Large roar

Sitting here in Galveston a couple hundred feet from the water, we hear the surf all the time ...... sometimes louder than others. So I started paying attention to when this was happening. Yesterday the roar was at least twice as loud as usual .... and of course when I looked at the surf it seemed very "large" (the only word that seemed to adequately describe it). Even the water out beyond the surf seemed to have very large swells.
This morning it is barely audible .... quiet as a mouse (also very flat water).
Anyway, I had fun thinking about "large surf" and "small surf" ...... and of course a large surf makes a very "large roar"    :-)
Can you tell I am very relaxed and having fun sitting here by the water?

We are really enjoying being included in our friend's social activities and gatherings!  Plus there are many other opportunities here. Yesterday I went to watercolor art class (I try to go as often as I can while here in Galveston.... this week it was three times); and then in the afternoon there was a painting demonstration at the Art League downtown.
The sandhill cranes are wintering here on the island, as usual, and I think I'll go looking for them this afternoon.

More later  (with photos)
Marilyn

Roar of the ...

Ocean !!!  Yes, we left the roar of the freeway behind in Houston, and arrived yesterday afternoon in refreshing Galveston.   Ahhh-h-h, the seabreezes, beautiful sunsets, and the sound of the surf.  We are approximately 200 yards from the beach, here at the end of the seawall.  It is just so invigorating.... I think I'd forgotten how much I love it.  And, of course, the friends!  We met several for breakfast this morning, and are looking forward to some get-togethers.

Right now the next thing on the calendar is Vera decorating a table for the Women's Banquet at our church.  They have a seated dinner for about 400 plus women (served by volunteer men of the church).  Tables for 8 are decorated by the "table leader".
You know, Vera's big thing has always been decorating for Christmas ..... so .... she will be using some of her Nativity collection as a theme. The decorating evening is Wednesday, and the dinner is Thursday.  Keep in mind, the decorations are in Pearland in the storage unit, we are in Galveston, and the dinner is on the West Loop of Houston.  :-)  So we'll be busy this week.

More later, Marilyn

The perks

You know, this campground in Pearland, (the one we call our home base) really does have a lot of nice amenities ...... heated salt water pool, nice clubhouse with a puzzle room, gym room, lots of nice spaces to sit and rock, or visit, or have ice cream socials, or work on your sewing projects, etc.  They have a full calendar of social activity options .... something every day to go or do in a group.  And I have very quickly become spoiled by it.
Just to think that only two weeks ago I was going on about culture shock, and was wishing I was back there in the mountains of North Carolina.   Well, I haven't changed my preference for the mountains .... I'm just saying that a few more creature comforts are easy to get used to.

As a reminder, here are some pics of the campground when we left (it was closing for the winter).
We have made the decision to go back, probably April 1st, for the summer season again.

And this is one of those cute white squirrels they have in that area.

Vera will be back from her cruise the day after Thanksgiving, and on Dec. 1st we will transfer our  home on wheels down to Galveston for a month.

Later, Marilyn

Friends are family

Ah-h-h ..... this is better ..... surrounded by friends ..... I think we'll survive after all.

Vera leaves on a cruise tomorrow .. gone for two weeks .... whee-e-e-e-e Charlie and I can play!
We told Vera if the bus wasn't here when she returned, we'd leave forwarding instructions in the office.

Later, Marilyn

culture shock

We've been in the mountains of western North Carolina for 6 plus months .... in a semi-rustic campground ...... on a mountain .... by a lakeside .... 10 miles to the nearest small town ....  no sounds at night except coyotes once in a while ... and no freeways for at least 20 miles.

Needless to say, by the time we came around the beltway in rush hour traffic, and settled onto our approximately 25' x 65' concrete pad ..... then listened to the roar of freeway traffic all night .....
we are beyond culture shock.

Seriously, we are depressed, with very long faces, and a few tears.... and ready to turn around and go back - we might if not for the impending winter there.  So I guess we'll wait for spring.  Interesting though, that was the first place we've encountered that felt like home; and that we want to go back to, like, semi-permanently at least.

