Seminole State Park -- What Again?

Yes, we just returned from four nights at Seminole State Park in Georgia.  I tried to count how many times we've been there; it's been seven times in the past year.  Every time is different in some way and they have all been good.

This week the weather was perfect for camping.  It was cool and the sun was shining.  There were a number of sites available right on the lake.  This time we chose site #2.  Usually we stay farther down, but this was a pull through site and hard to resist.

After it was too late to change sites, Bubba noticed a rotten limb above our awning.  He was worried about it falling and tearing up the awning so we did not put the awning out or hang our lights -- maybe next time.

Yep, it's rotten!

With the slide fixed on our new trailer, it felt like we were camping in a mansion.  You don't realize how much space you really have until you don't have it and have to ease through a narrow opening to get to your bed.

The view is always awesome.

Bubba took his kayak and enjoyed paddling around while I sat outside and read.  We walked some, but my foot is still bothering me.  (I have a doctor's appointment Monday.)  I really miss being able to exercise on the treadmill.

Here he comes.  I bet he's looking for breakfast.

We rode into Bainbridge twice and found a new restaurant that we liked.  It had a good country cooking buffet and it was good both times.  We did some exploring in the woods.  

Wild flowers were blooming everywhere.

What can I say?

Bubba grilled some good hamburgers and sausage one night.  Another time we had grilled pork chops.  

The acres of cotton make me think of the Bible verse... "The fields are white unto harvest."

This field of sunflowers stretched on forever.  So pretty!

We figured that the fish must be biting because there were some many fishermen out this time.  Some people in a tent close to us would leave before daylight and return after dark.  We finally figured out that there was a bass tournament starting when we were awakened on Friday morning by a loudspeaker calling the boats to start out one at a time.  There were sixty entries. With the red and green lights it looked like Christmas on the lake.

Trucks with boat trailers were parked everywhere.

On the way home Friday we stopped at the truck stop in Marianna and ate Popeye's Chicken for lunch.  Yes, I know that fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit are not diet food  --- but it sure was good.

I've decided to order adult training wheels for my bicycle.  I don't know if Bubba will ride with me, but Judy has promised that she would.  My balance is off and I'm afraid I'm going to fall so my beautiful new bicycle is stored in the barn.  Maybe this will help me gain my confidence.  I hope so.  I really want to ride in all these parks.

Later in the week I decided to Google the bass tournament to see if anyone I knew was entered in it.  It turns out that a young man that I worked with at the prison actually won it.  The prize was a bass boat with a 200 hp Evinrude motor on it.  It's a small world, isn't it?

Fall Break Georgia Style

A few weeks ago we got a call from Amy inviting us to visit during their Fall Break.  She didn't have to ask twice.  Amelia had Friday and Monday off, but unfortunately Amy only had Monday.  We were going to have to babysit on Friday.

It turned out that my cousin, Vicky, and her husband were going to enjoy a Fall Break of their own and were leaving on Saturday for the mountains.  Friday lunch was our only opportunity to see her so we met for lunch and caught up on family news.

Amelia and Paw-Paw wait outside the restaurant for Vicky to arrive.
Everywhere we went people complimented her on her hat.

Paw-Paw and Amelia always take a selfie.

After lunch she invited us to follow her home to meet her two rescue greyhounds, Taz and Mango.  These dogs were trained at a women's correctional facility in northwest florida and then adopted by Vicky and her husband.  Taz was the first adoptee and he turned out to be such a well-mannered, sweet dog that Vicky made arrangements to adopt his sister, Mango, after she had been through the same training.  

Amelia was intrigued with the dogs.  She asked Vicky, who she calls "Bebe" if she could help her walk them.  They are so well trained that she had no trouble at all leading them around on a leash.

Amelia leads with Taz.  Vicky follows with Mango.

Friday evening we had an early supper at Amelia's favorite place, Chuck-E-Cheese.  We got there around 4:00 so it was not crowded at all.  Amelia had a good time and the pizza was pretty good.

Amelia and Chuck-E-Cheese

We stopped by Barnes and Noble to exchange the books we brought Amelia for some she didn't have.
 I had no idea that there were so many "distractions".  That delayed the process somewhat.

