Friday at the Farm

Greenfield Mountain Farm

Afton, Virginia

We had a slow and leisurely morning.  I was down first sitting in my little rocking chair reading in front of the bay window watching the birds just after sun up when this fellow flew in and worked over the Paulownia trees in the backyard.

 Carrie came down and joined me and we both enjoyed the quiet reading atmosphere of the living room in the early morning.

After David came down it was time to get some fires stoked to take off the overnight chill.   I must admit that the wood stoves make it toasty and cozy inside. And there is absolutely nothing that will warm you to the bones like a wood stove. But someone has to tend them.  Cut the wood down, haul it up, split it, stack it, carry it to the porch and then bring it in the house, build the fires and tend them.  We’ve gotten it all down to a system, have seldom used the furnace over the years and might not replace it except it’s rather a necessity if you want to sell a house or be gone for any period of time that includes winter. And boy do I!  J

We have two wood stoves, one to heat the original back portion of the house which is now the farmhouse kitchen, pantry, main downstairs bath and an enclosed west porch.  And another in the front portion of the house which is a two over two old virginia farmhouse design. 

SO I emptied the ashes out of the stove in the living room where Carrie and I were.  The ashes, apparently left from the last fire last year were so deep the air intakes were covered. 

And brought in wood from the porch to get fires going in both stoves.

 
 Meanwhile, the chef was at it again.  More pastry .

but this time flaky biscuits.  Eat your heart out Betty Crocker even you couldn't  do that with spelt flour.

 and a BIG farm breakfast

How does he stay so thin?  And his daughter too?  If he keeps this up I’ll be waddling around. And Winona will far exceed a safe weight! 

The cleanup crew again did the dishes, dried, put them away and nobody took any pics of that.   Guess it just isn’t as attractive as Fritatas and home made fluffy biscuits.

Then the chef donned his handyman outfit and went to work repairing the apple picker so that the last of the fall apples could be harvested. 

While that work was going on, Carrie and I started a game of Canasta.  I’d played it a lot as a child but not in years.  So we got out the card game rule book and started out. 

Then the apple picker was ready and they went out to get those apples for yet more pies. J.   We planted a Granny Smith apple tree for Carrie when she was in elementary school as it was her favorite apple and it has been providing apples for years, this one included.  They also picked the Macintosh tree but we got back just a tad too late for that one to be good eating out of hand.  They are beyond prime but sauce sounds good too.  J

Carrie got them out of the tree

And emptied the picker into the bucket.

When the apples were in the bucket they divided them so Carrie could take some home with her for a pie or eating out of hand.  We finished up the card game and then Carrie had to go in order to meet some friends for dinner.  I had no desire for dinner after yesterday and the brunch we’d had around noon so I just had another piece of that great cherry pie.  J

Curling up with a good book.  Now that’s my idea of how to spend a fall evening.  Not sure what’s up for tomorrow but we are laying off “most” of the work until after the week-end so that we can spend time together as a family.  Just another day of blessings.  Infinite Possibilities!

An Avalanche of Blessings

Haven’t posted in the past 3 days.  I've been getting adjusted to the return, putting things away,  checking around the house, cleaning up 2.5 months worth of dirt and, making lists longer than my arm of things to do, to do, to do.  But I'm glad I came back at a holiday so the change from life on the road to life at chore headquarters isn't quite so drastic.

Tuesday I went running down the familiar roads.  5 miles and then spent most of the rest of the day taking things out of Winona, into the house, putting them away and cleaning.  The cleaning out starts right after this holiday week--end.  Can't wait!  Temperatures are dropping here so I had Winona connected to the house here in town and she is out at the farm as well where she moved on Wednesday.   Here's Winona's current Campsite.  Not too bad! J  

Wednesday morning I went out to early morning yoga which I have missed and must incorporate more regularly into life on the road. That was my take care of myself self.  Then the other self went right over to Spudnuts and bought a dozen donuts.  To share of course although half of them were the coconut ones I love.  Carrie came in the late afternoon.  As expected on a holiday, it took her about an hour longer than usual to get to the foothills of the Blue Ridge from Baltimore.  She was tired but we chatted and compared stories.  She of her new job and me of my new life.  It is an interesting juxtaposition that she is starting in on her career just as I am ending mine.  

