things round here #3

Have been on the quiet side. The new house is moving along well and we hope to be in it by Christmas.
The leaves are in full turning mode, and I must say that I can not get enough of them. So, Senior and I decided to load up the kids and take a day trip to the mountains. His stepdad is buried up there, and as we did some of his moms ashes over his grave, it was only fitting we paid our respects.

 

Down here in the lower elevations, the leaves have gone into full changing mode as well.   The colors are brilliant and makes me happy with our decision to move up here, I love having all four seasons,and being surrounded by the brilliant colors.

 



 

This is NDs  other pumpkin he was growing, it grew flat, So, since he was entering the schools "Book Character Pumpkin  contest" he chose it to be his "Headless Horseman" From the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He said the thing look distorted an extra level of  creepiness.

 

And after his paint job:

NW deicded the day before all pumpkins were due that he too wanted to have an entry-I went out and bought a small one and he chose "Frankenstein" :

 

 

In other news, our oldest NW went on his first camping/fieldtrip without us. The entire 5th grade goes every year. I have began making cuts in those apron strings. but I can't help but feel that a part of me is missing. Senior and the boys are my heart, and right now a part of my heart is not here. Senior and I miss him terribly. And even though he won't admit it, I know ND misses his older brother too.

He loaded up a large backpack Tuesday night so much to the point we all thought he would fall over backwards..lol  It was funny watching him hump that sack. The kids boarded a bus and left yesterday morning and will be home tomorrow afternoon. I know he will be excited and full of stories of the trip. I can't wait to have him back and hear all about his adventure.

-JUGM

Camping Trip

Got back yesterday from our yearly camping trip with our good buddy Rebel and his lovely family.
Weather was great, company was awesome. We rode bikes, and ate too much. Especially ice cream and dutch oven peach cobbler.
Kids wore themselves out  playing and driving Rebels teenage daughter nuts... They always wanted an older sister, this past weekend they got the experience of what it was like to have one.
Then her boyfriend showed up..... 

Saturday we rode our bikes into the historical section of Jekyll Island. This was the playground of the rich and famous during the late 1800's and early 1900s.
It is the birthplace of the Federal Reserve aka : "The Beast of Jekyll"  and the spot where in 1915 the very first transcontinental telephone call took place.

"Millionaires Row" is here, that is the lane with the cottages of folks like the Rockefeller's, Goodyear's, J.P Morgan and others....  Below is a pic of the infamous "Jekyll Island Club Hotel" A place full of scandal, and history.  You had to be a member of the club in order to build a cottage here. Which meant you had to have money, and lots of it.

Another "summer cottage" of one of those rich evil capitalist....

Libby came along for her first camping trip, she was a hit and loved by Rebels family...

I took ND over to the local pier and we saw that a great white had swallowed a witch, he thought it was funny and wanted me to snap a pic...because its not every day a kid see's a witch coming out of the mouth of a shark.

 

Then the sun set and we got bored around the campfire. It was then that the boyfriend suggested for giggles we melt a bottle....so we did. It was cool. The kids loved it and thought it a good experiment.

 

Sunday morning  came  and it was time to say "bye" and "see ya later" to our good friends, and one of my favorite places to visit. Hopefully it won't take another year to go back, camp , and hang out with good friends...
 
JUGM

A Jerky Kind of Day

The headlines today  make me a bit nausea's. Like the almost half a million people who have all ready lost their health insurance because of Obamacare, my parents are scared they are about to as well. It is another reminder of how frustrated and angry I get with those who voted for this, now we are seeing the results of their poor choice.

The cool weather continues, boys got to finally wear jeans and light jackets to school.
Yesterday, Senior got in the attic and brought down my box of fall decorations, The boys helped me in cleaning up the house, just so they could partake in the assistance of decorating it for fall. They felt my fake foam pumpkins were soccer balls and began kicking them across the front yard..  BOYS!

This morning I was up earlier then usual and laid out a sliced and marinated London broil on our dehydrator, yes it's jerky making day.
Senior said it smelled like Gyros and the house reminds him of Greece. Well, When I do my marinades it is whatever I have in the cabinets.  This time it included some "Cowboy Rub" brown sugar,  water , Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and a little bit of onion and garlic powders.. 
" Every think but the kitchen sink" meat rubs or marinades are all ways the best

After about 6 hours in the dehydrator it was ready to come off for a taste testing, and I can assure you that it did not taste anything like a Gyro. 
My marinade concoction leaves you with a wonderful after taste and had the kids and Senior begging for more. I can't keep the little and big hands out of the baggies.

It is all packed up now, and ready to go on a weekend camping trip with us. No place too far away..just a yearly get away with one of our best friends and his family.

