Settling in

Last night, in between torrential downpours, I was able to finally get the sewer connection hooked up.  Sometimes I don’t have the hand strength to twist the connections.  I needed three sections to make the hose long enough to reach the sewer connection, and getting that third one to cooperate took repeated tries over two days.  It does give me a sense of accomplishment though when I finally make things work properly. 

This morning’s mission was to visit the Saturday morning farmer’s market in Manteo, and get a hair cut in Kitty Hawk.  I just love the name of the towns around here…Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Rodanthe, Waves, Nags Head, Stumpy Point, Ocracoke etc.  

Finding a parking spot along the shore in Manteo is a challenge.  I had to walk several blocks to get to the farmer’s market, but it’s very pleasant along the boardwalk.

Along the way, I found it a bit disconcerting to think about the sign on the left.  Yuck!  It turns out this area used to be the water treatment plant for Manteo.

I’m sure the influx of tourist dollars persuaded the powers that be that this scene was a great improvement over a water treatment plant.

I only found one actual farmer at the market.  The rest of the booths had jewelry, dog bones, jams, jellies, and a very crabby lady selling windows.  I could go on about her, but I think it’s best to just forget about that encounter.

I ended up buying three scrumptious home grown tomatoes, and a big bag of the longest green beans I’ve ever seen.  Can you believe that these beans are 20” long?  I fixed a big bowl of them for dinner tonight, and they were quite tasty.  The young farmer told me that they are an old variety, and in the old days people would pick them and drape them over their arm.  This young farmer couple bring organic produce here every week, and I signed up to get an email telling what they have available each week.  They occasionally bring pork and lamb to sell, and I’m looking forward to trying their pork.  I think I’ll skip the lamb though.

I did manage to get a nice hair cut at a reasonable price in Kitty Hawk, and then returned to the rig.  The rains began again in earnest late this afternoon, so we’ve pretty much been confined inside.  I’ve been perusing the restaurant pamphlets, and may just return to the ‘Tale of the Whale’ tomorrow for my birthday dinner.  I’m eyeing the Garlic Shrimp (fresh caught off shore) on their menu.  I do really like shrimp.    That’s where I went for my birthday dinner five years ago.  Yep, I’m getting into the OBX groove…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Not the adventure I was looking for today

My plans for today included finding a good sized grocery store to restock my supplies.  How exciting could that be?  I did plan to kind of wander my way over to Nags Head to re-familiarize myself with the area.  It’s been five years since I’ve been here, and there was a hurricane that came through the area last August.  That’s why staying at one of the RV sites on Pea Island was not an option.  Those sites, the small office building, and the intern bunkhouse were washed away!

I took a few of the gravel roads of the refuge as I slowly made my way to the coast.  I looked for the huge eagle nest near one of the bridges over the bay, but it too was gone.

I had a little something in mind as I visited the Outer Banks (OBX) Visitors Center.  You see, the last time I was here I took myself out for a celebratory 60th birthday dinner.  Well, it’s five years later, and this Sunday marks my entry into the age of Medicare/Medicaid.  What better reason to take myself out for a ritzy dinner?  I knew they’d have plenty of suggestions, and I now will spend some time going over all of my choices. 

I took a short jog south down US 12 to the first of the three lighthouses found on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  I’ll probably visit them all again while I’m here, but it’s a long trip to do that, and my main goal today was to get some milk, etc. 

I stopped briefly at the Bodie Island Lighthouse.  Today’s view is on the left.  The view on the right was taken in July of 2007.  I found out that the work to refurbish the lighthouse will take until next May, so I’m glad I toured it back then.  The RV site I chose not to stay at is about a half a mile away.

After stopping at the lighthouse, I turned around and made my way back to Nags Head.  Eventually I found the Food Lion grocery store that I was looking for.  As I got out of the car and leaned over to get my fanny pack and cloth bags ready, the lady parked next to me wanted to get out.  So, I stepped back and the front door slid closed so she could get into her vehicle.  I thought I was being helpful.  She smiled, got in her vehicle and pulled out.  Oh, oh.  My fanny pack with my money, phone, and keys were on the front seat, and the door slid shut and locked.    Awe shucks!  What a revolting development this turned out to be!

Now what do I do?  I went into the grocery store, and was lucky.  I explained to the young woman at the customer service desk what had happened, and as it turned out, she had recently done the same thing.  She wrote down the name and number of the locksmith she had used and handed it to me.  That would be great if there were any phone booths left around, and I had the money (which was locked in the car) to use it.  She took pity on me, phoned the Pop-A-Lock company, and they arrived within ten minutes!  It took them less than two minutes to break into my car.  That made me think a little. 

