Up around 7 a.m., but skipped my exercises so Hubbie and I could take a vehicle downtown to leave on a parking lot facing the river festival parade route. He drove the truck, and I drove the van.
The parking lot was nearly full, thanks to a marathon in progress down Main Street. Fortunately, though, there was one strategically located space open...great vantage point for viewing the parade from the van.
Back home, we had breakfast, and I finished getting ready for the day. Earlier, I worried that Mother would not be able to lift herself into the truck for the ride downtown around 9:30, but she tried it and was fine.
It was a very pleasant morning for a parade...temp in the high 80s...with a bit of a cool breeze. The parade lasted about an hour and featured the usual contingent of blaring emergency vehicles, beauty queens, and politicians. Our state governor graced us today, as did congressman up for re-election. Campaign staff worked the crowd, handing out fans, bottles of water, canned soft drinks, and even Popsicles (Mother would have like one of these cold treats, but we weren't close enough to get one).
A large float, sponsored by a local bank, featured a giant head and shoulders inflatable Shrek figure and other Shrek movie paraphrenalia. Our area's Miss (our state) winner and her court rode on it. Striking float, but didn't seem quite right for royalty. Maybe I missed the point.
The theme of the parade was River Monster, in honor of a supposed monster spotted in the river at a nearby town in the 1930s. Several businesses mounted "Nessie" type monsters on their vehicles, the best of which was created around the van of our local newspaper. The head of the monster moved, the jaws chomped, and at intervals, it opened its mouth and sprayed water on the crowd.
One red vehicle had a red calliope with brass whistles mounted in the back that played circus/carousel/riverboat music that delighted the crowd.
Happily, we were positioned just right to see high school steppersfrom two schools perform their routines. One group used stylized American flags in a patriotic music routine.
The local Humane Society paraded several dogs that were up for adoption at half price today. In this slow economy, it's harder and harder to find homes for these animals.
A large group marched or rode in a truck bed holding bright orange signs encouraging citizens to vote for a tax that will fund a community center/sports complex. Folks cheered them as they passed. Later, a much smaller group of Tea Party supporters carried signs in opposition to the tax. One person cheered them. This gives me hope that the proposal will pass.
Orange "vote yes" signs are everywhere in people's yards, and the local newspaper has published several long articles and advertisements outlining the proposal and answering questions about it. Thursday's paper featured a full page ad promoting the proposal, including photos of groups in favor of it. Hubbie and I are featured in the community theater photo.
Around 11 a.m., a group of African American horseback riders signaled the end of the parade.
Back home after lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands. First, we went to a town about fifteen minutes away to our favorite watermelon farmer. Bought two melons, plus a container of peaches. We've really been eating a lot of peaches and have already almost eaten all we bought while we were at the grape festival.
From there, we went to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals. Our WDCS is remodeling, so currrently the deli is closed, which means that we had to go to a grocery store for deli turkey. There has been such a run on the grocery store deli, though, that their meat supply is running low. But we did get a pound of two different kinds of turkey...hickory smoked and honey cured.
It's hard to find anything at the WDCS right now, since everything is being moved to new locations. The shoe department that used to be at the back of the store is now right up front. The photo department is where the order pickup had been.
One good thing about the remodeling is that the store has replaced all it's old wobbly carts with new ones. Won't be long, though, before these carts are abused into wobbliness, too.
While we were gone, Mother napped at our house. She woke up at 4 a.m., so she was pretty drowsy all day.
For supper, we had leftover beef stroganoff. Afterward, Mother and I toured the garden. She noticed several bell peppers ready to pick, as well as a few tomatoes. There is also some sort of vine growing in the garden, with a melon-looking fruit hanging from it. We don't know what it is, but it is probaby a gourd. In the zinnia garden, a butternut squash vine is growing with two squashes on it.
After I accompanied Mother home, Hubbie and settled in to watch TV. Tonight, we saw a Lifetime Movie Network movie called, "An American Affair." This is a 1997 film starring Corbin Berson. A district attorney has affairs with two friends. One gets pregnant, and though he doesn't want to, he marries her. She loses the baby. He has sex with the friend, against her will, while she is in a drunken state. In the meantime, he is busy blackmailing a cop to get him to frame a senator's son to further his own career. Throw in paranormal activities, and a shooting, and lots of strange stuff happens.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, August 6
First week of August almost over already! Time flies. Guess we won't miss August, though, if it proves to be as hot as July was. It was cooler today, with temp in the low 90s, instead of 100s. Other parts of the state got rain today. We, however, did not. Boo.
Up around 7 a.m., and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. It was sort of a goof-off day after that, though. I accompanied Mother to our house around 10:30. She caught up-to-date on emails, blogs, and family goings-on at the social network site.
After lunch, she worked puzzles and napped, while I ironed a few clothes, and then organized our rubber stamps by category, so we won't have to go through every one of them every time we want to make greeting cards. All of our scrapbooking and greeting card making materials need to be organized, and I might get after that in the next few days while we don't have other projects scheduled.
For supper, I made a quadruple batch of whole wheat pancakes, using sour milk that Mother provided. The milk had soured while we were on our trip last week. I always make a quadruple batch of pancakes...some to eat the day we make them, and some to freeze for future meals.
For a change, we didn't run errands today...at least I didn't. Hubbie, though, did go get small propane tanks filled for the barbecue grill and the camper.
Spent the evening as usual, watching TV.
Up around 7 a.m., and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. It was sort of a goof-off day after that, though. I accompanied Mother to our house around 10:30. She caught up-to-date on emails, blogs, and family goings-on at the social network site.
After lunch, she worked puzzles and napped, while I ironed a few clothes, and then organized our rubber stamps by category, so we won't have to go through every one of them every time we want to make greeting cards. All of our scrapbooking and greeting card making materials need to be organized, and I might get after that in the next few days while we don't have other projects scheduled.
For supper, I made a quadruple batch of whole wheat pancakes, using sour milk that Mother provided. The milk had soured while we were on our trip last week. I always make a quadruple batch of pancakes...some to eat the day we make them, and some to freeze for future meals.
