On Backorder

Calling the appliance repair folks following lunch yesterday, my expectations were low which proved to be a good state of mind going into the marathon call. At first the woman said the part was to be delivered to their office today, except she had the wrong person. Did she have any news at all? Nope. I called Whirlpool and was on hold for nearly 40 minutes with the same result...no news on when the elusive parts would arrive. To say that it frustrates me is a bit of an understatement because there is seemingly no way to have my questions answered. What exactly does it mean that it is on backorder and how is it that NO ONE seems to have any tracking number? Without my new little Vortex I don't know how I would still have all of my hair because I was on the verge of tearing it out!! The saga that began on September 16th continues....

More recently, as in last evening, I finished a novel, The Snow Child, that captivated me from page one. Oh my goodness! Perhaps I enjoyed it so much because I was transported from pool side in Orlando to a fantastical snowy landscape? And yes, I was in the pool on October 29th, the latest I can ever remember. Not especially saying a lot due to my memory but it sure seems late to me. After a week in which we watched the temperature soar to 91 degrees, a "cold" front came through overnight and today we will not reach 80! Hallelujah!

After somewhat of a sunrise drought (can that even be a thing?) surprise!

When last I wrote, new projects were mentioned but went unexplained, so today let's talk about that. Many years ago, as in six, which I only knew because I found the post about it here, racing home from my bike ride, I
convinced Bruce to follow me down the street to pick a neighbor's curbside trash. Although he was very skeptical he went along with my idea for using said trunk in our sunroom as a coffee table

Never a fan, periodically he would say, I'm going to paint that, except other stuff took precedent. Well, my friends, should you be so inclined, click on that link to learn about it in real time. Should that not be to your liking, here's what it looked like after he did some sanding.

Using paint we already had, he painted the chest, along with the individual brads and hardware.

And then there were three pieces of furniture in the Peck household painted teal!

The other project was the dust ruffle that I had put off for far too long, thinking maybe I would wait until Nancy arrived last Friday to help me with it. Alas, with Bruce's help it is done. Nancy had given me the great idea of buying a fitted sheet for the box spring and sewing the fabric to that in order to keep it from slipping around. I made French seams, sewing eight panels together along with the stitching to make the gathering. Note, the sew line made with Magic marker.

Even though I'd measured everything carefully I was holding my breath after sewing, hoping it would be the proper length. Hurray--it worked!

And now, my dear readers, after nearly a year of on again/off again work, it is finally complete.

The Volkswagen print is from our recent trip to Pine Mountain. Isn't it cute? Both of us had a VW as a first car, mine was a '63, and Bruce's was a '65. 😀

Before Nancy arrived I asked her what she wanted to do while here and her reply was telling....play pickleball and not wear a mask all day! She has gotten her wish, however, there was one small glitch, an injury on the second day! Rolling her ankle, she fell gracefully to the court as everyone stood around in disbelief. The good news is that although very bruised and swollen, she did not break it and in fact, she's been back on the court already, beating her sister with Bruce as her partner, two games to one! On Tuesday, her birthday, we had lunch out at The Capital Grille, eating outdoors on the patio. As is often the case, she's visited with a few friends as well as our brother Pat. PLUS, she cut my hair and did my nails!

Speaking of family, I received an odd message recently from a woman who told me that about some land in Fancy Farm, KY that our Mother was a part owner of back in the day. It is way too complicated for this space, but one thing of note is that she explained that she'd been paying the taxes on the property for 30 years, thus, she wanted all of my siblings to sign over our rights to repay her. Our son Bill called the property assessor's office there, learning that last years tax bill was $38 on 2.75 acres. Imagine that! Because we cannot visit Maureen yet to explain the matter, I've requested that we sort this out post Covid-19. Sadly, when that will be is anyone's guess. We had a nice long chat with Matt and Tom, learning first hand how things are in Britain. What a mess we are in! 

I made a quick trip to the mall last week on a Saturday afternoon and was I ever surprised to see folks lining up to go into the Gucci store. Apparently some folks are still making money.

Interestingly enough, they are standing in front of what will become a revamped Tiffany store. 

Because of the family matter in the previous paragraph, I began sorting through drawers and folders of old papers. Coming across records from my time in x-ray school, is it any wonder that I find offense when health care workers look so sloppy? It was ingrained in me all those years ago! Can you even imagine this happening these days? Of course you can't!

