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| I caught the Rose Robber sneaking in this morning..... |
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| the boys fight over the warm blankie |
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| he begins to tackle the ridiculously HUGE dinner offering at Umberto's tonight |
beluga
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Dave, three ways
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
good news, bad news, ingenuity and success
The good news - Beluga's slide repair part came right on time, as promised. While we waited, we enjoyed our extended quiet stay at Van Hoy Family Campground, taking advantage of some lovely walks around the farm.
Our last night there the sky gave us hints on what would come the next morning.
The bad news - the on-time parts were wrong.
Mr. David's Creative RV Repair Associates, LLC, had the entire weekend to think about the slide problem and when the new parts were wrong, the company's owner had a "go around" in mind. The President Mr. David himself, proceeded to use it to get the slide back in and us on the road again. Thank you Mr. David's, you're always dependable and cost effective.
As soon as we discovered the error, I ordered the correct pin from the same company and they said it would probably arrive at our next stop before we did. They kept their promise.
Tuesday, after a very long and tiring day driving in heavy traffic, rain and strong winds, we arrived at our next stop, Briarcliffe RV Resort in North Myrtle Beach. Our site was waiting as was the correct slide pin. Phew.
We received some sad but expected family news last night and that, coupled with a bottle of delicious Klinkerbrick, sent us all to bed early.
Today the final fix on our slide was accomplished so Dave and I explored the area while we had a sunny window in an otherwise dreary weather forecast. The temperature only made it up to 46 degrees, but the sun buoyed our spirits. We attempted to take a beach walk, but the cold wind chased home.
We're here for a week before continuing south to our next stop at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Our last night there the sky gave us hints on what would come the next morning.
The bad news - the on-time parts were wrong.
Mr. David's Creative RV Repair Associates, LLC, had the entire weekend to think about the slide problem and when the new parts were wrong, the company's owner had a "go around" in mind. The President Mr. David himself, proceeded to use it to get the slide back in and us on the road again. Thank you Mr. David's, you're always dependable and cost effective.
As soon as we discovered the error, I ordered the correct pin from the same company and they said it would probably arrive at our next stop before we did. They kept their promise.
Tuesday, after a very long and tiring day driving in heavy traffic, rain and strong winds, we arrived at our next stop, Briarcliffe RV Resort in North Myrtle Beach. Our site was waiting as was the correct slide pin. Phew.
We received some sad but expected family news last night and that, coupled with a bottle of delicious Klinkerbrick, sent us all to bed early.
Today the final fix on our slide was accomplished so Dave and I explored the area while we had a sunny window in an otherwise dreary weather forecast. The temperature only made it up to 46 degrees, but the sun buoyed our spirits. We attempted to take a beach walk, but the cold wind chased home.
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| I don't know what happened to this photo, but I like it! |
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| no other brave souls on the beach today |
We're here for a week before continuing south to our next stop at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
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| Lew is happy to be here too |
Friday, November 8, 2019
Best laid plans
The plan was to get up early today and move south to Myrtle Beach. Tonight we have a different plan.
One of the last things on our check list is to bring the slides in. This morning only one side of the living room slide would move. Uh Oh Dave put his coveralls on and squeezed under Beluga to see what was wrong.
One of the roll pins in the slide's drive gear had sheared into pieces and, of course, we had no spare parts with us. Alrighty then, we're not going anywhere today!
Dave thought these pins were fairly common so we set out to find one in the area. When he went back to unhook the Jeep he discovered another problem. Because we're parked on a little hill, the tow bar was taut and because the Jeep was low on the hill, he couldn't move it forward to release that tension and unhook.
Hmmmm. !!!!!! The winch, use the new winch!
Worked like a charm. Our little Warn pulled the Jeep forward enough so that Dave could disconnect the tow bars and free Rocky for today's mission.
Once again, best laid plans. We drove all around Charlotte, Statesville, Troutman, etc. stopping at 8 different hardware stores/rv service shops/industrial fastener facilities only to find that no one had what we needed.
So, we're here at Van Hoy until Tuesday morning (finger's crossed). I was able to locate the proper pins on-line at McMaster-Carr (bought several extra for insurance) and they will be delivered here on Monday. Hopefully it will be a relatively quick fix and we'll be on the road Tuesday morning. Stay tuned.
One of the last things on our check list is to bring the slides in. This morning only one side of the living room slide would move. Uh Oh Dave put his coveralls on and squeezed under Beluga to see what was wrong.
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| not what he wanted to find..... |
One of the roll pins in the slide's drive gear had sheared into pieces and, of course, we had no spare parts with us. Alrighty then, we're not going anywhere today!
Dave thought these pins were fairly common so we set out to find one in the area. When he went back to unhook the Jeep he discovered another problem. Because we're parked on a little hill, the tow bar was taut and because the Jeep was low on the hill, he couldn't move it forward to release that tension and unhook.
Hmmmm. !!!!!! The winch, use the new winch!
Worked like a charm. Our little Warn pulled the Jeep forward enough so that Dave could disconnect the tow bars and free Rocky for today's mission.