For a change, we didn't run errands today...at least I didn't. Hubbie, though, did go get small propane tanks filled for the barbecue grill and the camper.
Spent the evening as usual, watching TV.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thursday, August 5
Up around 7:30 this morning, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast.
We had a pretty lazy day for a change, and I needed it after the past several very active weeks. After I was ready for the day, Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands. First we stopped at one of the stores that has a sale every weekend, where I searched for a shirt to wear to an upcoming event. I found an orange cotton one on sale that I could use a 20% off coupon on. Got the shirt for about $13.
From there, we went to the everything's a dollar store, where I found several rubber cute rubber stamps. Then we went to the WDCS for a few grocery items.
Back home, after lunch, we whiled the afternoon away watching a movie I'd recorded on DVR. Mother stayed home today, though I visited her this morning. We'd got a call from her urologist, who said that except for a little constipation, her CT scan showed no problem. Constipation? What did constipation have to do with her kidneys, I wondered? When I relayed this information to Mother, she said that she guessed the scan showed more than just the kidneys, but that the stated problem had cured itself today.
Later, Hubbie did the honors of grilling steaks, which we had with baked potatoes and salad, and of course wine from our recent trip. Then it was an evening of TV, as usual.
Tonight, we saw a movie called, "The Uninvited," a 2009, PG-13, film about a teenage girl who is released from a mental hospital after being treated following the death of her ill mother in a horrific fire. She and her sister suspect the mother's nurse, who the father has taken into the home as his lover. The girl keeps seeing the ghost of her mother, who points at the woman and screams "Murder!"
We had a pretty lazy day for a change, and I needed it after the past several very active weeks. After I was ready for the day, Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands. First we stopped at one of the stores that has a sale every weekend, where I searched for a shirt to wear to an upcoming event. I found an orange cotton one on sale that I could use a 20% off coupon on. Got the shirt for about $13.
From there, we went to the everything's a dollar store, where I found several rubber cute rubber stamps. Then we went to the WDCS for a few grocery items.
Back home, after lunch, we whiled the afternoon away watching a movie I'd recorded on DVR. Mother stayed home today, though I visited her this morning. We'd got a call from her urologist, who said that except for a little constipation, her CT scan showed no problem. Constipation? What did constipation have to do with her kidneys, I wondered? When I relayed this information to Mother, she said that she guessed the scan showed more than just the kidneys, but that the stated problem had cured itself today.
Later, Hubbie did the honors of grilling steaks, which we had with baked potatoes and salad, and of course wine from our recent trip. Then it was an evening of TV, as usual.
Tonight, we saw a movie called, "The Uninvited," a 2009, PG-13, film about a teenage girl who is released from a mental hospital after being treated following the death of her ill mother in a horrific fire. She and her sister suspect the mother's nurse, who the father has taken into the home as his lover. The girl keeps seeing the ghost of her mother, who points at the woman and screams "Murder!"
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wednesday, August 4
Up around 7 a.m., and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. Once I was ready for the day, I accompanied Mother to our house.
We only ran a couple of errands this morning...to the bookstore to pick up the crafts that had been misplaced during the fair. One was a screen door Christmas card, and the other was a beaded Christmas ornament. The card, one of my entries, had a note from the judge that it had been considered for Best of Show.
After the bookstore, we went to the WDCS, where I picked up snapshots of our recent grape festival trip. Also picked up a few household items.
Back home, Mother had bagged grape tomatoes for the freezer, and cut up round steak for a beef stroganoff supper. We had that with sides of spinach and English peas (spinach for Hubbie and me, and peas for Mother, who doesn't like spinach).
I finished reading a stack of newspapers while loads of laundry were washing. Then I gathered clusters of purple and green grapes brought home from the festival, as well as both regular and grape tomatoes from our garden, for a thank-you basket for our neighbor who takes care of our cats and waters our gardens while we are gone. I also made a thank-you card on the computer, using a photo of Mother holding a basket of grape tomatoes. Around 2 p.m., Hubbie and I took the basket to the neighbor and visited for a while.
Relaxed after that, and then after supper, I accompanied Mother back to her house. Later, Hubbie and I went to the movie theater to see "Inception." There were only two other people in the theater with us.
Movie plot: technology allows people to enter and invade dreams. Naturally, this is soon seen as a way to steal corporate secrets. The main character (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a master "extractor," of secrets. So he has become a fugitive, which has cost him his family. He wants his family back, and agrees to one last job in exchange. However, his plan for his team of dream specialists could cost all of them their lives. It's rated PG-13. Long movie at two and half hours.
Incredibly hot today...temps above 100, with insufferable humidity. My heart goes out to those without air conditioning, or who have to work in this heat. I'm not sure what coaches are thinking, though, who feel the necessity for football practice in this brutal heat.
We only ran a couple of errands this morning...to the bookstore to pick up the crafts that had been misplaced during the fair. One was a screen door Christmas card, and the other was a beaded Christmas ornament. The card, one of my entries, had a note from the judge that it had been considered for Best of Show.
After the bookstore, we went to the WDCS, where I picked up snapshots of our recent grape festival trip. Also picked up a few household items.
Back home, Mother had bagged grape tomatoes for the freezer, and cut up round steak for a beef stroganoff supper. We had that with sides of spinach and English peas (spinach for Hubbie and me, and peas for Mother, who doesn't like spinach).
I finished reading a stack of newspapers while loads of laundry were washing. Then I gathered clusters of purple and green grapes brought home from the festival, as well as both regular and grape tomatoes from our garden, for a thank-you basket for our neighbor who takes care of our cats and waters our gardens while we are gone. I also made a thank-you card on the computer, using a photo of Mother holding a basket of grape tomatoes. Around 2 p.m., Hubbie and I took the basket to the neighbor and visited for a while.
Relaxed after that, and then after supper, I accompanied Mother back to her house. Later, Hubbie and I went to the movie theater to see "Inception." There were only two other people in the theater with us.