Today we went out to the farm, visited Winona and had a fine Thanksgiving.   Cooking in the morning, eating in the afternoon and play at night.

Here's the chief chef working on Candied Yams.  Everything from scratch of course.  Only the cranberries were from a can.

Not sure why he's wearing his Merry Christmas apron unless like most of the rest of the country he's getting a step up on the next holiday before this one is even finished.  I was appalled to find that the towns and cities we went through starting in early November were already putting up their December holiday decorations and some of the stores had those things up before Halloween was even over.  Can't figure out what the rush is.  Isn't life going by fast enough?


This year after checking out the cost of free range turkeys we decided as a group that we aren't THAT fond of turkey and would rather have a pork roast already in the freezer and so we did.  But we did still have the other traditions at least for our family......plain dressing, oyster dressing for yours truly, broccoli, candied yams.  So here is our farm kitchen table all decked out and we are ready to dig in.

And here we are about an hour later.   Notice who is STILL eating!  J 

 Where DOES he put it all?

After doing all the kitchen clean up, not sure why the cook didn't take a picture of the clean up crew, the father daughter duo set out to make the pie.  Now usually we have pumpkin like tradition says.  But this year since we were already bucking tradition and hadn't grown any pumpkins, we decided that since we'd driven two sets of our own hand grown and picked and then frozen cherries all over the southeast without making one pie, we would have cherry pie with the pumpkin's whipped cream as our Thanksgiving dessert.  We are VERY thankful for those cherry trees and their generosity.   And here is the fruits of their labors with freshly whipped cream no vacuum cans for this great pie!

Mmmm was that pie good.   We ate it and finished out the evening playing the games you see stacked beside Carrie.  Too busy playing to get pics of that.  Can't remember who won what but we sure had a good time.  


Stoked the fires and went off to bed giving thanks for a great day and this great year in which I bought Winona, discovered RV-Dreams, went to the rally and as a result jumped off the cliff and retired early, went out on the shake down cruise, met wonderful people, reconnected with great RV friends and am back to get things squared away for life on the road.  We are all grateful for it all as well as for our health, our happiness, Carrie's new career, her lovely house in PIkesville, her cute new kitties and so many other things that it is nearly an avalanche of Blessings.   We know your life is too!

Happy Thanksgiving from us to all of you!

Back in Charlottesville

We got what may be our earliest start ever and were out of the campground just after 9:00.   A MIRACLE!  J

It was foggy when we woke up and we set about having breakfast and getting packed up to leave.  Not much to do since we didn’t take the bikes or the kayaks off the car or the car off the dolly or the dolly off the RV.  But we did get some things out that had to be put away, David checked fluids, I brought in the slides and unleveled, we stopped by the dump and we were off.  I got so busy that I forgot to get a picture of Site 75 which was a paved pull through between the two campground roads.  No trees just water and electric for $25 a night.  A fine overnight spot but not some where I’d want to stay for a week or so.  I’m sure the campground has other much nicer spots although we didn't take a walk to check it out as we usually do but this one was an easy in and easy out even if it wasn’t so easy last night in the dark.  J

Uneventful drive back on roads we are familiar with.  We pulled in at Mason Lane around noon and unloaded my bike and the kayaks.  Bike went to its home in the shed and the kayaks went back in their shack.  David helped me get the floor furnace lit so I have some heat and then we went off the the grocery to get some fixin's for Thanksgiving.

WOW are there a lot of people on the roads and in the stores in this town on a Monday early afternoon.  Was it really like this before I left?  I waited in a line of over 10 people at the post office to stop my mail forwarding.  I was shocked at how busy everything was.  Why aren’t all these folks at work at 2:00 in the afternoon???  Was I the only one working and didn't know it because I was working? J  

Nothing else of interest to report.  David took my car out to the farm to make sure the drive is clear enough for Winona who is sitting on Mason Lane. He'll bring the car back and get her tomorrow.   I emptied her of my things, a task I didn't do with much cheer but I did get the things from Winona into the house.  Although I didn't get them all put away....yet.

