2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 73

Day 73, Tuesday, December 31, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 9 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

It warmed up towards morning. It started out at 47°F as I went to sleep, but up to 54°F by the time of my morning walk. A very nice high for the day of 72°F. After breakfast I headed to Walgreens for my prescriptions. Eufaula has a strange Walgreens. For two days my prescriptions were "being processed". I finally called and asked when they would be ready. They said give us a half hour. About 10 minutes later I got an email and text that two of my prescriptions were ready and the third was in process. This morning, 2 days later, it was still "in process". I went to the store & at the counter they said only 2 were ready but they could have the third in half an hour. 5 minutes later I got a text that it was ready. Anyway, I managed to pick up all three.

After lunch I changed the sheets and made a trip to the campground laundry. 4 washers (one unplugged) at $1.50 per load, and three dryers, 2 @ $2.00 and one at $1.00 per 1 hour load. The dollar one runs just as long, is the same brand, but doesn't get as hot - needed to run it twice. There are plenty of chairs, bathrooms, a cart for moving clothes to the dryer, and a folding table (metal - looks like a food line table).

The next project was to drop some days from my stay at Indian Springs State Park (my next stop) and add some at Skidway Island State Park (the stop after Indian Springs). Why? With the cold snap coming over the next couple of weeks the predicted lows at Indian Springs were in the low 20's, with highs in the low 30's. Skidway Island is 5-10 degrees warner, so rather than spending a week at Indian Springs, I'm only staying 2 days, then moving on. I tried to get the same site at Skidway, but it wasn't available. Only 3 sites were available for the 5 days before my already scheduled 3 day stay. 

By the time I got done putting the clothes away and finished changing the campground reservations it was dinner time.

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 72

Day 72, Monday, December 30, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 8 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Well, the drain worked - only a little water left around the trailer. Cooler than the last couple of nights - 47°F during my morning walk. The garbage truck emptied the dumpsters next to my site at 9:30AM. Glad it wasn't the usual 6:00AM since they were very loud. 

Lost of sun, but cool. I saw a 15 day temperature forecast for the US. Warmer than usual in Arizona, cooler than normal in the southeast. I know this is my fault!

I finished Jeffery Deaver's The Cutting Edge, and started Louise Erdrich's The Night Watchman.

Dinner was the rest of yesterday's turkey tacos.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 71

Day 71, Sunday, December 29, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 7 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Quite a bit of rain overnight, including some thunder & lightning. The lawn next to my site (the area where I was parked the first day) is a little wet:

The Lake Next Door

Warm overnight, but cooled down to 58°F by morning. The sun finally broke through around and it hit around 62°F by 11:00AM, 65°F was the high for the day. I met a tent camper moving in when I went for my morning walk. 

Since I have a lake both next to & around my trailer, I used my folding rake to dig a drainage channel from the site to the field. 

The Drainage Ditch

The Lake Around my Trailer

I thought about moving, but I'd have to stand in 2" of water to run up the stabilizers & pull the utilities. Since it is suppose to be dry for the next 5 days, I'll wait & hope the water levels go down.

Dinner was a late lunch of tacos, so I'll just do some crackers & cheese at dinner time.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 70

Day 70, Saturday, December 28, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 6 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Another warm night. It didn't get below 55°F, and at 11:00AM it was up to 61°F. My weather app tells me it is going to hit 72°F today, but I don't thing so.  The high here was 64°F. A bit of light rain off & on, but it stopped long enough for my morning walk. I walked the Clark Loop next door, and there are about 5 trailers & RVs in the loop. Still only 3 of us here in the Barbour Loop. I wonder about the other trailers here in this loop. I checked to see if there were any other reservations for this week & next, and my site is the only one that is reserved. I could book on line the sites that the other two trailers are in. By the way, even though the loop is near empty, a gray van shows up every day & provides a cleaning crew for the bathrooms. 

On the way to dinner last night I found the laundry. It is in a building near the gate to the campgrounds. Four washers and four dryers, a folding table, and bathrooms. 

After reading a few forums & journals, I fired up the Kindle. Current book is Something to Hide by Elizabeth George, her latest novel staring Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. My current audiobook is Boy's Life by Robert McCammon.

Around 2:00 I headed for a shower. Used a different stall, but everything was the same as the last time. Still a B or B+ rating; wish the water wasn't quite as soft and there was light in the drying area.

While it is up to 63°F, a light fog rolled in and it feels colder. 

Dinner was Chef Ramsay's Fish & Chips.

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 69

Day 69, Friday, December 27, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Another warmish night; down to 49°F. No rain, although there is still a lake around the back & side of my trailer. During my morning walk I took a photo of the trailer that moved in yesterday.

The Old Trailer

Around lunch time the guy camped next to him hooked his truck up to this trailer and headed out. Hope they are friends!

Around 2:00 I headed to Eufaula. I thought about getting a haircut, but even though the last barber I went to insisted in getting it cut every 10 days, with my simple #3 buzz cut I really don't need it cut that often. I usually go a month or more, and I had my last on on December 6th. I did stop at Walmart & Piggly Wiggly to wipe out some of my shopping lists. 

Back at the trailer I called in some prescription refills. No real person, just an answering machine. I think I left all the necessary info; I guess I'll find out next week. I guess it worked; less than an hour later I got a notice from the Eufaula Walgreens that "the request has arrived & we are working on it."

I checked with the lodge front desk & there is no problem having an Amazon package delivered, and I have plenty of time here for a delivery, so I ordered a tripod for the Mini. Should be here on the 30th. Right now I'm putting it on a small folding table, but it slides around a bit too easily.

At 5:00 I headed back to the lodge and the Water's Edge restaurant for the Friday Seafood Buffet. $22.98, and probably not worth it unless you are into catfish (three versions) although there was lots of other stuff. I ate my fill of fried shrimp.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 68

Day 68, Thursday, December 26, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Light rain off & on starting around midnight and continuing on throughout the day. I did manage to get my morning walk in during a dry spell. Warmer than the last couple of nights with the overnight temperature only going down to the high 40's. After breakfast a new arrival, a retro travel trailer pulled into the other end of the campground. I also discovered during my walk that it is not just my site; all the utilities are on the wrong side. OK for vans that pull in head first, but wrong for everyone else. I find this seems to happen more often in parks that call themselves "resorts", but this is unusual for an American state park. 

