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!

Seminole State Park

Camping Trip #2 started off nicely.  I left work at 11:00, we loaded up a few last minute things and then we were on our way to Seminole State Park near Donalsonville, Georgia. Don't ask me how we got there.  We turned so many times that I lost track of exactly where we were.  We checked in and started down the road to the other side of the lake looking for the perfect campsite on the lake.  We found it!  #11!  Then this....... OOPS!  I thought I was supposed 

to be watching the back tire to make sure it didn't get too close.  Bubba unhitched from the trailer and then gunned the engine to get the truck out of this mess.  Then he had to hook back up (which wasn't easy either) and work the trailer and truck very carefully into our perfect spot #11 with me standing outside watching all the tires and the trailer this time.  It was worth it.  This is our view from spot #11, our weekend home.

This was such a beautiful location.  I can't begin to tell you how peaceful it is to sit in such a beautiful place and enjoy the wonder of it all.  Of course, Bubba is cooking our supper which makes this shot even more special.  Getting a truck and a trailer out of a tight spot is hot, hard work.  We were ready for a good meal in the air conditioned comfort of our "camp".

This was supper.  A grilled pork steak, hash brown potatoes, and a pear salad.  Why is it that everything tastes better when you're out like this?

We finished off the evening by watching a little bit of the news and reading until we got sleepy which didn't take too long.  

The next morning we were able to enjoy hot chocolate and coffee propped up in our bed with the windows open so we could see the lake and hear the sound of the geese flying over.  We had breakfast and toured the park in the truck.  

This is a picture of our weekend home from across the lake.

Saturday, we went into Donalsonville looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to me by a friend at work.  There is nothing in Donalsonville except some cheaper gas ($3.18) and a wonderful Piggly Wiggly.  We changed our plans and decided that we would rather grill some steaks by the lake instead of eating in a restaurant.  If you are ever in Donalsonville, don't forget to check out the Piggly Wiggly. 

After a sumptuous meal of steak and potatoes, we spent the evening doing something we have never, ever done before.  Amy had given us a Scrabble game a few years ago that we had never opened so we decided to try it out.  Bubba has a lot of good qualities, but spelling is not one of them and I'm the person everyone at work calls when they want to know how to spell a word.  I thought I would skunk him.

 As you can see, we played a pretty good game and I only beat Bubba by three points.

As usual, Bubba found something to work on.  The drawer wasn't sliding out as smoothly as it should, so Bubba fixed it.  He also tinkered with the light over his side of the bed until he broke it, but that will give him a project for another day.


Sunday morning we enjoyed our hot chocolate and coffee in bed again.  Bubba got ready and visited a little church service under a pavilion with a steeple.  He said the sermon was really good.  Next time I'm going with him.  After some pancakes and sausage, we loaded up and headed home.  


On our first trip, we unloaded and put everything up in one hour's time.  This time it took a little longer because Bubba had to wash the love bugs off the truck and the trailer.  This outing was definitely better than the first.  Although we had cable tv and internet the first time, it doesn't begin to compare to a beautiful location. I would recommend Seminole State Park to anyone.  It was beautiful, clean, and quiet.  The bathroom/bath house was clean, both the men and women's sides.  (I know this because I was busy reading a sign on the door instead of looking to see which bathroom I was entering.  There was a urinal on the left and someone in the shower.  I was thinking that the urinal was there for little boys who were with their mothers when it dawned on me what I had done.  Thankfully, the man in the shower did not exit while I was in there.)


I know that you are all on the edge of your seats wondering Bubba's reaction to my mis-directions which caused the truck to go over the containment wall at the campsite.  He didn't even act flustered about the whole thing.  He was so patient and sweet even though I caused him a lot of extra work.  For this he should get the "Hubby of the Year Award".


Things we learned this time out:

• Make a list of everything you plan to take that is in the refrigerator or freezer.  We forgot ice and butter.
• Make sure when you are helping someone navigate in a tight spot that you understand which end you are supposed to be watching.
• Take everything into consideration when deciding which spot is perfect.  After all we went through to get spot #11, we noticed that spot #13 was just as good with no navigation perils.

We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and are looking forward to the next time out.  For those of you (all five) who voted on where we should camp next, we paid no attention to your recommendation, but please feel free to express your opinion in my next poll whatever it may be.  Happy Camping!

How Does This Relate?

Every spring we plant at least one hibiscus bush near our back door.  I can't pass a hibiscus bloom without stopping to study and admire it.  This is a picture of a typical bloom on this year's plant.  My camera is not the best in 

the world, but I think you get the idea what a perfect creation this bloom is.  It is there beautiful and perfect all day long, but, alas, as the sun goes down this most perfect bloom that has greeted me going to work and coming home that day begins to close up and then ... it is gone.  The next day it is as though it had never existed.  Sometimes I get another bloom the next day and sometimes I have to wait a week or more.  I'm reminded of this Bible verse:
"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Bubba and I had been putting off doing some things until I could retire, but I think we have both come to the realization that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. (I think I heard that in a song, but don't know which one.) How does that relate to the beautiful bloom of the hibiscus? At the end of my day, I hope that I have lived to the fullest during the short time I've had here on earth.

First Time Out

Finally, it was time for our first camping trip.  We decided to play it safe and not travel too far for our first time out. I took off from work at 11:00 and we were on our way.

As we pull out of our back yard, Archie leans out to check the tire pressure.  He takes after Bubba, always checking to make sure all systems are go.