What really puzzles me is that grade of 3 in hygiene. Was I not ironing my uniforms? Perhaps there were runs in my stocking? My white Clinic shoes weren't shiny enough? That couldn't possibly have been it as shining shoes was as natural to me as waking up in the morning. And you wonder why that is? Because from the time we were able, all of the Price children were made to shine their shoes daily and woe to those who did not comply! Emotional status???

Ha ha! When this was written I was 17 years old! About those grades, wanting A's on my report card? Yup, that was a thing in our household too, anything less than a B was grounds for six weeks of restrictions! Discovering all of my old report cards during this paper shuffling, I must have been on restrictions more than I remembered. I even got a D in 10th grade English! In today's paper there is an article about Seminole County wanting the state to allow NO grades for this year. Imagine that, eh? 

Just the other day I was telling someone that seemingly no one has been unaffected during this pandemic even if they have not contracted the virus. Backorder indeed! How about you, what has been your experience? By the way, Claussen pickles are still hard to come by. 😞

David is coming along nicely following his surgery and Cris is showing baby steps of improvement so the news is not all bad. I will leave you with a shot of the lovely Angel Trumpet tree in full bloom.

Pickleball is calling....

your friend,

Gail

A Night in Live Oak

Our final stop was Bill and Lisa's new place in Live Oak. Arriving in the middle of the afternoon, after a pleasant drive from the campground. You may recall we visited there in late winter when they were in the midst of moving in, or I should say Bill was there because Lisa was still working in Naples. I was anxious to see the changes now that Lisa has retired and they are mostly settled. For the last 25+ years they have had acreage, so while looking to move to North Florida, these 10 acres fit the bill. 

I'll admit I was a wee bit anxious about staying in our friend's home, thinking perhaps we would camp in their yard, however, they rarely go anywhere and have not been in any close groups, so putting my fears aside, we brought our bags inside and then began touring the property on their electric golf cart. There was a lot to see, but the highlight for me was what I am dubbing their avenue of trees, specifically Live Oaks.

One of the previous owners had all sorts of schemes between horses, an oak nurser,y and so many more I can only think of one and that is a big one. He had an Ostrich farm! What he did with them I have no clue. That said, Bill and Lisa are still finding blown eggs, at last count, nearly 150. As such, they are now gifting their guests with one as a souvenir.

 And that is how we came to have one for ourselves, placing it amongst some of our our other treasures.

While still unclear how people use them for crafts, apparently that is a thing because I found them on Amazon for sale. 

As we were heading into the area with the oak trees in pots, Lisa pulled up short in order not to run into this guy! Yikes!!

In some of the pastures there were really neat wildflowers growing,

as well as along the fence lines.

They have just added on a large screen room with a wonderful firepit on the adjoining patio. There is even a pond for fishing and wildlife, not to mention birds as well.Speaking of birds, Lisa takes her feeding seriously, including hummingbirds, one of which I saw within minutes of arriving

Plenty of room for front yard camping!
     Following a spectacular sunset,

we enjoyed fellowship around a roaring fire. I will admit that sleeping in a real bed was not necessarily unwelcome, nor the morning shower! Following breakfast, Bill hooked up their boat to his pickup while Lisa and I rode together to launch the boat on the Suwannee River for a cruise. Although the sky was overcast, it remained dry as we cruised for a good long while. Maybe ten miles or so? 

The riverbank runs from rocky, with visible tree roots, 

 as well as houses set high above the river.

As we rode along there was ample evidence of how high the river can rise during heavy rains, leaving marks on the few bridges we saw.  Woo hoo...a little bit of sunshine.

Many, many years ago, Bruce and Jonathan, along with some other men from our church, canoe camped along the Suwannee, using the many natural bluffs for their campsites, not unlike these folks.

With beautiful scenery, mild temperatures and fantastic company, the Suwannee river cruise was so special and a way to really appreciate the real Florida that most folks who visit our state rarely see.

Taking our leave, after promises to return soon, we made our way to the nearby interstate highway, encountering rain nearly the entire 155 miles home. Oh yeah, traffic, and plenty of it! Seemingly there are lots of other folks who shared our desire to get away, if only for seven days. 

Now, to plan another trip soon.

your friend,

Gail

My First Ever Campfire!

Yesterday was a very productive day in the Peck household, however, those projects will have to wait for their reveal until I finish up with our camping trip stories, something  I will attempt to do in the next two posts. I know, how much is there to say or show about a seven day trip? The answer my friends is a lot! 

As all good mornings begin, let's start with a photo of Bruce making toast. Yes, he has a gadget for making toast on the campstove and it works pretty darn well.

