Each Christmas I receive a special gift from my Mother in Law who I continue to cherish long after the divorce. About this time each year, in the mail comes a small brown mailing envelope with a hand knit dishcloth inside.

Nana is ninety four now with limited sight so it is amazing that she is able to continue to do handwork of any sort. She does not get to the store much, so she has to make due with materials on hand.  Actually, she has been good at making due all of her life, re-purposing yarn and towels into kitchen gems that we all cherish. She is of old Vermont stock, raised on a dairy farm and college educated in the home arts. She taught Home Economics to high school students for many years and influenced many young women to keep frugal homes and care for their families in the tradition of New England women. As a new bride, she taught me much about baking, managing money and running a home based business.  Just this morning I made a loaf of Challah bread for Christmas using a recipe from a Fleishman’s yeast pamphlet that has been in my recipe book since she gave it to me from her teaching materials. It is yellowed and stained and treasured.

I imagine her now, working on her dishcloths stich by stich, knowing the pattern so well that full eyesight is not necessary. I imagine that she is pleased that we have continued to knit our own relationship together over all these years when it would have been most  likely that we would  just drift apart and not stay in touch. But I love my Mother in Law and keeping the threads of connection woven into something beautiful has been important to both of us. So we have worked at it all these long years. We call each other. We note the birthdays, the anniversaries, the passings of loved ones and other rituals that bind family to one another over distance.

Alida Buckland came into my life when I was twenty-one, the new bride of her Marine Corps son, who was just beginning re-entry from the horrors of Vietnam. I was soon the mother of her first Grandson and living in the family apartment house. I was the carefree hippee child trying to find middle ground footing on which to raise a family. It was not easy and things were not always smooth with such close quarters, but perseverance and love was a constant in this family that I had entered. Despite our faults and immaturities, Alida never gives up on any of her kids, including me.

Many years later, she rode to Florida with me after my divorce to see me settled into my new home and single life so far away. We counted the states as we crossed the borders towards my fresh start in life and I was not to fully appreciate until much later how critical her moral support was to me during this move. She rode shotgun on a life changing journey, a transition into new challenges and opportunities. Packed in the box marked “Kitchen Stuff” was a multi-colored cotton dishcloth, a symbol of the fact that I have taken her along with me wherever I go.

It’s Christmas and I just opened this year’s  envelope to find a pretty   dishcloth in warm blues to use in the coming year. Each time I run it under the water to wipe down the kitchen, I will remind myself to be grateful for the threads that run through the days, weeks and years, connecting us like prayers to those we love. I will remind myself that there is no greater gift than that which someone sits down to make with us in mind. I will remember that the heart gives endlessly and that distance is only in our minds.

Thank you, Nana. I love my dishcloth. And I love you too.

Note: If you are so inclined, make a memory of your own. This is Nana’s simple pattern for a Basic Dishcloth.

Materials:

• Yarn: 1 ball of Bernat® Handicrafter Cotton Naturals (340 g / 12 oz), or 2 balls (42.5 g / 1.5 oz)
• Knitting Needles: Size 5.5 mm (U.S. 9) or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge:
16 sts and 30 rows = 4 ins 10 cm in garter st.

Measurements:
Approx 10″ [25.5 cm] square.
Pattern:

Cast on 3 sts.
1st row: (RS). Knit.
2nd row: K1. Inc 1 st in next st. Knit to end of row.
Rep last row to 53 sts.
Next row: K2. K2tog. Knit to end of row.
Rep last row to 3 sts. Cast off.

There is an old saying from my Grandparents time, “Pretty strawberries don’t fall off the crab-apple tree.”  It was an admonishment to a red-headed child to straighten up and stop being naughty. The warning suggested to the misbehaving child that it was less than attractive to be crabby.

I wasn’t the classic ginger, but more of a flaming auburn while I was a child.  I still got the taunts and the name calling growing up. Somehow though, I ended up proud enough of being Red to continue to buy L’Oreal to maintain my status as my flames fade in the sunset here.

While my fifth grade teacher, Lavinia Dole, read Anne of Green Gables out loud to us, I began to associate being a red-headed “Annie” with strength and perseverance. Thank you Mrs. Dole for that early infusion of confidence and girl power! Current research bears witness to the relationship between having the hair color of red and possessing a confident outlook on the world. According to a Clairol Color Attitude survey, 71% of red-heads think that the word “bold” describes them, which is 24 points ahead of blondes. Thus the joke: What do you call a redhead with an attitude? Answer: Normal.

Red hair is actually a mutation. The mutation blocks the production of eumelanin (dark brown and black pigment), which causes a buildup of the phaeomelanin (red and blond pigments). Some scientists believe that higher levels of phaeomelanin may produce more mutations and dangerous effects when exposed to UV radiation, so we red heads need to be cautious in the sun. While Scotland has the highest proportion (13%) of red-heads (followed by Ireland with 10%), the United States has the largest population of red-heads in the world, with between 6-18 million red-heads, or 2-6% of the population. Other research associates red hair color with greater pain sensitivity and higher intelligence. Maybe we are just so confident that we think we are smarty pants?

