Author: Easin' Along

Helen and I are on the road again, enjoying three weeks of “glamping” in our RV. After an idle summer, we returned to action with a three-night trip to the Big South Fork with about 30 families from our church, which was a joyful experience. We brought our trailer back home on Sunday for unloading and reloading in preparation for our next trip…not so cheerful.

On Tuesday, I was in our bedroom when I heard a loud noise outside our bedroom window. Looking out, I saw our neighborhood landscaper’s truck up against the outside wall of the house. Next, Mortimer gave a warning, “Woof,” as the doorbell rang. I opened the door and met Jeff, the landscaper, who said, “I just had a bad accident.” His hands were shaking.

Jeff had left his truck running in the street while picking up some debris, and when he attempted to get back in, his foot slipped on the running board. He then grabbed the gearshift as he fell backwards. The truck went into drive. It moved forward, hitting my truck, bounced off, and hit our house. House ok–truck, not so much.

I assured Jeff that everything would work out, but I was concerned that we would have to postpone our long-anticipated trip to Edisto Beach. Remembering that my neighbor, Foster, had once mentioned an excellent body shop for vehicle repairs, I called him to get the name. Foster called Hardin Valley Body Shop for me. The next morning, a wrecker picked up the truck, and Mark, the shop owner, called to tell me that he would have the repairs completed by Monday morning. Mark made good on his word, and Helen, Mortimer, and I left for Cherokee, NC, the first stop on our trip. The Beaver Moon greeted us on the first night.

In Cherokee, the weather was beautiful, but a bit chilly. At nearly 2,500 feet in elevation, most of the fall color had disappeared, leaving only a trace. We had a lovely campsite beside SoCo Creek, where I spent some time watching ducks fishing for minnows while they were turned upside down in the creek. See if you can pick them out in this picture.

We left Cherokee after three nights of fun in the Casino. I did well — Helen cancelled me out. Next stop was Charleston, SC, and our son’s recently completed new home. Collin and Austin had torn down their previous home on a lovely lot overlooking a marsh and Charleston Harbor, and let a new home take its place. Collin also installed full hookups for our fifth-wheel beside the driveway so that Helen and I could use our trailer for a roomy Mother-In-Law Suite. We refer to the setup as CB’s RV Park.

After two nights in Charleston, we made the one-hour drive to Edisto Beach, where we have camped every November for the past eight (?) or so years. We’re there now. The first two days were frigid with morning temps in the low 30s and daytime temps in the upper 40s. We spent a lot of time indoors.

On Wednesday, we began a nice warm-up, and it was time to pull out the camping gear. It didn’t take us long to put up our tailgate tent and cooking tables, strategically placed to give us a nice view of the marsh between the island and the mainland. After setting up, we made it to the beach for a walk in the surf.

The past two days have offered splendid weather with clear skies, morning temperatures in the 50s, and afternoons in the 70s. I’ve taken advantage of the colorful evening clouds to capture some nice pictures to share. Last night I walked into the marsh to photograph the sunset. It was bright, but missing the clouds that would add a splash of drama.

The clouds at twilight were a delight for anyone holding a camera, and I clicked away. Here are a few examples of the show. (Click to enlarge any picture)

This morning, I rose early and went to the beach to capture the sunrise at 6:50 am. It did not disappoint. The picture at the top and the one below were worth the extra few minutes of sleep I sacrificed for the opportunity. I hope you agree.

We’re here for another week, with a great weather forecast. I’m eager to share the details, so please come back.

A lot of time has passed since our last post on Easin’ Along. We stayed close to home over the summer to make some much-needed repairs to our Fifth-Wheel. Readers may remember that we suffered some extensive damage en route to Knoxville from our winter trip to California. In addition to the damage, our bedroom slide quit working when the slide motor died. Those repairs alone required most of June and July to complete. Helen was determined to rid our trailer of all the demons that had followed us on our trip to California. She insisted that we scrape all of the Dora the Explorer stickers off the outside wall and change our trailer name. We decided on Towanda (pronounced Tow-Wanda).