Pretty neat, huh? Our plan for this day was to head over to Callaway Gardens which was basically just around the corner. Multiple people raved about it so we went to see for ourselves on this bright and sunny, cool morning. While I'd looked at their website, what it actually turned out to be was a bit of a surprise to me, meaning I did not understand that they consider the whole place a giant garden rather than one specific area. That said, we were there before the leaves changed color, and long after the magnificent azaleas were in bloom, the best time to go should you be in the area! Anyway, as we drove in through the forest on winding roads we noticed many workers hanging Christmas lights in the trees. Turns out that probably their biggest event of the year, called a Fantasy of Lights, takes months to set up. Parking at the striking visitor center, we made our way inside to discover what they have to offer. Striking outside, and just as striking inside.

The cases lining both the window wall and the interior wall were showcasing the natural flora of the area in silk and metal.  My photograph does not do the delicate work justice, but here it is nonetheless.

While waiting for the "bird of prey" show to begin we marveled at a large collection of BIRD paintings! Sadly the show was not what we were expecting, but that was somewhat due to Covid because normally they let them fly. Instead two young women brought out two owls, one of which is this cute Screech owl who has a disability that I cannot remember. Had I not seen loads of Barred Owls out in the wild, I would have been impressed with the other raptor they showcased. :)

Off to the Butterfly House! Large, warm and light filled, what a treat seeing butterflies flying everywhere, and while they were celebrating Blue Morpho month, perhaps you'd like to see some other ones I found interesting, not to mention beautiful!

One of my favorites, this one was hiding up in a tree:

Then again, I was pretty partial to this one as well.

Obviously, with my love of orange,  I could not write this without including this beauty.

Isn't it something to think that those are miniscule scales covering the wings, making up the whole? As to whether these are butterflies or moths, I'm not so sure, but I know some smart readers can tell the difference! I once thought it was as simple as identifying their resting position, but as with most things in life, that is not the case.

Following lunch at their cafe across the street from the back park entrance, we took in the view adjacent to the park office, a very attractive stone building

The rest of the day was spent at the campsite with Bruce doing some reading and fishing, while I played solitaire,  never once winning, btw. Another view of our fun lights.

With sadness we packed up the following morning to make way for another family to set up and make this lovely spot their temporary home away from home.

Heading South on HWY 27, which was lovely I might add, our first stop was Providence Canyon State Park. Yup, you read that right, a canyon in western Georgia! I believe I first learned of it from a brochure, or maybe someone told us, my memory is sketchy, but in any case, should you find yourself in Lumpkin, Georgia, it is well worth a stop. Parking your car, the walk is but a short distance before the canyon comes into view with signs remind you to stay behind the fencing.

Apparently caused by poor farming practices, the canyon began forming and continues to evolve with the nickname, the "Little Grand Canyon". Maybe a bit of a stretch, but after seeing it not as far fetched as one might think. Had we more time we could have hiked down into the canyon as many do. Actually the website tells me that there are five canyons!

Most definitely worth the stop.

Continuing on 27, we drove another hour or so to our next campsite located at Kolomoki Mounds State Park in Blakely, GA. Picked merely because it was on the way, the park exceeded our expectations. There are very large Indian mounds, I believe nine, that we did not explore, again due to time constraints.

That said, after staying here just one night, we most definitely intend to return to not only explore this 57 foot mound, but to enjoy the peacefulness and natural beauty. 

It was somewhat warm when we arrived to set up camp in our reserved space which turned out to be a handicapped site. What did that mean to us? For one thing we were adjacent to the bath house!!

After getting out our supplies, we set then out to dry as the ground cloth  was still damp from the previous night. While not on one of the lakefront sites, the view was lovely just the same. After setting up camp Bruce took the boat out on the lake for some fishing.

Our next visit here I will most definitely do my best to book one of the lakefront sites that have the above view. While he was out fishing, I put together some of those little pizzas that work well in the oven.

Not a bad view for getting dinner ready, right? With the sun beginning its descent, I thought, what the heck, I'm going to try and start our campfire, Gathering loads of pinecones for a base, I did just that, surprising the heck out of Bruce when he returned. I must say that I was pretty proud of myself.

Remember the bit about being a handicapped spot? The high sides to the pit are a feature of them. The night was lovely and cool, the Harvest Moon shone brightly on the lake, and we slept like babies.

The following morning I did a little bit of bike riding early while the evaporation fog was in full progress.

Sadly, it was time to once again pack up and head South to our friends in Live Oak, but most assuredly we will return to this wonderful park as soon as possible.