-JUGM

Things Happen For A Reason

What is the saying " There is a reason for everything" ?  As you all know we were actually pretty excited about this past weekends camping trip to the New River in North Carolina. The boys had never gone canoeing before and were "over the moon" about it.
We drove 500 miles, to get to the campground " New River Campground" to meet up with my Brother in Law and his Girlfriend Moo-Moo and kids.
Well, "No Pets over 15 #s" was posted...and as you can guess, people were there with dogs over that weight.
"No Alcohol" signs also posted...and as you can guess, yes there was indeed alcohol being consumed.
"No Firearms" Sign posted as well...  and as you can guess... 
Basically none of the policies were enforced.
I don't mind alcohol as long as you can drink responsibly and have respect for other campers around you.

We set up camp, the extended family came in later, we cooked out hamburgs, hung around a campfire, and had a couple of drinks ourselves.
Senior, the kids and I retired all around 11pm.  That is when the campers on the other side of us, began their party. Until 345am !  Senior got up and did ask them to keep it down, they didn't.
We only got about an hours worth of sleep.
 It was then we realized, as nice as the river is, and the mountains are, this campground is nothing more then a place for the locals to hangout and party. Saturday morning I complained to management and they refunded us one nights stay.
 Senior was upset and tired, all he wanted to do was to pack up and leave, not so much because of us, but for the safety of the disruptive campers, another sleepless night and no telling what Senior would do. He knew that being in a small mountain town , and campground that caters to the local- If there was an incident, it would not bode well for him being from out of state.

That also meant no canoe trip for the boys, they were heartbroken. But, it was the fact of the matter that we did not drive 500 miles to put up with a bunch of drunks.  Then, as we are heading down the mountain, the rain started. I looked at the radar on my phone...
Dark, Dark greens and yellow blobs were moving in to the mountains.
I told Senior, "you know things happen for a reason, No way did I want to be out on that river, in a canoe, in a monsoon, with two small children".  He shook his head, weary from lack of sleep and agreed.

It was not until Yesterday, that Seniors brother called to check on us, that he told us "Be glad you left, the rain was horrible and we were miserable the rest of the day, and for those campers, they went on the 10 mile canoe trip, and was double miserable, because they were in that mess longer"  Karma!

See, if it hadn't of been for  those obnoxious drunk people, playing poker and partying until 345am, we probably would have stayed, and got soaked. And our boys could have gotten colds from canoeing out in the rain-- or worse!
 Instead, we left Saturday morning ahead of the weather. Went back to the Estate in South Carolina, and spent the night  in a nice warm dry house, and yes got a good nights sleep.

So here are some pictures I snapped :




Brother in Laws and Moo-Moos Campsite
It started raining on Friday night, so they tried to erect a tarp for cover
That is all the kids they brought.

At least we were surrounded by the Beautiful Mountains

 

The New River

 

Wednesday.....

Guess what day it is?   lol   The boys absolutely love that commercial..  Ours started off rainy, now its windy. The weather is cooling down here/ It is a welcomed event.

We are in packing mode, this upcoming weekend is our  1 1/2 day camping trip with my Brother in Law and Moo-Moo, his daughter and two of her daughters, and a grand daughter--teenagers.  hmmmmm (sigh). I keep hoping for typhoid fever to strike or some sort of plague, but as of yet..no such luck. Senior and Moo-Moo were argue texting yesterday over meals and cooking. Senior suggested we just take our Mountain Houses, or some MREs and see what they do. HA!

 Really, I am actually anxious to go on this venture. We will be in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Virgina border, canoeing on a river and camping near its banks. All of Gods beauty will certainly give me a reason to smile.

Since I will be relaxing I am bringing along some reading material:

I have all three books, and have completed reading them. I love all three, but back for a second round of Book 3--it is the best!.
Has any one out there read these? If not then you should. But it is a trilogy, and you can't just jump in there..you got to start with Book 1.
 You know the Washington Navy Yard Shooter? Really kind of relates in Book 1.  If you read it then you know what I mean.

I am sure while sitting around the campsite with it open and my nose stuck in it, that I will get some questions..  Oh didn't I mention?-- My Brother in Law is a Liberal. I know he voted BO the first time, and I am pretty sure he went back for a second dose of the kool-aid. 

Well Senior just walked in the door, so I need to go and get back to packing.. 

-JUGM

Rainy Sunday

Senior got packed up and back on the road again to check on his dad in SC. His Dad has got another blockage in his stomach and the VA elected to transfer him to a civilian medical center. I think after a month of him being there, they wanted him out.
 We got the call at 5am Saturday morning that he was being transferred. Senior was elated with the news, because it is actually what we were hoping for.
 This time, he packed up our camper and moving it up there to a campground. The cost of hotels is starting to put us in the red.
So after much discussion, we knew this to be the best option for these weekly trips.

After he left this morning, rain moved in. A nice little low pressure system has set up and giving the region a shower. So, when it rains I get out and wash the car. I know you all must think me crazy, and so do probably most of my neighbors. But, really do I care? 
It was Senior who got me started in the practice of washing a car in the rain, why you ask? Because silly, you don't have to dry it. And isn't that the worst part of the job, the drying?  actually I think the worse part is vacuuming it out and waxing.

