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Published: April 22nd 2016
Hey! I've kept those "occupied signs" on your seats for a reason. They are reserved just for you. You can't leave now....we aren't home yet. If you get off now, I have no idea how you are going to get the rest of the way back. From my previous blog, I can see that the majority of you have heeded my advice and stayed in your seats. Good. We started this journey together and plan to end it the same way. Friends and family stick together .... like glue on fingers, threads on Velcro, snot on a doorknob.
Okay-dokay. The travel blog continues......After we left the KOA campground in Kingstown, Georgia, our travel day was mostly uneventful. We missed out on the free Belgium Waffle breakfast at the KOA cause we left before 8:00 AM (serving time). Just as well...I'm still not feeling "as good as gold" yet. Getting there but not quite there. I think I took myself off my antibiotic too soon so have resumed them. That should help. Something needs to. Cory & Lulu are getting sick of waiting on me and riding with something that looks like a bag of ham hocks mixed with mush.
We got within 20 miles of our destination (Selma, NC) on I-95 when we found ourselves stuck in traffic again. Another snail moving parking lot! Rats! Boring.......you get to know your neighbors in the adjacent cars and trucks though. This delay spell lasted 40 minutes...all due to just highway road work construction and going down to one lane of traffic.
Finally, @ 4:30, we pulled into the RVacations campground in Selma, NC. Directly off I-95 and is seen easily from that highway. A beautiful campground. We set up our long, brown carriage and we're go to go. My head is a tad foggy and I can hear myself as I speak (do I really sound like that?).....not contagious and I'm upright so we head our car over to our friend's house in Smithfield, N.C. (10 minutes away).
Thank heavens for the invention of the GPS. Les & DeAnne McKay moved down here this past September after living in their fine, old farmhouse way up on what I would call "God's Acre" outside of Andover, NY. for over forty years. Both retired and able to sell their big farm gave them this opportunity to move closer to their children
Lulu liked the ducks and lake
No picnic tables - patio tables insteadand grandchildren and leave the nasty northern winters behind.
We've known them since 1972. DeAnne was my Teamleader on 2-North at Jones Memorial Hospital when I started my career as a graduate nurse. Oh my, what times and tales we have shared over the many years we worked together. The life of a nurse is a wonderful one. You meet and care for so many interesting, unique and special people. You are a part of their good days and bad. You cheer with success and cry when none. Your hands are always warm because they are forever holding another's. Through it all, there are also your fellow employees. Many become your good friends forever. And that is my relationship with DeAnne. She has been a wonderful friend for all these years and hopefully, for many more to come. I shall always be indebted and grateful to her for her competent guidance and knowledge she gave me as I learned the trade. She always had my back whenever I needed her as situations would arise. A dear and true friend!
Cory and Les met at one of the hospital parties we dragged them to. They related well and celebrated
their new found friendship over a couple Alabama Slammers. Les has always had a knack for wheeling & dealing....a common thread for he & Cory. The four of us have had some fun adventures together. We miss our Friday night fish-fry outings with them when we could reminisce about these times.
So now we were excited to see them again. We weren't surprised they weren't located in the middle of town. The GPS directed us away from it. As I mentioned before, they had lived on a "mountain to heaven" while in our neck of the woods. Eagles could make nests on the ground it was so far and high up. They loved it. It was majestic. Our GPS had us turning left and right and all around. They had suggested we bring our RV to their place as they live on a cul-de-sac. I would have been giving Cory CPR had we made that decision, especially with the car in tow. He got cranky just getting into Red Bay, Alabama and their tiny, winding roads. Those were like highways in comparison to the twists and turns we were now making.
But quickly, the GPS is belting out
Their new home
Smithfield, NC " You Have Reached Your Destination!" And there was DeAnne, waiting for us on her front porch. We were welcomely greeted by our good friends, Les & DeAnne. So great to see them again. Seems like it had been forever. Their lovely home is nestled at the end of a small road....in a cul-de-sac just like they said. It has the trees and woods around to keep the country feel alive. Our home tour began in their large attached garage. It is Les's workshop where he crafts his magnificent furniture pieces out of precious walnut boards. Such talent this man has. Each piece is so unique and carefully created by his able and skillful hands. Just beautiful. I wish you could see them. I should have taken pictures. What was I thinking? My head was a bit foggy but I was more distracted with excitement just being there. We entered the kitchen.....for heaven's sake, it felt like being in their other kitchen....newer, of course, but what was it? Right in the center was their old, large, original chopping block stand. Many drinks and laughs were poured over this stand. How wonderful to be back around it again.....and so far away
from its origin. One of Les's treasured furniture pieces stood proudly in the dining area. This gorgeous wood table converts to a high back bench if desired. A masterpiece. DeAnne's special touch was everywhere. High loft openings provided the perfect setting for their decorative collectibles. The living room invited us in .....warm & cozy. A fireplace was ready for next winter's visit but they will not ever have to experience winter's wrath as in the north again. They can use it for ambiance during their cocktail hour. Another gorgeous table creation by Les took its place in front of this attractive warmer...for them, just a northern chill reminder. Three large bedrooms and two full baths completed the tour. DeAnne was so proud of her ample walk-in closet. As we know, old farmhouses never had these luxuries.