So, since we were already reeling from being in the middle of a big city anyway, we all three went to the Nutcracker Market yesterday. For other friends from away, this is an enormous annual, pre-Christmas shopping extravaganza in one of the convention halls here. 
So, now that we are "immersed" again in urban life..... we'll start getting together with old friends, and setting doctor and dentist appointments.  We will probably leave around the first of February.
And it will most likely be back to the Asheville area... we've kinda decided maybe Alaska is not in our future, at least to drive.  Its just too far, and too hard, and too expensive.

taken from our front window a few days before we left

 

more later, Marilyn

almost there

Tonight in Shreveport, Louisiana..... 250 or so more miles to Houston.  We are still feeling the sadness of leaving such good friends and 6 months of wonderful memories.
We have all three decided we will definitely return to the Asheville area to spend more time there. After all, there are many more hikes and waterfalls to discover. 
Here are three more:

this is Linville Falls, as you can see a rather popular spot

This is a beautiful hike we took to find Courthouse Falls .... but we got off on the wrong trail and didn't find the falls.

the river was gorgeous though

 

 

And this one we can't remember the name, but it was really beautiful .... couldn't get very close to it.

 

And this is Vera saying "I wonder if that means us ?"



 

 

Later, Marilyn

heading "home"

I hesitated when I entered the title "home" ..... because after almost exactly 3 years of a full time RV lifestyle, ..... home really is where we park the wheels.  However, our roots are in Houston, and we especially feel pulled to our friends there when the holiday season starts approaching.

We left Cascade Lake Campground this morning (sadly). It has been a wonderful home for 6 months, with wonderful friends who have been like a family.  Quite a nice experience.  So, we are heading back to Houston for 3 months for the holidays before we head west next year.


We have visited many waterfalls in North Carolina, with many beautiful (usually short) hikes in the mountains.  One was called Graveyard Fields, on the Blue Ridge Parkway:

from the bottom

from the top

Vera

Charlie

 

 

Tonite we are near Atlanta, tomorrow near Jackson, MS to stop and visit our friend Charlotte.

 

Later, Marilyn



getting very wet

This is the action shot of our rafting trip several weeks ago down the Nantahala River Gorge.  The river outfitter companies have a (semi)professional photographer stationed along the rapids areas; and by the time you finish your trip, back at the office they have your photos ready to purchase..... it's worth it, because there was no way my camera was in a position to get any shots at this point. 

Things you never think about: for those of us who wear eyeglasses... buy a pair of those little rubber grippers for the ear pieces, with a cord to go around your neck - just in case (kinda like life preservers, only different).

The next three photos are of Grandfather Mountain .... one BIG hunk of rock.

 

 

The suspension bridge was pretty daunting ..... but look at those tiny figures way in the background on top of the very tip top ......

Oh, look, one of them is Charlie!

more later, Marilyn

Leaf rain

Several mornings recently, we awoke to the sound of a light pattering of rain on our roof.  Turns out it is just a lot of leaves falling and sounds like rain hitting our motorhome roof. The colors of fall are "washing over" us "as we speak". Every day is a new look, every trip down the mountain into town is a surprise at what has changed overnite. 
Last year at this time, you may remember, we were still in Maine, and had experienced the same "washed over" effect. I believe that is the best way to experience the changing of the colors.. to stay still and let them come to you.  Right now is the peak season here in the Western North Carolina mountains for "leaf peepers", and the place is packed with tourists.

We have been packing in as much adventure as we can stand.  We actually hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail. It was so exhilarating, and so beautiful. I've always thought it sounded so intriguing, but never thought I'd ever be "on it".  You know it stretches from Georgia to Maine, and covers some 1800 plus miles, almost all mountains.
This photo is a typical view of the trail as it winds around, up and over the hills.  It is marked with white tree blazes every few hundred yards.

 

 

 

This last photo is of our group of five walking up the road to the very top of the ridge where the trail crosses the gravel road. We took a left, and hiked (some of us) about 1.5 miles to an old fire lookout tower with a 360 degree view of the surrounding country side and mountains.  Actually, two of us didn't make it the whole way (I'll never say which two), but just being "on The Trail" was enough.  The elevation gain for the 1.5 miles was 700'...... so, needless to say, it wasn't classified as "easy" or "moderate".

The road crossing the ridge at that point is known as Teleco Gap.  You can see the power transmission lines going over the mountain ..... it's the lowest point on that mountain.

 

more later, Marilyn

 



Still here in NC

I am so sorry that I appear to have abandoned my loyal following ..... not true, but I have been really negligent.

Vera's brother-in-law is doing quite well. In fact at his follow-up visit to the surgeon, the doctor thumped on his chest and asked if he was sore and Charlie said no.  I can't imagine .... I think the old term "crack open the chest" is not entirely a figure of speech.

