No, We're Not in Florida Anymore.

I know, I've been neglecting my documentation of our travels. My creative energies are being channeled into my interior design fantasies. Apologies offered. I'll do a quick update now. This Spring and Summer are all about friends, family, and future too I guess.

Our last stop in Florida was a very stimulating one in Jacksonville, where I dashed around madly trying to visit all the furniture stores to feed my fantasies and determine which ones will be most useful when we come back to Jekyll Island in the Fall.  Jekyll is about halfway between Jacksonville and Savannah, both of which have more furniture and interior decor stores than can be found closer. Furniture Mart will be my lead provider I think, with the local Jacksonville West Elm and Ballard Design stores in supporting roles. Brunswick also has Sweats, a nice but small furniture store, which will be a great local resource.

Then we parked at Coastal Georgia RV Resort in Brunswick and spent the week gazing longingly at the construction site where our townhouse will be. We also walked the beaches on Jekyll Island every day and explored the local territory, including St. Simons Island. From the Jekyll beaches we viewed porpoises and manatee in the shallow waters, enjoyed the deep green shade of the oaks, and basked in the relaxing atmosphere of the Island. What a beautiful place Jekyll is. Even more beautiful than we remembered. We're still feeling really good about our decision to live there.

After a too short and wonderful week with our family (Hi Bob, Caroline, Catherine, Will, Sarah, Cathy, Jess and Michael!) in Mount Pleasant, SC we started making some serious headway northward.  For us that still means moving only about 2 hours on travel days, and spending a couple of days at each stop.  

In our slow and steady style we actually made it through South Carolina and North Carolina, into Tennessee, and stopped for a week at the tidy Two Rivers Landing RV Resort in Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains. While there, we revisited our favorite spots in the National Park, perused the hugely comprehensive Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and had a lovely visit with Rick's old friends, Bob and Barb from Louisville.

On through Tennessee, Kentucky and into Ohio, we stopped for a great visit with our new friends Barb and Phil, in Mount Vernon, OH. They were kind and generous to let us stay in their home over the Memorial Day Weekend. What a blessing it was to get a break from the crowds and expense we would have encountered in an RV park on this holiday. And Phil and Barb are just so much fun to be with. We explored all around the beautiful Ohio countryside, including Granville, where I went to college and where Rick's great grandfather was a pastor and president of a local women's college (predating Denison University, my alma mater).  Granville is still such an idyllic little town, and I think Ohio is just about the most beautiful state in the country. Thanks Phil and Barb for showing us around your home state!

After a few of more quick stops in pastoral Ohio, the northwest corner of Pennsylvania and western NY, we've landed in apple country north of the Finger Lakes for a week to catch our breath from all this hard ramblin'.  : )  Right now we're at NorWin Campground and Fruit Farm, kind of an unusual stop for us. The large campground of primarily summer homes/trailers of local folks, is surrounded on all sides by a beautiful farm, with fruit orchards, corn fields and goat pastures. Our hosts couldn't have been nicer, and found us, on short notice, a pull-through spot with an open sky so we could use our satellite. We'll get both cars serviced, clean house, do a lot of laundry and let Honey run through the orchards.

We'll be in New England very soon for some long awaited visits with many dear people who we love and have missed. Our travels will peak at Acadia National Park, then we start the long trip back south, stopping in New Hampshire and Vermont for a couple of weddings and a visit with my son Mark. Lots to look forward to.

P.S. Sorry, no photos. There is something bad going on between Picasa (Google's photo program) and Blogger (Google's blogging program). I'm not feeling hopeful about where it's going, so the future of this blog is in question. I'm very tempted to bad mouth Google, which has basically abandoned Picasa users, and may be planning the same for Blogger.

Boone Hall Plantation: Mount Pleasant, SC

This December we've returned to Mount Pleasant, SC to visit with family for the holidays. We're staying at the KOA, which has made some improvements since we stayed two years ago, most importanly (to us) a new dog park.  Although we've done lots of sightseeing in Mount Pleasant/Charleston in previous years, we never got to Boone Hall Plantation, one of the most popular historic destinations in the area.

