Hiya Darlin'!
Happy 36th Anniversary! Wish you were here for it! I spent the day moving to another venue, a new place I found that is an Army Corp of Engineers site. I got up before the alarm, got everything packed up except the horses and the last minute stuff before trying to move off the grass on to the gravel. Unfortunately, I started slipping and Richard had to come out with the tractor and get me up that little grade so I wouldn't tear up the lawn too much. Once I hit the gravel it took some maneuvering, because the turn is too sharp to get around a telephone pole, so I had to get it straight to get out. I eventually managed to do that, then got the horses and the rest loaded, and was out the driveway by 8:40. I was a bit worried about the drive once I got off I-75, but it turned out the Hal Rogers Parkway was an excellent road, with passing lanes every few miles, and nothing too terribly steep that my Sierra's transmission couldn't hold it, plus my brakes were working great! They actually snagged on the trailer leaving Linda's this morning, which they've never done before, so I was glad to see that. Made me a much more comfortable driver, at least until the last five miles. Once I turned off US 23 onto the little road that led to the campground, it was a whole other story. This had to be some of the scariest miles I've every driven. Even though the was a line down the middle, the road was not much wider than a one lane road, which would have been fine if it didn't have other traffic on it. Plus it was twisty and windy and had ditches on either side, and so it was a white knuckle drive, especially since I didn't know what was to come. The first few miles was a climb, and then I came upon a dump truck coming down, and it was particularly narrow, and we could barely pass each other, and my tires on the right side slid into the little ditch by the side of the road. Once the truck pass, I had to swing way left to get enough angle to get my tires back on the road! Then I started going downhill, and it was steeper than going up, which is going to be fun on the the way back, NOT! The worst was a turn that was literally about 350 degrees. If there wasn't a new, wide gravel pulloff right there, I never would have made the turn. I couldn't believe the guy I spoke to on the phone told me that the road was good enough for a semi. NO WAY!! I managed the turn, going downhill, but again, going back up around that turn is going to be highly challenging, and it's going to take some doing to not spend the week worrying about it. Nothing I can do, it's the only way in and out! Getting into the campground I had to make a full 90 degree turn over a bridge, but fortunately it was just wide enough for me to make it. That said, the campground itself is gorgeous, with a lovely green lawn, a big playground, a little river running beside it. The campsites have water and 30 amp electric, and there's a wifi up by the restrooms, that almost reaches the trailer (intermittently, anyway), but probably not enough for TV, though I attempted to bridge it with my laptop, no luck yet. The guy I spoke to, I think his name was Lonzo, helped me get into my space, though it took a few tries. Most people "helping" me back up don't realize just how long it takes to change angles with a trailer this long, so it generally takes longer than when I'm on my own. Anyway, I learned that the camping fee includes stalls, and he had two stall picked out for my guys. Really nice stalls, fully boarded so there's no gaps for them to get their legs caught if they roll, and wire mesh over the door so they're safer, though they can't stick their heads out the window. I got them settled in, then finished setting up the RV, putting down my outdoor rug for the first time since I left Florida. The weather is perfect, it was low 80's when I got here and it's going down to about 60 overnight, so it will be great sleeping weather! Not to mention it's going to be dark and quiet here, so I shouldn't get a good night's rest. After dinner, I noticed some guys, along with Lonzo, putting up something on the roof of the restroom area (which also has vending machines and picnic tables, and when I inquired, I learned they were putting in a Starlink! Perfect timing! Unfortunately, it doesn't quite reach my trailer, but it goes blazing fast once I get within range, so I won't be as out of touch as I thought I would be this week. Anyway, I've enjoyed a couple of beers, and I'm ready for my shower and bed. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hiya Babe,
Got woke up around 4:00 in the morning by thunderstorms and Lola crawling into bed with me. I wouldn't mind if she would be still, but she just keeps creeping and moving and generally pushing on me! It kept me up for a couple of hours before I finally went back to sleep, so naturally, it was later than usual when I got up, but it didn't matter. I had no plans for the day today anyway. I spent it reading, playing computer games, watching TV, and generally just relaxing. The Amazon package I was expecting tomorrow showed up today, so technically, I could leave tomorrow, but the forecast isn't looking good and I really don't want to be driving in the rain, especially on country roads, so I'll still wait until Tuesday, which has a stellar forecast. So other than doing some PT exercises and walking out to give the horses treats a couple of times, it was a very lazy day. My knee was bothering me a little, so I iced it down most of the day, which did seem to help. Anyway, off to bed! Good night, darlin'! Love you!

