Raffaldini Vineyards

Warrior Creek CG site 26
Kerr Scott Reservoir COE
Wilkesboro, NC

It has been extremely hot and humid so the three of us wanted to find something to do in air conditioned comfort.  While at the visitor center the other day, we learned about Raffaldini Vineyards, a nice vineyard that wasn’t too far away in the Yadkin River Valley area that offered wine tastings.  They were having a special Music in the Vineyard on Sunday so we all decided to go.  A little wine and jazz really made me feel like a cultured lady…ha!

The Villa was located down a rather narrow gravel country road so I didn’t know what to expect. (Click on any pic to enlarge).  As we pulled into the driveway, I felt transported to another country…Italy.  Here’s the entry and driveway…

 

…and the Villa itself.

 

Just walking from the parking lot to the Villa was refreshing.  There were koi ponds and roses all around.  Too bad it was still in the 90’s.

 

We enjoyed a few sips of several different wines and decided to buy a few bottles of their La Dolce Vita which is a sweet white wine so that we can enjoy it later on special occasions.  The scenery from the second floor was so beautiful that we just had to take some more posed shots.

 

It’s too bad that it was so hot because there wasn’t much live music outside on the patio.  The performers were just melting not to mention the spectators.

 

They are not that big of a winery.  Most of the sells occur at the Villa and through restaurant distributions.  They also book private events on the grounds such as weddings.  I can certainly say that this would be a beautiful place to have a ceremony.

 

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Tree Down and Drama

Warrior Creek CG site 26
Kerr Scott Reservoir COE
Wilkesboro, NC

First a little news from the house back in Clayton.  Nope, it ain’t sold yet but the money pit hits from a distance.  Remember the beaver that gnawed on a tree?  Well the wind blew one part of it over.

 

That wasn’t so bad.  My neighbor Mark and his son Jordan took care of that for us.  They are great folks and I miss them.  The next photos that Mark sent us are the real deal as far as having a tree down.  We had one large oak tree in the back yard and it was uprooted during a hard thunderstorm a couple of days ago.

 

Mark met with a tree service guy for us and it will be cut up and the root ball ground up in the next few days.  I also told our realtor who went over to check it out.  She said the same thing that Mark did…it couldn’t have landed in a more perfect place.  There was no other damage and it didn’t really land in the water which would have made it hard to get out.  We’re blessed in that respect.

Now a little bit about Pam’s visit.  She is Gin’s cousin who joined us this weekend for a little fun in the hills of NC.  We spent a little time at the visitor center and went to the Mountain View Overlook to kid around a bit.

 

We decided to drive over to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a little bit of curves.  This section isn’t as nice as the part near Brevard NC in my opinion.  You can see houses right next to the road so that made it seem like most any other mountain road to me.  We stopped at an overlook to stretch our legs.

We also drove through the nice upscale but crowded downtown of Blowing Rock on our way back down the mountain.  We just had to stop at this nice roadside stand and get some goodies.

We ended the day by going to watch “Tom Dooley: a Wilkes County Legend”.  It’s an outdoor drama that was presented at the amphitheater in the Fort Hamby CG across the lake.

 

It was an interesting story of a womanizing man set in the 1860’s.  Nothing like a lover’s triangle that leads to murder to make for an interesting show.  Here’s a little background link to Tom Dooley.  Bad things happened back then too.

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Family Christmas

Stix n Brix
Clayton, NC

We’ve been here for a couple of days wrapping things up so that the closing will go smoothly next week, but I just had to post a few shots from Christmas with the family.  We left Huntington Beach real early Friday morning so that we could get Wanda set up in Mom’s driveway in Roanoke Rapids and help her with some Christmas preparations.  We went to Rocky Mount on Saturday for a Christmas Eve dinner with Gin’s parents.  We ate too much but it was so good.  Back to Mom’s and Christmas Day with her.  The rest of my family came in Sunday evening for dinner.  Once again, we ate too much.

 

After dinner, we gathered around the tree while my great niece Xani played Xani Claus and handed out gifts to everyone.  She did a real good job with the names.

 

It was nice weather so we could get some fresh air.  Since it was a little crowded, my sister Virginia and BiL David spent the night with us in the MH.  It sure was convenient and we were glad to have them.

 

This year we received the best gift ever from my niece Marie.  Along with being a microbiologist, she is an artist along with her husband Shannon who live in Asheville.  She works with different mediums.  This year she made graphic magnets.  Ours was a perfect life-sized rendition of Smudge which she based upon a picture from my tribute post.  We were so touched that we all cried.  It will stick to the fridge in the new MH nicely.  I’ll get shots of that in a few weeks hopefully.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

What’s Up

Jordan Lake State Park
Poplar Point CG (site #E100)
Apex, NC

I have been enjoying the wonderfully detailed blogs that Nancy and Bill have been posting about the Carolina Clan weekend in Cheraw.  It was such a fun time, and we still smile broadly when we reflect upon it. 

