HODGEPODGE~~MEDLEY~~JUMBLE

To be (controversial) or not to be (controversial) that is the question … :) … a pointed question indeed. Do strong opinions have a place in an RV travel log? Beyond parks and eateries, probably not—so I guess I’ve answered my own question. That said, our friend, Nick Russell who is well known in our fulltime RV circles for his cross the line ever so slightly (or every so often stomp all over the line) opinions, has been encouraged to say more. He is now writing a new blog called “BAD NICK” where he pulls no punches and blatantly states his convictions on innumerable subjects. Without remorse, as only Nick can do, he lets it all hang out and stirs up more controversy than is usually seen anywhere near an RV Travel Blog. His groupies love it and without doubt there are more of them than detractors. However, it wouldn’t be real life if there were none so the few there are blast him in their comments but true to form it only serves to fuel Nick’s fire. Check it out at here if you enjoy a vigorous debate!

I make no apologies for being an Oprah fan. I have watched her show since the first day and she has entertained me as well as millions of others for nearly 24 years. I have seen her struggle over those years with her weight (boy can I identify with that) and seen her screw up, educate, bring tears to our eyes and laughter into our hearts. I have more often than not agreed with her show content but once in awhile, I have waggled my head and wondered “WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?” Her recent announcement saying at the end of her 25th year she will be leaving comes as no surprise. She has paid her dues; a quarter century in any job is enough. I agree that it is a good number and now is the time to move on to other things (not that she hasn’t already). I salute you Oprah and look forward to your last season where you have promised to “knock our socks off!”

Our dear friends, Margie and Roger (we stayed in their driveway in Tennessee back in April before they went fulltime and we joined up again at the 2009 Eastern Gypsy Rally) went to work where they are parked in Davenport, Florida. With pictures, e-mails and phone calls they helped us find our next landing spot for a few months. We want to give them a huge shout out for all their help and look forward to being neighbors again so we can spend some quality time together.

Our stop here near Monticello, Florida has been interesting. Phil found an excellent garage (Curtis Morgan Garage, Inc. Monticello, FL) and had new rear brakes put on our little trooper, The Lone Ranger. A work horse for sure, he has been a true and faithful companion for the past five years. We are ever amazed at how well he performs and how dependable he has always been. Buying that little truck was a very good decision back in 2004.

This Tallahasee East KOA is very wooded. Somehow, our Datastorm Satellite managed to find a hole in the canopy of oak trees that have bombarded us with acorn missiles day and night. The squirrels in the park are many and very entertaining. They are running up and down the trees, digging in the ground and chasing each other all day. Fun to watch but we are being diligent and keeping the basement doors closed as we don’t want to bring one of those cute little critters alone with us when we leave!

Thank for stopping by!
Until next time,

Looking out the windsheild of Penny the Pace as we are leaving Rainbow Plantation on our way to Florida.

The red dirt just amazes me! Can you imagine trying to keep it out of your house if you lived here?

Our intrepid Penny the Pace traversing a backroad to Florida from Summerdale, Alabama.

This is State Highway 16 and US Highway 90 east that connects with I-10 north of Pensacola, FL. Beautiful drive, beautiful day!

Newly cut and baled hay ... in November!

There are many beautiful rivers (sorry didn't catch the name if this one) in Florida.

Being the scardy cat that I am, I can't help but wonder what swims in the shade along the bank ... !!

Penny the Pace crossing the stateline. Our destination for the winter of 2009-2010.

The courthouse in Monticello, Florida about five miles north of our KOA campground. Couldn't find much on the description of the building but the town is proud of its history. It is the hometown of country singer Trisha Yearwood and the filming location of the 1992 comedy, My Cousin Vinny. We also found a great book exchange in a local eatery where we had brunch, an "Organic club sandwich with homemade chicken/corn chowder soup". Pretty good actually.

Took a little day trip in Georgia after picking up one of my prescriptions in the Thomasville Wal*Mart. Saw lots of Pine tree forests, logging trucks and even a pulp mill. Lots of swamps and not much else on the route we took. However, it was a beautiful day for a drive.

The Lowndes County courthouse is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful county courthouses in Georgia. Built in 1904 in Valdosta, Georgia it is a beautiful example of Neoclassical Revival architectural style.

Patiently putting up with the bombardment of acorns, here is our wonderful Penny the Pace nestled in the Oak forest at the KOA near Monticello, Florida.

