Camping at Warrior Creek (Trip Report)

Happy Sunday from us!  We got back home from our weekend trip about 1:30 this afternoon.  Of course we stopped at Camping World in Statesville to see if there was anything there we just couldn't live without.  Don't you know it, there was a couple of things we just had to have for sure.  HAHA

We had a great weekend camping.  It was drizzly, cloudy, foggy, all at once or just one at a time all day Saturday.  Sunday dawned clear and cool, which is just fine for packing up, and driving home.  

We spend Saturday exploring the back roads, driving through Blowing Rock, NC, and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Rob's favorite) down to the Linn Cove Viaduct.  Rob plans on making a post just about the Viaduct later this week so be looking for it.   

Here are a couple of picture collages Rob made of our trip for you to enjoy....

Thanks for checking by today.  We hope everyone has a great weekend.  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J

Camping This Weekend........

Welcome to Thursday, and like the title says we are going camping this weekend.  We are off to Warrior Creek U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Campground on the W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir. 

We haven't been here in a while, in fact, the last time we went was three campers ago!  HAHA.  The campground is only about 100 miles (maybe a bit less) from home.  The weather calls for a 30% chance of scattered showers, highs in the low 70's and lows in the low 50's.  

Here's the online picture of the site we have reserved.....

If we have, or can find, internet service over the weekend, we'll blog a few pictures.  If not, we'll see you next week.  Until then, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J

Welcome Autumn......

Welcome Autumn!  Today is the first day of Autumn.  Today is also a glorious day here in our part of North Carolina.  Trisha did some house work, and Rob did some yard work.  One of the items on the agenda was to get the outside of the house decorated for autumn. 

We hope everyone one has had a wonderful Saturday.  Here's a neat fall collage Rob made of some of the things we did to dress the house for the season.....

Have a great weekend!!  Thanks for stopping by today!  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J

A Birthday Present to Remember?

Oh wow!  We've finally made it to Friday!  We are so glad to have this week behind us.  

Our week started with a quick trip to Lowes Monday evening to buy a new toilet because the old one was days away from falling apart.   Then on Tuesday afternoon Rob made an un-scheduled stop at the dentist to get a chipped bridge fixed.  Wednesday morning, Trisha had to go by the eye doctor due to some sort of infection under an eyelid.  Thursday afternoon, Rob took his mom to her doctor for a scheduled check-up.  All good news there.  Then at 4:30 am Friday morning, the hot water tap for the tub in the bath room broke as Rob finished his shower.  Whew!

Well the new toilet is in.  The hot water tap will be fixed the first of the week.  Trisha's eye is better.  Rob's bridge is as good as new.

The birthday part to all of this is Rob keeps telling Trisha the new toilet is her birthday present.  Trisha's birthday is coming up real soon, and she has her heart set on a new iPhone 5.  

Here's a picture of the old toilet waiting by the side of the street to go to old toilet heaven.  Rob thinks it was installed in the mid 1960's during an extensive renovation of our home.  He says everything which could be replaced on or in it has been several times.

Here is the new, freshly installed birthday toilet.  It is low volume, ADA compliant, and we hope ready to last another 50 or so years.  Behind it you can catch a peek of the awful green tile and green flooring in the bathroom.  This all will go away forever next summer.  We plan on a bathroom/kitchen remodel the Summer of 2013!

Thanks for checking by today.  We really hope the next post is of something more fun!  (Like Trisha's new iPhone!)  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J

Jackson Sez........

Oh wow, what a beautiful day Sunday turned into.  We've been busy, but lets back-up to Saturday to get started.   

Saturday we met cousins Becky and Sharon for lunch and then some junking in Mooresville.  Just after we got home, we had this awful rain/wind storm blow through.  We sure hope Becky and Sharon didn't run into it on the way home.  

Trisha found this sign for her classroom.....

Those kindergartener's must be tough this year!!

But the best thing of all was Sharon gave us Jackson's sign.  If you remember back a few posts, Jackson saw our name sign and wondered why he didn't have one of his own.  Well cousin Sharon whipped one right up for him and gave it to us on Saturday.  

Today we went to Lowes, where we got some mum's for the outside planters, birdseed, and the hardware to hang Jackson's sign.

Here is how it turned out......

The signs from Jackson's point of view.

Jackson says, "Woof, woof, woof, woooooof!"  Which must mean, "I like it very much, thanks Aunt Sharon!"

