Squirrels & Such

We were in town today and upon returning to the rig we found the screen that covers the roof vent in the bedroom lying on the bed.  At first thought it had fallen on its own but soon ruled that out when we saw Jackson with his head poked into the closet and Missy standing behind him whinning.  It was soon apparent that a squirrel had fallen thru the screen after getting under the vent that we had rolled open for some air.   We put the animals in the truck and NJ soon brought to bear her old ACO skills and pried the critter out of the closet.  He was up on the bed then down the steps to the kitchen and out the door.

We attended the annual Christmas party last night for the campground.  We hold it at McCormicks a restaurant at the golf course in their upstairs area.  60 winter guests of the campground atrended.  Great food, good music from the 50's & 60's.

We are back doing our almost daily walks on the beach.  Temps have been very moderate in the high 60's and low 70's.  We picked up a bounty of "Welks" on St. Andrews today.

2012 Veteran's Day - Welcome Home to the Viet Nam Vets!

Today we attended a veterans day program that was geared toward welcoming home Vietnam Vets specifically.  The pictures were taken with the phone so they didn't come out well, but the top one is a marine honor guard.  The middle pic is of Major General James E. Livingston, a Georgia native, and the holder of the congressional medal of honor, the silver star, the bronze star with combat "v" & 3 purple hearts.   As a young captain he earned the medal of honor under some fierce combat conditions.  He was also the officer in charge of the day that the US left Vietnam.  His speech was right to the point when he spoke of the media of the day & the poor civilian leadership in Washington for the reasons that we left how we did.  Needless to say he was continually appauled thoughout his comments.  He was told in later years by the Vietanmese General that had the US continued to bomb Hanoi for even 2 more days they were ready to surrender, but we stopped bombing, basically because of politcal reasons of LBJ.  The lower pic was all the vietnam vets that were there were asked to come to the front of the room to be recognized and for the reading of the names of the 21 Georgia servicemen killed in Vietnam.  Quite a moving cermony.

Exciting afternoon at the Rookery

One of the reasons that we love this island is the rookery home to many birds, turtles and even a few   alligators.  Norma took the first three pictures including the spoonbill which is the second picture.  I took the last one and got the tri-facta: the duck, the alligator and two turtles.  Enjoy!

Back on JI Beach and a new toy!

Finally we are back at Jekyll Island!!!  But I should add that Maine is still Norma's favorite but even she admits she doesn't miss the ice and cold.  Snow yes but not the rest.  The dogs are especially excited to be back as it means long walks on the beach.  Sadie still loves to swim in the ocean and Missy loves to run on the sand.

Now, that we are back here we will be putting out more frequent posts as the Wi-Fi allows.

Sunrise on Myrtle Beach

Believe it or not it was NJ's idea to get up early this morning and be on the beach before sunrise!  For those of you who know her sleeping in is a high priority in her life now making up for all those early mornings she had in her working life.  Anyway, we were out there bright and early and managed to get a few shots.  NJ took the first two and I did the third.  Hope you enjoy!

The joys of walking on the beach - Myrtle Beach SC that is...

This is our second time to stop in Myrtle Beach and we are enjoying as much as we did before.  The beach is beautiful and the dogs love walking/swimming.  Of course only Sadie actually swims as Missy has an aversion to water.  But you can see even for an 11 year old dog she can still get into a sort of point when she spotted the seagulls.  For those of you in the north it was only about 77 degrees when we were out there yesterday afternoon. :)

Fowl of Ashville, NC KOA

While I took a nap NJ wandered over to the pond located in the KOA we were staying so we both got a bit of peace and quiet.  She thought some of you may enjoy seeing these pictures but warns she is still getting used to her new camera and did not have her shutter speed as high as she should have.

Biltmore - 2nd Day

You actually need 2 days to see everything so back we went this morning.  Some more interesting facts about the house itself.  When you first enter the main room you are struck by the sheer enormity of the room.  The ceiling is 7 stories high.  Over a 6yr period, 1000 craftsman worked to build the home.  It would eventually feature 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.  It was also the first home in America that had its own indoor bowling alley and a huge pool that was 12ft deep.  There were buttons all along the pool edge where the guest could push for refreshments.
Moving on tomorrow to Irmo, SC and easy 2.5 hr drive and then the next day finds us back in the Myrtle Beach area for 7 days before returning to Jekyll on the 26th.

Visiting the Biltmore Estate - America's Largest Home

We spent an amazing day touring the Biltmore Estate here in Asheville.  The estate was built by George Vanderbilt the youngest of 3 sons of the elder Vanderbilt who became a billionaire in the shipping industry.  The estate is on 8000 acres and was officially opened on Christmas Eve 1895.  One of the most interesting rooms on the tour was the library that contains half of his 23,000 volume collection, which caused a New York Journalist to call George "the best read man in the country".  Also in the library is a chess set and gaming table that was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte.  George died in 1914 from complications of an appendectomy and his wife, Edith, continued to run the estate and raising her young daughter, Cornelia.  In 1924 Cornelia married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, a British diplomat.  Today, Biltmore remains a family business.  Vanderbilt's grandson, William A.V. Cecil owns the Biltmore; his son William serves as CEO and his daughter, Diana Cecil Pickering, is vice-chair of the board of directors.  Along with 1,800 employees, they continue the preservation of the estate.  If you are ever in this area this is an absolute must to see.

