bit of a learning curve so will do my check ride on a calmer day. The coach rides soooo smooth and is much quieter and we can enjoy the radio and hear the sultry voice of the GPS....




We're learning the nuances of this machine and so far, can't find an outdoor temp indicator. It's here someplace among all the gauges and electronics I'm sure. The radio said it was 95 so running the generator helped keep the interior cool instead of just relying on the dash A/C which doesn't do well at those temps.

We were looking forward to a good evening walk but there are bugs out there. After my experience at Sebastian Inlet with the no-see-ums and my intense reaction, I have been a bit timid about getting bit again. And then, the other night at the storage lot, I was bitten on my big toe by a fireant.....it is now swollen, red, blistering and itching. I've been using hot soaks all day with Bacitracin and it is a lot better tonight...... but had to give up on the evening walk. I'll try slathering myself in bug spray in the morning and walk fast.

Enough chatter......tomorrow we'll have another 6 hours of driving to get to Flat Rock, NC, near ASheville. And then its about 10 days of no driving as we settle in, have some wine and read the operating instructions.

Location:Twin Oaks RV Campground, near Perry, Georgia

Not ready for prime time.....

I casually took some pics of the interior with my iPhone during the walk-thru.    I intended to take better ones but we left before I remembered.....so you get the 'before' shots......   This is a view of the Driver's side of the coach with the 'not-so-subtle' area rugs that I copied from Erin.  We love them and they cover the lovely white tile.....I would love to expose the tile as it really brightens up the place but there is grout......and where there is grout, there is required scrubbing and crawling about on all fours to clean said grout and I have enough of that in the house..........and after all, we are "camping" and bringing in the outdoors to leave on the floor.               The table pulls out to seat 4 with 2 more chairs.   

 On the opposite is my favorite thing....the very large Kitchenaide with ice maker and water dispenser on the inside....(outside would have been nicer but won't quibble) and huge freezer on the bottom.  

 Here's a poor view of the kitchen area....2 large stainless sinks, microwave/convection oven not shown.    The half bath is opposite the refrigerator.....   that sliver of light in the back is the large full bath with shower, large closet and tons of storage.....and a stackable washer/dryer.   The bed can be seen....I removed the bed coverings and pillows that coordinate and purchased a lovely cream, silky quilted bedspread to cover the down comforter (not shown in pic).   There is a TV opposite the bed and plenty of storage.    Also a central vac is back there.  

This is a view of the TV / fireplace and recliner....opposite is a queen sofa bed with inflatable mattress.   

 Just a pic left in my camera....not sure what kind of flower it was.....

We came home yesterday and left the MH down there....hopefully, it will be ready in a couple of days and we can gear up for our traveling days.

We are having glorious rain..................we sent out an invite for  a tropical storm and Beryl came to visit.    

Ta-Daa......

Delivery day came earlier than planned.    We checked into the mega RV one stop shopping center early this morning and by 4 pm, we were moving our stuff into the drawers and exploring all the buttons and gizmos that this beautiful toy has to offer.    We started the "walk-thru, orientation" with a very knowledgeable 'tech' and put it thru it's paces  trying to find stuff that needed fixing.    There hasn't been much so far and we will finish it up tomorrow.    

 They parked us side by side , door to door, to make it easier to transfer everything.    We had already emptied and cleaned our coach so we only brought a few things with us to set up housekeeping.    We'll gradually fill up more of the ample spaces but for now, we have most everything.

It is really really pretty.....   It has many of the same features,   washer/dryer, fireplace as our Suncruiser but in a more  luxurious package.    Now, one thing needs to be clarified.....we did not spend our kids inheritance on this.....and altho it was not cheap, (Paul is a master at making a good deal, plus we had a really good trade-in), it is not in the category of those high end coaches.....nor as big.    We can still fit into ordinary campsites and maneuver in relatively tight places.   But with the more powerful diesel engine, we can tow the Ford instead of the Honda and climb mountains faster than a snail.    AND. ....it has a bath and a HALF !!.   So  we each have our own loo.......  We took it for a test drive and it was so smooth.....and fast.   We never go over about 62 mph and Paul had it up to 73 before he realized it.    And that's why we'll use cruise control.  
Anyway, enough about our new vacation-beach-mountain- home.....I'll take some interior shots in the next day or so when I get it put together.  

Why would we leave....

.....when the weather is picture perfect, the golf was not terrible, the lunch with good friends was a treat  and the dip in the pool made for a lazy afternoon.      But, we know that it won't last.    We've had unusually low humidity and moderate temps for most of the month.    Once the heat and sweltering southern climate kicks in, it will be unbearably uncomfortable anywhere out in the open.    I will declare my golf outings over until fall and will take up "winter activities".    It's not a bad thing but if there is an alternative, we'd rather consider it.   

The new blogger is giving me fits.....I don't exactly know what I am doing and too lazy to spend some time to figure it all out.    I'd rather watch Mr. Gecko cavort in my Jade plant.    Yesterday, I counted 6 of the reptiles inside the lanai....they do eat bugs and such but I'm afraid they need to be evicted......or worse (for them) before we leave.   