Hiya Darlin',
Not a bad night sleep considering how hot it was today, though it took me awhile to cool off enough to get to sleep. Had a pretty restful day, finally had a chance to ice my leg using my machine, because Linda has a fabulous ice-maker in her freezer, and that made a big difference. Did a load of laundry, but otherwise had a pretty lazy day, which I needed to catch up. She felt better this morning, but toward the end of the day her husband started to get sick, so now she's doubting that it was food poisoning, and maybe something she picked up at her doctor's office on Tuesday. Hopefully I don't catch whatever it is, and Richard gets over it quickly, but we should know pretty quick! Anyway, a nice relaxing day, which I needed, and hopefully a good night sleep! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
Had a better night sleep, woke up about 7:00, got up and did my packing, managing to get out of camp by about 8:30. It was an uneventful drive, and a beautiful one along lots of country roads, though a bit twisty and hilly, which was probably a challenge for the horses. I arrived at Linda's in TN around 11:40, and managed to get set up in decent time. I did some essential housework (it was in such bad shape it was really bugging me!) and two loads of laundry. I forgot I only have a tiny breaker here, so I could only do two things at a time, so I'm having to manage my power circuits. I didn't see Linda all day, she's suffering from food poisoning or a stomach flu, so she's not feeling well enough to visit. Hopefully tomorrow. It's a bit too hot for my liking right now, especially since I don't think I can run the AC, but I have all the fans going, and thankfully, we had a nice rain shower around 7:30, so that's cooling things down. There's more heat in the forecast, and more rain, too, so I need to get settled on some plans to get farther north! This is a great stopover, though, to do what needs to be done, even if I don't get a chance to ride. Hoping to at least get a short ride around the farm on Apollo, though, he's desperate for some exercise, as is Lola. Anyway, heading to bed soon, need to take advantage of the post-rain temps! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Had an excellent night sleep, up before the alarm, fed the horses and Lola and headed over to the volunteer area where breakfast casseroles were waiting. Literally ended up sitting around all day with nothing to do but eat the voluminous amount of snacks sitting around and talking to other staffers and volunteers, mostly with the vets. But in the case of ride management, an uneventful day (other than the completion of the horses and riders) is a good thing. No real emergencies, nothing that needed to be handled, all very well done. I did have one of the vets come over and check on Flash, who is still pinning his ears back and keeping his head against the tree, but everything checked out, no fever, good gut sounds, everything was fine, so I'm thinking maybe he's just depressed standing on a highline or something. Stuck around for dinner, the awards ceremony and the raffle (I won a nice bottle of body wash), then left as the band was starting, taking two young gals with me who wanted to see how my highline was set up. Now the day is done, I'm more than ready for bed. Weird, it seems sitting around doing nothing is just as tiring as having a busy day! Anyway, bed shortly! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Hiya Darlin',
Had a pretty good night sleep, still woke up early. It seems I'm settling down to just six hours of sleep instead of my usual eight, don't know if that's permanent of temporary. The morning started out slow as the ride managed didn't get to camp until about 11:00, but after that it was go, go, go, with a lot of odds and ends. We put up canopies and corrals and cleared a trail down by the river for the photographer, as well as a few other things. Sat through the ride meeting, had dinner after that (opposite what was scheduled, but it didn't really matter), gave a tour through my trailer to a lot of folks who are nearing retirement and contemplating going full-time on the road like me. I helped nurture some newbys who have not done much camping or endurance riding, and general tried to make myself useful. Even sold a couple of books! It was 8:20 by the time I got back to feed the horses. Flash is doing better, he's been under the weather for the last couple of days. I think he got overheated on the drive up, and even though he's been drinking, eating and pooping normally, he's had his ears pinned back and was rubbing his head on the tree unnaturally, and he had some heat on his muzzle and his ears. Took him for a walk today and he pooped again, and he seemed better by dinnertime. Very productive and satisfying day! Looking forward to another one tomorrow! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Darlin',