Ding Dong......cocktail hour is announced. Les whips up a perfect Manhattan for he and Cory. Cory's eyes tear with joy. DeAnne sips on her liquored cranberry concoction. I drink the mixer. My ginger ale is refreshing. I'm not pushing it....head is still fogged. Out come the tasty snacks and we're in beulah-land....this is great...this is the life. There are Good Ships & Wood
Smithfield, NC
Luckeeeee. They have a close by Walmart Ships but the Best Ships are Friendships. Here's to you, Les & DeAnne.
We move our quartet onto their deck overlooking their green yard and wooded backdrop. A nice, big storage building holds more of their unpacked items from Andover. "Big enough and nice enough to be a guest house" I say. As usual, Les & DeAnne do not avoid hard work. They have been busy trimming back some overgrowth and doing some landscaping. DeAnne has planted her beloved flower bulbs. We catch up on all the topics to be covered. We learn about carpenter bees who want to join our con-flab.
DeAnne dons her chef hat and we are served tasty, monster size hot dogs and absolutely delicious potato salad. How did she know that was Cory's favorite? I feel guilty I am not doing anything to help out. Not used to being waited on except of late when Cory and Lulu have tended to me. It was a wonderful, relaxing evening. It seemed like old times back at home...except the warm breeze and budding flowers confirmed "we weren't back in Kansas, Toto". We said our good-nite's and thank you's as the sun settled down into the
horizon. No problem finding our campground and we were ready for a good night's sleep after a full and favorite day.
Morning arrived and we could smell Smithfield bacon cooking in the air. Cory sped back to McKay's to quench this pork strip delicacy. He loves bacon. DeAnne...a.k.a Julia Childs, was serving up a full breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, toast and coffee - Cory was in his glory. He loves big breakfasts. My appetite has not suffered from whatever ails me.....rats! Appropriate. No such luck. I was able to thoroughly partake and enjoy these scrumptious meals prepared by our gracious and talented hostess. We sat back and just shared each other's company.
They had hoped to take us through the Ava Gardner museum but I wasn't sure if I was up to that amount of standing around. Instead, they toured us through their town of Smithfield and made a couple shop stops. We visited The Ham Shoppe where Smithfield ham is cured for sale and for restaurants. The Grizzly Adams appearing owner kindly told the story behind two, wheelbarrow size "shanks ?" from a hog that weighed over 1000 pounds. They hung in a curing room
with many, many smaller ones. But those weren't too small - let me tell you. Anyway, the monster size ones have hung there since 1971. Not eatable anymore but he said they still ooze grease onto the sawdust floor. I should have taken a picture. Fog head! Rats!
I had one request regarding a place to go....JR's. When we drove on I-95, we had seen the billboard signs for JR's. Little did we realize it was located at the exit between McKay's and our campground. I let out a weak "whoop" when I realized it. We have alway stopped at a JR's whenever we find one. A favorite one was located on I-77 in Statesville, N.C. That was a regular for us on our way to Florida. Sadly, that one closed up. JR's is that big outlet store I have told you about before. It advertises it sells everything from "brassieres to chandeliers". And it did! It's beyond wonderful and beyond words. A shoppers dream come true. Well, here we were....inches from another JR's. I breathed deeply to take in fresh air to brighten myself up. Cory could always push me in a cart if nothing else. Peculiar .....
not many cars in the massive parking lot that normally would be filled like Disneyworld's. The cars we only concentrated at one end of this mile long building. We all jumped out, me leading the way with all the strength I could muster. Sign says to use other door. Okay....at least it's open. Uh-Oh. Things are different. We enter into a huge room filled with cigars, cigarettes, tobacco paraphernalia and several smoking men lounging in oversized leather chairs. The aroma is pungent but oddly familiar and acceptable from many years ago when we used to smoke. I dart down a hallway knowing it would open into the brightly lit, crowded and overflowing rows of massive amounts of cheap goodies. All just waiting to be bought. We never left without dropping a Benjamin. Yikes....Nooooo. The hallways ends at the Women's Restroom. You have to be kidding me! Now I do feel sick. Whaaaat happened? Where's THEE store? "It closed up" snipes the unfriendly tobacco cashier. It's gone! Salt into my wounds. Ouch! I feel bi-polar: from such highs to such lows. Such is life. Suck it up!
No matter, our day is still perfect because we are spending it with
good friends. We return to their cozy abode. Deanne, again, begins her creative culinary tasks in their beautiful kitchen. Ding Dong....cocktail hour. I still indulge on the mixer. We take advantage of their deck and its comfortable environment. Free and open space to appreciate the "Florida" blue sky and its gentle breeze. Bomb! Bomb! The carpenter bees have decided to join us. Les takes no haste in the elimination of three of them. They lay sacrificed on the picnic table for all to see. Awwww.
Soon, the dinner bell rings and DeAnne presents a cornucopia of succulent morsels. A ham that melts in your mouth. Creamy potatoes that hit the spot. We don't usually eat asparagus but Mrs. Fancy Chef prepared them in the most flavorful manner, we couldn't eat them fast enough. Too much...too good. Perfecto. Plan: we shall spend another two weeks with them! Wish we could but home still beckons us on.
We parted with grateful and warm good-byes but not tearful ones. That's because they have plans to visit back in NY in a few short days and we shall see them then. Yippee! All good things do not really have to come to
JR's Outlet
Closed!! For good....rats! an end after all. Safe travels and see you soon! Thank you so much for a wonderful visit. It was a great time! We'll do it again. It's quiet back at the RV. No late night rowdiness in the old campground. Sleep.....everyone else is doing just that. Good night one and all. We'll see you in the morning. Time to go home!
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