Then it came time to pay the bill for this service.  The woman inside said it was $25 or so.  Hah!  That must be for locals.  The price quoted to me was $60 for a service call.  I related the price from the grocery employee, and they knocked it down $10 for cash.  A costly lesson learned.  As the lock guy said, “If you try to be nice and help someone out, it will bite you in the butt!”  Now that’s a sad way to look at things in my opinion.

Perhaps some of you may wonder why I didn’t call my road-side service number.  Well, I really didn’t think about it until the guys were already on the way.  The number was also locked in the car, and I just normally only think about that when the rig is involved.  Oh well, I suppose I could get the number tattooed someplace on my body.

A huge storm rolled in as I finally made my way home, and it has been raining ever since.  I sure hope it cools the temps down some.  On my drive along the back roads this morning, I did catch a fleeting glimpse of a bear.

                                                                              THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

letters/13

dear high school, you've been great but i'm glad that the hubs only has one more week so he doesn't have to have lunches like this anymore. p.s. he said that there were definitely still feathers on it. dear homeland, only eight more days! we're starting to get more and more excited with thoughts of family, friends and REAL mexican food! dear sister, we're now making bets on when you will pop (i have the monday the 23rd. fingers crossed!) is there any way you could convince your mini me to let me win? i hear that crossing your legs helps. dear hubs, thanks for sincerely saying cheesy romantic lines that sound like they could be in a chick flick. even though i laugh, i secretly love it. dear watermelon, our love affair is about to end. your price has dropped from 15 dollars a pop to now just 5. great news for our grocery fund but it means that you're about to disappear until next year. good thing i stocked up and have already eaten half of one this week. i have never had to pee so often in my life. i think my students are starting to think that i'm sick with how many times i go to the bathroom during class. dear grains, i am beyond excited to make bread this weekend with you. i have a friend that makes his own beer (side note: it's better than amazing. and that's coming from a gal that has tasted maybe one beer in the past that i've liked) and he's going to give me the left over grains that he used. dear insanity, i have just ONE MORE WEEK! i never thought that i would finish. it's been by far the most challenging workout that i have ever done but i have also never seen results like this before. any suggestions on what to try next? i'll do insanity again at some point but me and the two friends that i did it with got to the point that we were back talking shaun t and trying to figure out what trainers were hooking up with who. a clear sign i need a change of scenery. 

I made a choice

With one last travel day on the horizon for a while, I was up very early with my stomach churning as usual on a driving day.  I sure would like to win the lottery and be able to hire a driver.  Of course that means I’d have to buy a ticket!  Anyway, it was a mostly smooth trip of only 75 miles to meet Abbey Riebel at the volunteer RV pads at Alligator River NWR.  Surprisingly, I had remembered from five years ago that there was a gas station just before the bridge crossing the Alligator River.  I decided to top off the tank.  Even though the gage said I had more than 3/4 of a tank left, I still put in more than $100 worth at $3.30/gallon.

I pulled into the camp area, turned on the generator so I’d have AC for Emma, and hopped in Abbey’s truck to take a look at the site at the Bodie Island Lighthouse.  The spot was very spacious and surrounded by sand dunes, but I just couldn’t get past the fact that I’d probably have to be constantly washing the rig to keep the salt spray at a minimum.  That salt spray really does a number on any metal parts of the rig, and rust is the result. 

So, my choice was to stay at the Alligator River NWR site.  No ocean lapping nearby, but also no salt spray.  It took me quite some time to get things set up since the temps were in the 90’s with high humidity.  I’d work outside a while, and then come in to cool off.  My clothes, of course, were wet enough to wring out.

We are all nestled in along a bank of trees.  Fellow volunteers Peg and George are on my left, and the trailer on my right is for some University people doing some kind of study on the refuge.  Apparently, they are seldom in camp.  I’ve been told they are also Chinese and speak very little English.  I wonder what it is they’re studying.

There is a small volunteer building that houses a couple of showers, a living room, and the laundry.  It hasn’t changed any in five years since I was last here.

The electrified fence around the compound has been reinforced with a second line by Peg and George.  The purpose of this electric fence is to keep out the bears.  Quite a few bears are regularly seen around the campsites.  I look forward to getting a glimpse of them. 