Once again, best laid plans. We drove all around Charlotte, Statesville, Troutman, etc. stopping at 8 different hardware stores/rv service shops/industrial fastener facilities only to find that no one had what we needed.
So, we're here at Van Hoy until Tuesday morning (finger's crossed). I was able to locate the proper pins on-line at McMaster-Carr (bought several extra for insurance) and they will be delivered here on Monday. Hopefully it will be a relatively quick fix and we'll be on the road Tuesday morning. Stay tuned.
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| Our little Carolina Wren friend is happy we're staying a few extra days |
Thursday, November 7, 2019
birds
We took advantage of one more beautiful fall day for an alfresco lunch along the banks of Mountain Island Lake and a visit to the Carolina Raptor Center.
We entered the Latta Nature Center and Preserve and parked near the historic Latta Plantation.
The restored 1800 cotton Plantation offers tours but we decided that we just weren't in the mood. We wanted a quiet lunch in the sunshine.
We followed a short trail to the water's edge and sat on a swing to share our lunch.
The Carolina Raptor Center is in the same Nature Preserve so, after putting our lunch remains back in the Jeep we headed inside to see the birds.
It was a weekday so we practically had the Center to ourselves. The Raptor Trail is well planned, You wander through the woods for about a mile, stopping at many enclosures housing various raptors along the loop trail.
My camera just wouldn't cooperate when I asked it to focus on a bird behind the fencing. It evidently thought that the fence was my intended subject. As a result, I got very few pictures. grrrr
Today was inclement so we stayed in, did some cooking and cleaning, and generally got ready to move south again in the morning. North Myrtle Beach next stop.
We entered the Latta Nature Center and Preserve and parked near the historic Latta Plantation.
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| Latta Plantation |
The restored 1800 cotton Plantation offers tours but we decided that we just weren't in the mood. We wanted a quiet lunch in the sunshine.
We followed a short trail to the water's edge and sat on a swing to share our lunch.
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| lunch with a view |
The Carolina Raptor Center is in the same Nature Preserve so, after putting our lunch remains back in the Jeep we headed inside to see the birds.
It was a weekday so we practically had the Center to ourselves. The Raptor Trail is well planned, You wander through the woods for about a mile, stopping at many enclosures housing various raptors along the loop trail.
My camera just wouldn't cooperate when I asked it to focus on a bird behind the fencing. It evidently thought that the fence was my intended subject. As a result, I got very few pictures. grrrr
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| which one is real and which one is the emotional support owl? |
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| Crested Caracara |
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| fluffy Eagle |
Today was inclement so we stayed in, did some cooking and cleaning, and generally got ready to move south again in the morning. North Myrtle Beach next stop.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Moving south
We left the Harpers Ferry KOA lunacy behind on Saturday and enjoyed a pleasant drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains, through Fancy Gap, and into North Carolina.
We're just north of Statesville, North Carolina at the Van Hoy Family Campground for a few days. This is a pleasant spot with lots of places to walk Lewis, plenty of space between sites and good old peace and quiet.
Relaxing is the job at hand but, after lunch today, we drove a few miles south into Mooresville to visit a couple of the NASCAR team race shops.
Yesterday, after grocery shopping, we stopped at a pet store and bought sweet Lewis a new ball and a new "fish". He definitely favors one.
Later in the week we'll continue on south. While we've enjoyed some beautiful fall weather so far, we're both finding the need for warmth. Short sleeve, no socks kind of warmth.
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| Fancy Gap's steep grades |
We're just north of Statesville, North Carolina at the Van Hoy Family Campground for a few days. This is a pleasant spot with lots of places to walk Lewis, plenty of space between sites and good old peace and quiet.
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| post happy hour walk |
Relaxing is the job at hand but, after lunch today, we drove a few miles south into Mooresville to visit a couple of the NASCAR team race shops.
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| Dave looks at Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s old race car in Dale Earnhardt Jr's race shop (no photos allowed - so I only snuck one) |
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| Dave browses in the gift shop at Team Penske |
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| Roger Penske's spotless NASCAR shop |
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| cars that didn't make the trip to Phoenix Raceway this week |
Yesterday, after grocery shopping, we stopped at a pet store and bought sweet Lewis a new ball and a new "fish". He definitely favors one.
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| Oh Dave, let him have the new ball! |
Later in the week we'll continue on south. While we've enjoyed some beautiful fall weather so far, we're both finding the need for warmth. Short sleeve, no socks kind of warmth.
Friday, November 1, 2019
West Virginia
We left Hickory Hollow Campground in Pennsylvania on Wednesday morning. Our last evening there we were finally able to sit outside for happy hour and enjoy the pastoral view of our sweet site.
Lewis particularly enjoyed getting to play with his brand new "fish" on the grassy slope while we enjoyed our gin.
We arrived at the Harpers Ferry (West Virginia) KOA around 4 p.m. We had the woods to ourselves!