Maybe went to bed a bit too early, I ended up waking up around 3:30, and only dozed occasionally after that. I finally got tired of waiting for my alarm to go off, so I got up at 5:30, still in the dark but already 72 degrees with 99% humidity. I was sweating like crazy by the time I got everything done, but I was glad to leave early, since there was a lot of rain in the forecast. I managed to get out of camp by 7:10, would you believe! I have to say, I felt a lot more confident now, considering all the work and expense I've done on everything this year. The truck has two new batteries, four new tires on the back, new back brakes as well, and a new brake controller. The trailer has two new axles, which means new brakes as well. It felt a lot more sure-footed, that's for sure! Even drove a bit faster than usual, at least before it rained too much and we ran into traffic. OMG, it was stop and go from McDonough north all the way until I got through Atlanta and onto Hwy. 400, and 75 was chock-a-block north of there, so I was glad I wasn't going straight to TN or I would have stuck another half an hour or more. It was slow going, but I did manage to arrive at just before 3:00. They found a good spot on concrete for me, with all the rain I'm sure I'd get stuck on anything less than gravel or better. Quite a few of the folks I ran into I've seen at other rides, so it's nice to be back in the family circle again! As soon as I got the horses on their highline, I headed over to the fire station and got my truck tank full of water, since I hadn't bothered to fill mine up. I didn't want to drag any extra water weight that wasn't necessary. Then I was so hungry, I decided to pick up some dinner so I wouldn't have to cook, and since I'd never tried Chik-Fil-A, and there was one handy, I decided to do that. Considering the line at the drive-thru, they did a good job and moving everyone through, so I got my Chicken Club with fries (which turned out to be waffle fries, how cool is that!) and a lemonade. Headed straight back to camp, munching on a few fries and a couple of bites of sandwich before I put it back in the bag and got out to water the horses. They were definitely thirsty! As soon as the buckets were full, I went back into the truck, figuring I'd put on the generator for a minute and heat up the chicken and bacon a bit, only to discover that Miss Lola had decided to help herself, and had torn open the bag and helped herself to every last bit of my meal, lettuce and tomato included! So much for my dinner! I ended up eating a bowl of cereal just to get me through. Finally met Shannon and we worked out a schedule for tomorrow, not starting until about 9:00, which will be wonderful if I can actually get a decent night sleep. It seem strange that I can work myself into exhaustion, and then not be able to fall asleep. It's been that way for days now! I think that may have had a lot to do with the heat, and now that I'm in upper 60's with low of 60 tonight, I think it will be a lot better. Be nice to open windows at last! Anyway, it was a good day of travel, no drama other than Lola stealing my dinner, and I'm ready for shower and bed, though I think I'll have some sleepytime tea as well. It's been too late and too hot the last few nights, and I'm thinking that's one part of my evening ritual I shouldn't neglect, and may also be contributing to my lack of sleep. Looking forward to a fun weekend with good company! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hiya Babe,
A lousy night sleep for the second night in a row, so I woke up tired, unfortunately. Which means I've been running on adrenaline most of the day trying to get everything done. Up bright and early, was on the road not long after 8:00, first stopping at Apex and Buck Pond trailheads to glue the plaques on the final two mounting blocks. Next stop was the DMV, where I sat for nearly 90 minutes (surprise, surprise), just to change the address on my license and registrations, only to be turned down because the insurance company has never gotten around to adding those three little digits I need to match the address the SS has. So that was a bust. I made it just in time to get my haircut, a nice short cut designed to get me through the summer, then filled up with diesel (glad to see it back down to a more reasonable price), then to my mailbox, then to