Found A Peanut

This is the story of how we found our cat, Peanut, in Gettysburg, PA.

Tuesday evening while walking around the campground (as is our custom), we came across what appeared to be a stray kitten. He came right up to us without coaxing purring to the high heavens. He was an adorable little thing the color of a peanut. Of course, he followed us home. We opened the camper door and he marched himself up the steps and into the living room. He roamed all around and I guess he liked what he saw because, even though we left the door open for a couple hours, he never left. He stayed all night, that little peanut did.

By Wednesday morning, he had stolen our hearts. We first took him to the campground office to be sure he was a stray then off to the vet we go. We knew he was not completely well because he had a snotty nose and seemed to be having difficulty breathing. He also seemed to hold his head to one side. Other than these things, he seemed in pretty good condition for a stray. But we wanted him checked out and get his shots started. He weighed in at 3.3 lb, about half of what he should be for his age. He quickly won over the vet staff because of his loving disposition, but once Dr. Jones started ramming thermometers up his butt this little peanut lost patience quickly. Dr. Jones thought it prudent to clip his nails right away. She seemed to be loosing patience herself. Then came time to test for feline leukemia. Poor little peanut. Dr. Jones was holding a needle in one hand and a back leg in another. The assistant had the kitten by the nap of his neck and 3.3 pounds was hard to manage. Even though Dr. and assistant said not to, Gene thought he could help by holding something. Peanut bit Gene on the hand just barely enough to break the skin. But break the skin he did, so we spent the next 10 days waiting out the rabies quarantine seeing the sights and sounds of southern Pennsylvania.

After our visit to the vet, Gene went about the task of changing the reservations we had made for the next few days in southern New Hampshire. We don’t get very good cell phone reception at the campground so he was using the pay phone at the campground office. Since he had several calls to make, he chose to sit in one of those plastic patio chairs which are so popular these days. He did not break a bone as he fell over the edge of the sidewalk when the chair leg broke; he didn’t even hit the ground. This was due to the strength and durability of the telephone cord which he was gripping in both hands as the chair fell out from under him.

Peanut, while in isolation, was being treated for his upper respiratory infection and would get his first round of shots as soon as the fever was gone. He was released on the morning of May 20, 2006 and has brought us endless hours of pleasure since that time.

Let The Training Begin

I am a hiker. Some would say an avid hiker. Others might say I’m a fanatic. There are a few who think I am nuts. Needless to say—I like to hike. I’m not sure why and I have often wondered what makes me want to put a bunch of stuff in a sack on my back and haul it up a hill. Not only do I like to day hike, but I also like to backpack. Now we are talking a whole lot of stuff in a sack on my back up many hills and then sitting on the ground in sweaty cloths to cook a pot of noodles for dinner. How crazy is this and why do I like it so much? Who knows? I sure don’t.

Anyway, to the story at hand. There is a trail you may have heard of—The Appalachian Trial. It threads its way through the Appalachian Mountain Chain some 2100 miles from northern Georgia to Maine. That trail is calling my name. Gene and I have, over the years, often talked of doing a thru-hike—hiking from end to end in one season. That would take about 6 months and we couldn’t see our way clear to do that. However, that is not the only way to hike that trail so we started doing large sections. One September we started at Springer Mountain in Georgia and hiked to Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. It was 250 miles and took 4 weeks. The next year we started out for another month leaving Clingman’s Dome and arriving in Hot Springs, NC in about 10 days. We had to return to Nashville due to a family emergency and we didn’t get back to the trail that year. The next year, we planned to start at Hot Springs and just go to Maine. We weren’t getting any younger and if we didn’t do this trail soon, we’d be too old. So off we went and got in 450 miles before we had to stop due to my knees. We haven’t done another section in a couple years, but the trail is still calling my name.

Gene is not as obsessed with this hike as I am, plus he has this pesky little job that gets in his way. Soooo, I am out for another section this spring with a hiking buddy from Nashville. We haven’t done much backpacking in a couple of years, so you can imagine how out of shape I am. Some say the trail will get you in shape. That is true, but it hurts. I’ve done that—gone out cold so to speak—and just started hiking. The risk of injury is too great unless you go really slowly at first and I don’t have that luxury this trip. Diane, my hiking buddy, is a super athlete. She has a limited time for the trip and we want to cover as many miles as possible. I’ve gotta get in shape.