Saturday we went to Jaemore Farms for some traditional fall activities like a corn maze, riding on a pumpkin train, sliding down a farm slide, racing ducks, shooting an apple cannon, and a hay ride.  It was fun although it was a little warm and humid.  We bought some apples and pumpkins and ate some delicious barbecue and homemade peach ice cream.  A good time was had by all.

Amy and Amelia did the corn maze.  I don't like them.  I can never find my way out.
That is so embarrassing.

Amy had to hold Amelia's ears while she did the apple cannon.
 It sure smelled good around there.

Right after her turn on this farm slide, Amelia slid in this red Georgia clay.  

Amelia is growing up.  She rode the pumpkin train all by herself.

The hay ride was really a "cage" pulled by a tractor.  I think Amelia enjoyed it.

While we were there, Amy and Amelia went to see Frozen On Ice which inspired a lot of dancing (Amelia, not Amy). As we left on Monday morning, Amelia had her iPad, pencil, and paper making a list of songs that she would "perform" to when we return for her birthday.

Amy and Darryl have a contract on a new house.  It did not take long for them to tire of apartment living.  If things proceed on schedule they should be moving in around Thanksgiving.  They don't need us to keep Amelia this time, but I am in charge of shelf paper.  I love doing shelf paper, but this is going to be a huge job.  The house has a beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinets.  I can't wait to get started.  I will tackle the project when we go up for Amelia's birthday in November.

Say goodby to apartment living!

Speaking of Amelia's birthday, she wants a disco ball with lights.  I'm trying to picture that in the new house.  It sounds like something her parents definitely need to okay ahead of time.  She also wants some new "glitter shoes" in a bigger size.  I feel sure we can handle that with no problems. 

It was a good visit.  Amy seems to be happy back in her old high school.  Darryl is happy in his job and Amelia is happy in her new school.  Isn't that what we all want for our children?  We want them to be happy and if they aren't, we can't be.

Eight Nights! Seriously?

We have another first in the life of Bubba and Becky.  We were gone from home eight nights in a row.  I don't know what has come over us.  Have we gotten spontaneous in our golden years?  Let me start at the beginning.

We picked up our new trailer as scheduled and immediately began the process of "nesting".  It needed shelf paper in the cabinets and drawers, pillow shams for the bed, new trash cans, towel rods, etc.  I spent two fun days shopping and furnishing the new trailer for our its maiden voyage.  We had reservations at St. Andrews State Park starting Sunday, September 28, for four nights.  I had reserved site #104 which is not the perfect site, but is on the water and very pretty.

On Saturday after loading the trailer with clothes and a lot of food, Bubba pushed the button to retract the slide that the sofa and cabinets are on and it was coming in cockeyed.  Something was definitely wrong.  Eventually we got it all the way in and after consulting the service manager where we bought the trailer in Dothan, we decided to go ahead with our trip even though we could not put the slide out.  It was a tight squeeze getting back to the bedroom and bathroom, but thank goodness I had lost a few pounds and was able to make it.  It really didn't inconvenience us too much.

We had some rain for the four nights we stayed there, but not nearly as much as the weatherman had predicted.  We went to the pier and tried our luck fishing --- caught nothing.  Bubba was sorry he didn't bring his cast net.  The mullet were jumping all over the place behind us.  I think they were mocking him....  We went out to eat one day (steak, yum!) and grilled some at the trailer.  We rode around the park and walked every evening.  We sat in our recliners and read, dozed, and enjoyed the sights on the water.

On Thursday as we were driving home, we got a call from Joe.  He and Judy were camped at Seminole State Park for the next four nights.  Bubba and I talked it over and then spontaneously decided that we would join them.  How crazy is that?  We went home and washed two loads of clothes, made some tea, and got back in the truck and headed for Donalsonville, Ga.

Joe and Judy had a beautiful spot on the water and had saved the one next to them for us.  Judy provided supper for us that night.  The next day we all went into Bainbridge to pick up a few supplies at WalMart.  Everybody enjoyed walking around in the park except me.  I'm continuing to have problems with my left heel.