The oak trees that surround us are loaded with these little half-inch acorns. Day and night we have been flinching at the sounds of them dropping on top of our very patient Penny the Pace. We'll have to make sure they are all swept off unless we want to grow a forest on our roof ... LOL!

FINAL WEEK IN ALABAMA

This is another sad week as our family lost another precious lady. My cousin, Norma from Buhl, Idaho passed away after an extended illness. She was 81 years old and had been staying with her sister in Arizona. Norma has been a delightful part of my life for many years—assisting me with my genealogy work and sharing her incredibly sharp memories of the “olden days” in our family as well as copies of the pictures that had been handed down to her from her father. My mother’s mother and Norma’s father were brother and sister. She was a very special person, one of a kind, and she will be missed!

After much discussion, Phil and I decided to sit out Hurricane Ida when she was downgraded to a Tropical Storm before making landfall here in southern Alabama earlier this week. After the calm before the storm, we had some windy days and quite a bit of rain but for the most part, she was actual fairly mild-mannered in this area. Watching her path we have been amazed how much wind and rain she had left in her as she made her way north and east. Ida certainly went out with a bang on the east coast. As I recall, Katrina did the same thing back in 2005. We were in Massachusetts that year and remember the rain and flooding from Katrina, days after the devastation in New Orleans and the Gulf States. Hurricane season ends in less than two weeks and hopefully most of this wild weather is over—until next year anyway.

I have never eaten any part of a Pomegranate before. One day on the web I watched a video about how to cut into them and extract the seeds. Because of my curiosity, I bought one last week when I found them on sale. W-e-l-l-l-l have I ever told you about my mild case of diverticular disease? (I know ... too much information!) Anyway, they were delicious and I sprinkled those bright red seeds on my salads and my cereal for two days—then they hit me! It took another day to put two and two together but when I did, was I ever relieved! I really had been suffering and I was certain I had developed a life threatening condition. Just a friendly warning to all who suffer from a similar problem Stay away from pomegranate seeds!

Phil and I drove to Pensacola, Florida on Saturday. The Blue Angels were performing in an air show beginning Saturday afternoon and we were swept up in the bumper to bumper traffic with thousands of show goers and ended up on the Naval Air Station. It took almost an hour to find a place to get out of the line, turn around and get back to the main road. Had the air show been earlier we might have joined in the fun but when we are in a strange area, we do not like to drive after dark. On our way out of town, we found the famous seafood purveyor, “Joe Patti’s” market. The store was jammed with people and what a wonderful assortment of fresh seafood they provide. I also bought a small bowl of gelato while we were there. Another first for me and it was delicious! We bought scallops and shrimp for our freezer.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time,

Our dear Norma with her sons, Marc on the left and Kirk on the right.

We will miss you dear lady!

America's first European inhabited settlement in 1559!

We took a short drive and found our way to Florida. We will be saying goodbye to Alabama and moving over here next week.

We didn't know that Pensacola was the home of the Blue Angels.

You learn something new everyday :)

As the traffic crawled by the golf course, this sign told us what was going on and what time it would start.

In our traffic jam, we inched by the beautifully maintained cemetery on the base. There was a large section with just women's names which we thought was odd. Segregation?

Just a small part of the thousands of people walking in to see the air show. Later we passed trolleys coming on the base to help transport the crowd.

Bridge across Perdido Bay into Pensacola, Florida.

Just a few of the dozens of huge condominiums built along the shore near Pensacola, Florida.

On the waterfront in Pensacola, Florida.

This is the crowd just inside the door at Joe Patti's. What a popular place!

Our purchases at Joe Patti's Seafood Market. Phil loves shrimp and I love scallops so we now have a package of each in our freezer. Can't wait to give them a try.

This restaurant in Elberta, AL advertises, "you kill it, we grill it" but they were closed.

We were so disappointed because we had planned to eat here ...

JUST KIDDING!!!!

Yuk!