I set up the Starlink Mini outside and it is working better than when in the cabinet in the trailer. In the trailer it was trying to shoot through the front solar panel - while fiberglass is transparent to the antenna, a solar panel is not.

I got my refund from Alabama State Parks, and the daily rate for the site works out to $24.24.

Between periods of rain I made another walk around the campground. What I thought was a new retro camper is the real thing, probably 50 years old. Beautifully restored. It is amazing that it survived all that time. While not unusual for a fiberglass "egg", most stick built trailers rot well before they get that old. Interesting that the electrical hook up is on the right side for this campground (and the wrong side for everywhere else). 

Dinner was a bowl of chili. I only froze 2 of them and kept one for tonight's dinner.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 67

Day 67, Wednesday, December 25, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!

No white Christmas here, although it is cool, 37°F this morning & 47°F at 10:30. During my morning walk I checked out the Clark Loop - 3 RVs, all which look fairly permanent. I don't know if there is the usual 14 day maximum stay rule here, but it there is, they must be staff or volunteers. Too much built in stuff for a short stay.

Around 11:30 I headed to the Water's Edge restaurant at the park lodge for a Christmas buffet. Lots of food choices, including prime rib. I stuck with the turkey & all the fixings. Unless you get the hand carved prime rib or made multiple trips to the serving line it probably isn't worth the $29.99, but it got me out of the trailer and the turkey was good. Almost made the mistake of putting horseradish sauce on my baked potato when I thought it was sour cream, but caught it in time.

On the way back I took a couple of photos of the Cottages & Cabins. There is a big difference between cabins in the south and in the north. These are air conditioned with full facilities, while in the north you are lucky to get a mattress on the bed. I also checked out Deer Court, the full hookup campground. Far more active that either of the other two - about 1/3 full.

The Cottages

A Cabin

After lunch I made a bunch of phone & Facetime calls to make Christmas greetings & catch up. According to my son there may be enough snow in the driveway to snowblow. He hasn't looked out the window yet, but it snowed last night. 

Dinner was a salad.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 66

Day 66, Tuesday, December 24, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

During my morning walk around the loop (.63 miles) I found 2 trailers, both looking like they have been here a long time. I can see some of the Clark Loop campground and it doesn't look all that much filled. So, a mostly empty set of campgrounds. The official host for all 4 campgrounds is at the Deer Court campground. It is full hookups, and may be more popular.

After breakfast I paid some bills, read some forums & journals, then my Kindle - current book is The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham, the first of her Inspector Barnaby series.

Around 1:00 I wandered around the site and looking at the campground map determined that what I thought was the road was actually my site, although anyone with a long trailer would not enjoy following the actual road rather than driving through my site. Since I discovered that the stabilizers gained an inch of play overnight, I could see the tracks of the trailer & truck in the soft grass, and there is predicted rain in a couple of days, I decided to move the trailer onto the pavement. After a minor packing up I drove to the dump station and dumped the tanks. I probably would have made 2 weeks, but missing by a day or two was something I'd rather not do, and I was unhooked anyway. Back at the site I set up, now on pavement rather than soft grass, then had lunch.

After lunch I headed to the bathrooms for a shower. Three showers in the men's section, one of which is a large handicapped version. The small ones have a medium sized drying room with bench & 2 double hooks. There is a 4" lip between the drying area & the shower & shower curtain. Even though the shower head aims at the curtain, little water makes it to the drying area. A 3" standard shower head with adjustable hot water. A basket hanging off the shower head for stuff. The water is fairly soft - you will need extra time for rinsing. The light was out in the drying area. Overall a B.

After my shower and some more reading I started some turkey chili. Since I don't carry a big pot, I used my universal large cooking appliance, a wok. I use it for making spaghetti or other pasta, frying, and, chili. I haven't yet used it to make a Chinese meal...

Chili in a Wok

Dinner was chili. I had enough left over to freeze 3 meals.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 65

Day 65, Monday, December 23, 2024, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, AL - 138.1 Miles, 2,834.7 Miles for the Trip

Not as cold at 35°F this morning. Of course all that is relative. At home in Oswego it was 4°F this morning, so I can't complain. Then again, in Parker AZ where I spent last winter it was 46°F and will hit 76°F by the end of the day. Here at Lakepoint Resort State Park it is 55°F. I crossed (barely) a time zone so it is earlier than I feel. 

The drive was almost entirely on US 82, with the last 9 miles to the park on US 431, both of which were 2 & 4 lane, mostly 4 lane 55MPH & 65MPH with a few towns along the way. There is a Walgreens & a Walmart as well as a Piggly Wiggly in Eufaula 9 miles south.

I hit the park office around 1:30, and they gave me my senior discount but not a receipt, so I'll have to wait until I see the return to my charge card to know the exact price. The base price is $24.00 per night plus a $5.25 reservation fee. Assuming the 15% is off the base price, it should be $20.40 per night, but there are a bunch of local taxes - City Lodging 6%, Resort Fee 4.25%, and a state lodging fee of 4%, That comes out to a total of 14.25%, so the daily price discount for seniors is actually .75% or $23.82. In any case, I'm here for Christmas & New Years, leaving on January 6th.

I'm in site BL60 in the Babour Loop campground, a pull through water & electric on grass. 2 Picnic tables and a charcoal grill. Level side to side & a 3" drop on the tongue. The bathrooms are a short walk, as are the dumpsters. They are heated (the bathrooms, not the dumpsters). There is one other trailer in the entire loop. There is a full hookup section (Deer Court). Cabins & cottages are closer to the lake, and there are a large number of hotel rooms at the lodge. That must be what makes it a resort - the Barbour Loop campground is far from a resort. There is a restaurant at the lodge that I may try during my stay.