Over the years, I’ve been dubbed Boss Red, Backdraft, Beaker (from the muppets), Ginja, Carrot Top, Fanta Head, Fireball, Garfield, Ginger Snap, Pippi Longstocking, Orphan Annie (I do love the dog), Wendy,  Pumpkin Head and since moving to Florida……….Copperhead.There are many more tags that the intellectuals of insults have created to reference those of us who are blessed I am sure. But to all the little children out there who are sporting this blessing, I hope that you come to embrace it! Only about 1-2 percent of the population has red hair and that make you pretty special! And red-heads have influenced history out of proportion to their numbers, so you just may be destined or great things. Famous red-heads include Roman emperor Nero, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, the ancient god of love Aphrodite, Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon Bonaparte, Oliver Cromwell, Emily Dickinson, Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, James Joyce, Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Galileo, and King David.

And let’s not forget the freckles! We red-heads usually have pale skin to go with our hair color and that paleness can be either creamy white, or more ruddy, accompanied with a gazillion freckles. My own freckles were limited to a  dusting across my upper cheeks and nose when I was a child but they have come back with a vengence thanks to the Florida sunshine. Add Freckle Face to the list.

So, to all of my red-headed stepchild sisters out there, just remember the Bruce Springsteen lyrics: “Man, you ain’t lived till you’ve had your tires rotated by a redheaded woman.”

This quiet morning, Arnie and I are sitting on the backyard deck of our kids house in Decatur, Georgia enjoying a spot of sun. We are surrounded by the animals we love, three dogs and Cracker the African Gray, while we watch a big blue jay forage in the carpet of fall leaves blanketing the backyard. What comfort there is in the quiet times of just being, without the need to do much of anything. It is my favorite way to write; sitting in a beautiful space just free thinking. I resolve to do more of it in the future.

We are in Georgia to attend an event at The Mystic Grill that took place last night. Son, Chef Scott was the Guest Chef at the Mystic Grill for a unique Key West inspired theme dinner and we were grateful for the invitation to attend. The Mystic Grill is a restaurant located in the quaint little town of Covington, Georgia. They specialize in New Southern cuisine (the comfort of Southern food with a new twist) and you can have a look at them and their menu on Facebook.

The historic building that Mystic Grill calls home was built in 1906 by C.S. Thompson as a home for the Bank of Covington. Over the years it has housed many businesses and a saloon. The saloon which stood on the site in 1883, belonged to “Col.” Robert Bagby who, some say, still puts in an occasional appearance to this day. Rooftop seating overlooks downtown Covington Square. If you are ever traveling in the vicinity, be sure to put a stop at The Mystic Grill on your itinerary.

The town of Covington itself is famous as a ready-made location for many well-known films and three current television shows, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries and Sleepy Hollow. These latter three are admittedly not our cup of tea, but follow this link to see all of the movies that have been shot on location in Covington. Of note recently is Oprah Winthrey’s Selma, the story of MLK.         http://www.filmcovington.com

(Remember this clock tower from The Heat of the Night?)

Downtown Covington is set around a circular common park with benches under the old oaks. The architecture of the business district is historical and Victorian in style; the perfect natural movie set. There is a program of restoration and preservation going on and it is apparent that the merchants take an active role in making this a pleasant place to visit. The Mystic Grill sits right on the perimeter of the park and we enjoyed walking about town before heading over to dine.

Entering the dining room we were greeted with an aromatic prelude of what was to come. Scott had the evening’s fare all planned out for us, so all we had to decide upon was which wine to order. Not too hard! Arnie chose a Merlot and I opted for the suggested pairing of a  2012  California Reisling. The first course for us to share was Crispy Fried Gulf Oysters served on Butter bibb lettuce, crackled bacon and topped with a chipotle lime aioli and a Lobster Bisque made with Sherry cream and confit lobster on a chive and goat cheese crostini. Oh my!

After the apps were served, Chefs Scott and Tim visited the table to say hi. It’s great to see your kids being able to live out their passion and Scott’s passion has been the creation of fine food and hospitality since as long as I can remember. He’s blessed with a warm and friendly personality that makes him a natural teacher in the kitchen.

Appetizers were followed by a colorful Fall Harvest Super Salad, a combo of beet, kale, cabbage, granny apple, walnuts and feta topped by an orange cider vinaigrette. We ate about half of it and then I rescued Arnie by removing his plate to the side to save for later. I knew we would need the tummy room for our entre!

We did not wait long before our wonderful server, Tara, arrived at the table with two entrees for us to share. Tara was a big part of making the evening special. She is a delightful person to meet and as professional and accommodating as she could be! The Red Snapper “Cayo Hueso” was beautifully stacked on Belly of Peruvian mashed potatoes (blue) and tostones and topped with a mango tomato compote. It was finished with a key lime buerre blanc and passion fruit drizzle. This dish was paired with a 2012 South African Chardonnay. This snapper is a dish that I had before when Scott was working in the keys and it is one of my favorite fishes that he prepares. Arnie really enjoyed the other entre, a Certified Angus Beef Osso Bucco Rib which was slow braised and served with a mushroom medley, roasted garlic mash potatoes and finished with a port and veal demi-glace. It was paired with a Borsao Granacha, 2013, from Spain.