Saturday we went to Dothan to eat out and celebrate Judy's birthday.  When we got home that afternoon, we built a fire, roasted marshmallows, made s'mores, and watched the Auburn/LSU game on Joe's mini iPad.

The weather was cool and pleasant.  Sunday Judy made chili and we enjoyed it outside by the lake with a campfire.  It was a good weekend.  Monday we all headed home.

We took our camper in to be fixed on Tuesday and on Thursday we headed to Atlanta for Amelia's Fall Break.  I love retirement!!!

The End!

What Else is Happening?

I'm disappointed that Amy has stopped blogging.  She is a much better writer than I, but it does take a lot of time so I understand.  I will try to do my little bit to record some of what is going on with the rest of my family. 

Amelia started first grade at her new school.  She is doing great.  She started first grade reading and has already advanced to reading "chapter books".  This is a picture of her on the first day of school.

Her teacher asked if they wanted her to have more challenging spelling words so she went from a test containing words like "pat" and "the" to a test containing words like "science", "alphabet", "environment" and "attract".  She is doing great.

She and her mom dressed alike for their first spirit day at school.

And they have already been to two musicals, "The Little Mermaid" and "Mary Poppins".  Amelia said her favorite song is "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".

And she enjoys attending the high school football games with her mom.  She told me that she got "Wolfie's" autograph.

She came down with her dad this weekend and spent the night with us Friday night.  She brought Bubba his birthday presents and some Publix cupcakes to help him celebrate.  While she was here for this short visit, we got out the play-doh and made cupcakes and monsters that needed haircuts.

She spent Saturday with Darryl's family and came by this morning to tell us good bye.  When she hugged Bubba she said, "I'm so glad you turned 71 last week!"

Amy and Darryl are in the midst of a house hunt.  They are ready to get out of the apartment, but Amy says house hunting is not as much fun as it looks like on tv.  Their goal is to move over the week she has off for Thanksgiving.  Let's hope they find something soon.

Things Just Work Out Sometimes

It was perfect.  We arrived at St. Andrews State Park on Sunday afternoon, September 7.  I had reserved site #101 in November after determining it was the most beautiful site in the whole campground.  We backed the trailer in and this was our view.

It was definitely worth waiting nine months.  Later that afternoon Joe and Judy arrived and parked at a site on the water close to us.  It just kept getting better and better.  Joe and Judy remembered that Bubba's birthday was fast approaching and brought a delicious coconut cake to start the celebration early.

We had not seen Joe since his trip to Alaska and we were excited to hear about his adventure.  He brought salmon with him and we planned to have that for lunch on Wednesday which promised to be the best day weather wise for cooking fish outside.

Joe brought his boat so he and Bubba went fishing Monday and then floundering on Monday night.  Judy and I stayed at her trailer and played Scrabble.

Joe gigged one flounder and they were back at the trailer by 10:30. In the olden days they would have stayed out until dawn.

Judy and I went shopping at Pier Park on Tuesday and it was not crowded or too hot.  We had lunch at the Pita Pit which was similar to a Subway, but the meat was heated and served in/on pita bread.  It was very good and pretty healthy.

We also found our friends, Sid and Charlotte, setting up camp Monday afternoon.  That was a nice surprise. 

We grilled pork chops Tuesday evening and then Joe decided that he wanted to try floundering again to see if he could get one more to go with the one he already had.  Bubba and I went to bed early.  It had been a long day.  This is the view we had at night from our campsite.

Around 4:00 AM, we were awakened by the sound of silence.  The fan on our air conditioner had stopped running.  Apparently the current had gone off, but just before Bubba could get up to investigate it started running again and we assumed all was well and went back to sleep.

The next morning Bubba got up to make coffee and I reached for the remote to turn on the tv.  It would not come on and the coffeemaker worked for a few minutes and then it stopped.  Bubba checked all the fuses in the camper and flipped the breaker outside -- still no electricity.  He went over to get Joe to help him figure out what was wrong and discovered that they had the same problem.  Theirs was even worse....smoke was coming out of their fuse box.

