We’ve Gotten Rusty!
Monday, May 30, 2016
A couple of months had passed since our two week adventure to Florida & we forgot some of our newly acquired camping capabilities. During the Spring & Fall, we participate in several Festivals where we sell my Sweet Tea’s Soaps & Stuff products so camping is set aside during that time.
To get back in the groove we went to Ft Yargo again. The towing of the trailer (Wilbur) was old hat & seemed to only take us about 15 minutes to get there. Oh, it IS only 15 minutes! Close to home but far away as daily routine goes. The day just HAPPENED to be Memorial Day & Ft Yargo was a busy place as people arrived to picnic & swim in the beautiful lake. We had friends joining us – their maiden camping voyage – so we thought we’d get in early to secure two adjoining campsites. Early meaning 10am instead of the recommended 1pm check-in. That was not okay with the Park Rangers who said we’d have to wait until the scheduled time so they could clean the sites as the campers in residence from the previous night departed. We parked just beside the entrance & were thoroughly entertained with the goings on at the gatehouse. The crowds coming into the park were abundant! The “Gate Keeper” was collecting their $5 per carload as fast as she could & the stream of cars didn’t let up. All of the sudden, the sign was popped up that said, “No Attendant on Duty”, the blinds went down & the attendant disappeared behind a blackened window. Another ranger came out & waved cars through without collecting. Then she went back into the main office & the cars piled up again, congesting the entrance from Hwy 81 & causing quite a traffic problem. Perry finally got out of the truck & played traffic cop for a bit, waving people through just as the ranger had done. It took a short while to see those same cars that got in for “free” returning to the gatehouse as they exited the park. Apparently, the beaches & picnic areas were COMPLETELY full so lots of disappointed people were out of luck. Pick-up trucks carrying BBQ grills, carloads of families looking for a day of fun at the water’s edge & the multitude of bike riders who couldn’t find parking even though they were going to just use the trails, all left with long, disappointed faces. There were several cars & trucks carrying boats, rafts & canoes who were able to get parking in the boat launch area so some folks still had luck on their side. We watched as motor coaches & trucks pulling trailers departed & Perry finally went back in to check about proceeding to the campgrounds at about noon. They let us in & we grabbed the first two spots that were side by side. Our friends arrived soon after & we got both of our “home away from home” sites set up.
Now, our first camping adventure (two days) was EXHAUSTING so I made sure to warn Rhyse she may feel a little overwhelmed. Obstacles they had to hurdle were blown fuses, rearranging their location in their site so they wouldn’t trip over a retaining wall, discovering that tight quarters means lots of butt bumping & the exhaustion fretting causes. And that was only day one. They did spend the majority of the time in our campsite because we have an awesome dog pen yard & their two fur babies were able to romp & play with ours without the worry of them getting away. Charles grilled the most WONDERFUL buffalo steaks (their buffalo) & Rhyse brought bread & salads to complete the meal. When Charles went down to the bathhouse, he discovered the dark was VERY dark & nearly found himself in the wrong campsite. A good flashlight is first on their “to get” list. Full tummies & much activity made all of us want to retire early.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Perry & I were up early because Sugar & Spice were in need of a potty break. We made coffee & watched Good Morning America for a bit before Rhyse & Charles joined us for breakfast. I made scrambled eggs, bacon & chicken sausage & we had biscuits left over from our dinner the night before. Quite the morning feast! Then we had time to relax, get showers & drive around the vast park, discovering all sorts of areas Perry & I didn’t know were available. There are TONS of walking trails for future excursions. I went down to the bathhouse for a nice shower & when I returned to the trailer, Rhyse was tending to some nasty scratches on her leg. She said a wild cat had attacked her as she rounded the curve in the road on the way back to the campsite. YIKES! I couldn’t believe the two men didn’t have her bundled off to the ER! That is until I saw Perry turning beat red trying to keep from laughing. Hurumph! She had actually scrapped her leg as she stepped over the fence! So, my brand new herbal save is having its first test of effectiveness & seems to be doing a remarkable job.
Next, we staged a puppy party with the four dogs. June 1 is Sugar & Spice’s birthday so we played dress up with the fur babies. Colorful leis, party hats & table décor along with the cutiest pups around made for many giggles & a great photo shoot!
