Karla's Kronicles #20

The Karla Kronicles #20 The Big Trip - Part 1
(Note: Larger and More Detailed Photos are in the Photo Albums Located HERE.)
Dear Kronicle Readers...I'm determined not to get so far behind in my journalizing. And I'm equally determined to always have the camera with me as a picture is worth a million words! The next series of Kronicles are sub-titled "The Big Trip" and for good reason. Planning for a 5-month vacation in your RV is much, much different than living in it full-time. I'm a bit envious of the full-timers who don't have to clean out the frig and make sure everything is locked up tight before heading to their next destination. Luckily, we hired a weekly pool service and a young man in the neighborhood will mow for us while we are gone. After getting all of that organized, there is the "what are we forgetting to take" syndrome. When you full-time, it's all with you all the time. I can't imagine what we could have left behind...but I did discover that we didn't have our checkbook with us. But, behold, I have the box of blank checks and an extra register. Thank goodness we do so much of our banking and bill paying on-line. So far the checkbook appears to be the only thing left behind. I'm sure we will discover more things as the trip progresses.
It's Monday, May 18th; and Day 1 of our trip finds us heading North for a one-night stay in Unadilla's Southern Trails RV Resort, a Camp Club USA Park, so available to us for 50% off regular rates. We stayed here one night on the way to the FMCA Rally in March. We had a pull-thru site and didn't have to unhitch the jeep; for the one-night stays, that is very nice. It's another advantage of the Coach vs. the 5th wheel; there were times when we HAD to unhitch the truck even for one-night stay because of leveling front to back. We are finding that setting up and breaking down camp is much easier with the Coach and the storage compartments are wonderful; however, driving takes a bit more concentration and if there is wind, even a slight breeze, you do feel it. Even as heavy as this Coach weighs (approx. 33,000 lbs), side-winds are NOT fun. Day #2 was another windy day, so I haven't taken the wheel yet on this trip. We reached 1000 Trails Carolina Landing in Fair Play S.C. around noon and set up for a week's stay. We had never been to this Preserve and it's not going to be a favorite as many sites are built on a sloping hill, so the ground is uneven for sitting out. But our main reason for coming to this Preserve is it's location between my Sister Katy's house, and Niece Annie's House. It's time to do some visiting! Katy wanted to see the Coach, so she drove up and spent Friday night with us; then Saturday, we picked up Nephew Michael and returned to Katy's house for "girl time". My Brother-in-Law, Jerry, was in Madrid working with a co-author and presenting a paper (Jerry is a Financial Economist and Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta) But I think his first love is teaching. I got to see Jerry via Skype Video from his hotel in Madrid. Hopefully, our next visit will be in person! Jerry's website is: Gerald P. Dwyer, Jr.
This Kronicles will highlight visiting with Family and Friends in Georgia and South Carolina....not too much on the sightseeing until Kronicle's #21....
	Aunt Karla with Michael James Lepiane Dwyer (named after his Grandpa - my Dad!).
On Sunday, Jerry III and his family drove to Katy's to visit. It had been a long time since I had seen some of my Nieces and Nephews and their families, so it was a very special visit. In this photo are: (left to right) Jerry III, Shana, Elizabeth, Karla, Zack, Katy, and Larry
	Jerry III rescued this pound puppy. Her name is Harriett and she definitely gets separation anxiety when Jerry leaves her outside. But she's a real good pup. No bites, no barks, no licks...she'll make a great family dog.
Shana (my "niece-in-law") was recovering from a recent surgery. I'm so glad she felt well enough to come over to visit, even for a short while. Shana's Mom, Marilyn, has been helping Shana during her recovery time.
As Katy predicted, Zack and Elizabeth usually hit the cupboard where the games are kept....

	Snack Time...Katy fixing snacks for Grandaughter, Elizabeth.
Bet you can't eat just one...Elizabeth and Zack trying out some super spicy chips.
During the afternoon, Katy got Mom on Skype Video so she could see everyone. If you are not familiar with Skype voice and/or video, we'd be glad to share the information. It's a free download at their website: Skype.com. and if your computer doesn't have a built-in camera, you can buy a camera at places like WalMart for about $25. It's been a great way for us to "visit" with my Mom, Katy, Larry's family and a few of our friends. Of course, it's going to work best with high-speed connections. In the Coach, where we are linking up to Hughes.net satellites, using the video has proven difficult, but we can still do the voice calls using "over" as we are speaking. We've sure enjoyed having Skype installed.
The next 3 photos are blossoms of Katy's front yard Magnolia Tree. We see them blooming all around us in the South, but I hadn't gotten photos of a bloom before it opens all the way up. Katy's tree has lots of blossoms. We are definitely wanting to plant a Magnolia tree in our yard. They don't have to be big trees before they start producing flowers. Maybe this fall we can get one started. I think at this phase in blooming, they resemble a large rose. The blossoms don't last long; once they fan out, they do turn yellow and drop off the tree. Some people don't care for the "mess" they make, but I think they are a fascinating tree. The leaves are a very dark shiny green. We saw several trees (not in bloom at the time) in the Withlacoochee State Forest when hiking with Thyme.

	Memorial Day was another day for visiting. We headed out for Simpsonville, S.C. where we had a quick visit with Clarence and Flora Byrd. In January, during their visit with us in Florida, they had moved from Anderson closer to their daughter, Leann. Larry was plotting the addresses on his Mapsource program and discovered that the Byrds were living just 4 miles from my Niece Annie's new home! It was great to see them again even for just a short time. Clarence celebrated is 82nd birthday on May 24th!! Many of our Reader's know Clarence and Flora from the Honeywell days.
Our visit with Annie and Lenny and the boys, Cody, Scott, & Jake was just a whole lot of fun. Annie is surrounded by 7 males. They also have 2 male dogs and a male cat. Annie may be outnumbered, but she's Queen of the Day every day! We enjoyed a great bbq Linner (between lunch and dinner?). We also got to sample Lenny's homemade brew - a Pecan Praline dark beer - really yummy! I got some great photos of the guys in action, playing their guitars and tossing the football around the back yard. Jake (the youngest) is Mr. Independent...he entertains himself quite a bit riding his bike in the cul-de-sac. It's a really nice neighborhood. I'm so glad we got to visit and see their area. After downloading my pictures, though, I do regret not getting a group photo and my one photo of Lenny building Annie's new computer desk did not turn out! Bummer!

	Annie painted this room (it's Scott's bedroom); with a Spiderman theme. Superman is painted on the ceiling. Jake will eventually inherit the room, so I told him to give me a Spiderman pose. I think he's shooting webs from his fingers just like Spidey does in the movies.

Cody (left), Jake (middle), Scott (right) taking a little break from throwing the football. It started to rain a bit.
The time has come to get back on the road again. The next morning, we'll be heading out to Tennessee and the Natches Trace 1000 Trails Preserve. We'll also get to see Thyme and the land she bought last year. Until next time...
Keep Happy and Healthy, Dear Readers! And Remember....
We want to hear from you too! Karla and Larry

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