Site BL60

AT&T wins the internet speed competition. 50.67Mbps down, 1.19Mbps up. Verizon shows 4.59Mbps down and .74Mbps up. Starlink has too many trees & trailer parts in the way to work inside. I did get a connection for a short time that showed 3.45Mbps down & 9.4Mbps up, but it didn't last. If AT&T starts to slow down I'll try moving the mini outside. 

Dinner was a Chef Ramsay Chicken Marsala Pasta bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 64

Day 64, Sunday, December 22, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 7 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

33°F at 6:00AM. The electric heater set at 66°F wasn't running all the time, but was on more than off. 63°F at the head of the bed. No problems with condensation - I have 2 windows cracked as well as a 1/4" opening at the Maxx fan vent (the fan is not running). Rumor is it it going to start warming up tomorrow. Of course I'm leaving tomorrow...

I missed the 8:00AM lathe demo the park owner put on. While I've done a bit of wood turning, and probably would have checked it out around 9:00, at 8:00 I'm just getting up.

After my walk & breakfast I did my usual - read forums & journals on the internet, and my current book on the Kindle. 

Around 3:00 I decided it was close to the high for the day at 55°F, so I unhooked the water hose to the trailer. That way I won't need to try to roll it up at 34°F in the morning. Actually, I'll leave here as late as possible since it is only about 3 hours to Lakepoint Resort State Park, and their check in time is 4:00. They give you the campground gate code with your reservation receipt, but I have to stop at the office to see if I can get the 15% senior discount. If I get there early, hopefully the site will be available & they will let me move in.

Dinner was a Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 63

Day 63, Saturday, December 21, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 6 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

Another cold night, going down to 34°F, 37°F for my morning walk.

I spent the morning sitting in the trailer reading. Current book is Robert McCammon's Swan Song. I thought I'd read it, but it isn't in my database of read books, so if I did it was at least 15 years ago.

A cool day, only 52°F at 2:00. 

Around 4:45 I headed to the building at the end of the park for the pot luck.

All kinds of food including some excellent dips & chili and some great conversations.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 62

Day 62, Friday, December 20, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 5 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

Quite a bit cooler last night, down into the 40's. After my morning exercises I changed the sheets & made the bed,  It was 47°F when I went for my morning walk. Didn't seem to bother the chickens, they were running around everywhere.

After breakfast I made a blueberry pie. One of the messier ones; the fresh blueberries didn't melt down as much as frozen ones, so it was a bit overfilled. It should taste the same.

After the pie came out of the oven I headed to Mama Nell's Kitchen for lunch. A pair of good fish tacos, and not so good French fries. $12.00 plus tax & tip.

Back at the trailer I packed up my dirty clothes and headed to the laundry. 2 Speed Queen stacked washer/dryers, Wash at $3.75 & dry for $2.00. I divided the clothes and sheets into both washers, put a pile of quarters into the first and started the wash. Try as I might, I couldn't get the second machine to accept any quarters. There was a sign on the machines for a pay app, and since I didn't want to wait until the first load ended to start a second or unload the machine, I added the app to my phone, Apple paid $25.00 (the minimum) into my account, and used the app to start the second machine. It worked on the washer as well as both dryers. Of course I now have $13.00 in an app that I may never find other machines that use it, but at least I got the laundry done.

Back at the trailer I put the laundry away & read for a bit. My current book is Robert McCammon's The Hunter From the Woods, a collection of short stories and novellas that, unlike Craig Johnson's fast reads, will take a couple of days to finish.

Dinner was a salad.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 61

Day 61, Thursday, December 19, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 4 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

Cooler for the morning walk at 57°F. The chickens, at least some of them are out running around the park. 

After my walk & breakfast I decided it was time for the annual frustration of trying to find out how much I'll be paying for the Empire Plan retiree health plan next year. After much searching, all I could find was a notice that the 2025 cost will be mailed to you and will be available on line. Of course no link or location for where it will be on line, and it isn't where it was last year. The New York State CSEA (the organization that handles retiree information) has a very disorganized set of web pages. 

Around noon I headed to Walmart for the makings of a blueberry pie. There is a pot luck on Saturday, so I'll do my usual.

Around 3:15 it was up to 67°F, so I headed for the showers. One in each bathroom; I used the bathroom on the right (it had doors on the toilets & shower; te one on the left doesn't). A large drying room with a shelf, bench & 5 hooks. The shower had a shelf, soap dish and 3 hooks. The shower head was an 8" overhead rain type. Plenty of adjustable hot water. While there is no shower curtain, the water stays in the shower due to the slope of the floor & drain location. Overall it it the best shower of the trip; a solid A. Some might complain about the aesthetics - painted cement block, but I base my ratings on practicality.

After that is was sitting outside reading. Current book is Craig Johnson's The Longmire Defense, #19 in the Walt Longmire series. As far as I know, there is one more, #20 left that I haven't read or listened to. My current audio book is Jeff VanderMeer's Borne.

I asked one of the staff where I could buy a half dozen eggs, and 10 minutes later she delivered them to my trailer. No charge.

I had a large salad for lunch, so dinner was a mishmash of stuff - a couple of pastries, a banana & grapes.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 60

Day 60, Wednesday, December 18, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

A warm (62°F) foggy morning when I went for my walk around the campground. Met the owner making his rounds, and a few residents. Not much going on. Today is my granddaughter Asher's birthday. I plan to give her a call after school. While rain was predicted for today, only condensed fog on the tree limbs made drops. Still, the skies never cleared until after lunch. Once the dripping from the trees stopped I moved outdoors to read. Current book is Craig Johnson's An Obvious Fact, # 12 in the Walt Longmire series. Very well written mysteries built around a Wyoming sheriff. The audio books are also excellent, wonderfully read by George Guidall. I believe there was a TV series based on the books, although I've never seen an episode.

While there are no train noises, there is a busy highway (US 82) on one side of the RV park and a less busy but active Brookfield Nashville road on the other. The traffic on both die down late at night, but both busy during the day. 