The 88 live oak lined entrance to Boone Hall

The admission fee to Boone Hall covers a guided house tour, tram tour, self-guided walking tour of grounds, gardens, cotton dock and slave quarters, butterfly garden and access to the Butterfly Cafe. It easily takes at least half a day.

As we drove down the 88 tree, 3/4 mile live oak lined entrance road, we stopped  to take a picture and noted that we were standing on an old brick bridge over an unusually deep canal. Later we learned that the canal was dug during the Civil War as an effort to detain the advance of Union troops into Charleston. We also learned that the bricks had been made right at Boone Hall Plantation brickyard. 

If you love history, you'll love visiting Boone Hall. Originally a British land grant to John Boone in 1681, it has been a working plantation ever since! It's ownership has changed many times, from John Boone, to a Russian prince, to the current McRae family and others. 

The plantation house and serpentine wall

Its source of income has also changed many times: from rice, cotton, bricks and pecans to peaches, vegetables, tourism and special events.  No cotton any more due to the infestation of the boll weevil along the coast.

As we waited for the noon house tour we walked through the gardens, which were being changed over to their winter annuals. 

However, beautiful pink and white camellia bushes, unique to these semi-tropical climes, were blooming along the garden paths.  

We had just enough time to wander along the creek and visit the smokehouse.  At 250 years, the smokehouse is one of the oldest structures on the plantation.

Praise house and serpentine wall

After walking along the serpentine wall (invented by Thomas Jefferson) we headed back to the big house for the tour.

Our tour guide was entertaining and informative as she took us through the downstairs of the period antique furnished house, where no pictures were allowed. They were in the process of decorating for Christmas with hundreds of poinsettias and a couple of trees in every room, each one decorated uniquely. One was decorated completely with cotton balls right off the bush (surprisingly effective) and another with woven sweet grass ornaments.  This house is not the original Boone home; it is actually the fourth building on the site, the others having been lost to fire and or torn down for this new structure by Thomas Stone in the early 20th century designed after the traditional southern plantation style.

After the tour we made our way back to the row of brick slave cabins along the oak avenue. Typically the slave houses are placed in back where visiting guests wouldn't see them, but historians guess that this land was the only acreage on the plantation that was not farmable because it flooded regularly with salt water. So they built the slave cabins there. 

Each of about eight cabins has a display inside with either an audio or visual recording explaining the display. The first house was described as the "praise house" where slaves were allowed to worship separately from their white owners and overseers.   Music, audio description, mannequins and informative plaques explained the history of worship tradition among the slaves, as well as notable spiritual leaders of the time. Other cabins housed displays about dimensions of slave life, emancipation, archeology, agriculture, etc.

Sweet grass baskets are still a highly prized traditional craft of the local Gullah people and are sold along Rt. 17 in Mount Pleasant. Here too a local artisan sells her baskets and explains about the art form.

Sweet grass basket detail

A local historian was available to answer questions and expound on topics of his choosing outside  one of the cabins. 

These houses are not in their original condition, as they were destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. They are constructed of the same bricks, which were made in the plantation brickyard. The tile roofs replaced the original wood. 

Another building on the plantation that was seriously damaged by Hurricane Hugo is the cotton gin. As most readers will know, the cotton gin (short for engine) revolutionized cotton production by providing a fast and efficient method of processing the cotton after picking. The large buildings that house the gin are also called gins. There are still many modern gins in operation throughout the south.  This gin had been used as a gift shop and restaurant until the hurricane almost destroyed it. Now it is braced and waiting for a planned multi-million dollar renovation.

We finished our visit with a chilly open air tram tour around agricultural fields of the plantation. Our guide told us more about the history and current use of the plantation. We drove through peach orchards and strawberry fields (that will be ripe in two weeks!). Produce from the farm is sold locally to agricultural cooperatives.

As Christmas approaches our family activities intensify. We'll be visiting, dining out, shopping, having meals at one another's homes, baking cookings, and dancing. There's a nice contradance in North Charleston and one of our nieces is an avid ballroom dancer. We've promised to attend her dance if she'll attend ours, so we anticipate even more dancing and holiday fun.