Later, while relaxing & visiting in our campsite, a robin hopped over our way & grabbed up a baby snake that was on its way to our area. That (very little) snake put up a fight but the bird slammed it around & won the battle before flying off with its treat. Saved by a robin!
For our turn to provide dinner, I brought some chicken I had marinated just days before & then froze. Thawed & grilled it was spicy & oh so tender! I also cut up some new potatoes & mixed them with cream of chicken soup & onion soup powder, put it in a casserole pan with foil on top & cooked it on the grill. It was GREAT. A fresh salad & broccoli rounded out the meal. We had the best time talking about the wildest topics & just enjoying each other’s company! Another successful day camping!
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
We had another breakfast in Wilbur & then Perry helped Charles & Rhyse pack up. As with any new (or new to you) trailer, customizing is some of the fun. This first outing for our friends made them realize their new “traveling home” needs a little more people room to make it comfortable. Perry helped them work out the pros & cons of some design options since he is most creative in small revamping/repurposing projects. They will remove one of the dinette benches to see if that will be the solution. Their trailer has TONS of cabinets & counterspace (as trailers go) which will prove to be a big plus as they add more “needed” things for future trips.
After a stop at the dump station where Perry showed them how easy that chore was, our friends were on their way back home. We packed our pups into the truck & headed to our house for showers (we like showers at home so much more than at camps if it’s not far) & a few chores. We were going to camp a couple more days!
While at the house, I filled three small soap orders (remember, my business has a very active online presence & over 40 retail partners) for friends/customers, got another wholesale order out the door & on it’s way to Radford, VA & took care of a couple other chores. We made a quick stop at the grocery store & made it back to camp in less than two hours. Perry snoozed on the couch as I added to the blog – safe & content as a little rain shower & a few thunder boomers sound off around us.
Dinner was a success once again as we grilled blackened pork chops, more new potatoes & crisp green beans. The dishes were done & we chilled in the unique quiet only found at a campsite. It’s a GREAT life!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
It rained through the night but we slept so well. I will say I’m soooo grateful for an in-camper toilet. No running down the trail with the wild animals & sloshy water to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I can guarantee you if that was the case, this girl would have called a halt to this whole camping thing after our first day out. We got up at the crack of dawn with the pups that DID need to use the outdoors. After watching Good Morning America & drinking a couple of cups of coffee, I made breakfast & Perry did the dishes. Our friend Chris Humble stopped by to visit for a few minutes on his way to work at Casey’s in Winder. He & Suzy are such blessings to have as neighbors & friends. They are the kind of people who bring joy, hope & love to everyone. AND my dogs ADORE them. Sugar acts like a crazy dog when she sees them – more excited about them than she is about us!
We had a super laid back day in camp, just enjoying nature & the relative quiet. We saw a few campers leaving & even fewer arriving. Ft Yargo is an AWESOME park & many improvements were under way. Some campsites were closed off during the renovations so the others were filled on the weekends. However, weekday camping is QUIET & we love it. So thankful we can take advantage of that choice now that Perry is retired & I can just rearrange my schedule however needed. It’s a whole different life these days.
Perry had to go back home to participate in the City of Statham Budget Meeting. He loves being a Councilman & this is part of the job. Lots of issues were discussed & potential problems were solved. The members of the Statham City Council & the Mayor don’t always agree on everything but they have great respect for one another & willingly work out any differences. I didn’t go back to Statham, opting to hang out in the campsite with Sugar & Spice. I am a list maker so I cleaned up, added to & subtracted from my list of “must bring” groceries for our trips. I keep this on my iPhone & would be lost without it. Hopefully it is stored on Cloud. I wrote out a few new recipes in another section on my phone & organized my thoughts on potential camping dishes – this will eventually be turned into a camping cookbook down the road. Most likely just for us or maybe as an e-book on this blog site. A little rain came down which lent a calm to my short nap. It was bliss.
We grilled steaks & had the leftover potatoes & green beans from this week’s previous dinners – had to clear out the leftovers before we packed up & head home. A little TV (pretty good reception via our roof antenna) & then we snuggled down & sleep soundly.
Friday, June 3. 2016
A leisurely morning in the woods, coffee, breakfast, walks & then we packed up & headed home. More memories were made for these “Happy Campers” &, as they say, Not all who wander are lost.