Have a great rest of the weekend!  Check back again soon.  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J.

Cousin Sharon's Big News........

We just had to make a quick blog post to celebrate cousin Sharon's big news.  You can read all about it over on "The Coffee Cup" blog.  

That's all we're going to tell you.  You'll just have to click on the link above or to the left in our blog list to read all about it!  We are soooooo excited for Sharon.  Luv ya cuz!

Here's a picture collage of Sharon doing some of the things she loves......

Thanks for checking by.  Until next time, stay safe out there....        -R,T,&J

Labor Day Weekend Wrap-up......

Well Tuesday morning came all too soon for us.  Both of our schools seemed to have A/C issues today.  So needless to say, we were both very glad to get home where it was cool.  And since we managed to dodge all the rain this weekend, Mother Nature has made up for that good fortune since we got back home yesterday.

I made a few picture collages for you to enjoy.

Thanks for checking today.  We'll be posting more soon.  We are already scheming our next camping trip.  Until next time, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J

A Visit to Marion, VA........

Happy Sunday!!  This morning after breakfast and such, we loaded up and drove into Marion, Va.  We needed a couple of things from the grocery store.  As chance would have it, our route took us through the downtown of Marion, Va.

Marion, Va. is named after Francis Marion of Revolutionary War fame.  The town is also the county seat of Smyth County, Va.  While the downtown was only a few blocks in length, it looked really nice.  Since it was late Sunday morning, most businesses were still closed, but we did get some good pictures anyway.

Smyth County Courthouse

Close-up of the entrance

Memorial to the local
Revolutionary War
Soldiers

Memorial the the local
Civil War soldiers.
Erected in 1903

Memorial to the local
World War I
World War II
Korean Conflict
Vietnam War
soldiers.

A Salt Kettle.  Water from local brine wells
was boiled in the kettles for salt.  The salt
was shipped all over the south, starting in
1790, and continuing until 1895. 
The salt industry here was the cause of
several important battles in the Civil War.

Thanks for checking in today.  We will be packing up and heading home tomorrow.  Then to start dreaming about our next trip.  Until next post, stay safe out there....-R,T,&J.



A Different Point of view......

Hey there everyone, its Jackson blogging today.  Dad said I could do a blog post since we are camping, and I haven't done one since this summer from the Outer Banks. 

He even let me take some pictures of things I saw that I liked for my post today.  I sure hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We went on a long walk around the campground after breakfast and dad let me use his camera.  I only almost dropped it in the creek just once. 

We even went for a ride to the Park Headquarters where I got to take some more pictures, and then to another campground.  We didn't take any pictures there. 

I hope you enjoy my pictures......




This is one of those great big picnic tables from
my point of view.

A fence row.

The water fountain next to our camper.
 

A twisted vine.
 

How can I grow wild on a leash?  It's not fair!

A neat bench!

The Ranger's Truck.

A big rock.

A fire pit. Lots of good smells here!

Another fence.

Our camper.  I asked dad why my name
wasn't on the sign, he said to ask
cousin Sharon the next time I
saw her!

 

Thanks for checking in today. Until next time, stay safe out there.....-J,R&T.


Camping at Raccoon Branch.....

Happy Labor Day weekend!  We are camping (something we said we would never do) this weekend.  We are at Raccoon Branch NFS Campground in the Jefferson National Forest in the western end of Virgina.  We are one of five sites with campers and that's counting the campground host and campground volunteer. 

This is a odd little campground.  No showers, but has flush toilets.  It has 30 amp electric and water hook-ups at 8 sites total.  (Two of which are reserved for the host and volunteer.)  It has awesome WIFI too. 

This morning is cloudy and cool.  We are most likely going to have some afternoon showers over the weekend due to the left overs from hurricane Issac. 

This morning was sleep late (7:30ish), fix breakfast (cheese omlets, sausage, and toasted bagels), clean-up, and we will be off to explore soon.  We are close to the little town of Sugar Grove, VA so we will be checking it out. 

Here's a couple of pictures for you to enjoy......

Our Campsite #15

 

View of the campground.

Cooking breakfast outdoors.

We are also going to post a picture of the picnic tables here.  They are ginormonous.  Rob says would take four men and a front-end loader to move them.  But they are nice. 

Until next time, stay safe out there......-R,T,&J