Wow, Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Holey moley, last week just flew on by!  We got to witness Annabelle's 8th grade graduation, we saw Alex drive(did we ride with him, oh, heck no!). We swam with all the grands and one of the twins, we watched Norah's gymnastic exhibition and we went to the first two games of Annabelle's basketball tournament.  We also spent a lovely evening dancing with the Fluvanna Flutterwheels, with Jack Pladdys calling.  (Hey Ashby, Ben, Keith & Brenda, it was great fun!) In between all that, we ate, we rode the roads, we ate some more and we just visited.  All in all, it was a lovely week spent enjoying the family, old friends, and new friends.

As always, the scenery was just beautiful - lots of white board fences, rolling hills, Blue Ridge foothills off in the distance, and farms dating back to 1747!  This is certainly some of the prettiest parts of Virginia, but we know how chilly (COLD) it gets here in the winter, and it wasn't really all that warm this past week, and it's JUNE!  As I recall, when we lived here, we always went strawberry picking on the last Saturday in May, then we made jam on Memorial Day, after attending the ceremony down at the courthouse. 

We did have a few days of overcast skies, and even a pretty heavy rain storm, but so far, we've not had the water intrusion we experienced down in South Carolina.  Good thing, too, 'cuz that was really nerve-wracking and unpleasant.  The porch light remains a mystery - sometimes it comes on, sometimes not.  Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it....just whatever strikes its fancy at any given moment.  We have called and given the Newmar factory our list of warranty repairs, and it's on the list.  It's a short list, thank Goodness, nothing like the Holiday Rambler!  We just have the porch light, the possible water intrusion, the hole that was punched in the generator hood, the gash in the bay door and a couple of minor door adjustments.  Easy peasy stuff!

I also took a couple of days for sewing - remember that baby quilt I was commissioned to do?  Well, it finally got done and all quilted up!

Turned out pretty well, considering I only have the dining room table to sew on.  Nice view though!  Eventually, Driver is going to make me a leg brace for the table and I'll be able to set the machine square on the table, giving me a little more room to the right, and a little more table to support the weight of the quilt without drag.  And to make things even easier, I ordered a magnetic hoop to alleviate some of the shifting and registration issues inherent in putting thicker material sandwiches in my current hoops.  And a hat hoop!  Don't you want a customized, personalized embroidered ball cap?  Now I'll be able to make them without difficulty. Time to place your orders!  Well, you might want to let me practice on one or two first...

So what happened today?  Thankfully, not much!  (Here's my favorite barn again, viewed through the light rain)

We left Shenandoah Crossings RV Resort, and headed south to Tanglewood Park, in Clemmons, NC.  We navigated out of Charlottesville with no problems, said goodbye to Lovingston & Lynchburg, and took a short pit stop for fuel just inside Danville.  Hit the NC border and it was smooth sailing from there on out.  Surprisingly so, because we remember Rt2 29 going thumpity thump thump for miles and miles.  Not any more - it's been well paved and is smooth asphalt most of the way.  Traffic was pretty sparse, too, so we made really good time.  And NO HIGH BRIDGES!! (thanks for the photo Gail, I won't miss it!)

Made our way through Winston-Salem, with a virtual Toot Toot as we passed Staples' and Tim's neighborhood, and easily entered the park.  We we a bit skeptical, being as we are longer than last time, but we really had no issues.  Doggie and I were both glad to get out and stretch our legs, too.

Once we were all set up ( I had to laugh when the lady in the site across the street came out to supervise; she "helped" by showing Driver which way to turn his wheels to avoid her car (which he was already well past...)) I texted Staples and she and Tim came right on out, bearing gifts of no-salt Boar's Head turkey, bread, chips and spicy guac!  They offered to bring us a half gallon of their special recipe mint julep, but we declined, as Driver is still on antibiotics for his sinuses, and I really don't drink much.  Unless there's a margarita involved, then I might have a whole one.  Maybe another half one, if it's available....