There really is no better place to prepare for the Appalachian Trail (AT) than on the AT. So here we are in Erwin, TN, a small trail town about 20 miles from Johnson City.

Blessings in a Spring Snow

It snowed here on Tuesday. Not a lot, but enough to know it snowed. Gene says it is the perfect snowfall. Enough to cover the trees and ground, but not cold enough to stick to the roads.

It was beautiful falling. It snowed off and on throughout the day with periods of sunshine in between. As the temperatures dropped, it started to stick to the trees and on the ground. By dusk, perhaps a quarter inch had accumulated.

God is good and always knows what we need. Snow was the perfect gift for me on Tuesday. Gene had been sick with a cold all last week. This week it was my turn and by Tuesday I was pretty fed up with the sickness which seemed to last for ages. Down and out all I wanted to do was sleep. Then I noticed the snow. I jumped up from my sickbed and grabbed the camera. Snow—so graceful, delicate, and silent--covering the landscape. It didn’t cure my cold, but it sure perked up my attitude.

The magic and beauty of a snowflake is truly a blessing indeed!

Charleston, South Carolina

A street in the French Quarter

We went to Charleston three times while staying in the campground at Walterboro. What a marvelous old city. We did the Volksmarch, of course. We meandered in and out of the streets (and an alley or two) of the historic district from the visitor’s center all the way to the battery. The Visitor’s Center, by the way, is a fabulously restored train station.

Charleston Visitor Center

At the Pink House, which is an art gallery now, the artist who was “on duty” at the time of our visit allowed us to see the entire house and gave us our own personal tour. Awesome.

The Pink House

College of Charleston

On another day we went to Fort Sumter. I was much more impressed the first time I went there some 25 years ago. This time I was struck mostly by the immense waste of money for the facility. Built as a defense of the city following the War of 1812, construction wasn’t even completed before the Confederates took over. The Union’s attempts to recapture the fort only resulted in its near destruction. Following the Civil War, the Federal government tried to restore what they had destroyed. It eventually became a tourist attraction.

Fort Sumter

Our third trip to the city was for seafood, which we got at Hyman’s Seafood Restaurant. It certainly deserves its reputation as the best seafood in the southeast (a distinction given by Southern Living Magazine). We went in for lunch and were not disappointed.

Before lunch we had enough time to pay a quick visit to Charles Pinckney House. It is a National Park Unit, but the original house of Charles Pinckney, signer of the Constitution, had been destroyed by fire. It is a little disappointing when the real thing is not there; however, the displays, historical artifacts, and short film were all worth while.

Selling Out

Going full time in an RV is not a decision to make lightly. We struggled for several years with the idea of selling our home, disposing of all our furniture and most of our worldly possessions. What exactly do you do with a lifetime of accumulation? More difficult perhaps, are the family matters to consider. We had lived in the same town for many years and never far from our parents. Then there was the daughter unit to consider. She was out of college and had a job, but was used to having her parents close at hand.

We were eager to do get started doing some of the things we had dreamed of doing for years. When the opportunity to semi-retire (work Nov. to May in Nashville and have May to Nov. off) presented itself, we grabbed it. This was a way to test the waters, so to speak. But now was the time to make these hard decisions.

Deciding to sell our home was not so difficult. We were living in a condo and there were various issues with the property and home owners association that had us thinking of selling anyway. So our real decision was whether or not to purchase other real estate. We chose to put that decision off until after the first 6 months away. So we put most of our stuff in storage, selling only things we had wanted to get rid of for years. It helped that Ansley had just rented her own first apartment and needed furniture. And I can always count on my brother to take a few things off my hands. Goodwill got a lot and we sold a few things at a garage sale.

After that first 6 months on the road, we were hooked to the RVing lifestyle. We began seeing ourselves as full-timers, and we looked at that storage unit full of “stuff” with dismay. What now? We had already disposed of what we really didn’t want. Since we were moving into an apartment each winter, we had the time to really contemplate the usefulness of every item. Over the next 3 winters we discarded more and more. By the time we finally purchased our 5th wheel, we were down to a small wardrobe of clothing, house ware items we would need in the RV, two lifetimes of photographs, and the keepsakes.