WE WENT ON VACATION ... :)

Unfortunately, I am starting my post today with a sad report. My biological father died over 40 years ago but he had been absent from my life since I was seven years old so even though I was saddened by his untimely death (he was 54) it was not devastating. Shortly after he left my world, he remarried and had two children, a boy and a girl. His second wife passed when the little girl was very young and their grandmother, our father’s mother, raised these children. He did not marry again and as an adult I had a couple pleasant visits with him. When our father died, my half brother and sister decided to ignore my presence in his (and their) life and we became estranged. That was in 1968. I tried to communicate over the years without any luck. Thanks to my genealogy work, a cousin on my father’s side of the family has reestablished contact with me after several years and her first bit of family news was that both of my siblings have died. My half-brother last year and my half-sister just last month. Both were only 60 years old. It was a shock but for obvious reasons I am not deeply saddened, maybe a bit stunned because they were both so young. Honestly, I am more concerned because my father died from a heart attack and both of these children also died of sudden heart attacks. Without going on too much more, I have to admit I am a bit apprehensive even though my heart has been just fine in all prior tests and I will be a chipper and thriving 70 the end of this month. I wish my siblings and I had been able to solve our problems during the past 40 years but it was not to be. Hopefully, they will rest in peace.

Now, moving on to happier news. We drove The Lone Ranger to New Orleans, LA (NOLA) and had a great vacation for two days in the French Quarter where they had virtually no water damage (on high ground) and are going great guns! What a fun place but we had to admit—so wasted on old fogies like us. We had a good time even though dancing and club hopping were not on our agenda. Our advice, go to NOLA when you are young—it is a real party place!! Music coming from every doorway (shops too, not just bars), dancing and street musicians on every corner, The weather was perfect—no humidity to speak of and in the mid-70s during the day. Balmy evenings and cool nights, can’t ask for much better than that. Our hotel was on Bourbon Street in the middle of the French Quarter and was a bit noisy at night but it was good music so we just let it lull us to sleep. The food we ate while there was very good but I gave up on the oysters and switched to steak. I’ll tell you about that later. We took a three-hour city tour, which started out kinda shaky but ended up being very well done and informative.

We drove I-10 west to NOLA (good road but SO boring) but our drive home (east to Summerdale, AL) on US highway 90 was much better. Much of it was along the gulf and we got a good look at the Katrina damage and restoration going on. We are keeping an eye on Hurricane Ida … may have to make a run for it. Fortunately, our home is on wheels ;) Lots of pictures to share this week … enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

My siblings, Mary Joanne and Wayne about 1965. Happier times before our father died.

My last visit with my father's family in 1967. My dad, Joe and me in the back with his sister, Maggie, my sister, Mary Jo and my grandmother, Flavia in front.

What do you think? Are these people related?

Here is Phil on Bourbon Street in NOLA. He gets to mark this one off his Bucket List.

Our hotel, The Ramada Inn on Bourbon. Right in the middle of the action in the French Quarter.

Nice but nothing special at $101 per night. Would have loved a room with a balcony but no doubt that would have been much more expensive.

New Orleans, Louisiana ... a city full of old and new ... side by side.

This is David. He is very talented ... he can drive AND talk about New Orleans. Oh yeah, he was very entertaining as well. They overbooked his bus but he kept his cool, straightened it out and we were on our way.

Here it is ... the infamous Super Dome. It is being used but is still being worked on after four years and counting.

No, we didn't eat there but here is one of Emeril's three restaurants in NOLA. We saw another one in Biloxi, MS.

Harrah's Casino is in NOLA. We learned that gambling is illegal in New Orleans (and maybe Louisiana too--can't remember) so this is not a gambling business. It is a GAMING business ... legal as can be.

Wagons lined up by the park waiting for customers. At $60 per half-hour ride (for up to six people) it could get expensive unless you wanted to wait for a full carriage. Interestingly, they use mules instead of horses???

We were informed this tree is a Live Oak (see how the branches grow low to the ground). This one is loaded with Spanish Moss. Beautiful!

There are still many FEMA trailers parked in the yards of people working on the renovation of their homes damaged by Katrina.

I call this picture the optomist (house is still at ground level) and the pessamist (house raised six feet above ground), living side by side in NOLA.

Because the freeway hurricane evacuation routes were under water many evacuees spent up to nine days on top of these overpasses before they were rescued.

One row of many of the new Habitat for Humanity homes in the 9th Ward valued at about $150,000 each. As in any HFH project new owners must contribute 350 hours of sweat equity once qualified to receive one of these houses with a no interest loan.

Two of the houses built by Brad Pitt Corporation in the 9th Ward. They are all equipped with solar panels and off the ground at least eight feet. Valued at about $175,000 he has about 50 built of the 70 planned.