We returned here from the two week New York/ Pennsylvania trip and immediately took the motorhome in for some overdue maintenance.  The facility was a 2 hour drive from here, and it turned into a four day trip ........ however, it was farther east and closer to several attractions we had on our 'to see' list.  So it turned  into a vacation away from our permanent vacation.
We hiked Linnville Falls, went to Grandfather Mountain, and to the top of Mount Mitchell.
Photos to follow!

Then, we came back to our "home" for the last 5+ months, Cascade Lake Campground; and the next week took a three day trip (with our other two adventure friends here at the campground), back to the Nantahala Gorge, and on over the Newfound Gap into Gatlinburg.  We did a half day hike on the Appalachian Trail (just a few miles of it), near Teleco Gap.  That was another bucket list thing.  A friend told Vera that she didn't know how long Vera's bucket list was; but perhaps she shouldn't be checking them off quite so fast. :)
Photos to follow!

More later, Marilyn

Vera's family

Vera and I are here in Owego, NY. Vera's brother in law, Charlie, had open heart surgery this morning; and it was just reported that he "did well" ..... and the next 36 -48 hours will be important.

Yesterday Vera and I drove upstate to Watertown to have lunch with her other sister Donna.  It was beautiful country .... fall colors are definitely out.  At one point we were less than 20 miles from where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence Seaway ..... hard to realize we are so far north again this year (about the same time as last year).  It is a very different perspective when we are traveling by car, without the motorhome as a base to spend the nite when and where you want to.  I would have liked to explore the area a little more.

Wish I had the right equipment with me to attach some photos ... but I came unprepared: this laptop doesn't have a port for the camera card, and I didn't bring a card reader.... so you'll just have to wait until later for the visual aids.

Later, Marilyn

New York (upstate)

Well, things have certainly taken a turnaround.  Vera and I came north to Owego, NY to visit her sister for a few days.  Charlie stayed in North Carolina with the motorhome and the dogs. We also stopped thru Pennsylvania to visit some of Vera's school friends.  We had a nice visit with Susie and her family; started 'home', and got a call that Susie's husband Charlie is to have open heart surgery on Monday ..... so we turned around and came back with the intent that I would drop Vera off and drive back to NC ..... and that she would later fly back.   Not so easy to do when you are not near a major airline hub on either end.  Long story short:  I am staying here also until after the surgery and then we will drive back.    All told it will be almost two weeks that we will have been gone from "home" in the Asheville area.  By the time we return 'our' Charlie will need a vacation.
Later,
Marilyn

Motorcycle Mama

Bucket lists are important parts of our lives .... especially the older we get.  Vera got to mark one off, in a big way: 



orientation
(she's the short one)



dressed for success
 



ready to roll

is this a race?



and they're off
btw that's the gatehouse that Charlie works in



support crew
(Charlie on the right)

And then, to top it off, they went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a ride.  Can you visualize this from the back of a motorcycle ? :

sooo.... that's one down !
Later, Marilyn

Rafting !!!!

The Nantahala River Gorge is one of the premier places to white water raft near us ..... not the biggest white water around ..... but plenty big for us. 



Some friends from the campground here joined the three of us to book a half day trip down the Nantahala River day before yesterday.  We spent over 2 1/2 hours going 8 miles downriver, with a few class 2 rapids, and one good class 3 ...... which got us good and wet. 

The Gorge is about 2 hours northwest of us; we have to go over the mountains or around .... so on the return we came back on the Blue Ridge Parkway .... an absolutely marvelous place with absolutely marvelous views of the blue ridges.

Later, Marilyn

elephant herd ?

Small wisps of fog (clouds) can very often be seen rising from a mountainside; and sometimes there is a lot of it, which settles in the valleys and leaves the blue ridges peeking out above.

We have joked many times that "the elephant herd over on that mountainside is putting off a lot of body heat" ...... or, perhaps "it is a whole tribe of Indians camped over there".
Well, I read about the phenomenon: ..... because of the excessive rainfall in these mountains, this is officially considered a 'temperate rainforest'.  So the fog we see rising is literally visible condensate.

I liked the elephant hypothesis best.


And here is our fishing lake at dusk:

wow

Later, Marilyn

Saluda, NC

Visited the mountain "cabin" of our friend Charlotte for three days of settin' and rockin' .... on the porch that is.