The photographs proved to be a major project that lasted 2 winters. We decided to have them scanned so they could be stored on compact disc. Most places now allow you to scan your own photos for a small price. However, we had boxes and boxes and boxes of photos. We found a Walgreens that would scan for us. I spent literally months carefully removing pictures from albums and sorting them to be easily found on disc. We would take between 500 and 1000 pictures at a time to be scanned and pick them up a few weeks later. We did this about 5 times. I had discs now, but I also had the hard copy photo. The person who was in the photo or on the trip got the picture. I’m still giving away pictures.

Photos are a keepsake item. They hold our memories. We had some concerns about all our photos being on disc. Discs don’t last forever and they can so easily be damaged. To complete this project, I made copies of all the discs (and will recopy about every 8 years). We keep one copy with us and one copy in the storage unit.

We still have a storage unit, but it’s small. There will always be keepsakes—those things you just can bear to part with. Though the process was long and hard, we are happy that essentially all our worldly possessions are with us within a space that can safely travel down the interstate at 65 miles per hour.

Volksmarching

This term was unfamiliar to me until a few years ago when Gene introduced me to my first Volkssport event. We did the Clarksville, TN walk and I was very impressed. We enjoy hiking, but we also enjoy strolling around towns and these walks are ideal for exploring the cities we visit along our journey. With printed step-by-step directions and photo copied maps of the area, the walker is directed through the most interesting areas of a town—historic old towns and residential neighborhoods, downtown shopping districts, and/or picturesque views.

Walks are 10K, a little over 6 miles, and often have a 5 K option. This length allows for lots of exploration and the slow pace of walking as opposed to riding or driving, allows you time to truly investigate those things which are of particular interest. For us, the walks generally take the better part of a day. We always take snacks and water and then let happen what happens. We stop often to make photographs, to rest at a park along the way, to examine architecture. Downtown walks often pass coffee houses, restaurants, and shops which deserve special attention.

The American Volkssport Association (AVA) is the sponsor of these walks. Their goal is to promote healthful living through exercise, primarily walking, but also includes biking, hiking, and swimming. They have some 350 walking clubs scattered throughout the country with thousands of walking routes to enjoy. Check out their website, www.ava.org, for more information on the AVA as well as events where you are.

Historic Walterboro, South Carolina

When I think of historic towns, often places like Savannah, Charleston, or Jamestown come to mind. Certainly, these are historic places and worthy of our attention. However, there are other places worth exploring for their historic and/or architectural significance. The small town of Walterboro, South Carolina is one such place.

Fripp Fishburne Hiott House

Church of the Atonement

Walterboro was founded by Paul and Jacob Walter in 1784 and the town folk are very proud of their heritage. The Walterboro-Colleton County Chamber of Commerce has done an outstanding job of mapping out a 3-mile self-guided walking tour and publishing a small “guidebook” with extensive descriptions of homes, churches, and other sites along the route. If you are into old churches, there are several along the route. If your thing is architecture, then you won’t be disappointed with examples of lowcountry federal, Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Gothic, Greek Revival, and Neo-gothic styles.

There are two distinct historic districts in Walterboro. The walk, which begins at the South Carolina Artisans Center, passes first through the Hickory Valley area which is located near the original village. Many of the buildings in this area were built in the early 1820s, 30s, and 40s. As was typical of that time and even today, the original house had second stories, piazzas, or even columns added over time. Many buildings were completely or partially destroyed by a cyclone in 1879 and rebuilt, in some cases salvaging doors or windows from other destroyed buildings in the area. The end result of these additions and restorations may be more charming than the original. Of course, gracing it all are azaleas, camellias, and the majestic live oaks.

Colleton County Courthouse

The second historic area is the business district of old Walterboro. In this area, in addition to churches and homes, are schools, government buildings, and the downtown shopping district. City Hall was originally built in 1940 as part of the WPA project. It too has been remodeled and expanded. Perhaps the most distinctive building on the tour is the old jail. The Colleton Museum and Chamber of Commerce occupy this building that looks like an old castle.