August and September were very hot months here, so Helen and I decided to remain close and make good use of the neighborhood swimming pool. October saw an uptick in our activity level and gave me enough material to remind our friends and readers that we’re still around.

A Star is Born–and it’s Mortimer!

In early October, I received a note from one of the television production companies in Knoxville that the producers of a mystery show needed an English Bulldog for a shoot. I checked with Mortimer, who said he was available. He got a bath and a good brushing on the day of filming, and strutted on the set like he owned it. I went along as his agent.

The producers were very vague about the plot (for competitive reasons), but they told us that Mortimer would accompany an actress portraying a Grandmother in his first scene. He pulled it off like a champ. In his second scene, he was filmed in a room eating from a dog bowl. Mortimer needed no training for this and gave an Emmy-winning performance. We had fun. When the production company announces the air date, I’ll post it here — get the popcorn ready.

Fraternity Gathering with Longtime College Friends

Within a year of our graduation from the University of Tennessee, a small group of men from our fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon or SAE) began a tradition of meeting in Knoxville every other year for a home football game. Over the years, the group grew in size and, because we weren’t getting any younger, decided to gather every year. This year marked the 49th meeting of the group. Because I’m one of the few in the group living in Knoxville, I help make reservations at a local restaurant and plan the menu.

This event is always a highlight of the fall, and the attendance has grown as the word spreads about the good time had by all. Everyone looks great and is doing well. Some are still in the workforce, choosing to continue in their successful careers. I’ve shown a photo from the Friday night dinner below.

Church Camping Trip in Big South Fork

Every year, our church, Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian, organizes a family camping trip to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, near Jamestown, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau. Helen and I wouldn’t miss it for many reasons. First, the annual fall color is usually stunning, and this year was no exception.

Second, as the elder members of the group, it gives an excellent opportunity to be around the young families in our congregation. We had almost 30 families attend this year, and filled all of the available campsites allotted to our group. We take our fifth-wheel and generator and, after the Saturday night sing-along around the campfire, we fire up the television for the Tennessee-Kentucky football game, attracting a large number of football fans, both young and old.

The organizers plan the meals around a main course with potluck sides brought in by campers. On Thursday night, the early arrivals feasted on a surf and turf meal of grilled beef tenderloin and scallops with bacon. Words are insufficient to describe the awesomeness of this meal.

On Saturday afternoon, I ran an errand and, when I returned, I captured a picture of a party-crasher near the entrance of the campground. I stopped to take several photos. He seemed little concerned.

On Sunday morning, Jay, our pastor, brought out his guitar and led us in hymns and a church service. The service was a fabulous way to cap off a wonderful experience.

A Very Big “Uh-Oh!”

Helen and I are packing up for our annual trip to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. We arrived home from the church trip and parked Towanda beside our house for unloading and reloading. On Tuesday afternoon, I lay down for a short nap when, suddenly, I heard a loud bang near our bedroom window. I looked up to see a truck’s windshield outside the exterior wall of our house. Next, Mortimer gave out a loud “woof” as the doorbell rang. Jeff, the landscaper in our neighborhood, showed up at our door to tell me he had caused a serious accident.

Jeff was attempting to get into his truck while the engine was running. He slipped and grabbed the gearshift to steady himself, but the truck went into drive by mistake. His vehicle got away from him, plowed into my truck, and then veered into my house. The house suffered no damage, but the truck got clobbered. Our trip was just a few days away. Hopefully, we can get it repaired in time to make our reservations. I’m optimistic.

A Personal Note-Trimming Down

When my clothes won’t fit, I get very grumpy. That happened in June. My doctor prescribed a GLP-1 injection (Zepbound) as a way of losing the extra pounds. I began them and, as of today, I have shed 32 unwanted pounds. I feel great, my feet no longer have to suffer through 32 pounds of unwanted baggage, and my clothes fit again. I’m now on a maintenance dose and hope to remain within an acceptable range.

That’s October. We hope you join us in Edisto Beach. We’re Easin’ Along on Tuesday.