Around 1:00 I headed to Mama Nell's Kitchen less than a mile from the RV park for lunch. While they will make you a burger or what ever, no menu and most get the daily special. Today fried pork loin, mac & cheese, green beans and a cornbread pancake. With a glass of sweet tea, $12.42. Plentiful and good, but definitely home cooking style.

The sun peaked out amongst the clouds after I got back to the RV park. I sat out and ducked behind the trailer for shade when the sun got too hot. It hit 74°F at the peak.

Around 5:00 I did a video call (for some reason neither of my phones calls them Facetime calls since the last system updates) with Karin, Asher & Noah to watch Asher open her presents. 

Since I had dinner for lunch, just cheese & crackers tonight.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 59

Day 59, Tuesday, December 17, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

A light fog & 57°F for my morning walk. One loop around the campground is about a half mile. I may be the only short term resident of the campground, although there is a Harvest Host's section at the far end. 

After breakfast I read. Little warming up - still foggy and 61°F at 11:30. 

One thing I miss in commercial RV parks is they usually don't have picnic tables. I do have my roll up table for the grill or stove, but it is a pain to set up, and there really isn't much room on the site to set it up. I may stick with microwaved or cook inside food.

Around 2:30 the sun came out and it quickly warmed up to 68°F. I sat outside reading. I wandered over to the chicken coop to take a photo or two. Lots of chickens, ducks and geese. While it didn't hit the predicted 74°F, it made it to 72°F. 

The Chicken Coop

A Chicken

Ducks & Geese

Dinner was an Evol Portabella & Goat Cheese Ravioli Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 58

Day 58, Monday, December 16, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA - 164.6 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

My morning walk was in a light fog & 57°F. All the sites except the group site are full, although a Class B van pulled out of site 1 just before I left site 2. Most of the drive was on I 10 or I 74. I was traveling west on I 10 and saw 2 Escape 19's go by a couple of miles apart heading east about 30 miles east of Lake City. I stopped at a Pilot & filled up for $2.75 a gallon with my $.10 discount.

I arrived at the Trolley Stop around 1:00 & the owners guided me to my site. I'm in site AB13 for 7 nights, a full hookup site for $35.71 per night (with the various taxes it works out to $42.36 per night). Like most commercial RV parks, very tight to your neighbor. We even share the same sewer connection, using a bayonet connection to a splitter. The problem is I don't have a bayonet connector on the output of my sewer hose. I temporarily replaced the splitter with my hose, dumped, and reassembled it all. Looks like many of the folks living here are full time - lots of large propane tanks and permanent looking steps, etc.

Site AB13

I did a speed test for both AT&T & Verizon: AT&T 27.89Mbps down & 3.35Mbps up, Verizon 109.53Mbps down & 30.02Mbps up. While Verizon is faster, unless AT&T slows down I'll use it before eating in to my limited unlimited Verizon usage.

I fired up the AC since it was 77°F outside. The compressor is making a bit of extra noise - I won't be able to check it out until got home & a taller ladder.

I went for a walk around the park. Found the laundry & a pair of bathrooms without labels. I saw one of the owners at the chicken coop & she said they are neutral gender bathrooms. There are locks on the entry doors, but that would shut down 1 shower, 1c sink, & 3 toilets. 

After my walk around I sat outside and read for the rest of the afternoon. Current book is The Black Book, #5 in the Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. On the drive today & during my walks I'm listening to Mark Dawson's audio book A Place to Bury Strangers.

Dinner was a Boston Market Sweet & Sour Chicken bowl.

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 57

Day 57, Sunday 15, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 8 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

The boy scouts left this morning around 7:00AM, just in time - a couple of bursts of rain started at 8:00. I did my morning walk at 9:00 in a heavy mist. The Class C RV in site 4 also pulled out this morning so we are only 3/4 full.

Not much warming up today. Mt weather app says it is going to hit 74°F today, but as of 11:45 at 60°F it isn't any warmer than it was at 8:00AM. I spent the morning in the trailer reading forums & started putting together my 2025 banking spreadsheets. The Class B van left around 12:30.

I talked with son Kyle and the the Guidos, all is well with all, but they are in the 20's, so I need to stop complaining about the cold. Actually, it isn't all that cold.  While it never made it up to 75°F, it was 65°F at 1:00, and a high for the day of 68°F. Cloudy, but some sections of blue skies. I sat outside and read for a bit.

I decided that a late lunch would be dinner, so I grilled a Butterball turkey burger & warmed up some Bush beans.

A couple of RVs pulled in, a Class C to site 1, and a off road pop up that went past at least site 4. So, a full house. Anyone planning to stay here should be sure to make advanced reservations; there has only been one or two nights with an open site.

Around 5:00 I had a plate of cheese & crackers & grapes.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 56

Day 56, Saturday 14, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 7 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

A warm night at 55°F at 7:00AM. We had a full house last night, including a Boy Scout troop in site 7, the group site. 7 tents, a cargo trailer and 4-5 cars. They were quiet enough that I didn't notice them. During my morning walk the Class A in site 1 pulled out so we are down to 6 sites.

I'm not sure I'll ever place a pick up order with Best Buy, at least away from home. This morning the notice on their website was "Your order is delayed. We will let you know when it is available." There is a cancel button on the page, but it is grayed out. First, I called. After a bunch of voice commands I was put in line for a real person. after a 30 minute wait, a young lady (sounding like she was in India) took my information then hung up on me. 

They have a messaging method of connecting so I tried that next. After a bunch of canned answers that didn't answer what I needed to do (cancel the order) I reached a message that I could wait for a real person. 1 1/2 hours later they got back to me. We went back & forth with him posting canned messages before I managed to convince him that I would not be able to pick up the item on December 17th because I'd be 200 miles away from Jacksonville. He could not cancel the order and instructed me to either pick it up and return it? or go to the store to cancel the order. So, I drove 32 miles to the Best Buy, waited in line for 10 minutes, gave the person behind the counter the information, and guess what? He couldn't cancel the order. 

So, what is suppose to happen is when I get the emailed notice that my case is ready for pick up I should be able to cancel the order. So 64 miles of heavy traffic driving for nothing. At least there was a Publix a couple blocks away that had everything on my shopping list.