Are you sold on camping yet? It's a beautiful world out there!

your friend,

Gail

Franklin Roosevelt State Park

Fallon does it again! Remember her buying us the camp stove oven for Christmas and how much we love it? Well, after learning that my oven is still broken, for the foreseeable future no less,  Bruce returned from helping Bill on Sunday with not just an oven, but a gadget that seemingly does it all, the Vortex Plus! Should you have never heard of it before, neither had I, but after using it for a few days, I'm sold! Not only does it bake, but it has an air fryer function, broiler, dehydrator, and two more things I can't think of. Knowing how much I was missing the oven and baking, she thought of a solution to my dilemma that had not occurred to me. So far I've made the best fried chicken you can imagine, as well as using the rotisserie spit (the function I could not recall). I made a cinnamon and walnut coffee cake and it cooked so fast it was a good thing I had my eye on it, checking it at 15 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly, that's how long it took to bake.

Luckily I was able to find a spot on the counter!

Here's something else from the here and now. On my way home from Costco this afternoon I saw something that frankly, I could not have dreamed up had I wanted to. Yup, a roadside ventriloquist who works for tips, giving rise to the notion that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Back to camping fun, speaking of which, if you missed my last post, and seemingly everyone did, I ended it with our setting up camp in the rain following our arrival at FR State park. Fortunately for us, the rain ceased, leaving behind cooler air and calm water in front of our tent. The reflections were mesmerizing.

Night fell and the lights came on. Yup, we got to use our market lights not only in our shelter, but along the fencing behind the tent. 

You also learned from the previous post that we stopped in Columbus to have our tire checked and were given the go-ahead. Unfortunately, the next morning, Bruce checked his tire and it was again low. Thankfully, as is not often the case, this campground had wi-fi, so I checked for the closest tire store which turned out to be far closer than I was imagining. The quaint town of Pine Mountain was only about two miles away and the tire shop was easy to locate. Hearing loads of bird calls, I walked a bit in the adjacent neighborhood while the tire was being plugged, and was so pleased to see my first ever, Eastern Bluebird!

Sure enough there was something in the tire; before long it was fixed, leaving us with time to explore the downtown which is on both sides of Hwy 27. There are several murals depicting the area's history, 

and the one below giving a nod to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the nearby Little White House.

We spent some time in a neat bike shop that opened just before the pandemic struck, where Bruce gave some serious thought to this neat bike rack, imagining it in the second bedroom Fortunately, clearer minds prevailed. Perhaps I should say more practical minds?

The bike store was just past this adorable restaurant that was open before the pandemic and is now closed because of it. Seriously, a Hallmark movie type town.

Most of our time was spent in a super neat gallery with mostly local art. Coming home with some great finds, Bruce had to use his superior packing skills to find a spot in our already full Subaru.

After lunch, Bruce decided he needed to head back to town for a small hatchet, so I went on, first a hike amongst the woods where the red clay of Georgia was very evident.

Hopping on my bicycle, I rode around the lake, stopping at the boat rental place where they have these super cute pedal boats.

Can you imagine how beautiful this scene must be right about now when the leaves are changing?

While it would have been nice to be there in the second week of October, not only would reservations have been next to impossible to get, especially lakeside, but the larger truth is, I could not wait another minute to go somewhere!! 

Back at the campsite, Bruce puts the newly purchased hatchet to work.

With plenty of time to plan and cook, unlike the previous night, I sliced a huge potato, along with an onion. using the camp oven (thanks Fallon!) to cook them, while Bruce prepared the fire for our steak. I'd brought along some corn as well.

You might notice that little teepee looking thing on the table and that is a mesh tent to go over outdoor food which was put to use for the first time and worked beautifully. 

One thing that kept this site from being absolutely perfect was the bathroom proximity. Generally that is a priority when booking a site because we are tent campers. A silver lining for us is that because the majority of folks in the state parks are camping in RVs, the bathrooms are underutilized, especially important as we do our best to minimize the risk of Covid-19. At any rate, the bath house in section one, where we were located, was under renovation, meaning I had to walk a fair ways up a hill to get to the section two bathhouse. Not a deal breaker, however, when one gets up in the morning, being closer has some real advantages! Following the rain, the weather was cool and dry, with temperatures in the middle 50's overnight, the first time we have had the good fortune to use more than a sheet as a cover in at least six months. Hallelujah! 

Night fell and the nearly full Harvest Moon rose in the sky, somewhat obliterating my beloved stargazing, but that was okay because the moonlight was pretty great. There will be other camping trips when stargazing is on the agenda, or so I hope!!

your friend,

Gail