ND and a much better NW donned rain coats and got in on it too. Its a warm spring day, and the cool water felt good.  They miss their dad so very much , so being silly and playing outside in the rain was a good way for them to take their mind off the fact  that he was gone again.

We have a complete weekend in May where there are no baseball games, so we are taking them up to the SC campground to visit Grandpaw in the hospital and get a little camping in before it gets too hot. 

So now the rain is coming down harder. I hope it last all night.....

-JUGM

Weekend at Jekyll Island

 

 

When we fired up our portable home on wheels, we all couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. The weather was spectacular.

Along with our friends, DUKE and Rebel, we all packed up our families and headed north to the beautiful Jekyll Island, GA. SENIOR and I go camping there quite often, it has something for everyone and the kids love it. It is pristine, and frankly one of my favorite places to visit.

Between, 1886-1942 the island was the winter retreat for the wealthiest people in the country. Names like the Rockefeller's, JP Morgan, Vanderbilt’s, Macy, and Fields built cottage like mansions that surrounded the “Jekyll Island Club”. This was the center piece of the Island and membership was exclusive. For 600.00 a year only the wealthiest were allowed to join, and they kept the membership at only 100 families.
 





It was here that then President Theodore Roosevelt made the first transcontinental phone call. Then there was the secret meeting in 1907 and the creation of the “Aldrich Plan” which led to the creation of today’s “Federal Reserve”

Now the island and historic area is opened to the public and the once exclusive Jekyll Island Club is now a hotel.

In addition there is the campground, and fishing pier. And don’t forget the beautiful beach.

Campground Bird Sanctuary

 We all arrived Friday afternoon, and relaxed at the campground around a fire. Then Saturday morning it was breakfast and a visit to the campgrounds bird sanctuary. After that,  it was on the bikes for the 3 mile ride into the historic area where the homes are. You can close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like back in the 1900s.

 

 

We all stopped for ice cream, and us girls went in and out of the little shops while the guys kept the park benches warm.We also browsed the Island Museum, where on display are photographs and memorabilia of a by gone age.

Then more riding over to what is known as “Millionaires Village” this is where the mansions are. The architecture elaborate, they are reminders of a time long gone.

"Indian Mound" The Vanderbilt House

 

"Moss Cottage" Owned by the Macy Family

 

The sun was getting low and it was time to make the bike ride back to the campground. With the sun setting fast, we all got supper together. Each of us cooked for ourselves, but we all ate together. Senior and I did an awesome Beef Stew cooked outside on our Coleman stoves.

Rebel cranked up another roaring fire, and treated us all to a good Dutch oven peach cobbler... Mrs. Rebel topped off the cobbler for us with vanilla ice cream.

Which was the perfect ending to the perfect day with good friends, good food, wonderful weather, and a beautiful place to spend the weekend.

 

Jekyll Island sunset over the Intercoastal



Adventures in Camping...Trip # 2

Kids are on spring break so Senior and I packed up the house on wheels and headed to a beautiful place called "Florida Caverns State Park". It is the only place in Florida with underground caverns that you can tour through,But if you think of going there..BE WARNED OF THE MOSQUITOS...they are the size of horse flies...as long as you stayed sprayed down, they will leave you alone.

 We also took the boys to my beloved Florida State University, and took in a Seminoles baseball game..they trounced VA Tech 11-4 that day. It was a thrill for me getting to walk around a bit and see all the historic buildings that are on campus. And as long as I fed the boys hotdogs, and cracker jacks during the game..they were okay.   Of course all the little Co-Eds..fell in love with both of them..  : ). Overall we had a great time, no tv, lots of campfires, and surrounded by God beauty.

So here are some pics to share with you good people of our trip, Senior and I immediatly thought the caverns to be the ideal bug out location they are a nice 60 degrees year round and have a constant water source. ....  : )

Weekend Camping

We packed up our house on wheels, and headed out to spend the St. Patty's weekend camping. The weather was fantastic.The boys and I followed Senior up in the Jeep, and once at the campground we went "Topless" and rode around all weekend with the wind whipping our hair and the sun shinning down.  and the trip almost enjoyable--the Gnats were awful. Didn't matter what or how much stuff you sprayed, they wouldnt leave us alone. 

The best part about our weekend was we did not watch one bit of TV. No MSM, No Nothing. Our only entertainment was the kids playing and throwing rocks off a bridge, and sitting by a campfire at night watching the flames dance, Senior had his beer, and I had a few margharitas after the kids went night night.. We talked about all sorts of things, but the most important being that I am contemplating College. I want to go in to nursing.

The boys enjoyed all the wildlife they got to see. There was a rabbit family near our site. They guys have never seen wild rabbits before. Senior wished he had a snare though....  lol 
One thing we did do, was to eat food  soon to expire from our storage...I did not have to buy anything, except drinks. Got back early Sunday, cleaned up the portable house, and now ready for the next trip....