Beautiful Campground in Ashville, NC

If any of you are ever near Ashville, NC and in your RV or wish to stay in a cabin I hardly suggest that you check out the KOA just east of the city.  This pond is on the property with a walking path all the way around it.  With the change of color in the leaves it was down right pretty!

Ashville North Carolina

Nice 3hr ride over from Max Meadows, VA (where do they get these names).  We are in a very nice KOA and will be visiting the famous Biltomore Estate tomorrow and Wed.
We ate tonight at Okie Dokies Smokehouse, some good smoked eatin.  Also I have had unsweet tea all over this country and this place has the best I've ever had.  More to come over the next couple days on the blog as we explore the Biltmore.

Pay Showers

Well to continue the saga from yesterday.  We arrive at Sand Springs Campground, if you are ever in the area for camping and you see their sign, continue into Morgantown and get a Holiday Inn.  Anyway this place is way back in the hills and is "primitive" to say the least.  It starts raining just as we are in and we go to our site and its apparent that its going to be difficult to level even with auto levelers that we have.  So we unhook, get the animals out of the truck and start the process but the trailer says angle to extreme.  So we decide to move to the space next to us as its much better but then the levelers stop working and we're pretty sure its due to the angle.  After some time they start working again, so we re-hook the truck, put the animals back in the truck, pull in the slides then I have to BACK THIS DAMN THING out of the space and carefully missing the trees with NJ back there giving signs like she was on an aircraft carrier, we manage to get into the next space and after all that the rig levels ok.  So this morning I go to the bath house and find that the showers here are "pay showers" a quarter for 9 minutes of water.  How do you figure they arrived at "9".  No heat in the building and it got down to 29 last night and when in open the shower door there are 2 of my least favorite characters (BABS)  big ass black spiders.  Sure glad we're not paying for this place, else we would be at the Holiday Inn.

Summer's Over

Left Maine 2 days ago.  Had a great summer, worked a lot of softball tournaments which turned out to be the end of my softball career.  Sometimes things just have to come to an end.  Norma entered her pictures in the Skowhegan and Windsor fairs and won ribbons at both locations.  We spent time with friends, the Somers and the Frasers.  On Sept 28th my 91yr old father passed away in Colorado so I flew back for his service and spent quality time with my brother, Robert and his wife Aurice.  We are now back on the road starting the southward trek to Jekyll.  We have stopped in Morgantown, WV to help staff a Jekyll Island both at an RV show.  Will be here for a few days and then off to Ashville, NC to visit the Biltmore Estate then a short visit to the Great Smoky Mtns on the NC/TN border before going back to Jekyll for the winter.  Will start bloging again as we move south.

Moxie Falls

Great day for a day trip to Moxie Falls in The Forks Maine.  Moxie Falls is reputably the highest waterfall in New England.  The falls are over 90ft high. 

A Little North

The summer is rapidly coming to a close.  Softball season ended the last weekend in August.  While we were here we managed to secure a work/camp position for next year at the Skowhegan KOA & an opportunity arose to come here this year and finish their season as they lost a couple that were working, so we decided that it would be a good move to come up here (its only 20 miles) from Waterville.  Looks like I am going to be learning to make Pizza.  They have pizza night on friday & saturday eve.  Looking forward to it, should be fun.  We will be here until Oct 1 and will then make our way to West Point, NY to see the academy, Hershey, PA, Morgantown, West Virginia & Ashville, NC before heading back to Jeklyll.

Home

Arrived in Waterville yesterday.  Spent most of the rest of the day unloading and moving into Kathy's house.  She is a most gracious & great friend to move us in and I can't thank her enough.  Will now be here until early Sept and looking forward to a fun summer.

Moving On

Out of Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning.  Looking forward to the northern trek.  First stop Roanake Rapids, NC.

At Last - We know who we are!

We found a huge indoor flea market and found this wood carver.  Since it seems that all RV'rs have some kind of wood sign on their rigs, and since we had never seen this design, which is pretty cool, here we are part of the "in crowd".  We are counting down the days until the northward trek begins.  Tomorrow we will have a guest for a couple days.  Chris Fraser, the vet that worked with Norma in the animal program in Maine, has been in N.C. for the past two days doing an education thing will be driving down to spend the weekend with us.

