letters/9

dear geoje, thank you for your amazing bamboo forest park that is just a short car ride away. oh and the zip line through the trees that hubs thoroughly enjoyed (i'll post more on it later).  dear pinterest, you're amazing with all of your creative inspiration. after one and a half years here, i'm going to finally try to decorate. dear korea, is it so much to ask for a craft store with more than colored paper, balloons and pom poms? when i'm trying to decorate on a budget, anything within the realm of michael's would be useful. dear students, thank you for actually semi behaving yourself this week. makes my life a whole lot easier, especially when it's one of those weeks when i'm falling asleep standing up. dear kikinitinkorea, you have the ability to turn any bad day around. seriously, go check it out. i'm no sure how well this blog will translate to those who haven't lived in korea, but it's pretty right on. a few of my favorites here here and here. dear co-teacher, when i tell you that my sister is having a baby and you jump up, grab me and ask "you're having a baby?!" it makes me feel a) that you don't listen to me and b) that you want me to have a baby a little too much. dear hubs, i'm diggin all the random love notes and random acts of kindness this week. asking if i want you to pick me up chocolate because i'm having a bad day? priceless. not sure what i did to deserve it but i'm not going to question it.

Made it to Dyer, IN, in one day

My trip here yesterday was long, 515 miles, but I made it in one day.  I know I would have never done that if I had been driving the rig.  The roads in places were less than wonderful, and the wind would have been a factor in a high profile vehicle.  I had a couple of offers of places to stay for the night along the road, but once I had John Denver and Peter, Paul, and Mary belting out their tunes, I sang my way through the last 250 miles.  I truly appreciated the offers, but wasn’t ready to stop at two in the afternoon.

Shortly after 5:00, I found myself in Robyn’s driveway.  I think just about any meal I don’t have to prepare myself is delicious, so it was a treat to sit down to a meal brought in by Dennis’ mother.  A dip in their pool with the grandgirls in the early evening went a long way to relax the stiff joints from the long drive.

First thing this morning, grandgirls Avery and Phoebe pointed out the mama and papa geese across the road and all their babies.  When they were all lined up in the water, I counted seven little ones. 

In the late morning, I accompanied Robyn on one of her work trips to provide a patient with needed medical equipment.   We were stuck in traffic for quite a while as we passed this famous skyline on the back side of the Loop in Chicago.  It’s hard to mistake what I will always refer to as the ‘John Hancock Building’.  I think it’s now called the Morris Tower/Building.  It certainly is a behemoth.After a time consuming drive, we arrived at the West Suburban Medical Center.  While she went inside to work with the patient, I got in my exercise for the day.

I did walking laps around the top level of the parking garage.  My back and hip seemed to be better today, so I was able to get in some good walking finally.  Even though we were over six miles due west, ‘Big John’ was still a part of the landscape.  In the four years Robyn has been doing this job, she’s been to about 75 different  facilities in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.  She does an awful lot of driving, and is very comfortable zipping around the Chicago metropolitan area.  I prefer to be the passenger these days.  There seems to be a lot more people on the roads than when I was first learning to drive and the Kennedy, Dan Ryan, and Eisenhower Expressways were pretty new.  It took us about five hours to get to this one fitting and back home again. 

After supper, Avery and Phoebe demonstrated their bicycle riding skills around the swimming pool.  Rain showers moved through this afternoon lowering the temperatures, so we passed up taking a dip this evening. 

Little Phoebe is a year older than when I saw her last year, and has grown out of the lopsided gait of a toddler.  She fairly flies around now that she’s almost three.  Her language skills have improved as well, so I’m no longer just ‘Belt’, I’m now Gramma Belt.  Guess that means I’ll have to stop calling her ‘Buckle’.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Things that go bump in the morning.

Emma and I were out for a walk and a stop at the dog yard pretty early this morning.  Since temps will be hovering in the 90’s this week, it’s the best time to be out.  Wonder of wonders, another dog even joined us, and they ran around together for a bit.  There’s finally another dog here that isn’t one of those teeny weenie little things.  Their owners tend to avoid Emma’s exuberance (and rightly so).  “Ginger” was bigger, older, and wiser than Ms. Em, so it was good for both dogs.