Movie plot: technology allows people to enter and invade dreams. Naturally, this is soon seen as a way to steal corporate secrets. The main character (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a master "extractor," of secrets. So he has become a fugitive, which has cost him his family. He wants his family back, and agrees to one last job in exchange. However, his plan for his team of dream specialists could cost all of them their lives. It's rated PG-13. Long movie at two and half hours.
Incredibly hot today...temps above 100, with insufferable humidity. My heart goes out to those without air conditioning, or who have to work in this heat. I'm not sure what coaches are thinking, though, who feel the necessity for football practice in this brutal heat.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 2
Up at our usual 7 a.m. hour, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast.
Today, Mother had an 11 a.m. appointment with the urologist, so by the time I was ready for the day, it was time to leave for the clinic. Fortunately, we weren't kept waiting long before she was called back for a CT scan about 15 minutes earlier than her appointment time. It didn't take long for the scan, so we were back home by about 11:15.
Because she was given a relaxant, Mother was a little zoned when we got back home. Also, her arms were sore from having to hold them over her head for the duration of the scan. So she napped while Hubbie and I ran a few errands again...back to the pharmacy to pick up meds for Mother, and then to a new grocery store that opened while we were on our trip.
We wanted to see if their prices are competitive with the WDCS and other grocery stores. They are competitive with other grocery stores, but not with the WDCS. They do have a gas station attached to the store, and this month they are giving cents off for buying certain products. However, their normal gas prices aren't as low as the station at the WDCS, and the products consumers have to buy for the cents off deal are higher than at the WDCS. Since the store is farther away from our house than the WDCS, it wouldn't make sense to travel out there for a few cents difference in gas prices.
At the store, we picked up a few loss-leader grocery items, including zucchini for our supper tonight. Back home, Mother helped cut up the zucchini, plus yellow squash that I picked yesterday. I cut up onions, and Hubbie washed and cut red potatoes. Then I put all the vegetables in the steamer.
After supper, we indulged in a dessert of fresh peaches and ice cream. Then I accompanied Mother home.
Later, Hubbie and I watched a David Garrett concert that I'd recorded on DVR from public channel. I taped the show for Mother. We both really enjoy this vastly talented artist, whose rock symphonies include classical music to an upbeat tempo, as well as contemporary music.
The heat is astounding...it so hard to breath that it feels like we need to cut the humid air in chunks and stuff it down our throats.
Today, Mother had an 11 a.m. appointment with the urologist, so by the time I was ready for the day, it was time to leave for the clinic. Fortunately, we weren't kept waiting long before she was called back for a CT scan about 15 minutes earlier than her appointment time. It didn't take long for the scan, so we were back home by about 11:15.
Because she was given a relaxant, Mother was a little zoned when we got back home. Also, her arms were sore from having to hold them over her head for the duration of the scan. So she napped while Hubbie and I ran a few errands again...back to the pharmacy to pick up meds for Mother, and then to a new grocery store that opened while we were on our trip.
We wanted to see if their prices are competitive with the WDCS and other grocery stores. They are competitive with other grocery stores, but not with the WDCS. They do have a gas station attached to the store, and this month they are giving cents off for buying certain products. However, their normal gas prices aren't as low as the station at the WDCS, and the products consumers have to buy for the cents off deal are higher than at the WDCS. Since the store is farther away from our house than the WDCS, it wouldn't make sense to travel out there for a few cents difference in gas prices.
At the store, we picked up a few loss-leader grocery items, including zucchini for our supper tonight. Back home, Mother helped cut up the zucchini, plus yellow squash that I picked yesterday. I cut up onions, and Hubbie washed and cut red potatoes. Then I put all the vegetables in the steamer.
After supper, we indulged in a dessert of fresh peaches and ice cream. Then I accompanied Mother home.
Later, Hubbie and I watched a David Garrett concert that I'd recorded on DVR from public channel. I taped the show for Mother. We both really enjoy this vastly talented artist, whose rock symphonies include classical music to an upbeat tempo, as well as contemporary music.
The heat is astounding...it so hard to breath that it feels like we need to cut the humid air in chunks and stuff it down our throats.
Monday, August 1
HOT!! Record-breaking temperatures are causing us to swelter here in the south. Needless to say (though I'm going to say it anyway), since there was no air conditioning, I skipped my exercises this morning.
The first thing Hubbie did was call the air conditioner repairman, who said he would come as soon as possible. He arrived around 10 a.m., added Freon to the unit and washed the coils, which solved the problem, thank goodness.
In the meantime, I spruced the house, because our pest control guy was supposed to come sometime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thankfully, the house, though warm, was tolerable this early in the morning.
When the bug man hadn't arrived by 1 p.m., Hubbie and I ran errands. Mother was here should the bug man come while we were gone. And he did, just minutes after we left.
We started our rounds by going to the bookstore downtown. While we were gone on our trip, I'd gotten a call from the woman who supervises the women's building at the fair. She said they'd found the missing Christmas card and another Christmas craft that belonged to us. So I stopped by the store to pick them up, but found the store is closed on Mondays.
So we went to the pharmacy, and to the newspaper office to pick up four back issues, then to the WDCS for groceries. Back home, we relaxed and caught up on reading the local newspapers, as well as the Sunday paper, which we hadn't had time to look at yesterday.
For supper, I got heated leftover lasagna from the freezer. Had that with cottage cheese and tomatoes from the garden. I accompanied Mother to her home afterward, and then Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV for the rest of the evening.
The first thing Hubbie did was call the air conditioner repairman, who said he would come as soon as possible. He arrived around 10 a.m., added Freon to the unit and washed the coils, which solved the problem, thank goodness.
In the meantime, I spruced the house, because our pest control guy was supposed to come sometime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thankfully, the house, though warm, was tolerable this early in the morning.
When the bug man hadn't arrived by 1 p.m., Hubbie and I ran errands. Mother was here should the bug man come while we were gone. And he did, just minutes after we left.
We started our rounds by going to the bookstore downtown. While we were gone on our trip, I'd gotten a call from the woman who supervises the women's building at the fair. She said they'd found the missing Christmas card and another Christmas craft that belonged to us. So I stopped by the store to pick them up, but found the store is closed on Mondays.