That long cement wall is what the media calls a Levee. 800 feet of this levee was broken and up to 15 feet of water breeched the wall.

According to our tour director, even though this one has been rebuilt, it is not considered strong enough to hold back another storm surge as strong as the one after Katrina ... so he says, "What was the point?

New Orleans skyline. The city is on the fast track to get itself up and functioning as well or better than before Katrina. Most of the work has been done in the past year or so ... for two years nothing much got done. Maybe from the air it doesn't look so good but from the ground things are looking up in NOLA.

My oysters plate at Cafe Maspero on Rue Decatur for about $13. This was a huge platter and very good but I could only eat about a quarter of it and although I usually love them, these oysters were not good cold. I think they cut up large oysters and deep fried the pieces. Good when hot but not much more than doughy breading cold.
Phil had the seafood platter. The oysters and shrimp were good but he wasn't crazy about the calamari.

At the Oceana Bar and Grill we bought a 20 ounce porterhouse steak cooked medium rare. More than enough steak for two with french fries and coleslaw. $26.00 and no charge for the extra plate. The seasoning was too spicy for me but Phil loved it.

A street band calling themselves Tubaskinny

We bought their CD. They are very good!

The original Cafe Du Monde at the French Market in NOLA. Established in 1862 it is open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.

We sampled the famous Beignets and Phil had Cafe au Lait (half dark, strong coffee and half hot milk) and I had cold white milk. Yum Yum!

Phil says if he lived around here, these French donuts could become habit forming :)

Beautiful balcony across the street from Cafe Du Monde.

A two hour Mississippi River Cruise along with a two hour bus tour for $42.99 per adult.

We had already signed up for the three hour bus tour when we learned about this tour.

Oh well, guess we'll just have to go back some day!

Anyone hungry? Supposedly it tastes just like chicken ... sure it does!

The French Quarter as evening approaches. The folks coming out to party!

The closer the houses are to the gulf, the higher the owners are raising the new ones off the ground.

See the igloo on the right? This fellow decided if he didn't have a roof, the next hurricane couldn't blow it off, right?

Just one of the hundreds of luxurious cottages by the Mississippi seashore that have been rebuilt since Katrina.

They must have had really good insurance--ya think?

White sands along the Mississippi shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The natural grasses are growing back.

Sure looks benign now and it is hard to imagine a hurricane across those placid waters.

But, if you look real close ... there is Ida a few thousand miles south ... !! We're watching her.

The fishing, shrimp, whatever fleet that is back in business in Biloxi, MS.

Brand new! The Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, MS.

RELAXING ON THE GULF COAST OF ALABAMA

Our Penny the Pace now has a new muffler and a new section of tailpipe. When that was done, the second garage we took her to for the LOF, and her yearly (chassis, hoses, belts, etc.) inspection (admittedly a few months late--we usually have all that done in May) found that her front brakes needed to be replaced so that was a good thing! Her rear brakes still look good. Our maintenance fund took a pretty good hit but that is what it is for, right? Phil gave her a good scrubbing and she is looking pretty good in spite of these intermittent (at times biblical) downpours. Last nights deluge broke the heat/humidity we have had for a couple days so even though today was cooler, it was more comfortable. Supposedly, we have will have 72 degrees and sunny weather for the next four days. Hooray!

When you read the blogs written by RVers, invariably the subject turns to weather. I know we paid attention to the weather when we lived in a stick and bricks house but I can’t remember that it was constantly in the forefront of our decisions every day. That is the most significant change in our mindset since we retired and went on the road. We thought we would be in charge of our new lifestyle … guess again! The weather rules the roost in this our home on wheels and admittedly, sometimes that gets tiresome. Do you have the same feelings? We had hoped to follow a perpetual spring, summer and fall condition. We had hoped to find 70+ degrees and follow it around the country. We thought that would be easy. Well … not so! If you have a magic wand and know how to accomplish this feat, please let us know, okay? Believe me, we are all ears!

Just a short note about comments: Because of Spam problems, I have a requirement in place on my blog that sends all your comments to me via e-mail for approval before they are published. I check my e-mail every few hours in order to publish your comments in a timely manner but sometimes it may take a few hours before I get to it. Be advised that your comments are very important to me and I will get them read and approved as quick as I can. Just keep leaving them and if you have never made one give it a try! Sign in as an “anonymous” commenter and follow Blogger’s instructions. However, if you use anonymous be sure to sign your name at the end so I know who you are, okay? Come on folks, I know you’re out there because I have a hit counter in place. Lots of you are reading the blog and I would love to hear from you!