Scott came back to check in again and see how we were enjoying the entrees and we were able to catch a quick picture with him before he needed to get back to the kitchen. How did I get such a tall one? We said good-bye for the evening and took a deep breath before dessert.

Dessert was a delight! It was a trio tasting of truffles, key lime tart and creme mousse with raspberries. Served on a little tray with two spoons, it made us take turns tasting and savoring this little bit of sweetness that was just perfect to end on. Although there was a wine pairing with this course too, we had to drive home, so we passed!

After dinner, we walked back to the truck in the dark with Arnie making vampire jokes. He suggested we walk around a bit more and I declined based on the fact that the store-keeper in the Vampire Tour store commented that the town did attract it’s share of nutjobs who took the fantasy of vampirism a bit too literally. That was enough for me. After a nice dinner like this, I was not in the mood to be dessert!

Hana detests the camping lifestyle. She is a persnickerty Japanese Chin who prefers soft fuzzy blankets to sleeping bags. She considers kibble to be the equivalent of trail mix for dogs and thinks that we should cook her a chicken breast for dinner each night. Camping is slumming it for Hana.

And one of the worst aspects of camping for this 11 pound elitist is the fact that most campers have dogs along with them too. She is particularly revolted by big dogs. They want to sniff her and sometimes they drool. Once, at Dog Beach in St. Pete a huge mastiff stepped on her tail plume, pinning her in place while he poked, prodded and sniffed her in all of her sensitive spots…….basically head to tail. The look of revulsion was priceless. The mammoth was in love and his apologetic owner could barely pry him away from his prize. He meant no harm and only wanted a few more adoring moments  with her. It was hilarious to watch her utter disgust!

It’s like people who don’t like cats. If they visit a household with cats, the cat has to single them out and sit on their lap. That’s how other dogs react to Hana. They pick her out of a crowd and go directly in for their Chance Encounter. You can see her thinking, “Oh no! Not

me again!”

Hana met two notable new friends on her latest camping adventure. She had a doggy Chance Encounter with Harley, a majestic Bernese Mountain Dog and Hulk, an 8 month old English Bulldog.

Harley is massive, the size of a full-grown Newfoundland. He is a stunning tri color male, black and white with brown highlights. He is rollicking and takes his elderly lady owner for a walk in whatever direction he chooses. He is an unlikely choice for a breed to take camping in a medium size camper, but he is generally a good boy and his people enjoy his company despite the footprint he takes up when he’s inside the camper. Harley took his lady for a nice drag over to our campsite as soon as he saw Princess Hana and he promptly bestowed a pool of drool on her back. She thinks she should get jewels not drools so she was frozen in place waiting for me to clean it off. Like a proper maid, I cleaned up her mess and reassured her that she would live.

Harley then moved on to meet and greet Cracker the African Gray. He was puzzled by the bird that whistled to him and said, “Come on. Come on.”, encouraging the big strange dog to approach for a meet and greet. This was a sweet Chance Encounter between two very different species who were curious about each other. Neither made any pre-judgement about the others intentions. They just met, figured out that there was no harm intended and then moved on. Hmmm……….is there a lesson here, humans?

Hulk is a puppy who has his owner completely wrapped up. His person is a stereotypical aging biker who travels about in a Class A with his motorcycle in tow. He talks baby talk to Harley………..constantly! It was funny and snicker worth! This former tough guy keeps up a running commentary on Hulk’s wants and needs. He serves as The Translator interpreting Bulldog for others who apparently do not speak Bulldog. Exiting the camper, he begins with,  “I know, Hulk, you want to visit the neighbors.” That was our cue to flee and, after a few days, we learned to head inside or look really busy. If we were lucky, the conversation would be comparatively quick due to the fact that Hulk had business to do. We knew when this was the case because The Translator would say, ” I know, Hulk, you have to take a —-. Do you need to take a —-?” Come on, Hulk, do you need to go?”  Looking at us, The Translator would announce, “He likes to take his walk. Are you a good boy, Hulk? Come on, let’s go take a ____. Tell the neighbors to have a good day, Hulk and you will visit later. He gets a treat after he takes a —-.”  

” Etc, etc, etc , and thanks for sharing,” we thought.  At one point, Hulk made a leap up onto the picnic table where our two little ones are trained to lie down and stay when we are working around camp. Hana flew off the table, abandoning her training in order to avoid a sneezey sloppy Bulldog style kiss on the face. Wicca had a bit more self-restraint and tolerated him with characteristic good nature.. In a classic moment of transference, The Translator observed, “The women are really into you, Hulk. Thata Boy!”

Meeting all of the various kinds of dogs and, for that matter, other species, that people chose to travel with makes us consider if there is any rhyme or reason to how that choice is made. Science writer, Stephanie Pappas is a Live Science contributor and her article, What Your Dog’s Personality Says About You, lends insight to this with a research study on the subject of what breed choices say about owners personalities. It’s interesting to think about and can be read at :

http://www.livescience.com/19791-dog-breeds-personality.html

Back home again in Davenport, Florida, Arnie and I donned hiking boots again to go out and see what we could discover in our own backyard. Although we saw some amazing landscapes on our recent trip through the Appalacian States, the Florida landscape easily holds its own in terms of beauty and thriving ecosystems.

