Just Whistlin' Dixie....

Friday we had great weather and decided another motorcycle ride was in order. The #2doods had lots of fun playing with Storm so they were ready to nap. We opted to head off in the opposite direction from our last ride and aimed for a little town named "Waverly" in honor of our youngest granddaughter.

Well, we found it. At least part of it, we never did find a downtown area. We even took photos to prove it! LOL!





From there we continued north and then back west before heading south into downtown Folkston. One thing we have come to love are the people here. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly. Part of that is the traditional Southern charm. Another part is a town that survives on a goodly amount of tourism. But mostly, it's just the people. We have made several friends here as we deal with dog boarding, grooming, getting a PO Box and picking up a gazillion packages from Amazon, getting my hair cut and even at the local McDonald's where I had a wonderful chat with the franchise owner and the store manager.

One shop had been recommended to us by the wonderful owner of Wild Rose Pet Care where the #2doods go for day care and doggy camp when we're traveling. I had friended the owner on Facebook but we hadn't had a chance to visit yet. Since they have Bluebell ice cream, today was the day! It was time for Whistlin' Dixie....













The store is FULL of wonderful items perfect for gifts, souvenirs and daily enjoyment. I was so tempted by many things but I was good, limiting my temptation to the ice cream. We signed the guest book and really enjoyed chatting with Dixie and her daughter Millie. They make quite the team. Everyone recommends the lunches there and we just might have to ignore our diet and splurge once more!

Ciao for now!

A little motorcycle ride to St George, GA.

We haven't done as much motorcycle riding as we would like, partially due to other things on the schedule but mostly due to weather. We knew when we opted to winter here in south Georgia that the weather would be cooler than what we had been used to during our past winters in Clermont, FL.

That is good and bad. It's good for the #2doods since they can overheat easily. It's bad when it's too cold for us to ride. Yes, we admit it. We have both become weather wimps. If it's much below 60 with no chance to warm up, we aren't riding.

We did have one spectacular day in February when we managed to get in several hours of riding and we headed off to see what was in St. George, GA. All we were looking for was a nice ride and it was that. Almost no traffic but a lot of trees. Turns out forestry is probably the biggest industry in this part of Georgia. Who knew?

We stopped for lunch at K & C's Oak Tree Cafe after fueling up the motorcycle. Quaint little restaurant with good food. I almost forgot to take a photo. The food was good and very plentiful, the onion rings were excellent - our big splurge.

















We soon headed home, not wanting to leave the #2doods for too long in their crates.

Ciao for now!

Welcome to October....

Well, the month came in with a roar and we are still reeling a bit. We have had family in town from Colorado for the funeral of our grandson. They've been able to see some of their extended family while here and head back early (REALLY early) on Tuesday.

I thought I'd share a few snaps for this first week of October...

I bought this great pair of leggings from a local gal - bit warmer than my regular ones but now I'm ready for Halloween.

I got my skull mug from Amazon and I love it...heavy and huge at 30 oz. Perfect for my Skinny Pirates (Diet Coke and Captain Morgan)

In preparation for family arriving, we did some last minute clean-up and de-winterized the RV. We discovered the kitchen faucet had a leak that Stu wasn't able to fix. At ten years old with eight years of almost constant use, we opted to buy a new one. We found this at Lowe's and absolutely love it. Instead of the side sink sprayer that we rarely used, this one has a pull down nozzle and came with a side dispenser for detergent, hand wash or lotion (your choice).

At the same time, we finally ordered two narrow end tables from Amazon for either side of the loveseat in the RV. We liked the extra features in this one, USB plug-ins as well as a slide-out shelf for cups and storage below.

We've had some nice weather where we could sit on the deck in the late afternoon/early evening. Few bug bites, but worth it. The NUB? That's a Bluetooth speaker connected to our Amazon Echo in the house letting me listen to my tunes outside.

The #2doods are definitely enjoying the cooler weather, whether in the yard or on the deck.

The hummingbirds are still active, just not quite as active as the yellow jackets. Both are getting read for winter.

We got out for a nice motorcycle ride a couple of times...low 80's made for perfect riding temps.