Our feet were tired from this little tour, so we stopped in a small bookstore with a coffee bar for a cup of java. On down the street is Hiott’s Pharmacy which features an old fashion soda fountain and a lunch counter. The downtown shopping district is comprised of several antique stores as well as a bookstore and a restaurant.

We took a few minutes at the beginning of your walk to browse the collection of fabulous hand-crafted items in the SC Artisans Center. It is in places like this that I often find that special souvenir I’ve been looking for. In your travels, don’t neglect “Small Town”, USA. Sometimes they are the real treasures of an area.

Water Heater Maintenance

Gene wants to share maintenance tips. This is his first tip.

The owner’s manual recommends the replacement of the anode rod inside the water heater annually. Since we live in our Montana 12 months, and never drain the water heater to store the trailer, I thought more often than once a year might be appropriate for us.

I looked up the OEM part number and discovered neither my dealer nor the local Camping World carried OEM parts. Both sources assured me that there was only one part that fit all the water heaters of my manufacturer (Suburban of Dayton, TN!!). Well. My manual covered only 4 models, the ones in my size range, and the anode rods among the four had 2 different OEM numbers. You will be as surprised as I was to learn my OEM number was the COMMON number (3 out of the 4 models).

Saturday I visited my dealer. The parts guy I have dealt with a few times over the last year is earning my confidence as knowledgeable (very rare occurrence where RV matters are concerned). The after market part supplier, Camco, was recommended as the dealer had found them to last longer than the OEM part.

How important is this? Just a $10 part. A part that protects a $350 heater that takes $200 to install.

Take the old rod out.

So I bought the Camco. The next day (I always wait until Sunday so no stores or repair facilities will be open - and they say guys have trouble with commitment) I started the installation. Just turn off the electricity and LP gas, get the water cool, screw out the old one and screw in the new one. Simple.

Tape the new rod

I skipped the LP step cause I was using electricity to heat water. I hit the circuit breaker inside. I waited an hour for the water to cool. Still too hot. I re-read the instructions in the manual. Water still too hot. Hmm. I read the Camco instructions on the back of the package. A ha. Run the hot water down the drain at the kitchen sink. Self-esteem is hard to maintain.

Insert the new rod

Now the water was safely cool. I took my small collection of tools to the outside access door where I had no place to set them except on the wet ground. My 10 inch wrench was too big for the small space I had to work within. The vice grips didn't have room, nor would the wrench turn the vice grips. The wrench, of course, would hold on the (by now) damn thing.

As is my habit in things mechanical, I gave up. I called the office and asked a maintenance man to come by and give me advice. NO. NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH MY UNIT. What if they just look at it? NO. BUT HERE IS THE NUMBER OF THE MOBILE REPAIR SERVICE.

Rick seemed like a nice guy on the phone. $45 service charge. $65 and hour except this is weekend rates at $75. All things considered, not so bad. But as I explained to him, this was not an emergency. I passed on Rick's Fix-It.

One last time I searched my skimpy selections of tools. There were a few socket heads. The big one I had to torque the bolt on the hitch in the truck bed. That big socket was just a tiny bit big for the anode rod. It was mounted on an extension. Too bad I didn't own a ratchet handle. All I had was...A TORQUE WRENCH WITH A RATCHETING HEAD.

The anode rode was replaced effortlessly in just moments.

I left out of this story my trip to the nearest store, K-Mart, for the teflon tape. Guess what, Sears owns Kmart, and had just installed Craftsman tools in the store. They had a Craftsman ball cap, black with a red logo patch, that struck me as unique because it had 2 LED flashlights built into its brim. (I can hear the stampede now as all the guys rush out to get a new cap). I wonder if Kmart will carry Lands End clothing.

That evening Judi brilliantly suggested I write down in the owners manual how to change the anode rod using my tools. I love her to death.

King's Mountain National Battlefield

South Carolina has its share of battlefields, both Revolutionary and Civil Wars. We spent a cold, rainy day at King’s Mountain National Military Park and a sunny, but very windy day at Cowpens National Battlefield. Both were very interesting (if you are into the Revolutionary War) and had self-guided walking tours of the battlefield.

Gene reading one of the many interpretative panels along the trail.

King’s Mountain is a winner. The facilities and exhibits were all modern and attractive on our visit. The battlefield is small enough to understand the action of 1780. A one and a half mile paved trail around and through the battlefield is easy enough for most.