To make a long story short, there was a malfunction in the transformer at another site that had caused high voltage on some trailers and low voltage on others.  The park manager assured us that if we would file a claim with the state that they would cover our expenses.  So there was nothing else to do but go home.  They refunded our money for the whole stay, but it was still a disappointment to have to leave early.

We took our trailer to the dealer to get estimates on the damage.  Then we played a waiting game until we got word from the repairman and from the state risk management office.  The expense of repairing our trailer was approximately $1,000. So far Joe and Judy have not received the estimate on their trailer, but it seemed to be okay when they plugged it in at home.  But that is not the end of the story.

We had been thinking about upgrading to a new trailer.  After three years with this one we felt like we knew more about what we wanted/needed.  The trailer we have now has a small tub/shower with a curtain.  It is  hard to get in and out plus if you don't have the shower curtain positioned just right you get water on the floor.  The area around our bed is too small. It would be nice to make up the bed by walking around it instead of lying on top of it to tuck in the sheets. So when we took our trailer in for repairs we looked at trailers and found just what we wanted/needed.  We bought a 2015 Jayco White Hawk 24 RKS.  It has a floor plan that we like and I think it will meet our needs for the next however many years we are able to enjoy camping.  We pick it up Wednesday and will soon make our first trip in it. 

We will be returning to St. Andrews State Park but unfortunately my perfect site was not available.  Don't worry.  I've already reserved it for August 2015.

Well I guess everything turned out well in the end.  We were thinking about trading but who knows how long it would have been before we actually started looking.  This gave us the perfect opportunity to make a change that we will enjoy for a long time.

Cooler Days and Andersonville National Historic Site

Sunday morning we got up around 7:00, packed our cooler bag and snacks and steered toward Georgia Veterans State Park in Cordele, GA.  We have a new Garmin GPS for the truck so I plugged in the address and we started following the directions given to us by the friendly feminine voice.  Soon we realized that we were not being steered toward Tallahassee and Thomasville so we turned off the device until we were nearly at Tallahassee on I-10 and then we allowed it to guide us again.  It is not always easy to stop for a meal when pulling a travel trailer so I had packed hard boiled eggs, crackers, and cheese for our breakfast going down the road.  It works for us.

This was going to be our third time at this particular park.  The first time was soon after we got the trailer and it was springtime and beautiful in the park.  The second time we met Joe and Judy there.  To be honest, our main objective this trip was to buy more sausage at Stripling's General Store, which has one of its locations at the entrance to the park.  We were pleasantly surprised as we approached the campsites to find that the park was nearly deserted.  With school started everywhere and the weekend over, there are not that many people camping --- just those of us lucky enough to be retired.  We had a beautiful pull through site and one end of the campground practically to ourselves.  

Monday there was a little cold snap and the weather improved drastically.  In fact it was actually cool outside -- great weather for sitting outside and enjoying the beauty of our location.  Both of us had brought books we wanted to read so we spent the majority of the day enjoying the cooler weather and reading.

During the day we made a trip into town where we picked up a $2.00 watermelon at WalMart and a sampling of sausage at Stripling's to make sure it was still as good as the first time we bought it.  That evening Bubba grilled pork chops and sausage which we enjoyed with some peas and creamed corn.

Note:  The watermelon was much bigger than it looks in this picture.

Before we left home I had googled places of interest near Cordele, GA.  The Andersonville National Historic Site looked interesting so we decided to check it out and we were not disappointed.

Andersonville was the site of one of the largest Confederate POW camps during the Civil War.  During the fourteen months the prison was in existence, 45,000 Union soldiers were imprisoned there with 13,000 dying in captivity.  The museum also commemorates the prisoners of war from other conflicts including those captured during the Gulf War.  A 30 minute video using the voices of former prisoners told the story of the physical and emotional torment suffered by ordinary men/women under extreme circumstances in service of their country.  After the video we went through the museum which contained artifacts of various prisoners in all the wars.  Then we toured the site of the actual camp and the national cemetery located there.

Sometimes you don't realize what a number really means until you see it like this.  There are 13,000 men buried here.  The headstones are so close because they were dying so fast that there was no way to build a pine box for each body so they were laid shoulder to shoulder in trenches.  Accurate records were kept by one of the prisoners and there are only a few headstones marked "unknown".  We were so moved by all that we saw here.  It is a wonderful memorial.