Ace Hardware to the return the coax cable ends I couldn't use for the radio antenna, then to Advance Auto to pick up a battery for the Buick. By that time it was late enough to get down to Kelly's to have them look at the AC that's not working (it takes a long time to get cold), which took nearly an hour, and was told the reason was because it had been overcharged! I got the impression he didn't believe me when I said no one but his guys have touched it since I had the AC done, but whatever, it works much better now! It's been in the upper 90's with a heat index well over 100, so it's been pretty unpleasant trying to work outside. From there I went to Winn Dixie to get some chicken (only because I forgot when I went by Walmart), then back to the DMV because I THOUGHT I might have solved the problem by changing my banking address, but after multiple phone calls with multiple promises, turns out nothing will get to me before tomorrow, which will be too late. Grrrr! Guess I'll have to get it through the mail anyway. Finally left there, stopped at Jo's to give her my mailbox key, then to the folks who have the Buick to drop off the battery, then finally back to camp, where I moved all the remaining hay out of the way, put the last bale in the back of the truck, and got all lined up so I only have to drop it on in the morning. I finally had to take a break just to get a drink and relax, when I got an email about my Coggins and health certificates. I had forgotten about them, so I took the time to print them up. Eventually had dinner, fed the horses, put some more stuff away including the patio rug, and now, at last, I'm calling it quits for the night. I'm going to take a shower and get to bed VERY early, with my sights on getting up at the crack of dawn (or even earlier) tomorrow so I can have a more leisurely drive. It's about 400 miles, which is more than I typically like to drive, but most of it is freeway, so it shouldn't be bad. Looking forward to seeing how my new axles and brakes work. Whew! That's enough! Good night, sweetheart (even though it's not even close to being dark yet)! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
I'm exhausted! But had a great, busy day, got tons done. I had started the hot tub draining last night, so my first chore was to get that packed. I took down the screen room, and the skirting around the hay under the gooseneck, rinsed off the awing, which had lots of leaves and other stuff on it, I pumped up the trailer tires, which were all down a little bit, and had a little trouble with one that didn't want to take in air, but eventually got that worked out. Rinsed off the screen room rug and generally got the whole area cleared out, pretty much all done by noon! Amazing what you can get done when you get up early! Did some more chores for awhile, then finally stopped for awhile, took a shower because it was 97 degrees with a heat index factor of 104 and I was overheated, then relaxed in the afternoon. I finally heard from Angela and Reuben, the mechanic who is going to work on my Buick, and we made it down to Yvette's, where I found the gate locked for once, but managed to locate the key and get in. I was amazed that the Buick started pretty quick once we jumped the battery, but it was a challenge to keep it from stalling out. Of course, I know Panther better than anyone, so I finally managed to get him steady enough to drive, and I drove him back to their house rather than Helen's, because he wants to work on it on his own time, which I can appreciate. I'm so happy to find someone who likes to work on old cars! And he is intrigued by the fact that it's a very rare car, he'd never seen one before, and seems excited about getting it up and running more reliably! Whoo hoo! I'm sure hoping that when I get back in the fall, I'll have a nice reliable runaround car! Of course, that all happened late in the evening, so it was just about sunset when we got him parked. Then I took a respite over to Helen's, where she plied me with the first alcohol I've had in months, a glass of merlot, and we chatted for awhile, and I dropped off the hot tub and picked up a couple of things I had forgotten before. Finally managed to make it back to camp where I poured myself another merlot (why not, I'm hardly taking any painkillers anymore, and I feel great!), can't decide if I want to take another shower or not, but I'm definitely heading to bed early because I have so much to do tomorrow. Really looking forward to heading to cooler temps, can't wait to be able to open windows and get fresh air! Skipping tea, heading to be shortly. Love you, darlin'! Good night!