Back at the trailer I sat out in the 70°F cloudy afternoon and read.

Dinner was an Amy's Asian Dumpling Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 55

Day 55, Friday, December 13, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 6 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

Another boring, do little day. During my morning walk I discovered we are still down one site - one trailer left and a motorhome moved in. 

The case for my Starlink Mini was suppose to arrive at Best Buy in Jacksonville today. As of 4:45, no notice that it has arrived. If it doesn't show up by tomorrow I'll have to find a way to cancel it since I'm heading out and will be 150 miles away. There are no Best Buys near my next two stops, so I can't ask to have it transferred.

I started the process of getting a Broward County Library card. I've had one for a couple of years, but they sent me a notice that to continue I'd have to pay $35.00 per year. At first I didn't want to do it, but the Libby app still shows their books & audio books, and an amazing number of authors I like are only available from them. I guess it is only fair that I pay something since I'm not a Broward County or Florida taxpayer. So, they are suppose to contact me in the next 10 days to take my money & reactivate the account.

My current book is The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George. #20 in the Lynley series, and the last until September when #21 is published.

A bit warmer today at 62°F. Light rain is predicted this evening, 72°F tomorrow & 74°F Sunday.

Dinner was a Benihana Hibachi Chicken & Rice bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 54

Day 54, Thursday, December 12, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

I'm convinced that I managed to bring some of northern NY down to the south. 37°F last night, and at 11:00AM, even with sunny skies it is only 47°F. The local folks I talked with said this is the coldest early winter they can remember. The high for the day was 56°F.

Anyhow, I did my morning walk wearing my quilted jacket & knit hat. We are down 1 RV - the 5th wheel in site 1 left this morning. The tenters have been replaced with a Class C RV, and the pop up with a Class B RV. Only one empty site in the campground. 

Another day spent reading. Current audio book is Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.

Dinner was an Amy's Roasted Poblano Enchilada.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 53

 Day 53, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

While there was no 5:00AM train this morning, one tooted at 6:00, as well as another one last night at 12:00. Again, not loud enough to discourage staying at Cary unless you are really bothered by trains.

Since it was raining this morning, I skipped my walk and slept in. After breakfast I read my usual forums, journals, and my Kindle, then changed the sheets on the bed. After that I headed to the closest Walgreens to pick up a couple of prescriptions. All were ready and the correct amounts. I finished listening to Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson.  A terrible book.  Far too many unbelievable or impossible situations, hyped "dangerous" situations, etc.  I believe the Patterson finished to book from Crichton's notes; the book is not typical of either author.

The next stop was a laundromat. As usual, my Garmin had no idea of where actual laundromats were located. The first might have worked, but it was an empty building in which the owner was waiting for machines. Said he would be ready in 2 weeks. Usually the Garmin sends me to dry cleaners or long gone laundromats; this was a first - sending me to a future laundromat. The next one was a house. Finally used my phone to find one & put the address in the Garmin. Lots of machines and not too many people. Chatted with a guy from NY that is now living here.

Back at the trailer is is cooling off fast from the morning high of 68°F. Down to 58°F at 5:00, and the expected overnight low is 35°F. I sure brought the cool weather to Florida!

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Lemon Parmesan Chicken dinner.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 52

Day 52, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

No 5:00AM trains this morning, or I slept through them. A warm night at 58°F and 68°F by 11:30AM. After my morning walk I ate breakfast, read some forums, paid some bills, then sat outside reading. No sun, but warm enough.

After lunch, more outside reading. Another RV pulled in - I believe the campground, with the exception of the group site, is full.

Around 3:00 I headed for a shower. I started with the small shower - there are two of them, one handicapped. I was never able to get any hot water, so I checked the larger handicapped shower and no problem. A large room with sink, toilet & shower. Two double hooks & a bench. A low 1/2" lip between the shower & the rest of the room (necessary for wheelchair access) but too low to prevent some of the shower water ending up on the drying area floor. The floor size is large enough that that is not a problem. Plenty of hot water from a 3" medium volume shower head. No shelf or soap dish in the shower. Overall, a B-.

Back at the trailer I did more sitting out reading. It hit 75°F during the afternoon, down to 71°F at 5:00. The prediction is for rain overnight as well as during the day tomorrow, so I stowed my chair in the truck & the small mat in the front storage box.

Dinner was a P. F. Chang's Orange Chicken bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 51

Day 51, Monday, December 9, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

While the trains stopped running around 9:00, they started up again at 5:00AM. Loud enough to notice, but probably wouldn't wake up a sound sleeper.

I walked the campground loop, then had breakfast. Ordered some prescriptions at a Jacksonville Walgreens. Since it is almost impossible to talk to a nurse or anyone at my cardiologist's office, I hope I left enough information for the prescription to end up at the right place. 

I spent the rest of the morning reading forums & journals on the laptop or my current book outside on the Kindle. I finished Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George, and started another in the Lynley series, A Banquet of Consequences. I believe I only have two more of the series left until the 22nd due in September, 2025.

After lunch I did pretty much the same. Fewer trains today, one every three hours or so. When I walked the campground loop I discovered that there are only 6 serviced campsites, and one group site. Another trailer pulled in this afternoon, so there are 4 trailers and one tenter besides the host in a motorhome in the campground.

Dinner was a cheese brat & fruit salad.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 50

Day 50, Sunday, December 8, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL - 87 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

I stayed in bed until after the Sunday puzzle on Weekend Edition, then did a shortened walk around the campground loop. Lots of folks are leaving this morning. I headed out around 10:30. Most of the drive on US 17 & US 301. There are only 8 sites (other than 2 host sites) and a dump station in the campground. The largest sites I've camped in, and your neighbors are far enough away that you can't see or hear them.

I'm in site 2, a water & electric site on a concrete pad that needed 1" side to side and 2 1/2" drop on the tongue. The site has a large concrete pad, a fire pit, grill & picnic table. 8 nights at $15.29 per night. The bathrooms are .2 miles from the campsite.