                        This evening, Emma met her neighbor, and made a new friend.

Princess, is one of two boxers that live with Peg and George.  The other boxer, Duchess, has some issues with exuberant dogs like Emma, so we’ll take our time introducing those two.

I’ve got some pretty flaky internet service out in the boonies here, so I’m hoping I’ll get this post published.  I’m just relieved to finally have arrived.  Hopefully, a small cold front will be moving through soon, so temps will be more reasonable this weekend.  I don’t have to report for work until Tuesday, so I’ll spend the weekend finding a good grocery store and reacquainting myself with the Outer Banks.  Cool beans!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

A Muddy Mess

This past weekend we headed out of town with some friends to mudfest, about a four hour drive up the west coast of Korea. can i just take a second here to comment on how fast this summer is going? I feel like i was just making our bucket list, and now we have some of the major events crossed off of it. Except my six pack, that may just stay on there. Back to the story. The city of Boryeong is a tiny little town that is known for the health benefits of their mineral rich mud, why else cover yourself from head to toe in it? Actually, the whole idea of mud fest was created in order to promote their mud cosmetics. Now, in the span of nine days, hundreds of thousands of people travel from around the country to pass through this town and roll around in the mud. We were no exception. While we were there we:

Saw my first boxing match. I've always wanted to see one and there just so happened to be a match for free between Japan and Korea. I've never seen a guy's head bounce like that.

Stood in line for over an hour to get painted up like warriors with colored mud. Definitely worth the wait. You can see the volunteers meticulously painting our bodies for us.

Got put in mud prison.

Scrubbed ourselves clean in the ocean, then realized we were all slightly stained from the colored mud.

Made some amazing fruit infused soju. Soju=not so good. Soju+fruit=a whole other story

Watched some amazing fireworks. I'm typically not a huge fan but these were like nothing I have seen before. Parts of it were literally falling into the water because it was so close.

Saw some outrageously gorgeous mountains in Jinan. We're looking at going back and trying to hike it someday, especially since there is water rafting close to the town and they  have rustic wooden cabins that you can stay in while hiking.

And as a parting souvenir, I got a tube of mud mask that left my skin feeling like a babies bum. Worth every penny.

Please excuse the blurry photos. We were using a waterproof case for our phones, which in my opinion worked great. For being wrapped in plastic, the photos still turned out decent and we didn't have to worry about any mud or water getting in the phone. Over all, I would have to say, this was by far the best Korean festival I have been to. It completely lived up to the hype in every way.

summer bucket list:

.sea kayaking
.fly a kite
.cliff jumping on the south end of the island
.discover a new beach on the island
.picnic
.get a tan (this is a hard one for me)
.mud fest
.beach camping, as much as we can!
.bbq on our roof. we're so excited that our new place has an accessible roof top and it's FINALLY good weather!
.get pictures hung in the apartment. it's time to make this place feel like HOME
.get a six pack. i think i have two, only four more to go!
.grow an herb garden
.sand castle festival. i know we already did this one but i like putting things on a to do list that i've already done. makes me feel like i've accomplished more with no effort.

Almost there

Well, I talked myself into doing another heat scorched 240 miles again today, and have ended up in Williamston, NC.  I was almost exclusively on Interstates and limited access highways, and in all those miles there was only one rest area.  It came after only an hour and a half of my near six hour drive.  A bigger concern to me was finding a gas station I could get in and out of.  I had left the campground with a half a tank, and wanted to fill it up as soon as possible.  There just don’t seem to be as many big truck stops here in North Carolina as I’ve seen in more westerly states. 

My rig isn’t a diesel pusher, so I have to find a place that I can get into and out of at the regular pumps.  It’s always a challenge, and causes me more heartburn than most anything else I encounter on the road.  After 100 miles, there was finally a Flying J with an RV lane.  Halleluiah!  The young lady at the counter really didn’t want to turn the pump on for me so I could get more than the allotted $75 worth of gas, but she finally agreed.  So I went back out to fill up, and the pump wouldn’t start.  Seems she couldn’t hear the chime inside to start the pump since she had one of those ear buds filling her head with loud music.  Grrr!  After four trips back inside the station, I was finally able to get underway again.

Around 2:30 I finally arrived at Pierce’s RV and Mobile Home Park.  So far tonight, I’m the only RV visiting here.  There are 30 full hookup RV spaces in this well manicured ‘back 40’.  With an Escapees discount, the cost is $22; cash on the barrel head.