Our GPS took us round and about on some little country roads to get here so Bubba stopped to look at the atlas to determine a better way back.  He gave up and we went back the way we came.

The next morning we went to a Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then stopped by the local Harvey's where we bought green peanuts to boil.

And we went back to Stripling's and loaded up on sausage for the freezer.

We enjoyed watching the wildlife while we ate a pile of boiled peanuts and some $2.00 watermelon which was the best we've had all summer.

And after eating boiled peanuts all day, we still had two gallon bags full to take home with us.  We pulled them out on the way home and I shelled them for Bubba into a little bowl so he could eat and drive.  I'm sweet like that sometimes.

We decided to follow the GPS directions going home.  The way it directed us helped us to avoid travel on I-10 and going through Tallahassee.  We should have listened to it on Sunday.

I really like how we did two trips back to back.  I am for doing more of that in the future.  It's nice to come home, wash a few clothes, and go again.  It's almost like a "buy one, get one free" deal. We're looking forward to next time with Joe and Judy at St. Andrews State Park.

It. Was. HOT!!!

After coming home from our anniversary trip to the mountains, we were anxious to go camping.  We allowed ourselves one week at home and then we were heading for St. George Island for four nights.  It was hard staying home that week, but we were a little tired from our trip and also had haircut appointments and an appointment (I thought) at the endodontist to have the last step of my root canal completed.  We did get haircuts, but I had written down the wrong date for my dental appointment.  I had even taken antibiotics for the three days prior to the appointment as directed.  However, when we arrived at the office it was closed and the doctor was out of town for the week so I had to reschedule.  On a positive note, the antibiotics may have prevented me from catching Bubba's cold or whatever it was that he had while we were in the mountains.

We were scheduled to head out on Monday, the 25th, but a long time neighbor passed away on the Saturday before so we waited until after the funeral on Tuesday to leave.  This was the week when temperatures hit the high 90's all week.  I felt sorry for Bubba setting up the trailer in that heat.  I do some setting up also, but all of mine is on the inside.

It was so hot that we didn't even set up our recliners outside.  There was no way that we could enjoy sitting out in that heat.  First thing Wednesday morning we headed down to the beach.  It was beautiful and nearly deserted.  You can tell a big difference once school starts.  The water was calm and the perfect temperature.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in the water just floating and talking.  It was nice.  We carried our umbrella, chairs, and snacks and did some reading and dozing.  

The next day was a repeat of the first.  It's amazing all the things you find to talk about when you're just floating and relaxing.  One of our main topics was Amelia.  

Ever since Amelia was just a toddler she was fascinated with the bump on my chin.  I had never paid much attention to it, but she seemed so interested in it that I thought it must be hideous and I determined to do something about it.

So, when I went to the dermatologist in July I asked him to remove it even though my insurance would not cover a "cosmetic" procedure.  I thought Amelia would be impressed with my new look, but when we saw her earlier in the month she had this to say,  "Nana, I would never have a bump cut off me because it is just a part of my body."  Well how do you like that!

We also talked about old times - how we used to go floundering at night and would stay until the wee hours of the morning.  We tried to figure out if we are getting tired because we're getting older or if we have something wrong with us.  We talked about our parents and how we miss them, how times have changed since we were children, what the world will be like for Amelia, how Joe was doing in Alaska, where to go camping this fall, why it is so hard to find good fruit, what we wished we had done different in our lives, what we want to do in the future, and we counted our blessings.  Sometimes it is just good to float and talk.  Amelia and I like to do that also.

The worst part of camping is the unpacking.  Loading up is not bad because you do it over a couple of days plus you are looking forward to having a good time.  Unpacking takes about one hour which doesn't sound that bad, but let me assure you that it is not fun.  This time we decided to avoid the unpacking by parking at home without unhooking for a couple of days and then heading out again.  It was great.  We washed a couple of loads of clothes, packed a little more food and we were ready to go.  Our next destination was Georgia Veterans State Park in Cordele, GA.

Will it ever be cooler again??