Picnicking and camping are available nearby in Kings Mountain State Park. The state park also has both horse and hiking trails. The hiking trail loops through the national park as well, forming a loop of over 16 miles.

For a moderate leg stretcher, try the walk to Brown’s Mtn. Register and get the map at the visitor center. A 5 mile round trip on woodland trails, it is an easy out-and-back hike to a high knob overlooking the valley at the edge of the escarpment.

The American Volkssports Association has a local chapter (Tarheel State Walkers Volkssport Assn.) that sponsors a Year Round Event (YRE) at the national park. It is a 10 kilometer walk that includes Brown’s Mtn. and the battlefield walks. Ask for the Walk Box at the Visitor Center. Non-credit AVA walks are free.

Allow 2 hours minimum for the visitor center and battlefield walk.

This Park is worth a visit.

First Day on the Road

We purchased our truck and Montana fifth-wheel in the fall of 2005. Our Montana came in first and the dealership was kind enough to tow it the campground just down the street and set it up on the site for us. In the early spring, we hitched up and towed it back to the dealership for a few warranty issues. Then we brought it back to the campground.

Since we had towed the fifth-wheel about 1 ½ miles total before leaving Nashville for our summer journey to New England, you can imagine what our first day was like. We had to take the next day off just to decompress.

Our first “near miss” was just 5 miles from the campground where we spent the winter. Luckily we saw it in time to avoid taking off the front end of that car. Our second near miss was at the first Flying J we pulled into. Again, didn’t make a wide enough turn and nearly hit a truck which was double parked (not entirely our fault). Again, saw that one in time to avoid tearing a hole in the side of our Montana . Rush hour traffic through Knoxville was a learning experience. We finally reached Bristol, TN—our destination for the first night.

As newbies to the RVing lifestyle, we had read a great deal about boon-docking in Wal-Mart parking lots. We were eager to try it. When pulling into the Wal-Mart parking area we came in the entrance nearest the garden center. You know how they put all those flowers out on the pavement in the spring. You will be happy to know that Gene didn’t hit a single plant driving the S-curves through the flower garden. We needed more practice driving! However, the way I see it, if you can drive through the flower garden, you can drive anywhere.

Since that first trip we have driven over 15,000 miles towing our Montana and have taken the Dick Reed Driving course in association with a Life On Wheels Conference. Driving school was a great confidence builder, especially for me, but practice is the real key to feeling comfortable behind the wheel.

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Our first stop in South Carolina was Spartanburg. I am moderately into my family genealogy and wanted to scout out a couple old cemeteries. My family settled for a short while in Spartanburg County as they migrated from Virginia and North Carolina to Tennessee. I still have an uncle, aunt, and several cousins living in the area.

I got with my uncle and found one of the two cemeteries I was interested in. This tombstone is in the old family cemetery located on land that was once my great-great-great uncle’s plantation. It was pretty incredible to stand on land that had belonged to a distant relative in the 1700s. We were unable to locate the other cemetery. My research indicates that some of my ancestors were active in the Padgett Creek Baptist Church so I wondered if they might be buried in the church cemetery. We did find the church building, however, it had been relocated several times from its original site. It was too cold and too late in the day for us to search any longer. I’ll put that on my list for our next visit.

At the very northern edge of the state, just a stones throw from North Carolina, is the highest point in South Carolina, Mt. Sassafras. I’m a “high pointer”—just some nut who has the desire to go to the highest point in all the states. This one was easy. It was a drive up except for the last three tenths of a mile. But as high points go it was pretty lame. The USGS marker was a survey marker and didn’t even have the elevation on it. There was a metal box for the summit register, but the register was missing. Eaten by squirrels, most likely. There was a hand full of shredded paper in the bottom of the box. Oh well, they can’t all be great, I guess.

Near Spartanburg is the city of Greenville. We went there to do their volksmarch. It was fantastic with paved greenway along the Reedy River for almost the entire 10 K walk. The walk started and ended on Main Street which gave us an opportunity to search for the life-size bronze mice hiding along the sidewalk. Some cities have cows, Nashville has catfish and guitars, Anchorage has salmon, and Greenville has mice. What fun!