Except for a few posts here and there, Easin’ Along has been on a blogging break since we returned from California in the spring. I didn’t plan to take a break, but a series of mishaps and breakdowns forced our fifth-wheel trailer into the shop for an extended visit and, therefore, no road trips to share. After paying a sizable ransom, the fifth wheel returned home last week, and Helen and I decided we needed some time away.

Our favorite campground in Cherokee, NC, had vacancies along the lovely and always roaring SoCo Creek, so we booked three nights. After church on Sunday, we packed some food, put Mortimer in the back seat, and headed out. Hopefully, we would soon snuff out the bad karma that had followed us from California. Twenty miles from Cherokee, we learned that this was not going to happen quickly; we had a flat tire on the fifth wheel.

After several attempts (and more than an hour spent searching for a mobile tire repair shop near Waynesville, NC), AAA came to our rescue and sent a delightful couple to mount our spare tire. After examining the flat, Spencer (tire repairman) walked up to let us know that dry rot had taken its toll on all of the trailer tires. We needed new tires as soon as possible. He wished us good luck as we traveled the twenty miles to the campground. Did I mention we had bad karma?

Fortunately, we arrived at Happy Holiday Campground without incident and were assigned a fabulous campsite a mere four feet from the creekside. The sound of rushing water moving past our camp chairs helped to repair some frayed nerves. Even Mortimer succumbed to the sound.

Helen arose early the next morning and enjoyed coffee beside the creek while I moved the satellite antenna around in a vain attempt to find a television signal. The antenna never located a satellite, the campground Wi-Fi signal was very weak, and neither situation was sitting well with two hopeless “glampers,” so I decided to spend some time searching for a tire dealer in Cherokee. That effort bore fruit, and I drove three miles into town to pick out some tires.

Before I left, Helen and I decided that three days beside a creek was not long enough to ward off the evil spirits. While I went to the tire dealer, she walked to the campground office to see if we could add two more nights to our reservation. I suggested she also ask if we could move a couple of campsites down, where satellite reception might be more favorable.

The manager at Cherokee Tire suggested four heavy-duty tires as replacements, but he wouldn’t have them in stock until the following afternoon. I made an appointment for 3 pm on Tuesday and drove back to Happy Holiday. Helen had struck pay dirt in the office, and we secured two more nights. We would move to site 94 on Tuesday, after the tire change, where a large opening in the trees allowed for a better shot at a television signal. Things were looking better already.

We spent the majority of Wednesday performing an exorcism of all the evil spirits inhabiting the fifth wheel. Helen cleaned and reorganized several years of accumulated “stuff” in the drawers and cabinets, while I cleaned out one of the exterior storage compartments. We also decided that our trailer needed a name change. The original name we chose was Dora (as in “the Explorer”) when we bought the trailer. Helen insisted that I scrape the two decals of Dora from the side and rear of the trailer while she came up with a new name. Since we were in Indian territory, she decided that the name Towanda, an Indian word meaning “love” and “acceptance,” was perfect for our reborn fifth wheel. Towanda, it is.

Thursday was our day for a hike along Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hiking trail is about a two-mile round trip along Deep Creek and includes two lovely waterfalls. The creek is a popular tubing site and, as we meandered along, camera in hand, a group of young and excited tubers scampered past us carrying large inner tubes. Before we reached the end of our trail, the tubers were floating past us and would soon return for another go over the beautiful green water. You gotta love mountain creeks and streams.

Friday was a wet one. Several storms passed over us, limiting our outdoor activities. Helen chose to work on her puzzle, and I spent time with my nose in Sycamore Row, a John Grisham novel Helen found for me. By now, we had tossed our frayed nerves and tense knots into the creek, the trailer was reorganized and embellished with a new name. Saturday came all too quickly, but we could return to Knoxville with a renewed vigor for better camping ahead. A few days of creek cleansing had worked wonders.

Before I let you go (and before I forget it), we did go to the casino on Friday night to test our luck. Helen had a great time, as usual, while I floated along just above and below the break-even line. I was having fun as well, so breaking even was just fine with me. On the way to meet Helen at the front bar, I stopped to play one more slot machine; eighty cents a pop. Three pulls in, I realized that my luck might have finally turned around after all, and I easily covered the cost of four new tires.

We’re Easin’ Along.