 

 

 

 

Toby too

 

 

And Boo Boo spotted a black bear from the back porch, and sent him running down the mountain. New name ..... bear dog:

  

  

 

 

 

too bad we didn't get the bear's picture

More later, Marilyn

Rain-ing forest

We love listening to the rain on our motorhome rooftop..... and when the real rain (patter, patter) stops..... it keeps on raining. The 'tree rain' is much different:  louder, much larger drops, and it can last for hours.  Sometimes we get fooled into thinking the real rain has stopped, because the tree rain is louder.
Anyway, I love the trees of this forest.  Yesterday we visited the educational center of the Cradle of Forestry..... the exact location in North Carolina of the first Forestry School in North America.

Fascinating story in a nutshell:
George Vanderbilt came to the Asheville area in 1888 and purchased 2000 acres of forest.  He built the Biltmore Estate family mansion, which included European style gardens and landscaping. He then purchased an additional 80,000 acres and set out to promote the new idea of "forestry" which they practiced in Europe.

Vanderbilt brought over a German Forester, Alwin Schenck, who fell in love with the forests of the surrounding area .... which were overlogged and overfarmed to a large degree.  Schenck soon gained the admiration of people interested in his methods of harvesting trees for income, while maintaining healthy forests for the future. 
At the time America had no forestry schools, so in 1898 Dr. Schenck started the Biltmore Forest School.  The Forest Service purchased the site of the original campus in 1914; and today it is called "The Cradle of Forestry in America".  It is about 14 miles from our campground. Cool place.

Another interesting fact (unsubstantiated) is that 60% of North Carolina land is either Local, State, or National Forests, Parks, or Preserves (or Native American Reservations).   On the downside of that stat (voiced by a local resident) .... is that only 30% of NC lands constitutes its tax base.
I still love the forests.

More later, Marilyn

Bl-u-u-u-e Ridges !

What more can I say ....... the Blue Ridges are just magnificent !!
How many can you count ? (ridges, that is)

 

 

 

This is from a viewpoint in the outskirts of Hendersonville, NC.

Hendersonville is just 13 miles to the northeast from our campground.

The top of this mountain was a beautifully landscaped park, with an interesting Indian Legend about it.  It is called "Jump Off Rock" because an Indian maiden jumped to her death when she discovered her beloved Indian brave had been killed.

 

More Later, Marilyn

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Nantahala Gorge

We found the white water hot spot ..... a jillion outfitters, and a jillion kayaks, and a lot of rafts ..... and one beautiful river !   This area is used for olympic training, and you can almost always see someone running the gates thru the rapids in front of the main deck of the Nantahala Outdoor Center.  Very cool place.  As a matter of fact, Charlie was almost speechless..... she just stood there saying "too cool, ..... too cool"   Needless to say, we are planning on doing a raft trip before we leave, but are thinking to wait until school starts again and the river will be less crowded.  Last year we rafted the Snake River in Grand Teton thru class 2 and 3 rapids....... I wouldn't want to do anything bigger ..... so we'll investigate.  More later.

I started this blog entry last week, but couldn't get the photos to upload..... so I'll try again.  These are photos of our trip over the mountains and up the Gorge:

 

this is one of  the main launch points upriver

 

 

 

Nantahala Outdoor Center

More later, Marilyn

Forest Living & Orienteering

This is the view thru our motorhome front window ..... quite a view.  And of course the dogs take turns on the observation platform .... this was Bugsy's turn.

We are probably two hundred yards from the 'fishing' lake shore (as opposed to the 'swimming' lake shore .... two different lakes).
Anyway, when we go down there, that is the most beautiful, quiet, still place ..... I have several places picked out that I want to watercolor.

I've written here before about the unique orientation quirks of traveling in a motorhome, and having "north" move every so often.  One day my bedroom window faces east, the next week it may face south. When I am inside the motorhome, not particularly looking out the windows, I have one set of "place" perceptions;  and when I look out a window, there is an instantaneous "reorienting" that is very strange.  Not that it bothers me at all .... rather, it intrigues me that I can be facing one direction in my mind, and then go thru a mini-paradigm shift so quickly.  If it weren't so fast, I would stop and say "ah-ha!"..... but I just notice ..... then go on. Another reason it is really fascinating, is that we've been sitting in one spot for almost two months.  You'd think I'd get used to the sun rising on my left by now.

Vera has decided to work for the campground for a few hours a week also.  They, of course, are delighted to have her.  She is a contract employee who actually gets paid hourly; while Charlie and I are 'comped' for our campground fees in exchange for the hours we work.
But I think Vera decided we (Charlie and I) are just having too much fun, especially with all the camaraderie and such ... so now, she is offically a workamper too!

More later,
Marilyn