The Mission Mountain Rodeo

It's getting to that time of year when family oriented community events rule the local calendar. We're in Polson, Montana for the month, at Eagle Nest RV Resort. We've been looking forward to returning here for four years. It was one of our first destinations when we began full-timing. It's also another place with western family connections for me. We used to come visit my grandparents on my mother's side when they lived in an Airstream, in nearby Big Arm, on the shores of beautiful Flathead Lake.  I fell in love with the lake then, 40 years ago, and it hasn't changed much. It even still smells the same.

Jack was a fisherman

Eagle Nest is a lovely park with lots of shade provided by beautiful blue spruce trees, green grass between all the sites, a small pool and hot tub, playground, pickle ball courts, well-equipped exercise room, super clean bathrooms and laundry rooms, recycling, plenty of green space for dog-walking (though no fenced dog area) and an all-park happy hour every day. It's run extremely well by folks who really seem to care about their park and are always making improvements. The sites are probably a little close together for some folk's tastes, but not right on top of each other either. The park is on the edge of town, close to Safeway, but surrounded on three sides by green space (golf course, horse pasture and cherry orchards) and a small residential area on the fourth, so it's quiet.  Great views.

Every July 4th they host a BBQ potluck picnic followed by fireworks, but this year the fireworks are cancelled because of a county wide ban due to the extreme dryness.  They sell a lot of fireworks around here, and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people with fireworks stored until New Years I guess.

The town of Polson however will set off their annual fireworks by the lake, with the support of the town fire department. There'll be a parade and other local celebrations.  There's a powwow in nearby Arlee that we may get too as well. But last weekend was the Mission Mountain Rodeo. I love these small local rodeos, especially because they are more about family and community than about national competition. 

The rodeo began with events for the local kids. First there was sheep riding for little guys and girls as young as two!!!  Let me tell you, there was some anticipation in the crowd waiting for those kids to show their stuff.  

The young man in the center picture was last year's sheep riding champ.

Don't they look like a docile bunch?

It took a lot of help and time to get each kid geared up and safely on a sheep.

The boy on the right is a rodeo clown in training.

And they didn't stay on too long...

The two year old stayed on long enough to get out the "buckin' chute," but just barely. 

He was fine, just lying there trying to figure out what happened. 

Next came the mini-bull riding for teens. They did a little better.

You can see how many people are involved in these events, keeping the people and animals safe.

Finally came the adult events, including bareback riding of bucking horses and bulls.  This was one of the longest rides of the evening, measured only in seconds.

The last events we watched were various kinds of roping and wrestling feats.

It's a long program. The locals have got a lot of passion for these events and for the people involved,  (many of whom are local contestants) and that along with plenty of cold beer got everyone through the hot evening.

We'll be here in Polson for a few more weeks. We're kind of taking it easy on this rare monthly stay, but we're still seeing and doing plenty around this gorgeous part of the world.

Father Memories in Wyoming

While we were in Wyoming I was feeling kind of down - but didn't know why. Duh. Fathers' Day helped me realize why. Wyoming was my father's home until he went away to college (Denver University) and then married my mother and moved to New York City, where I was born. He passed away almost 20 years ago, and being in Cheyenne, his home town, seeing his childhood home reminded me how much I miss him.  (I think I was also avoiding writing a blog post about Cheyenne for the same reason.)

As we did in Colorado, we searched for the old family home. My father's house was less than a block away from the Wyoming State Capitol building in Cheyenne, and was pretty easy to find.

 2015

My father's home circa 1945

Unlike the Roy A. Davis home in Colorado Springs, this modest home had not been lovingly cared for over the years, and had lost much of its original character in the process of modernization with vinyl siding and new windows.  I remember small but well tended flower beds and planters around the house, but those are gone.  Here's my dad standing in front of the house...

Circa 1960?

Cool duds huh? This picture was probably taken on Frontier Days in Cheyenne - the biggest rodeo in the west. I don't think my dad would be caught dead in a cowboy outfit at any other time, but I could be wrong.  I knew him when he was a city guy. 

Just to trace the father line back a bit further, here's a picture of my paternal grandfather, holding my dad in their backyard in Cheyenne...

...and another of Grandfather and my dad, with Grandmother looking on lovingly. What a lucky baby.

Those of us who have, or have had loving fathers in our lives are so fortunate. 