By 5 p.m. we were on our way to our dinner reservation in nearby Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
One of the reasons for our stop in this part of the country is to catch up with a dear friend from long ago. We hadn't seen Mary since Jesse's wedding, 4 years ago so it was definitely time. Not timely, however, because her husband wasn't able to join us and we really missed him. Dinner was wonderful, as usual at this place, and we had a good, long catch up.
The next day was Halloween so we planned on relaxing around at Beluga. Lewis often has trouble with strangers when they are dressed normally so I didn't want to leave him home with the potential of bizarre and scary strangers lurking around outside.
In addition, the weather forecast was for heavy wind and rain with thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. It was quite warm and we certainly had lots of rain and strong winds but, fortunately, the tornado watch did not produce any dangerous weather for us.
Today dawned sunny and beautiful. Cold and windy, but beautiful. The second reason we wanted to stop here was to do a little gentle research about an old musket my mother accumulated during her antiquing years. We believed it was made at the Harpers Ferry Armory in the 1820s so we thought we'd go into the National Historic Park and see what we could see. First, though.....lunch!
We drove back to beautiful Shepherdstown to a little French restaurant we noticed when we were there meeting Mary for dinner on Wednesday. Bistro 112 did not disappoint.
What does it take to make Mr. David smile? Maybe a sunny day, a glass of good white and a delicious Croque Madame? You bet it made him smile.
We ate so much it was hard for him to squeeze out of Bistro 112's little tiny front door! And...that IS a package of Royale cookies for the road. burp
Later in the day we went down into the Historic Harpers Ferry area to look for the Armory. It is gone. We didn't spend too much time there because we'd been there/done that many times in our past. It's a very pretty and historically important area at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
It turns out we weren't able to find out much about the musket other than it is a Model 1816 Flintlock musket, made in Harpers Ferry in 1825 and later modified for civilian use. Ah well, it was a good excuse for wandering the quiet streets. (Not that we ever need a reason to explore)
Our sleepy, woodsy campground has turned into a zoo - It's Friday after all. Our darling next door neighbors felt it necessary to unhook our sewer hose and throw it to the ground to make entry to their site easier. The crisp fall air is heavy with wood smoke and bicycles are whizzing by with their little operators looking in every direction except the one they're headed. Ugh. On a happy note.... we're leaving in the morning, heading south.
Oh, and here's a picture for you Pam.....
Lewis particularly enjoyed getting to play with his brand new "fish" on the grassy slope while we enjoyed our gin.
We arrived at the Harpers Ferry (West Virginia) KOA around 4 p.m. We had the woods to ourselves!
By 5 p.m. we were on our way to our dinner reservation in nearby Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
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| The Press Room |
One of the reasons for our stop in this part of the country is to catch up with a dear friend from long ago. We hadn't seen Mary since Jesse's wedding, 4 years ago so it was definitely time. Not timely, however, because her husband wasn't able to join us and we really missed him. Dinner was wonderful, as usual at this place, and we had a good, long catch up.
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| still two pony tail girlfriends |
The next day was Halloween so we planned on relaxing around at Beluga. Lewis often has trouble with strangers when they are dressed normally so I didn't want to leave him home with the potential of bizarre and scary strangers lurking around outside.
In addition, the weather forecast was for heavy wind and rain with thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. It was quite warm and we certainly had lots of rain and strong winds but, fortunately, the tornado watch did not produce any dangerous weather for us.
Today dawned sunny and beautiful. Cold and windy, but beautiful. The second reason we wanted to stop here was to do a little gentle research about an old musket my mother accumulated during her antiquing years. We believed it was made at the Harpers Ferry Armory in the 1820s so we thought we'd go into the National Historic Park and see what we could see. First, though.....lunch!
We drove back to beautiful Shepherdstown to a little French restaurant we noticed when we were there meeting Mary for dinner on Wednesday. Bistro 112 did not disappoint.
What does it take to make Mr. David smile? Maybe a sunny day, a glass of good white and a delicious Croque Madame? You bet it made him smile.
We ate so much it was hard for him to squeeze out of Bistro 112's little tiny front door! And...that IS a package of Royale cookies for the road. burp
Later in the day we went down into the Historic Harpers Ferry area to look for the Armory. It is gone. We didn't spend too much time there because we'd been there/done that many times in our past. It's a very pretty and historically important area at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
It turns out we weren't able to find out much about the musket other than it is a Model 1816 Flintlock musket, made in Harpers Ferry in 1825 and later modified for civilian use. Ah well, it was a good excuse for wandering the quiet streets. (Not that we ever need a reason to explore)
Our sleepy, woodsy campground has turned into a zoo - It's Friday after all. Our darling next door neighbors felt it necessary to unhook our sewer hose and throw it to the ground to make entry to their site easier. The crisp fall air is heavy with wood smoke and bicycles are whizzing by with their little operators looking in every direction except the one they're headed. Ugh. On a happy note.... we're leaving in the morning, heading south.
Oh, and here's a picture for you Pam.....
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| Lewis is happy to take advantage of a free hand |
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