Somehow tonight I’m more tired than on any night I can remember recently.  Not looking forward to the tasks at hand but the sooner I get started the sooner they’ll be finished. 

I imagine I’ll get the unpacking completed  tomorrow and perhaps even get a start on the list.  Think I’ll type it up to see how long it actually is and try to rustle up some enthusiasm for checking things off.  J

Carrie is coming for Thanksgiving at the farm on Thursday and will be in town Wednesday night so that’s definitely something to look forward to.  Luckily she'll be here for the whole week-end.   

We all have lots of things to be thankful for this year.  She began her career life in a job she likes.  I ended my career life and went on to a life I like better.  Short holiday break here, I hope, and then back to the wonderful wandering life.  So on I go to making that happen. 

Thoughts are things.  Let’s all make them good ones!!

Here We Go Round the Campground Loop

Little Pee Dee State Park

Site #27

Dillon, South Carolina

Thankfully we didn’t slide into the lake although the angle for sleeping made it not the best rest we’ve ever had.  Especially when the gun shots started going off just before sunrise.  I had intended to run 5 miles in this sweet park but not knowing exactly where the shots were coming from, nor the borders of the park, nor the lands adjacent to it, I decided to skip that idea.  And I was really looking forward to it too.  A very rare thing for me and running.

I would have walked up to the ranger’s station to check on all of these questions J

But we discovered the night before that the “office hours” are 11:00 to Noon.   Sounds like a job I’d like to have, what about you?   Tiny hours for a tiny station I guess.  J

Isn't it cute?  But now you can see how we drove right by it in the near dark with its lights out.  

When we pulled in last night just before dark David said he thought the ranger was in a truck behind us but then the truck turned left.  As we drove by the tiny Ranger’s station with no lights on we thought there must be another office so we drove on and ended up at the boat launch where we had to take the car off the dolly in order to turn around and go back where we found the lights on and the ranger in the little office.  That’s when we read about the hours.  But they had a site and the price was great so……as Howard would say…all righty then.

Back to this morning, here is a picture of this great but way too sloping site.

We thought we’d be safe walking on the campground loops in terms  of the hunters so even though we have a longer day of driving than I like because of our late start and short trip yesterday,  we got some coffee and hot water respectively and headed out to check out the park and possible level lake sites for “next time”.  The verdict, not many if any along the lake front.  We found one possibility maybe two, but David decided he would design a  leveling string that is as long as the front to rear wheelbase of the vehicle with a string level that he could use to determine how high up off the ground you’d have to raise the rig.  My guess is this will be his 2011 “gadget” so if anyone has already made one, let us know.

The park has one nice trail, a boat dock on the lake (although you could launch a kayak right off site #27, another of its charms)

but the park has no put in for the river which is its southern boundary.  However you can leave the park and go only a short distance and put in so the paddling possibilities, outside of hunting season and bug season, could be nice.  Hmmm does that leave any seasons??

We came back and had a nice breakfast.  David was impressed with the design of Winona's interior which, even with the slides in, allowed the kitchen extension leaf to be used by the cook

In our usual easy (lazy? late?) fashion we managed to leave the park just before noon and headed off to I 95 which is the last leg of our trip.  The route took us up SC 301 which goes right through Pedro Land.  Do people actually stop here?  And what ever for?

 Driving north we were seeing the last of the fall colors on the road.

And we loved this guy also going north, an unusual sight.  He was driving a class A, towing a pick-up with a golf cart in the bed.   However he wants to travel, he’s got it covered.  J

We neared my projected stop for the day, which I'd called and they'd said sure come on, plenty of spaces.  It was only 2:45 and David wanted to get on in to Virginia.  Hmmmmmmmm  I'm thinking that makes it WAY longer than I like to travel in a day.  What’s wrong with a 3:00 stop for overnight?  We just made it in before dark last night and I’m not interested in a repeat of that.  But he said, we’ll make a 10 minute stop for gas and we’ll be there before 4:00.  

So I called the state park he had in mind, no answer, message machine “leave a message and we’ll call you back.”  RIGHT!   But by then, we’d passed my projected stop so we were clearly going on.