So we went to the pharmacy, and to the newspaper office to pick up four back issues, then to the WDCS for groceries. Back home, we relaxed and caught up on reading the local newspapers, as well as the Sunday paper, which we hadn't had time to look at yesterday.
For supper, I got heated leftover lasagna from the freezer. Had that with cottage cheese and tomatoes from the garden. I accompanied Mother to her home afterward, and then Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV for the rest of the evening.
Camping Trip, Day Five, July 31
Sunday, July 31: Up fairly early to get ready for the trip home. I had trouble falling asleep last night, so I had a cup of caffeinated coffee to keep me alert, since I was to drive the van. We were on the road by around 9 a.m.
Today, Mother's cat whined only a little while before settling down. It was an uneventful four and a half hour trip (with a stop for lunch), except for a time when I had to brake for traffic, and the pet carrier flipped over on its side, startling the cat. I think the cat must have been standing with paws against the side of the carrier, which unbalanced it. It's a canvas carrier that is easy to tip over. Anyway, I had to pull off the side of the road and right the carrier.
We arrived home around 2 p.m. It was extremely hot for unloading the camper, but we got it done in a couple of hours. Then we washed a bunch of loads of clothes and just generally got organized again before we had a supper of leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn and green beans.
As the afternoon wore on, we realized that our air conditioner wasn't working correctly, and the house was remaining quite warm. At bedtime, we decided to stay in the camper rather than sweat the night away in the house.
Today, Mother's cat whined only a little while before settling down. It was an uneventful four and a half hour trip (with a stop for lunch), except for a time when I had to brake for traffic, and the pet carrier flipped over on its side, startling the cat. I think the cat must have been standing with paws against the side of the carrier, which unbalanced it. It's a canvas carrier that is easy to tip over. Anyway, I had to pull off the side of the road and right the carrier.
We arrived home around 2 p.m. It was extremely hot for unloading the camper, but we got it done in a couple of hours. Then we washed a bunch of loads of clothes and just generally got organized again before we had a supper of leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn and green beans.
As the afternoon wore on, we realized that our air conditioner wasn't working correctly, and the house was remaining quite warm. At bedtime, we decided to stay in the camper rather than sweat the night away in the house.
Camping Trip, Day Four, July 30
Saturday, July 30: Got up fairly early, so we could get ready to go to the grape festival. We arrived at the festival grounds around 10 a.m., in time to listen to a polka band, watch a chicken dance, and see a grape stomp, a grape pie eating contest, and a Baccus look-alike contest.
Mother was content to sit in her wheelchair and listen to the music, while the rest of us milled around the festival and sampled wines at the various tents. When the ice cream wagon opened, I got Mother a cup of soft serve ice cream.
While she ate that, Sis and I went across the street to the museum, where it was wonderfully cool. The focal point of the museum is the display of coal mining equipment, because that was the industry of the area for many years. In fact, there is a memorial at the park that features a statue of a coal miner, and several marble monuments listing the names of coal miners, some of whom were killed in mining accidents.
The museum also had a very old slide projector and color slides of famous works of art. The projector and slide cases are wood. Very interesting.
Sis and I were both interested in a display of necklaces made of China berries. We weren't willing to pay the original $9.50 price, but we were willing to pay the sale price of $4.50. Sis bought a chocker necklace of dark pink China berries, and I bought a longer one of light pink berries.
Then we went back to the festival, and left shortly thereafter to go back to camp for lunch. While we were at the camper, the electricity went off...not a good thing in the record-breaking July heat. Hubbie tried the breakers indoors, to no avail, and then checked the outdoor breaker. That worked and the lights and air conditioning came back on. Unfortunately, the power surge fried an outlet in the bathroom.
In the afternoon, Mother decided to stay home and rest while Hubbie, Sis and I went back to the festival. I left my cell phone with Mother, in case the power went out again.
We went back to the winery that specializes in fruit wines other than grape, because I wanted to buy a particular type that I'd tasted at the festival. Inside the winery, there was a man playing a fiddle, and a little boy handing out brown paper bags of grapes for free.
We sampled a few wines and then went to another winery, where there is a room set up for wine tasting on festival days...a larger space than their regular tasting room. In the parking lot, Hubbie waited and waited for a lady standing at the open back door of her vehicle endlessy doing we know not what in the backseat. Hubbie finally decided to go ahead and edge into the empty parking space beside her. She seemed a bit surprised by his audacity, but she didn't shut her car door.
We had no sooner exited our van than Mother called to say the power had gone off again. Drat. We hurried back to the campground, hoping Mother and the animals weren't getting insufferably hot.
Hubbie went to the registration building to report the outage, and was advised that we needed to move the camper to a new spot. Great. Move the camper in 100 degree temperatures! But move it we did. First, we got Mother and the animals into the yard, and then Hubbie folded the camper, and I helped guide him into a new spot.
While this was going on, Sis said Mother was getting too hot, so I turned on the air conditioner in the van and got Mother seated in there.
By the time we got the unit moved, my face was blazing red from the heat, and I downed a glass of ice water and mopped my face with a wet cloth. I felt no adverse effects beyond being overheated, but my face sure was red.
Once we'd gotten Mother and the animals settled, we went back to the winery, where we sampled a couple of wines and a few kinds of grape juice...Mother and Daughter had requested that we buy them each a bottle of juice. I also bought a basket of white muscadine grapes.
Then it was back to the festival for a few more rounds at the winery booths (sounds like we really swilled the wine all weekend, but actually we were given only very small tastes each time).
While we were there, I took pictures of a couple of cute calico rabbits. I'd never seen that coloring on rabbits before. Yesterday, I took pictures of a monkey in a cage at the grounds where the camel was stationed.
By 4 p.m., we were ready to head back to camp, where I heated barbecue and canned corn. We had that with coleslaw, and potato salad that we'd made yesterday from leftover mashed potatoes. Of course, as with most meals this trip, we also had grape tomatoes from our garden. It was all very good and seemed to hit the spot. This is one of Sis's favorite meals, so she particularly enjoyed it.