We left Cheraw on Thursday and landed in Rocky Mount, NC to spend some time with Gin’s folks.  We stayed there for a week and played all the Canasta we could stand.  I never keep track of who wins but it was fun.  We did go to Roanoke Rapids to visit with my Mom one day and played Hand and Foot.  Gin’s parents will be moving into a new home soon.  The contractor had a little setback so it will be near the middle of October before the place is ready.  They want to move things over there a bit at a time after the final deal is done so there wasn’t that much for us to do.  I did cut the grass while Gin went shopping with her Mom for some paint and things one day.  On Wednesday, we washed their MH.  They’ve run ads and a fella has called about it and seems interested.  Hope it works out.

We are now at Poplar Point CG at Lake Jordan State Park.  They’ve closed half of this cg after Labor Day and the other main cg (Crosswinds) will close for the season entirely after this weekend.  It’s going to rain most of the day so we may not get out of our pajamas.  Not bad.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

More Family at Cedar Point

Cedar Point CG (site #12)
Croatan National Forest
Cedar Point, NC

Doug and I decided to get up early today and take our hard kayaks for a paddle in the nearby sound.  There’s an NC Wildlife Landing near the bridge going over to Swansboro.  He did a little bit of fishing and caught 4 small ones.

I enjoyed just paddling around leisurely.  There was a working shrimp boat unloading their catch and doing some work.  Once again, the waves make it hard to get a good shot so I didn’t get the full height.

I loved watching the seagulls near the docks.  One house was watering the lawn and I could tell that this gull enjoyed the fresh water because he was standing right under the spray.

 

Romain enjoyed the paddle too but didn’t know which way to go, stay near the docks or go to the nearby islands.  He said the water was awfully salty tasting too.

 

One of those islands had a geocache on it in the past but not now.  It also has a large cross erected on one end that leads out to the Bogue Inlet which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.

After enjoying our morning paddle, we went back to camp and had a quick shower.  We joined Doug and Carla who fixed hot dogs for lunch.  My sister and BiL, Judy and Keith who live in Raleigh, called to say that they were on their way.  Once they arrived, we visited with them a little bit.  Judy and Keith wanted to go to the ocean to swim so I drove them over there since we didn’t know if the public parking lot would be full or not.  About that time, Gin’s parents arrived in their site so we helped them get set up.  They are taking a break from their doctor appointments and have some of their friends here with them to enjoy the beach.  After a little while, my other sister and BiL, Virginia and David who live in New Bern, pulled in.  We all visited some and I went back to the shore to pick up Judy and Keith.

 

Hmm…notice how the women were enjoying the air conditioning inside the MH while the men are sitting out in the heat and humidity.   I called a nearby restaurant to see if they would save a spot for eight adults, and we all rode over to Captain Charlie’s in Swansboro for a delicious seafood dinner.  We enjoyed our food, but we enjoyed our family time even more.  Since Judy and Keith had a long drive ahead of them, they left before the rest of us did.  We still lingered in the parking lot before bidding farewell to Virginia and David.  After riding through the quaint seaside town of Swansboro with Doug and Carla, we came back to camp.  We walked our dogs and they came over for a game of Phase 10 cards.  It was a good way to wrap up another wonderful day.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Family at Cedar Point

Cedar Point CG (site #12)
Croatan National Forest
Cedar Point, NC

Most of the campsites filled up for the weekend but Doug and Carla were able to get a site today across the park in #24.  It’s a nice site and we can walk through the open middle area just fine.  After they set up camp and got a bite to eat, we all decided to go for a paddle.  There is a nice shallow water boat launch right at the cg so we threw their Sea Eagle 370 inflatable boat on top of the Suki and drove down the road.  Carla may not know Linda Payne but she knows the paddle method.  It’s best to let Doug handle it.

We paddled around the cove for awhile and saw some nice houses with beautiful backyards.  Their real beauty was the view of the river they had.  There was a bit of wildlife out enjoying the day.  It’s not easy to get a good picture from a kayak when it’s a little wavy but I saw several egrets amongst the sawgrass.

Once we finished our paddle, we took quick showers and met at our MH for a nice meal of crockpot ribs, salad, and boiled potatoes.  It’s nice to have the conveniences with you.  We finished the day by catching a preseason Panther football game on tv.  We lost the game but had a wonderful day.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Moochdocking or WorkCamping?