Because you wanted to know........

The big taste test had to wait 24 hours......no gas for the grill. 

 I was glad to have Rian chime in as my personal gourmet chef expert and suggest  a maple syrup / soy mixture.   I happen to have 'real' Vermont maple syrup on hand, added some soy and basted it on the fish as it grilled.    When it was thoroughly caramelized and flaked easily, I sampled it and was happily surprised.    It was delicious.   I think I have avoided it because I detest the smell of it while cooking in the house and just assumed it tasted as bad as it smelled.    To my amazement, it was meatier and milder than some other 'white' fish that I eat.     The syrup was the perfect touch.    I highly recommend you try it !! 

We're getting closer !    We will have our new moho on the 31st, 2 weeks from today.     It will be driven to our dealer in Tampa on the 24th and they need a few days to 'prep' it and with Memorial Day in the middle, we'll have to wait a few extra days.      The area rugs that I ordered (special thanks to Erin who has them in their  beautiful coach) arrived today and tomorrow the Ford gets the equipment attached so we can tow it instead of the Honda.   I bought new Corelle dishes.....less chance of breakage as we go over those rough spots.    I have a set already but wanted some prettier ones.   I still have to decide on towels / bedding / and throw rug colors....   and...tomorrow I get my last color and haircut in Florida until October !!!    

Still here..........

Not  much happening at the homestead these days.    I'm trying out the new blogger and finding it a bit more of a change than I particularly wanted and I'm sure I'll screw up the blog somehow and have to spend way too many hours fixing something.     I really admire those of you who have mastered blogger and have brilliantly choreographed blogs with all sorts of detail and  exciting headings and categories and links and such.    Mine is the vanilla variety and it's as good as it's gonna be............

 We are finally getting some precipitation.....not of the heavy variety, just more a misty drizzly type.    We are in a  drought and can water just
once a week.   The golf courses are seriously brown and hard-packed and the retention ponds are dried up.    We are entering our rainy season and hopefully, central Florida will once again become tropical.   As the above picture indicates, we are kind of in a donut hole with the heavy rain amounts going around us.....

This is a traveling family.    Some is business related, as in Michael and Jon but this week, it's vacation time.     Jeff and Jennifer are enjoying a break in Cabo from the Washington spring weather.     Mike and Jenna are celebrating 25 years with a trip to Hong Kong.    We will travel along vicariously.
    
And we are also looking forward to some serious traveling in a couple of weeks.     We are awaiting delivery of our shiny new 40 ft motorhome.     We debated many moons over this and decided :
1)   We thoroughly enjoy the lifestyle
2)   Our Suncruiser has many comforts and we know it's quirks
3)   Our Suncruiser is getting to be high mileage, accumulated over 5 years
4)   Our Suncruiser has some issues that can't be changed
5)   Our Suncruiser still has value as a trade-in
6)    We made the mistake of going to a huge RV show in Tampa

So, after debating brands, models and other modes of traveling .........
we decided on the Phaeton model of the Tiffin brand.    Those of you in the world of RVing will know it well....  It is the most popular model sold of all the Class A motorhomes in the past few years.  It has all the bells and whistles and then some.    You probably expect some pictures but the ones available aren't representative of ours so I'll post the real thing in a couple of weeks.    We hope to get it in early June from the factory.  After working out some of the bugs (and there will be bugs), we will head north......and of course, take you along.  

In my attempt to eat healthy these days, I have decided that I will TRY and eat some salmon.   Paul eats it regularly and orders it frequently when we dine out.    I haven't acquired a taste for it in the past and prefer white fish.   But tonight , I will make an effort and have some grilled salmon.   Results on the 10 o'clock news......

Bug juice......

Just got off the golf course and altho the golf wasn't so bad, the company was creepy.   It is love bug season and they are pervasive.    Getting back into the golf cart, the seats are covered in them, as are the windows, your clubs and they are crawling on your legs and your clothes.    Everytime I tried to grab my phone for a pic, they would wander off to some other haunt.    Fortunately, they don't bite .     May and Sept are their season.   

We've been home almost a week.    The train to the bus to the plane was very efficient.   I listened to a conversation in the seat ahead of us on the train.   Two 20 somethings, one hispanic, one kind of scruffy, who didn't know each other at the outset, settled into a conversation for the 90 min ride and I learned that the one had done 9 months in Mexico for cocaine but got out of a 20 yr sentence by paying $8500 to someone....the other was currently in some sort of rehab for drugs and was out again and heading to see his girlfriend.....he had been in rehab 32 times!   He has a brother who "always did what his parents expected" and was now in finance and making 7 figures and altho they loved each other, they had nothing in common.   His goal was to earn enough to go to Costa Rica and live "naturally" with his girl and raise a family on a farm.   The young Mexican seemed to be on a more straight  but very narrow path and initially said he didn't do drugs anymore , just a beer or two but as the chat continued, he did admit to doing coke a bit.      It was fascinating to hear them talk so openly and honest and with no apparent regard for others listening in.   I feigned indifference with my nose in my Kindle and others seemed equally occupied or maybe they've all heard it before.  
Based on what I heard, I don't give the one kid much hope of ever getting to Costa Rica.  