We spent the rest of the evening playing Skipbo. I don't know who won how many games, but I think we all won a few over the several days that we played.
Vacation over. Time to head home in the morning.
Note: Saw lots of animals this trip...besides the camel, monkey, and rabbits at the festival, we noticed a fawn, still in spots, dash into a thicket as we traveled up a hill to the Catholic Church. At the campground, there was a crane and a flock of geese. There was also a snapping turtle, but unfortunately, Hubbie smashed it when he moved the camper to another site (of course, we didn't know the turtle had been under our unit until Sis mentioned it later).
Mother was content to sit in her wheelchair and listen to the music, while the rest of us milled around the festival and sampled wines at the various tents. When the ice cream wagon opened, I got Mother a cup of soft serve ice cream.
While she ate that, Sis and I went across the street to the museum, where it was wonderfully cool. The focal point of the museum is the display of coal mining equipment, because that was the industry of the area for many years. In fact, there is a memorial at the park that features a statue of a coal miner, and several marble monuments listing the names of coal miners, some of whom were killed in mining accidents.
The museum also had a very old slide projector and color slides of famous works of art. The projector and slide cases are wood. Very interesting.
Sis and I were both interested in a display of necklaces made of China berries. We weren't willing to pay the original $9.50 price, but we were willing to pay the sale price of $4.50. Sis bought a chocker necklace of dark pink China berries, and I bought a longer one of light pink berries.
Then we went back to the festival, and left shortly thereafter to go back to camp for lunch. While we were at the camper, the electricity went off...not a good thing in the record-breaking July heat. Hubbie tried the breakers indoors, to no avail, and then checked the outdoor breaker. That worked and the lights and air conditioning came back on. Unfortunately, the power surge fried an outlet in the bathroom.
In the afternoon, Mother decided to stay home and rest while Hubbie, Sis and I went back to the festival. I left my cell phone with Mother, in case the power went out again.
We went back to the winery that specializes in fruit wines other than grape, because I wanted to buy a particular type that I'd tasted at the festival. Inside the winery, there was a man playing a fiddle, and a little boy handing out brown paper bags of grapes for free.
We sampled a few wines and then went to another winery, where there is a room set up for wine tasting on festival days...a larger space than their regular tasting room. In the parking lot, Hubbie waited and waited for a lady standing at the open back door of her vehicle endlessy doing we know not what in the backseat. Hubbie finally decided to go ahead and edge into the empty parking space beside her. She seemed a bit surprised by his audacity, but she didn't shut her car door.
We had no sooner exited our van than Mother called to say the power had gone off again. Drat. We hurried back to the campground, hoping Mother and the animals weren't getting insufferably hot.
Hubbie went to the registration building to report the outage, and was advised that we needed to move the camper to a new spot. Great. Move the camper in 100 degree temperatures! But move it we did. First, we got Mother and the animals into the yard, and then Hubbie folded the camper, and I helped guide him into a new spot.
While this was going on, Sis said Mother was getting too hot, so I turned on the air conditioner in the van and got Mother seated in there.
By the time we got the unit moved, my face was blazing red from the heat, and I downed a glass of ice water and mopped my face with a wet cloth. I felt no adverse effects beyond being overheated, but my face sure was red.
Once we'd gotten Mother and the animals settled, we went back to the winery, where we sampled a couple of wines and a few kinds of grape juice...Mother and Daughter had requested that we buy them each a bottle of juice. I also bought a basket of white muscadine grapes.
Then it was back to the festival for a few more rounds at the winery booths (sounds like we really swilled the wine all weekend, but actually we were given only very small tastes each time).
While we were there, I took pictures of a couple of cute calico rabbits. I'd never seen that coloring on rabbits before. Yesterday, I took pictures of a monkey in a cage at the grounds where the camel was stationed.
By 4 p.m., we were ready to head back to camp, where I heated barbecue and canned corn. We had that with coleslaw, and potato salad that we'd made yesterday from leftover mashed potatoes. Of course, as with most meals this trip, we also had grape tomatoes from our garden. It was all very good and seemed to hit the spot. This is one of Sis's favorite meals, so she particularly enjoyed it.
We spent the rest of the evening playing Skipbo. I don't know who won how many games, but I think we all won a few over the several days that we played.
Vacation over. Time to head home in the morning.
Note: Saw lots of animals this trip...besides the camel, monkey, and rabbits at the festival, we noticed a fawn, still in spots, dash into a thicket as we traveled up a hill to the Catholic Church. At the campground, there was a crane and a flock of geese. There was also a snapping turtle, but unfortunately, Hubbie smashed it when he moved the camper to another site (of course, we didn't know the turtle had been under our unit until Sis mentioned it later).
Monday, August 2, 2010
Camping Trip, Day Three, July 29
Friday, July 29: It was about 10 a.m. this morning by the time we had breakfast and took turns in the bathroom. Once the dogs were walked and settled, we drove the couple of miles to the small town, where we toured the museum and visited a flea market.
At the museum, there were two ladies, one of whom followed us around and related stories about the various memorabilia. One display case featured an early 1900s dress and hat worn as wedding attire by a resident. We were told the lady lived well into her 90s, and was still driving until a year or two before she died. She gave up her keys, however, when she one day "made a new drive-through window" in the side of a bank.
Another display case featured a gun and a newspaper article about a circa 1940s sheriff involved in a rivalry shootout with the barber over a woman.
There was also lots of other stuff...a tortuous looking beauty shop machine for doing permanents, an old gas pump with a glass tank at the top, a large red coffee grinder, a Victrola, WW II ration books, a huge and lethal looking canner, and lots of other items.
From there, we went next door to a flea market, where I found a lace doily that will work as a placemat, a new-looking $5 hat, and a twenty-five cent book called, "Chicken Poop for the Soul," a comical parody of the popular Chicken Soup series. If I don't like it, nothing lost. Reviewers at Amazon.com give it five stars, though, so I'm hoping to get a few laughs from it.
Went back to the camper after that for lunch. Mother stayed at camp for the afternoon, while Hubbie, Sis, and I went to a roadside fruit stand to buy a half bushel of local peaches. This area of the state is famed for its luscious peaches. Last year, the peach crop was poor, but this year has been a bumper crop year.