They had a previously scheduled picnic to attend, but we got in a call to Judy (of Judy & Robert fame), and we set up a few play dates for the next couple of weeks.  We'll try to attend an Advanced dance or 2 this week, and then Judy & Robert will come up and see us at Pride, during the International Camp-o-ree next week.

Heavy rain and high winds were expected in the area tonight, but it looks like it's going to be a nice, but chilly, night ahead.  With all the technology available, why is it so hard to accurately predict the weather now-a-days?  

Up until yesterday, we had an appointment for early Monday morning, in Mocksville, to get our Magne-shade and invisible tire screens installed.  What are they, you're asking?  Well, they are sunscreens for the windshield and tires, but specially made for our coach and tires.  The windshield screen will have magnets sewn into pockets (that's the Magne part of the name) and corresponding magnets glued to the inside of the windshield.  There will be a long metal rod to push/hold the screen up, and once the magnets get close to each other, they are supposed to snap together and hold the screen tight to the windshield.  It will allow us to see out, but no one can see in, and even more importantly, it should help keep out some of the heat and UV rays once we arrive in Phoenix.  Being as we are going to be facing West, it's really going to come in handy!  (No, it is absolutely NOT for use during travel) The tire screens are a new style for us - we've always used the kind that drape over and around, or on the old bus, we had flat screens that snapped to the body of the coach and just hung straight down.  We didn't think either of those styles would be aesthetically pleasing on this behemoth, so we opted for the invisible ones.  What's that gonna look like, I'm sure you're wondering.  Well, we don't really know yet.  We know they are donut shaped, and supposedly the same size as our tires (soooo, BIG), and wired edges, so they fold up similar to the way a car's sunscreen twists and folds flat.  I dunno, we'll see.  They called us yesterday and suggested that we wait until Wed or Thurs to bring the coach in for installation, due to the expected inclement weather. Maybe we can use our new-found spare time to find a pet store and get a couple of new bowls for Bailey.

Yeah, you read that right.  We've had Bailey for about 9 years now....and we've taken her and her bowls all over the country for all those years.  And yesterday, we lost said bowls.  Don't ask - I don't know.  I have a hunch, but since it involves a restaurant that is now a couple hundred miles away, it really doesn't matter.  Suffice it to say, we came home with her can of food, bag of dry, the plastic spoon, and her water bottle and its holder.  No bowls.  Luckily, we have others she can use, but they don't fit the wire frame that holds them in place on the floor.  New ones are definitely in order.  

We have started looking into our current reservations and travel schedule, and we found an extra day, unaccounted for.  That's gonna matter!  It's not like we can just go anywhere and fit in, so we have to start looking around for spots to park.  We have our eyes on a Harvest Host produce farm, down the road from Pride, so I'll call them tomorrow.  Plus, I'll want to confirm our next Harvest Host winery spot, down by Commerce, GA, on the way to the National Convention.  I can't remember if I've made that reservation or just picked out the spot.  (old age kickin' in, I suppose)So I guess we've got a plan and The Great Food Truck race has started (airing, on TV).  Who knew they kicked off on the beach, right by the Ferris Wheel in Myrtle Beach?!  How did we miss them?  Guess we don't follow the right peeps on Facebook and weren't there at just the right time...  Oh well, it'll be fun to watch anyway.  After I go get the laundry out of the dryer!  (I love this coach!)

Y'all stay well and dry till next time!

Where's Waldo Now? And What Do You Mean, We're Not On Your List?

So we left off in Fort Eustis, looking for a pool, right?  That was Wednesday.  (When you're retired, and move around a lot, you might know WHERE you are, but you don't always know what day it is!)

Thursday morning, bright and early, we got up, packed up, and headed west, to our next stop, Shenandoah Crossings Resort, in Gordonsville, VA.  We have camped here many times over the years, and it's been relatively pleasant, most times.  The sites are spacious, the grounds are beautiful, and there are pools and activities galore.  Plus, since it's one of our Coast to Coast member parks, it's only about $10 a night.  Can't beat that with a stick!  Of course, you have to pay cash for the taxes due and some of the activities have a cost associated with 'em, like crafts and horseback riding, they cost extra.  But, all the pools (indoor, outdoor, splash pads and hot tubs) are free, as is ping pong, mini golf, fishing, hiking, and people watching.