Gas stop took 25 minutes due to the pump cut off at $75 feature and our nearly totally empty gas tank.  By the time we pulled into the state park just outside of Petersburg it was 5:00.  No sign of anyone around.  No map of the park or the campground and the sun is just above the trees and dropping fast.

It was ring around the rosie as we tried to find

1) a pull through site to avoid taking the car off the dolly, the dolly off the RV for an over night.

2) a site that had working water and electric AND

3) one with a level enough spot that we could put the slides out for better sleeping than last night

Site 75, looks great, we pull in. David says let’s level it.  He’s clearly fixated on his lack of comfortable sleep.  Sherry, who is tired and over done with way too much driving, says nope  check the electric.  Ahhh her intuition?  Basement electric meter says OFF.  We try it again. OFF.  And Again.  OFF.  So….we are now past the other pull in sites as we looked for one that was pretty level.  And this one was no doubt.  But level and no electric won’t do.  

So out we go and back around the entire loop.  We pull into a site between two other RVs.  It must have  electric since they do.  Meter says OFF.  What??  Impossible.  Then, David discovers that somehow the meter’s switch got bumped and it wasn’t that the electric was OFF it was that the meter was OFF.  Ok, now it’s totally dark and we are checking this stuff by flashlight.  A total NO NO NO in Sherry’s book of RVing.  BUT, we have electricity, we hook up the water, go inside to level and NO DICE.  Cannot get this site to level up.  Jacks all the way down and it's still too far off in the front to put out the slides.  Maybe if we backed up.  Everyone else is level.  No backing….dolly and car remember. 

OK now that we know there wasn’t an electric problem we undo everything here again, in the TOTAL absolute dark, get back in the RV, drive back around the campground in the dark for the 3^rd time.  What were the other campers thinking about these brainless people coming in after dark and then trying out all the sites or playing ring around the Rosie?  

Are we having fun yet???

Back to site #75.  Yes, electric, yes water, yes level.  FINALLY.   A little dinner, read a few blogs and we’re ready for level sleeping.

No doubt all of this happened because of our attitudes or at least mine.  I don’t want to go North or home or any of it.  But tomorrow we’ll be back at the ranch.  Oh, make that back at the farm with a looooong to do list.   SIGH  

But today we’ve got level beds, water, electricity and I got today’s blog posted before I went to bed on the day it happened and that’s a FIRST I do believe!   Pictures of our level site with electric in the morning.  Check back tomorrow!

Little Pee Dee to the Rescue

Little Pee Dee State Park

Site #27

Dillon, South Carolina

Well we were just too reluctant to leave our friends to get out early and we pushed the check out time limits.  The amazing Nancy Mills saw us going by AGAIN and this time she wasn’t even in Home Depot gazing out at the stop light, she was in her car going to her mother’s.  How does she do this??

We stopped at Camping World on our way out of town since the nearest one to us is 3 hours away.  Spent too long there as well.

In all the excitement of the surprise yesterday I hadn’t called the I 95 stop over campground we wanted to stay at in Fayetteville NC to make sure they had a spot.  We had never had trouble getting a one nighter just off the interstate.  But today when we were late leaving and probably needed a guarantee, I called just to make sure and there were no spaces.  I’d forgotten about the Snow Bird avalanche heading down I 95 just about now.  

So we dropped back about 60 miles to plan B and stopped in at Little Pee Dee State Park where we were welcomed into a lake front site and charged $17.01 for water and electric.   VERY NICE!   But when we got to the site we found that the drop toward the lake made leveling up impossible.   So slides are in and we’ll see whether we are sleeping sliding down hill.   BUT the full moon over the lake made it a beautiful site and sight.  Hope you can see this picture.

I was the last of the couples to get my blog about the surprise day posted but I did and may even have conquered the backdoor virus after both David and I spent far too much time researching how to remove it.   Where DO these things come from and who in the world is spending their life dreaming them up and to what advantage??

Looking forward to seeing Pee Dee State Park by daylight before we head out for North Carolina.  Sure does seem like we are going in the wrong direction.  J

Don't You Just LOVE Surprises????