Then we stopped by the park where the grape festival was held to tour the museum across the street. But it was closed...it only opens between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and it was about 2:30 when we got there. So we walked down the street to a yard sale, where Sis found lots of stuff she can use in making jewelry. I didn't find anything I wanted.
Before leaving, we checked to see if the sweet Reliance grapes that we so love were being sold by the vendor who has had them every year. The vendor was not set up yet. We walked around the festival grounds, where vendors were busily setting up their wares, and where across the street on the other side of the park, there was a camel ready for giving rides. I took several shots of it.
Afterward, we went back to camp. I was so sweaty that I needed to change clothes before we went to the Swiss village for supper at their underground restaurant. The restaurant used to be the original 1880 wine cellar.
The restaurant is full of ambiance, and waitresses in Swiss Miss costumes serve the customers at dark wood tables, decorated with red table runners, and candles melted in wine bottles. Candle light is about the only light in the dark restaurant.
Before serving the entrees, the waitress brought us salads, then bowls of Swiss onion soup, and mini-loaves of hot yeast bread. For entrees, Sis ordered salmon, Hubbie ordered steak and shrimp, and Mother and I had baked chicken.
Mother and I nearly fell out of our chairs when our meals arrived, and we saw half chickens on our plates. No way were we going to be able to eat that much, so we ended up taking most of it back to the camper.
The Swiss onion soup was good, but we all laughed at our efforts to manage the stringy Swiss cheese. Sis wound hers around a piece of bread, while I wound mine on my spoon. Hubbie bit his off, and Mother tried to cut her cheese on the side of the bowl with her spoon.
Following our meal, we went back to the festival grounds, where we listened to music and walked around checking out the various crafts booths. I pushed Mother in her wheelchair for this excursion.
We didn't stay long, because it was so hot. Rested at camp for a while before going back to the festival for fireworks at 9:30 p.m. The fireworks are set off in a field near one of the wineries. There were only a few of us to view it from this vantage point. People didn't gather here, because the fireworks could be clearly seen from the festival grounds across the street. But from where we were sitting, I had a clear shot of the displays, which were right overhead. The show was excellent for such a small town, and we were impressed. By this time, the temperature had dropped a little and there was a cool breeze, so we thoroughly enjoyed the display.
The fireworks show ended the day for us, and we were plenty ready to head to bed when we arrived back at camp.
At the museum, there were two ladies, one of whom followed us around and related stories about the various memorabilia. One display case featured an early 1900s dress and hat worn as wedding attire by a resident. We were told the lady lived well into her 90s, and was still driving until a year or two before she died. She gave up her keys, however, when she one day "made a new drive-through window" in the side of a bank.
Another display case featured a gun and a newspaper article about a circa 1940s sheriff involved in a rivalry shootout with the barber over a woman.
There was also lots of other stuff...a tortuous looking beauty shop machine for doing permanents, an old gas pump with a glass tank at the top, a large red coffee grinder, a Victrola, WW II ration books, a huge and lethal looking canner, and lots of other items.
From there, we went next door to a flea market, where I found a lace doily that will work as a placemat, a new-looking $5 hat, and a twenty-five cent book called, "Chicken Poop for the Soul," a comical parody of the popular Chicken Soup series. If I don't like it, nothing lost. Reviewers at Amazon.com give it five stars, though, so I'm hoping to get a few laughs from it.
Went back to the camper after that for lunch. Mother stayed at camp for the afternoon, while Hubbie, Sis, and I went to a roadside fruit stand to buy a half bushel of local peaches. This area of the state is famed for its luscious peaches. Last year, the peach crop was poor, but this year has been a bumper crop year.
Then we stopped by the park where the grape festival was held to tour the museum across the street. But it was closed...it only opens between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and it was about 2:30 when we got there. So we walked down the street to a yard sale, where Sis found lots of stuff she can use in making jewelry. I didn't find anything I wanted.
Before leaving, we checked to see if the sweet Reliance grapes that we so love were being sold by the vendor who has had them every year. The vendor was not set up yet. We walked around the festival grounds, where vendors were busily setting up their wares, and where across the street on the other side of the park, there was a camel ready for giving rides. I took several shots of it.
Afterward, we went back to camp. I was so sweaty that I needed to change clothes before we went to the Swiss village for supper at their underground restaurant. The restaurant used to be the original 1880 wine cellar.
The restaurant is full of ambiance, and waitresses in Swiss Miss costumes serve the customers at dark wood tables, decorated with red table runners, and candles melted in wine bottles. Candle light is about the only light in the dark restaurant.
Before serving the entrees, the waitress brought us salads, then bowls of Swiss onion soup, and mini-loaves of hot yeast bread. For entrees, Sis ordered salmon, Hubbie ordered steak and shrimp, and Mother and I had baked chicken.
Mother and I nearly fell out of our chairs when our meals arrived, and we saw half chickens on our plates. No way were we going to be able to eat that much, so we ended up taking most of it back to the camper.
The Swiss onion soup was good, but we all laughed at our efforts to manage the stringy Swiss cheese. Sis wound hers around a piece of bread, while I wound mine on my spoon. Hubbie bit his off, and Mother tried to cut her cheese on the side of the bowl with her spoon.
Following our meal, we went back to the festival grounds, where we listened to music and walked around checking out the various crafts booths. I pushed Mother in her wheelchair for this excursion.
We didn't stay long, because it was so hot. Rested at camp for a while before going back to the festival for fireworks at 9:30 p.m. The fireworks are set off in a field near one of the wineries. There were only a few of us to view it from this vantage point. People didn't gather here, because the fireworks could be clearly seen from the festival grounds across the street. But from where we were sitting, I had a clear shot of the displays, which were right overhead. The show was excellent for such a small town, and we were impressed. By this time, the temperature had dropped a little and there was a cool breeze, so we thoroughly enjoyed the display.
The fireworks show ended the day for us, and we were plenty ready to head to bed when we arrived back at camp.
