The Return

This weekend we returned to the location of our first "real" camping trip -- Seminole State Park in Donalsonville, GA.  We just wanted a restful weekend in a peaceful location which this is.  I had a Halloween event at work Thursday night and went to work at 6:00 that morning and was on my feet until 8:00 that night.  I was in charge of food and I had a lot of good help getting things ready.  We had chili, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks and plenty of candy.  Bubba came at 4:30 and helped us serve so we were both exhausted by the end of the evening.  We just wanted to go somewhere and take it easy.  I was able to take off work at lunch the next day and we were on our way.

Before we left home, I asked Bubba if he wanted to use the GPS or print directions before we left from the computer.  He agreed to use the GPS.  Somewhere along Highway 69, the thing told us to turn right in a few miles.  Bubba didn't think that was right, but that was all the directions we had.  (This park is not easy to find.)  He thought we should switch from the "fastest route" to the "shortest route".  We did and for a while he thought the directions were "feeling right".  Then in the middle of nowhere, we were directed to turn right onto a little dirt road!  We continued on and every now and then we were instructed to turn right and it would be a little dirt road with a gate across it.  Finally we had made a complete circle that took about an hour and we were back at Highway 90.  At that point, I switched the GPS back to the "fastest route" and we followed the directions exactly.  We arrived at the park 3 1/2 hours after leaving home.  I don't like to point fingers, but Bubba definitely has problems placing his confidence in anything electronic.  My problem is that sometimes I listen to him when I shouldn't.  Needless to say, by the time we got checked in and parked at our lakeside site,  the festivities of the night before and the length and uncertainty of our trip to our destination left us a little worn out.  We fixed spaghetti and meat sauce  quickly for our supper, got our showers, and were ready for bed in no time.  We both read for a while and fell asleep easily.
This was a beautiful site and Bubba backed right in there.  He is getting better and better with maneuvering the trailer into tight spots.

The Canadian geese were everywhere!
We woke up Saturday morning to the sound of the wind and the sound of motors running on the lake.  This was the weekend of a Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Seminole.  We watched approximately 50 bass boats with their running lights on heading out for a day of fishing.  It looked like a parade. It was so windy and turning cold.  Bass fisherman are sure dedicated!


After watching the Bass Tournament from our nice warm bed while we drank coffee and hot chocolate, we got up and fixed pancakes and sausage for breakfast.  Then we played Scrabble.

Bubba beat me by over 100 points!  I don't understand how that can happen.  I'm the speller in the family. I'll be ruthless next time.  There is no way he can do that two times in a row.


We went into Bainbridge and looked around in WalMart some.  We bought a Georgia map and an atlas.  I guess you know why.


Supper was grilled chicken, baked beans and cole slaw.  We had s'mores for dessert; however, it was too windy to sit by a fire so we cooked them on the grill.  We overcooked them but they were still good.
Sunday morning, we watched the boats go out again.  It wasn't windy, but it was sure cold.  (A more dedicated blogger would have taken a picture.)  We had ham, eggs, and grits for breakfast.  Then we put things in order and headed home.  Once again we had a good time just taking it easy and enjoying each other's company.
                                                                                                              

A Culinary Adventure

You may remember that I purchased a spaghetti squash and some butternut squash on our trip to the pumpkin farm.  Both of these are new to me.  I may have had a baked butternut squash when I was a youngster, but I had only heard about spaghetti squash.  And so I began a culinary adventure and want to share it with you.  First I had to have a recipe.  I searched online until I came up with this one.

Bubba cut the squash in half for me. He said that it was hard to cut and thought that it would take a long time to get tender.   It was packed with big flat seeds and stringy stuff.  After consulting the internet, I learned that all of this should be scraped out with a spoon.  Then I placed the squash cut side down on a baking sheet for thirty minutes at 350 degrees.  I was able to easily pierce it with a fork when I took it out of the oven.

Then I sauteed onion and garlic in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  It was smelling wonderful and looked promising.

I chopped up two fresh tomatoes that smelled flavorful which is unusual for this time of year.  I stirred them in with the onions and garlic just until they were warm.