Using the website, floridahikes.com , anyone can find a natural walk nearby their home that fits their ability and stamina. Today, we chose a nearby hike at Crooked River Preserve, a 1.7 mile loop just up the road at the northernmost end of the Lake Wales Ridge. The Crooked River Preserve showcases a wide variety of habitats in a short hike.

The Lake Wales Ridge stretches from Minneola down towards Lake Okeechobee, creating the “spine” of the Florida peninsula. Here in our Windmill Community, we live right along that spine or ridge.  The high, well-drained sandy soils of the Lake Wales Ridge were prized by citrus growers, who found them ideal for their groves. As you walk along the trail and look down, you can see fine white sand that would also be prized on any beach. US 27 – which follows the ridge was known as the Orange Blossom Highway. Sadly, we are losing more and more of these old groves to development all the time. We need the protected wild places, but do we really need another  Wawa gas station? Soon, we will only be able to imagine driving down 27 with the windows down while breathing in the sweet scent of citrus blossoms in bloom. It will be in our imagination only because the groves will all be gone.

We are bearing witness to the massive residential and commercial development that continues and the natural areas like Crooked River Preserve are becoming more rare. This small Preserve, maintained by the Lakes County Water Authority,  is penned in on all sides by this very development that has  crept along the northern end of the Lake Wales Ridge.

We are grateful that we have this little piece of natural Florida left to enjoy. The price to visit is vastly cheaper than a day at Disney……..in fact, there is no charge to stroll through here. It’s well marked and maps are provided at the Trailhead. Crooked River Preserve showcases several habitats including some open scrub, stands of oak hammock, sink hole swamps, and the trail also walks you down to a picture perfect and mostly un-visited corner of Lake Louisa by following part of the Palatlakaha River. It is a hidden gem in our own backyard!

This hike is only 1.7 miles and it is about a 2 out of 5 in terms of difficulty. It is mostly sand, well packed, so the footing is good and the walking relatively easy.  Kudos to the Lakes County Water Authority whose crews who are maintaining this trail as it is wide and visibility is very good. Branches are cleared away, rest benches provided and viewing areas cleaned out for easy enjoyment.  Even on an easier hike, always prepare by taking sunscreen, lots of water, bug repellent, and a fully charged cell phone for emergencies.

If you would like to enjoy Crooked River Preserve, from US 27 in Davenport, drive North  from Windmill Village just above Lake Louisa. Turn left on Lake Louisa Road and follow it for 2.7miles to the trailhead on the left. There is a wooden sign and parking is ample. Remember to sign in on the clipboard before yous start your hike and sign out when you leave

About Today’s Hike

There are two trails that form a loop through the Preserve: the Cypress Trail, blazed orange, winds out to the Palatlakaha River and the shore of Lake Louisa. The Sink Hole Trail, blazed blue, winds around some sinkholes.  There are also multiple side trails blazed in yellow that spur off the two main trails. These are worth the time to explore as they lead to some interesting things to see. The trail is very well marked with fence posts painted with the right colors.

This morning’s canopy started out with a stand of laurel oaks. Alongside the trail, as we entered the forest we noticed grapevines blanketing the sides of the trail in gigantic mounds. Alas, they were picked clean by the birds, so no wild grape jelly for us this year! Spanish moss drifted down from the oaks giving the forest a misty romantic feel.

Backing up the oaks, the riverbank is delineated by a border of cypress. This clearly shows the floodplain of this river.

We hike slowly, stopping frequently to listen for birds and wildlife. We like to stand very still and look up into the canopy to see what’s looking down and then down to see what is looking up. Sometimes we have been able to see owls or birds looking at us wondering what we are doing intruding on their home. Today we were glancing around and spied a young black racer curled up on the edge of the trail. He departed quickly when we took a step in his direction.

Butterflies were everywhere today on our hike. This is a small 64 acre preserve, so it does skirt civilization along the way. We could, at times, hear passing cars on Lake Louisa Road not far off to the left.

One stretch of the trail goes down to the Riverbank (my favorite) What a treat to sit still on this bank, looking out on the river flowing slowly north and listening to the songbirds overhead. The Palatlakaha River is tannic but you can see that it has a sandy bottom. Peeking through the cypress, we could catch a glimpse of what this land must have looked like before all of the development.

We came upon a  massive oak has a gigantic root ball where it’s split into five separate trunks, creating an octopus. In another place, an oak that had uprooted  still supports a living tree!

There is an area with a bench trailside to sit down and rest and look across the Lake at Lake Louis State Park which is undeveloped. , unlike the near shores with rows of lakefront homes. We really like Lake Louisa State Park too and will write about that sometime soon. It is  a former ranch and orange groves that is still undergoing restoration to longleaf pine forest. If you have not yet visited this park, it is really close to where we live and it actually has a sandy white beach. On breezy days, you can sit comfortably on the beach and enjoy the whitecaps skipping across the water. Lake Louisa is a great place to go to read a book or for a picnic!

One of the spur trails was really interesting. It is called the Fern Trail,with Southern woods fern growing in this shady area of understory. Like most ferns, it likes a damp environment and this shady area right by the lake was that! In this damper area of the preserve, we had to double back on the Fern Trail spur because a recent rain had pooled in the road and we did not want to get our feet wet.