Site 2

A View of the Whole Site

The check in time is 3:00, and I got here around 12:00. No problem getting to the site - no gate or check in. Someone must have been in my site since a smoldering fire was still going in the grill. The campground host stopped by and was upset that the previous campers left a fire going.

Warm at 68°F. I walked the .64 mile campground loop, then sat out enjoying the nice weather. While sitting, discovered that there are trains with horns going by close enough to bother those that are bothered by them. Not loud enough to annoy me. About one per hour. 

I checked both AT&T & Verizon - AT&T at 48.54Mbps down & 14.71Mbps up, and Verizon was 194.5Mbps down & 29.07Mbps up. It is open enough that I suspect the Starlink Mini would have good speeds, but since AT&T is unlimited, I went with them.

Dinner was a Barbar Chicken Kiev & creamed spinach.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 49

Day 49, Saturday, December 7, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

The freeze never happened. It did go down to 37°F overnight but was up to 50°F by 11:00. 

I took my camera on my morning walk and found some birds in the water weeds next to the picnic area. All ids are from my iBird Photo Sleuth app.

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Around 11:00 I headed to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. As usual, they only partially filled it. A 90 day prescription should be 3 2.5Ml bottles, but they only gave me 2. I asked for the third, but they didn't have it in stock - I could get it on Monday. Of course I won't be here. I'll be able to get a refill at 60 days rather than 90, but that means I pay the copay more often. I wish I could believe that this is a mistake, but my home Walgreens does the same thing, and only has 2 bottles even though they have to order them each time I get refills.

Still cool at 60°F at 3:00, too cool to comfortably sit outside. I played with my Starlink Mini inside. It works sitting on the top shelf of the cabinet over the driver's side drawer stack (an unlisted option when I bought my 2017 trailer). It works, although not as fast as when outside, and gets uncomfortable warm if stuffed in with other stuff. OK on the bare shelf with the snow melt turned off.

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 48

Day 48, Friday, December 6, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

Another warm night. The low was 57°F around 6:00AM, although it isn't getting any warmer. In fact, at 11:00 it is down to 55°F. Depending on what app (or the radio) I listen to, it will be below freezing overnight. 

During my morning walk I listened to John Sanford's Toxic Prey and after breakfast read some on line forums, and my current book on the Kindle - Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George. 

I made an on line reservation for a haircut at SuperCuts for 3:20 this afternoon, hoping that will give the shower enough time to warm up. There was a Publix next door so I picked up some milk yogurt and other essentials, then drove back to the campground 11 miles away in heavy traffic.

Back at the campground on the way to the shower I chatted for a bit with the Casita owner. They are from the Catskills in NY. 

There are 2 showers in the men's bathroom, but one is out-of-order. Very large shower with plenty of hot water from a low volume 2" shower head. A soap dish but no shelf in the shower (or drying area). There is a 4" lip between the shower & drying area as well as a shower curtain so very little water gets on the drying area floor. A bench and 1 double hook in the drying area. Overall a solid B; it would be better if the room was a bit warmer. There are what looks like might be 2 heat lamps overhead in the drying area, but the lamps are standard PAR 38's, and the switch on the wall doesn't do anything.

Dinner was a Chef Bombay Chicken Tikka Masala bowl. I can't tell the difference between this an my usual Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala. Both make my moustache sweat!

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 47

Day 47, Thursday, December 5, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL - 194.5 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

A warm night, at least compared to the last few. Down to 45°F. I did a short walk since it was moving day. Met a woman & her golden retriever during my walk. She is in a Tab that is the only other trailer in the park that is smaller than mine. 

After breakfast I unplugged the power & headed out around 9:30. Most of the drive was on I 75 and FL 20. Most of FL 20 was 4 lane. I arrived at the campground a little after 2:00. 

I'm in site #11, a back in grass & sand site with water & electric, a picnic table & fire ring. Lots of room, particularly behind the trailer. $39.06 per night for 3 nights. They only offer a 1/2 price senior site charge for Florida residents. There is a Scamp a few sites down from me & the bathrooms are down beyond site #1. While the campground is 12 miles from just about anything, it is almost full. There is a boat ramp at the far end.

Me in Site 11

The Scamp Down the Road (Actually a Casita)
I received a comment on the Blogger post of this page letting me know that the trailer above is a Casita, not a Scamp. I should know the difference, but goofed. Thanks for the correction.

AT&T shows 14.4Mbps down & .3Mbps up, Verizon shows 47.2Mbps down & 4.7Mbps up. I set the Starlink Mini on the picnic table that has a bit of pine tree shade & it shows 13.5Mbps down, 14.5Mbps up. While Verizon is the fastest, I've already used 6GB of data since December 2nd, so I'll let it rest & see if the Starlink Mini does the job. 

It was 75°F when I arrived, so I spent the afternoon sitting outside reading. Once the sun ducked behind the trees it cooled quickly. First I added a long sleeved shirt, then, eventually moved inside for my afternoon exercises & dinner.

Dinner was a Marie Callender's Sesame Chicken Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 46

Day 46, Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip

It got cold enough that the water hose froze. At 4:00AM I tried to flush the toilet & no water. Turned on the water pump & it worked fine from the fresh water tank. Around 10:00AM it was warm enough for the hose to thaw. It warmed up to 64°F during the day.

The plan was to get a haircut but the barber shops that I found using my laptop & phone were either closed or required appointments a day or two out. So, I'll look for a barber shop at Rodman State Park in Florida.

So, I spent most of the day inside reading. I did chat with a neighbor in an Airstream during my morning walk. They are on their way back from the summer in Michigan to their home in Florida. Current book is Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton.

Around 4:00 I did a last dump of the tanks, and unhooked both the fresh water & sewer connection. It is suppose to be a bit warmer tomorrow morning at 40°F, but light rain. Since the site is level, I hooked up the truck to save doing it in the cold rain.