Then I scooped the "meat" from the squash.  Guess what -- it does look like spaghetti.  It was smooth like a melon on the inside before I baked it.  I added it to the onion, garlic, and tomato mixture.

The recipe called for crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh basil next.  I didn't have the fresh basil, but I did have the crumbled feta cheese with tomato and basil and I hoped that this would give the needed basil flavor.

This is the end result.  What do you think?  It has been my experience that if you like all the ingredients in a recipe that when you mix them together, they should be good.  The unknown here was the spaghetti squash.  We sat down for supper and each tentatively took a very small portion on our plate and..... then we each took a bigger portion.  It was actually pretty good.  The recipe didn't call for salt, but it needed some with those fresh tomatoes.  Every now and then it is fun to try something new and when you have it with a plate of fried chicken, you know that you will not leave the table hungry.  

Traveling to Georgia

For part two of my fall vacation, we left the trailer behind and headed out very early Tuesday morning to visit with our family in Georgia.  We left the trailer behind because we are just not ready to take I-85 through the middle of Atlanta pulling a trailer.  Hopefully, we will find a route that avoids I-75, I-85 and downtown Atlanta because it would be nice to visit and have our granddaughter, Amelia, spend some time "camping" with us.  It had been two whole months since we last saw Amelia so we were aching for some of her special hugs and kisses.


On Wednesday, we ate breakfast and headed for Burt's Farm.  I think Amelia has been there every year since she was born, but this was our first trip. The ride was through some beautiful country and the fall colors were beautiful.  Amelia is at an age now where she seems to enjoy everything.   She loved picking out pumpkins, going on a nice long hay ride, and posing for pictures on an old tractor.  Amy, our daughter, bought some pumpkins for carving into jack-o-lanterns.  I bought a couple for my special friend, Bridget, who filled in for me at work making my vacation possible.  We also bought some butternut squash and spaghetti squash.  I've found some recipes that I'm going to try.  I've never cooked either one before, but I've heard good things about them.  After spending time at the pumpkin patch, we headed for Elijay where we visited an apple barn and bought some of this season's fruit.

Bubba, Amelia, and I standing in the midst of some of the biggest pumpkins I've ever seen.

Amy and Amelia take their place in the trailer for our hay ride.  We all went.  The trailer was pulled by a big John Deere tractor.  They had displays of scarecrows and pumpkins all along the trail.  At one point, the ride stopped in front of two pumpkins who "talked" to us.  

We could hardly get Amelia to look at the camera.  She was so busy trying to change the gears on the tractor.

Bubba and Amelia guide the filled wheelbarrow to the cashier to check out.

Thursday was filled with a trip to the mall where the Bass Pro is located.  Amelia loves to look at the fish there and we love to look at the camping equipment.  I added a s'mores maker and long forks for roasting marshmallows to our supply of camping necessities.  We also rode the train and the carousel while we were there.

The week included an opportunity to eat out with my very special cousin, Vicky, and my brother, Len, who just happened to be in town.  We had a lot of fun catching up on family news.

Amelia and I took time to make some Halloween cupcakes.  She has an interesting way of eating cupcakes.  She eats all the frosting off first and then she eats the cake part.

As we were headed out to eat Thursday evening, I pointed out a rainbow that had formed in the sky to Amelia.  We talked about the colors and how pretty it was.  I told her that God made the rainbow.  She responded by saying, "Yes, but Jesus hangs the balloons on it."

Friday we headed back home.  Every time we passed a camping trailer we commented that we wished we were heading out with ours.  Seeing Amy and Amelia and the rest of the family was great, but a trip to Atlanta leaves us feeling stressed and exhausted by the time we get back home.  I know just the cure for that --- another camping trip!  Stay tuned.