As you know, I am enamored with genealogy and have been for many years. In that regard, I found this bit of info on the web and thought I would share it with you.

What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895...

Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.

2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.

3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph

4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,' 'play,' and 'run.'

5. Define case; illustrate each case.

6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.

7. - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1 hour 15 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.

2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold? 3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?

4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?

5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.

6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.

7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
.

Well, how did you do?

Thanks for stopping by,
Until next time

Our wonderful Penny the Pace in the shop for her new muffler in Robertsdale, Alabama.

They had to redo a couple welds that Phil found less than satisfactory when the job was done so I cannot recommend them.

Morning Glorys climbing to the top of the pine tree outside the garage.

Spectacular!

There were 19 burros in this field and they came running when I walked up to the fence.

Adorable!

Big donkeys in another field.

View from the park out into Mobile Bay.

Park at Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Standing abandoned with docks and boathouses washed away this home has not been repaired since hurricane Ivan in 2004.

This homeowner is more than ready for a storm surge as is his boat house.

Homes on Mobile Bay renovated and raised up on stilts after hurricane Ivan who did a number on this coast in September 2004.

It is that time of year. A lush cotton field, ready to be harvested in Baldwin County, Alabama.

A full cotton picking machine pulls up beside a tractor and trailer waiting in the field.

The picker dumps the cotton into the waiting truck.

Cotton field after the picker has done its job. It is amazing how little is left and how quick it gets the job done.

TIME TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES ...

Our location: Escapees Rainbow Plantation RV Park in Summerdale, AL. FHU space #49. Very friendly, very helpful in the office. The park is a ways out of town so going in to eat or shop is a good 15 mile round trip. That’s okay for stay at homes but for us, (we go a lot) the gas expense might be an issue. My review: Well … the sites are wonderful, wide and roomy with lots of grass unless you consider the abundance of ant nests in the sandy soil around the space. Phil has sprayed and hopefully they will not find us but just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. The idea of ants doesn’t get Phil as riled up as it does me but with luck, we will escape an invasion. While getting set up, we were greeted by the sound of shooting that lasted well after dark. There must be some kind of practice range across the road. There has been additional shooting here and there each day we’ve been here. A bit disconcerting but over time we have been able to ignore it. Rates: We took advantage of the buy 15 (days)—get five free, which brings the price down (with tax) to about $11 a day plus electricity. Not too bad for an extended stay. So, we know we will be here for 20 days, and we can renew again for another 20 if we decide that is what we want to do or we can go daily or weekly at that point. Very flexible pricing.

The weather has been cool, rainy, hot and humid—all mixed up in the four days we’ve been here. Actually, much better than our last stop in TN. The forecast is for sunny weather for the next few days! That will be nice.

I’ve probably mentioned before that I read a lot. Many different kinds of books—my favorites are biographies, historical novels and modern mysteries but I’ll read just about anything if it piques my interest. My problem is that when I’m shopping in a bookstore, at the Goodwill or a used bookseller’s store I can’t remember what I’ve read when scrutinizing dozens of titles by a favorite author. I solved that problem by keeping a running list of books I’ve read in Excel with a copy in my purse. I counted it yesterday and found I have read 53 books since 1 April 2009 or about one book every four days. Of course, Truman by David McCullough was hardcover at about 900 pages and I just finished Beneath the Ashes by Sue Henry (an Alaska Mystery) at only 325 pages so that is an average. Now you know why my heart rate goes up when I spot a used bookstore and there is one here in a little town nearby called Foley. What fun when I find a new source and at bargain prices to boot!

This week I want to tell two very special cousins from my LITTLE family, sisters Lea and Sharon how much I love them and appreciate how much they care for me. Lea lives in WA and writes a blog called Lea and Her Mustangs and Sharon lives in TN and administers a blog written by her wonderful Labrador called The Life and Times of Penny the Neighborhood Dog These two ladies are best friends, traveling companions as well as aunties and back up grannies to their kids, grandkids and great grandkids. I just wanted to tell everyone how important both are to me and encourage my readers to check out their wonderful blogs.