Heading up 64 West bound, little traffic, nice road.

Gets a little hillier and lanes narrow, the closer to the resort we get.

Soooo, we make our way around Richmond, VA, easy peasy.  We've done it before, so we know the way and we are between rush-hour and lunchtime, so traffic is relatively light.  We pull up to the gate (most of our Coast to Coast parks are gated, with 24 hour security) and stop to register.  Typically, there is a package waiting for us, with a map marked to our site, our gate keys, info sheets and WiFi codes.  Sometimes, they even include a menu to the on-site restaurant. Not this time.  Nope, nope, nope.  This time, we gave them our name and were told, "sorry, you're not on my list."  Whaaa??  Remember, we're 44 feet long, towing a car and take 50 amps!  Plus, I had an email confirmation that said I was all paid up for a week, so how could it be that we weren't on his list?  Noooo, there's no other name it could be under, and here's our confirmation.  A few phone calls later, and we were told to drive up to the lodge and see the front desk clerk.  Ummmm....the lodge is located on a small cul-de-sac.  If there are any cars parked in the circle, there's barely enough room for another car to pass, and, remember, we are 44 feet long and towing a car!  We cannot turn around in a cul-de-sac! We explained that to the security guard who seemed to agree, so he made another call to the front desk, and they assigned us a site in the pull-through area.  

You'd think we were happy then, right? Well, we were, especially as we rounded the corner and were greeted by the sweet family crossing the street.

And all the sites really are spacious.  But, you see, the foliage has grown up quite a bit over the 10 years since installation, and the streets are wide, but not too wide, and there are light poles at each site.  And fences and foliage between.  With a little careful navigation (light poles & foliage, remember?), we got into our assigned site.  And promptly looked for an exit strategy.  You see, that's just as important as getting IN to the site!  We determined that if anyone came into the site in front of us, we were, to put it simply, screwed.  No amount of jockeying or maneuvering was going to get us out safely, without damage to our rig, the neighbor's rig and/or possibly the land- and hard-scaping.  So we disconnected the car & drove back up to the lodge to register and see about getting another site.  We had the foresight to look at a few others prior to going up there, hoping to get one that was, in OUR opinion, suitable for entry AND exit.  Luckily, one of the ones we had selected was available for our length of stay, and arrangements were made for us to occupy site 424 instead of 420.  So, we get back to the camper and begin to assess the situation.  We were IN the old site, our tow dolly was still attached.  Remember, 44 feet, and we don't bend in the middle.  We knew, when we ordered this puppy, that there were going to be some tight turns, and some places we weren't going to fit or be able to go.  We didn't realize that we were going to have to BACK INTO a pull-through site ever!  But, we managed, thank you very much to The Very Talented Driver, and some careful guidance of the Navigator.  Thankfully, banging on the side of the bus, flat-handed is a good way to get The Driver's attention, and avoid collision with the trash bins.

See, we fit.  Just barely, but we fit.  AND, we can safely exit, right into the street, without hitting anything or anyone.

This is the view out our front window.  See that small wooden structure, straight ahead?  That's a private hot tub.  Could have been ours, for $50 bucks a night!

So, Saturday, we headed out to Kim's house, to visit her for a bit before she had to take Annabelle off to basketball.  We always love the scenery here, and we enjoy just riding the roads, remember my favorite barn (picture here)?  Lots of pretty scenery and interesting architecture, as well as historical sites and markers.

We only had an hour or so with her, before it was time for her to get ready, but we had Bailey with us, so we were free for the afternoon.  What to do, what to do?  Oh, yeah, the United Methodist Church, up in Stanardsville was holding their annual Strawberry Festival today!  We've attended that for years, and always enjoyed it, so off we went!  