Camping Trip, Day Two, July 28
Thursday, July 28: This morning, we had quick breads fruits for breakfast, and then got ready to tour the area.
To prevent Sis's hyper dog from disturbing our laid-back shih tzu, and to keep her from rushing up to Cat's cage for a bloody swat to the nose, we caged her. She yapped in protest, of course, but when Sis announced that she was leaving and told Dog she loved her, she settled down. Sis has to leave her home while she works, so she knows that when Sis grabs her purse and makes her announcements, it's time to settle down for a nap.
Our first stop was at a local bank, which features fascinating fifty-six foot, sand carved mural. The mural has ten panels that trace the history of the small town from the time when Indians lived on the land, to the Westward covered wagon movement, to the pioneers of the area, to shipment of goods by steamboat, and to the railroad era.
From the bank we stopped by the museum and flea market to find out when they would be open, and learned they open on Friday.
Our next stop was a beautifully restored Catholic Church, located on a hill overlooking the river valley and town. A 1902 Basilica-style church, it is noted for its paintings, stained glass windows, and goldleaf work. Naturally, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before leaving the church grounds, we stopped at the overlook and took snapshots of the vista...houses and businesses nestled among trees, against the backdrop of blue hills beyond.
After that, we stopped by a grocery store on the way back to camp to pick up a few grocery items, including grapes and locally-grown peaches.
Back at camp, we had lunch and fed the animals, and then continued our tour. Mother opted to stay at camp and nap. Dog was caged again, but, according the Mother later, settled right down as soon as we left.
We began the afternoon by visiting a winery, located in a Swiss-like village. The village is an incorporated town with a population of 46. The village includes a city hall, a wine cellar/store/entertainment hall, an RV park of sorts, a popular restaurant, and of course vineyards.
Here, we went on a guided tour through the old underground wine cellar, made of native stone and mortar, where a young woman dressed in a Swiss Miss costume showed us an old wooden wine press, and huge wooden aging casks. Some casks were oval...these were used for transporting wine on ships, because they would rock, but not roll over. In the early days of wine making, we learned, it was children who crawled into the giant casks through a small opening and scrubbed the insides of the barrels. Today, wine is processed in stainless steel tanks.
Of course, at the end of the tour, we proceeded to the tasting room, where we enjoyed samples of several wines.
From there, we toured two other local wineries, and sampled wines at both. At one, we bought a case of red table wine...good for my heart...and a package of cheese made at a place close to where Sis lives.
The other winery specializes in fruit wines, so we sampled strawberry, plum, raspberry, elderberry, and blackberry wines. Sis and I each bought bottles of the elderberry, which is delicious.
We returned to camp after that, where I fixed spaghetti for supper. The sauce was already prepared, leftover from a batch Mother made a couple of weeks ago and then froze, so all I needed to do was cook the spaghetti. We had green beans and Italian bread with the meal.
Later, we played several games of Skipbo again, and then at dusk, we went to the end of the campground, where there is a parking lot and boat launch, and where there is a clear view of the lighted bridge. I took along my tripod, so Sis and I could get shots of the bridge.
Before going back to the camper, we drove to the other end of the campground, where I took pictures of the lighted dam.
At camp, we enjoyed a snack of the white cheddar cheese I bought today, along with a white, salt-free cheese that Sis made, and baby Swiss, with crackers, and glasses of wine.
After that, bedtime.
To prevent Sis's hyper dog from disturbing our laid-back shih tzu, and to keep her from rushing up to Cat's cage for a bloody swat to the nose, we caged her. She yapped in protest, of course, but when Sis announced that she was leaving and told Dog she loved her, she settled down. Sis has to leave her home while she works, so she knows that when Sis grabs her purse and makes her announcements, it's time to settle down for a nap.
Our first stop was at a local bank, which features fascinating fifty-six foot, sand carved mural. The mural has ten panels that trace the history of the small town from the time when Indians lived on the land, to the Westward covered wagon movement, to the pioneers of the area, to shipment of goods by steamboat, and to the railroad era.
From the bank we stopped by the museum and flea market to find out when they would be open, and learned they open on Friday.
Our next stop was a beautifully restored Catholic Church, located on a hill overlooking the river valley and town. A 1902 Basilica-style church, it is noted for its paintings, stained glass windows, and goldleaf work. Naturally, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before leaving the church grounds, we stopped at the overlook and took snapshots of the vista...houses and businesses nestled among trees, against the backdrop of blue hills beyond.
After that, we stopped by a grocery store on the way back to camp to pick up a few grocery items, including grapes and locally-grown peaches.
Back at camp, we had lunch and fed the animals, and then continued our tour. Mother opted to stay at camp and nap. Dog was caged again, but, according the Mother later, settled right down as soon as we left.
We began the afternoon by visiting a winery, located in a Swiss-like village. The village is an incorporated town with a population of 46. The village includes a city hall, a wine cellar/store/entertainment hall, an RV park of sorts, a popular restaurant, and of course vineyards.
Here, we went on a guided tour through the old underground wine cellar, made of native stone and mortar, where a young woman dressed in a Swiss Miss costume showed us an old wooden wine press, and huge wooden aging casks. Some casks were oval...these were used for transporting wine on ships, because they would rock, but not roll over. In the early days of wine making, we learned, it was children who crawled into the giant casks through a small opening and scrubbed the insides of the barrels. Today, wine is processed in stainless steel tanks.
Of course, at the end of the tour, we proceeded to the tasting room, where we enjoyed samples of several wines.
From there, we toured two other local wineries, and sampled wines at both. At one, we bought a case of red table wine...good for my heart...and a package of cheese made at a place close to where Sis lives.
The other winery specializes in fruit wines, so we sampled strawberry, plum, raspberry, elderberry, and blackberry wines. Sis and I each bought bottles of the elderberry, which is delicious.
We returned to camp after that, where I fixed spaghetti for supper. The sauce was already prepared, leftover from a batch Mother made a couple of weeks ago and then froze, so all I needed to do was cook the spaghetti. We had green beans and Italian bread with the meal.