It’s only 2 miles off the main drag of US 64, and is a quiet rural spot to grab a good night’s sleep before the final push to the Outer Banks.  Oddly enough, I have 4G coverage here with my Verizon Air Card. 

I’ll be meeting Abbey Reibel, the volunteer coordinator, tomorrow morning to decide which spot I’ll set up camp at.  Our meeting place is about 80 miles down the road, so it will be an easy jaunt in the morning before it gets back up into the 90’s.  (fingers crossed)  All I hooked up tonight was the electric so I could get the AC going inside.  Should make for an early exit tomorrow.  Not an exciting day, but I’m ‘almost there!’

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Mount Airy, North Carolina

After too many arduous miles on the mountainous back roads of Kentucky and Virginia yesterday, I finally reached I-81 and was able to pleasantly clip down the road at a brisker pace.  That first 120 miles or so took me close to four hours.  My most immediate need once on the interstate was to find a Rest Area.  Eventually I found a sign that said I could find relief in seven miles.  Only problem was, it turned out it was for cars only!  Ack!!  It’s kind of hard to cross your legs when driving a motorhome.

I carried on, and about ten miles before my exit for the campground, a North Carolina Rest Area appeared.  I followed the sign for the truck parking and pulled in.  They were very tight spaces with quite a challenge to pull out of without whacking the truck next to you.  It was about 1:30 in the afternoon, and as I had a bite of my sandwich, the truck next to me very slowly maneuvered it’s way out.  I immediately threw my lunch in the garbage, stuffed Emma back in her crate and revved up the engine.  I wasn’t taking any chances on another truck pulling in next to me.  With an empty space on my right, it was easy-peasy to get the heck out of that super busy area.

I ignored Jack-in-the-Box (my GPS) after I exited the interstate.  I had written down very concise directions from the park’s website on a sticky note that I attached to my steering wheel.  It was about 90* as I set up at the Mayberry RV Park in Mount Airy, NC, and it wasn’t long before some nasty storm clouds began to roll in.  Emma and I took a good walk around the many tiers of this campground, and returned to the rig just as the skies began to open up. 

This is a very well maintained campground, and the sites are rather spacious for a private campground.  During the week, they honor Passport America, so the cost for two nights was $35.51 including tax for a 50amp, full hook-up pull through site.  Eventually, some trees would be nice for a little shade, but the owners told me they were new.  This is about the best Passport America park I’ve ever stayed in.  I’m staying on Opie Taylor Lane. 

I decided to stay two nights so I could visit Mount Airy, which many of you may know is where Andy Griffith lived.  It is also the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry in the TV show where Andy was the Police Chief.   My first stop was at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History.  For a $3 senior entrance fee, you are transported back in time through four floors of very interesting displays about this region.  The building itself used to house a hardware store, and that is evident by the creaking oak floors throughout.

Just yesterday, a large quilt display was opened that highlighted quilts made by the local members of the Surry County Quilt Guild.  It was one of my favorite displays.  I was in the museum several hours and couldn’t help but compare it to the museum Pam and I went to a couple of days ago in Pikeville, KY.  This place is really quite amazing considering it can be found in a small town.  I’d give it two thumbs up as a must see if you are ever in this area.

I walked or drove past all the other tourist sites, like Floyd’s Barbershop, the Snappy Lunch Café, and Wally’s Service Station.  Not being that big of a fan of Andy Griffith, I ended my downtown tour at the Andy Griffith Museum where this bronze statue depicting Sheriff Taylor and Opie can now be found.  I also opted out of the $35 squad car tour of the town since I had done most of it on my own.

Besides Andy Griffith, Mount Airy is also famous for the World’s Largest Open Face Granite Quarry.  This was something I wanted to see.

Can you believe I got lost trying to find this place?  Getting lost seems to happen quite regularly with me, so I was not too surprised when I ended up back in Virginia by accident.  You would think a mining operation this big wouldn’t be hard to miss, but I did that two times before I finally found it.  It was pretty interesting to watch the workers drilling away and moving out huge slabs of granite.  I think they’ve been working this quarry for close to 200 years, and it’s estimated that it will take another 500 years to deplete it.  Some of this granite has been used in monuments in Washington DC.  I also noticed that the gravel roads in the campground are made up of granite.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading out to Williamston, NC, and then it will be a rather short hop and a jump to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (OBX to those in the know. )

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy