2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 77

Day 77, Saturday, January 4, 2025, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 13 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Another cool morning for my walk, although not as cold as yesterday. 44°F at 9:30.

I finished Robert B. Parker Spenser detective novel - Promised Land. This was one of the older Spenser books back when Parker was writing them. They were poorly continued after his death. Started House Blood by Mike Lawson.

After lunch I made a trip to Walmart for some supplies, then hooked up the trailer. While I'm not leaving until Monday, I'm not going anywhere between now & then, and it is suppose to rain during the next two days. Puddles form around my stabilizer jacks, so I'd rather pull them now than standing in 2" of cold water. Without the stabilizers the trailer is a bit shaky, but if I'm the only person in it, it isn't a problem.

By the way, sometime either late yesterday or this morning the little trailer went away again.

Dinner was a Barber Foods Cordon Bleu, a baked potato & succotash. This time I used a full can of creamed corn & a half can of baby Lima beans. A much better ratio than the one to one I used last time I tried to make succotash.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 76

Day 76, Friday, January 3, 2025, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 12 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Another cold morning - 35°F when I headed to the restaurant. I decided it was time to get out a bit & went to the park restaurant for breakfast. I doubt they make any money this time of year - there were 4 people at one other table & me for the entire time I was there. A nice view of Eufaula Lake & a couple of Canada geese. I had a traditional bacon & eggs breakfast with excellent home made hash browns, but skipped the grits. Overall, unexpectedly pretty good considering the not so good Friday Seafood Buffet. With coffee, $11.90.

Breakfast View

I went for my morning walk after I got back. Walked to the Deer Court loop to see how filled it was. While I was driving to the restaurant I saw 3 RVs pull out and there were still a number of sites filled. It definitely is the most popular campground of the 4. Most of the sites are large pull throughs, and most are full hookup.

A clear day with a high of 57°F. Almost enough sun to sit outside. It would work if it was 10°F warmer, but I spent the day inside reading. Finished Dean Koontz's The Forest of Lost Souls and started an old Robert B. Parker Spenser detective novel - Promised Land.

Dinner was a Chef Bombay Chicken Tikka Masala bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 75

Day 75, Thursday, January 2, 2025, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 11 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

A cool night at 37°F by morning & 38°F during my morning walk. After breakfast I called Mavis Discount Tire in Savannah to check on the availability of KO2 tires for the truck. I was hoping to keep the KO2's I already have on the truck until the KO3's were available, but they won't be available in my size until the third quarter of 2025, and I don't think the ones on the truck will make it until then. Interesting in the small world category - the customer service person at Mavis almost went to Oswego (the college where I taught technical theatre) on a baseball scholarship, and his daughter is into technical theatre. So, I have an appointment for new tires on the 10th.

I got a bit of a scare looking at the Informed Delivery email from the postal service this morning - there were pictures of two 2025 county tax bills. I only have one property and, of course, I can't open them to see why. I went on line & there is only one bill listed; the post office must have scanned it twice. Anyhow, only a $90.00 increase from 2024. One of the benefits I get from being a Viet Nam combat vet is a 30% reduction in my tax bill, one of the few benefits I've used from the military (other than a ridiculous compulsion to make my bed every morning). 

Around mid afternoon I headed to the bathroom for a shower. 54°F outside but the heat pump was keeping the bathroom comfortably warm. 

I finished R. Allen Chappell's Forgotten, his latest, but not one of his best books, and started Dean Koontz's The Forest of Lost Souls. Still listening to Robert McCammon's Boys Life audio book.

Sirius XM Symphony Hall channel has been playing all the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, & Tchaikovsky over New Years. Lots of powerful music, although pretty much destroyed by the huge amount of compression used to squeeze as many channels as possible into their satellite's bandwidth.

Dinner was a Chef Ramsay Lemon Caper Chicken bowl. I've been trying the various Chef Ramsay bowls - so far I really like the Chicken Masala, and don't think much of the  Fish & Chips. 

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 74

Day 74, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 10 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Happy New Year!

After my morning walk & breakfast I spent an hour moving my banking registers from 2024 to 2025 and collecting the 2024 interest totals for my 2024 taxes. I'm afraid the wonderful 70°F+ weather is gone for awhile. 53°F at noon today. 

A disaster at breakfast - I finally ran out of Smith Restaurant Supply Sumatra coffee beans. I started the trip with two 1 pound and one half bag of beans, and had to switch to Starbucks beans this morning. I'm convinced that Starbucks over roasts their coffee, maybe to stretch out the amount of coffee necessary for a cup. In any case, I far prefer the gentle roast that Smith supplies. Unfortunately, they are in Syracuse, NY and while they do ship beans, I'm usually not in one place long enough to depend on a bag or two getting to me before I move on. While grocery stores sometimes have a few other brands that offer whole bean Sumatra, Starbucks is the only one I've found on this trip. I prefer Sumatra for its flavor & low acid.

The older small trailer is back. The security truck stopped by, stayed for awhile, then left. The trailer is still there. So, we are 3 trailers and one tent. During my morning walk I did the Clark Loop next door. Almost all the lakeside sites are filled, but that still leaves the campground at least three quarters empty. I noticed that they do have the utilities on the correct side of the sites.

I didn't do much else other than sit & read. I did check my total books read or listened to for 2024 - 239 books of which 67 were audio books. I finished Louise Erdrich's The Night Watchman, and started R. Allen Chappell's Forgotten. High for the day was 56°F.

Dinner was a Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie.

Until Tomorrow -