Huntington Beach State Park

Site #31

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Today we were up and out at 8am with cups of hot water to investigate the Sandpiper Trail and see where I’d gone wrong.   We found the trail head, started following it and made the same mistake and ended up in the same place.  Well by this point I’m convinced that this is a poor job of trail marking by the park.  David suggests we go to the other end and try to walk it backwards but I’m stubborn, I want to figure out why I can’t walk it this way and so after we go down different side trails we find that the metal markers for the trial are about 8 feet up the tree so we both missed seeing it.  The first two markers were at eye level but the next one and several after that were so high up that we didn’t initially see them.   Once we did though, David wanted to walk the trail but it was about 10 till 9 and I wanted to get the running over with so I went back and changed into my running while he hiked on.

I ran down to the trail head and along the trail which really has too many sandy hills and too many tree roots for running but was lovely just the same.  I over took David near the end and these are his pictures of the trail as I ran on and down to the beach.  The trail is about a mile long and runs along Sandpiper pond with many overlooks.  Nearly all of the pictures he took were not of the trail per say but of the overlooks and the pond from the overlooks including the one with the painter which was where I passed him.

Down on the beach, I ran with the wind to the North end of the park where civilization begins again and turned around to run back.   The wind was much more powerful than I had realized when it was at my back and by the time I got to the Atalaya beach access which was the first one, I decided I wouldn’t run all the way back up the beach to our campground access but cut up here and get out of the wind.  I ran around the outside of Atalaya, down a boardwalk near the Registration Center and back over to the campground.   Whew…………enough.

Showered, dressed and had one of David’s flakes and pomegranate breakfasts.  A picture of how pretty it is was on a previous post.  It tastes as good as it looks and we figure it is under 300 calories.  After that we did a little house cleaning.  It is SO nice to have such a small house when it’s cleaning time.  I took the carpets and floors, David did the sinks, shower and toilet and in a jiffy we were done.

He had more insurance calls he had to make before the week-end but since this was my last day to be on an ocean beach for a while, I wanted to go back down for an hour or so before our friends came.   And so I did.

I’d only been back about 10 minutes when a knock came at the door.  I opened it with a smart remark for Nancy Mills about not needing whatever she was selling  but then I saw Linda Payne hiding off to the side, I dropped my quip and my jaw.  Oh my ………..   what a surprise.  Howard and Linda and Bill and Nancy had decided to surprise David and I and Gin and Syl.   Howard and Linda had driven a couple of hours down from their current spot at Cheraw State Park to spend the afternoon with all of us and have dinner.  Boy were we thrilled.   Howard and Linda (http://www.rv-dreams.com/) are the people responsible for our being on the road.  It was their blog and their information on everything possible including detailed financial figures, what to do, what to avoid, how to do it, how to avoid it and things a novice like me who had never ever RV’d before would never have thought of, that gave us the courage to jump off the cliff and go for it.  We are forever in their debt!!

Well Nancy and Bill (http://nancyandbillblog.blogspot.com/) surely did manage one of the best surprises I've had in a long time.  Can't thank them enough for their stealth.  Everybody came in after we got over the shock and it was like old home week.

I insisted Howard and Linda go and see the fruits of their inspiration on our license plate which is RV DREAM.  While we were out, up rode Gin and Syl ( http://wanderingsylville.blogspot.com/) on their cool electric Townie bikes.  Look at all the laughter!

We all gathered outside Gin and Syl's Brave Wanda for some great stories and information sharing.

And when the sun began to lower and the chill was in the air we went inside Wanda and on the fun went.

Here's half of the King and Queen of Surprises quartet Howard and Linda Payne havin' fun with Gin.

Eventually though we were all hungry and Nancy had made reservations at a great little restaurant the Hot Fish Club in Murrells Inlet.  She's some organizer that Nancy. 

She'd better be careful or Linda is going to draft her for the 2011 RV Dreams Rally in April.  :-)   (http://www.rv-dreams.com/rally.html).

Here they are, the other half of the King and Queen of Surprises Quartet, Bill and Nancy Mills

What a fabulous end to our stay at Huntington Beach State Park.  Such a great group of people all inspired and brought together by the Dream.   We had our own little mini-rally complete with educational bits, funny bits, entertaining bits, good food, hugs, handshakes and just good friendship.   Thanks to you all!!   We couldn't have better friends and a special thanks to Howard and Linda for starting this ball rolling and keeping it moving along.  You are THE best!

postscript:  I'm sure I am the last of the other 3 bloggers to have posted about this great day so if you want better versions with cooler pictures check out those blogs above.  My excuse would be that since we are on the road, I have less time but then how do I explain the amazing Howard who has blogged everyday for years not months?  Guess I'll just bow to superior blogmanship  :-))

Great Morning Birds and Atalaya

Huntington Beach State Park

Site #37

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

It was a brisk 45 degrees this morning when I got up so I elected to wait until 9:00 and 52 degrees to go running.  I started out running down the campground loop where our friends Gin and Syl will be since I hadn’t seen it before.  Nice heavily wooded deep sites.  I like them but I didn’t come back later to get a picture so you’ll have to take my word for it.  Huntington Beach State Park has a variety of site types: open more sunny sites near the beach paths and more secluded wooded sites as well as about 6 walk in tent sites that are also very wooded and secluded.  Something for everyone.

I then ran over toward the Nature Center and started down the Sandpiper Trail but somehow missed a marker, lost the trail and ended up back at the campground.   So I just ran back into the campground and down the path to the beach.  With the tide out,  the beach was wide and flat so I ran up to the jetty where the park land ends and civilization begins again and turned around ran back.  That totaled about 4.75 miles in all and that was enough.

While I was out David spent his time looking into some of Winona’s current problems like a leaking hot water heater, leaking rear hydraulics, replacing the slide toppers and awning.  Lots of on line information checking and phone calls.  He’s formulating a plan for taking care of this while we are in Charlottesville although the closest RV service center is 90 minutes away.      

After lunch, we went out on the beach for an hour or so before it got too cold and dark.  I know you’ll enjoy David’s solution to his far sightedness problem in bright sunshine.  He can see fine for distances through his sunglasses but needs his prescription glasses to read and hasn’t yet been willing to go for prescription sunglass bifocals.

We had grilled Salmon filets and a delicious salad for dinner and after I did the dishes we watched the documentary on Andy Goldsworthy entitled Rivers and Tides.  If you aren’t familiar with it or his work you are missing an amazing artist/naturalist. 
 http://www.morning-earth.org/artistnaturalists/an_goldsworthy.html

After that we were nodding off so it was time to hit the sack.  Should enable us to get up earlier and out when the birds are on the marsh boardwalk I hope.   Check back and see

A Little of This and a Little of That

Huntington Beach State Park

Site #37

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

It was a brisk 45 degrees this morning when I got up so I elected to wait until 9:00 and 52 degrees to go running.  I started out running down the campground loop where our friends Gin and Syl will be since I hadn’t seen it before.  Nice heavily wooded deep sites.  I like them but I didn’t come back later to get a picture so you’ll have to take my word for it.  Huntington Beach State Park has a variety of site types: open more sunny sites near the beach paths and more secluded wooded sites as well as about 6 walk in tent sites that are also very wooded and secluded.  Something for everyone.

I then ran over toward the Nature Center and started down the Sandpiper Trail but somehow missed a marker, lost the trail and ended up back at the campground.   So I just ran back into the campground and down the path to the beach.  With the tide out,  the beach was wide and flat so I ran up to the jetty where the park land ends and civilization begins again and turned around ran back.  That totaled about 4.75 miles in all and that was enough.

While I was out David spent his time looking into some of Winona’s current problems like a leaking hot water heater, leaking rear hydraulics, replacing the slide toppers and awning.  Lots of on line information checking and phone calls.  He’s formulating a plan for taking care of this while we are in Charlottesville although the closest RV service center is 90 minutes away.      

After lunch, we went out on the beach for an hour or so before it got too cold and dark.  I know you’ll enjoy David’s solution to his far sightedness problem in bright sunshine.  He can see fine for distances through his sunglasses but needs his prescription glasses to read and hasn’t yet been willing to go for prescription sunglass bifocals.