Later, we played several games of Skipbo again, and then at dusk, we went to the end of the campground, where there is a parking lot and boat launch, and where there is a clear view of the lighted bridge. I took along my tripod, so Sis and I could get shots of the bridge.
Before going back to the camper, we drove to the other end of the campground, where I took pictures of the lighted dam.
At camp, we enjoyed a snack of the white cheddar cheese I bought today, along with a white, salt-free cheese that Sis made, and baby Swiss, with crackers, and glasses of wine.
After that, bedtime.
Camping Trip, Day One, July 27
Wednesday, July 27: left home around 9 a.m. this morning, heading to a campground around four and half hours away. Hubbie pulled the camper, and I drove the van, because Mother can't lift herself up into the truck.
This trip, we took Shih Tzu, our elderly dog, Mother's cat, and three kittens, two of which have bad eyes. Usually, the dog and Mother's cat are good travelers, but today, Cat protested the trip. She started her protestation by spitting at Hubbie and swatting him, when he tried to get her into the small pet carrier for transfer to a large carrier. She left scratches on his arm.
Then she yowled the entire length of the trip..."NO-o-o-o," she seemed to wail. She might have been unhappy about traveling in the van rather than the truck. Also, we were not out of town, before she did her business in the carrier, sans litter box. She's a very fastidious cat, so having to put up with a mess in the large carrier didn't suit her. It didn't suit us, either, since we had to live with the odor until we stopped for lunch (we weren't about to reach into that carrier and risk the cat's wrath).
Shih Tzu was restless, too, and Hubbie had to stop twice to walk her. The three kittens, however, were good as gold...not a sound out of them. They rode in a large carrier on the back seat of the truck.
We hadn't traveled far before I realized the right tail light on the camper was not working, which meant I had to follow pretty closely, so as not to let someone else get right behind him. I asked Hubbie to pump his brakes a few times to alert me when he was coming to a stop light, or when he was going to exit the highway, since I couldn't see over the top of the camper, and couldn't tell where the exit ramps were.
At noon, we stopped at a rest area for lunch. Since we had failed to close the blinds in the camper, it was pretty hot. We didn't dilly dally over lunch, and were back on the road in about twenty minutes.
We arrived at the campground around 1:30, and set up in a site with a view of the river. Sis arrived before suppertime, bringing her shih tzu dog with her. Our blind and deaf shih tzu didn't seem aware of the new visitor, and the kittens didn't care...they just continued wrestling and tumbling in their cage, set atop the cage holding Mother's cat.
But Mother's cat, who was already thoroughly put out with the kittens, simply could not abide this new invader. She with hackles raised, and ears back, she growled, and hissed, and spit, and attempted to swat Sis's dog. She was so thoroughly angry about the whole situation that no one could get near her cage without being growled at and swatted.
Sis's dog was none too happy about her new surroundings, either, and let us all know it by continuously yapping. Finally, Sis tied her outside the camper, where she continued to yap.
Around 5 p.m., we had a supper of leftover meatloaf, baked potatoes, cottage cheese and garden tomatoes, with Italian bread.
After that, we drove to the other side of the dam, where there is a viewing area, accessed by a suspended wood and steel bridge. Down an embankment of large rocks, people were sitting and fishing, which added to the charm of the scene. Sis and I snapped several pictures.
Back at camp, we played Skipbo until bedtime. All the animals were very good throughout the night. Maybe they were like us, too tired after a hot and humid day to do anything but sleep.
This trip, we took Shih Tzu, our elderly dog, Mother's cat, and three kittens, two of which have bad eyes. Usually, the dog and Mother's cat are good travelers, but today, Cat protested the trip. She started her protestation by spitting at Hubbie and swatting him, when he tried to get her into the small pet carrier for transfer to a large carrier. She left scratches on his arm.
Then she yowled the entire length of the trip..."NO-o-o-o," she seemed to wail. She might have been unhappy about traveling in the van rather than the truck. Also, we were not out of town, before she did her business in the carrier, sans litter box. She's a very fastidious cat, so having to put up with a mess in the large carrier didn't suit her. It didn't suit us, either, since we had to live with the odor until we stopped for lunch (we weren't about to reach into that carrier and risk the cat's wrath).
Shih Tzu was restless, too, and Hubbie had to stop twice to walk her. The three kittens, however, were good as gold...not a sound out of them. They rode in a large carrier on the back seat of the truck.
We hadn't traveled far before I realized the right tail light on the camper was not working, which meant I had to follow pretty closely, so as not to let someone else get right behind him. I asked Hubbie to pump his brakes a few times to alert me when he was coming to a stop light, or when he was going to exit the highway, since I couldn't see over the top of the camper, and couldn't tell where the exit ramps were.
At noon, we stopped at a rest area for lunch. Since we had failed to close the blinds in the camper, it was pretty hot. We didn't dilly dally over lunch, and were back on the road in about twenty minutes.
We arrived at the campground around 1:30, and set up in a site with a view of the river. Sis arrived before suppertime, bringing her shih tzu dog with her. Our blind and deaf shih tzu didn't seem aware of the new visitor, and the kittens didn't care...they just continued wrestling and tumbling in their cage, set atop the cage holding Mother's cat.
But Mother's cat, who was already thoroughly put out with the kittens, simply could not abide this new invader. She with hackles raised, and ears back, she growled, and hissed, and spit, and attempted to swat Sis's dog. She was so thoroughly angry about the whole situation that no one could get near her cage without being growled at and swatted.
Sis's dog was none too happy about her new surroundings, either, and let us all know it by continuously yapping. Finally, Sis tied her outside the camper, where she continued to yap.
Around 5 p.m., we had a supper of leftover meatloaf, baked potatoes, cottage cheese and garden tomatoes, with Italian bread.
After that, we drove to the other side of the dam, where there is a viewing area, accessed by a suspended wood and steel bridge. Down an embankment of large rocks, people were sitting and fishing, which added to the charm of the scene. Sis and I snapped several pictures.
Back at camp, we played Skipbo until bedtime. All the animals were very good throughout the night. Maybe they were like us, too tired after a hot and humid day to do anything but sleep.
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