They pass on so many things. In my case, a sense of adventure, for one. When I travelled to France as a teenager my father taught me one phrase, that translated as "I am never lost." So true. He passed that feeling on to me.

He gave me a sense of stability and security. I knew I could always turn and return to him.

He conveyed an appreciation for, and skills in the arts, music, writing - all aspects of culture.

Me playing the autoharp and singing with my father

What a blessing that he lived long enough to pass those things on to my son as well.

My mother and father, with my newborn son.

My father and his grandson playing music together.

Happy Fathers' Day Dad.  I love you. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Colorado Springs and Roots Report

It's been almost a week since we arrived at Cheyenne Mountain State Park outside of Colorado Springs, and it's been a whopper of a weather week. Fellow full timers and bloggers Hans and Lisa, of Metamorphosis Road are here too and they just did a great job of summarizing and describing, so I'll refer readers to their post, appropriately entitled Wet and Wild and Beautiful.

Rick, Lenore, Lisa and Hans at Bristol Brewery

We've had lots of rain, thunder and lightning, wind, hail, snow and clouds for our week here. 

The trails have been a little too muddy to hike much. The mud here is clay-like - thick and sticky. Within minutes you've got an extra pair of heavy clay boots. Some of the higher trails are not too bad.

We never know what we're going to wake up to next. 

Some mornings we even see Cheyenne Mountain above us.  (Yes, it's the location of the fictional Cheyenne Mountain as in Stargate and the actual Cheyenne Mountain as in NORAD.)

We try not to let weather change our plans too much, so we put on our Alaska gear and did some sightseeing. One stop was the Garden of the Gods, just outside of Colorado Springs.

The park is free, dog friendly, and heavily visited. We had a hard time finding any parking even with the volatile weather.

Rain and hail started just as we were leaving. 

The Western Roots Report

My great aunt Lula and great uncle Roy Davis (on my mother's side) lived in Colorado Springs for many years, so it was one of those places we visited on our family summer road trips out west. I knew that they lived on Tejon St. but had only a general recollection of what their home looked like. I remembered it as a three story Victorian home, with a porch, some typical architectural detail and a side driveway. I recalled the back yard distinctly, having played in it a lot, but wouldn't be able to see that from the road.  We drove up and down Tejon St. one day, but I couldn't identify the house.

After doing some research online I found a website about the Old North End Neighborhood with a list of historic homes. The Roy A. Davis Home was one of them, and it gave the exact address! So on our next trip down Tejon St. we found the house.

It was just as I remembered it, once I saw it.  The Old North End Neighborhood has been preserved beautifully. The inside of this house was what I remembered most vividly though. It had been dark, and decorated in typical Victorian style with velvet upholstery; heavy, carved wood furniture; Oriental rugs; and fringes on the lamps. The most remarkable room in the house was Uncle Roy's library. He was a hunter, forged in the image of Teddy Roosevelt.  His library was filled from floor to ceiling with animals that he had shot. I believe there was every mammal and large bird in North America somewhere in that house, and most were crammed into that spooky library. There was even a bald eagle soaring frighteningly over the main staircase.

Roy A Davis

My Aunt Lula was a social worker, and did disaster relief work for the Red Cross.  I believe these pictures of her might have been from somewhere in the South after a flood. 

"On a wrecked beach where all kinds of wreckage washed up" - Lula Hall

Lula Bob Hall, circa 1914

Lula Bob Hall, circa 1914

I also found an article online from the Colorado Springs Gazette, 1967, that announced a civic citizenship award presented to Roy A. Davis for his contribution to the community over the years. He apparently was a member of the Colorado legislature, belonged to all the local clubs (Rotary, Elks, Old Fellows, etc.) and was a great promoter of social welfare programs. I imagine Lula and Roy may have met through their community welfare work. 

But this is how I remembered Aunt Lula and Uncle Roy from our visits to Colorado Springs.

Lula and Roy Davis, circa 1960, Colorado

Next I'll report just one more sightseeing visit here before we move to the Denver area, if it hasn't been washed away in the rain and flooding they've been having.

For now I'll close with this nice picture that Metamorphosis Lisa took of us after dinner.  Thanks Lisa!