 We chose to go to Mexico Beach and made reservations on line for our weekend stay at Rustic Sands Campground.  I learned that "rustic" in the name is another way of saying something is run down.  The place definitely did not look like the pictures online, but since we were self-contained that didn't matter.  On the up side, we had cable tv, wifi, and a sewer hook-up.  Another positive was that there were not a lot of campers around us so no one could witness any camping mistakes we might have made.

After successfully getting everything hooked up, Bubba got out his new $20 charcoal grill and fixed us the best hamburger I ever ate for supper.  At the same time, he grilled some hot dogs for nuking at another time, and some Register's sausage for the upcoming breakfast of pancakes and sausage.

After breakfast, we headed for Mexico Beach which was beautiful.  The weather was pleasantly cool.  We carried our lounge chairs, beach umbrella, and snacks.  We dozed, read, talked, and cooled off in the gulf which was cold but refreshing.  When we returned to the camper, we enjoyed our hot dogs which Bubba grilled the night before.  Later that afternoon, we went to Rodeo's in Panama City for Bubba's birthday meal.  We both had the Shrimp & Grouper combination platter and it was delicious.

We had a lazy Sunday morning.  After breakfast, we packed up and headed for home.  It was as enjoyable as we thought it would be.  When we got home we cleaned up and put things away, taking less than an hour to leave the trailer ready for our next outing which I hope will be soon.


Everything went well.  We learned how to operate everything on the camper.  Next time we plan to fry mullet and grill chicken since the cooking went so well this time.  
Those of you who voted that Archie would be a good travelling companion (all two of you) were right.  He behaved well and seemed to enjoy the outing.

Set Up Day

Today was designated as set up day for the camper.  We planned to carry our purchases from last week out to the trailer and put everything in its proper place.  Anyone who knows me knows that I like to wake up slowly by drinking several cups of coffee.  Then I'm able to spring into action; however, this Saturday didn't start like that.  I was just finishing my first cup of coffee when Bubba came in from his morning walk and stated that it was going to storm that I needed to get dressed and help him carry everything out to the trailer.  So I quickly dressed and started packing up and carrying out.  We finally got everything out and started to work.

It was really a fun day.  I put shelf paper in all the cabinets and drawers.  We made up the bed, folded our new towels and put them on the shelf, and put all the kitchen utensils away.  Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash were playing on the cd player (with speakers inside and outside).  We talked a lot and made plans for out future outings.

Bubba has explored every nook and cranny of this new purchase.  He is determined to figure out how everything works because he is sure that sooner or later he will have to "fix" it.  In this picture he is on his knees in front of the refrigerator looking at the fuse boxes.

We got salads and iced tea for lunch from Subway and ate in the camper.  Bubba is watching the football game while he rests.  Everything is all set for our maiden voyage.  All we will have to do is load our groceries and we will be ready to go.  I can hardly wait!


Note:  It only sprinkled a little bit all day long.  I think I was tricked into giving up my wake-up time.

The Next Step

Buying the travel trailer was just the first step.  Getting it set up to actually go camping became the next step.  There are so many things we will need if we are going to be roughing it.  Bubba agreed to go shopping with me, but he never dreamed how long the list of items we just had to have was going to be.  We started out by spending some time in the trailer just measuring so that the things we purchased would fit.  We measured shelves, floor space, drawers, etc.  Then we made a list.  On Saturday we set out with our first stop being the newly opened dollar store in our town.  We loaded up the buggy there with things like measuring cups & spoons, flatware (we got a service for eight with a plastic tray for just $10), and some rugs to go by the bed, at the sink, and at the entrance.  We were off to a good start.


All that shopping was making us hungry so we ate lunch and headed to WalMart.  There we found pretty much everything else on the list. I even got shelf paper for the shelves and drawers. We got home at 3:00 pretty much exhausted.  Some things we needed had to be ordered like sheets to fit the short queen bed.

It wouldn't all fit on the table so I could take a picture, but you get the idea.  This was before our Amazon order arrived with the rest of our stuff.  

Blog? Why Now?

My daughter has had a blog for several years, www.teachershaveiteasy.com, and I have always admired the fact that she seems to have so much to write about.  She blogs about her family, her job as a teacher, church events, movie stars, television shows, recipes, etc.  Of course, I'm very blessed in that I have a husband who remains devoted to me after 45 years of marriage.  He retired several years ago and now he sees that our house is clean, our clothes are washed, and our supper is on the table when I get home from work everyday.  But let's face it, we have gotten in a rut!  We needed some adventure in our life, something to look forward to other than the time we are able to be with our family who live six hours away. 

This past week, we made a decision to create some additional adventure/excitement.  I'm going to join my husband in retirement in approximately 2 1/2 years so we thought we might start looking at travel trailers because "camping" was what we thought we would enjoy doing in our "golden years". We ventured to a nearby city last Saturday to begin looking at travel trailers.  I must add here that my dear husband, Bubba, stated emphatically Saturday morning that we were absolutely, positively not going to buy one, that we were just going to start looking with November being our target date for buying one.

We arrived at the lot which was brimming with travel trailers of all shapes and sizes.  They even had one with a fireplace and two recliners.  The salesman was not too pushy.  He just let us look and answered our questions.  We found one that we really liked, but the price was a little steep especially for people who are new to this experience and besides, we were just looking.

Then he said the magic words, "I have a 2009 model that was just traded in that is exactly like this one.  Would you like to see it?"  Folks,  I've got to tell you that we could see no difference between the two.  It didn't look used at all AND it was $10,000 less that the 2011 model.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  We absolutely, positively could not let this deal get away from us.  We went back Tuesday, got a lot of instructions on how everything works and brought her to her new home.  Bubba did a great job with towing her.  We even were able to stop and eat on the way home. So here she is in our back yard.  Doesn't she look like a good time just waiting to happen?