We are working on a new adventure and currently in the 'hurry-up and wait'  period.    Stay tuned.............

Do you remember what you wore....

...to your Prom ???












Bet it didn't look like this !!

( pics are clickable of Alex and Meredith )

Guess who our dates were for our Jr and Sr Proms ..??

Waiting.......

The days are gloomy and dreary and cool.....




The cats and I are waiting for the sun......




In the meantime, the walk from the recliner to the refrigerator is my most strenuous exercise and soon , Madge might look like a role model......




(Oops , I should have given credit for the Madge clip as I lifted it from a favorite blog....www.sandeedee.blogspot.com. )

Location:Sandy Hook, Ct.

Worth the drive

Jon and I zipped over to the Hudson River yesterday to take in the awesome sight as it passed overhead. It was higher than I expected it to be








and Jon was using my longer lens so I shot this with the trusty iPhone. ( pics are clickable). It flew very slow and we saw it twice as it flew up and then down the Hudson before landing at Kennedy.




And despite near freezing temperatures, it was off to the field at 9am to watch the fledging baseball players. Despite wearing a winter coat ( that I keep here) our behinds got very icy from sitting on metal bleachers....you'd think with the taxes we paid and what they pay, they could provide some heated, padded seating.

Location:A cold but sunny place.....

What a difference 2 hours makes.....

Hopped on the early dawn flight and landed in the cold North ..... Altho I am bundled up in jeans, sweater, sox and sensible shoes, I am freezing.
I came up to Connecticut to help out when work schedules collided and I get my grand kid fix. But altho it was 90 last week, it is now about 40, drizzly and gloomy. However, in driving around town, it is evident that spring has arrived. The dogwoods are in full glory, the azaleas are vibrant and the daffodils stand tall ......I hope to get out tomorrow to capture the beauty.




Went to karate with the boys.......who knew they would play Aerosmith to practice their moves?? I thought it would be a bit more zen-like.

Meanwhile, P stayed home and is able to spend another day with Dean and Diane. They introduced us to the RV lifestyle 5 years ago and held our hands and showed us how to empty the grey and black tanks and how to drive and especially, how to relax and enjoy it all. Living in Pa, they have finally been able to shed some of life 's restrictions ( like jobs !) and get out on the open road... We had a fun two days catching up and hope to meet up again soon around a campfire somewhere.......




Meanwhile, I'm really glad there's an electric blanket set on high pre-heating my bed. I'm going to go sink into it.

Location:Someplace cold

Yeah, well raisins have wrinkles too......

.....but no one turns down oatmeal raisin cookies !!

It was birthday week around here. Is it really possible that we are this old ?? And next year, we will fall over into that next decade which brings on all sorts of challenges. But for now, we are younger every day and vibrant and life is good and we continue to be optimistic that somehow the golf game will get better.

Generosity was abundant, including these flip-flops with more Bling that any girl deserves......they definitely match my inner sparkly self :)
Roses, orchids and magnolia blossoms stopped by.......and a wealth of good wishes.

Despite my determination to learn my current lens for my new camera before looking at anything else, a delicious 60mm 2.8 macro lens showed up and it is amazing. I have tried to avoid lens lust but....... . Can't wait to find bugs !

And to top off a great week,.......IT'S RAINING !! yeaaaaaa!

Contemporary.....

We met Shelly and Bill at the Contemporary Resort at Disney for brunch on Monday. (Shelly being my roommate all those decades ago.....and still looks exactly the same !! ) They had just spent a week on a private yacht with crew in the Bahamas with their family....nice to hear how the other half vacation.... We had last been to the Contemporary 37 years ago when we took the boys and Mike celebrated his 12th birthday. It was the days of the "E" tickets and I think the only other hotel on grounds was the Polynesian. I thought the Contemporary looked quite dated on the lower level and in the restaurant.... looked dark and spare with low ceilings.
On the 4th level where I remembered these colorful tiles and where the Monorail stops as it passes thru the hotel, it was obviously updated and bright and had many art
installations. The food was very good tho and the conversation was lively. Too bad we couldn't have brought them back here for a few more days of catching up.

Meanwhile, back in the bubble, one of us is cleaning out closets and cupboards of stuff after 4 years of staying where I first put it. Downsizing isn't totally complete until you get rid of the stuff you don't need but just couldn't do away with the first time. I find it all very liberating and refreshing. And the benefit is more room in the closet for more clothes and shoes and handbags !! Today I tackled the shelves in the garage and I threw out with abandon..... Unfortunately, I picked the afternoon and a western exposure to do this task and had to give up due to heat prostration....meanwhile the other side of the house is refreshingly breezy and comfortable. Hopefully, Goodwill will be happy to see me tomorrow with my big load of goodies.