I’m going to toss in a couple of my other ‘smoky’ photos, from the other day, tonight.  It’s been hot enough here the last few days that I’m presently sitting inside with the AC going, and I took off my shoes and socks!  One of the rarest sights on earth is for me to be found without my shoes and socks on during daylight hours.   I’m just not one of your flip-flop types of girls.  Never have been, and never will be.  It’s a challenge for me to walk to the swimming pool here with only Crocs on my feet. (and I’ve been making fine use of that pool to cool off)

As I was peacefully sitting at the table this morning reading Rick’s blog about the “Ten best things to see in Victoria, BC”, I was abruptly shaken by a loud bang as the rig rocked a bit.  My reaction was, “Holy Cow” (or something similar with four letters).  My passenger’s side neighbor was pulling out this morning and his great big fifth wheel slammed into my awning!  As he stopped, I flew out of my chair to get to the door.  He started to back up, and I hit the button to retract the awning before he did more damage.  He obviously was not paying close enough attention to his mirrors and cut the corner too sharply.  I just had that whole awning replaced last summer.  Luckily, it only appears to have scraped some paint off of the end cap of my awning, but he has a memorable gouge in the side of his rig.  That’s not the way I wanted to start the day.  My heart was pounding, which the gentleman apologized for. 

Once I recuperated from that little excitement, I spent the rest of the day packing my bag and getting the rig ready to leave it for almost a week.  With dropping Emma off at the kennel tomorrow, it will be a drive of just over 500 miles to Dyer, IN.  Don’t know if I’ll attempt it all in one day or not.  We’ll see how things go.  I’ll gain an extra hour by skipping back into the Central Time Zone, and tomorrow is the first day of summer.  That means the most amount of daylight we’ll see this year.  I’d like to avoid a motel if I can, but I’ll stop if I get tired.  Too bad Sam doesn’t live in southern Indiana.    He has offered numerous times to welcome weary travelers.

Well, it seems like I should take one more dip in the pool tonight before I make my picnic lunch for tomorrow’s trip.  I’ll talk to you next from near the great city of Chicago.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Great Smoky Mountains National Park–first impressions

This National Park has been on my to see list for a long time, so this morning I headed out to get there.  In the Escapees’ park guide, it says it’s an hour away.  Well, it’s a little more than that because you have to travel through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg to get there.  That involves about twenty miles of slow travel through tourist heaven.  FOR ME, I just don’t know what sharks, an upside down mansion looking thing, a wax museum with Godzilla clinging to a replica of the Empire State Building on the outside, and the Titanic have to do with the Great Smoky Mountains, but then I’m not Dolly Parton.  I slid past the turn for Dollywood as well.

Eventually I made it to the park.  It was a small feat for me to get into this picture before the timer went off with the present hitch in my get along, but I managed.  I also don’t understand why people have to deface entrance signs like this by carving their names in it. 

My first stop was the Sugarlands Visitor Center where I spoke with a very nice seasonal ranger.  I explained that I had a couple of weeks to visit the park, and that I could only do limited hiking/walking.  She was very helpful and directed me to this first trail which was very near the visitors center.  For a while it followed this creek, and I’m wondering if these might be wild azaleas blooming.

My destination was Cataract Falls.  I made a note to myself to put my walking stick in my car.  I had to cross the creek a couple of times, and sure wished I had it with me.  This park receives more visitors per year than any other National Park, and is exceeded in visitor numbers only by the Blue Ridge Parkway.  One half of the population of the US lives within a two day travel distance to the Great Smoky Mountains.  I’m thinking that one fourth of the US population was visiting today!    Perhaps I should have chosen a day other than Sunday to visit??

It was 1932 when the Newfound Gap road was established, and these are some of the first visitors to drive the road.  I did that same road today, but forgot to wear my high heeled boots and furs.

I stopped at the Morton Overlook to enjoy my picnic lunch.  I tried stopping at the Chimney Tops picnic area, but it was jam packed with people, and not one picnic bench was available.  I guess folks around here come out to the picnic grounds for the day as many had set up screen tents and almost all were grilling out.  A big difference from the picnic areas in Yellowstone.  But what a view I had!  You can certainly understand how the Smokies got their name.