Saturday we went to the Muddy Pond Volunteer Fire Department annual BBQ. Delicious and well run. I opted for just the sandwich plate (no bun), Stu opted for the Adult plate (no bun) and we both skipped the included dessert.

And last but not least, sometimes an accidental photo (snapped as I was putting my phone into my purse) turns out okay!

Ciao for now!

Run for the Wall - he's on the way!

It's been a busy week here - lots to do and a short time to do it (hey, that reminds me of a song). We had planned to attend the Smoky Mountain Highland Games but with rain in the forecast and a gazillion things to get done, we opted out. There is always next year!

Tree seedlings to be planted, yard to be mowed, laundry & shopping for packing, the packing, last minute fixes to the BCAT (Black Cherry Attack Trailer), the #2Doods to doggy camp, write lists, check things off lists, toss lists, re-write lists...well, you get the idea.

The biggest thing was getting ready for Stu's pole barn. He had made arrangements for the front part of the pasture to be excavated (prepped) - leveled, dirt brought in and then gravel. He has decided to order a pavilion from a local company, Troyer Post Buildings. They have excellent prices and a great reputation. Plus, they are only a couple miles down the road from us. They will build the pavilion and deliver all the materials, except doors and windows, to close it in. Sometime in late July or early August - if everything stays on schedule - he will start putting up the walls, hopefully with help from family and friends.

In order for the excavation, he had to take down most of the fencing at the front of the pasture next door. It was easy to roll back the wire fencing and save it to use later. Getting the posts out was a bit more effort. He planned to write a blog post but ran out of time. Click for video one and video two of the process. It was quite neatly done.

Monday afternoon we headed into Cookeville, Stu loaded for the Run for the Wall ride (and three weeks in Maryland, visiting family & friends and taking care of a few medical/dental appointment), and me in the car. We watched the bikes roll by - I took video but forgot (sorry) that flipping the phone didn't change the orientation. Oops! You can watch the videos (one or two flips back and forth) and get a sense of the 400+ motorcycles on the ride.

After the riders went through, we headed over to Logan's Roadhouse to have dinner with Stu's old partner, Bill Metcalf. He is volunteering on the fuel crew (not his first year) and besides our general getting caught up to date, he updated Stu on a lot of things he thought he should know about the ride.

If you are on Facebook, there is a public group for RFTW where you can see photos and videos from all three routes. Stu and Bill are on the Midway Route which is the newest, I think Bill said five years.

So far, Stu is having a good ride. A little rain but nothing too severe. They are typically served two meals a day at stops (lunch and dinner) and sometimes even treated to a breakfast. Back at home, I've been busy writing and the #2Doods - well, you can see what they are doing!

The hummingbirds are fed and Stu's carpenter bee trap is finally working!!! Life is good!

Ciao for now!

"What's Going On" - Thank you, Marvin Gaye

If you think we've been busy lately, you're right. Me with writing and Stu with a new-to-him motorcycle trailer. He is prepping for his group ride with the Run for the Wall group, leaving from Cookeville on the 22nd, headed to DC and then spending several weeks in Maryland with family. His old partner, who now lives in California, is riding the whole route.

Oh, the trailer. Last year we sold BRAT2, believing we had no need for it since we didn't foresee any long motorcycle trips in our future. Fast forward to now and even though I won't be doing any long trips, Stu still has the itch.

Here is BRAT (Big Red's Attack Trailer):

Here is BRAT2 (ditto #2):

Here is BCAT (Black Cherry's Attack Trailer), as is-where is (when he picked it up):

BCAT now has new tires, new rims, new coupler, repainted frame, new locks, new lights, all new wiring, and spray paint job (for now). He also installed a new trailer hitch on the Tri-Glide (Black Cherry).

Here is Stu working on the final touches:

So I will be a motorcycle widow till the middle of June. At least I have the #2Doods to keep me company (and bark away any intruders - if the sound of our security alarm doesn't do it). LOL!

If you haven't visited my author blog in a while, maybe it's time to check it out. I'm writing a lot of flash fiction (ultra short stories) as well as sharing a few personal tidbits from time to time.

Ciao for now!