The Preserve has several sink holes with  ponds filling the bottom. The trail scoots around the rim of the sinkhole with just a slight border of vegetation between the pond and the trail, but there is still plenty of vantage points to peer in. We spent a few minutes listening to the songbirds in the canopy at the sinkhole and then turned back to the trail, enjoying the easy walking on the almost power-white sand and noticing the light gray lichens that decorated the sides of the trail here.

There is so much life to be found here. Lichens, plants, animals: this little hike has it all. We live on the ridge of some of the oldest land in the Florida peninsula. It is teeming with biodiversity and species found nowhere else on earth–which is why this little patch means so much amid the sprawl that now surrounds it.

   It took me awhile to identify this alien looking blossom that we noticed growing on a vine among some other flowers. It is Bitter melon, also known as Balsam apple. It grows along fence-lines, Hammocks, and Orange groves, so it is no surprise that we saw it in this preserve.  It is an alien looking  annual creeping or climbing herbaceous vine.that was artificially introduced

Without a doubt, this is the biggest toadstool we have ever seen! Look at the size of it in comparison to my hiking boot!

There was an area where very large, old Muscove grape vines crossed the trail, dangling from the oak trees.

At one point on the trail, it heads over towards Lake Louisa Road and takes hikers walking close to the fence line. The sand gets softer and thus, the walking a little bit more difficult. This accounts for the sore knees tonight. Along the sides of the trail here are open patches of scrub with butterfly plants are all around. There were butterflies fluttering about on them everywhere too!

Backing up  the butterfly plants, there were tall pines that provide important bird habitat.  Whether these pines are alive or dead, they serve as a vital part of the eco-system. We often see hawks and an occasional eagle perched or nesting on the dead ones. One interesting sight was this pine in the third photo that was a victim of a lightening strike. The struck pine stood alone charred and burnt with no other evidence of fire anywhere around it. We sure do hope that more folks get out and enjoy this small piece of paradise in our own backyard. We also thank the Lakes County Water Authority for making it available to the creatures who call it home.

We decided to camp over at Stone Mountain which is a Georgia State Park and we had a beautiful view site right on the lake. Some of the waterfront sites are located on a steep descent to the lake shore, so backing up and parking is a bit hairy.

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Stone Mountain is a tourist hot spot in the Atlanta area and, in season, it attracts thousands of visitors. Perhaps that is why we did not observe much wildlife at all. At this time of year, we should be seeing flocks of migratory birds coming through this area, but we saw only a few ducks on the lake. Like Great Smokey Mountains National Park, we are left with the question of how to balance citizens rights to enjoy their national parks with the impact that high volume traffic on the ecosystem. This park has the flavor of entertainment vs a traditional state park and it is not our favorite overall. It is quite “Disneyfied”  with train and tram rides, large hotels, a golf course and higher end restaurants. A part of the mountain is carved and a laser light show is broadcast along with fireworks. It’s big advantage is that it is close to our Decatur kids.

We spent most of our Georgia time with our  Decatur kids. Scott and Jamie live in Decatur and we had a wonderful visit with them. Chef Scott fixed dinner every night and Arnie was treated to his all time favorite scallops. What a joy it is to see them even for a brief visit. For years we worked at jobs that limited our ability to travel to see all of our kids as often as we wanted and now we are so grateful for this time of life to focus on our families again. On this visit, we had an opportunity to say a sad goodbye to Alley Cat who, at sixteen, crossed the Rainbow Bridge a couple of days after we left. She was Scott’s first gift to Jamie and a symbol of that season of their lives when they lived and loved in the Florida Keys. Good-bye little Alley, rest well and peacefully now.

We are hoping next summer to spend some time with Val and Kevin who  just informed us that we will be Grandparents in May. That was exciting news! This will be Arnie’s first Grand baby and we are working on the details of spending the summer in New England to welcome this new life into the world and help out a bit too.

We left Stone Mountain, GA, early this morning for a four-hour jaunt through Alabama towards Florida Caverns State Park to spend a few days exploring.The route from Georgia took us through Alabama as we were headed to the Panhandle. Somewhere in the  middle of nowhere land Alabama we had a Chance Encounter with a railroad track. Arnie approached with due caution, but the perfect storm happened right on the tracks. We crossed the double track with a ” thunk thunk thunk thunk” followed by a screeching sound and a shocking pull on the brakes. We both instinctively glanced over at the side mirrors to see the camper careening side to side behind the truck. The scream stuck in my throat as Arnie guided the truck and camper to a stop. We were now in a turning lane in the middle of Eukaula, Alabama with our hearts pounding out of our chests. I jumped out to call 911 and began to direct traffic around the vehicles while Arnie hustled to the hitch to survey the damage.

Before we knew it, Jerry Jr of Jerry’s Appliance, Our 1st Road Angel of the day jumped out of his service truck with tools in hand and was immediately lying on the pavement on his back tinkering the hitch back into service. He looked at Arnie and declared, “You need a new ball. You’ve bent the crank and messed with the tongue.”  As Jerry diagnosed the damage, Arnie was giving a running narrative of how it happened, telling him that we bounced once and we bounced twice and bounced it right off the ball, etc. “Yup, Jerry repeats about six times, Y’all are gonna need a new ball! Jerry ordered me back in the truck and directed Arnie to pull into the next street and the church parking lot. There he completed the repairs and soon had us on our way. As we pulled out, he yelled, “Remember to stop at Walmart now, cuz y’all gonna need a new ball.” Someday I will laugh at this conversation, just not today.