Rocky Mount, NC

We relaxed a little more at Lake Jordan but left Saturday morning before the weekend warriors got out of hand.  I enjoy the sounds of laughter, water splashing and such, but it was time to go.  We stopped by the dump station on our way out and it was nice to have that all to ourselves so that Gin could do a thorough job.  We are spending a few days here at Gin’s parents.  They have 30 amp hookup in their side yard if your cord is long enough.

 

With the woods right beside us, it’s almost like being in a state park.  As we pulled in on Saturday, an awesome hawk swooped out of a tree right in front of us.  That evening there were two deer grazing in the back yard, and last night a fox watched as I let Smudge out.  I made sure to put her leash on because an ounce of prevention…

I’ve heard the term “moochdocking” defined as staying in a friend or relative’s driveway for a few days.  I’ve also heard of “workcamping” as offering some form of service in exchange for your rv hookup.  I’m not real sure where we fall right now.  After getting set up Saturday, we went over to the house that Gin’s parents are having built and cleaned up the work area some.  On Sunday, we went back and swept up some more stuff.  It was so hot and humid that Gin ended up with blisters on both hands.  I guess my skin is a little thicker, kinda like my noggin.  We’ve also enjoyed visiting with them and even played a game of Canasta last night.  Gin’s Mom had a doctor’s appointment today so we did some laundry and used the Flowbee for our hair cuts.  This property will be missed but the new place is better for her folks and it has less responsibilities.  Their house should be finished in about a month.  And as far as our house goes, we’ve had 4 showings in the past 5 days that we’ve been gone.  The right person (couple, family) is going to come along soon.

I want to welcome two recently new followers, Nan and John and Jeff Simmons.  I just recently retired and we are now able to rv a little more frequently so hopefully my postings will be a bit more interesting.  Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

An Ending to a Beginning

Stix n Brix
Clayton, NC

Gin’s parents are about to move into a new house so we have helped them clear out their garage.  They are in the midst of some health issues right now so they are under a lot of stress.  We spent the day with them on Friday (over 100* heat) clearing out their MH.  They are trying to sell it so they have put an ad for it in their local paper and Gin put it on Craigslist for them.  It’s a 2003 Winnebago Adventurer 35U and it is immaculate with new tires to boot.  If it were a DP, it might be in our driveway.

 

They didn’t get a chance to travel the country like we hope to do soon, but they did enjoy their time in it while visiting a son’s family in Florida, taking the boat to Lake Jordan to join us for a get away, or Thanksgiving with another son at Cedar Point NC.  We have enjoyed many great meals and many card games that I have lost at their table.

 

They have many great memories but realize that it is time for someone else to make memories in this MH.  My mother went through this several years ago shortly after my father died.  They had enjoyed a few cross-country trips on theirs and made many great memories and Mom has said that cleaning it out was the hardest thing that she has ever done.

 

So if any of you in blogland know of anyone near NC that wants a nice used MH, have them check it out in Craigslist Raleigh area.  I sure wish Merikay was here instead of California because it would be a good fit for her and Craig.

Oh, by the way, I’m doing really good transitioning this weekend.  Thursday was the last day in uniform and I feel like I’m floating.  So much pressure is off now so I guess I am lighter weight (in some respects).

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Before the Wedding

RV Resort site #P22
Roanoke Rapids, NC
(I’ll be doing two posts for this date...I finally posted the Wedding/Reception post so please read on)

It was nice to come home to the MH and relax in our own familiar surrounding and sleep in our own bed.  Gin was worn out from the festivities last night so she lounged on the couch while I went to visit with Mom and other family members at her house.  Remember that I mentioned the Frisbee Dog competition?  Well it was held at the park just a couple of blocks from Mom’s house.  This nice MH actually stayed at the RV Resort last night.

 

The owner of the dogs travels 48 weeks out of the year and has different trainers joining him for the competitions and shows in different areas of the country.  Now that’s some serious Frisbee Dogs!  Here’s some of the competition.

 

My other nephew Jeff and his wife Becca are here from Colorado with their two daughters.  My sister Virginia can’t get enough of her granddaughters.

 

This is a busy weekend in Roanoke Rapids.  They are holding an event in downtown and have blocked off the streets near the church where the wedding is to be held.  I decided to check by there on my way back to the MH to see if I could still park near the church.  As I turned around in the street, I noticed two people dismounting from a nice touring motorcycle.  It turned out to be JC and Bev who are staying at the Thousand Trails RV Park on Lake Gaston which is only a couple of miles from the family water front spot on the lake.  We were parked beside them last month at the RV-Dreams Rally.  Talk about your small world moments!

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.