Home is where we park it!

Decided to continue blogging through this Covid-19 stay at home order. These times are so different for all of us. We don’t really know what normal is any more. 

This pic of Lenny and Banjo on the same lap may not happen often so had to get a pic of it. 

After hearing about campgrounds closing, we left Tennessee March 25 and have been at home since then. 

We’ve continued our walking at the Bern-El Park and state game lands behind Ale House. It seems that Banjo’s favorite thing to do while camping was to be outside. 

Bill parked the motor home in the car park facing the fire pit. We are going to continue the camping mode as the weather permits. Bill started a fire and we sat outside and enjoyed the birds singing. 

After a call from Shan that their hospital needed masks, production started. 

There’s a shortage of elastic so Kerry Richards brought over some headbands that I can use, so production continues. To date, I’ve made about 75. My sewing machine started to complain so had to take the bobbin apart to clean it. Definitely needed it. Can hardly wait to get it a checkup at Hindman Fabrics. 

Before we left on our trip, we had bought an InstantPot Omi Plus to replace our toaster oven. This new appliance does almost everything from air fryer, toast, roast, bake and rotisserie. We really like it. Tonight Bill decided to try the rotisserie. 

The chicken was delicious. Bill also made air fried potato wedges. Great meal and leftovers!  

Tomorrow more masks to be made and hopefully a hike to keep Banjo happy. We should put a Fitbit on him. He’s only 3.4 lbs but he sure can hike. 

Last day and night in Yarberry Campground

Beautiful sunrise across the lake. 

After looking at the weather, we decided we better get moving to get a hike in before the rain. 

We found a nice wooded hike around Tellico Lake not far from our campground. 

I hope Banjo isn’t thinking about eating that millipede. 

Lenny spied a squirrel. 

Two kinds of moss and a slug spending time together. 

May Apple plant 

3.5 miles of a dry walk out and then 3.5 miles back in the rain. The boys are ready to get back to the camper under blankets. 

Even though it rained and everyone got wet, it was a nice hike. 

For me, it was time to have some hot chocolate and remember the great times we’ve had at the International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN  we’re hopefull we will be back there this October. 

Yarberry Campground is a nice spot to camp. Lots of space around the camp sites. Site 16 was our spot for 3 days with a great view of the lake right out our windows on all sides. Since this campground is on a peninsula, there are a lot of sites that have views of the Lake. 

Unfortunately, because of the Coronavirus, we are headed back to PA. 

I may continue the blog just so I can journal our social distancing time due to Covid-19. 

Catch you later. 

Southeast of Knoxville and important decision

We left Davy Crockett’s Birthplace and headed about 2 hours southeast of Knoxville to Yarberry Campground. 

Beautiful campground on a peninsula around Fort London Lake   Wish it we’re a little warmer water so we could kayak and not worry about Lenny falling in. This is our view from the camper. 

It’s been raining off and on today but the temps are around 55-60. We are getting some walks in around the campground. If it’s not raining tomorrow, we’ll drive to find a hiking trail. 

After reading several online podcasts about RV life, we made the really tough decision that we need to head back home. More and more campgrounds are closing and we don’t want to take the chance of not being able to find one open when we are far from home. We’ll start back Wednesday. 

Last hike in Davy Crockett’s Birthplace, unusual mushroom

Before we left the campground, we took our last hike. Saw an unusual mushroom. Anyone know it’s name?

Daffodils or Jonquils were beautiful. 

The woods we walked through had a delicate purple flower as a ground cover. 

A few ducks were on the trail, too. Banjo and

Lenny thought they should chase them away. 

We are pulling up stakes but staying in Tennessee about 2 hrs southwest. 

Talk to you later. 

Overcast but not raining - still in TN

Between raindrops yesterday, we were able to go on two walks. Even though this isn’t a large State Park, there are lots of hiking trails and we take advantage of them. 

Some pics as we were walking. 

Love this one. So delicate. 

Even the boys were interested in the flowers. Yeah right. Someone probably peed on it. 

Tried to get the boys to sit on this rock for a picture like Mary Jo’s dogs do but as you can tell, ours aren’t as cooperative. 

Ordered a few things from Walmart again but had to drive to Johnson City because the ones in Jonesborough didn’t have available days. 

Stopped and had a wonderful homemade lasagne dinner with Terry and Sandy at a social distance!! But Abby and Sadie didn’t quite understand that concept. The Countermine’s are a bright spot in all of this Covid-19 mess!!!  Thanks for your friendship and love. 

A day of hiking and talking with friends

After a deluge of rain during the night, the day turned sunny and warm. 

Took a hike through Davy Crockett’s homestead and along the Nolichucky. 

This guy sure likes to make himself known by braying. We can hear him at the campground. 

The water was up but Lenny thought he should check it out anyway. 

Bill said this plant is equisetum and has been around since the dinosaur period. I thought it was bamboo but this doesn’t get any leaves. 

We also saw some turkeys strutting their stuff. They weren't very wild. One tried to follow Bill around. 

L

These two were going around in circles to see which one was the better one. 

For dinner we had a treat. Terry and Sandy Countermine visited us. We stayed outside and at a distance but it was oh so good to talk to them. 

As I’m writing this, we are sitting outside listening to the Nolichucky River ... a soothing sound. Night all. 

Davy Crockett’s Birthplace Campground

We found a little warmer weather just outside of Jonesborough,TN, where Terry and Sandy Countermine live. It was in the 70s today but not much sun. This is our view from the camper. That’s the Nolichucky River flowing quite fast past the campground. Don’t know if we’ll be brave enough to try kayaking on it since the water wouldn’t be too warm just yet. 

We took a hike along the ridge overlooking the river. 

The campground is in the back of this pic. Our camper is the last one on the right. We are still able to have a distance between us and the rest of the campers. 

While we were sitting around the fire, we could hear the peepers singing. Are they singing back in PA?

Since I had heard somewhere that if you have 2 s’mores a night, you have a better chance of not getting the corona virus, that’s what I’ve been doing!!  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. 

Tomorrow we are going to explore Davy Crockett’s birthplace. We can walk to it from the campground. 

Night all. 

Found a little spring weather but not enough

Found a little bit of spring in the flowering trees and bushes but temperatures weren’t much warmer than ours in Virginia. 

Stayed at Claytor Lake State Park. We enjoy this park because lot sizes are large and lots and lots of hiking trails. 

You can tell we don’t have any problems keeping our distance from campers and people. 

Had our first campfire of the season but the wood wasn’t up to Bill’s or Lou’s standards so it didn’t provide much heat. 

Got the boys out hiking for a bit this morning. 

Unfortunately, Claytor Lake SP prices have risen and it wasn’t much warmer so after talking to Sandy and Terry Countermine, we decided to head to Tennessee. 

On the road to TN. Catch you later. 

Traveling in Uncertain Times

Even though we have no idea what we’ll find as we travel down the road, we have left on our spring trip. We decided that we could Socially distance ourselves in a campground just as easy as in our house, so here we go. 

Hopefully we make it to California because we have a table, bike, lights and another surprise to deliver to Drew and Erin. . 

It’s foggy and drizzling. 

As you probably know, the NCAA National tournament was cancelled so that was our first change to our spring trip in these scary, unknowns. 

PA Governor Wolf asked non-essential businesses to voluntarily close as of Tuesday, March 17. So, I did something I haven’t done before ... I ordered groceries online from Walmart. When I got there, I wasn’t alone. Several cars were being packed up with bags and bags. My meager amount sure didn’t measure up!  

We’ll keep you updated as we head south to find warm weather. Let us know how you’re doing, wherever you are.