Sadly, we lost a dear friend back in our former hometown of Shelton last week. Our thoughts are with his widow and her family. We love you Joan.

Thanks for stopping by,
Until next time

Miss Penny the Pace at Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale, AL.

We stopped to cuddle some puppies beside the road in Foley, AL Saturday afternoon.

It was really hard to say no thank you because they are such adorable babies and the price was right but we stuck to our guns ...

No critters in the coach!

Penny the Pace parked along side I-65 in AL because her muffler came undone and started dragging. A nice man waved us down and Phil went to work putting it back together.

She will be getting a new one next week!

A gorgeous sunset on our first night at Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale, AL.

Gulf State Park at Gulf Shores, AL. FHU sites on the water at a very reasonable rate.

Sign inside the state park.

Okay ... not to worry!

Red flags warn everyone to stay out of the water. Security told us that the undertow would sweep you out to sea in a heartbeat.

The white sandy beach was beautiful but empty at Gulf Shores.

Surfs up ... storm coming in at Gulf Shore, AL.

WE ARE SO YEARNING FOR SUN!

I’m sorry to say that nothing very exciting is going on around here. Phil and I have been hunkered down and bundled up trying to stay warm since the bottom dropped out of the eastern Tennessee weather. It has been raining and cold for days now. We are doing a lot of reading, mostly cooking at home and of course, keeping ourselves amused at our computers. Our speedy trip to my cousin, Sissy’s home near Jamestown, TN last Sunday was quick but very enjoyable and we returned home before dark. We didn’t expect it but as usual, she whipped up a delicious late lunch and fed us before we left. We delivered a CD of the photos taken at the family reunion and I have promised to give her a legend of names to match the faces just as soon as I can get to it.

One day last week, we were so frustrated by all the mud in our front yard (see picture below) getting tracked inside we stripped all the throw rugs front to back, took everything to the Laundromat and Phil scrubbed and waxed every bit of vinyl and vacuumed every inch of carpet. We are trying hard to keep the mud outside until tomorrow when we will move south to cleaner/dryer (hopefully) pastures!

We did get a break in the water-works on Saturday and made a run about 12 miles north up I-75 to the Museum of Appalachia near Clinton, TN. It was so-o-o-o-o-o cold but what a neat place. I have genealogy roots in TN and the Appalachians so I was particularly interested in the surnames mentioned in some of the displays. I have no idea if the COX family display is related in any way to my COX family but it has certainly given me some new information to research.

Because of the weather, it wasn’t very busy at the museum and of course, as is par for the course with us, the BIG Homecoming Celebration was LAST weekend so we missed all the special exhibits. We did see lots of poultry strutting around with lots of goats and sheep on the acreage and there was a volunteer entertainer in the Appalachian Hall of Fame on the complex that was very talented. We bought one of Liza Jane Alexander’s CDs called “Good Old Music.” It should be fun entertainment.

Without further adieu … we are outta here tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time …

Our parking area in front of Penny the Pace!

Not pretty ...

The entrance to Museum of Appalachia

It opened in the late 1960s with one log building on a two acre plot. Now, there are dozens of authentic log structures, two large display buildings, an extensive craft and gift (and antique) shop, a restaurant and over a quarter million items on display.

Beautiful split rail fence along the driveway. Lots more of the same scattered around the 80 acres.

Turkeys and Guinea hens abound ...

Just two of a dozen strolling the grounds of the museum.

Do peacocks mate for life?

Just wondering ...

Oh oh! I'm all eyes ... where are they?

I just love goats.

When I grow up I want to be a goat farmer :)

One of our nations first flags ...

Man size basket. Made just for fun on a bet. It took two people one summer.

19th century pharmacy.

Eye of newt-toe of frog anyone?

A clay jug in every size for every purpose.

Can you guess what they used this for?

It is a honey extractor! Who knew?

750 gallon clay pot made for Eastman Kodak Company to store chemicals.

Liza Jane Alexander, a second grade teacher in her day job, playing her banjo and singing for the museum visitors.
Per Wikipedia: Appalachian musicians were a key influence on the early development of old time music, country music and bluegrass and were an important part of the American folk music revival of the 1960s. Instruments typically used to perform Appalachian music include the banjo, fiddle, fretted dulcimer and guitar.

A sampler embroidered in 1857 by a 19 year old Sarah C. Cox in Knox County, TN.

Could she be an ancestor? Time will tell ...