RVing Lifestyle

We are not new to RVing since we have been semi retired for the past 5 years working in the winters in our home city of Nashville, TN and traveling during the summer months. Our first summer we spent in a tent. By no stretch of the imagination does a tent fit into any RV category. But we were on the road for 6 months, staying in campgrounds all over Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. It was big fun but a lot of work pitching and taking down camp at least 2 days a week, usually more. We thought the solution to that problem would be a pop-up camper.

We loved our pop-up. It had all the conveniences of home. We could eat inside if the weather was bad. It had a refrigerator. It was tiny and I had to sit on the floor to retrieve anything, but it was a refrigerator none the less. Best of all it had a potty. No more night time trips to the bath house. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We took two major trips with the pop-up—the first to Alaska and the second to Michigan.

During the tent and pop-up years, we spent the winters in Nashville in an apartment. The first year of our semi-retirement, we had sold our home with the anticipation of full timing some day. That may seem a bit drastic, but there were many other reasons for selling our real estate. Anyway, we wanted to see if we really liked being on the road and away from family for an extended period of time before we invested in a more livable rig. Having an apartment for 6 months out of the year meant moving twice. That was a lot of work. We thought the solution to that problem would be a 5th wheel.

That is how we got to where we are today—living full time in our Montana 5th wheel. We are starting our third year full timing, and we love it. Finally, after about 4 years of traveling for 6 months at a time, we are no longer in “vacation” mode. I think that is a hard concept for most people who are not familiar with this lifestyle. Most people associate travel with vacation and on vacation you rarely do laundry, cook, vacuum, or go to the grocery. If you’re lucky, you have 2 weeks to explore your destination and you race around trying to see it all. It has taken us a long time to realize we are not on vacation. I have my home to clean, cloths to wash, and food to buy and prepare. I just do it in a different location month to month. And the places to explore and the new friends to meet are, well, endless. That is the RVing lifestyle.

The Great Escape(e)

The deal was set. The boss would allow Gene to travel provided he make himself available for work via cell phone and internet air card.

A giddy sense of freedom washed over us as we contemplated finally being on the road. Sure, working would cut into sightseeing time. That just meant we’d need to linger longer to see an area. Objective One: South Carolina.

We’d never toured SC and our “See all of America the Beautiful” map of the US did not have South Carolina colored in. That map is an RVer’s bragging map. Much like a Scout’s Merit badge Sash the map proudly displays your travel accomplishments and invites conversation. We only have about 13 states colored in. (We choose not to color just by driving through. We color only if we have spent at least a few days and done some sightseeing. But there are no rules or Map Police. It’s your map after all.)

Being giddy with the freedom of our escape from the routine it was quite appropriate to land our first night from our home town at the Raccoon Valley RV Park in Heiskell, TN (Knoxville area). Operated by the Escapees RV Club the park was our first Escapee (abbreviated SKP) campground. Hugs and hand shakes are common in the Club. Gene got his first SKP hug when he registered.

The Park is clean inside and out. A giant lending library of books, videos, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles and travel info is available in the loft above the Rec Hall.

Every day a Social Hour is held in the Rec Hall. It is a chance to meet and greet, ask advice about the area or RVing, and visit with others of like lifestyle. Some folks vacation in their RV, others use theirs for multi-month adventures, and others live in the “rig” as their only home. Most are mobile but frequency of travel can very widely.

At our first Social Hour we provided the entertainment as we were the only new folks on display. We enjoyed the chatting. Then it happened. One in the group was a fellow we had previously met at the Timberline Campground (not an SKP park) in Lebanon, TN. It is said to be startling how often one bumps into the same folks again and again all over the nation. Like flotsam on the wave or “dust in the wind” we drift N-S or E-W with the seasons and our own whim. Gathering at Escapee Club campgrounds (there are 19) would help explain repeat meetings.

We off-loaded a couple DVDs and books for the library and took 1 book with us in return.

We left after only 2 nights fleeing the freeze in TN for a warmer SC. We hope to try as many Club campgrounds as our travels permit. But we certainly will return to Raccoon Valley for its friendliness and great facilities. Perhaps that combination of quality facilities and quality folks explains how we keep running into each other at Escapee campgrounds and events all over the country.