Scarecrows in the Park

It keeps getting better and better!  This outing was our longest and best so far --- three nights, great company, a beautiful park, delicious food, and "Scarecrows in the Park".  We loaded up Archie and headed out on a cool fall morning to Frank Jackson State Park in Opp, Alabama.  We chose this park mainly because we have family in the area and were hoping to get to see them.  It also looked good on their web page and advertised WIFI, cable tv, and sewer hookups.  That is a winning combination when you want to "rough it".  The little bonus that we had not paid much attention to was the Scarecrows in the Park that was advertised for October and November.

On Friday, Bubba and I set out to see the sights of the park which included some of the most creative displays of scarecrows that you could imagine.  Civic organizations, schools, churches, and senior citizen groups compete during the months of October and November each year hoping to win the trophy for the best scarecrows.  We walked the nicest trail and crossed two board walks going across the lake to a man made island.  All along the way were scarecrows.

Bubba and his fishing buddy, Charles.

This one was called "Shall We Gather at the River".  In addition to the "preacher" fixing to baptize the convert, there was a "choir" of scarecrows on the bank "singing" from their hymnals.

Bubba wanted his picture taken with this lovely scarecrow because he said that she reminded him of his favorite cousin in Atlanta.  Note:  As far as scarecrows go, she was the most attractive.

This one is "Flapper Flo and Dapper Dan".

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, how does your garden grow?

This entry was created by a nursing home.  The "Senior Citizens" are playing bingo and enjoying a nice cup of diced peaches while they watch tv.

We also had the opportunity to dine out on this trip.  On Thursday evening, Bubba's brother and his wife took us to the Old Barn Restaurant in Goshen, AL.  The Thursday night special was quail, fried or grilled, which was what Bubba and his brother ordered.  They had one of each and couldn't decide which they liked best since both were so good.  My sister-in-law and I ordered Chicken Fingers which were delicious also.  Everything we saw being served around us looked yummy as well.

On Friday night, after sitting by the lake and visiting with our family for a while we headed to Andalusia, AL to eat at David's Catfish House. We had fried dill pickles and fried green tomatoes as an appetizer.  We each ordered something different and we all agreed that everything was superb.  (Note:  I'm starting to feel really stuffed and we still have one more day to go.)

Here we are in a giant rocking chair in front of David's Catfish House.  It's not a very flattering picture, but the chair was so hard to climb into that I had to post it so that effort was not in vain.


Saturday was spent with our family.  Bubba helped his brother some with work on his boat trailer and my sister-in-law and I checked out some interesting shopping sites.  They grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch accompanied by homemade dill pickles, and the best onion rings I've ever eaten.  Then if that wasn't enough, we had a slice of coconut cake!


We vowed not to eat another bite for the rest of the day and returned to our camp site to play Scrabble leaving them to watch the Auburn/Arkansas game.  (I think they would have been happier if they had played Scrabble that evening.)  We only ate some chips and dip while we played Scrabble so we sort of kept our vow since we did not eat a full meal.


We were joined by our Alabama family on Sunday morning for a simple breakfast of sausage and biscuits in the camper.  They stayed with us until we pulled out and headed home.

This was the view we enjoyed from our bed each morning as we drank our coffee and hot chocolate.  This state park was definitely one that we will visit again; however, I have to give them a bad grade for their WIFI and cable tv.  When I asked about the WIFI, the ranger said that if I would go over by the tool shed next to the bath house, I could probably get a signal. (I never tried that to see.)  Cable tv consisted of three public television stations and NBC which drifted in and out of view.  I don't mind doing without my computer and television, but I think if you say you have it, you should have it.  If you ever plan to visit this park, don't try to come in late on Friday evening.  The spots next to the lake are very nice and there are a lot of them, but by Friday evening campers were parking in the spots at a different level that did not even have a view of the lake or any trees AND the WIFI did not work there either.  I would recommend going in October and November to visitors of all ages.  The scarecrows were great.

There is something "spiritual" about being out and enjoying the wonders of nature.  I guess when I was younger, I took all of this for granted.  As I get older, I've come to appreciate the beauty in some of the simplest of God's creation.
I've also come to appreciate time spent with family more than ever.  I really think that special time we had with family this weekend is what made this trip the best one of all.  Love y'all!