We decided to stop at an RV Service place if we could find one. We googled the area and were surprised to find one just 15 miles ahead on our route. I called ahead and spoke with a really nice lady from Campbell’s RV who told us to come right in and they would take a look to be sure we were safe and didn’t have any hidden damage. Pulling in, we were quickly introduced to our Second Angel, Lorraine Campbell, whose family owns the store. Lorraine is a very pretty Mom of two college age boys and a teenage daughter, but she looks way too young for that! This lady with the great big smile is also an RV mechanic! She dove right in with great competence and went over the hitch in detail. Thank you for the peace of mind that allowed us to continue our journey with reassurance. We are grateful for our Chance Encounter with her. Lorraine’s family has owned this business since 1988 and if you are ever in the area of Headland, Alabama, but sure to stop in and see this great bunch of people. They do sales, service and consignments and we can vouch for their reasonable prices. Lorraine gave us great service and peace of mind for $10.00. They can be contacted at campbellsrvsales@centurytel.net or 334-693-2580.

Lorraine kindly showed us a couple of tricks of the trade to make it even safer and assured us that we were good to go. The problem most likely originated with the hitch not being completely seated for some reason and when we bounced so hard on the railroad tracks it was just the perfect storm. 

We continued on our way again to Florida Caverns State Park and settled into our driving routine. Arnie driving, me navigating and crocheting so that I don’t act like a backseat driver/nag. I finished nearly a whole afgan on the trip, so it must work. But, you might want to check with Arnie on that to be sure. We arrived at our next destination and, as we were driving in, I commented to Arnie that it looked like they had a lot of water lately. The swamp was right up to the road and the cypress knees were below the water line. But, we had never been here before, the spacious campsite was dry and so we thought perhaps it was normal. We set up camp, fixed a quick dinner and went to bed early, tired from the stress of the day earlier. We were looking forward to exploring this State Park since it was built by CCC Workers and Arnie’s Dad labored on a similar project in New Hampshire. There was a statue at the entrance to the Caverns and it bore an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Jaquith. We had to take a picture of Arnie in front of it.

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About 20 minutes after we hit the sack, we saw the beam of large flashlights and heard a loud knock at the door. Arnie yelled, “Can I help you?” and a voice answered, “It’s the Rangers. We’ d like to speak with you outside.” The guilty teenager who still lives inside me immediately took inventory of what transgression I was about to be brought to task for. Could it be that Cracker is a non-native species and not allowed in this park? Did we drive too fast coming in? Did someone complain about us taking so much time to back the camper in? Did we make too much noise? Did they see me eat the last cookie (you know what I mean, Roberta)?

What rule did we break or what sin did we committ? We yelled back that we would get dressed and be right out. That took a minute since we like to sleep au natural (now you all know). We got our pants mixed up in the dark, we were whispering about what the problem could be, we were acting like to teens caught in an illicit place together. I would not have been surprised to see my Dad round the corner and ask loudly, “Barbara, what were you thinking?!!!”  Finally, we exited the camper, a bit winded, but ready to face the music.

The two Dudley Do Rights with their giant flashlights proceeded to inform us that they were coming around to speak with each camper to let them know that all of the big rigs were under mandatory evacuation. Smaller units like ours would be able to pass on the back exist which was not flooded…………yet. We could leave now or stay the night and re-evaluate in the morning. Since the rain had ceased for the moment, we decided that we should try to get a good nights sleep and then see what the morning would bring. After all, we had already had a hard day.

In the morning, we called the Rangers station and they told us that the whole campground was now under mandatory evacuation and that we should try to be out in the next two hours. The Chipola River was rising at an unprecedented rate and the campground could soon be waist deep in water. Imagine what creatures would be flooded out of their dens and swimming about in that water! We did the hustle, broke camp, jumped in the truck and headed out once again. We had not gone far before we encountered water flowing rapidly across the road and a bridge that was nearly overtaken with the current. The Rangers had assured us that this road was pass-able, but it was unnerving. And if this was not enough, next we came upon a tree fallen across the road! But the Rangers were terrific and had it cleared within a half hour. Off we went with a friendly wave and a sense of relief to get to higher ground.

The good news is that the side of the park where the Caverns are was not flooded and we were able to take a tour before we left. It is awe inspiring to see these hidden caverns that have taken eons to develop.

While the caverns are home to a colony of bats, we did not see any on our visit. Some of the caverns were closed off due to the flooding. Now that I write this, I wonder about the wisdom of going 56 underground when the whole area is flooding? Glad I didn’t think of it then!

Next destination………..Cedar Key RV Resort. Here we will spend a few days exploring the Suwannee River Wildlife Management area and just resting at camp a bit. It’s been an eventful few day and let’s hope that this stop on the journey has a little less excitement in store for us!