Dinner was a chicken pot pie.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 45

Day 45, Tuesday, December 3, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip 

I walked around both loops (.74 miles) then had breakfast. After breakfast I went through the internet speeds for both AT&T & Verizon for the rest for my stops. There are a few places that I'm staying for longer than 3 days that show slow or no internet. So, using that as an excuse, I called Best Buy in Valdosta, about a half hour drive from the campground. They did have a Starlink Mini in stock, so I ordered it. It sure is not going to save me any money with what I'm already paying to AT&T & Verizon since the phones are the highest cost.  I love their ads that show $45.00 per month, then in the small print "when you order 4 lines". The unlimited AT&T cell modem only cost $23.00 per month, and the Verizon 50GB per month modem cost is $17.  All I can really say is it is a way to be fairly sure I'll have a connection to the internet where ever I go. I'll admit it is also a toy.

Back at the campground I set it up & went through the registration process. A bit confusing, but I eventually got through it and paid for my first month's 50GB. I will need to come up with a way to DC power it. Some have had success running it on 12V, however the 120V power block puts out 30V, and from the on line suggestions from various users, going to a doubler to 3 amp, 24V is more reliable. I'll also need to get a storage case for it & the cable.

So, hopefully no more "posting in a couple of days".

It is up to 54°F at 3:00. Bright sun and little breeze so I sat outside for a bit. I only lasted half an hour; 54°F is just too cold.

A great looking tree with Spanish Moss a couple of sites away:

Neat Tree

I'm currently reading John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flats. I think I read it many years ago, but long enough that it feels new.

Dinner was a grilled peanut butter & cheese sandwich & a salad. If you try a grilled peanut butter & cheese sandwich, go easy on the peanut butter or it will be a mess. Tastes great!

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 44

Day 44, Monday, December 2, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA - 191.1 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip 

I did a short walk around the campground, ate my "moving day" breakfast (yogurt & cottage cheese) unplugged the power to the trailer and headed out around 9:30. Most of the drive was on US & state 4 lane roads with a few sections of 2 lane with plenty of passing sections. Two stops along the way - a lightly stocked Walmart for a birthday card for Asher. Almost no Christmas cards; I'll have to check a bit further down the road. I also stopped at a Home Depot to see if they had a Starlink Mini in stock. Nope, on line only.

At registration they factored in my senior discount and refunded my credit card $20.92. I'm in site 37, which is in the 2nd loop. There is a Scamp 16 in the first loop, but not someone I know. Site 37 is a long full hook up site on gravel with a tent pad, picnic table, fire pit and double hanger. I'm not sure what is the official use of the pipe hanger thing with hooks; I've seen them used for lanterns, garbage, bird feeders, etc. Most of the area state parks have them. Anyhow, three nights at $39.56 per night. Level enough that I would not have needed to unhook, but because I'm here for 3 days I did anyway.

The Scamp 16

Me in Site 37

After setting up I walked around both loops. I checked the bathrooms - no or little heat in the each of the main bathrooms in both loops, but some warmth in the large handicapped rooms (2 in each bathroom with shower, toilet & sink). I decided to use the closest handicapped room for a shower. Plenty of hot water with a 2" diameter, low volume shower head (and a handheld shower I didn't use). One small hook and a fold down bench in the very large room with a sink with lots of room on both sides. While the water does run under the shower curtain, the room is large enough that there is plenty of floor area that stays dry. Overall, a B+. It would get an A if it was warmer. The shower head in the main bathroom was a large diameter standard one, but the room was just too cold to use.

AT&T would not give me a connection to the internet although is showed 2 bars & my phone works fine. Verizon shows 105.1Mbps down & 15.6Mbps up so I went with it. There is a Georgia NPR station on the FM radio.

While I have been complaining about the cold, I called my son in Oswego, and it was down to 23°F overnight and only in the 30's during the day. At least they didn't get any of the lake effect snow that hit the Buffalo area. Here it was 33°F at 7:00AM, and 56°F at 5:30. They are calling for a bit cooler tomorrow, then warming up over the rest of the week.

Dinner was a turkey on rye sandwich & succotash made by combining a small can of creamed corn & a small can of baby Lima beans. Tasted like the real thing, but next time I'll only add 1/2 a can of Lima beans to the mix.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 43

Day 43, Sunday, December 1, 2024, F. D. Roosevelt State Park, Pine Mountain, GA - 94.8 Miles, 2,059.4 Miles for the Trip

Not as cold last night. The low was 36°F. I packed up the trailer an headed out around 10:00. No interstates - most of the drive was on US431 in Alabama, then to Lagrange, GA and south to Pine Mountain & the park. There was the change to Eastern Standard Time as I crossed into Georgia. 

F. D. Roosevelt State Park is a large park with a restaurant, hundreds of campsites, lakes, etc. I'm in site 223, a water & electric site on gravel with a tent pad, picnic table & fire pit. With senior discount, $36.10 per night. I'm only here for one night and the site is level enough that I don't need to unhook. !/4" side to side & 1 1/2" up on the tongue. 

Site 223

I checked both AT&T & Verizon & AT&T looked good at 20.96Mbps down & 9.93Mbps up, so I went with it. First was going through 300 e-mails. I also posted a Happy Thanksgiving comment on one of my Blogger pages a little late because of not having internet over the last 6 days. I did some bills, and other on line stuff that I've been unable to do.

It made it up to 56°F by 4:00 with lots of sun. I didn't get outside to enjoy it; too much catching up on the laptop. 

I was hoping for a shower, however while there is one in the men's bathroom, and it looks to be a C or so, the bathroom is unheated and much colder than the outside air temperature. So, We will see what the next stop looks like.

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Fajita Quesadilla.

Until Tomorrow? 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 42

Day 42, Saturday, November 30, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 6 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Another cold night. It didn't hit the predicted 27°F, but close at 28°F. Around 10:00 it finally warmed up to the point where the outside temperature was higher than that inside the refrigerator.

Lots of folks outside walking this morning. Late yesterday more tenters & RVs showed up - the campground is about 1/2 full. I checked my phone as I walked by the top of the ridge (where I get 1-2 bars of reception). 249 emails, none of which I can read.

