Driveways!!!

We went out to the property today to inspect the work on the driveways. We no sooner got out of the car and Keta came to play with Sadie. Everything looks great! The main driveway into what will be our RV site is perfect! We have a small pull-out for the motorcycles as well.

The driveway up to the pole barn area is also in although it's only graveled at the road where we had culvert pipe installed. We blocked it off with cement blocks and a limb through them. That will do until we can get a cable installed across. No heavy vehicles should drive on it for a year to allow the gravel to settle around the pipe.

Next spring we will bring in more gravel but of a smaller size. That will then settle in with the large currently in place. The area for the pole barn will need to be expanded but it's a good start, for a good price.

We're really pleased with what has been done and are having fun talking about our next steps as well as working on budgetary estimates for the pole barn and cabin! Stu's play pen...errrr, pole barn will be around 50'x100' (but at least 50'x80'). I suspect that will happen in 2013-2014. Our original plans called for the cabin to follow in another five years.

But I think realistically it will be in the two years following the pole barn. As I told Stu, once he has his play pen....errrr, pole barn, he's going to want to be around to play....errrr, work in it. Good thing we're experienced in keeping our plans set in Jell-O. LOL!

Still rolling,
Stu and Donna

Another update....

We are working our way back to Jamestown...we left Campobello, SC yesterday morning headed to stay with friends in Greeneville, TN. The trip there was interesting...Rested, recouped and recovered...

We got a phone call from our excavator today...the trash has been burned and today they were doing the final grading and spreading the gravel. We'll check it out on Wednesday and hopefully all will be up to spec. We'll take more photos if the weather permits.

If all looks okay, then our work is done for this year. We'll head south to Florida next Wednesday and be back in the spring.

Still rolling,
Stu and Donna

Rested, recouped and recovered...

Oh my, yesterday was interesting...that's the best way to put it. We got a slow start to the day, sleeping in a bit to recoup from hours on our feet at the Blue Ridge Log Cabin factory tour. We hit the road about 11:30.

It was a beautiful day and I started snapping some shots of the scenery. Nothing spectacular but pretty just the same. We thought we have about a 2 hour ride ahead of us. Little did we know...

All it takes is one turn...and you are committed. For anyone that has forgotten or doesn't know, we are almost 60' long when traveling. We weigh about 25k pounds combined. We are 13' high. We are not your average little trailer....LOL!

So, the GPS directed us to turn. I looked at the road and my stomach fell. I just had a feeling that this wasn't a good idea. Once we made the turn, the adventure began. Narrow, twisting roads that barely had room for us at times. No shoulders or worse, ditches in the place of shoulders...on both sides!

Just when we thought it couldn't get worse...we hit a construction zone. The road was so narrow that we hit every cone on the center line. I watched one get kicked out behind us and go tumbling down the hill (better than US going down the hill...). No sign of workers, just several miles of cones.

Then as we rounded a corner we spotted the workers...they were definitely incredulous. When we passed the third truck, a worker sitting on the back waved and hollered something at us about losing the trailer... I don't blame him, there were turns where I wondered how we were going to make it. At one point the trailer went off the edge of the pavement and dipped way over and back up again. I dreaded to see what happened inside...

There was no place to turn around, no place to turn off, no cell phone service to let our friends know we were running late. Stu did wonderfully...Sadie was terrific considering she was overdue for a potty break...me, I was a basket case. I tried not to stress Stu, that meant just closing my eyes and trusting. Phew!

Eventually we came out onto better roads, the kind we should have been on...but we found a pull-out where we can get off the side of the road for potty breaks. Stu found this underneath the trailer...LOL!

Still no cell service but in about 10 minutes we were at our friend's house. DOUBLE Phew! We got backed in, unloaded the bikes and finished setting up. Too late for a ride, we headed into town in their car for a nice evening of good food and great conversation.

I was exhausted and so was Stu...we slept hard and eventually got up and ready for today. We knew we were riding but had no idea when or where. After talking to Arthur and Irene it was decided to take a ride into town for lunch, via scenic roads, and then back where we would pack up Sadie and go for another ride.

Arthur and Irene are from Massachusetts...in fact, they lived in a town right around corner from where I was born and spent the first 15 years of my life. They retired and moved to Greeneville, TN almost two years ago. They have never looked back. Recently they traded in both of their motorcycles and got a 2011 Harley-Davidson Tri-Glide. It's a beauty!

Both rides were wonderful....the first was about 75 miles out and back and the second maybe 50 miles out and back. As usual Sadie loved it...we stopped at A&W and went inside. We got a table where we could see her. She sat there and behaved so wonderfully, looking around, watching people and being good. We will do that more often, always where we can watch her and see how she does.

We head out in the morning, back to Jamestown. We've had a great time here and will be back...heck, we have a 50 amp hookup! LOL! Oh, we got a call from our excavator today...they laid the gravel. So we'll see how that looks on Wednesday...glad they beat the upcoming rain.

We have dinner in Cookeville with friends from Sparta (my old neighbors). It will be a late night after a travel day...doubt I will blog. Back on Wednesday for sure!

Forgot to mention...the only damage was the microwave opening up and everything stored in there fell out. Oh, and the revolving glass dish...shattered. That was fun cleaning up...NOT! There were a lot of other scattered items, but nothing else damaged. Another phew!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna and Stu