The next weekend I worked in Durham, NC and got to revisit West Point on the Eno. The mill there is no longer operational but the Eno is beautiful and the park is peaceful and shady.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A Tale of Two Mills
A few weeks ago, a friend and I rode out to Linney's Mill to get fresh ground corn meal. Linney's Mill is a working mill in Union Grove, NC. They are one of the few fully operational and producing old water mills in existence in NC. The mill store offers stone-ground cornmeal and grits as well as other flour mixes.
The next weekend I worked in Durham, NC and got to revisit West Point on the Eno. The mill there is no longer operational but the Eno is beautiful and the park is peaceful and shady.
The next weekend I worked in Durham, NC and got to revisit West Point on the Eno. The mill there is no longer operational but the Eno is beautiful and the park is peaceful and shady.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Baby Mantids
Hey, Sue, these are for you. Everyone else, you can look if you want. I wish I'd had my good camera when this little guy decided to hang out on my finger!
Warning!
While Sue & I were canoing, we found a couple of beach balls had drifted down to the dam at the lower end of the lake. We retrieved them and brought them back to the swimming area.
I was pretty amazed by the warning label on this beach ball. Somehow I had never thought of a beach ball as a hazardous object. It's too big to swallow and choke on. It's too soft to give you a concussion. So?
Just what constitutes "competent supervision" for beachball use, anyway? I mean, beyond what common sense would dictate for swimming in general.
I was pretty amazed by the warning label on this beach ball. Somehow I had never thought of a beach ball as a hazardous object. It's too big to swallow and choke on. It's too soft to give you a concussion. So?
Just what constitutes "competent supervision" for beachball use, anyway? I mean, beyond what common sense would dictate for swimming in general.
Izaak Walton League of Lynchburg
While my RV was in the shop getting its new roof put on, my friend Sue and I went camping. Although we both do 18th century Rendezvous camping, this time we camped in modern nylon tents.
(All varieties of camping are fun: car camping, RVing, primitive camping, backpacking, you name it...)
We set up camp in the shadiest spot I could find us at Walton Park, the Izaak Walton League of Lynchburg facility, and enjoyed a pleasant beat-the-heat weekend, mostly swimming.
The Izaak Walton park is one of my very favorite places to be. There's lots to do there, more fun than I can cram into any one weekend. Take a quick tour with me:
IWLL members enjoy
Tent camping
RV camping, seasonal or overnight
Archery range - and a really cool archery woods walk too.
The lower lake is for swimming, boating and fishing. The upper lake (no picture, sorry) is for fishing.)
Besides the picnic pavillion, there are many picnic tables and even a huge grill suitable for cooking for a large crowd.
This is the skeet range. There are also ranges for rifle and pistol. We have various contests and events.
Finally we tied the canoe to the tree, packed up our gear, and returned to the workaday world and, in my case, other sorts of camping.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tips for a Better Life
My oldest friend (meaning how long she's been in my life) sent me this this morning and I thought it deserved posting here - and on my other blog - and on my refrigerator too. So, in no particular order except the way I received them:
40 Tips for a Better Life in 2008
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It
is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with
daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food
that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past,
negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your
energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems
are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like
algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years,
will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends
will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you
certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life
so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. (Actually I didn't forward this to anyone. But the link to the blog is on every email I send, so sooner or later...)
Now, I invite you to post anything that you think should have been on the list!
40 Tips for a Better Life in 2008
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It
is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with
daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food
that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past,
negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your
energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems
are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like
algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years,
will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends
will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you
certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life
so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. (Actually I didn't forward this to anyone. But the link to the blog is on every email I send, so sooner or later...)
Now, I invite you to post anything that you think should have been on the list!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
My New Roof!
I HAVE A ROOF!!!
It's all covered with new plywood, some new framing, new rubber, new caulk, and a bit of a warrantee. In other words, the rest of the motorhome should wear out before I need to do that again.
Here is the upper left corner that gave me so much trouble, when I did battle with the over-sized patch.
Here is where the big patches were where the antenna was removed - and the DC-powered vent fan which replaces the AC-powered air conditioner. The air conditioner works fine, but only when plugged into shore power - which happens so rarely in my travels. If you want to buy a good used a/c and you are in the Virginia area, contact me.
I know I've posted prettier pictures aesthetically than this expanse of white - but to me right now, it's georgeous.
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