I changed the sheets and after breakfast & coffee, headed to the laundry. The map shows two of them, the nearest at the motel. The laundry near the motel is a small room just large enough for one washer & 1 dryer. Maybe a 2' square space to stand in in front of them - no table or chair. I opted to head for the 2nd laundry, which is in the Cheaha Lake area. 3 washers & 3 dryers, $2.50 to wash ($3.00 if your want heavy duty) and $2.00 for the dryers. There is a decent sized folding table and one folding chair. It does have heat, in fact, too much.

Back at the campground, after putting away the laundry I ran the electric trimmer over my beard. I used the truck mirror to keep the leavings out of the trailer. A bit chilly at 43°F at 2:00 standing outside in a "T" shirt, but probably near the warm temperature for the day. At least this time I remembered to fold the mirror back to its driving position after I was done. I usually use the passenger side mirror, forget to fold it back, then don't discover it being out of position until on the road.

By the way, I had at least 1 bar of AT&T cell signal over most of the park, including at the laundromat. I'm in a hole here at site 17, and no signal. It doesn't matter all that much since even with 1-2 bars, texting or phone calls is all I can do. No data or downloadable email. I do know that I'm up to 266 unread emails...

Diner was, guess what? Turkey. About 1/2 the Thanksgiving turkey breast is gone. I doubt I'll eat it all before getting too tired of it.

I'll post this & the last 3 journals when I get a good cell signal & a place to stop.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 41

 Day 41, Friday, November 29, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 5 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

The electric heater got a workout last night. Down to 33°F by morning. It was still cycling off & on, but set at 66°F it was on more than off. 

A little condensation problem along the sides of the bed, even with the Maxx fan on low. If I could learn how to not breath that would solve the problem. Of course if I made the bed up in the opposite direction that would put my head (and breath) out in the main area of the trailer rather than contained by 3 walls, but the lights, shelf, and cell phone cradle are all positioned for sleeping with ones head at the front of the trailer. 

A cool but sunny morning with a few small clouds. Again, a couple of RVs left while at least two arrived as well as a tenter. Still about 1/4 full. There are a couple of other tent campers still here. I remember tent camping in near freezing weather and don't miss those days at all.

After my morning walk wearing a knit hat & parka and listening to Michael Connelly's Resurrection Walk I ate breakfast, listened to Symphony Hall on XM Radio, drank coffee and read. Current book is Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher. It is slowly warming up - currently 36F at 10:30AM. I miss the desert where is still might go down to the low 30's overnight, but the bright sun & dry air warmed up things quickly.

After lunch I put away the water hose. While it did get up to 42°F, I suspect it will get much cooler overnight. I usually roll up the hose during the day before I leave rather than on the cold morning of departure; a day early won't hurt - plenty of water in the fresh water tank and I don't have a pile of dishes to wash.

I took a bag of garbage up to the dumpsters (the problem with using grocery bags for garbage is they are small so you need to make many trips, but I have a plastic stand that holds them and they are small enough to keep in the trailer aisle). At the dumpsters I discovered I had 2 bars of AT&T, so I tried a call to the Guidos. Got through & talked for a bit. While that was going on my phone let me know that I had 200 emails. It wouldn't let me read any of them, but did show the headers for each.

Back at the trailer I'm warming up my fingers; still a high today of 42°F. Putting away the water hose was a good idea. While connected at the dumpsters my weather app downloaded the week's temperatures for both Cheaha State Park & FD Roosevelt State Park (my next stop). Tomorrow morning is is suppose to be 27°F here with a high of 50°F, 30°F Sunday morning. Not all that much warmer at FDR. While Sunday's high is a balmy 55°F, I'm looking at 31°F Monday morning with a high of 50°F. It will be warming up slightly as I move from park to park over the next week.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 40

Day 40, Thursday, November 28, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 4 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Happy Thanksgiving!

Strange weather. It got warmer throughout the night, with lots of wind and even some heavy rain. It was up to 59°F by early morning, after which it started cooling down. It is 50°F at 10:00AM. 

More folks left late yesterday & this morning. I'd guess that the campground is at 1/4 capacity. A light fog during my morning walk.

I opened the turkey breast package around 12:30 & discovered that there was a gravy package inside. Guess I won't need to try the jar gravy. The breast went in the oven at 325°F and should be done around 2:00. Outside is is still getting colder; 47°F at 1:00.

A little later than predicted, but dinner was at 2:00. I don't usually photograph my food, but since this is an RV substitute for my usual 20 pound Plainville turkey & about 8 sides, I decided to keep a record of why it is better to do Thanksgiving in a real kitchen. For one thing, cooking a real turkey produces dark meat, by far my favorite. Have you ever tried to find turkey thighs in a grocery store? I don't know why they are not available since turkeys have more thighs than breasts. I do sometimes find turkey legs, but the produce stringy meat, and while good for gnawing, they don't slice well for sandwiches. Turkey thighs are best.

Thanksgiving Dinner

The other reason for preferring Thanksgiving (or Christmas, Easter, etc) dinner at home or at least in a real kitchen is when I do that I almost always invite a bunch of friends, students, even relatives to dinner since a turkey goes a long way, and after watching me slave at the stove, at least a couple of them insist on doing the dishes after dinner. Of course I'll spend the next couple of weeks trying to find where things were put, but I do avoid the chore.

Here, I did my typical RV after real cooking dish wash up. I spend a lot of time dry camping where saving water both from the fresh tank and into the gray tank is important. The substitute is lots of paper towels. Everything gets wiped completely clean, then washed. Saves lots of water. Since I'm in the habit of doing that, I even do it in campgrounds with hookups. So, an extra trip to the dumpsters to get rid of a garbage bag full of paper towels, but the dishes are done. During the trip to the dumpster I managed to send a couple of text messages that appeared to get through. I also got a couple that had been looking for me. Sure wish I could do them from the trailer - it is cold standing at the dumpsters. If I stay here again I will try for a site along the rim rather down in the hole I'm currently camped in.

The evening meal (I can't call it dinner after the afternoon feast) was a turkey sandwich. I'll be having lots of them since even the smallest turkey breast I found was 6 pounds.

It might be a cold night. At 3:30 it is already down to 43°F.

Until The Next Internet Connection -