We had grilled Salmon filets and a delicious salad for dinner and after I did the dishes we watched the documentary on Andy Goldsworthy entitled Rivers and Tides.  If you aren’t familiar with it or his work you are missing an amazing artist/naturalist. 
 http://www.morning-earth.org/artistnaturalists/an_goldsworthy.html

After that we were nodding off so it was time to hit the sack.  Should enable us to get up earlier and out when the birds are on the marsh boardwalk I hope.   Check back and see

Huntington Beach State Park

Siter #37

Murrells Inlet, S.C.

It had rained last night and more was predicted for today.  I didn’t make it out for sunrise this morning but here’s a shot of our site #37.  The site was the most unlevel gravel site we've been in and required a hefty stool to make our first step. 

 And here's the traditional shot out our front window.  A bit too close to the road and other sites to be one of my favorite sites.

I did get out to see the ocean which we can hear clearly especially when, like today, the wind is up and the waves are crashing.  I like the ocean on its wild days and often went down during storms to stand and watch when I lived on the North End of Virginia Beach.  There are two paths to the ocean from the campground area and of course one of them is only one site away from us.   J   Here is the path as it leaves the campground. 

This fellow stopped on the path just in front of me to see if I was a problem I guess.  He sat here for quite a while considering and then sauntered (can a rabbit saunter?) off into the brush.

The path then goes over a boardwalk, back into the maritime forest, over another boardwalk and then onto the sand. 

Really great approach to the ocean.  Gets the anticipation up for those of us oceanoholics.  J

Gray cloudy day as you can see.  Windy and the surf was up.

 After breakfast, I took a walk over to the bathhouse to see about the washer/dryer situation.  And found that this is the first place we’ve stayed that doesn’t have washers or dryers.  Well now, that puts a crimp in the plans to hike today.  So we called the park office and asked about whether there were any laundry facilities somewhere else in the park.  Nope.  Was there a Laundromat nearby.  Well there was one 5 miles south.   Hmmmm  Myrtle Beach is north and not 5 miles away so there has to be a closer one than that.  Google Laundromats in Murrells Inlet.  Find one on the famous Route 17.  Ask our Garmin Nuvi to take us there.  Now this Garmin is just a joke.  David calls her Garmeana and she really seriously can’t tell you there is a Dollar Tree closer than 8 miles away when you are sitting in front of one.   And that’s just what happened today.  We gave her the laundromat address and she took us right to a place with no laundromat.  BUT we were near the Kroger from last night so we pulled in and David asked a woman in the parking lot about a local laundromat and she told us where it was.  Only a block or two away.  $1.75 to wash and $.25 for 7 minutes of drying.  Not bad at all so we got things started and then the owner decided to vacuum all the light fixtures on the ceiling.  I don’t much enjoy laundry anyway especially since I hadn’t brought a book to read and didn’t really have anything to do to while away the hour or so.  But now I had to go walk around the neighborhood to get away from the noise. 

I should have brought my camera so you could have enjoyed the Monkey Bar next door complete with monkey statue on the roof dressed in bikini bathing suit , the dog grooming “Salon” beside it and the little street side snack bar that claimed it had the “Best Philly Cheese Steak in Myrtle Beach” .  Across the parking lot from the snack bar was a miniature golf course which would have been a great way to get away from the vacuum cleaner and to spend the time but of course with it being November and the tourists mostly gone, even though it was in the mid 60’s outside, the course was closed.  

That was the longest 90 minutes I’ve spent in quite a while but finally we were finished and thinking about possibly going up to camping world.  But I was  short on patience (not a commodity I have a lot of under the best of circumstances) by  that time and it was determined that we should go home and have lunch and take a walk on the beach. 

And that’s what we did.  Pizza for a late lunch/early dinner  and a walk until dark up the beach and back by the education center which of course was closed.  But we’ll get over there tomorrow to check it out.  No sunset pictures today.  If there’s a western view, I haven’t found it yet.   Thanks for checking in on us.  We’ll be up to something tomorrow you can bet.