We decided to visit Cedar Key on our way home because the area is home to some really cool nature. We stayed at Cedar Key RV Resort, a well managed upscale park originally designed more for large Class A vehicles. But like many businesses during the down economy, they had to branch out and serve a broader clientele. I guess we would qualify as that broader clientele. Mostly hobby fishermen and their wives, this is a bit of a cocktail club. I might have been a bit out of place with my hiking boots  vs. their pretty beaded sandals. But we had a nice visit and enjoyed the extra amenities. They have  A great Clubhouse, laundry, heated pool and nice bathhouses. During the winter season they provide a lot of activities for the women to attend while the men fish. On one day of our visit, the local quilting shop was conducting a class in the Clubhouse.

We needed to pick up a few supplies, so we first journeyed the short distance into town. Cedar Key is one of the oldest ports in the state, and when Florida’s first railroad connected it to the east coast, it became a major supplier of seafood and timber products to the northeast. Evidence of lumbering is still evident with vast stands of replacement pines planted along the highway.   My own fascination with Cedar Key relates to John Muir’s book, 1,000 Mile Walk to the Gulf. Later, his Grandson, Micheal Muir, who was diagosed with MS at a young age would retrace his Grandfather’s journey on horseback to highlight the capabilities of people with disabilities. Today, Cedar Key has clearly become a haven for artists and writers, who must find the unspoiled environment inspirational to their work.The vibrant arts community was enjoying its off season while we were there, but a few shops  featuring local work were open.

But tourist stops aside, the Cedar Keys are for nature lovers. They form a chain of barrier islands, ideally suited to a vast range of migratory and shore birds, including the elusive white pelican, roseate spoonbill and bald eagle. The variety of natural habitats, from salt marshes to scrub, hardwood and pine forests to Indian shell mounds, makes this truly a nature lover’s paradise. We tried to sample as broad a variety of the offerings as possible.

There are multiple Refuges, Preserves and Historic sites to see in the surrounding area of Cedar Keys. We began with Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge which was established in 1929. You may have read or seen in documentaries that this was a time when wading bird breeding plumage was highly valued for fashionable ladies hats. Species were slaughtered and their numbers dropped dramatically, some to the point of extinction.  Coastal Refuges such as the one we visited were established to provide safe breeding and nesting grounds.

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to go to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. It was on my bucket list and our visit there was a fulfillment of that dream. I would venture to guess that I’ve watched the Ken Burn’s series, Our National Parks: America’s Best Idea, at least three times all the way through. I’ve read and reread the works of John Muir with a fascination that borders on fanaticism. The call of the wild has been with me all my life. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is all one could imagine.

Ninety-nine years ago, the National Park Service was created to defend Yellowstone and other sites against wildlife poachers and artifact collectors who were hauling away pieces of our national parks and monuments by the wagonload. Today, the same Service is charged with protecting over 400 parks, seashores,historic sites, battlefields, trails, lakeshores and other national treasures in such a way as to “leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The National Park Service will reach its 100th birthday soon. On this trip, we have been able to explore some of the highlights of their over-site. Without exception, we have been so very impressed with the work done by this federal agency. The National Parks really are one of America’s best ideas. Without protection they would already have been plundered and lost for all time.

We drove first to the Sugarland visitor Center just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This is a great educational center and the rangers are friendly and helpful in planning your visit to the park. From there, we headed out to drive to the highest point, Clingman’s Dome. The landscape and temperature grew gradually more severe as we reached the summit and by the time we arrived at the top, we were literally in the clouds. We had left a sunshine filled warm day down below and were now in the middle of an actual cloud that was raining cold and wet!

The drive through the park gave us a bit of fall color (peak is not until mid-Oct) as we passed bubbling creeks, rivers with pretty little waterfalls, fields with ancient and still standing log cabins and deer grazing in the distance.

The landscape is awe-inspiring and the volunteer groups who work on historic preservation deserve accolades. They protect the largest collection of historic log buildings in the East. Homes, barns, spring houses, grist mills, a school and more are all still here for us to learn from.

The Motor Nature Trail winds through forest and bern, In this park there are over 800 miles of trails and more than 100 backcountry campsites and shelters. If you are not afraid of the bears, this would be the ideal place for a walk in the woods.There are two bears for every square miles of the park. As we were driving along, a Mother bear and three little cubs hustled across the road right in front of us. We were glad to be driving our backpacks in the car and not carrying them at that very moment!

A draw back to experiencing the park at a slow and thoughtful pace is the fact that it was literally mobbed with cars and tourists. Overlooks were crowed and trail heads had dozens of cars parked along the side of the road.  This left us with ambivalent feelings about the visit. While it is positive that so many  Americans wish to see one of their most beautiful protected land areas, the numbers of people actually there at the same time does diminish the experience. Maybe we are simply spoiled from visiting less popular areas and having them to ourselves, or maybe the impact of the tours really is as egregious as we find it to be.

Much of this traffic comes from tourists who are visiting the Pigeon Forge and Seiverville area. This  area was not our cup of tea. Close to where we camped, was a section of Pigeon Forge that makes Orlando, Florida seems trivial. In fact, it is Orlando on steroids,  a sea of Los Vegas style neon lights, with gaudy shops hawking their wares everywhere and impatient clustered traffic waiting to park and shop. We recognize that hundreds of thousands of visitors chose to vacation here and have a great time, but we could not have fled the area fast enough. Dollywood, nope. Give us the Wildwood, the Open Road and Riverbank and turn off some of those lights!

