Easin' Along

Our second week at Edisto Beach, SC, was about as laid back as anyone could get. We walked on the beach every afternoon, lazily looking for shells and sharks’ teeth. For a while, I thought this might be the first year that I would leave without a tooth for my collection, but on the next-to-last day, I found one. It was so small that I didn’t hold it up for a picture, for fear I would drop it. It is now tucked away safely in a Mason jar.

On Sunday morning, Helen and I drove to Charleston to watch Bennett, our granddaughter, play in a soccer match against a team from Charlotte, NC. Bennett is an excellent player who plays on an exceptional team of 15- and 16-year-old girls. Many members of her team have played together since they were very young and have excellent team chemistry. Her team won the match, then left a few days later for a tournament in California, representing South Carolina in their age group. Their team won two out of three games there.

On Saturday, near the end of our stay, Helen signed us up to “Strut Our Stuff” in the Edisto Beach annual Fun Run/Walk. Here in Knoxville, we have the “Turkey Trot,” but in Edisto, they host the “Gobble Wobble.”Rather than show our speed (or lack thereof), we decided to participate in the one-mile walk. We joined a surprising number of participants at the starting line. The official starter (dressed for the occasion) asked all walkers to start a countdown from 10. Near the end of the count, she yelled over the crowd, “On your mark,” then blasted a horn to signal the official start.

Helen and I decided that, being the eldest in the group, we would hang back, ward off any alligators, and assist the injured. We found neither, but we did make it to the finish line in about 20 minutes in time to join most of the participants for the award ceremony and the much-welcome Mimosa Bar. We had a grand time.

The only other noteworthy activity was taking my camera out almost daily to capture sunrises and several sunsets. I’ve assembled the pictures below. I captured all of the sunsets from the same location, and all had different highlights. You tell me if you have a favorite.

Thank you for Easin’ Along with us. We made reservations for the same two weeks next year…I’ll be counting the days.

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.