Next up was Clingmans Dome.  It was a seven mile drive up to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains.  The Dome tops out at 6,643’, and is the third highest summit east of the Mississippi River.  As I drove up, however, the clouds moved in and by the time I reached the top you couldn’t see a thing and it began to rain.  Guess I’ll have to try another day for those scenic views.

On the way back down, I pulled off the road at a spot that turned out to be the highlight of my day.  Long before ‘Bucket Lists’ were popular, I made a list of ‘Things I’d Like to Do’.  On that list was hiking the Appalachian Trail.  I know it’s too late for me to do that now, but today I got a little taste.

                                      After going off the beaten path a ways, I came upon this sign.

                                                                              I looked right…

…and I looked left.  It was everything my mind had conjured up over the years.  I walked a ways to the left through the moss covered logs and just imagined making it all the way to Maine.  The serenity was only interrupted by the sweet song of birds.  What a wonderful moment it was for me.

I set the camera on one of those moss covered logs to document that I had actually walked on the Appalachian Trail.  It wasn’t a long hike, but it did bring tears to my eyes.  Funny how that happens the older I get.  It was a perfect moment in time for me that I will never forget.

I’ve only scratched the surface of this wonderful National Park.  Good thing I’ll be in the area for a while.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Raccoon Valley RV Park

Yesterday we were all packed up, dumped, and on the road out of Defeated Creek COE park by nine in the morning.  It was a 158 mile drive through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to get just north of Knoxville.  Lots of ups and downs in this state of Tennessee!  One portion of I-40 was rough enough to pop the clock I have attached to a cabinet with super Velcro right off of the wall.  I’m getting kind of used to crashing sounds as I drive in this state.  This one really gave me a start though as it came crashing down on the dashboard and bounced around a bit.  Oh well, that happened just about the time I passed into the Eastern Time Zone, so I would have had to take it down anyway to change the time.

About four hours later, I arrived at Raccoon Valley.  This is an Escapees Park which means you have to be a member of Escapees to stay here.  Since I’m a lifetime member, that wasn’t a problem.  The park looked pretty full, however, as I stepped into the office/clubhouse.  You can’t make a reservation at this park so you may have to boondock for a night until there’s an opening.

After having spent Wednesday on the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail, the first thing I noticed in the clubhouse were all the quilts hanging on the walls.  I don’t know for sure, but I would assume they were made by fellow Escapees.  I was hoping to get a site and take advantage of the ‘Stay and Play’ feature that is available here on certain sites.  That means you pay for 15 days at check-in, and get to stay for 20 which averages out for a 50 amp site at just over $12/night.  That also gets me through the 4th of July.    A site was available, so I took it and about melted setting up camp.

The pics on the top level of the collage show the sites.  On the left, are the short term sites.  Notice the trees providing shade?  On the right are the ‘Stay and Play’ sites.  One little tree, and not anywhere near my site.  I’m two sites down the row from the tan and rust shower building.  It’s kind of like being a sardine in a can that is being processed in a pressure cooker.  I’ve certainly become spoiled by my refuge and COE park locations.  It’s also my guess that there is not a level site in the park.  It’s located on the side of a hill.

Now on the plus side, there is a swimming pool and a fenced doggy area.  Can you believe that all Emma does here off leash is take a leak, dump, and then lay down?  Uf-Dah.  I was hoping she would run and run and run and use up some of that pent up energy, but the most invigorating thing she has done is chew some of the grass!  Being an Escapee Park, I also have no worries about rowdy characters carrying on all night.  It’s very quiet and peaceful.  It also gives me the chance to leave the rig in a place I’m comfortable with while I drive up to Indiana next week for Robyn’s retirement party.

                                                           Thursday’s sunset at Defeated Creek.

I was able to find a kennel today so Emma will be taken care of while I’m gone.  Doing that and ten days worth of laundry in the Splendide about took up my day.  I was sure to wash all those new bras I bought last week so my trip up north will be an ‘uplifting’ experience! 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

An Heirloom Speaks, and I Listen

Tried to post this last night and this morning, but no luck. 