The historic Rex Theater is located in downtown Galax and is a landmark for live bluegrass and old-time music. This downtown theater may be a relic of days gone by in many towns, but not in Galax. Here, the Rex is a thriving hub of entertainment. The historic Rex theater closed in the 1980’s after showing movies for more than 40 years. Volunteers renovated and restore the old theater and brought it back to life as a venue for live performances. The theaters Heather peace is a live radio show every Friday night. The sounds of bluegrass and old-time music can be seen and heard live at the Rex, or you can  tune in on the radio at WBRF 98.1 FM Galax, VA. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Most of the shows are free but the theater accept donations for upkeep and continuing renovations.

The theater’s centerpiece is a live radio show every Friday night, Blue Ridge Backroads.  Most shows are free but the theater does accept donations for upkeep and continuing renovations. Shows feature the many bluegrass bands and old-time bands from the regions with additional appearances from professional groups. The Rex is part of the Crooked Road Heritage Trail which promotes music venues and landmarks in Southwest Virginia. It is owned by the city of Galax and continues to be operated by volunteers.

The night that we went, we listened to a three generation, seven piece Bluegrass ensemble that was a delight. The thirteen year old granddaughter, Maggie, was talented and clearly her family is committed to being sure that she knows her roots. You can hear more from this band at http://www.sigmondstringers.com

One of the old-time songs that this group sang had us laughing really hard!

Always Marry An Ugly Girl

My brother married an ugly girl
She drank from a private cup
Cause she had this great big upper lip
But the bottom one covered it up

Chorus
Always marry an ugly girl
They’re the only kind
She’ll never ever leave you
But if she does you won’t mind

When you kiss an ugly girl
She’ll never let you quit
Cause she’s afraid that that’s the last
That she will ever get

We saw some of the same people at the Rex that we had encountered at some of the Jams we’ve been going to. It is such a joy to see them dance both flat-footing and the two-step along with an occasional square dance. It is a very friendly place here and after encountering these same folks a few times, they always wave hi and often come right up and start a conversation. We have had a warm welcome, with folks who are interested in sharing the music and the songs that mean so much to them.

We have had many Chance Encounters with folks who reach out with warmth and propensity to share of themselves so generously extends to animals too. Even Wicca has made a new friend. Golf Cart Benny, the Security Guard for the RV Park we are staying in  picks her up each day and takes her off for a ride. Wicca is a dog who lives to ride around on a golf cart and she hears him coming from afar. She is a disloyal little terrier and jumps right up for her excursion with not even a glance backwards. We don’t know Golf Cart Benny’s real name, but he is a lifelong Fries resident and generously shares his  wealth of knowledge on the area. He is a neighbor of the owner of the park we are staying in and he rides around making sure that everything is safe and secure. He loves dogs and people and we hope that he stays well for a long time. He shared that he is suffering from a brain tumor that is not operable.

We are having such a blast traveling around and seeing this beautiful country, and enjoying Chance Encounters with the people and creatures who live in the places we are visiting. but sometimes we meet  creatures we could really do without. It is hard for me to admit that, being of the persuasion that every creature has a place in the universe and a purpose to fulfull.

THe gators are intriguing, the snakes interesting. The skunks are a distant memory of New Hampshire. But , sorry, the Stink Bugs, we can do without.

We first saw some of these fat flying bugs in Virginia and then we think we took some of them with us as stowaway to Tennessee. One day we awoke to find an unusual obnoxious odor coming from a wet yellow spot in the bed. It smelled like someone had snuck in during the night and poured Campbell’s Vegetable Soup all over one corner of the bed.

I quickly went down the list of possible problems.

1. One of my little dogs had an accident and peed the bed. Unlikely.
2. I sneezed in my sleep and had an accident and peed the bed. Somewhat likely
3. Arnie peed the bed. Not possible. No beer.

So, if it wasn’t us, who or what peed the bed? No one was claiming responsibility, so we had to think more broadly. I remembered that we had seen these fat ugly bugs a couple of days ago and that when I snatched them with a paper towel and threw them outside, they left a smelly residue on the towel. Could they have made this mess?

We did a quick Goggle search, confirming that, yes, indeed, the culprit was the nasty Stink Bugs. We were all relieved to be off the hook for making that mess. I went to the website of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Entomology to learn more. I learned that ” this  bug in the insect family Pentatomidae is known as an agricultural pest in its native range of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Recently, it has become a serious pests of fruit, vegetables and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region and it is probable that it will become a pest of these commodities in other areas in the United States.”

The Stink Bug becomes a nuisance pest both indoors and out when it is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of protected, overwintering sites. The nights were cold in the Virginia mountains and I guess that our little heated camper seemed very appealing to these intruders.

Finally knowing what I was dealing with, I stripped the bed and the stain went through the sheet and mattress pad right to the mattress. It took a couple of hours to shake out every stitch of linens, cushions and bleach everything. Arnie ran the laundry and we finally got on top of the problem. All is well, but I will never open a can of Campbell’s Vegetable Soup again.