Brookgreen Gardens - South Carolina

We met for lunch today with Ric on left and Harold on right, brothers that I went to high school with in Hawaii (Radford) and have not seen either of them since 1961.  Strangely, Ric lived in West Hollywood only 50 miles from us and we never knew that all those years.  Harold & I played on the basketball team for the Pearl Harbor Youth Center & Ric and I worked at the local bowling alley setting pins by hand for 10 cents a line.  We had a great time talking over those days and it was a completly enjoyable visit.  When we come back thru here next year we will connect again and get some local touring in.  We met a Brookgreen Gardens, an outdoor museum with majestic oaks and world-renowned sculptures.  It has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Well we pulled in yesterday after driving 7hrs on what was advertised as a 5hr trip.  We are in the KOA in downtown MB.  Very nice campground, large with a lot of permanent type mobil homes.  Went down to the beach today and then realizing that this is spring break in this area, the beach resembled Waikiki in the summer and the drive down Ocean Blvd reminds one of Vegas without casinos, hotel after hotel.  There are 2 state parks in this immediate area that we may consider next year if we head this way again.  Looking forward to getting back to Maine.  Long range plans after Maine are to join 2 other couples and Ronnie, the campground manager, at Morgantown, VA at an RV show to help promote the Jekyll Campground.  We are also going to stop in Ashville, NC and take in the Biltmore Estate.

Harris Neck - US Wild Bird Refuge

We finally made our way to Harris Neck National Wildlife Reserve about 40 miles north of here.  Harris Neck is one of 7 refuges adminstered as part of the Savannah Costal Refuges Complex.  It consists of 2,284 acres that was formerly managed by the Federal Aviation Agency as a WWII Army airfield.  Since its designation as a wildlife refuge in 1962, Harris Neck has served as a premier nesting, foraging and wintering habitat for many species of wildlife.  Signature species include endangered wood storks and the colorful painted bunting, which favors the refuge's martime scrub areas.  The refuge encompasses six man-made freshwater ponds, as well as salt marsh, open fields, forested wetland and mixed hardwood/pine forest.

Wood Storks at Jekyll Island Rookery

We are most fortunate here to have a full blown rookery in the middle of the island.  Hundreds of birds return here in the everning for rest and many including the endangered Wood Stork actually build there nests in the trees.  I hope you will enjoy these pictures of these most beautiful birds.

Winding Down

Well all good things must come to an end and we are in the last 2 weeks here.  The past week and the week to come have been the most magnificant weather you could ask for, averaging 75 a day with warm light winds and terrific walks on the beach.  We leave here April 1 and will make a month long stop in Myrtle Beach, SC and May 1 will start the trek for Maine.  Looking forward very much to seeing old friends and enjoying the Maine summer and fall.  Long range plans are to meet with the campground driector here & 2 other couples in Morgantown, WV on Oct 11,12,13 and help staff a booth at an RV show promoting Jekyll Island's campground.  We are profoundly gratelful to my best bud, Kathy Beaulieu, who has offered up her house to put the rig on, and live in her house, oh yeah I have to mow the lawn too.  Looking forward very much to that.  Also we will having lunch with brothers Harold & Ric Ross, whom I went to high school with in Hawaii and have not seen since 1962.  They both live in the Charleston, SC area.  Will blog along the way back, see you all soon.

Hollybourne Cottage - Jekyll Island

Hollybourne Cottage was completed in 1890, built by Charles Maurice, a very weathly bridge builder from Athens, PA.  It is the last cottage on the island to be restored and is rumored to be haunted by 2 of the daughters of Charles.  The house was built under a steel support system with 19 brick piers in the basement.  You can see in the above picture the bridge building influence in the shape of the pier.  There was also a system of trusses used to distribute weight.  In the second picture you see a truss that extends clear to the basement that allowed the ceilings to be suspended.  Another picture shows what would be our modern electrical panel.  The  picture of the two rooms is what the family would see decending from the family living quarters on the 2nd flool, down a large staircase to the dinning room, then the parlor beyond.  You will notice in outside picture to the right what looks like might have been a swimming pool, but was in fact surrounded by heavy shrubs and the servants would come out of the house and do the family laundry and then hang them up.  The purpose was so that their "unmentionables" could not be seen.  In 1943 the federal gov't ordered the island vacated as they were afraid due to the extremely weathly and powerful people who lived here, the germans would come ashore and kill them, so they ordered everyone off.  They had to leave by boat so they could only take what they could carry and virtually left massive fortunes in homes and contents to just sit.  They were allowed to come back in 1948 but by then most of the island was in disrepair.  The State of Georgia offered a mere pittance for their properties.  The 3 daughters of Charles never came back to the house.  There still today exists some hard feeling from the decendants of these families about what happened.  Of this cottage in particular, one of the great grand-daughters lives near Atlanta and has been to the house and they say she seems grateful that it is being restored.  It is estimated that it will take several more years and close to several million dollars to bring it back to what it was.

The Alligators square off but life goes on at the pond...

Like the beach you never quite know what you are going to see or find when you go to the mid-island pond.  We try to go about an hour before sunset as that is the time when most of the birds start returning to roost.  Today was a special day with wonderful light which produced the above pictures.

  #1.  Shows the pathway leading to the pond.
  #2.  First glimse of the pond.
  #3.  Shows four turtles sunning themselves on the log.
  #4.  Shows an unknown bird with a very long pink bill.  I need to learn my southeast birds!
  #5. " Big Al" swimming towards the south end of the pond.  Notice the ducks are giving him the right of way and they are heading in the opposite direction.
  #6.  South end alligator letting "Al" know he is at the wrong end of the pond and to keep moving.

It was a great day and we are so lucky to be here.