Remember that little cottage that I took a photo of yesterday with the Wedding Ring Quilt displayed on its side?  Well I returned there today since it was supposed to be open for Hand Crafted Items and Gifts.  Now granted, I’m not the shopping type, but I just had a feeling about this place located way off the beaten path in the hills surrounding the Cumberland River of Tennessee.  I was not disappointed.  It turned out to be a little gem for me.

Of course, there was a welcoming committee.  Can you believe the tail on that peacock?  Sure wish he would have lifted it up for me, but apparently there were no hens around.  I later found out the girls are probably already setting on eggs.  It takes one of them to appear for the males to get all excited at this time of the year.  The two Guinea Fowl just didn’t elicit the same response.

                              Not to be outdone, this striking chicken came to show off her little ones. 

On the front porch of the house was ‘Harry’ standing guard.  He’s the king of the roost and doesn’t allow any other peacocks out front.  I found out he’s about 17 years old.  I never knew peacocks lived so long.  At least the males do.  The females are more often taken by predators because they won’t get off of the nest if they are incubating eggs.

This fellow was strutting about the back yard.  He’s just a youngster.  Notice the short tail.  Mails don’t breed until they grow that long tail, and it takes a couple of years.

When they get hungry and want some feed, they come to the back door and screech!  Apparently, they’re also very good alarm clocks under the bedroom window. (Much to the consternation of the man of the house.)

Once I got inside the little cottage, there was an array of crafty items.  Cindy Horvatin is the artist, and has many talents.  Her specialty is custom designed stained glass art, but she also crochets and makes hand made goat milk soap from her own goats.

Her clear glass items use old farm windows for the panes.  How’s that for recycling?  If I had a house, I’d love this stained glass window set in an old farm window frame depicting an exact replica of a log cabin quilt.  She does very fine work!  She doesn’t do quilting per se, but reproduces some quilt patterns in stained glass. 

I made several purchases including something special for Robyn (which is not pictured).  Robyn said she didn’t want any gifts, so I’m just going to say I don’t have room in the rig for what I got her.    Among the other items I chose, was a bar of apricot and cream goat’s milk soap for my sister.  Not that I think she needs to smell better…

Now for the rest of the story…  I got a much better photo of the wooden quilt reproduction today that is located on the side of the cottage.  The inspiration for this panel came from a quilt that Cindy’s great grandmother made for Cindy’s parent’s wedding.  That was around 1940.  Cindy still has the quilt, and it won second prize at the Granville Quilt Show in the Antique Quilt category.  Cindy’s son painstakingly painted the reproduction for the side of the cottage, and so it could be listed in the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail.  I just can’t imagine the amount of hours that went into the original quilt, or the painting of this representative panel of a cherished family heirloom.  I suppose the great-great grandma of the son that did the painting knew where every little piece of fabric for that quilt came from.  Amazing!

What a grand time I’ve had here in the Upper Cumberland River area, and such fascinating memories I’ll carry with me as I had out towards Knoxville tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

letters/8

dear hubs, i'm so glad that you're able to do what you love on the weekends and go paragliding. i can't wait till you're certified and you can take me with you. thank you for having an adventurous spirit. dear dryer, sometimes i forget how convenient you are. especially since our last two apartments didn't have you. thank you for encouraging my laziness of ironing. dear boss, please stop giving me the cold shoulder, it's making work a little more than awkward lately. dear hubs students, i'm so glad that i got to meet you last night as you took him out to celebrate the last class. thank you for free chinese food and for being sweet enough to remember my birthday and surprise me with a cake. i'm so glad that he was blessed with great students. dear hubs, surprising me by taking a day off to make me breakfast and lay in bed and watch chick flicks is an excellent way to start my birthday.

oh and in case you haven't noticed by comments above, it's my birthday today. i typically don't look forward to this day but thank goodness i have an amazing hubs who always makes me feel special. can't wait to start the weekend in celebration with amazing friends, great AMERICAN food and live music. happy weekend!