Rain, Rain Go Away!

 Before I begin this installment of Camera Crazy, let me just say thank you to any and all who find this little spot on the web enjoyable enough to keep coming back. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support. Facebook, being the primary way that I promote this blog, has let me down again. For whatever reason, my last post has been blocked from most people's eyes, the second time this has occurred in the last month. I had a lot to say in that post, including a retraction so I was hoping all the faithful would have easy access to it. Four times I've tried, each time, seemingly without success. So, HERE is a link to my story about Blakely, GA and I think you will find some of the stuff fascinating. I suppose the moral of the story is that if you want to continue reading, perhaps subscribing is the way to go? I think it is relatively easy to click on the provided space at the very top right hand corner of the blog. 

Okie dokie, here's something else unrelated----

Me: Siri, call Fields Appliance Repair

Siri: Are you sure you want to call them, they only have a 2.5 star review.

Me: Unfortunately Siri, I have no other choice.

The above exchange happened a week ago Monday and I hung up with the customary frustration. Making a long story short, Bruce had three calls going to Whirlpool at once, hoping someone would answer at one of the numbers. He left sporting his earphones, while the house phone continued on hold for 38 minutes. Meanwhile, I'm in the kitchen preparing a stew and a woman named Connie finally answered and not only did she answer but she was empathetic as well.  Both of us told our sob story and we both finally got somewhere. The control panel with motherboard is on it's way!! Nine weeks later and if all goes according to plan, I will be back in business next Tuesday. What a saga.

Now we are ready to return to Kolomoki Mounds State Park. More rain overnight and in the morning, leaving our tent soaked outside but dry inside. Yeah for our Core Tent.

Eventually we were able to get out and about a bit, riding our bikes over to the plaza where the major mounds are to be found. 

The largest one,  called the Temple Mound is, according to this information, 56 feet tall.  We climbed the stairs up,

where the view of the entire area, once home to several Native American cultures which is explained in the link above. The statistic about how many pails of dirt it must have taken to make this mound is down right astonishing. Anyway, the view from the top is unimpeded by trees.

What goes up, must come down.

By the way, we both credited our incessant pickleball playing to being able to do this with relative ease. Relative being the operative word! Back at the campground, Bruce is chatting with a fellow fisherman.

I wish I'd gotten all this down quicker because things are blurring, but let's see if I can get this straight. 

One night we grilled steak, a first for us and although I would have liked to keep the corn on the cob intact, I'm not great at that so I cut it off the cob and fried it instead.

How there are no flies is a mystery! 

A campfire is one of the reasons to go camping, even though it was only for looks as it was still very warm outside. 

So, because it was warm, we were sitting at the picnic table, playing cards when all of a sudden I cried out as an animal was in our midst!! No, my friends, it was not a scary animal at all, but a black Labrador Retriever who came to visit. Because it was so dark outside, you can imagine my initial confusion! To make a long story short, the dog was reunited with its owner after some detective work by Bruce. If you can imagine, he lives 1.5 miles away!!

The next morning Bruce concocted more shelter from the rain using sticks he found and one of the tarps that came with our shade shelter.

Breakfast is served.

Most of that day Bruce was fishing while I was reading a fantastic book I picked up from the onsite "little library", Thunderstruck by Erik Larsen.  My gosh that book is interesting. 

In an effort to diminish the fly presence I took to Google, finding the suggestion of putting out some soap in a dish that would attract them. While I did that and caught a few, the dishwater from lunch caught even larger bugs! Yikes!!Bruce is chatting with the young Dad I mentioned in my first post about this trip.Oh how I wish we'd had some sunshine! By now, later in the week, other folks began arriving, with groups on either side of us. It was nearly dinnertime when I noticed the sky looking super weird with almost a brown cast to it. I called out--watch that sky because they had their backs to it and I was fearful of a tornado.Before long the thunderheads gathered,followed by a torrential storm. Our tent remained dry, in spite of pooling water all around it,and after about an hour, it quit. I'd begun cooking before the deluge and we ate under our canopy, in spite of a few drops of water that managed to drip on us. 

Ever the handy guy, Bruce still managed to get a fire going, wet wood be damned!Our last night sleeping under the stars was dry after the downpour with no rain predicted for the morrow. Finally!

With Thanksgiving just days away, although there will be no cooking going on in this house, we do plan to meet up with our immediate family for dessert down at the pool. Not the same as most years, but what is in 2020?? Still there is much to be thankful for, beginning with you and all of our family and friends. Secondly, we only know two people who have been ill, so that is something to be grateful for. May all who read this remain healthy and strong and find something to be thankful for as we celebrate in the time of Covid-19.

your friend,

Gail