We were gonna get a hamburger each, then each get a dessert,  but changed our mind when we saw the food prices.  Sure, it's a fund raiser for the church, but, gosh darn, $6 bucks for a burger and drink was pretty steep in our opinion.  We scooted over to the shortcake table, and it was a good thing we did!  By the time we got up to the table, they had one pint of jam and 3 shortcakes left!  No plain berries, no more full pies.  Just 1 pint of jam (and not nearly as pretty as any of yours, Barbara!) and 3 shortcakes. We bought 2 of the shortcakes with Cool Whip and proceeded to gobble them down in short order.  Oh my, they were GOOOOOD!

After a bit, we checked out some of the cool cars, but it was hot, and we had places to go.  Like, Chuck & Stu's, for one.  Chuck & Stu have been friends now for about 25 years or so, dating back to when The Driver worked at VA Employment Commission, and they run a lovely cottage industry called The Cottages at Chesley Creek Farm,  It is, literally, a cottage industry, as they have built and rent out 5 cozy and romantic cabins up on their mountain in Dyke, VA, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

The actual ride up the mountain is fun.  Unless someone is coming in the opposite direction.  Then it's complicated.  And, yes, this is a state-maintained road.  And we found out, it was graded just 2 days prior to us driving it.  This is the same place where I found out, just last year, that our car is NOT 4 wheel drive.  ??  How could I not know that?  We've had this car 5 years now (4, at the time!).  And, how could we have purchased a car without 4 wheel drive?  We ALWAYS get 4 wheel drive.  Except this time, I suppose.  <shakes head>

Here's a short video clip of part of the trip up Brokenback Mountain Road:

Click (here) if that video link doesn't show up for you.

Nice guys, nice visit.  We played fetch with John Henry a bit (he's pretty insistent on that) then it was time to go.  We still had to drive back to the camper, shower, fix & eat dinner, clean up, and head out to the dance.  We had learned of tonight's dance from new friends we met at the Virginia State Convention.  They were a whole lotta fun to dance with and we learned we're not the only ones whose minds wander a bit if the choreography is stale.  They taught us Mirror Dancing (where everything right is left, and girls do the boys' parts) and we did a lot of DBD (dance by discussion) with 'em.  We talked about line dancing/individual squares, which is dancing your part of whatever is called, but individually, and you're dancing with 7 others, but they're all in your mind.  THAT was thought up by the MIT dudes & dudettes.  Yeah, we didn't do that.  But, we found out that their club was putting on this dance with a caller out of Ohio, and we knew we'd be free, so we made plans to go. (howdy, Ashby, Ben, Keith & Brenda!) We arrived just in time to miss the first DBD tip, but as soon as they all saw us, they waved and welcomed us into the fold.  What a great night of dancing it turned out to be!  They didn't mind any of our shenanigans; they even suggested a few of their own.  We danced archy-style (backwards, girls are boys, all the time), rotated an 8th each time we arrived back home, girls with girls, boys with boys, cut-throughs and patty-cake square throughs.  After about the 2nd tip, the caller realized that his pilot square was not necessarily going to all be where he thought he'd put us, so he quit watching and starting looking at his feet and his lyrics more.  Teehee...  the one time he WAS watching, Ben & I had cut through the square instead of promenading all around the outside, so he called it again, putting us right back where we'd started.  We knew we were busted!  <blush>  It was sure a whole lotta fun, and we'll make sure we look for these couples at the National Convention, at the end of the month.  We have to be sure to wear our matching flamingo shirts, so they can find us easily!  

OK, brownies are beginning to smell done, and since I haven't yet figured out how to properly set the time while baking on my new microwave, maybe I should go check on them.  Yes, I'm sure if I read the manual, it would become self-explanatory.  At least maybe it would be more understandable.  Maybe.  Manuals and I don't have a good relationship, historically speaking.  OK, now they smell really done, must go!

Ta-ta for now!