RAINY DAYS IN EASTERN TENNESSEE

We all know the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Our full timing life in Penny the Pace is no exception. When I posted my blog last week I failed to mention that October 3rd was the fifth anniversary of the day we sold our house and moved into Penny full time. Neither Phil nor I have looked back and have had no regrets. So, to our readers who wonder how long we can keep up this lifestyle, our response continues to be, “as long as we can.” We have barely scratched the surface of places to go and things to see in our wonderful country so we encourage you to … stay tuned!

After our wonderful family reunion last weekend, I needed a day to recover. I LOVE nothing more than spending time with my family but my stamina for that sort of excitement lessens with each passing year. In the middle of the afternoon the next day we finally went looking for a place to have “linner” and taking the advice of our “Carmen” Garmin GPS, we wandered for miles in the vicinity of the Raccoon Valley Escapees RV Park near Heiskell, TN without success. Three of the local restaurants near by listed under “food” were no longer in business so we ended up at our old standby, Cracker Barrel for a delicious meal.

Yes, the place was busy and noisy (it was Sunday and late in the day because we had spent a couple hours trying to find a smaller, local eatery) but we were seated promptly and our waitperson was efficient and the food was excellent (as usual). It seems to get more difficult all the time to find a good place to eat off the beaten path and that is frustrating. We often wonder if an update or a newer GPS would help (ours was purchased going on three years ago) then talk ourselves out of it each time. Then happily destiny intervened the next day on Monday. Before we went to Wal*Mart to do some shopping we stumbled across a tiny little place in a strip mall called “Sami’s Café on the outskirts of Knoxville where Phil had the best restaurant created Rueben sandwich he had tasted in years! My home cooked bowl of chili was better than most and since it is pretty hard to screw up a grilled cheese sandwich my “linner” was also pretty good. They serve breakfast and lunch only and there were people waiting to be seated the whole time we were there.

Movie Review: Tuesday afternoon we went to see “The Informant” starring a pudgy Matt Damon. He must have had a munching good time gaining all that weight for this role and it was not the sort of movie we expected. Loosely based on a true story, the offbeat comedy also had some serious moments and kept us guessing about the main character’s good sense and objectives. However, there was a dark side as well, dealing with habitual lying and ulterior motives but the ending was a bit of a surprise and somewhat disappointing. It started out as a white knight, whistleblower, and cheer on the good guy type story and ended with an unexpected turn of events. Our advice: wait for the DVD.

On Wednesday we drove back to visit with my cousins Dick and Doris and took them out to dinner. It was our small way of saying “thank you” for their hospitality and hard work putting together and making the family reunion happen. We had a wonderful meal at lakeside on the deck of a charming restaurant near their home and spent many delightful hours getting to know each other. The next morning, Dick had an appointment to go into the hospital for hip replacement surgery. We haven’t heard how he is doing but I am going on the premise that “no news is good news.”

Now, I have an admission to make. Somehow, someway, all of our photos taken at the famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC this past Thursday were accidentally deleted from our camera. All our pictures were taken outside and we didn’t have a lot of them because no photography was allowed indoors so even though we were there for several hours … we can’t prove it! :) Click on the link and take a look at this magnificent “castle”—the largest private home (250 rooms) in America. Being there and touring this gloriously restored home from the basement to the fourth floor is awe inspiring in every direction and I can happily mark off another item from my “bucket list.”

Tomorrow, we are driving north to pay another visit to my cousin, Lee aka “Sissy” and her husband, Warner who live near Jamestown, TN. You might remember we were there a few months ago and since she couldn’t make it to the family reunion, we are taking her a CD copy of the photos taken that day and say goodbye before we turn our trusty Penny the Pace south for the winter early next week.

Pictures are few this week … hopefully, we will have better luck next week!

Thanks for stopping by,
Until next time …

Phil found an old barn as we wandered out in the country to add to his barn photo file.

Fat and happy horses in a green pasture near Heiskell, TN.

We were surprised by this one way railway underpass on a back road and were thankful we were in The Lone Ranger and not Penny :)

We had a great "linner" here ... in Knoxville.

Per Wikipedia: "The Sunsphere, a 266-foot (81 m) steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built for the 1982 World's Fair. It still stands and remains a symbol for the city of Knoxville."

Left: My cousin, Lee (aka Sissy) and me on the right in 1944.